WO2010102665A1

WO2010102665A1 - A container

Info

Publication number: WO2010102665A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/052819
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marcel Hendrikus Simon Weijers
Original assignee: Inventum Group B.V.
Priority date: 2009-03-11
Filing date: 2009-03-11
Publication date: 2010-09-16

Abstract

A container (1) comprises a housing (2) which is provided with a cavity (3) for containing a substance. The cavity (3) is sealed by means of a cover (4) which is releasably fixed to the housing (2) at a fixing region (5). In a sealed condition of the cavity (3) the cover (4) diverges with respect to the plane of the fixing region (5) beyond the fixing region (5) as seen in a direction from the fixing region (5) to the cavity (3).

Description

A container

The present invention relates to a container comprising a housing which is provided with a cavity for containing a substance, wherein the cavity is sealed by means of a cover which is releasably fixed to the housing at a fixing region. Such a container is known from WO 2007/025773. The known container comprises a deformable housing which has an opening. The opening is closed by a cover sheet which is sealed to the housing by means of a circumferential sealing seam. Such a container is typically used in a dispensing apparatus. For example, the container contains syrup and is placed in a compression chamber of the dispensing apparatus for compressing the housing. The container is provided with a weakened seal portion which is released upon increased pressure in the container due to compression thereof. As a consequence, the substance is pressed out of the cavity. The dispensing apparatus may dispense water from another source so as to mix the dispensed syrup and water for preparing a beverage.

The object of the invention is to provide a container of which the cover is released effectively. This is achieved by the container according to the invention which is characterized in that in a sealed condition of the cavity the cover diverges with respect to the plane of the fixing region beyond the fixing region as seen in a direction from the fixing region to the cavity. Due to this feature the cover can be separated from the housing relatively easily since there exists already a peeling start of the cover with respect to the housing at the side of the cavity. An increasing angle of the divergence between the cover and the plane of the fixing region will further facilitate the peeling of the cover from the housing upon increasing the pressure in the cavity.

The fixing region may be formed at a diverging wall portion of the housing extending beyond the cavity as seen in a direction from the cavity to the fixing region. This provides the opportunity to fix the cover to an inclined portion of a surrounding wall of the cavity whereas the cover extends substantially horizontally above the cavity or parallel to a bottom of the housing. For example, the housing may be shaped such that the cavity is cylindrical and the diverging wall is formed by a funnel shape above the cylindrical cavity, while the cover extends substantially perpendicularly to the centre line of the cylinder within a portion spaced from the fixing region. The fixing region may comprise a circumferential seam, but is not necessarily circular. In a preferred embodiment the cover is also fixed to the housing at a sealing region which is spaced from the fixing region in outward direction of the container, which sealing region at least partly seals a space between the fixing region, the cover, the housing and the sealing region. The advantage of this embodiment is that upon discharging the substance from the cavity the space forms a passage for guiding the substance, independent from the exact location of separation between the cover and the housing within the fixing region.

In practice, the sealing region may have an opening for allowing a flow of substance from the cavity to the outside of the container when the cover is separated from the housing at the fixing region.

Preferably, the adhesion force of the cover to the housing at the sealing region is higher than that at the fixing region since the pressurized substance is not allowed to separate the cover from the housing at the sealing region.

In an alternative embodiment the cover is adhered to the housing through a seam having a zigzag pattern at the fixing region. The advantage of this configuration is that the cover will be separated from the housing easier at the tips of the zigzag pattern facing to the cavity.

The container may be provided with an outlet channel for guiding a flow of substance from the cavity to the outside, wherein the container is provided with at least an auxiliary channel which communicates with the outlet channel and the outside. This provides the possibility to supply an additional fluid to the flow of substance from the cavity, for example for foaming the substance by injection of air. It is noted that the auxiliary channel is not necessarily combined with a container having a diverging cover next to the fixing region.

In a practical embodiment the outlet channel and the auxiliary channel are formed by depressions in the housing which are bridged by the cover. In that case seams of the sealing region may be provided at opposite sides of the depressions.

The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to the very schematic drawings showing different embodiments of the invention by way of example. Figs. Ia and Ib are perspective views of an embodiment of a container according to the invention without a cover and with a cover, respectively, and Fig. Ic is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. Ib.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of an embodiment of a dispensing apparatus suitable for receiving a container according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a similar view as Fig, Ib, but showing a part of the container after deformation of the housing thereof.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Fig. Ic.

Figs. 5a-c are views of a part indicated by V in Fig. 4 on a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a view of a part indicated by VI in Fig. 4 on a larger scale. Fig. 7a is a similar view as Fig. Ib of an alternative embodiment of the container, and Fig. 7b is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 7a on a larger scale.

Fig. 8a is a similar view as Fig. Ia of another alternative embodiment of the container, and Fig. 8b is a view of a part of the embodiment indicated by VIIIb in Fig. 8a on a larger scale.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the container according to Fig. 8a, including a cover.

