Patent Publication Number: US-6220756-B1

Title: Self-contained fluid dispensing system

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/005,627 filed on Jan. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,642. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system for packaging and dispensing fluids. More particularly, the invention relates to a system including a flexible package having a removable margin portion and retention elements by which a dispensing tube may be confined to a certain position within the package and, when the removable margin is detached, the sides of the package may be manipulated to indirectly push the dispensing end of the dispensing tube out from within the package inner volume and above the margin of the package in order to sanitarily dispense the fluid from the tube as needed. The system is an improvement to the package described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,646 issued on Apr. 30, 1968 to L. Doyen et al. for “Container of Plastic Material and Method of Producing Same”. 
     A variety of bottles and other containers are known for holding liquids that require a spout or tube to be used in order to pour or draw a liquid out from the container. However, many such known containers have a variety of disadvantages associated with them that limit their usefulness. 
     The spout or tube that is necessary to pour or draw liquid from some such containers is an element that is not retained on or within or united to the container but is maintained completely separate from the container. Without the spout or tube, the container cannot function as intended. If sanitary conditions are to be maintained during the pouring or dispensing of the liquid from the container, the separate spout or tube must be maintained in a sanitary condition such as by the individual wrapping of the spout or tube. The need for the separate spout or tube is inconvenient for the consumer. The need for the separate wrapping of the spout or tube adds additional cost to the entire packaging system. 
     Other of such containers require the consumer to use his or her hands to pull a straw out from or push a straw into the container or to manipulate a mouthpiece so that the fluid can be drawn up from the opened container through the straw or the mouthpiece. While the straw or mouthpiece may have been maintained in a sanitary state prior to manipulation, the handling of the straw or mouthpiece—in order to place the straw or mouthpiece into the proper position so that fluid may be drawn up and through and put from the dispensing end—may place dirt, bacteria, and viruses onto this end—the same that must be placed into the user&#39;s mouth to receive the liquid. Such handling poses a health risk particularly for children or older individuals or those that may be already suffering from an illness and may be required to avoid any additional health risks. 
     Other containers are complex arrangements that utilize specialized structures or multiple components to facilitate the dispensing of packaged fluid. For example, some such containers require the use of a stiff and/or pointed straw or other tool in order to puncture the container and thereby be able to dispense liquid from the container. Other containers provide straws or tubes on or within the container that have a specialized construction that allow the straw or tube to be compressed and expand when the package is opened. Other such containers include straws having certain mouthpiece structures and segments that require the straw to be directly manipulated so that the packaged fluid can be drawn up into the mouthpiece. Other containers are structured such that the straw or other tool that allows fluid to be drawn up from the container is carried on the exterior of the container. Such an exterior container location requires that either the fluid container and straw or dispensing tool or just the straw or dispensing tool be wrapped in additional protective wrapping material in order to maintain the straw or dispensing tool in a sanitary condition prior to the opening of the container and the straw or dispensing tool to be somehow bound to the container surface. Complex, multi-component structures requiring a number of assembly steps such as those typically are costly to manufacture and, as a result, may be more costly to the consumer. 
     The package described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,646 comprises a container having two faces and a bottom part that is an extension of the two faces. The bottom part is described a being folded in so as to form a W-section with the faces. The container includes two lateral welds through the height of the faces. The drawings of the container described in that patent show the lateral welds as being parallel to each other. The package includes oblique or lateral welds or a curvilinear weld. The base of the package is described as being in the shape of a hexagon or a rhombus. 
     A demand therefore exists for a drinking system that is of a simplified construction—and that therefore can be manufactured easily and at a low cost—and is self-contained such that a user may easily transport the packaged fluid and open the package quickly and dispense fluid from the package without the need for any additional elements or tools or the direct handling of the dispensing end of the dispensing tube contained within the package. The present invention satisfies the demand. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a self-contained system including a dispensing tube by which fluid may be drawn from a package without the need for the direct manipulation of the dispensing end of the dispensing tube positioned within the inner volume of the package. 
     The package of the present invention includes a surrounding wall formed of flexible material suitable to retain fluid within an inner volume. In the preferred embodiment, the surrounding wall is formed by the folding and adjusting of a flexible sheet to provide side walls having a simplified and generally smooth and non-angular exterior, a bottom wall, a margin at which the perimeters of the folded and adjusted sheet are joined, such as by heat sealing, and an inner volume. Flexible material that is suitable for such purpose includes a layer or a laminate of layers of plastic, foil, or metalized polyester having a single sheet structure. Advantageously, by forming the package from a single sheet of such material, the package may be made sufficiently inexpensive so that the package may be discarded after the packaged fluid is consumed. 
