Patent Application
20130056492
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid container structure, in particular to an automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Beverages, liquid food or cleaning supplies available in the market are generally contained in containers such as plastic bottles with a bottle cap. At present, the common plastic bottle structure is an integrally formed bottle having a bottle body 11 with an interior space for containing a liquid, a bottle mouth formed at the top of the bottle body for filling a liquid or inserting a straw to drink a beverage. Billions of plastic bottles or containers are used yearly, and the used plastic bottles or containers have tremendous impacts on environmental protection, particularly the transportation and recycle of the used empty bottles, and the follow-up treatment is very inconvenient.
To echo the issue of environmental protection, a flexible package bag structure was introduced, and the flexible package bag can contain liquid. When a user wants to drink or use the liquid, the user simply tear open the flexible package bag to form an opening for accessing the liquid inside the flexible package bag. However, such flexible package bag structure requires a zipper bag for re-sealing. The liquid will leak if the user seals the zipper bag improperly or forgets to seal the bag. Furthermore, the zipper bag does not have a flow top function, so that after the bag is torn open to form an opening, a careful storage is required. If the bag is toppled over, the liquid in the flexible package bag will leak from the opening and result in contamination and unnecessary waste. Obviously, such conventional bag structure is very inconvenient and requires improvements. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,224 (filed on May 27, 1994), a self-closing liquid dispensing package is provided. The self-closing liquid dispensing package comprises a liquid container and a self-closing flat channel. The channel comprises an inlet formed adjacent to the liquid container and provided for flowing a liquid, a mouth, a first sheet member, and a second sheet member, wherein the first and second sheet members have an original planar position and longitudinal edges and are sufficiently flexible to arch away from each other to form a flow channel therebetween. At least one of said first and second sheet members is sufficiently resilient to return the first and second sheet members to their original planar position for a seal when the external pressure is released. The mouth has a lateral width greater than the lateral width of the inlet, and an additional portion is disposed between the inlet and the mouth which has a lateral width greater than said lateral width at said inlet and said lateral width at said mouth. This patented invention is characterized in that the first and second sheet members come with a specific elasticity; in other words, the first and second sheet members are made of an elastic material, thus incurring a more complicated manufacturing process and a higher level of difficulty of selecting the elastic material. If the self-closing liquid dispensing package is elastically fatigue, then there will be a possibility of leakage. On the other hand, if the self-closing liquid dispensing package has a too-large flexibility, then the liquid may not be able to squeeze out from the liquid dispensing package. Obviously, the conventional liquid dispensing package requires improvements.
Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion, comprising: two outer films containing two inner films with an equal width and a smaller length of the outer films and coupled to the two outer films respectively by heat sealing to form a filling area, a storage area, and a discharge area. The discharge area includes a discharge channel, at least one inlet, a bent portion and an outlet by heat sealing, and the discharge area and heat seal dotted lines of the two outer films forms a tear portion. A stop plate is installed or a heat resisting material is coated at the inlet and the outlet when the four films are heat sealed, such that the internal sides of the outer and inner films will not be coupled face-to-face, but each inner film is coupled to each corresponding outer film by heat sealing. The tear portion having the heat seal dotted lines and notches is disposed on a side of the two inner films. After the tear portion is separated from the two inner films, the outlet of the discharge channel will be exposed.
When the two outer films are squeezed by external forces, the pressure forces the liquid in the bag to rise, and the rising liquid will pull that section of the outer film outward to open the inlet of the discharge channel automatically, such that the liquid flows from the inlet of the discharge channel into the discharge channel and flows out from the outlet. After the external force is released, the reaction force for refluxing the liquid to the storage area produces a suction, and the discharge channel specifically comes with a bent portion for forming a flow stop effect, and a reaction force is formed or enhanced by a suction along a turning of bent portion, such that the two inner films are attached to one another to shut the discharge channel.
When the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion of the present invention is toppled over, there is no external pressure, so that the inlet of the discharge channel cannot be opened. In addition, the two inner films of the bent portion in the discharge channel are still attached with each other to shut the discharge channel closely, so that the liquid will not leak from the discharge channel. When use, a user simply needs to apply a force to squeeze the storage area, so that the two outer films will squeeze the liquid in the storage area liquid to rise to pull the non-stress area of the two outer films outward to naturally drive and pull the inlet of the two inner films open, so as to flow the liquid along the discharge channel to the outside by pressure.
The automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion of the present invention achieves the effects of a simple and easily use, a reduction of wastes, protecting the environment, and automatically closing the bag since the invention no longer needs to have a traditional rotating cap or use a hand to press and control the liquid flow. When the bag is toppled over, the liquid will not flow out. The present invention just needs two inner films and two outer films to achieve the effects of the conventional liquid bottle and its rotating cap, not only lowering the manufacturing cost and providing a convenient use, but also not occupying much space, saving the material cost and reducing wastes since only two films are used. Obviously, the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion of the present invention automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion of the present invention is the best solution of substituting the traditional liquid package.
The invention is characterized in that when an external force is exerted onto the storage area to force the liquid to rise, such that the two outer films are pulled outward by the liquid to automatically open the inlet of the discharge guide channel, and the liquid flows towards the outlet along the bent portion of the discharge channel. When the pressure is released, the reaction suction for returning the liquid back to the storage area drives the two inner films of the bent portion of the discharge channel to be attached with one another by the reaction force to close the discharge channel, wherein when the external force is released, the liquid returns from the bent portion to the storage area instantaneously, a reaction force is produce to achieve the effect of sealing the discharge channel. In addition, the two inner films at the bent portion are attached with each other to enhance the effect of sealing the discharge channel.
With reference to
The automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion 1 of the present invention comprises: two outer films 2a, 2b, two inner films 1a, 1b, a storage area 4, a filling area 5, a discharge area 6, a discharge channel 8, and a tear portion 10.
The two outer films 2a, 2b are stacked on top of one another, and thermally sealed to form a bag.
The storage area 4 is coupled to the two outer films 2a, 2b by heat sealing, formed between the two outer films 2a, 2b, and provided for storing a liquid 9, wherein the storage area 4 is formed within the heat-sealed lines 3b, 3c, 3d by heat sealing.
The filling area 5 is situated between the two outer films 2a, 2b and formed on a side of the storage area 4e by the heat-seal lines 3c, 3b, 3d for filling the liquid 9 into the storage area 4. After the liquid 9 is filled into the storage area 4, the two outer films 2a, 2b are coupled by a sealing element to seal the filling area 5. The sealing element is preferably the heat-sealed line 3a formed by heat sealing, but the present invention is not limited to such arrangement only, but the sealing element can be a clip chain 3h as shown in
The discharge area 6 is formed between the two outer films 2a, 2b and disposed on a side of storage area 4, wherein the discharge area 6 and the filling area 5 are preferably separated by the heat-sealed line 3e.
The two inner films 1a, 1b are situated between the two outer films 2a, 2b, and the two outer films 2a, 2b are arranged horizontally and installed in the discharge area 6. In this preferred embodiment, the width of the two inner films 1a, 1b are the same, but the length of the two outer films 2a, 2b is shorter than the length of the two outer films 2a, 2b, such that both left and right sides of the two inner films 1a, 1b are aligned evenly with the top end of the two outer films 2a, 2b, and a side of the two inner films 1a, 1b is protruded from the discharge area 6, and a side of the two inner films 1a, 1b is situated in the filling area 5. However, structure of the present invention is not limited to such arrangement only.
The discharge area 6 is defined by enclosing two inner films 1a, 1b into the two outer films 2a, 2b to form the discharge channel 8 by heat sealing, and the discharge channel 8 is comprised of the inlet 81, the bent portion 84, and the outlet 82. There are three hot sealing methods, respectively: (1) Two inner films 1a, 1b are independently and thermally sealed to form the bent portion 84, and then the two inner films 1a, 1b and the two outer films 2a, 2ba are provided for thermally sealing the boundary of the filling area 5 and the discharge area 6, the outlet and the inlet. (2) Two inner films 1a, 1b and one outer film 2a or 2b are thermally sealed to form the bent portion 84, and the two inner films 1a, 1b, and the outer film 2a or 2b are used for thermally sealing the filling area 5, the boundary of the discharge area 6, the outlet and the inlet. (3) Two inner films 1a, 1b and two outer films 2a, 2ba are thermally sealed to form (a) the boundary of the filling area 5 and the discharge area 6; (b) the inlet 81, the bent portion 84 and the outlet 82 of the discharge channel 8. These three methods aims enhancing the two inner films 1a, 1 in the bent portion 84, such that when the liquid returns into the storage area 4, a reaction force is produced to drive the two inner films 1a, 1b to attach with one another, wherein the magnitude of the adhesive force depends on the attaching space. In method (1), the two inner films 1a, 1b of the bent portion 84 are not combined with the two outer films 2a, 2b, so that a larger moving space is provided to give a greater adhesive force.
