ZA200807436B

ZA200807436B - Container and dispenser for liquids

Info

Publication number: ZA200807436B
Application number: ZA200807436A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: John Paul Howard Middleton
Original assignee: Handi Pak Close Corp
Priority date: 2007-05-29
Filing date: 2008-08-29
Publication date: 2010-01-27

Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers for holding and dispensing liquids. In particular, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing and dispensing liquid.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A wide variety of containers are available for liquids, but one of the most cost effective types of containers is a thin-walled flexible container, also referred to as a bag or sachet.

Containers of this type can be entirely sealed and then have the advantage that they prevent contamination of their contents, but it is often difficult to dispense liquids from these containers, since this usually requires ~ cutting the container walls, which are flexible and often difficult to grip or position properly for cutting. Further, it is often difficult to dispense liquids from these containers once they have been cut or torn, because liquids have to exit the containers through the cuts or tears which have irregular shapes that make the flow of liquid difficult to control and/or predict.

Other flexible containers of this type, such as the flexible liners that are used in cartons for beverages, are provided with valves through which : the liquids can be dispensed in a convenient and controlled manner.

However, these valves have disadvantages that they are often costly and that they are not tamper proof with the result that unnoticed contamination of the container contents can still occur if the valve is opened and it is not always readily possible to see if a valve is leaking. :

These difficulties are not limited to flexible containers, but the need for a cost effective solution to the problems is more acute in the field of flexible containers which are generally used for their low cost.

The present invention seeks to provide cost effective means for allowing a container to remain completely sealed until it needs to be dispensed and to be dispensed from the container in a convenient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

: According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of storing and dispensing liquid, said method comprising: storing the liquid in a container; pressing a piercer element along the inside of a spout towards the container wall; rupturing the container wall with the piercer element to create an aperture in the container wall; and dispensing the liquid from the inside of the container via the aperture and though the spout.

The container may preferably initially be sealed, e.g. it may be sealed to the extent that the container walls surround its inside in a continuous : manner, without any apertures, slits, or the like, until it is ruptured by the piercer element.

The method may include retaining the piercer element in the spout after rupturing the container wall and may include retaining the piercer element in such a position that part of the piercer element remains in the : aperture to keep it open.

The liquid may be dispensed along a flow path extending : through the spout in at least one flow passage defined inside the spout, at least in part by the piercer element. : 30 The method may include a prior step of removing a protective cap to allow access to the piercer element. The cap may act as a lid which seals off the inside of the spout and may be replaceable to re-seal the spout.

The method may include gripping a formation on the exterior of the spout while pressing the piercer element towards the container wall.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for storing and dispensing liquid, said apparatus comprising: a container with a wall surrounding an inner cavity, said wall being thin- walled in at least one region; a spout that is fixedly attached to the outside of the container wall with said thin-walled region of the container wall extending across the inside of the spout where it is attached to the container wall; and a piercer element disposed inside the spout, said piercer element defining at least part of one flow passage along the spout and including at least one sharp feature, said piercer element further being axially displaceable inside the spout towards the container wall.

The container may preferably be sealed, e.g. it may be sealed to the extent that the container walls surround its inside in a continuous manner, without any apertures, slits, or the like. The container may comprise entirely of a thin wall, extending continuously around its inside and the thin wall may be flexible, e.g. the container may be a sachet.

The piercer element may include a number of radial fins with axial recesses between the fins defining said flow passages. The end of the piercer element facing the container wall may be pointed and may include said sharp feature in the form of a sharp point and/or in the form of sharp edges, which may be defined on the ends of the radial fins. The piercer element may be tapered at its end facing away from the container wall.

The spout may be generally cylindrical with a flange extending from its end where it is attached to the container wall and the flange may be attached to the wall in a sealed manner, e.g. by impulse sealing with an element, ultrasonic welding or with an adhesive.

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The apparatus may include at least one retaining formation : preventing unwanted axial movement of the piercer element inside the spout in a direction towards and/or away from the container wall, i.e. in a direction along an axis intersecting the container wall, such as a retaining ridge or clip, possibly with a complementally shaped and positioned recess, defined on the periphery of the piercer element and/or on the inside of the spout.

The end of the piercer element may protrude from the end of the spout facing away from the container wall and the apparatus may include a removable cap that can cover said end of the spout and/or that can re-seal the spout.

