Patent Application
20090236343
This invention is in the field of liquid containers and in particular for a bag containing a liquid.
Bags containing liquids present a problem. When the bag is closed the liquid is contained but when the bag is opened and some of the contents remain inside, the bag needs support to avoid spillage.
Different kinds of containers have been revealed to solve this problem. This invention reveals yet another novel solution.
The types of liquids held in bags are somewhat limited probably because of this problem of containing and controlling any remaining liquid in the bag after the initial use. If a practical invention is revealed that solves the problem with bagged liquids many more manufactures who today use more costly water-proof cartons or rigid plastic containers may change to using bags to market their products.
One commonly used consumer product that is suitable to market in bags and the contents are usually not finished after the first use, is milk. Some countries like England and Canada are trying to re-introduce the milk bag for environmental reasons. There is some resistance from the public. An efficient holder for such bags would increase the chances of success of such environmental projects. This invention is not limited to milk bags and could apply to a bag of any kind of liquid.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention but not to limit the invention to these descriptions only.
A container is used for holding a bag containing liquid for pouring out the liquid from inside the bag.
The container includes a lower portion to hold a bag of liquid and a lid portion that fits onto and closes on top of the lower portion.
At least a part of the upper rim of the lower portion of the container is undulated, with alternate protrusions and indentations.
On the lid there are also undulating alternate protrusions and indentations facing downward towards the upper rim of the lower portion in such a manner that the protrusions of the rim and the protrusions of the lid touch each other when the lid is closed. Similarly the indentations are opposite each other when the lid is closed thereby leaving a space for the liquid in the bag to pour out through that space even when the lid is closed.
There is a slit across the length of the protrusions and indentations of the rim and of the lid that allows a blade to pass through the two slits. The direction of the blade length would be at about 90° to the direction of the length of the slits. The blade could be attached to the lid in such a manner that the blade can be moved freely back and forth in the two slits when the lid is closed.
A new bag of liquid is placed in the container with one upper corner of the bag gripped between the protrusions of the rim and the protrusions of the lid. The extreme end of the corner of the bag could extend beyond the gripping protrusions. The blade in the two slits is pulled through the slit in order to cut off the corner of the bag. The extreme end of the corner could then be removed leaving the open portion of the bag held between the touching protrusions.
The contents of the bag are poured out through the indentations even when the lid is closed. Magnets could be used to keep the lid in the closed position.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain by way of example only, the principles of the invention:
As will be appreciated the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments than those discussed above and described in more detail below, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the drawings and description of the embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
When the lid 106 of the bag container 100 is closed, the upper protrusions 108 and lower protrusions 102 touch and thereby grip the corner of the bag of liquid.
There is a slit 112 splitting through the length of the protrusions 102 and through the indentations between the protrusions 102. There is a slit 113 that runs parallel with slit 112 and splits through the length of the protrusions 108 and through the indentations between the protrusions 108. The slit 112 splits through the thickness of the lid 106, through the upper protrusions 108 and lower protrusions 102.
The blade 114 is pulled though the slit 112 and 113 from one side to the other in order to cut off the corner of the bag of liquid. The cut-off extremity corner piece can be pulled away leaving the open corner of the bag facing the spout 104.
After the corner has been cut off the bag, the protrusions 102 and 108 continue to grip the open corner of the bag of liquid while the lid 106 is closed. Magnets 116 could be used to help the lid 106 remain closed. When the bag container 100 is inclined in the direction of the spout 104, the liquid in the bag pours between the upper indentations 118 and the lower indentations 120 and down the spout 104.
After the bag corner has been cut off, the open edge of the bag is gripped by the protrusions 102 and 108. When the container 100 is tilted the liquid in the bag can exit through the indentations 118 and 120.
