AU2012100248A4 - Beverage Container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting and dispensing beverages comprising a front panel, a rear panel, spaced apart first and second side panels extending between the front and rear panels, a base and a top panel, at least 5 two internal partitions thereby forming at least first, second and third chambers, for positioning of respective flexible beverage bladders therein. In another aspect the invention relates to a unitary corrugated cardboard blank used in the construction of a container for transporting and dispensing beverages having at least two compartments.

Description

Our Ref: 55571nno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention title: Beverage Container Name of Applicant: FABAL Wines Pty Ltd Address for Service A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement: Beverage Container FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of beverage containers and in particular to cardboard cartons containing multiple wine bladders and a blank 5 therefor. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The wine cask, also known as "bag-in-a-box", was first developed in the 1960's. Originally a polyethylene bladder containing 4.5 L (1 gallon) of wine was placed into a cardboard box for sale to consumers. Further improvements to the 10 original design included the addition of a plastic, airtight tap and the use of a metallised bladder. All modern wine casks utilise some sort of plastic tap, which is exposed by tearing away a perforated tab in a side of the box. The bag-in-a-box packaging is less expensive than glass bottles and is constructed from lightweight material. After opening a wine bottle, the bottle's 15 contents are oxidized by air that has displaced the wine poured. In contrast, the wine filled bag inside the cardboard box collapses as the wine is poured out maintaining an air vacuum and thus keeping the remaining contents from being exposed to air. The wine in a bag is therefore not subjected to oxidation until it has been dispensed from the bag. 20 The once popular 4L and 5L wine casks are, in some market segments, being replaced by 2 and 3 litre casks. One of the reasons for this reduction in size is that 4 litres is quite a large quantity of the same wine - being over five times a standard 750-millilitre bottle size. The flexible wine bladders are not hermetically sealed and therefore have a shorter shelf life than bottled wine prior to opening. Accordingly, 25 with the larger wine casks a large amount of the same wine must be consumed. Many consumers would prefer a range of wines rather than just one wine type and therefore the preference has moved towards the smaller sized 2 and 3 litre casks. It is suggested in paper publications that a dual bladder carton can be constructed by including a partition that is inserted into the top of the box. The partition either abuts the base of the carton or stops adjacent the base. In other paper publications a partition is glued to a side of the carton but not the base. One of the limitations with currently available beverage cartons is that a gap can tend to form between the bottom of the partition and the base. This is 5 particularly the case when the carton is lifted and the bladders bear down on the base or when the cardboard is affected by moisture. A portion of one of the flexible bladders can then move into the gap and be pinched between the bottom of the partition and the base of the carton. This can result in the rupturing of the bladder leading to, amongst other things, loss of some or all of the wine. 10 It should be appreciated that any discussion in relation to the prior art throughout this specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. 15 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, there is proposed an apparatus for transporting and dispensing beverages comprising a front panel, a rear panel, spaced apart first and second side panels extending between the front and rear panels, a base and a top 20 panel, at least two internal partitions forming at least first, second and third chambers, for positioning of respective flexible beverage bladders therein. In another aspect the invention relates to a unitary corrugated cardboard blank used in the construction of a container for transporting and dispensing beverages having at least one internal partition forming at least two chambers. 25 In one form a flange is joined to the lower edge of the partition and positioned parallel and abutting the base to restrict movement of the first and second bladders into respective adjacent chambers thereby inhibiting the rupturing of said bladders. The apparatus may include a retention means comprise a tab or tabs that engage with slots in the base of the container to inhibit the formation of a gap 11 between the partition and the base. The tabs may be held within the slots or may be folded and glued to the underside of the base. In an alternate form the retention means may be a series of flanges that are folded and either glued to the base or held against the base by the weight of the 5 bladders and the contents therein. In another alternate form the retention means may be a separate insert that, once placed within the container, inhibits the development of a gap between the lower edge of the internal partition and the base. In another form the flange may be held against said base by the weight of one 10 of said flexible bladders or the flange may be glued to the base. The formation of a gap between the bottom of the partition and the base may be inhibited due to the partition being affixed to, or held against the base. This restrains the flexible bladders from moving into the gap that would be formed between the partition and the base if a flange was not present. The movement of the 15 bladder into the gap may result in it being pinched between the bottom edge of the partition and the base of the container. Such pinching can rupture the bladder leading to, amongst other things, loss of some or all of the wine. In a further form the flange is a rectangular shape and extends perpendicular from the internal partition wherein an outer edge of the flange is adjacent to, or 20 abutting, one of said side panels. The beverage within the beverage bladder may be accessible by way of a tap connected to the bladder, the tap being extendable through a frangible tab in the front panel. In another form the partition includes a foldable flange extending along the 25 edge of the partition adjacent the base. The flange may be folded and affixed to the base using a suitable adhesive. Alternatively the flange may engage with a slot in the base. The slot may include an interference fit to retain the flange therein once engaged. 4 In yet another form the container and partition are constructed from a unitary corrugated cardboard blank that includes pressed fold lines. The partition is foldably connected to an edge of one of the side panels, preferably by way of a spacer panel. In construction of the apparatus, the partition is folded inwardly into the void formed 5 by the front and back panels, the side panels and the base. The spacer panel ensures that the partition is positioned at a mid region of the container to form two chambers of similar dimensions. The spacer panel is positioned so that it is parallel to and abutting the rear panel. A portion of the spacer panel may be affixed to the rear panel using an appropriate adhesive. 10 In still yet another form, the rear panel is constructed from two non continuous panels, a first non-continuous panel overlapping and being affixed to the outer surface of a second non-continuous panel. The second non-continuous panel includes the partition foldably connected thereto such that the partition can be folded inwardly and affixed to the front panel. 15 Upper portions of the first and second side panels include respective apertures that can be used as handles for carrying the container. In still a further form the partition is a separate panel that is inserted into the void formed by the sides, the front and rear panels and the base. The separate panel can be affixed to the inner surface of both the front and rear panels using an 20 appropriate adhesive, wherein a foldable flange is positioned adjacent and parallel to the base. In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is proposed a beverage container for transporting and dispensing a plurality of different wines including a carton having a front and rear panel, spaced apart first and second side 25 panels extending between the front and rear panels, a base and a lid, at least two partitions respectively extending between the front and rear panel to form a plurality of chambers, flexible wine bladders, each including a dispensing tap affixed thereto, being located within the respectively plurality of chambers, the dispensing taps being accessible by way of frangible tabs in the front panel, wherein the at least two 30 partitions include respective retention means for inhibiting the development of a gap between the lower edge of the partitions and said base.