A grip formation such as a collar may extend from the exterior of the spout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a valve of the apparatus of Figure 1 in a closed condition;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the valve of Figure 2 in an open condition;

Figure 4 is a three dimensional view of a piercer element of the valve of

Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a valve of apparatus in accordance with : a second embodiment of the present invention, in a closed condition; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a valve of apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, in a closed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, apparatus in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 and is . intended for storing and dispensing a fluid such as a liquid (with any viscosity), a paste, free flowing granules, or any other flowable material, although reference is only made to liquids in this specification, for the sake of simplicity.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the apparatus 10 includes a sealed container 12 of which only a section of its wall is shown. The container wall 12 is thin and flexible and the container is in the form of a large bag or sachet with no apertures, other than that described with reference to the drawings. On the inside of the container, there is a liquid 14 that needs to be kept sealed inside the container while it is stored and that needs to be dispensed when required.

The apparatus 10 further includes a valve 16 comprising a spout 18, a piercer element 20 that is axially displaceable inside the spout and a cap 22 that can close an end of the spout. The spout 18 has a generally cylindrical shape and a flange 24 extends from one end of the spout. The flange is attached to the outside of the container wall 12 with impulse sealing, although ultrasonic welding or adhesive attachment or the like would also work, as long as the attachment is sealed. A part of the container wall 12 thus extends across the end of the spout 18, aligned with the flange 24 and forms a rupture wall 26. At the end of the spout 18 that is remote from the container wall 12, it has-a circumferential ridge 28 on its outside onto which the cap 22 can clip to cover the open end of the spout.

The piercer element 20 has an elongate shape with four radial fins, so that it has a cross-sectional profile that resembles a cross. At their ends that face towards the rupture wall 26, the fins are tapered so that the piercer element forms a sharp feature in the form of a central point 32 and the tapered ends of the fins are sharp to form cutting edges 34. The four recesses between the fins 30 form flow passages 36 that extend axially along the piercer element inside the spout 18.

At the end of the piercer element 20 facing towards the open end of the spout 18, the fins 30 are also tapered, but not to the extent of forming a sharp point. Instead, the piercer element has a blunt end 38 that can be pressed comfortably with the finger of a user. The blunt end 38 protrudes from the open end of the spout 18 when the valve 16 is closed as show in Figure 2 and is protected by the cap 22 from being inadvertently pressed towards the rupture wall 26. The cap 22 also seals the spout 18 and can be removed to dispense liquid through the spout 18 and can be replaced to re-seal the spout.

On the inside of the spout 18 there are retaining formations in oo 15 the form of a circumferential ridge 40 and a groove 42 and on the outer edges of the fins 30 there are complementally shaped retaining formations in the form of recesses 46 and hooks 44. The ridge 40 is received in the recesses 46 and the hooks 44 are received in the groove 42 when the valve 16 is closed as shown in Figure 2 and these retaining formations prevents the piercer element 20 from sliding towards the open end of the spout 18. In other embodiments, the retaining formations can be configured not to be in engagement when the valve 16 is closed, but to become engaged when the valve is open (see below) and to prevent the piercer element from sliding towards the open end of the spout, which would close the valve. These retaining formations 40,42,44,46 can also be shaped and dimensioned to cause a desired degree of interference between the piercer 20 and the spout 18, if desired.

Referring to Figure 3, when the liquid 14 is to be dispensed from the container 12, the valve 16 is opened by removing the cap 22 and pressing the piercer element 20 by hand on its blunt end 38 to slide it axially inside the spout 18 towards the rupture wall 26. The sharp features 32,34 of the piercer element 20 ruptures the rupture wall to form an aperture 48 in the rupture wall. a. As mentioned above, the retaining formations 40,42,44,46 can be configured to prevent the piercing element from sliding back towards the open end of the spout 18 and accordingly, the pointed end of the piercer element can be kept in the aperture 48 to ensure that the aperture remains open.

When the valve 16 is open, the liquid 14 flows from the inside of the container 12 through the aperture 48 along the flow passages 36 towards the open end of the spout 18, from where it is dispensed. The tapered shape of the piercer element 20 in the region of its blunt end 38 causes the liquid flow stream to adhere to the piercer element and thus causes the liquid flowing in the different flow passages 36 to unite and to be dispensed as a centrally flowing steam from the spout 18, rather than a steam adhering to the rim of the spout.

Referring to Figure 5, a valve of apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is identical to the apparatus 10 and valve 16 shown in Figure 2, apart from the addition of a grip formation in the form of a shoulder 50 that extends radially from the external circumference of the spout 18, generally parallel to the flange 24, but spaced from the flange so that a user's fingers can pass between the flange 24 and the shoulder 50 with ease.

Referring to Figure 6, a valve of apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is identical to the apparatus 10 and valve 16 shown in Figure 5, except that instead of a groove 42 inside the spout 18, there are three axially spaced, circumferential ridges 52, 54 and 56 on the inside of the spout, between which the hooks 44 are receivable in a clipping fashion.