Figs, la-c show an embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention. The container 1 comprises a housing 2 which is provided with a cavity 3 for containing a substance. The cavity 3 is sealed by means of a cover 4. In Fig. Ia the container 1 without cover 4 is shown, whereas in Fig. Ib the container 1 including the cover 4 is shown. The cover 4 is releasably fixed to the housing 2 at a fixing region 5.

The cover 4 is made of a sheet material and can be fixed to the housing 2 by sealing, heat-sealing, welding, gluing or other adhesion means. In this case the cover 4 is fixed to the housing 2 by means of welding along a welding seam. The welding seam has such a strength that the cover 4 can be released from the housing 2 upon exerting a predetermined force on the cover 4 with respect to the housing 2. The cover 4 may be made of aluminium, plastic, laminate or the like. The housing 2 can be made of aluminium, plastic, or the like. In a sealed condition the cover 4 seals the cavity 3 in the fixing region 5 such that the substance is conserved.

In addition to the fixing region 5 the container is also provided with a sealing region 6. In the sealing region 6 the cover 4 is fixed to the housing 2, as well. The sealing region 6 extends spaced from the fixing region 5 in outward direction of the container 1. The adhesion force of the cover 4 to the housing 2 at the sealing region 6 is higher than at the fixing region 5. The sealing region 6 is also formed by a welding seam in this case, extending partly concentrically with respect to the fixing seam 5, see Fig. Ic.

Fig. Ia shows that the housing 2 is pre-shaped, comprising a flange 7 which surrounds the cavity 3 and extends outwardly from the cavity 3. The upper surface of the flange 7 extends in a substantially flat plane. It is provided with a depression 8 which forms an outlet channel 9 when the cover 4 is fixed to the flange 7 of the housing 2, see Fig. Ib. The outlet channel 9 serves for guiding dispensed substance flowing from the cavity 3 to the outside.

Furthermore, the housing 2 is deformable so as to use the container 1 in a dispensing apparatus 10 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The dispensing apparatus 10 comprises a compression chamber 11 for receiving the container 1. A lower side of the flange 7 is supported by an edge surrounding the compression chamber 11. A support member 12 engages the container 1 at the opposite side of the flange 7. In practice the support member 12 may be a door or a lid of the apparatus 10. The dispensing apparatus 10 is provided with a moveable piston 13 for pressing against the housing 2 of the container 1 such that it deforms and the volume of the cavity 3 is reduced. As a consequence, the cover 4 will be separated from the housing 2 at the fixing region 5 and the substance in the cavity 3 will be transferred through the outlet channel 9 to for example a drinking glass located below the outlet channel 9, see the downwardly directed arrow in Fig. 2. The substance in the cavity 3 may be syrup, for example, and the dispensing apparatus 10 may be provided with a water dispenser for dispensing water into the same drinking glass so as to prepare a beverage. Of course, numerous alternative substances and mixing fluids are conceivable.

After emptying the container 1 the emptied container 1 including the deformed housing 2 can be removed from the compression chamber 11. Since the container 1 has its own outlet channel 9 and due to the configuration of the dispensing apparatus 10, the dispensing apparatus 10 can be kept free from contamination by the substance.

Fig. 3 shows a condition of the container 1 in which the cover 4 has been released from the housing 2 at the fixing region which is now indicated by 5' . It can be seen that the cover 4 is still fixed to the housing 2 at the sealing region 6. If the cover 4 is not separated from the housing 2 along the entire circumference of the cavity 3, but only along a part of the circumferential fixing region 5, the substance from the cavity 3 can still flow through an open space between the fixing region 5 and the sealing region 6 to the outlet channel 9, which will be explained hereinafter.

Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the embodiment of the container 1 as described hereinbefore and Figs. 5a-c show a part of the container 1 on a larger scale. Fig. 5a shows that in the fixing region 5 the cover 4 is sealed to the housing 2 at a diverging wall portion 14 of the housing 2 extending beyond the cavity 3 as seen in a direction from the cavity 3 to the fixing region 5. As a consequence, the cover 4 diverges with respect to the plane of the fixing region 5 beyond the fixing region 5 as seen in a direction from the fixing region 5 to the cavity 3 when the cavity 3 is in a sealed condition. As seen in cross- section of the container 1, the cover 4 diverges from a tangent, touching the housing 2 at the fixing region 5, beyond the fixing region 5 as seen from the fixing region 5 to the cavity 3. In the sealed condition a portion of the cover 4 inside the circumferential fixing region 5 extends substantially parallel to the flange 7 and a bottom of the housing 2 opposite to the flange 7.

