Flexible Drinking Container Or Bag

Abstract

A flexible drinking container or bag which comprises a tubular wall member with a top portion converging toward a capped dispensing opening and a bottom portion suitably shaped to support a filled container in an upright standing position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to flexible, foldable containers or bags, and more particularly to a drinking bag comprising a tubular-shaped wall portion, the top shoulder of which converges into a capped dispensing opening and the bottom of which is closed and shaped to support the bag when filled in a standing position.

Flexible drinking containers or bags of the type with which the invention is concerned are known and have been used for packing foodstuffs in the form of a paste or a liquid such as milk or similar products, whereby these products may be drunk directly from the bag in the same manner as from a bottle. The known drinking bags, however, suffer various disadvantages in that their upper dispensing end and the normally inserted closing element therefor are expensive to produce, and thus result in excessively high costs which cannot be tolerated for a mass produced article such as a drinking bag. Additionally, the bottom end of known bags have not been capable of supporting a filled bag in an upright position. Thus an opened bag, from which part of the contents has been dispensed, cannot be placed in a standing position.

Solid containers made from metal or rigid plastic material are known and generally include a stable bottom closure membrane, but such containers, because of their solid wall, cannot be constructed as cheaply or with the versatility of the flexible bag containers.

Substantially rigid containers such as those made from cardboard or similar raw material, are also commonly used to hold liquids, powders or similar materials and ordinarily have a bottom support portion formed by folding the lower ends of the side walls. These, however, are not very acceptable for holding paste materials, such as baby food, which must be dispensed from the container by squeezing the walls of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a flexible, readily foldable, disposable drinking container or bag which may be manufactured economically and expeditiously and which may be supported in an upright, standing position when filled.

The invention accomplishes this object by providing the lower end of the foldable bag with a flat bottom support surface and the upper end with a shoulder which converges toward a dispensing opening around which the closure stem and cap may be readily adhesively welded or connected. Such a drinking bag can be produced simply and cheaply. The bag, once opened, can be put away in a standing position and can, therefore, be used and handled with one hand similar to conventional drinking glasses or containers. The bag can be placed in an upright position and the cap removed or placed over the opening using only one hand. This is particularly advantageous, for example, when a mother is filling the bag with baby food and feeding the baby with one hand while holding the child securely with her other hand.

A further advantage of the drinking bag according to the invention is that it may be used and filled with diverse-type products. For this purpose, the drinking bag may be provided with any desired capacity e.g., with 0.5 liters, 0.7 liters, 1 liter, 2 liters or 5 liters capacity. In all cases, the drinking bag according to the invention may replace hitherto customary solid rigid bottles. Since the novel drinking bag is constructed as a disposable item, the necessary, disadvantageous practice of returning empty bottles, which was customary hitherto, will be avoided. The novel drinking bag of the invention can also be stacked particularly well when filled and, as a result can easily be kept in a refrigerator or in an ice house. In particular, the stacking of the novel drinking bags of the invention can be accomplished considerably more easily and comfortably than the stacking of conventional bottles.

The bottom of the novel drinking bag of the invention by which the bag and its contents are supported may be formed in several different ways, e.g. by suitably cutting and folding a lower portion of the bag and welding or joining the folds at their adjacent seams, or by providing a separate bottom plate which is joined or welded into the lower open end of the bag. In the latter case the bottom can be formed by an inverted V-shaped folded bottom plate which has its lower peripheral edge attached around the lower inner edge of the bag and its lateral edges attached to the adjoining areas of the wall of the bag, whereby these areas of attachment essentially form slanting border lines against the inside of the tube. As a result, this latter construction provides a folded bottom plate which will partially open up in case excess pressure develops in the bag, or in case an impactlike pressure is produced in the inside of the bag, thereby preventing the bag wall from rupturing or tearing open.

Therefore, the drinking bag of the invention can be placed securely in a standing position since the flat support bottom surface on which it rests is constructed with a welded or joined seam extending around the lower edge of the bag and serving as a substantially rigid support for the bag.

