Disposable Assembly for a Reusable Urn or Vessel

• US 20150210527A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LB Europe Limited (Liqui-Box Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DS Smith Plastics Limited (DS Smith PLC)
• Inventors: Smith, Mark A., Pfromm, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00049 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0054 Mounting or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in shops or bar counters
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0061 of liquid containers, e.g. filling, emptying, closing or opening means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0067 relating to shape or materials, e.g. bag-in-box packages [BIB], pouches
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/041 operated by pinching action on flexible tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/06 by means of a screw-spindle, cam, or other mechanical means F16K7/045 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a container assembly for use with a reusable urn or vessel. The assembly includes a (1) flexible pouch, (2) a fitment connected to the pouch and having a flexible flange and a first fluid passageway therethrough in fluid communication with the chamber, (3) a tubing adapter having a first end connected to the fitment and a second end having a member for connecting to a tubing and a second fluid passageway in fluid communication with the first fluid passageway; and (4) wherein the flexible flange is capable of bending to conform to an interior wall of the urn or vessel to place the second fluid passageway in alignment with an axis of a through hole in the urn or vessel.

Claims

1. A liner apparatus for a fluid dispensing container, comprising:

a liner bag;

an unbarbed tapered lumen extending from the liner bag; and

a flexible tube installed over and retained by an interference fit to the unbarbed tapered lumen, and configured to be inserted through a curved faucet of the dispensing container, wherein the flexible tube includes an inner portion comprising a material selected to provide retention on the unbarbed tapered lumen by the interference fit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube comprises a hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated styrene and hydrocarbon co-polymer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flexible tube comprise a styrene and diene copolymer.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flexible tube comprises a styrene and diene block copolymer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube has an inside diameter of about 7 mm and an outside diameter of about 11 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube includes an outer layer made of an olefin material.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the outer layer is made from an ethylene terpolymer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the outer layer is made from an ethylene and alpha-olefin copolymer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube is configured to resist kinking during insertion of the flexible tube through the faucet of the dispensing container.

10. A dispensing system for dispensing liquid from a vessel through a faucet, comprising:

a flexible planar surface defining a first opening;

a flexible tube body having a dispensing end defining a second opening, wherein the first and second openings are in fluid communication with each other;

an annular flange located between the planar surface and the dispensing end of the tube body;

an annular wall located between the planar surface and the annular flange and defining a notch between the annular flange and the annular wall, the annular wall having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the tube body;

wherein the tube body is configured to be inserted into a faucet and bent to follow the contour of a bore of the faucet such that the dispensing end of the tube body extends out of a mouth of the faucet and the planar surface is configured to be located inside a vessel to which the faucet is connected when the tube body is inserted into the faucet such that liquid is dispensed from the vessel by flowing from the first opening to the second opening.

11. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the tube body has an inner diameter of at least 7 mm and an outer diameter of at least 10 mm.

12. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the tube body has an inner layer and an outer layer.

13. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the tube body can flex into discrete positions.

14. A system for dispensing liquid from a vessel through a faucet, comprising:

a vessel having a base and a sidewall with an aperture in the side wall;

a faucet connected to the side wall of the urn, the faucet having a liquid ingress end and a liquid egress end connected by a curved lumen, the ingress end being in fluid communication with an interior region of the vessel and the egress end defining an outlet of the faucet;

a dispensing system including;

a flexible planar surface defining a first opening;

a flexible tube body having a dispensing end defining a second opening, wherein the first and second openings are in fluid communication with each other;

an annular flange located between the planar surface and the dispensing end of the tube body;

an annular wall located between the planar surface and the annular flange and defining a notch between the annular flange and the annular wall, the annular wall having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the flexible tube body;

wherein the tube body is configured to be inserted into the curved lumen of the faucet through the ingress end of the faucet and bent to follow the contour of the lumen such that the dispensing end of the tube body extends out of the egress end of the faucet and wherein the planar surface is configured to be located inside the vessel when the tube body is inserted into the faucet such that liquid is dispensed from the vessel by flowing from the first opening to the second opening.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the tube body has an inner diameter of at least 7 mm and an outer diameter of at least 10 mm.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the tube body has an inner layer and an outer layer.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the tube body can flex into discrete positions.