Abstract:
A dispenser bag containing bulk liquid food is provided with a truncated bottom with a bottom seal located below an adjacent normally closed horizontally mounted dispenser spout. The space between the spout and the bottom seal assists in accumulating any sediment in the liquid food. The spout has an encircling outer rim which directs the flow of liquid food vertically downward. By tapering the dispenser bag vertically downward toward the dispenser spout on both or either side thereof improved dispensing of the liquid food in the bag is provided and waste left in conventional untapered bags with horizontally dispensing spouts located below the horizontal bottom seal is reduced. A method is further provided for eliminating or reducing the dispensation of sediment by capturing same below the spout, the spout being oriented slightly above the base of the conical structure formed by truncation of the lower part of the dispenser bag.

Description:
[0001]    A priority date of Mar. 26, 2003 is claimed based on a filed related provisional patent application in the United States Patent Office, Ser. No. 60/457,721, on Mar. 26, 2003 disclosing the subject herein. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The invention relates to cost-saving methods and techniques for providing and vending liquid foods in the wholesale channel of commerce and dispensing liquid foods such as milk to users in the retail channel of commerce employing bulk packaging of the dispensed liquid foods and a console dispenser with a selectively actuated spout for dispensing liquid foods into a receptacle such as a cup.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    For years dairy products such as milk, cream, half and half, and the like, for example, have been made available at retail coffee bars where brewed coffee, tea, and the like were sold in individual sized containers. The retailers, to reduce their labor and other costs and to increase efficiency, have subcontracted the dairy aspect of this business to dairy product dispensing specialists to maintain the supply of liquid dairy items, including flavored milks, orange juice, and the like and to provide dispensers, and maintain sanitation and health safety of these dispensed products.  
           [0006]    The inventor during the development of various dispenser designs, discovered the improved spout of this invention.  
           [0007]    In addition, the inventor noticed that the quality of the dispensed liquid product at the beginning of the dispensing cycle was markedly better than the quality at the end of this dispensing cycle. He discovered that due to the rectangular shape of the gravity fed collapsible dispenser bag, liquid accumulated and stagnated at the bag&#39;s lower corners toward the end of the dispensing cycle. The flow of liquid generally tends to be down the central portion of the bag allowing liquid at the lower corners to linger.  
           [0008]    In the bags containing chocolate milk and non-pulp free orange juice, sedimentation occurred occasionally and was dispensed. Moreover, he discovered that in the prior art bags that had been tapered, the spout was placed at the bottom of the bag. Clogging of a spout due to sediment from chocolate milk and fresh orange juice with pulp was likely. Experimenting yielded a horizontal mounted spout with a modified rim to insure that the liquid food product would flow downward as it exits rather than horizontally.  
           [0009]    The liquid food that lingered in the corners amounted to a measurable economically significant percentage of the total volume of a bag, for example, about 1%, when several thousand units were involved. This residual amount not only degraded the quality of the liquid at the end of the dispensing cycle, it was discarded when a new replacement bag was installed in a dispenser a significant economic waste factor. Thus, the inventor recognized that a solution to this residual amount problem would (i) improve the quality of the dispensed product and (ii) decrease the cost of product to the wholesaler by about 1%.  
           [0010]    In employing the novel spout with a vertically downward diverter, splashing on dispensation of product was avoided and customer satisfaction was improved.  
           [0011]    In the case of 5-12 liter rectangular bags with a dispenser spout centrally located near the bottom perimeter, the improved drainage method requires the step of sealing off at least one corner obliquely from the spout area to transform the bags into pentagonal containers.  
