BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present technology relates to a bag for use in a bag-in-box packaging system and a method for making a bag-in-box packaging system. Bag-in-box package systems are often used for storing and shipping consumable fluids like syrups, juices, etc. The systems typically include a flexible plastic bag that is located and retained in a pre-formed, corrugated cardboard box. The flexible bag carries fluid and has a fitment or spout that can be accessed through a hole in the box. A user uses the fitment that extends out of the box to dispense the fluid from the bag.
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, such bag-in-box systems typically are assembled as follows. A bag 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a corresponding box 10 (FIG. 3) are separately formed. The box 10 is formed of folded cardboard and, by way of example, has the following dimensions: 9.5 inches (L)×2.6 inches (W)×10.0 inches (H). It is understood that variations of these dimensions can be used. All sides of the box are closed except the top. For example, flaps at the bottom of the box are folded and sealed to close off the bottom of the box. The flaps 14 at the top of the box 10, however, are not folded, leaving an opening 18 at the top of the box 10. The box 10 typically has a rectangular shape and footprint and is configured to hold a gallon-sized bag of fluid. Separately, with respect to FIG. 1, a flexible bag 22 is formed having a front panel 26 and a rear panel 30. The panels may be, for example, polyethylene. The top, bottom, and sides of the two panels 26 and 30 are sealed together with a top seal 54, bottom seal 34, and first and second side seals 38 and 42, respectively, to form an enclosed bag with an interior region 46 and an open top. A hole is made in the front panel 26 toward the top of the front panel 26, and a fitment or spout 50 is attached, e.g., heat sealed, to the bag 22 at the hole so that fluid later can be dispensed from the interior region 46 of the bag 22 via the spout or fitment 50.
The interior region 46 of the bag 22 is filled with fluid, e.g., syrup, through the fitment 50. An example of a filled bag 22 is shown in FIG. 2. By way of example, the bag 22 is sized to hold a gallon of fluid. Due to the flexible nature of the bag 22 and physical properties of the fluid in the bag, the filled bag 22 expands outward at its bottom to have a teardrop shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In other words, the bag 22 is wider along the bottom half of the bag 22 than along the top half the bag 22.
In order to position a filled bag 22 into a box 10, as shown in FIG. 3, boxes 10 are moved along an assembly line with their top flaps 14 opened up so that a bag 22 can be fed into each box 10 through its top opening 18. Above the moving assembly line is a chute 60. As each box 10 on the line moves under the chute 60, the chute 60 feeds a filled bag 22 into a box 10 via the top opening 18 of the box 10. The chute 60 is shaped to taper inward from its top 64 to its bottom 68. Thus, the opening at the top 64 of the chute 60 is larger than the opening at the bottom 68. By way of example, the top opening of the chute 60 is 7.34 inches by 8.94 inches, and the bottom opening of the chute 60 is 2.25 inches by 8.80 inches. Thus, the dimensions of the bottom opening of the chute are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the top opening of a box 10 (2.6 inches by 9.5 inches). It is understood, however, that the chute may have different dimensions.
In particular, the teardrop-shaped bag 22 is fed into the chute 60 at the opening at the top 64 and, as the bag 22 falls through the chute 60, the downwardly tapered walls of the chute 60 push panels of the bag 22 such that the fluid moves upward within the bag 22 to reduce the size of the footprint 72 of the bag 22 so that that bag 22 can fit into the top opening 18 of the box 10. During the assembly process, the chute 60 may move vertically down toward a box 10 when a box is moved under the chute 60 so that bottom end of the chute 60 is right above the top opening 18 of the box 10. Because the dimensions of the bottom of the chute 60 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the top opening of the box 10, the bag 22 can slide into the box 10. Once a bag 22 is fed into a box 10, the chute 60 is then moved vertically upward, another box 10 is then moved under the chute 60, and the process repeats.
Due to the teardrop shape and large footprint of the bag 22, however, it is not uncommon during the bag-in-box assembly process for the bag 22 to get stuck in the chute 60 at some point as it moves downward between the tapered walls of the chute 60. Such incidents slow down the assembly process, thus adding cost and time to the manufacture of bag-in-box packaging products.