The upper end of the bag may be developed in such a manner that two upwardly converging shoulders meet approximately at the tubular axis of the bag. Alternatively, a single upwardly slanting shoulder which meets approximately with the opposite wall of the bag may be provided. In either instance, an opening is provided at the juncture point of the shoulders or shoulder and wall and a suitable closure assembly including a spout and removable cap is attached to the bag around the opening.

In addition, the novel drinking bag is provided with a multiple wall construction so that various wall functions may be combined in a very simple and cheap manner. As an example, the inside surface or layer of the bag which comes into contact with the contents of the bag may be physiologically inert and impermeable relative to the contents, whereas the outside layer of the bag may be diffusion and/or radiationtight, so that the contents of the bag can be protected in any desired manner. It is also possible to provide an intermediate connecting foil, e.g., aluminum and plastic foil, or aluminum foil coated on one or both sides with plastic, which then provides the various desired wall functions. In the latter case, especially when metal foils are used, the tubular wall of the bag will be formed from a sheet material folded and joined along a lateral seam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Several embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view illustrating a flexible foldable drinking bag according to the invention provided with a single upper sloping shoulder and an inserted closure assembly;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating a bag having two upper converging shoulders and an inserted closure assembly;

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the bag of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates the bottom of the novel drinking bag which is formed by cutting and folding the lower portion of the bag and joining the folds at their adjacent edges;

FIG. 5 illustrates the bottom of a bag according to the invention formed by a separate folded welded-in bottom plate;

FIG. 6 shows upper and lower portions of a bag similar to that of FIG. 1, with the bottom in a folded condition;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of a filled tube of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section view along line 8--8 of FIG. 6 with the bottom plate essentially folded together;

FIG. 9 is a section along line 9--9 of FIG. 7 showing the bottom plate in an unfolded condition forming a support edge for the filled bag;

FIG. 10 shows the upper and lower portions of a drinking bag according to another embodiment of the invention similar to that of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a section view along line 11--11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an elevation view of a drinking bag similar to that of FIG. 6, but having a different bottom construction;

FIG. 13 is an elevation view of a drinking bag similar to that of FIG. 10, but differing in its bottom construction; and

FIG. 14 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2, but having another bottom construction.

DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS

In the example of FIG. 1, the flexible foldable drinking bag is provided with a unilaterally sloping shoulder 2, which converges toward the opposite wall 3 and forms an opening therewith, the opening receiving an attached closure assembly 4, having a removable screwcap 5.

In the example of FIG. 2, the bag 6 is provided with two converging shoulders 7, and the closure assembly 4 is inserted and attached to the bag around the opening formed at the juncture of shoulders 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, either of the bags is made of a double walled, tubular construction. The inner sidewall 8 may consist of polyethylene, and the outside wall 9 may consist of a plastic material on a polyamide base.

The bags 1 and 6, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are closed at their lower end by a bottom support 10 on which the bags are supported in an upright position. Two constructions for bottom 10 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the example of FIG. 4, the end of a tube body 11 has been cut in such a manner that two equal, approximately rectangular lobes 12 are provided, the lobes being connected with one another by a transverse welded or joined seam 13. The two lateral parts 14 remaining from the cut are of a triangular shape and are each connected by an additional welded seam 15 with the lateral edges of the rectangular lobes 12. In this manner a closed flat stiffened bottom is produced which enables the bag to be supported in a standing position in its filled condition.

In the example of FIG. 5, a rhomboid bottom stiffening plate 17 is inserted into the lower open end of the tubular bag 16, and is secured thereto by a welded seam 18. In this manner the bag jacket 16 will project downwardly around at least part of its periphery beyond the bottom plate 17, and thus forms a support edge 19 around bag 16 by which the bag can be stood up.

FIGS. 6 to 14 illustrate various ways of constructing the support bottom for the drinking bag, while the upper portion of the bag in each of these embodiments, is essentially the same as that according to FIGS. 1 or 2, with like reference symbols being applied to like parts.

