US3368721A - Liquid dispensing container - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 M, WLSKQCHIL 3,368,721

LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 17, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l I NVENTOR.

Am i /s ROBERT m. \MS KOCH! L F 3, 1968 R. M. WISKOCHIL LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 17, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ROSERT IVLW/S'KOCHIL ATFDRNQ28 Feb. 13, 1968 R. M. WISKOCHIL- 3,368,721

' LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 17, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR. RQBERT NMMSKOCH L ATTORN EVS 7 3,368,721 LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Robert M. Wiskochil, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 514,523 11 Claims. (Cl. 222-183) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a liquid dispensing container of the bag in a box type wherein the bag is provided with both a filling fitment and a dispensing fitment. The filling fitment projects through a cover on the box, while the dispensing fitment projects through a bottom Wall portion of the box. The dispensing fitment comprises an elongated flexible tubular member having a portion thereof permanently deformed into substantially flat configuration to inherently prevent the flow of liquid therethrough, and manually operable means are provided to separate the walls of such fiat portion to permit flow of liquid.

This invention relates to a liquid dispensing container. More specifically, this invention relates to a bulk liquid container having a novel dispensing valve.

There are presently existing storage containers for liquids such as milk which may have a capacity of several gallons such as those used by restaurants; however, there has been a long-felt need for a milk container which may be stored in a consumers refrigerator and which would have a capacity of a gallon or two. The most serious drawback at the present time for containers of this size for the consumers use is the difficulty in dispensing the milk from the container, particularly in those situations where it woud be necessary to lift or tip the container.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a relatively inexpensive container for bulk milk which may be stored in the refrigerator and is provided with a dispensing valve. Furthermore, it is an object of this invention to provide a relatively rigid outer supporting container within which a thin plastic bag containing the liquid may be stored and having an integral dispensing fitment attached to the bag with access thereto from outside the rigid container.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken through the container of FIG. 1 on a reduced scale;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of one embodiment of the dispensing fitment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 4, showing the dispensing fitment open;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the dispensing fitment attached to a bag;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the fitment of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the fitment.

1 United States Patent 0 which will have sufficient rigidity to prevent bulging and sagging, it being understood that it should be sufliciently strong to hold and support, for example, ten quarts of liquid. The side walls of the container 10 taper downwardly and inwardly, with the upper end of the container being provided with an integrally formed ledge 11. When the outer containers 10 are empty they may be conveniently stacked by telescoping one within another. The wire bale handles 12 pivot downwardly and are of such a size and dimension that they will sit within the upper rim forming the ledge 11. The upper end of the container 18 will be closed by a generally flat cover 13, preferably formed of plastic, which may be reusable or disposable, depending upon the manner in which the inner, flexible liner 14 is attached thereto. This attachment will be provided by a filling fitment 15 which is secured to an opening formed in the cover 13. The filling attachment will be preferably formed of plastic and may be closed by the normal milk bottle top-type closure. This closure, as stated, may be of the conventional milk bottle closing type, and thus may contain the information which is presently required to be printed on the caps.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom of the contained 10 is formed with a downwardly sloping bottom wall 16 which is recessed somewhat from the bottom rim of the side walls of the container 10. The sloping bottom wall 16 is believed necessary in order to ensure complete dispensing of the liquid contents, since the wall slopes in the direction of the dispensing fitment. The dispensing fitment is attached to the inner flexible liner 14 and will protrude through a suitable opening formed adjacent the bottom wall of the outer container 10.

As shown in FIGS. I-3, the bottom of the container 10 may have a trough-like member 17 formed integral with the bottom thereof which will ensure that all of the milk will dispense or flow toward the dispensing fitment since the fitment will then itself be connected to the lowest part of the bottom of the container. It should be understood that the liner 14 will conform to the contour ofthe bottom of the container 10 since the liner is flexible.

As best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, a dispensing fitment is shown in detail and takes the form of a flattened, formed tube 18. This tube 18 may be formed of plastic or other flexible material and is preferably formed in a manner such that it is pre-stressed to remain flat or after opening tend to return to its flat attitude. The tube 18 is provided with a pair of plastic, metal or other suitable, fairly rigid, operating members 19 which are either formed integral with the tube 18 or are applied in some manner so that they are attached to opposite sides of the flattened tube 18- throughout at least a portion of its length.

As best shown in FIG. 6 (illustrating a first embodiment of the dispensing fitment), the flattened tube 18 may be joined to a flange 20 with the operating members 19 extending through openings formed in the flange. A second flange 21 may be formed integral with a spout 22 and in the assembly of the fitment to the flexible liner or bag 14, the two flanges 20 and 21 will be heat-sealed or otherwise sealed to an opening formed in the wall of the bag 14. The operating members 19 will also extend through aligned openings formed in the flange 21. With the fitment thus assembled, and extending through an opening in the bottom of the container 10, it is only necessary to grasp the outer ends of the two members 19 and squeeze. Since the members 19 are fairly rigid, they will pivot or fulcrum about the flanges 20 and 21. Thus the portions of the members 19 which are joined to the collapsed tube 18 will move the flattened walls of the tube 18 apart, thus permitting liquid to flow therethrough and be dispensed through the spout 22. Release of the finger pressure on members 19 will permit the tube to collapse to its original form, cutting off the flow of liquid therethrough.

A second embodiment of the dispensing fitment which may be utilized in the container combination is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, wherein the flattened tube 18 of substantially identical configuration to that previously described with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7, has members 19 integrally therewith, with the inner end of the tube 18 being heatsealed within an opening formed in the liner 14. This seal obviously must be liquid type. In this particular embodiment, the lower front wall portion 23 of the trough 17 which, as shown in FIG. 2, may be recessed somewhat from the front wall of the container, is provided with a spout 22 formed of a fairly rigid plastic material. As is apparent from FIGS. 4 and 5, the spout has cut-out notches 24 (of which only one is shown in FIGS. 4 and through which the operating members 19 extend.

