GB2322118A

GB2322118A - Collapsible bag-in-box container with plastic outer box.

Info

Publication number: GB2322118A
Application number: GB9703042A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Richard Jenkins
Original assignee: DAYLA SOFT DRINKS
Current assignee: DAYLA SOFT DRINKS
Priority date: 1997-02-14
Filing date: 1997-02-14
Publication date: 1998-08-19
Also published as: GB9703042D0

Abstract

A bag-in-box container comprises an outer box 10 formed of plastic and an inner flexible bag 11. The outer box has a plurality of interlockable flaps 15-18, 23-26 which allow the box to be collapsed and reassembled without additional fastening or securing means. The inner bag has an outlet 29 with valve means 30. One wall of the outer box is provided with an opening 31 for receiving the outlet. Preferably the box is formed from a blank of plastic sheet, the plastic sheet preferably being extruded, with twin walls and webs connecting the walls, the open ends of the twin wall sheet being sealed to prevent contamination of the hollows spaces between the webs and the walls. A method of using such a container to deliver pourable product comprises the steps of, receiving the product from a supplier in the container, dispensing the product, collapsing the box once the product has been dispensed and returning the box for re-use.

Description

A CONTAINER FOR POURABLE PRODUCTS AND A METHOD OF DISPENSING POURABLE PRODUCTS This invention relates to a container for pourable products, such as inter alia soft drinks or soft drink concentrates, wine, mayonnaise and shampoo, and a method of dispensing pourable products.

It is known to dispense pourable products from a flexible bag, commonly formed of a laminate of plastics material or of plastics material and aluminium foil, contained within a cardboard box. The box is not very strong and can become damaged. Also the box has to be disposed of after use and this is environmentally unfriendly.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a container for pourable products, comprising an outer box formed of plastics material and an inner flexible bag, the outer box having a plurality of interlockable flaps which allow the box to be collapsed and reassembled without additional fastening or securing means and the inner bag having a pourable product outlet and valve means for selectively opening and closing the pourable product outlet.

Preferably, the box is formed of extruded plastics material having two spaced apart parallel layers of sheet-like plastics material and a plurality of spaced apart parallel webs between the two sheet-like layers. In this case, the exposed edges of the extruded plastics material are preferably sealed to prevent soil and bacteria entering the hollow spaces between the webs and the layers.

Preferably, the outer box is of cuboidal shape having four side walls and two end walls, each end wall being formed from four flaps attached respectively to the four side walls, each flap of a first pair of opposed flaps of each end wall having two projecting tabs which engage in complementary slots formed in the other flaps of that end wall.

Preferably, the outermost flaps of one end wall each have a first portion adjoining a side wall of the box and a second portion remote from the said side wall, the first and second portions being inclined with respect to one another to raise a central part of each outermost flap above the innermost flaps and the central part of each outermost flap being provided with an aperture so that a person can insert a finger into the aperture to facilitate release of the outermost flaps from interlocking engagement with the innermost flaps.

Preferably, one side wall of the box has an opening for receiving the pourable product outlet of the inner bag. In this case, a flap is preferably slit in said one side wall adjacent to the opening to allow the pourable product outlet to be releasably engaged in said opening.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a box for receiving a flexible bag containing a pourable product, the box being formed of plastics material and having a plurality of interlockable flaps which allow the box to be collapsed and reassembled without additional fastening or securing means and an opening for receiving a pourable product outlet of the flexible bag.

A box according to the second aspect of the invention may be provided with any one of the preferred or optional features of the box referred to in the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of dispensing pourable products, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a pourable product from a supplier in a container according to the first aspect of the invention, (b) dispensing the pourable product from the container, (c) collapsing the box when the pourable product has been dispensed, and (d) returning the box for re-use to the supplier in a collapsed condition.

If desired, the container may be inserted in a dispensing unit for dispensing the pourable product.

Preferably, the flexible bag is disposed of when empty.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the outer box of one embodiment of a container according to the invention is made, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the outer box partially assembled, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the outer box fully assembled and the flexible bag within the box.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown therein a container for pourable products, comprising an outer box 10 and an inner flexible bag 11. The box 10 is formed of plastics material and is of cuboidal shape having four side walls 12, a top end wall 13 and a bottom end wall 14.

The box 10 is formed of extruded plastics material, typically Correx (RTM), having two spaced apart parallel layers of sheet-like plastics material and a plurality of spaced-apart parallel webs between the two sheet-like layers.

As the blank for the box is cut to shape, the exposed edges of the blank are sealed, such as by electronic welding, to prevent soil and bacteria entering the hollow spaces between the webs and layers. Fold lines are also scored during manufacture of the blank.

The side walls 12 of the box are formed from adjoining side wall panels of the blank. The side wall panel at one end of the blank has a flap 9 which can be secured, such as by adhesive, to the side wall panel at the other end of the blank.

The top end wall is formed from four flaps 15, 16, 17 and 18 attached respectively to the four side walls 12. The flaps 15 and 16 form innermost flaps when the box is assembled and meet or substantially meet one another along their free edges. Each of these flaps 15, 16 has two slots 19 therein, the slots 19 being defined by punching out three sides of a tab 20 which is left connected to the flap along the one remaining edge.

The flaps 17 and 18 form outermost flaps and each of these flaps 17, 18 has three tabs or fingers 21 extending from the free edge of the flap away from an adjoining side wall 12. The two outermost tabs 21 of each flap 17, 18 can be inserted in one of the slots 19 in each flap 15, 16 to interlockably engage the flaps 17 and 18 with the flaps 15 and 16. The central tabs 21 can be used as a handle to carry the box 10.