SUMMARY
Certain aspects of the present technology provide a flexible bag for use in a bag-in-box system that includes a first panel and a second panel, wherein the first panel and the second panel are connected to each other by a top seal, a bottom seal, a first side seal, and a second side seal to define an interior region. A partial seal extends from the bottom seal and between the first and second side seals along a portion of both the first and second panels but that does not extend all the way to the top seal. The partial seal defines separate first and second compartments within the interior region. A fitment is connected to one of the first and second panels that allows for fluid communication with the interior region.
The first and second compartments may be in fluid communication with an open portion of the interior region. The flexible bag may be sized to carry one gallon of fluid. The bag may be configured to be fitted in a box after being filled with fluid. The bag may include two partial seals that extend from the bottom seal and between the first and second side seals along a portion of both panels but that do not extend all the way to the top seal, the two partial seals defining three separate compartments within the interior region. The first and second panels may be plastic and the seals may heat seals. The seals may be fluid tight.
Certain aspects of the present technology provide a flexible packaging component that includes a flexible first panel and a flexible second panel. The first panel and second panel are connected to each other by an outer boundary seal extending generally along perimeters of the first and second panels and defining an interior region. The first panel and second panel are connected to each other by at least one partial seal that extends along a portion of the interior region and that defines at least two compartments within the interior region. The packaging component includes a fitment connected to one of the first and second panels that allows for fluid communication with the interior region.
The flexible packaging component may be a bag configured to be filled with fluid and fitted in a box as part of bag-in-box packaging. The flexible packaging component may include a connector configured to connect the component to at least a second packaging component. The first and second panels may be quadrilateral in shape and the outer boundary may defined by a top seal, a bottom seal, a first side seal, and a second side seal.
The partial seal may extend from the bottom seal and between the first and second side seals along a portion of both the first and second panels but not extend all the way to the top seal.
The component may include two partial seals that extend from the bottom seal and between the first and second side seals along a portion of both the first and second panels but that do not extend all the way to the top seal. The two partial seals may define three separate compartments within the interior region.
The first and second compartments may be in fluid communication with an open portion of the interior region. The fitment may be a spout. The first and second panels may be plastic and the seals may be heat seals and fluid tight.
Certain aspects of the present technology provide a method for making a bag-in-box packaging system. The method includes forming a box having an open top end and forming a bag from a flexible first panel and a flexible second panel by sealing the panels together with a top seal, a bottom seal, a first side seal, and a second side seal, wherein the top, bottom, first side, and second side seals define an interior region of the bag. The method includes sealing the first and second panels with a partial seal that extends upward from the bottom seal and between the first and second side seals to define first and second compartments within the interior region. The first and second compartments are in fluid communication with each other via an open portion in the interior region. The method includes attaching a fitment to one of the panels, wherein the fitment is in fluid communication with the interior region, and filling the bag with fluid via the fitment. The method includes positioning the filled bag into a chute that is positioned above the box having the open end and delivering the filled bag into the box via the chute.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a prior art bag.
FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of the bag of FIG. 1 filled with fluid.
FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the bag of FIG. 2 being fed into a box via a chute.
FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a bag according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the bag of FIG. 4 filed with fluid and being fed into a box via a chute.
FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a bag according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the bag of FIG. 6 filed with fluid and being fed into a box via a chute.
FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of a bag according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the bag of FIG. 8 filed with fluid and being fed into a box via a chute.
FIG. 10 illustrates front views of the bag of FIG. 2 and the bag of FIG. 4 filled with fluid.
FIG. 11 illustrates an isometric view of packaging according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 12 illustrates a top view of packaging according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 13 illustrates an isometric view of the packaging of FIG. 12 folded into a container.
FIG. 14 illustrates a top view of a portion of the packaging of FIG. 12.
FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of a packaging component according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 16 illustrates a top view of packaging or housing according to an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 17 illustrates a side view of the packaging of FIG. 16 filled with fluid and folded into a container or housing.