In one possible form the at least two partitions are affixed to the base to restrict movement of the bladders into adjacent chambers thereby inhibiting the rupturing of any of the bladders. In another form, relating to the preceding paragraph, the beverage container 5 includes two internal partitions that form three chambers, each chamber being configured to hold a single flexible wine bladder. The front panel may include three frangible tabs, each tab providing access to one of said chambers and its respective bladder contained therein. Accordingly, either all three dispensing taps can be pulled through the front panel so that the 10 contents of all the bladders can be accessed or, alternatively, just one or two of the taps can be pulled through the front panel. In yet another form the beverage container includes three internal partitions that form four chambers, each chamber being configured to hold a single flexible wine bladder. 15 In one form each of the chambers are generally of the same size and are positioned side by side. In an alternate form the chambers are positioned on different levels, for instance a layer of two side-by-side chambers on top of a lower layer of two side-by-side chambers. In still another form the chambers are of different sizes. Each chamber may 20 be configured to hold a different type of beverage. This could be useful when dispensing mixed beverages or cocktails. The chambers can be of a relative size to hold the appropriate quantity of liquid for a particular cocktail or beverage. For instance the beverage container could be used to dispense the drink known as "lemon, lime and bitters". The outer surface of the container may include instructions 25 as to the approximate quantity to be dispensed or the tap or taps may include a metering device to ensure the correct quantity of liquid is dispensed. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for mixing a beverage from a beverage container holding a plurality of different liquids contained within separate flexible bladders having a dispensing tap 30 connected thereto, the bladders being separated within the beverage container by partitions extending between a rear and front panel and being held against the base 6 of the beverage container by the weight of the contents of said bladders, including the steps of: accessing the dispensing taps attached to said bladders by way of respective frangible tabs in the front panel; and 5 dispensing a portion of a least two of the said different liquids to generate a concoct. The concoct may be an alcoholic cocktail or a non-alcoholic beverage. The method may be used in the blending of wine to suit the requirements and palate of a particular drinker. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate implementations of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings, 15 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention including two compartments separated by an internal partition; Figure 2 is a plan view of the cardboard blank used to construct the container illustrated in figure 1; and 20 Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the apparatus including three compartments separated by two internal partitions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS There are numerous specific details set forth in the following description. 25 However, from the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some circumstances, specific details may have been omitted so as not to obscure the invention. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 7 Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, an apparatus for transporting and dispensing beverages 10 is illustrated, demonstrating by way of examples arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. In one embodiment, as illustrated in figure 1, the apparatus 10 includes a 5 container 12 having a front panel 14 and rear panel 16, spaced apart first and second side panels 18, 20 extending between the front and rear panels 14, 16, a base 22 and a top 24, a partition 26 extending between the front and rear panels 14, 16 to form first and second chambers 28, 30. Flexible beverage bladders are located within the first and second chambers 28, 30. 10 Figure 1 illustrates the position within the chamber 28 of the flexible bladder 32 that includes a dispensing tap 34 affixed thereto. During transport the tap 34 is held within the apparatus 10. When a user wants to access the beverage they must first pierce the frangible tab 36 in the front panel 14 and pull the tap 34 therethrough. The tap 34 is held in a position where it extends outwardly from the container for 15 dispensing of the beverage. The partition 26 is affixed to, or held against, the base 22 to inhibit movement of the bladder 32 into the adjacent chamber 30. As further illustrated in figure 1, the partition 26 includes a retention means in the form of a foldable flange 38 that extends along the lower edge 40 of the partition 26 adjacent the base 22 for inhibiting the development of a gap between the lower 20 edge of the internal partition and the base. The flange 38 is folded and may be affixed to the base 22 using a suitable adhesive. Affixing the partition 26 to the base 22 inhibits the formation of a gap between the bottom edge 40 of the partition 26 and the base 22. This restrains the flexible bladder 32 from moving through the gap and being pinched between the bottom edge 40 of the partition 26 and the base 22 of the 25 container 12. Such pinching can rupture the bladder 32 leading to a loss of wine contained therein. It should however be appreciated that the weight of the bladder contents may be used to hold the flange against the base. As further illustrated in figure 1, a spacer panel 42 is located between the partition 26 and the side panel 18. The spacer panel 42 ensures that the partition 26 30 is positioned at a mid region of the carton 12 to form two chambers 28, 30 of similar dimensions. The spacer panel 42 is positioned so that it is parallel to and abutting the rear panel 16. A portion of the spacer panel 42 may be affixed to the rear panel 16 using an appropriate adhesive.