Each flap 17, 18 has a first portion 17a 18a adjoining a side wall 12 of the box and a second portion 17b, 18b remote from the said side wall 12. The first and second portions 17a and 17k, 18a and 18b are inclined with respect to one another to raise a central part of each flap 17, 18 above the innermost flaps 15, 16 and the central part of each outer flap 17, 18 is provided with an aperture 22 so that a person can insert a finger into each aperture to facilitate release of the outermost flaps 17 and 18 from interlocking engagement with the innermost flaps 15 and 16.

The bottom end wall 14 comprises four flaps 23, 24, 25 and 26. Flaps 23 and 24 form the innermost flaps when the box 10 is assembled and the flaps 25 and 26 form the outermost flaps when the box 10 is assembled. The flap 23 extends almost entirely across the full width of the bottom of the box 10 and the flap 24 then folds onto the flap 23. The flaps 23 and 24 each have two elongate slots 27 extending substantially diagonally across the base of the box 10.

The flaps 25 and 26 are each of generally trapezoidal shape but with semicircular protrusions 28 extending from the two non-parallel edges of the flap 25, 26 for interlocking engagement with one of the slots 27 of each of the flaps 23 and 24.

The inner bag 11 is of conventional form and is typically formed of laminated plastics material or of laminated plastics material and aluminium foil material. The bag has a pourable product outlet 29 and a valve 30 for selectively opening and closing the pourable product outlet.

One side wall of the box is provided with an opening 31 for receiving the pourable product outlet 29. A tab 32 formed by slitting the side wall defines one edge of the opening 31 to allow the pourable product outlet to be held in place in the opening.

Pourable products, such as inter alia soft drinks, or soft drink concentrates, wine, mayonnaise and shampoo, are received from a supplier in a container as described above. The pourable product is then dispensed from the container which may, if desired, be inserted in a dispensing unit for dispensing purposes. Once the pourable product has been dispensed, the box 10 is opened and the bag 11 is disposed of. The box 10 is collapsed and returned for re-use to the supplier in a collapsed condition. When the box 10 is collapsed two of the side wall panels of the blank will overlie the other two side wall panels of the blank.

The box 11 is much more robust than the present cardboard boxes used for containing flexible foil bags containing a pourable product and the use of a returnable (and indeed washable) box is much more environmentally friendly.

The embodiment described above is given by way of example only and various modifications could be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A container for pourable products, comprising an outer box formed of plastics material and an inner flexible bag, the outer box having a plurality of interlockable flaps which allow the box to be collapsed and reassembled without additional fastening or securing means and the inner bag having a pourable product outlet and valve means for selectively opening and closing the pourable product outlet.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the box is formed of extruded plastics material having two spaced apart parallel layers of sheet-like plastics material and a plurality of spaced apart parallel webs between the two sheet-like layers.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the exposed edges of the extruded plastics material are sealed to prevent soil and bacteria entering the hollow spaces between the webs and the layers.

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer box is of cuboidal shape having four side walls and two end walls, each end wall being formed from four flaps attached respectively to the four side walls, each flap of a first pair of opposed flaps of each end wall having two projecting tabs which engage in complementary slots formed in the other flaps of that end wall.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the outermost flaps of one end wall each have a first portion adjoining a side wall of the box and a second portion remote from the said side wall, the first and second portions being inclined with respect to one another to raise a central part of each outermost flap above the innermost flaps and the central part of each outermost flap being provided with an aperture so that a person can insert a finger into the aperture to facilitate release of the outermost flaps from interlocking engagement with the innermost flaps.

6. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein one side wall of the box has an opening for receiving the pourable product outlet of the inner bag.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein a flap is slit in said one side wall adjacent to the opening to allow the pourable product outlet to be releasably engaged in said opening.

8. A box for receiving a flexible bag containing a pourable product, the box being formed of plastics material and having a plurality of interlockable flaps which allow the box to be collapsed and re-assembled without additional fastening or securing means and an opening for receiving a pourable product outlet of the flexible bag.

9. A box as claimed in claim 8, the box being formed of extruded plastics material having two spaced apart parallel layers of sheet-like plastics material and a plurality of spaced apart parallel webs between the two sheet-like layers.

10. A box as claimed in claim 9, wherein the exposed edges of the extruded plastics material are sealed to prevent soil and bacteria entering the hollow spaces between the webs and the layers.

11. A box as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, the box being of cuboidal shape having four side walls and two end walls, each end wall being formed from four flaps attached respectively to the four side walls, each flap of a first pair of opposed flaps of each end wall having two projecting tabs which engage in complementary slots formed in the other flaps of that end wall.

12. A box as claimed in claim 11, wherein the outermost flaps of one end wall each have a first portion adjoining a side wall of the box and a second portion remote from the said side wall, the first and second portions being inclined with respect to one another to raise a central part of each outermost flap above the innermost flaps and the central part of each outermost flap being provided with an aperture so that a person can insert a finger into the aperture to facilitate release of the outermost flaps from interlocking engagement with the innermost flaps.

13. A box as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein one side wall of the box has an opening for receiving the pourable product outlet of the inner bag.

14. A box as claimed in claim 13, wherein a flap is slit in said one side wall adjacent to the opening to allow the pourable product outlet to be releasably engaged in said opening.

15. A method of dispensing pourable products, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a pourable product from a supplier in a container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, (b) dispensing the product from the container, (c) collapsing the box when the pourable product has been dispensed, and (d) returning the box for re-use to the supplier in a collapsed condition,.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the container is inserted in a dispensing unit for dispensing the pourable product.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the flexible bag is disposed of when empty.

18. A container for pourable products, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A box for receiving a flexible bag containing a pourable product, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.