When the valve 16 is assembled, the hooks 44 are passed over the first ridge 52 and are held captive between the first two ridges 52 and 54, which prevent the piercer 20 from sliding out of the spout 18 and also prevent it from sliding towards the rupture wall 26 prematurely. When the piercer 20 is pressed towards the rupture wall 26, the hooks 44 pass in a clipping manner over the second ridge 54 and are held captive between the second and third ridges 54 and 56 to prevent the end of the piercer from being withdrawn from : the aperture 48, thus keeping it open and also to prevent the piercer from accidentally sliding through the aperture and into the inside of the container 12.

In another embodiment of the invention (not shown), the cap 22 is attached to the end 38 of the piercer, with the result that the cap and piercer : need to be pressed towards the rupture wall 26 together to form the aperture 48 and that the cap and piercer need to be removed from the spout 18 to dispense the liquid 14.

In use, when a user wants to dispense liquid from the container : 12 shown in Figure 5, the user's fingers are slid between the flange 24 and : shoulder 50 to grip the shoulder formation, while pressing the piercer 20 towards the rupture wall 26 as described with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

This can most comfortably be done by placing the forefinger and middle finger on either side of the spout 18 behind the shoulder 50 and pressing the end 38 of the piercer 20 with the thumb, towards the rupture wall 26, before or after removing the cap 22.

Claims

iS : EE CLAIMS

1. A method of storing and dispensing liquid, said method comprising: storing the liquid in a container; pressing a piercer element along the inside of a spout towards the container wall; rupturing the container wall with the piercer element to create an aperture in the container wall; and dispensing the liquid from the inside of the container via the aperture and though the spout.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is initially sealed, until it is ruptured by the piercer element.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the container is sealed to the extent that the container walls surround its inside in a continuous manner, without any apertures, slits, or the like, until it is ruptured by the piercer element. -

4, A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes retaining the piercer element in the spout after rupturing the container wall.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, which includes retaining the piercer element in such a position that part of the piercer element remains in the aperture to keep it open.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid is dispensed along a flow path extending through the spout in at least one flow passage defined inside the spout, at least in part by the piercer element.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes a prior step of removing a protective cap to allow access to the piercer element. _

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cap acts as a lid which seals off the inside of the spout.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cap is replaceable to re-seal the spout.

10. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes gripping a formation on the exterior of the spout while pressing the piercer element towards the container wall..

11. Apparatus for storing and dispensing liquid, said apparatus comprising: a container with a wall surrounding an inner cavity, said wall being thin- walled in at least one region; a spout that is fixedly attached to the outside of the container wall with said thin-walled region of the container wall extending across the inside of the spout where it is attached to the container wall; and a piercer element disposed inside the spout, said piercer element defining at least part of one flow passage along the spout and including at least one sharp feature, said piercer element further being axially displaceable inside the spout towards the container wall.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the container is sealed.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the container is sealed to the extent that the container walls surround its inside in a continuous manner, without any apertures or slits.

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14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the container comprises entirely of a thin wall, extending continuously around its inside.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the thin wall is be : flexible.

186. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the container is a sachet.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the : piercer element includes a number of radial fins with axial recesses between the fins defining said flow passages. :

18. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein the end of the piercer element facing the container wall is pointed. :

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the end of the piercer element facing the container wall includes said sharp feature in the form of a sharp point. :

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the end of the piercer element facing the container wall includes said sharp feature in the form of sharp edges. : 25

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, insofar as it is dependent on claim 17, wherein the sharp edges are defined on the ends of the radial fins.

22. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 21, wherein the piercer element is tapered at its end facing away from the container wall.

23. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 22, wherein the spout is generally cylindrical with a flange extending from its end where it is attached to the container wall.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the flange is attached to the wall in a sealed manner.

25. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 24, which includes at least one retaining formation preventing unwanted axial movement - of the piercer element inside the spout in a direction along an axis intersecting the container wall.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said retaining formation is a retaining formation defined on the periphery of the piercer element

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said retaining formation is a retaining formation defined on the inside of the spout.

28. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 27, wherein the end of the piercer element protrudes from the end of the spout facing away from the container wall.

29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 28, which includes a removable cap that can cover said end of the spout.

30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 28, which includes a removable cap that can re-seal the spout.

31. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 30, which includes a grip formation extending from the exterior of the spout.

32. A method of storing and dispensing liquid, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

33. Apparatus for storing and dispensing liquid, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

Dated this 29" day of August 2008 Brian Bacpn & Asso er) Applicantfs Patent Attorneys