     The margin includes an upper margin formed adjacent to an upper horizontal edge and completely across the upper width of the package. The upper margin includes a vertically extended margin portion and a vertically narrowed margin portion, the difference between which provides a margin gap that opens onto the inner volume. The gap is of a sufficient vertical height and of a sufficient horizontal width to accommodate and loosely retain an end of a light weight and generally buoyant dispensing tube positioned within the inner package volume and to thereby align the length of the tube so that the end of the tube opposite to the dispensing end, the intake end, is positioned generally adjacent to or is resting on the inner surface of the bottom wall. 
     The upper margin is sized and shaped and has a construction such that a portion of the upper margin may be removed—such as along a tear line that may be formed through the upper margin—to provide an aperture opening through the margin and to the gap through which first the dispensing end of the tube—loosely retained within the margin gap—then other portions of the tube positioned within the package may be pushed upward and out of the package indirectly by the application of manipulative pressure to the outer surface of the surrounding wall of the package. Such an application of pressure causes the level of the fluid within the package to correspondingly rise upwardly and the light weight dispensing tube to thereby float higher and proportionately out from the aperture. From the dispensing end exposed indirectly as a result of this pressure, a user can then draw or dispense liquid from the tube without touching the dispensing end of the tube. Upon removal of the manipulative pressure to the outer surface of the surrounding wall of the package, the flexible surrounding wall, the fluid, and the configurations of the aperture, the margin gap, the package inner volume, and the tube cooperate to allow the level of the fluid to lower and the portion of the dispensing tube exposed as a result of the application of the pressure to slide down within the inner volume of the package such as until the dispensing end returns to an unexposed position within the gap margin. As sanitarily stored within such an opened package, the dispensing tube is ready to be used to dispense additional amounts of the packaged fluid again upon the application of manipulative pressure to the outer surface of the surrounding wall of the package. 
     The sheet from which the side walls of the package are formed is sized and shaped such that the margin includes opposing side margin portions that extend adjacent to and along the generally vertical edges of the package and that are joined by the upper margin that extends adjacent to and along an upper horizontal edge of the package. Preferably, the opposing side margin portions include opposing lower side margin portions—that are axially aligned generally parallel to each other—and upper side margin portions—that are axially aligned such that each of the upper side margin portions angle toward each other in the direction of the upper edge. Such a package includes an inner volume of the package whose capacity to hold the packaged liquid with height decreases with height of the package. A package having such a structure is generally easier to stand and remain stable in an upright position even when filled. Such a difference in capacity advantageously allows the level of the liquid and thereby the light weight dispensing tube positioned within the inner volume to be quickly raised and lowered by the simple manipulation of the side walls particularly adjacent to the lower side margin portions. 
     The side walls each include generally adjacent to the bottom edge of the package lower side wall portions formed by the doubling of the single sheet side wall material to provide a thickened lower side wall. Such thickened lower side wall provides a simplified support structure that in addition to the above described relationship of the upper margin portion relative to the lower margin portion further allows the package to be stably positioned on a surface in a vertical orientation. The lower margin includes a generally smooth and non-angular lower edge and smooth and non-angular exterior face such that side walls extending upward from the margin face are similarly smooth and non-angular. Advantageously, a lower edge that is smooth and non-angular allows the package to rest stably on a surface. 
     Furthermore, a lower margin and side walls that are generally smooth and non-angular and pliant allow the side walls to easily respond to the amount and direction of the pressure applied to the exterior surface of the side walls such as the manipulative pressure applied to the surface of the side walls during the use of the system or when the package is stored for or during shipment or while otherwise being carried or transported. 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide al improved system by which fluids may be dispensed. 
     Also an object of the present invention is to provide a system including a package having a structure such that the package may be readily opened for the dispensing of fluid from the package. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a system including a package having a structure such that a dispensing tube can be stored within the inner volume of the package. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a system including a package having a structure such that a dispensing tube can be maintained in a position within the inner volume of the package such that the dispensing end of the tube may be readily moved out from within the package in order to allow a user to draw fluid from the package. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a system including a package having a flexible structure such that, after the package is opened, the dispensing end of the tube can be moved out from within the package by manipulation of the sides of the package and without touching the dispensing end of the tube. 
