U.S. patent application number 09/900356 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-09 for display apparatus for beverage dispensers.
Invention is credited to Looney, Wallace J..
Application Number | 20030006243 09/900356 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25412377 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030006243 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Looney, Wallace J. |
January 9, 2003 |
Display apparatus for beverage dispensers
Abstract
A display apparatus [100] for bag-in-box type dispenser bags
comprises a transparent enclosure [103] having a dispenser portion
[117] and a cup holder portion [119]. The dispenser portion is
sized to accept a drink dispenser bag [101] for dispensing
beverages. A spout aperture [129] on a dispensing end [109]
provides access to the spout [131] of the dispenser. A cup holder
[121] dispenses a stack of cups [125] from the apparatus. Suction
cups [205] provide a means to attach the apparatus to a vertical
surface [135]. The apparatus provides high-visibility display of a
bag-in-box product and facilitates sampling by potential
customers.
Inventors: |
Looney, Wallace J.;
(Decatur, AL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENNETH S WATKINS JR
372 RIVER DR
DAHLONEGA
GA
30533
US
|
Family ID: |
25412377 |
Appl. No.: |
09/900356 |
Filed: |
July 6, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/96 ; 222/105;
222/131; 222/159; 222/192 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 77/06 20130101;
B65D 2571/00925 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/96 ; 222/105;
222/192; 222/159; 222/131 |
International
Class: |
B65D 035/56 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A display apparatus for use with a drink dispenser bag, the
apparatus comprising; a front panel, a back panel, a dispensing
panel, and opposite panel and a bottom defining a dispenser
enclosure; a partition interior to said enclosure defining a
dispenser portion and an auxiliary portion, said dispenser portion
comprising predetermined dimensions to accommodate said drink
dispenser bag; a spout aperture disposed in said dispensing panel
in a predetermined position to provide alignment of a drink
dispenser bag spout on said drink dispenser bag with said spout
aperture when said drink dispenser bag is inserted into said
dispenser portion; a cup dispenser disposed in said auxiliary
portion; and an attachment means for attaching said display
apparatus to a vertical surface.
2. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of
said front panel is transparent.
3. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said front panel is
transparent.
4. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is made
of a transparent material.
5. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment means
comprises a plurality of suction cups attached to said back panel
of said dispenser enclosure.
6. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the attachment means
comprises an adhesive disposed on said back panel of said dispenser
enclosure.
7. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment means
comprises at least one adhesive strip attached to said back panel
of said dispenser enclosure.
8. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment means
comprises a plurality of adhesive strips attached to said back
panel of said dispenser enclosure, each of said plurality of
adhesive strips comprising a peel strip covering an adhesive
surface attachable to said vertical surface.
9. The display apparatus of claim 4 wherein said enclosure is made
of PETG.
10. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing drinks comprising: a box
comprising a front panel, a back panel, a dispensing panel, a
bottom panel and a top panel; a partition disposed inside said box
defining a bag portion and a auxiliary portion, said bag portion
comprising a first set of predetermined dimensions suitable for
enclosing and supporting a drink-dispensing bag, and the auxiliary
portion comprising a second set of predetermined dimensions
suitable for enclosing a stack of cups; a cup dispensing aperture
in said bottom panel; and an attachment means for attaching said
display enclosure to a vertical surface.
11. The dispensing apparatus of claim 10 wherein said attachment
means comprises a plurality of suction cups attached to said back
panel of said dispenser enclosure.
12. The display apparatus of claim 10 wherein the attachment means
comprises an adhesive disposed on said back panel of said dispenser
enclosure.
13. The display enclosure of claim 10 comprising a removable spout
portion on said dispensing panel for providing access to a spout on
said drink-dispensing bag.
14. The display enclosure of claim 10 wherein said box is made of
corrugated paperboard.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to beverage containers and,
more particularly, to bag-in-box beverage dispensers used for
retail display.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Bag-in-box dispensers are becoming increasingly popular for
use as dispensers of beverage, food, and non-food products. The
popularity of bag-in-box dispensers results from reduced warehouse
and retail floor space required as compared to many conventional
liquid packaging methods, lower cost as compared with rigid,
reusable containers, reduction of packaging material, and ease of
disposal. Bag-in-box packaging has proven to be clean and safe for
beverages and pulpable food products.
[0003] Bag-in-box packaging is especially popular in retail
beverage applications because the outer box provides an ideal
advertising display which is highly visible and easily readable as
compared to cylindrical liquid packages. Improvements in box
construction and printing qualities affords ever-improving graphics
effective in retail markets.
[0004] Beverage sample dispensing raises problems associated with
current bag-in-box designs, since the size and weight of current
bag-and-box designs required the units to be set on a stand or
other horizontal surface.
