Flexible-walled package, method of manufacture and discharge spout coupling therefor

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PATENTHOLDER Asept International AB, Glimmervägen 8 224 78 Lund SE INVENTOR Leif Einar Stern, Lomma SE

REPRESENTATIVE TITLE

H Wagner & Co AB

Packaging, method of manufacture and coupling for the same (56) PUBLICATIONS QUOTED:

EP A2 0 229 493 (B65D 33/36), US A 5 042 690 (222/83) (57) SUMMARY:

The present invention relates to a package intended for a flexible wall and containing liquid products. The invention also relates to a method of making the package and a coupling for the same. An aperture means (6) for aperturing the flexible wall (3) is arranged not to penetrate said wall (3) when an inner and outer coupling device (4, 5) is connected and partly to penetrate the flexible wall (3) after said coupling of the inner and outer coupling means (4, 5).

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8b

The numbers in brackets indicate international identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code.

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The present invention relates to a package having a flexible wall and intended for liquid products, preferably foodstuffs in liquid form, wherein an inner coupling device is arranged inside unopened parts of the flexible wall. The inner coupling device and an outer coupling device are couplable to each other and the outer coupling device has a hollow means for penetrating said unopened parts of the flexible wall so that the liquid product can be removed from the package. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing said package and a coupling for the same.

U.S. Patent No. 4,603,793 describes a package of flexible wall material and an inner and outer coupling device. In this package, the hole is made of the flexible wall at the same time as the coupling devices are connected. This generally works well, but with some flexible wall materials, leakage may occur during the coupling / bore torque.

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The object of the present invention has been to provide a package with improved opening possibilities. In order to enable this, the package according to the invention has essentially the characteristics which appear from the following claim 1.

The invention also encompasses a method of manufacturing said package and a coupling for said package.

By not penetrating the flexible wall of the package when connecting the outer and inner coupling devices, it is ensured that no part of the contents of the package can drain out. Only when this liquid-tight connection is complete can penetration of the flexible wall of the package be effected in a simple and effective way.

The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates with a perspective view parts of the package according to the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates sections of the parts of Figure 1, the package being unopened;

Figure 3 illustrates sections of the parts of Figure 1, the package being opened; and Figures 4-6 illustrate various embodiments of the hole picking element included in the package of Figure 1.

The drawings show a package 1 for liquid products 2, preferably liquid food, such as e.g. lightly liquid drinks and more viscous foods in the form of ketchup, mustard and sauces. Packaging 1

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exhibits flexible walls 3 of plastic material, ie it is of the plastic bag type. Inside the package 1 is provided an inner coupling device 4 to which an outer coupling device 5 is connectable via the flexible path 3.

The outer coupling device 5 has a hole engaging means 6 for providing a hole 7 in the flexible wall 3 so that the product 2 can be removed from the packaging 1 via the inner coupling device 4, said hole 7 and the outer coupling device 5.

The bore member 6 is arranged not to provide the hole 7 in the flexible wall 3 when the inner and outer coupling means 4, 5 are interconnected but can be used to provide said bore 7 at a bore torque after said interconnection.

The inner coupling member 4 may have an inner coupling member 8 in the form of a first annular member 8a with an opening 9. This first annular member 8a may be arranged on or closest to the inside of the flexible wall 3 and the inner coupling member 4 may furthermore have a second annular portion 8b and said annular portion 8a, 8b may be connected to two or more connecting portions 11 between which there are openings 12.

The outer coupling device 5 has or consists of an outer coupling part 13 which in a coupling direction KR can be inserted into the opening 9 of the inner coupling part 8 while simultaneously folding parts 14 of the flexible wall 3 into the opening 9 without opening them. To enable this, the flexible wall 3 may exhibit such elasticity that it can be stretched during said folding of the parts 14 without breaking.

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The outer clutch member 13 has a preferably annular snap portion 15 projecting in a radial direction relative to a center line CL extending axially through the outer clutch member 13. The outer clutch member 13 furthermore has a support portion 16 which also projects into said radial member. direction relative to the coupling direction KR center line CL.

The outer coupling portion 13 is coupled to the inner coupling portion 8 by being inserted into the opening 9 during folding of the portions 14 of the flexible wall 3 until the snap portion 15 snaps past the first annular portion 8a of the inner coupling portion 8 and to the supporting portion 16 via portions of the flexible wall 3. 3 is supported by the outside of the first annular portion 8a. Hereby, the snap portion 15 and the support portion 16 prevent the outer clutch portion 13 from moving in said axial direction relative to the inner clutch portion 8, however, the snap portion 15 and the support portion 16 allow the outer clutch portion 13 to be rotated about the center line CL relative to the inner clutch portion. eighth

The bore member 6 protrudes from a radially directed end edge 17 of the outer connector 13 in axial direction with respect to said center line CL and the same is configured to form the folded portions 14 of the flexible wall 3 into a pocket 18 upon insertion of the outer connector 13 in the opening 9 without providing holes in said pocket 18. This pocket 18 protrudes axially relative to radially directed and extending portions 19 of the folded portions 14 of the flexible wall 3 extending along the radial end edge 17.

As the outer connector 13 is rotated about the center line CL relative to the inner connector 8, either

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in one direction or in the opposite direction, the hole member 6 initially cuts up the side of said pocket 18 and then a hole 7 in the radially directed portions 19 of the flexible wall 3 adjacent the pocket 18.

To facilitate said punching, the punching means 6 may have at least one cutting edge 20 and / or 21 (see Figure 4) and / or a cutting tip 22 and / or 23 (see Figure 5), which are directed or directed toward the side of the pocket 18.

There may also be more than one hole engaging member 6 (see Figure 6) and these may be positioned next to each other in an arc at peripheral portions of the end edge 17.

To enable the product 2 to be withdrawn from the package 1 when said hole 7 is provided, the outer coupling member 13 may have a through-passage channel 24 and a coupling portion 25 for a hose 26 so that said product 2 can be withdrawn from the package 1 through the hole 7 and through-passage 24 .

In order to facilitate the holding and rotation of the outer coupling device 5 as it is coupled to and rotated relative to the inner coupling device 4, the outer coupling device 5 may have one or more radially directed flanges 27.

The inner coupling device 4 may be fixedly fixed to the inside of the flexible wall 3 or the inner coupling device 4 may be fixed to the inside of the flexible wall 3 by means of the outer coupling device 5. In the latter case, the coupling devices 4, 5 thus together form a clamp that clamps them to the flexible wall 3, thereby avoiding

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need to attach the internal coupling device 4 to the flexible wall 3 by other means.

The object of the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above but may vary within the scope of the following claims. As alternatives not shown, it can be mentioned that the coupling parts 8, 13 of the coupling devices 4, 5 may be designed in a different way, and this also applies to the hollow means 6.

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