When the housing 2 of the container 1 is deformed a pressure P in the cavity 3 will increase. Fig. 5b illustrates a situation in which the pressure P exceeds a level at which the cover 4 starts releasing from the housing 2 at the fixing region 5, see the broken line indicated by 4' in Fig. 5b. After a certain period of time the cover 4 will entirely release from the housing 2 as illustrated in Fig. 5c. Fig. 5c shows that the cover 4 bulges out slightly. Due to the orientation of the cover 4 with respect to the surface of the housing 2 at the fixing region 5 at the side of the cavity 3 in the sealed condition, the cover 4 can be peeled from the diverging wall portion 14 of the housing 2 relatively easily. After a first start of separation between the cover 4 and the housing 2 at the fixing region 5, the cover 4 will bulge out at that location such that the divergence angle will increase and separation becomes still more easily.

Fig. 5a shows that that in the sealed condition of the container 1 there is a chamber 15 which communicates with the outlet channel 9. If the cover 4 is only partly released from the housing 2 at the fixing region 5 the substance from the cavity 3 can still flow through the chamber 15 to the outlet channel 9. Additionally there may also be a weakened sealing in the chamber 15 or the outlet channel 9 between the cover 4 and the housing 2 which is released once substance from the cavity 3 is transferred to the outlet channel 9. This prevents ambient air or other contaminants from entering into the chamber 15 via the outlet channel 9 before use of the container 1.

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the container 1 at the outlet channel 9. In this condition the cover 4 is separated from the housing 2 at the fixing region 5 and the substance flows through the outlet channel 9. The cover 4 and depression 8 in the flange 7 are shaped such that the outlet flow is a controlled flow. Figs. 7a-b show an alternative embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention. In this embodiment the fixing region 5 comprises a welding seam having a zigzag pattern. This configuration appears to improve the releasing characteristic of the cover 4 in the fixing region 5, since the separation between the cover 4 and the housing 2 will start at the tips of the zigzag pattern facing to the cavity 3.

Figs. 8a-b and 9 show another alternative embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention. Figs. 8a-b show the housing 2 without cover 4 and Fig. 9 shows the container 1 including the cover 4. Similar to the embodiments as described hereinbefore the container 1 is provided with the outlet channel 9. In this embodiment the flange 7 is also provided with auxiliary depressions 16, which form auxiliary channels 17 after the cover 4 is attached to the flange 7, see Fig. 9. The auxiliary channels 17 communicate with the outlet channel 9 and the outside of the container. In order to create said channels 9, 17 the sealing region 6 comprises a welding seam which also extends along opposite sides of the channels 9, 17. The auxiliary channels 17 may be used for mixing another fluid with the substance from the cavity 3 upon discharging the substance, for example air for creating a foaming substance. The dispensing apparatus may be adapted to receive such containers 1 and to supply an additional fluid to the auxiliary channels 17.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that the invention, provides a container of which the cover can be separated effectively from the housing.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described hereinbefore, which may be varied in different manners within the scope of the claims and their technical equivalents. The substance contained in the cavity may be all kinds of fluids, such as soup, chocolate, milk, a liquid or pasted food concentrate or the like. It may be mixed with water or sparkling water, for example.

Claims

1. A container (1) comprising a housing (2) which is provided with a cavity (3) for containing a substance, said cavity (3) being sealed by means of a cover (4) which is releasably fixed to the housing (2) at a fixing region (5), characterized in that in a sealed condition of the cavity (3) the cover (4) diverges with respect to the plane of the fixing region (5) beyond the fixing region (5) as seen in a direction from the fixing region (5) to the cavity (3) .

2. A container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fixing region (5) is formed at a diverging wall portion (14) of the housing (2) extending beyond the cavity (3) as seen in a direction from the cavity (3) to the fixing region (5) .

3. A container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing region (5) comprises a circumferential seam.

4. A container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (4) is also fixed to the housing (2) at a sealing region (6) which is spaced from the fixing region (5) in outward direction of the container (1), which sealing region (6) at least partly seals a space (15) between the fixing region (5), the cover (4), the housing (2) and the sealing region (6) .

5. A container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the sealing region (6) has an opening (9) for allowing a flow of substance from the cavity (3) to the outside of the container (1) when the cover (4) is separated from the housing (2) at the fixing region (5) .

6. A container (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the adhesion force of the cover (4) to the housing (2) at the sealing region (6) is higher than that at the fixing region (5) .

7. A container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (4) is adhered to the housing (2) through a seam having a zigzag pattern at the fixing region (5) .

8. A container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the container (1) is provided with an outlet channel (9) for guiding a flow of substance from the cavity (3) to the outside, wherein the container (1) is provided with at least an auxiliary channel (17) which communicates with the outlet channel (9) and the outside of the container (1) .

9. A container (1) according to claim 8, wherein the outlet channel (9) and/or the auxiliary channel (17) are formed by depressions (8, 16) in the housing which are bridged by the cover (4) .

10. A container (1) according to claim 5 and claim 8 or 9, wherein the opening is formed by the outlet channel (9) .