           [0012]    Of particular note is U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,885 entitled “Dispenser Having a Flexible Fluid Container and a Rotor Compressible Fluid Discharge Tube” issued to Hogan on Apr. 30, 1985. FIGS. 10 and 11 of Hogan illustrate a dispenser bag with a tapered lower half that is similar in some respects to the novel bag disclosed. However, the spout 56 of Hogan is vertically disposed, then elongated and bent to horizontal as subsequently disclosed in FIGS. 14 and 15. Thus, no collection pouch for sediment exists in the Hogan structure.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    A novel improvement in the structure and method of dispensing liquid food from a combination of a flexible wall plastic bag adapted as a closed receptacle for liquid food and a self-closing dispensing spout comprising the step of gravity enhanced mingling, combined with the step of sealing off preferably each corner in a straight line at an angle extending obliquely from the spout area whereby the amount of stale fluid remaining in the bag at the end of the dispensing cycle as the contents of the bag are more fully discharged is diminished. The bag with one or more corners obliquely sealed off is uniquely combined with a spout having a horizontal axis wherein the spout has a fluid conduit with a valve orifice therethrough, a flow control member within the valve body which is displaceable transversely to the horizontal axis from a first position in which the flow control member obstructs the flow of fluid through the valve orifice to a second position in which the flow control member does not obstruct the flow of fluid through the valve orifice. The flow control member is deflected when the valve member is displaced to its open position. The novel bag and orifice structure directs the fluid product to flow orthogonally through the valve orifice downwardly at a right angle to the horizontal axis when the flow control member is actuated and displaced from its closed position such that the vertical reactionary vector flow component is substantially greater than for obliquely discharged liquids causing the fluid in the vicinity of the spout to mingle more effectively.  
           [0014]    According to a method embodied in the present invention, for a fluid food product contained in a rectangular flexible bag there is provided a method of reducing discarded product waste, of avoiding dispensing sediment, of accumulating sediment, of diminishing accumulated product residue combined with a method of avoiding a horizontal dispersal of liquid food via a horizontally disposed spout. The novel method comprises the steps of:  
           [0015]    Sealing off a substantial part of at least one corner of the rectangular flexible bag whereby a lower part of the bag is truncated;  
           [0016]    Orienting a dispensing spout in the lower part of the truncated bag;  
           [0017]    Connecting the dispensing spout horizontally to the bag;  
           [0018]    Forming a tapered pouch for collecting sediment between a bottom edge of the bag and the spout; and,  
           [0019]    Inserting a rim segment in the lowermost front portion of the spout to block forwardly horizontally flowing fluid whereby fluid is directed vertically downward.  
           [0020]    The above features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals generally designate the same elements.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1A is a front view of a hexagonal embodiment of the invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1B is a rear view of the hexagonal embodiment of the invention; and,  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1C is a left side sectional view of the hexagonal embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2A is a front view of a pentagonal embodiment of the invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2B is a rear view of the pentagonal embodiment of the invention; and,  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2C is a left side sectional view of the pentagonal embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3A is a front view of a quadrilateral embodiment of the invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3B is a rear view of the quadrilateral embodiment of the invention; and,  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3C is a right side sectional view of the quadrilateral embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4A is a left side cross sectional view of a prior art spout taken along the is plane  4 A shown in FIG. 4B; and,  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4B is a front view of the prior art spout.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5A is a left side cross sectional view of the novel improved spout depicted along the plane  5 A shown in FIG. 5B; and,  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5B is a front view of the improved spout.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0034]    There is shown in FIG. 1 a  a front view of a rim lip segment  2  attached to a hexagonal containment bag  10  made of plastic, for example. The bag  10  is made of a hexagonal front panel  11 , a first left oblique seal  12 , and a hexagonal rear panel  13  attached to an assembly of a dispenser valve and spout  22 . A novel aspect of the spout  22  is the rim lip segment  2  shown in detail in FIGS. 5A and 5B in accordance with the invention. Sediment  212  is shown as accumulated below the spout  22 .  
         [0035]    Referring to FIG. 1 b  there is shown a rear view of the bag  10  with the spout  22  combined with the lip segment  2  visible through the plastic bag  10 . Additional sediment  212 , sediment particles for example, are shown accumulated below the spout  22 .  
         [0036]    Shown in FIG. 1 c  is a side view of the bag  10  housed inside a dispenser housing  30  with the rim segment  2  and spout  22  extending through the front of the dispenser housing  30 . More detail of the bag  10  is illustrated. The bag  10  is comprised of front and back rectangular panels  11  and  13 , joined and sealed at each adjacent edge to form a four sided container with sealed edges  12 ,  16 ,  24 , and  25  suitable for and adapted hermetically to hold a liquid such as milk, cream or half and half, for example. As shown in FIG. 1C the front panel  11  is equipped with the novel spout  22 , which is a combination of a horizontally oriented normally closed spigot and a novel rim segment  2  to direct fluid flow vertically downward according to the invention.  
