Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a receptacle for delivering a medium, which is located in a bag.
For different media, for example for paste-like, gel-like media or foamy media, it is known to put the medium to be delivered in a bag and to deliver it via a propellant, which is located outside the bag. The propellant is pressurized and the bag is opened via a valve so that the propellant pushes the medium out of the bag. For this, it is required that the bag be sealed off from the valve, so that the pressurized propellant only pushes the medium out of the bag into the valve and the medium cannot leak into the space between the bag and the receptacle.
Different embodiments of valves, on the valve bodies of which the bag for the medium is attached, are known and the technical term for them is Bag-on-Valve. Special technical requirements for such valves with bags result with respect to the impermeability of the bag attachment to the valve body.
The receptacle according to the invention serves to deliver a medium from a bag. The delivery takes place via a pressurized propellant, which pushes on the bag. The receptacle has a receptacle body with a first opening, which has a circular edge and is closed with a valve cover. The valve cover covers the first opening of the receptacle body and has for example a central opening, into which the valve can be inserted. In the case of the receptacle according to the invention, the bag has an opening with a circular edge, which is connected with the circular edge of the receptacle body. The bag fastened according to the invention, which receives the medium to be delivered, is hung in the receptacle body and is connected with its edge with the circular edge of the receptacle body. In this embodiment, the bag is fastened in the receptacle body on its upper edge. A special advantage of the bag system according to the invention is that the sealing problems between the bag and the valve are resolved. According to the invention, the bag is connected with the receptacle body, whereby a sealed connection can be achieved in a simple manner.
In a preferred embodiment, the bag is designed as a tube, which is closed on one end. In one option, the tube is fused on one end and thus closed. Conventionally, bags for bag valves were made of two flat film sheets lying on top of each other, which were fused together along their perimeter. With respect to the solution according to the invention with a tube bag, a bag manufactured in this manner has the disadvantage that leaks can occur on the fused lateral edges.
In another option, the bag is closed with a ring-shaped element. Depending on the type of clamp, the ring-shaped element holds together a constricted tube end. The end of the bag is preferably clamped together by the ring-shaped element. Advantageously, the ring-shaped element provided as the clamp is at least partially made of aluminum or an aluminum allow and is pressed on the constricted bag end during fitting.
In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the tube is approximately equal to the diameter of the bag body. In order to connect the bag and the receptacle body, the bag in its edge area is fused with the edge area of the receptacle body. Various heat-sealing technique can hereby be used. Furthermore, the bag in its edge area can be connected with the edge area of the receptacle body using adhesive, in particular a hot-melt adhesive. In another possible embodiment, the edge area of the bag is fused with the edge area of the receptacle body using ultrasound. Depending on the fastening type selected, the receptacle body is suitably coated on the inside, in particular in its edge area in order to create a connection with the material of the bag.
In a preferred further embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention, the valve cover is crimped with the valve body. The edge area of the bag connected with the receptacle body is hereby clamped between the edge of the receptacle body and the edge of the valve cover.
In a preferred embodiment, a delivery valve is inserted into the valve cover. The type of valve us thereby adjusted based on the medium to be delivered.
In a preferred embodiment, a second opening is provided in the receptacle body, which is closed by a plug. The valve cover is at least partially covered on its inside with a protective layer. The protective layer can be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) and/or a suitable protective paint.
The receptacle according to the invention is described in greater detail below using an example.
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein a specific preferred embodiment of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated
A tube-shaped bag 34 is hung in the receptacle body 10, the central area of which is designed cylindrically and rests against the inside wall of the receptacle body 10. The bag 34 is constricted in its lower section. The constriction is central in the tube and closes it, in order to obtain a bag 34 closed on the bottom end. The constricted bag material hereby forms an appendage 36. The appendage 36 is held together by a clamp 38, which is crimped on the appendage 36. The clamp 38 can be made of various materials; it can e.g. be made of aluminum, which is deformed for the closing of the appendage 36. Depending on the wall strength and the material of the bag 34, the appendage 36 can also be sealed, for example by a sealing compound inserted from the inside or outside.
On the opposite-lying end, the tube-shaped bag 34 is connected with the edge area of the receptacle body 10. As can be seen in
In the exemplary embodiment shown, the valve cover 24 is placed directly on the receptacle body with the inserted tube bag. The transition from the inside wall of the bag to the valve cover can also be sealed by an additional seal, just like the appendage 36 can be sealed by additional material. This type of seal can e.g. be arranged between the valve cover and the bag in the area of the bent inside wall 22, 40 in the form of a sealing ring.
As an alternative to the shown closure of the bag via a clamp, the bag hung in the inside of the receptacle can also be fused on its bottom end. This only creates one fused seam in comparison to the known solutions, which have a circumferential fused seam. Furthermore, the valve cover 24 is coated on the inside with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) or paint. Polyethylene (PE), oriented polypropylene films (OPP) and PE-tubes coated with aluminum have proven to be especially suitable bag materials. Metallized, oriented polypropylene film can also be used.
The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims.
Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim 1 should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below.
This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2006 026 382.0 | Jun 2006 | DE | national |
10 2006 027 911.5 | Jun 2006 | DE | national |