FIG. 18 illustrates a top view of packaging according to an embodiment of the present technology.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the present technologies, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the technologies, there is shown in the drawings, certain embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the present technologies are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of an unfilled, flexible bag or pouch 100 for use in bag-in-box packaging systems. The bag 100 may be made of, for example, plastic, and, more specifically, for example, polyethylene. Other materials may be used, and the choice of material type depends on the properties required for the bag. The bag 100 includes a front panel 26 and a rear panel 30 (FIG. 5) that are sealed together generally along their perimeters with an outer boundary seal that defines an interior region 46. By way of example, the bag 100 is quadrilateral (such as rectangular or square) in shape and the front and rear panels 26 and 30 are sealed together with top, bottom, and side seals 54, 34, 38, 42, which are connected to form the outer boundary seal. The outer boundary seal may extend along the edges of the panels 26 and 30 or may be located a short distance inward from the edges of the panels 26 and 30. The bag 100 may, of course, have other shapes. In addition or alternatively, the bag 100 may include gussets at the sides thereof that are sealed between the inner sides of the front and rear panels 26 and 30.
The bag 100 is sized to hold a gallon of fluid, but could be sized to hold different amounts of fluid. The bag 100 also includes a partial middle seal 104 extending upward from the bottom seal 34 to about halfway up the front and rear panels 26 and 30. The middle seal 104 thus divides a portion of the interior region 46 of the bag 100 into two separate compartments 108 and 112 that are in fluid communication with an open portion 114 of the interior region 46. The two separate compartments 108 and 122 thus can be in fluid communication via the open portion 114. By way of example, the seals 34, 38, 42, 54, and 104 may be made by heat sealing and create fluid-tight seals.
When the bag 100 is filled with fluid, the middle seal 104 and two compartments 108 and 112—in comparison to the bag 22 of FIGS. 1-3—help reduce the amount of fluid that settles into the bottom half of the interior region 46 of the bag 100 and cause more fluid to distribute upwardly within the bag 100. The bag 100 has a smaller footprint 72 than the bag 22 of FIG. 3 and is not as wide near the bottom. The bag 100 also may not be as teardrop shaped as the bag 22. For example, the bag 22 may have an approximately four inch wide footprint, and the bag 100 may have an approximately 3.25 inch wide footprint. Due to this smaller footprint and thinner and more streamlined shape, the bag 100 is less likely to get caught in the chute 60 when it is fed through the chute 60 into a box 10. In addition, the middle seal 104 reduces the volume of the bag 22 by only a very small amount, so the bag 100 still meets the volume requirements of, for example, a one gallon bag-in-box system.
FIGS. 6 and 8 show additional bags 200 and 300 that include more than one partial middle seal 104. The bag 200 of FIG. 6 includes two partial middle seals 104 and three separate compartments 108, 112, and 116 along the bottom portion of the bag 200. Accordingly, and with respect to FIGS. 5 and 7, when the bag 200 is filled with fluid, it has an even smaller footprint 72 than the bag 100.
Similarly, the bag 300 of FIG. 8 includes five partial middle seals 104 and six separate compartments 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, and 128 along the bottom portion of the bag 300. Accordingly, and with respect to FIGS. 7 and 9, when the bag 300 is filled with fluid, it has an even smaller footprint 72 than the bag 200. Thus, by increasing the number of partial seals and compartments of the bag 100, the footprint of the filled bag 100 can be decreased. This may be desirable for feeding a bag through a thinner chute and/or into thinner boxes than the ones discussed with respect to FIG. 3, such as the boxes 10 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. It will be understood that the present technology can include bags having different numbers of partial seals and compartments than the bags shown in FIGS. 4-9.
FIG. 10 shows bags 22 and 100 each filled with about a gallon of fluid. FIG. 10 includes a mark 200 that indicates the height of the fluid level in each bag. The mark 200 for bag 22 shows that the fluid reaches, for example, about 9 and 9/16 inches above the bottom seal 34 of the bag 22. The mark 200 for the bag 100 shows that the fluid reaches, for example, about 10 and 2/16 inches above the bottom seal 34 of the bag 100. Thus, the partial seal 104 serves to push the fluid in a gallon bag upward by about 9/16 of an inch. This displacement of water reduces the size of the footprint of the bag 100.
The use of partial seals in plastic packaging has other applications besides bag-in-box packaging. For example, partial seals can be used with plastic packaging to create protective and/or insulating packaging. With respect to FIG. 11, cylindrical plastic packaging can be made by placing partial seals 104 along a plastic pouch 400 in order to define individual cylindrical compartments 404. Once the pouch 400 is filled with fluid (e.g., air or other gas, liquid, fluid insulation, etc.), the pouch 400 can then be wrapped around a cylindrical good 408 as a protective wrap. The good 408 and pouch 400 can then be positioned in a box for shipment.