The partition 26 further includes a second foldable tongue 44 that extends down the front edge 46. The second foldable tongue 44 is folded and affixed to the inner surface of the front panel 14 using a suitable adhesive. Figure 2 illustrates the unitary cardboard blank 46 used to construct the 5 container 12 of figure 1. The cardboard blank 46 includes a plurality of parts joined by pressed fold lines 48. It should be appreciated that other cardboard blank configurations could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. As further illustrated in figure 2, panels 50, 52, 54, 56 are used to form the base 22 of the container 12 and the panels 58, 60, 62, 64 are used to form the top 24 of the 10 container 12. In a preferred embodiment the blank 46 is a corrugated cardboard blank. During construction of the container 12 the blank 46 is folded such that the partition 26 is folded inwardly into the void formed by the front and back panels 14, 16, side panels 18, 20, and base 22. An appropriate adhesive is then used to join the sides, 15 base and top of the carton and to affix the partition to the inner surface of the front panel 14. In another embodiment, as illustrated in figure 3, the apparatus 10 includes first and second partitions 26 and 66. The second partition 66 including a spacer panel 68 that is located between the partition 66 and side panel 20. In the present 20 embodiment the rear panel 16 is foldably connected to the base 22 and during construction of the container 12 is folded up and attached to the spacer panels 42, 68 using an adhesive. The two partitions 26, 66 include respective flanges 38 and tongues 44. This thereby forms three chambers 28, 70 and 72 in which are placed three flexible 25 bladders each containing a different beverage, for instance different types of wine or the ingredients for an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. This provides the drinker with the ability to create their own cocktails or blend their wine on site to produce a concoct that is preferable for their particular taste or palate. It should be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may include more than three 30 wine bladders that are positioned within separate chambers. The chambers may be located side-by-side or on multiple levels. For instance the apparatus 10 may be a 0 cube shape wherein first and second chambers are located on top of third and fourth chambers. In this configuration the container would include a base and a first floor panel wherein the partition separating the first and second chambers is affixed to the upper surface of the first floor panel and the partition separating the third and fourth 5 chambers is affixed to the base as previously described. In an alternate embodiment the chambers are of various sizes. This could be used to provide a beverage container for dispensing mixed beverages or cocktails. The chambers can be of a relative size to hold the appropriate quantity of liquid for a particular cocktail or beverage. 10 Although not shown, it is envisaged that upper portions of the first and second side panels will include respective apertures that can be used as handles for carrying the container. The skilled addressee will now appreciate the many advantages of the illustrated invention. In one form the invention provides an apparatus 10 that can be 15 used to transport a plurality of different wines or beverages. The different wine bladders are held within separated chambers and can be selectively dispensed depending upon the requirement of the drinker. The apparatus provides greater variety for the drinker than currently available wine casks that include a single wine. Furthermore the apparatus can be used by the drinker to blend different wines or 20 beverages to produce a concoct that is most desirable to the particular drinker. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however, it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate the concept and that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the invention can include many and 25 various modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be further understood that for the purpose of the specification the word "comprise" or "comprising" means "including but not limited to". 10