     An added object of the invention is to provide a system including a package having a simplified construction in order that the system may be manufactured easily and at a low cost and such that the package may be discarded after a single use. 
     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be clearly understood and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings and through a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the system according to the invention; 
     FIG. 1A is a partially cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of the system illustrated in FIG. 1 showing a portion of the upper margin removed from the package to provide an aperture through the margin and to the inner volume through which the dispensing tube may be pressured upward; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the system filled with liquid and sealed and supported on the lower edge of the package side walls; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3A is a partially cut-away front elevational view of the embodiment system filled with liquid and showing a portion of the upper margin removed to provide an aperture through which the dispensing tube is shown extended including in phantom in response to pressure applied to the side walls of the package; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view of the system from below and along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the system along the line  6 — 6  of FIG. 3; and, 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the system along the line  7 — 7  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS 
     A drinking system according to the present invention is generally designated as  17  in FIGS. 1 through 7. 
     Drinking system  17  includes a package  21  having a size and shape and a structure such that a portion of a tube  71  retained within the package may be extended above the package—simply by the application of manipulative pressure to the exterior of the package—and drawn back into the package—when the manipulative pressure is withdrawn—for the sanitary dispensing of fluid. 
     Package  21  is formed by the joining of flexible material to provide a surrounding wall  31  including opposing side walls  31 A and  31 B and bottom wall  41  that defines an inner volume  27  in which a fluid  91  may be retained. The specific type and structure of the materials and method used to form the package  21  will vary according to the nature of the fluid  91  held within the system and the dispensing requirements. The illustrated embodiment of the package  21  may be formed by the folding and adjusting of a flexible sheet of material. The flexible sheet of material may be formed from a layer or multiple layers joined as a laminate of plastic, foil, or metalized polyester. One preferred embodiment includes layers of P.E.T. having a 48 gauge thickness joined as a laminate layer. The material may be processed to provide the preferred embodiment such as by pulling the material from rollstock as a single sheet through a series of tension rolls and subjecting it to U.V. light treatment, folding the material—such as in half—to provide two sections, and adjusting the folded material—such as by pushing the sheet into another fold—to create a gusset. The dispensing tube  71  then may be inserted into the inner volume  27  formed by the folding and adjusting of the material. The material with tube  71  inserted may be joined—such as by heat sealing—to form the vertical margin portions  53  and a bottom gusset. The completed package may be then cut from the web and filled with liquid and the top of the side walls joined—such as by beat sealing—to form the upper margin  55  and thereby close the package  21 . 
     More particularly, the sheet from which the side walls  31 A and  31 B and the bottom wall  41  may be formed are joined by heat sealing or other type of permanent bonding along the perimeters of the sheet to define a margin  51 . The sheet from which the side walls  31 A and  31 B of the package  21  are formed is sized and shaped such that the margin  51  includes opposing vertical margin portions  53  that extend adjacent to and along the generally vertical edges  22  of the package  21  and that are joined by an upper horizontal margin  55  that extends adjacent to and along an upper horizontal edge  23  of the package. 
     The upper horizontal margin  55  formed adjacent to the upper edge  23  includes a vertically elongated margin portion  56  and a vertically narrowed margin portion  57 , the difference between which provides a margin gap  61  opening onto the inner volume  27 . The gap  61  is of a sufficient vertical height “Y” and sufficient horizontal width “X” to accommodate and loosely retain an end  73  of the dispensing tube  71  positioned within the inner package volume  27  and to thereby align the axial length of the tube “T” so that the intake end  75  of the tube  71  that is opposite to the dispensing end  73  is positioned generally adjacent to the inner surface  45  of the bottom wall  41 . The intake end  75  of the tube  71  in this position advantageously allows all or nearly all of the fluid  91  within the package  21  to be dispensed or drawn from the package. Because the tube  71  is not bound but only loosely retained within the package  21 , the tube may be easily moved to allow all or nearly all of the fluid  91  to be dispensed or drawn from the package. 