With respect to FIGS. 12 and 13, packaging 500 is made up of a number of interconnected wall portions 504 that include partial seals 104 that define compartments 508. The wall portions 504 are part of a web and are connected by flexible joints or folds 510 that allow a user to fold the wall portions 504 like a box to make a protective container 512 when the packaging 500 has been filled with fluid (e.g., air or other gas, liquid, fluid insulation, etc.). The joints or folds 510 can also be perforations that allow contiguous portions 504 in the web to be separated from each other. For example, portions 504c-f can be from one web of material and be kept connected to each other and folded along lines 510 to form four walls of a housing and then portions 504a and 504b can be detached from a separate web and can be connected to the connected portions 504c-f as a top and bottom to form a housing 512 like the one shown in FIG. 13. The portions 504 can be configured to be connected to each other by fasteners such as snaps, hooks, adhesive, Velcro or any number of other suitable fasteners. The portions 504 also include fitments 534 that allow for the portion to be filled with fluid. Alternatively, several contiguous portions 504 may include only a single fitment 534 that can be used to fill all the portions 504. In such a situation, fluid is able to pass through the joints 512 and between the contiguous portions 504. In operation, the assembled container 512 of FIG. 13 can be folded and formed about a good that needs protection and/or insulation during shipment, and then the container 512 and good can be placed in a box for shipment.
With reference to FIG. 14, each wall portion 504 of packaging 500 can be defined by edge seals 520, 524, 528, and 532 such that it is its own sealed component and such that fluid does not pass between adjacent wall portions 504. In such a case, each portion 504 is filled with fluid through its own valve or fitment 534.
FIG. 15 shows another embodiment, a module component portion 600 that includes partials seals 104 that define compartments 604 within the portion. The portion 600 includes its own valve or fitment 608 that allows for the portion 600 to be filled with fluid. The portion 600 also includes connectors, fasteners, or adaptors 612 that allow for the portion 600 to be connected to other portions 600. In this way, a number of individual portions 600 can be used to create a tailor-made package protector, encasement, or even a housing.
In that regard, FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a plastic housing 700 that includes a series of partial seals 104 that are radially aligned with a center point and define radial compartments 710. The housing 700 includes a valve 708 that allows for filling and emptying the housing 700. When the housing 700 is filled with a fluid (e.g., air or other gas, liquid, fluid insulation, etc.), the housing 700 can be folded or formed into a dome or igloo shape. The housing 700 can then be used in many ways such as, for example, as a habitat, a flotation device, or a kind of protective cover or encasement.
FIG. 18 illustrates a variation of the cylindrical plastic packaging of FIG. 11 before it is filled with fluid. The packaging 800 is generally rectangular in shape (but can of course be other shapes) and includes a variety of parallel partial seals 104. The packaging 800 also includes sections 804 that are sealed off so that they cannot be filled with fluid or inflated. These non-inflatable sections 804 are rectangular but can have different shapes or orientations than those shown in FIG. 18. The sections 804 allow the inflated or filled packaging 800 to be folded more easily at the sections 804 to better fit around the item that is to be protected or housed in the packaging 800. The packaging 800 also includes a fitment 808 that can be used to fill the packaging with fluid. The fluid fills and inflates the packaging 800 except where the seals 104 and sections 804 are located. The side edges 812 and 814 of the packaging 800 can include fasteners that allow the edges 812 and 814 to connected to each other so that the packaging 800 and be secured around the item that is to be housed in the packaging 800. By way of example only, the edges 812 and 814 can be connected by snapable fasteners, hooks, Velcro, adhesive or any other kind of suitable fastener.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.
While various spatial and directional terms, such as top, bottom, lower, mid, lateral, horizontal, vertical, front and the like may used to describe embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that such terms are merely used with respect to the orientations shown in the drawings. The orientations may be inverted, rotated, or otherwise changed, such that an upper portion is a lower portion, and vice versa, horizontal becomes vertical, and the like.
Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention.
Patent Application
20180334304