In the assembly of the bag 14 within the container 10, the front end of the collapsible tube 18 is pushed into the interior of the spout 22 in the manner shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and with the operating members 19 extending through the notches 24, the operation of the dispensing fitment is in the same manner as that described above with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7.

The third embodiment of the dispensing valve or fit ment is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this embodiment the collapsed or flattened tube 18, similar to that previously described is provided, with the exception that its outer end is heat-sealed closed, at 25 and the dispensing opening is formed as a cut-out 26 which extends through the wall of the tube 18 and opens into the interior of the tube. The particular configuration of the outer end of the tube 18 is not critical in that it could also be formed in tubular form with a more rigid plastic portion; however, the ease of forming should be taken into consideration in the actual design of this end of the dispensing tube. The other end of the dispensing tube is sealed into the bag 14 in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 and is provided with the operating members 19. The members 19 fulcrum on a rigid plastic ring 27 which will be attached to the tube 18 and the tube and ring will extend through an opening formed in the forward end of the trough 17. The ring 27 is provided with a pair of cut-out notches 24, identical in configuration as the notches 24 formed in the spout 22 of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5.

As in the previously described embodiment, squeezing of the outer ends of the members 19 will serve to open the tube 18 and permit dispensing, release of the members 19 will collapse the tube and cut off the flow of liquid.

It should be kept in mind that the inner liner or bag 14 with the dispensing fitment which is formed integral therewith and the fill member 15 will be formed at a nominal cost and this portion of the container package will be disposable. After the contents of the container are used up, the bag and its fitment may be removed from the outer supporting member and thrown away. With a system such as this, there is no possibility of contamination of the milk product from poor cleaning and the dairies only have to concern themselves with assembling new inner liners and fitments into the container, filling this combination and delivering them to the point of sale.

Other and further modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid dispensing container comprising, in combination, an outer rigid wall container having an open top, a cover constructed to overlie said open top of the container and having an opening therethrough, said container also having a dispensing opening in a wall portion thereof closely adjacent to the bottom of the container, at flexible bag formed of collapsible pliable material adapted to be inserted in said outer container in a collapsed 4 1 condition and to be expanded to conform to the inner Walls of said outer container by the insertion in the bag of a quantity of the liquid to be dispensed, said bag having a hollow filling fitment sealed thereto and communicating with the interior of the bag, said fitment being snugly engageable with said opening in said cover, a hollow dispensing fitment sealed to a portion of said bag generally opposite to said filling fitment, said dispensing fitment defining a passage communicating with the interior of said bag, and being constructed and arranged to project through said dispensing opening in said outer container, and valve means mounted on said dispensing fitment for selectively controlling flow of liquid to be dispensed through said passage.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said outer container is formed with a downwardly sloping bottom wall and said dispensing opening is formed in the side wall adjacent the lowest portion of said sloping bottom wall.

3. The container of claim 1, further including an annular ledge formed adjacent the upper, open end of said outer container on which said cover is adapted to seat, and handle means connected to the upper edge of said outer container.

4. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein said dispensing fitment comprises, an elongated, flexible tubular member having a portion thereof permanently deformed into an essentially flat configuration, thereby inherently preventing flow of liquid therethrough and means connected to the outer sides of said flat portion for moving the sides thereof apart to permit liquid flow.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein said last mentioned means comprises, a pair of rigid operating members, fixed to opposed sides of said flattened member throughout a portion of its length and rigid means surrounding said member against which said operating members are adapted to bear with said rigid member serving as the fulcrum for said operating members.

6. The container of claim 5, wherein said operating members are elongated rods and said rigid member is a ring, formed with oppositely disposed inwardly formed notches in the outer surface thereof within which said rods are adapted to seat.

7. The container of claim 5, wherein said rigid member is a cylindrical spout having the end of said flexible member extending thereinto and having a pair of notches formed in the outside within which said operating mem bers rest.

8. A dispensing fitment for a liquid container comprising, an elongated, flexible, tubular member, said member having one end extending into an opening in said container and sealed thereto, the other end of said member extending outwardly of said container, an intermediate portion of said member being permanently deformed into an essentially flat configuration to inherently prevent flow of liquids therethrough and means joined to the outer sides of said intermediate portion manually operable to spread said member for opening a passage for liquid therethrough.

9. The fitment of claim 8, wherein the outer end of said member is sealed closed and a lateral opening is formed in the wall of said member between the sealed end and said intermediate portion for the passage of liquid therethrough.

10. The fitment of claim 8, wherein said member is heat-sealed to the container by a first radial flange connected to the member within the container and a second flange adapted to telescopically receive the outer end of said member with the container wall being heat-sealed between said flanges.

11. The fitment of claim 10, wherein said flanges are formed of rigid material and said means joined to the sides of said member comprises, a pair of rod-like members extending through diametrically opposed openings in said flanges with the outwardly extending ends being free of the member and bowed outwardly whereby moveber.

5 6 ment of the outer ends of said rod-like members toward 3,087,655 4/ 1963 Scholle 222183 each other will open a passage through said flexible mem- 3,179,301 4/ 1965 Lucht 222-490 3,191,820 6/1965 Kuster 222-49O References Cited 3,195,818 7/1965 Herberg 222490 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,219,240 11/1965 Campbell 222183 7/1917 Wheeler 222466 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1926 Marsden 220-97 1,217,432 12/ 1959 France. 1/ 1956 Brown 222490 599,766 3/ 1948 Great Britain. 4/1958 Dennie 222-133 7/1959 Stern 1 2122-490 10 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 9/1959 Earles 222183

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