In the example of FIGS. 6 to 9, the bottom 10 is formed by a bottom plate 22 folded inwardly, and which, as FIG. 8 shows, is inserted in an inverted V-shaped fashion between the bag wall 21 when the wall 21 is folded up flat. Wall 21, as shown particularly in FIGS. 7 to 9, if folded inwardly at its bottom edge to form a peripheral flap 23 around the lower edge of plate 22 with the bottom edges and flap securely joined or welded together to close the bottom of the bag. However, it is also possible to join the plate 22 to the lower edge of the bag wall 21 without folding edge 23, simply by securing bottom plate 22 all around to the inside of the lower edge of the bag wall 21 (as provided in the example of FIG. 11). Lateral slits or cuts 24 formed in bag wall 21 receive the lateral edges of the bottom plate 22 and are welded or secured thereto into a solid strip extending in the longitudinal direction of the bottom area of the bag. As a result, the bottom area of the drinking bag is stiffened and closed tightly along the lateral edges of the bottom plate 22 and along the bottom peripheral edge 23.

When filling a tube according to FIGS. 6 to 9, the folded-in bottom plate 22, especially in its middle area, is opened laterally and is bulged out downwardly by the weight or pressure of the bag contents, as is shown in FIG. 9. The welded seam edge 23 running all around will then form an essentially oval support edge for the drinking bag on which the latter can be positioned in a standing position.

In the example of FIGS. 6 to 9, the bag wall 21 is constructed of a single layer of flexible plastic, however it is also possible to form it according to the double wall construction of FIGS. 1 to 5. In the latter case, the two walls 8 and 9 (compare FIG. 3) would have to be firmly welded together with the inwardly folded bottom plate 22 positioned within the encircling welding seam and the slits or cuts 24. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the drinking bag is provided with an upper slanting shoulder 2, but it could also be provided with two slanting shoulders similar to the bag, according to FIG. 2.

In the drinking bag according to FIGS. 10 and 11, the bag wall 25 is made from an aluminum foil coated on both sides with plastic. The inside coating in the aluminum foil is of a physiologically inert material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. Likewise, the inwardly folded bottom plate 26 consists of a coated aluminum foil. Since such coated aluminum foils as a rule are not available in tubular form the bag wall in the examples of FIGS. 10 and 11 is formed by opposing sheets joined along two longitudinal seams 27, which extend over into the shoulder seams 7 at the upper end of the bag. Instead of the two shoulder seams 7, only one shoulder seam 2 could be provided as in FIG. 1.

In the bottom area of the bag, the inwardly folded bottom plate 26 is inserted into the lateral seams 27 and is welded or joined together therewith in such a manner that all connected layers of the bag walls 25 and the bottom plate 26 form firm connecting strips, which function to stiffen and laterally seal the bottom 10 to the tubular bag, whereby the bag may rest in a standing position. At the lower edge of the bag, the bag wall and adjacent leg of the bottom plate 26, folded inwardly, are secured together firmly and tightly in the area of the encircling seam. In the corners formed between the lateral seams 27 and the encircling bottom seam, each of the legs of the inwardly folded bottom plate 26 is welded to the opposite tube wall 25 in the area 29. These areas 29 form border lines 30 running arcuately from the lateral edges toward the center of the bag. When filling a tube in accordance with FIGS. 10 and 11, the inwardly folded bottom plate 26 is pulled out laterally and is bulged downwardly in a manner similar to the bottom plate 22 of FIG. 9, whereby a definite peripheral bottom edge develops along the border line 30 and the lower edge seams 28.

In the example of FIG. 12, the bag wall 25 is formed from a metal foil, as in the example of FIGS. 10 and 11. However, in this example, the tubular shape of the bag wall 25 is attained by folding a foil upon itself and sealing it by a lateral seam 27 which extends directly over into the shoulder seam 2. At the lower end, an inwardly folded bottom plate 26 is inserted into wall slits and welded together with a the foil wall 25 in the bottom area of the longitudinal seam 27, as previously explained in connection with the example of FIGS. 10 and 11. At the opposite side 3, the bottom plate 26 with its lateral edges is placed into a slit 24 and is welded firmly in the latter into a strip-shaped reinforcing element, as explained in connection with the example according to FIGS. 6 to 9. At the lower edge, each of the two legs of the bottom plate 26 is welded together tightly with one side of bag wall 25 into a welding seam 28 extending transversely, as explained above in connection with FIGS. 10 and 11.