The inlet 81 and the outlet 82 of the discharge channel 8 are thermally sealed by the following heat sealing method:
A heat resisting material is pre-coated at predetermined positions of the inlet 81 and the outlet 82 or a stop plate is installed at a predetermined position for thermally sealing the two outer films 2a, 2b and the two inner films 1a, 1ba with the outlet 82 and the inlet 81, such that internal sides of the two inner films 1a, 1b are not coupled during the hot sealing process, but the external side of each of the two inner films 1a, 1b is coupled to each of the corresponding two outer films 2a, 2b to outwardly extend the outer film 2a, 2b by the pressure, such that each of the corresponding outer films 2a, 2b is coupled to each of the corresponding inner films 1a, 1b to pull the non-coupled positions at internal surfaces of the two inner films 1a, 1b, so as to form the inlet 81 and the outlet 82.
Since there is at least one bent portion 84 in the discharge channel 8 and the bent portion 84 is S-shaped, corner-turning shaped, arc shaped, lightning shaped, or W-shaped. The bent portion 84 is provided for overcoming the resistance against the suction at the corner-turning position, and intangibly enhancing the mutual adhesion effect of the two inner films 1a, 1b at the bent portion 84 to provide an automatic flow stop effect. In addition, a railing 85 can be installed in the bent portion 84 and used as a hydraulic throttle when the liquid has no pressure for improving the sealing effect. Further, a tear portion 10 is provided at the position of the outer film of the outlet 82 by pre-sealing the dotted lines of the tearing line 10a and the tearing notch 10b. After the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion is filled with liquid and sealed, a completely sealed liquid storage bag is produced. When use, the tearing notch 10b is torn to expose the outlet 82 of the two inner films discharge channel 8, and a pressure is applied onto the bag, such that the pressure drives the level of the liquid 9 to rise and the two outer films to expand outward to naturally pull open the inlet 81 of the discharge channel 8, and the liquid flows along the inlet 81 of the discharge channel 8 through the bent portion 84, and discharges from the outlet 82. When the external pressure is released, the liquid 9 returns from the bent portion 84 to the storage area 4 instantaneously. The return produces a reaction force to drive the two inner films 1a, 1b of the discharge channel 8 to attach with one another by suction, so as to achieve the effect of sealing the discharge channel 8. Since there is the bent portion 84, the two inner films 1a, 1b at the bent portion 84 will be attached with one another more securely to improve the sealing effect. If the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion is toppled over, there is no external force, so that the liquid 9 is unable to pull open two outer films 2a, 2b by itself, and the inlet 81 of the discharge channel 8 cannot be opened. As a result, the liquid of the toppled liquid 9 will not flow out from the bag, and the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion has advantages on its application.
In another implementation of the automatic liquid stop bag with a bending portion in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, two inner films are installed horizontally, and a plurality of inlets is provided.