         [0037]    Referring again to FIG. 1 a , in this embodiment for the novel invention, the content of hexagonal bags range from 5-12 liters with dispenser spout  22  centrally located near but above the bottom seal  23  of the perimeter. In the preferred embodiment shown, the improved drainage method requires the step of sealing off each of the corners A and B at angles α and β, respectively, to form oblique seals  12  and  16  extending obliquely away and upwards from the spout  22  thereby facilitating the step of gravitationally forcing a flow of the sediment  212 , if any, below the spout  22  and in the vicinity of the bottom seal  23 .  
         [0038]    The angles α and β illustrated in FIG. 1A of the drawing range from 48 degrees to 65 degrees for bags adapted to hold from 5 to 12 liters wherein the width of the bag  10  from the seal  24  to the seal  25  is approximately 43 centimeters, for example. In the presented preferred embodiment with the novel spout  22  in the center near the bottom edge  23  as shown, the angles α and β are about equal.  
         [0039]    For dispensers with a pentagonal bag  210  as shown in FIG. 2A, the spout  22  is positioned at the left side away from the pentagonal left seal  224  and near the pentagonal right seal  225 . In this embodiment the oblique seal  12  and angle α are eliminated.  
         [0040]    For a quadrilateral dispenser  310  as shown in FIG. 3A the novel spout  22  is located between a quadrilateral oblique seal  316  and a quadrilateral left seal  324 . Thus, the oblique seal  16  and the angle β associated with the bag  10  shown in FIG. 1A are eliminated.  
         [0041]    For dispensers adapted to receive a bag with dual spouts or multiple spouts, the multiples of the oblique seals  12  and  16  are used to create triangular sealed spaces between adjacent spouts.  
         [0042]    In the 5-liter bag with the spout in the center near the bottom side of a rectangular bag, for optimum flow of any sediment it is preferred that the angle α is about 68 degrees and that the width is about 43 cm. In the 12-liter bag with the spout in the center near the bottom side of a rectangular bag, it is preferred that the angle a is about 68 degrees and that the width is about 46 cm.  
         [0043]    The first preferred embodiment has been disclosed as a hexagonal bag  10  with a novel modified spout  22  centrally located preferentially above the bottom seal  23  of the bag  10  wherein the bag  10  is used by inserting into a hollow box shaped dispenser housing  30  having an aperture adapted to receive and hold in a horizontal position the bag spout  22  such that the rim segment  2  directs fluid flowing through the spout  22  in a vertical downward stream. Thus, the rim segment  2  prevents liquid food flowing from the spout  22  from splashing into a consumer&#39;s receptacle by avoiding lateral outward flow.  
         [0044]    The spout  22  can be located at either the lower left or lower right corner of a food containment bag such as the bag  210  or the bag  310 , respectively. The space below the spout  22  can be terminated with a horizontal seal below such as the bottom seal  223  shown for the bag  210 . The angular space at A” shown accumulating sediment  212  in FIG. 3A provides superior sediment accumulating function over the truncated corner space near B′ shown in FIG. 2A.  
         [0045]    In this embodiment, the step of sealing off is applied to only the one corner A or B opposite the corner where the spout is located. The selected single corner A or B is sealed off in a straight line at an angle α or β extending obliquely upward away from the spout area to diminish the amount of stale fluid remaining in the bag at the end of the dispensing cycle as the contents of the bag are more fully discharged. There is shown in FIG. 1 a  a front view of a plastic containment bag  10  with a dispenser valve and spout assembly  22  in accordance with the invention. Shown in FIG. 1 b  is a side view of the bag  10  housed inside a dispenser housing  30  with the valve and spout assembly  22  extending through the front of the dispenser housing  30 . The bag  10  is comprised of two equal front and back rectangular panels  11  and  13 , joined and sealed at each adjacent edge to form a four sided container suitable for and adapted for holding a liquid such as milk, cream or half and half, for example. The bag  10  has a top edge  21 , a bottom edge  23 , a left edge  24 , and a right edge  25 . The front panel is equipped with the assembly  22 , which is a combination of a horizontally oriented spout, and a normally closed valve assembly made in accordance with the known prior art related to the invention.  
         [0046]    Referring to FIG. 2 a , there is shown another embodiment for the novel invention with the dispenser spout  22  asymmetrically located in the right corner B′ near a bottom edge  223  of a bag  210 . In this preferred embodiment, the improved drainage method requires the step of sealing off a corner A′ in a straight line  209  and/or  12  at an angle α. The line  209  extends obliquely away and upwards from the spout and valve assembly  22 . In the embodiment for the bag  210  with the assembly  22  located near the right edge  225  and above the bottom edge  223  as shown in FIG. 2 a , the angle α is preferably at least 45 degrees.  
