Bag-in-box beverage container
View Patent ↗A bag-in-box beverage container and dispenser is provided, incorporating an outer shell fabricated preferably from corrugated paperboard material, and an inner liquid containing bag, fabricated from a suitable material. The carton includes ready assembly features, as well as an internal ramp structure for prompting flow of liquid toward the dispensing device of the bag and the dispensing aperture of the outer shell. A recessed handle structure is also provided, as are alternative embodiments of the internal ramp structure.
1. A dispensing container, operably configured to be positioned upon a substantially flat, horizontal surface, for the facilitated dispensing of fluent material, the dispensing container comprising:
a generally tubular body, comprising a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing sidewalls, and defining a vertical axis extending substantially parallel with the front wall, a depth axis extending substantially perpendicular to the front wall, and a transverse axis extending substantially parallel with the front wall and substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis, the generally tubular body further comprising an upper portion forming an upper opening;
a closure structure disposed proximate the upper opening,
the closure structure including a handle structure, the handle structure positioned substantially parallel with the depth axis in a recessed position within the upper opening and extending substantially parallel with the vertical axis no higher than an upper edge of the generally tubular body;
a nozzle receiving aperture operably disposed in the front wall;
an inner flow prompting ramp, operably positioned within the generally tubular body, the inner flow prompting ramp having a lower end, disposed adjacent the sidewall of the generally tubular body in which the nozzle receiving aperture is disposed, and a higher end, disposed adjacent an opposite sidewall thereto, and an inclined surface extending between the lower end and the upper end, the lower end of the inner flow prompting ramp being disposed at a distance above the bottom of the generally tubular body approximately equal to the distance between the bottom of the generally tubular body and a bottom peripheral region of the nozzle receiving aperture;
the generally tubular body being formed from a first blank of at least one of the following materials: paper; paperboard; corrugated paperboard.
2. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , wherein the a rear wall is disposed parallel to the front wall, and the two sidewalls are disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to the front wall and the rear wall and extending therebetween.
3. The dispensing container according to claim 2 , wherein the closure structure comprises:
first and second foldable sidewall top flaps, emanating from top edge regions of the sidewalls,
each of the first and second foldable sidewall top flaps including a first panel, foldably connected to one of the sidewalls, and positioned at an acute included angle relative thereto,
each of the first and second foldable sidewall top flaps including a second panel, foldably connected to one of the first panels, each of the second panels being folded upwardly, parallel to the sidewalls and in juxtaposed overlying relation to one another, the second panels having top edges that are disposed no higher than the upper edge of the generally tubular body;
a foldable front wall top flap emanating from a top edge region of the front wall;
a foldable rear wall top flap emanating from a top edge region of the rear wall;
the foldable front and rear wall top flaps each including first panels, foldably connected to the front and rear walls, respectively, and positioned substantially perpendicular thereto;
the foldable front and rear wall top flaps each further including second panels, foldably connected to the respective first panels of the front and rear wall top flaps, and emanating downwardly therefrom, the second panels of the front and rear wall top flaps being disposed in positions interengaging with the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps, to preclude undesired dislodgement of the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps.
4. The dispensing container according to claim 3 wherein the closure structure further comprises:
at least one slot in each of the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps; and
at least one hooked tab emanating from each of the second panels of the front and rear wall top flaps, said hooked tabs being configured to be engagingly received in the slots, when the second panels of the front and rear wall top flaps are folded over into interengagement with the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps.
5. The dispensing container according to claim 3 wherein the closure structure further comprises:
at least one notch in each of the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps, the notches being aligned with one another when the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps are parallel to the sidewalls and in juxtaposed overlying relation to one another; and
a notch in at least one of the front and rear wall top flaps which is operably configured to interengage with the aligned notches in the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps, when the second panels of the front and rear wall top flaps are folded over into interengagement with the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps.
6. The dispensing structure according to claim 3 , wherein the handle structure comprises:
a hand opening aperture disposed in one of the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps;
a hingedly connected push-out flap, disposed in the other of the second panels of the first and second sidewall top flaps, the push-out flap having a peripheral contour substantially conforming to the peripheral contour of the hand opening aperture, the push out flap being configured to be pushed through the hand opening aperture, and upwardly relative thereto, to provide a grasping opening.
7. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flow prompting ramp is formed from a second blank fabricated from at least one of the following materials: paper; paperboard; corrugated paperboard.
8. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flow prompting ramp is formed from a separate second blank of foldable material, which is insertably received into the generally tubular body.
9. The dispensing container according to claim 8 , wherein the inner flow prompting ramp is formed from a substantially cruciform blank having a central rectangular panel, rectangular panels emanating from front and rear edge regions of the central panel, and trapezoidal panels emanating from side edges of the central panel.