Instead of the corner welds 29, shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, one leg of the bottom plate 26 and wall 25, in the example of FIG. 12, are joined together by a series of adhesive spot welds 31 which, in case of an excess pressure or impact in the filled drinking bag, will partially separate and will prevent rupturing the bag wall 25 or one of the welded seams 2, 24, 27, 28.

In the example of FIG. 13, the basic structure of bag wall 21 corresponds to that of the example of FIGS. 6 to 9, in which the bottom 10 is formed by an inwardly folding bottom plate 22 connected tightly and firmly with the bag wall 21 at the lateral edges by means of the welded slits 24 and at the lower edges by welding seams 23. Additionally, however, in the example of FIG. 13, an adhesive weld 32 is provided between one seam of the bottom plate 22 and the opposite part of bag wall 21, the adhesive weldings 32 extending in the form of a mushroom or in the form of a bar from the slits or cuts 24 into the area of a discontinuous, obliquely running borderline 33.

Finally, FIG. 14 shows a drinking bag according to the invention having a bottom 10 comprising an inwardly folded bottom plate 34 inserted into the lower end of tubular bag wall 21 and connected firmly and tightly with the sides of the bag along the arc-shaped welding seams 35, so that an encircling welding edge will result between the bottom plate 34 and the bag wall 21. To secure the welded seams to the lateral edge area, short cuts and strip-shaped weldings 36, similar to the cuts 24 according to FIGS. 6 to 9, are provided. The parts 37 of the bag wall 21 and of the bottom 34, which project downwardly beyond the welding seams 35 and the cuts 36, can be cut off if desired. In this embodiment, the tube again is stood up on the bottom plate 34 itself, similar to the example of FIG. 4.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A drinking bag comprising a tubular portion having flexible sidewall means, means at the upper end of said tubular portion joining sidewall means to form at least one sloping shoulder, said shoulder being substantially rigid with respect to said flexible sidewall means and substantially nonexpansible sidewise in the direction of the shoulder, said means providing the shoulder converging to a fixed outlet having an openable closure assembly, and means providing a closed lower bag portion comprising a deformable bottom support structure peripherally sealed to said tubular portion, said bottom structure being substantially nonexpansible in said sidewise direction but being deformable under the weight of liquid in the bag to permit expansion of the wall means at the bottom of said tubular portion sidewise relative to said shoulder when the bag contains a liquid, and said bottom support structure when expanded by the weight of the liquid contents of said bag being capable of supporting the bag in upright position.

2. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said support bottom comprises plate means welded into the lower open end of said wall means.

3. A drinking bag according to claim 2, wherein said support bottom comprises an inverted V-shaped bottom plate folded inwardly in relation to the bag wall means, with adjacent edges of said plate and said wall means being secured together.

4. A drinking bag according to claim 3, wherein the lateral edges of said bottom plate are attached to adjacent bag wall areas along additional weld areas which essentially form obliquely running border lines in relation to the inside of the bag.

5. A drinking bag according to claim 4, wherein the additional weld areas are in the form of adhesive welding extending toward the center of the bag and forming discontinuous border lines at their inner ends.

6. A drinking bag according to claim 4, wherein the additional weld areas are in the form of adhesive weldings extending along the said obliquely running border lines and terminating spaced from each other to form discontinuous border lines.

7. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said support bottom is provided with an encircling welding seam acting as a support edge.

8. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion comprises two shoulders converging upwardly toward the axis of the bag.

9. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion comprises a shoulder converging upwardly toward the opposite bag wall surfaces.

10. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said tubular wall means is constructed of a plurality of layers of material.

11. A drinking bag according to claim 1, wherein said tubular wall means comprises a foil having at least a diffusiontight coating on one side thereof and a coating impermeable to light and ultraviolet radiation on the other side thereof.

12. A drinking bag as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom support structure comprises a flexible sheet having a fold projecting up into the interior of said tubular portion and having its periphery bonded fluidtight to said wall means.

13. The drinking bag defined in claim 12, wherein said folded sheet at opposite ends projects into slits in said wall means.

14. The drinking bag defined in claim 12, wherein said wall means comprises at least one longitudinal seam where adjacent edges of sheet material forming said tubular portion are secured together, and an end of said folded sheet projects into and is bonded liquid tight with said seam.