[0005] Dispensing the beverages on horizontal surfaces is
complicated by the proximity of the dispensing spout at the bottom
of the bag-in-box to the horizontal surface, leaving little space
for spout access and dispensing the beverage into a cup. Dispensing
beverages often results in spilling. Another problem is that cups
are stored separately from the bag-in-box, requiring separate cup
dispensers and further complicating the process of beverage
dispensing.
[0006] There exists a significant need for improved beverage
dispensing from bag-and-box dispensers and for improved display of
beverage dispensers for product marketing.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The display apparatus of the present invention comprises a
generally square parallelepiped-shaped dispenser enclosure having a
dispenser portion and a cup holder portion. The dispenser portion
is sized to accept a bag-in-box type drink dispenser bag and
comprises a spout aperture on an end wall for the spout of the
bag-in-box. The cup holder portion comprises a chamber sized to
enclose a stack of drinking cups. A cup-dispenser aperture in the
bottom panel of the enclosure provides a means for dispensing cups
one at a time from the stack of cups in the cup holder. The
enclosure comprises a transparent front panel to allow viewing of
the bag indicia and graphics with the bag is inserted into the
display apparatus.
[0008] A means for attaching the display apparatus to a vertical
surface provides good display properties of the bag-in-box, and
allows improved access to the spout for dispensing beverages into a
cup as compared to setting a bag-in-box on a horizontal surface. In
the preferred embodiments, suction cups on the back panel of the
display apparatus provides a means for attaching the display
apparatus to a vertical surface. The suction cups provide a
convenient means to attach the apparatus to a surface such as the
front panel or door of a display case. In alternative embodiments,
adhesive strips, hook and loop fasteners, J-hooks, or other
mechanical fasteners are used to attach the apparatus to the
vertical surface.
[0009] Another embodiment utilizes an expanded box portion of a
bag-in-box container to provide a cup holder portion within the
box. A vertical partition interior to the box provides support to
the back of the bag, and acts as the front wall of the cup holder.
A cup-dispensing hole in the bottom of the box below a stack of
cups in the cup holder portion allows single-cup dispensing.
Suction cups, adhesive strips or other mechanical fasteners on the
back panel of the bag-in-box provide a means to attach the
apparatus to a vertical surface.
[0010] The display apparatus for beverage dispensers is especially
useful with compact bag-in-box products, such as ones with depths
of 2-4 inches. Such bag-in-box products are of low enough weight to
facilitate support from vertical surfaces. Use of sufficient
vertical surface support, however, allows use with a wide range of
bag-in-box sizes.
[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which provides
improved presentation and display of bag-in-box products in a
retail environment.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which allows convenient
sampling of beverages by customers.
[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which improves the
mechanical security of the bag-in-box dispenser, freeing both hands
for holding a cup and dispensing a beverage.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which has better hand
access to the spout than one placed on a horizontal surface,
reducing spillage.
[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which can easily be
placed at a convenient height for dispensing beverages.
[0016] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a display apparatus for bag-in-box dispensers which is useable by
retailers and consumers alike.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings
where:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the display apparatus for
bag-type beverage dispensers with a transparent enclosure having a
dispenser portion and a cup-holder portion, the enclosure
attachable to a vertical surface;
[0019] FIG. 2A is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 2B is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 2C is a view from the dispensing end of the embodiment
of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 3A is a detail cross section of the suction cup of FIG.
2C showing an adhesive attachment of the suction cup to the back
panel of the apparatus;
[0023] FIG. 3B is a detail cross section of the suction cup of FIG.
2C showing a mechanical slotting method of attachment of the
suction cup to the back panel of the apparatus;
[0024] FIG. 3C is a detail cross section of an alternative
embodiment of the attachment means of
[0025] FIG. 2C showing an adhesive strip attached to the back panel
of the apparatus; and
[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective drawing of an embodiment of the
display apparatus for dispensing beverages utilizing an extended
bag-in-box enclosure to store and dispense a stack of beverage
cups, the apparatus attachable to a vertical surface by suction
cups.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The following is a description of the preferred embodiments
of a display/dispenser apparatus for dispensing beverages which
provides a low-cost and effective method for displaying bag-in-box
products.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a preferred embodiment of
the display/dispenser apparatus 100 for enclosing and displaying a
drink dispenser bag 101. In the preferred embodiments, the display
apparatus comprises a dispenser enclosure 103 having a front panel
105, a back panel 107, a dispensing panel 109, an opposite panel
111, and a bottom panel 113. An interior vertical partition 115
divides the interior portion of enclosure 103 into dispenser
portion 117 and auxiliary or cup holder portion 119. The dimensions
of dispenser portion 117 are selected to accommodate a bag-in-box
dispenser such as dispenser bag 101.
[0029] Auxiliary portion 119 comprises a cup holder 121 for storing
and dispensing cups 123. Cup holder 119 is a U-shaped channel
attached to partition 115 to form a square cross-sectional
structure for retaining a stack of cups 125. U-shaped retaining
channels 127 retain partition 115 and cup holder 121 vertically in
enclosure 103.