10. The dispensing container according to claim 9 , wherein the substantially cruciform blank further includes foldable support panels emanating from side edges of the panels emanating from the front and rear edges regions of the central panel.
11. The dispensing container according to claim 9 , wherein the substantially cruciform blank further includes interlocking bottom panels emanating from side edge regions of the trapezoidal panels.
12. The dispensing container according to claim 9 , wherein the substantially cruciform blank further includes inwardly folding triangular gusset panel pairs foldably connecting side edge regions of the rectangular panels emanating from the front and rear edge regions of the central panel to end edge regions of the trapezoidal panels emanating from the side edge regions of the central panel.
13. The dispensing container according to claim 8 , wherein the inner flow prompting ramp is formed from a blank comprising:
a central rectangular panel;
trapezoidal side panels emanating from outside edges of the central panel;
rectangular bottom panels, emanating from outside edges of the trapezoidal panels; and
center support panels emanating from outside edges of the rectangular bottom panels; and
inside inclined panels emanating from outside edges of the center support panels;
the ramp being formed upon successive inward folding of the outermost ones of the panels, so that the trapezoidal side panels are folded perpendicular to the central rectangular panel, the rectangular bottom panels are folded perpendicular to the trapezoidal side panels, the center support panels are folded perpendicular to the rectangular bottom panels, and the inside inclined panels are folded perpendicular to the center support panels, and in underlying parallel juxtaposed relation to the central rectangular panel;
a pivotable interlocking tab disposed in one of the rectangular bottom panels and an aperture disposed in the other of the rectangular bottom panels for receiving the pivotable interlocking tab, for maintaining the blank in its articulated configuration.
14. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , wherein the inner flow prompting ramp comprises:
a member foldably formed from at least one extension of, and connected to, the first blank.
15. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
front and rear wall bottom flaps, connected to bottom edge regions of the front and rear walls, respectively:
first and second sidewall bottom flaps, connected to bottom edge regions of the first and second sidewalls, respectively;
each of the first and second sidewall bottom flaps including a pivotable engagement flap, which is affixed to an outside surface of one of the front and rear bottom wall flaps;
the generally tubular body being operably configured such that when the closure structure is open, the generally tubular body may be articulated between a collapsed configuration, in which the front wall and one sidewall are disposed in juxtaposed overlying adjacent orientation to the other sidewall and the rear wall, with the front and rear wall bottom flaps being folded up inside a bottom opening region of the generally tubular body, in juxtaposed relation to inside bottom surfaces of the front and rear walls, respectively, and the respective pivotable engagement flaps are folded back upon their respective first and second sidewall bottom flaps; and an articulated position, wherein the front and rear walls are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the sidewalls, whereupon articulation from the collapsed configuration, the first and second sidewall bottom flaps and their respective attached front and rear wall bottom panels are automatically prompted to move into partial overlapping relation to the front and rear wall bottom flaps to define a bottom for the articulated dispensing container.
16. The dispensing container according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second sidewall bottom flaps further each include engagement tabs which interlock, upon articulation, to maintain the first and second sidewall bottom flaps and the front and rear bottom flaps in their partially overlapping, bottom defining orientation.
17. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , further comprising an inner bag, operably configured for containing a liquid, and a spout structure, operably associated with the bag, configured to be passed through the spout aperture, upon placement of the inner bag within the generally tubular body.
18. The dispensing container according to claim 17 , further comprising a dispensing spigot, operably configured to be positioned on the spout structure, after passage of the spout structure through the spout aperture of the generally tubular body.
19. The dispensing container according to claim 17 , further comprising at least one locking member, operably configured for engaging the spout structure, after placement of the spout structure through the spout aperture of the generally tubular body, for precluding removal of the spout structure from the spout aperture.
20. The dispensing container according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one further nozzle receiving aperture, operably disposed in one of the plurality of sidewalls.
21. A dispensing container for the facilitated dispensing of fluent material, said dispensing container comprising:
a body comprising a front wall, a back wall and two opposing sidewalls, and defining a vertical axis extending substantially parallel with the front wall, a depth axis extending substantially perpendicular to the front wall, and a transverse axis extending substantially parallel with the front wall and substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis, the body further comprising an upper portion including an upper opening and an upper edge;
a closure structure disposed proximate the upper opening, said closure structure including a handle structure positioned substantially parallel with the depth axis in a recessed position within the upper opening and extending substantially parallel with the vertical axis no higher than the upper edge; and
a nozzle receiving aperture operably disposed in one sidewall of the two opposing sidewalls.