Patent ID: 6220756
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
A self-contained drinking system comprising:(a) an improved self-supporting package of the type constructed from a side wall and a bottom wall united at their perimeters to form a surrounding wall having an exterior surface and an inner volume in which fluid may be held, the improved self-supporting package formed from flexible material folded and adjusted and joined at the perimeters to provide the surrounding wall having generally opposing flexible side walls, a flexible bottom wall, and a margin that define the inner volume and that generally stiffen upon filing of the inner volume with the fluid thereby providing vertical support to said package and permitting said package to be generally self-supporting;said margin including opposing vertical margin portions joined by an upper horizontal margin, said opposing vertical margin portions including opposing lower side margin portions and upper side margin portions, said opposing lower side margin portions axially aligned to parallel each other and said upper side margin portions axially aligned to angle toward each other in an upper vertical direction thereby defining the inner volume as including a lower inner volume and an upper inner volume, said upper inner volume having a fluid retention capacity reduced relative to said lower inner volume that further permits said package to be self-supporting and permits a level of the fluid within the inner volume to be generally quickly raised and lowered through application of manipulative pressure to the exterior surface of said surrounding wall of said package;said upper horizontal margin extending generally along an upper horizontal edge of said flexible side walls and including a gap that opens generally vertically relative to and onto the inner volume of said package, said upper horizontal margin including an upper margin portion separable from a lower margin portion to form a horizontally-aligned lower tear edge having an aperture adjacent to said gap;(b) a dispensing tube positioned within the inner volume and including an intake end positionable adjacent to an inner surface of said flexible bottom wall and a dispensing end positionable within said gap and sized and shaped such that said dispensing tube can slide through said aperture;whereby application of the manipulative pressure on the exterior surface of said surrounding wall raises said level of the fluid within the inner volume and projects said dispensing end of said dispensing tube out from said aperture and release of the manipulative pressure lowers the level of the fluid and said dispensing tube slides down and within the inner volume for sanitary storage of and further sanitary dispensing of the fluid from said dispensing tube.