Claims (10)

1. An apparatus for transporting and dispensing beverages comprising a front panel, a rear panel, spaced apart first and second side panels extending between the front and rear panels, a base and a top panel, at least two internal 5 partitions forming at least first, second and third chambers, for positioning of respective flexible beverage bladders therein.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the at least two internal partitions extend between the rear panel and front panel and being substantially perpendicular to said base, said internal partitions including a lower edge 10 positioned adjacent or abutting said base.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said internal partitions include respective retention means for inhibiting the development of a gap between the lower edge of the internal partition and said base.

4. The apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a flange is 15 joined to the lower edge of each partition and positioned parallel and abutting the base to restrict movement of the flexible beverage bladders into respective adjacent chambers to thereby inhibit the rupturing of said bladders.

5. A blank made of card for the construction of a container for transporting and dispensing beverages that includes a front panel, a rear panel, spaced apart first 20 and second side panels extending between the front and rear panels, a base and a top panel, at least one internal partition extending between the rear panel and front panel being substantially perpendicular to said base thereby forming at least first and second chambers, the internal partition including a lower edge positioned adjacent said base, first and second flexible beverage bladders, each 25 having taps attached thereto and being located within respective first and second chambers, wherein said internal partition includes a retention means for inhibiting the development of a gap between the lower edge of the internal partition and said base, wherein the blank is of unitary construction.

6. The blank in accordance with claim 5 wherein the retention means comprises a 30 flange being joined to the lower edge of the partition and positioned parallel and 11 abutting the base to restrict movement of the first and second bladders into respective adjacent chambers to thereby inhibit the rupturing of said bladders.

7. The blank in accordance with claim 5 or 6 wherein the flange is foldable along pressed fold lines and either glued to the base or held against the base by the 5 weight of the bladders and the contents therein, to inhibit the development of said gap.

8. The blank in accordance with claim 7 wherein the flange is a rectangular shape and extends perpendicular from the internal partition wherein an outer edge of the flange is adjacent to, or abutting, one of said side panels or an adjacent 10 partition.

9. The blank in accordance with any one of claims 5 to 8 includes at least two partitions forming at least three chambers.

10. The blank in accordance with claim 9 wherein the at least two partitions are foldably connected to a respective edge of a side panel, by way of a spacer 15 panel, such that in construction of the container, the partitions are folded inwardly into the void formed by the front and back panels, the side panels and the base. 17