         [0047]    The second preferred bag  210  is a pentagon with a spout asymmetrically located above but near the bottom edge  223  of the bag. This allows the bottom edge  223  to trap sediment. The selected single corner A′ is sealed off in a straight line at an angle α extending obliquely upward away from the spout area. This tapering of the bag  210  serves to diminish the amount of stale fluid remaining in the bag  210  otherwise at the corner A′ at the end of the dispensing cycle. Hence, the contents of the bag  210  are more fully discharged.  
         [0048]    Thus, there is shown in FIG. 2 a  a front view of a plastic containment bag  210  with a dispenser valve and spout assembly  22  in accordance with the invention. Shown in FIG. 2 b  is a rear view of the bag  210  with the assembly  22  showing through the transparent rear panel  213 . Shown in FIG. 2 c  is a side view of the bag  210  with the valve and spout assembly  22  extended horizontally. The bag  210  is also comprised of two equal front and back rectangular panels  211  and  213 , joined and sealed at each adjacent edge to form a five sided container suitable for and adapted for holding a liquid such as milk, cream or half and half, for example. The bag  210  has a top edge  221 , a bottom edge  223 , a left edge  224 , and a right edge  225 . The front panel is equipped with the assembly  22 , which is a combination of a horizontally oriented spout, and a normally closed valve assembly attached in accordance with the known prior art related to the invention but improved with the novel lip member  2  which insures that the dispensed fluid is directed vertically downward.  
         [0049]    Referring again to FIG. 3A, there is shown yet another preferred embodiment of the novel invention, for example the bag  310 , constructed in accordance with the novel invention with the dispenser spout  22  asymmetrically located above and to the right of the left corner A″ and near the slanted bottom edge  316  associated with the bag  310 . Hence, in the preferred embodiment of the method invention, the improved drainage method requires the step of sealing off the bottom of the bag  310  at the corner A″ in a straight line at an angle β to form a sealed edge  316 . The edge of the seal  316  is formed by a step of extending a seal obliquely away from the point A″ located below the spout  22  upwards above the spout  22 . The spout  22  is located near the lowermost part of the left edge  324  and above the bottom edge  316  as more fully shown in the rear view depicted in FIG. 3B and in the left side view in FIG. 3C.  
         [0050]    The complementary angular pocket created by the complement to the angle β of FIG. 3A is preferably about 60 degrees and creates what is called a “flow over” and “overflow capture pocket” at the corner A″ below the spout  22 . The “overflow capture pocket” symbiotically allows sediment to accumulate below the spout  22  and also retards an accumulated stale pocket of fluid to be minimized and not pass into and thru the assembly  22 . This symbiosis attributable to the structure shown is especially present when the fluid is orange juice with pulp or chocolate milk or flavored milk, made from a sweetened flavored syrup, for example.  
         [0051]    In particular, the third preferred bag  310  is a quadrangle with the spout  22  asymmetrically located above but near the bottom corner A″ of the bag  310 . This allows the corner A″ to trap sediment and accumulate sediment which would otherwise enter the assembly  22 . The selected corner A″ is sealed off to form part of the sealed edge  316 . The sealed edge  316  is a straight line at the angle β extending obliquely upward away from the spout area. This optimal as symmetrical tapering to form the bag  310  serves to isolate stale fluid below the spout assembly  22 . Hence, the contents of the bag  310  are more fully discharged and any sediment accumulates below the assembly  22  as shown in FIG. 3C.  
         [0052]    Thus, there is shown in FIG. 3A a front view of a novel plastic containment bag  310  with a dispenser spout  22  in accordance with the invention. Shown in FIG. 3B is a rear view of the bag  310  with the spout  22  showing through the transparent rear panel  313 . Shown in FIG. 3C is a right side view of the bag  310 . The bag  310  is made of two equal front and back rectangular panels  311  and  313 , joined and sealed at each adjacent edge to form a four sided container adapted for holding a liquid food. The bag  310  has a top edge or seal, a bottom edge comprised of the seal  316 , a left edge comprised of the seal  324 , and a right edge comprised of the seal  335 . The front panel is equipped with the spout  22  modified in accordance with FIGS. 5A and 5B of the drawing. The spout  450  of the prior art is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. There is shown a plenum  452  or space in the lowest segment of a retaining member or rim  454 . The plenum  452  allows fluid foods to flow through the spout  450  into the plenum  454  and then horizontally outward since the plenum  452  opens horizontally as shown in FIG. 4B.  