[0030] Spout aperture 129 disposed in dispenser panel 109 provides
access for spout 131 of dispenser 103. Enclosure cover 133 fits
over enclosure 103 to provide protection for dispenser bag 101 and
cup stack 125 when inserted into enclosure 103. Optionally, cover
133 may cover only auxiliary portion 119.
[0031] FIGS. 2A-2C are top, front and end views, respectively of
display apparatus 100. Cup dispenser aperture 203 provides a means
to dispense cups from bottom 113 of enclosure 103. Suction cups
205, attached to back panel 107 provide a means to attach display
apparatus 100 to a vertical surface such as the front panel 135 of
a display case 137 of FIG. 1.
[0032] FIG. 2C shows suction cups 207, shown in phantom lines,
optionally placed on front panel 105. Optional cover 133 is shown
in FIG. 2C in phantom lines.
[0033] FIG. 3A is a detail cross section of the suction cups 205 of
FIG. 2C for attachment to vertical surface 135. In the preferred
embodiments, suction cups 205 are made of rubber, neoprene, or
other polymeric materials and are attached to back panel 107 by an
adhesive 301. FIG. 3B is an alternative method of attaching suction
cup 205A utilizing a slot portion 303 of suction cup 205A to engage
a keyhole aperture 305 in back panel 107. FIG. 3C is another
embodiment of an attachment means utilizing a double-sided adhesive
strip or pad 307. The first adhesive surface 309 attaches adhesive
pad 307 to back panel 107. The second adhesive surface 311 attaches
the pad and apparatus to the vertical surface of FIG. 1. A peel
strip 313 protects second adhesive surface 311 until time of use.
In still another embodiment, element 307 may be a hook and loop
fastener strip attached to back panel 107.
[0034] In the preferred embodiments, at least a portion of front
panel 105 is made of a transparent material such as PETG, to allow
viewing of product advertisement and identification indicia 141 on
dispenser 101. In the more preferred embodiments, the entire
enclosure is made of PETG. Enclosure 103 may be fabricated by
welding or gluing individual panels, or multiple panels may be
extruded as shapes and the enclosure assembled from the extruded
shapes.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective drawing of display apparatus 400
comprising an extended bag-in-box carton or dispenser 401 defining
an enclosure 403 for drink dispenser bag 404 and cup stack 425.
Dispenser 401 comprises a front panel 405, back panel 407,
dispensing panel 409, opposite side panel 411, and bottom panel
413. C-shaped vertical partition 415, attached to the interior side
of front panel 405 and back panel 407 by glued flanges 415A,
defines dispenser portion 417 and auxiliary portion 419.
[0036] Enclosure 403 is covered by a top panel formed by top
sub-panels 420A, 420B, 420C, and 420D, folded and secured after
insertion of bag 404 and cup stack 425. Cup dispenser aperture 424
in bottom panel 413 provides single-cup dispensing from the
apparatus. Perforated spout tear-away 426 provides an aperture for
spout 428 of bag 404. Suction cups 205 attached to back panel 407
provide attachment of the apparatus to a vertical surface such as
surface 135 of FIG. 1. Suction cups may be attached to the outside
of back panel 407 by an adhesive, similar to that shown in the
embodiment of FIG. 3A, or adhesive pads or hook and loop fasteners
may be used as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3C.
[0037] In the preferred embodiments, dispenser 401 is made of a
paperboard material such as corrugated boxboard, solid paperboard,
or it may be made of a plastic material such as plastic corrugated
sheet.
[0038] Other embodiments provide for the attachment means on the
front panel or front and back panel of the apparatus. In still
other embodiments, the attachment means is disposed on and end
panel. In still other embodiments, the display/dispenser of FIG. I
may be sized to enclose a complete bag-in-box carton similar to the
carton of FIG. 4. In the preferred embodiments, the bag-in-box
enclosures are dimensioned to accept compact drink dispenser bags
having a depth of 2-4 inches. Such compact bag-in-box
dispenser/display apparatus provides a convenient means for drink
product display and dispensing, and the apparatus is sufficiently
light to allow hanging from a vertical surface with simple
fasteners.
[0039] Accordingly, the reader will see that the DISPLAY APPARATUS
FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSERS provides an improved means to display and
dispense beverages from a bag-in-box dispenser. The device provides
the following additional advantages:
[0040] The display apparatus of the present invention may be used
by consumers as well as retailers.
[0041] The improved dispensing afforded by attachment to a vertical
surface provides additional mechanical security of the dispenser,
reduces spillage, frees both hands for cup holding and dispensing,
and allows placement at a convenient height.
[0042] The display apparatus improves the display and advertising
properties of bag-in-box products.
[0043] Although the description above contains many specifications,
these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention but merely providing illustrations of some of the
presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the
display apparatus of disclosed may be used for pulpable food
products and non-food products such as cleaning fluids. Thus the
scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims
and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
* * * * *