     The upper margin  55  is sized and shaped and has a construction such that a portion  55 A of the upper margin may be removed—such as along a tear line  59  that may be formed through a part of or the full length of the upper margin—to provide an aperture  81  adjacent to the margin gap through which the tube  71  retained within the package  21  may be indirectly pushed by the application of manipulative pressure to the surrounding package wall  31 . FIG. 1A illustrates the upper portion  55 A separated from the lower portion  55 B of the margin that remains on the package  21  to provide a lower tear edge  23 B and an upper tear edge  23 A and the dispensing end  73  of the tube  71  projected out from the aperture  81  and above the lower tear edge  23 B by application of manipulative pressure to the surface  33  of the surrounding wall  31  or by the floating action of a lightweight embodiment of the tube  71  in the fluid  91 . FIG. 3A illustrates the dispensing end  73  of the tube  71  (in phantom) in a dispensing position  77 A above the lower tear edge  23 B as such projected. From the dispensing end exposed indirectly as a result of this pressure, a user can then draw liquid through the tube without touching the dispensing end of the tube. Upon removal of the manipulative pressure applied to the surrounding wall  31 , the dispensing tube  71  may slide down—such as to the position  77 B illustrated in FIG. 3A or lower, depending upon the amount of fluid  91  within the package  21 , such as until the dispensing end  73  returns to a position between the gap margin  61 . 
     The dispensing tube  71  of the self-contained drinking system  17  is of a generally light weight, simplified construction preferably formed from a material such as a plastic that readily retains its shape even when immersed in a liquid for an extended period of time yet is preferably inexpensive so that the package and enclosed tube may be discarded upon consumption of the fluid. The tube  71  sized and shaped—such as the illustrated thin tubular axial construction—to facilitate the retention of the dispensing end  73  of the tube generally within the margin gap  61  and the positioning of the intake end  75  of the tube generally adjacent to or resting on the inner surface  45  of the bottom wall  41  of the package  21  and thereby allows all or nearly all of the fluid within the package to be dispensed from the package. 
     Preferably, the opposing vertical margin portions  53  include opposing lower side margin portions  53 B that are aligned along individual axes that are generally parallel to each other and upper side margin portions  53 A that are aligned on individual axes such that each of the upper side margin portions  53 A angle toward each other in a vertical direction toward the upper edge  23 . Such a structure defines an inner volume  27  that includes an lower inner volume  27 B that may have a large capacity and hold a larger volume of fluid  91  relative to that volume of fluid that may be held within the upper inner volume  27 A. The margin may include rounded comers  54  to improve the safety of the package  21  and in order to lessen the likelihood of damage or injury that sharpened comers may cause. 
     Side walls  31 A and  31 B include a supporting structure  34  that in addition to the relationship of the upper side margin portion relative to the lower side margin portion and the resultant decreased upper inner volume  27 A relative to the lower inner volume  27 B further facilitates the stable positioning of the package  21  on the bottom edge  25  on a surface “S”. The supporting structure  34  includes lower side wall portions  35 A and  35 B, respectively. As illustrated for example in FIG. 4, the supporting structure  34  includes lower side wall portions  35 A and  35 B having an additional material thickness  37  to facilitate the stable support of the-package  21 . The material thickness  37  is provided by the above described folding of the material during the preparation of the package  21 . Preferably, the lower side wall portions  35 A and  35 B provide a structure such that, the package when filled as intended, the outer surface  43  of the bottom wall  41  is a vertical height “H” above and thereby makes no or little contact with the surface “S” on which the package may be vertically positioned. 
     The flexible material from which the side wall  31  is constructed allows the side wall to expand outward in response to the weight of the fluid contained within the package  21  and generally stiffen. Such stiffened side wall allows the side wall  31  to further facilitate the support of the package  21  in a generally vertical position when the package is positioned such that the lower edge  25  of the side walls  31 A and  31 B are allowed to rest on a horizontal surface “S”. The package  21 —as filled with fluid  91  and, as a result of which, the side walls  31 A and  31 B are expanded and stiffened—is illustrated for example in FIGS. 2 through 4 as resting on a horizontal surface “S”. It will be appreciated that the horizontal surface “S” may, for example, be a table top or similarly oriented surface. 
     The flexible construction of the bottom wall  41  allows the bottom wall—in response to the weight of the fluid  91  contained within the package  21 —to expand outward and—in response to the manipulative pressure placed on the side walls  31 A and  31 B—to be compressed as the side walls  31 A and  31 B are pushed inward, thereby facilitating the dispensing of fluid  91  through the tube  71  from the package. 
     Further advantageously, the difference in the inner volume  27  allows the level of the fluid  91  contained within the inner volume  27  of the package  21  to rise particularly quickly in response to the application of manipulative pressure to the outer surface  33  of the side walls  31 A and  31 B adjacent to the lower inner volume  27 A, thereby facilitating the projection of the dispensing end  73  of the tube  71  from within the inner volume  27  and the draw of fluid  91  therefrom. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention which have been described are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.