         [0053]    Modifying the spout  450  as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B by changing the rim  454  with an opening to a fully closed rim segment  2  which creates a vertically downward opening plenum  552  which allows fluid foods to flow through the spout  22  into the plenum  552  and then vertically downward.  
         [0054]    Without the benefit of a spout improved with the novel fully closed rim segment  2  which insures that the dispensed fluid is directed substantially vertically downward instead of horizontally and then downward as with a conventional prior art spout  450  shown in FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b , the sediment  212  has an opportunity to accumulate in the plenum  452  at the forward and side edges thereof.  
         [0055]    Shown in FIG. 4 a  is a side cross-sectional view of the prior art valve  450 . The cross-section is taken along the plane  4 A- 4 A′ shown in a front view of valve  450  shown in FIG. 4 b . The essential aspect of the prior art valve  450  is a plenum  452  formed where a lip section of the rim  454  is removed. This structure is the customary structure used in the prior art but allows dispensed fluid to flow horizontally outward in front of the rim  454  and valve  450 .  
         [0056]    The additional novel improvement to this structure is shown in FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b . In FIG. 5 a  there is shown an improved rim  554  wherein the plenum  452  has been modified to a plenum  552  wherein the rim  554  surrounds the circumference of the valve  22  and thereby restricts horizontal flow. Flow from the improved plenum  552  is downward due to horizontal flow being blocked by the lip  2 . In the art the removed lip  2  is sometimes referred to as an undercut and is removed in the known prior art to provide unrestricted fluid flow.  
         [0057]    In each novel embodiment described it is also preferred that all the parts be made from a suitable synthetic resin, preferably polypropylene. However, the scope of the invention includes valves and spouts made of any material because the actuator for the spout may be modified and exemplified in multiple parts for re-usable dispenser valves and spouts which convey fluid food product from non-disposable refillable bags or alternative refillable disposable bags and containers. Moreover, although recognized as more costly, it may be useful in some circumstances to employ curving or a curvature or non-linearity to the seals  12  and/or  16 , for example, or the seals  209 , 223 , or  316 .  
         [0058]    The invention having now been fully described, it should be understood that it may be embodied in other specific forms or variations without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims and/or the doctrine of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.  
       Parts List  
       [0059]    [0059] 2  rim lip segment  
         [0060]    [0060] 10  hexagonal containment bag  
         [0061]    [0061] 11  hexagonal front panel  
         [0062]    [0062] 13  hexagonal rear panel  
         [0063]    [0063] 12  first left oblique seal  
         [0064]    [0064] 16  first right oblique seal  
         [0065]    [0065] 21  first top seal  
         [0066]    [0066] 22  normally closed spout  
         [0067]    [0067] 23  first bottom seal  
         [0068]    [0068] 24  first left seal  
         [0069]    [0069] 25  first right seal  
         [0070]    [0070] 30  dispenser housing  
         [0071]    [0071] 209  pentagonal oblique seal  
         [0072]    [0072] 210  pentagonal containment bag  
         [0073]    [0073] 211  pentagonal front panel  
         [0074]    [0074] 212  sediment  
         [0075]    [0075] 213  pentagonal rear panel  
         [0076]    [0076] 221  pentagonal top seal  
         [0077]    [0077] 223  pentagonal bottom seal  
         [0078]    [0078] 224  pentagonal left seal  
         [0079]    [0079] 225  pentagonal right seal  
         [0080]    [0080] 310  quadrilateral containment bag  
         [0081]    [0081] 311  front quadrilateral panel  
         [0082]    [0082] 313  back quadrilateral panel  
         [0083]    [0083] 316  oblique quadrilateral seal  
         [0084]    [0084] 324  left quadrilateral seal  
         [0085]    [0085] 335  right quadrilateral seal  
         [0086]    [0086] 450  prior art spout  
         [0087]    [0087] 452  prior art plenum  
         [0088]    [0088] 454  prior art rim  
         [0089]    [0089] 552  improved plenum  
         [0090]    [0090] 554  improved rim