In the first preferred embodiment, the two inner films 1a, 1b are included horizontally in the two outer films 2a, 2b, and the storage area 4, the filling area 5 and the discharge area 6 are formed by heat sealing, and the discharge area 6 includes a discharge channel 8 with a dual inlet 81, at least one bent portion 84 and a tear portion 10. The outlet 81 of the discharge channel 8 can be installed at an edge or in the middle. In this embodiment, the outlet 81 is arranged at the middle of the discharge channel 8, and the tear portion 10 can be designed at the upper section of the discharge channel as shown in
After the liquid 9 flows from the filling area 5 into the storage area 4, the filling area 5 is sealed by a sealing element. In
With reference to
Two narrow inner films are installed vertically on a side in the two outer films, and upper sections of the four films are thermally sealed at the same time, and the heat-sealed lines 3b, 3c, 3d, 3f are provided to form a bag 1 for containing liquid, and divide the bag 1 into the filling area 5, the discharge area 8, the storage area 4, and the heat-sealed line 3e. The discharge channel is formed in the discharge area and comprises an inlet 81, a bent portion 84 and an outlet 82. When the inlet 81 and the outlet 82 are being thermally sealed, a stop plate is applied to the internal surfaces of the two inner films 1a, 1b or a heat sealing resisting material is pre-coated, such that the internal surfaces of the two inner films 1a, 1b are not coupled with one another during the hot sealing process, but each of the two inner films 1a, 1b and its corresponding outer films 2a, 2b are thermally sealed. In the meantime, the tearing line 10a and the notch 10b at the tear portion and at an outer film of the outlet 82 can be torn. The filling area 3a can be thermally sealed to produce a totally sealed liquid bag after the liquid is filled. For a convenient use, the tearing opening 10b can be torn to expose the outlet 82. To enhance the effect of preventing the stored liquid from flowing out when the bag is toppled over, a railing 85 is designed at the hot-sealing section of the bent portion 84 of the discharge channel, so as to achieve the enhanced flow stop effect. In the vertical two inner films 1a, 1b, the discharge area 6 can be designed at the middle section on a side of the four films 1a, 1b, 2a, 2ba, wherein the structure of the discharge area is also arranged at the upper section to provide the discharge channel, at least one inlet 81, the bent portion 84, the outlet 82 and the pre-set tear portion 10.
With reference to
The present invention also provides a vertical flow stop structure with a dual inlet to improve the speed of the liquid flowing out from the bag. In other words, the two perpendicular inner films are installed on a side inside the two outer films, and the heat-seal lines 3c, 3b, 3d, 3f are sealed to form the liquid bag 1 for containing liquid, the filling area 5, the storage area 4, and the discharge area 6, a heat resisting material is coated at the position of the inlet and the outlet formed on the internal side of the two inner films or a stop plate is applied during the hot sealing process, such that the internal surfaces of the inner films in such area will not attach with one another during the hot sealing process, but the heat-sealed line 3f of the inner film is sealed to form a dual inlet (including an upper inlet 81 and a lower inlet 81′) and a discharge channel 84. The discharge channel includes a plurality of bent portions, and combined into an outlet 82, and the heat-sealed line 10a and the tearing notch 10b of the outlet at the predetermined positions of the two outer films can be torn open. After the liquid bag is filled with liquid, the hot-seal line 3a is thermally sealed to form a totally sealed space. In practical applications, the notch 10b is torn open directly to expose the outlet 82 of the two inner films 1a, 1b, and a pressure is applied to the two outer films, such that the level of the liquid rises, and the outer films are not pressed by the pressure or opened, since the outer films at the position of the inlet of the inner films are coupled. Therefore, the inlet 82 is pulled open naturally, and the liquid 9 will flow towards the outlet 82 of the discharge channel 8. After the pressure is released, the liquid 9 returns to the discharge channel 8 to produce a reaction force to drive the two inner films 1a, 1b of the discharge channel 8 to attach with one another and achieve the sealing and stop flow effects.
To control the level of the liquid in the bag not higher than the heat-sealed line 3f or having no pressure at the filling section when the liquid bag 1 is squeezed, a hot-seal line 3a can be added at a height equal to the heat-sealed line 3f after the filling is completed, such that the level of the liquid will not exceed the inlet of the discharge channel to optimize the condition of discharging the liquid.
With reference to
With reference to
The present invention not only allows users to adjust the flow of the liquid in the bag by pressure freely, but also achieves the effects of dropping the level of the liquid to produce a reaction force at the discharge channel 8 to attach the inner films at the bent portion 84 with each other, prevent external air from entering, and maintaining an insufficient air condition when the pressure is released. Without oxygen, the time for oxidizing any liquid food stored in the liquid bag can be extended to achieve a longer preserving time than that of the general bottles.
With reference to
In this preferred embodiment, the lower section of the outer film is separated from the inner film bag, and hot sealed to form an independent inner foldable bag or two independent sheets which can be used as the support area 41 of the inner bag 4′ for the two inner films, such that the bag of the present invention can be placed at an upright position.
