GB2426234A

GB2426234A - Filling of valve bags

Info

Publication number: GB2426234A
Application number: GB0510059A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frederick Harrison; Julie Willans; John Charles Cooke; Jon Shaw
Original assignee: Mars Inc
Current assignee: Mars Inc
Priority date: 2005-05-17
Filing date: 2005-05-17
Publication date: 2006-11-22
Also published as: GB2441075A; GB0510059D0; WO2006123131A1; GB2441075B; GB0722676D0

Abstract

A dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container 1, such as a flexible pouch, for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet 6 and a seal 11 that substantially seals the inlet; and a liquid dispensing mechanism adapted to release the seal on the inlet and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet to produce said individual portion of a liquid food or beverage inside the container. Also provided is a method of making a container holding an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into the container through the inlet by means of the liquid dispensing mechanism. The container 1 may have an X-cut septum (12) beneath the seal 11 to reseal the inlet 6 after the injector tube 8 of the liquid dispensing mechanism is removed.

Description

I

LIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a system for dispensing individual portions of liquid food or beverage in collapsible, such as pouches. The invention further relates to methods of operation of such a system, and to pouches for use in such a system.

It is known to provide individual portions of cold beverages packaged in cartons or stand- up pouches. The cartons or pouches are sometimes provided with a region of foil into which a drinking straw can be pushed for consumption of the beverage. The use of such cartons and pouches is inexpensive and environmentally preferable to bottle formats, since the weight of the packaging is small. However, the filled cartons and pouches are heavy, which limits the number of such containers that can easily be carried or stored by an individual purchaser. The weight of the containers also results in substantial shipping and refrigeration costs for the generally low-value products. The large volume of the pouches and cartons makes them unsuitable for sale in many vending machines. Furthermore, the cartons and pouches are not always completely easy to open.

US-A-573l021 describes a collapsible canteen formed by a collapsible carton having nested therein a collapsible pouch whose open mouth is in alignment with a neck projecting from the carton. The collapsible canteen has a charge of powdered beverage concentrate deposited in the pouch. In use, hot or cold liquid is poured through the neck of the canteen into the pouch to dissolve the powder and prepare the beverage. The neck on the carton is provided with a screw thread, and a complementary threaded cap can be secured on the neck. These collapsible canteens have not found widespread use, possibly because filling and emptying of the containers is likely to be messy, A need therefore exists for improved packaging formats for distribution and consumption of liquid foods and beverages and that overcome one or more of the above-identified disadvantages. These and related objects are achieved by the present invention.

The present invention provides a dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet and a seal that substantially seals the inlet; and a liquid dispensing mechanism adapted to release the seal on the inlet and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet.

In other words, the container is initially in a collapsed, sealed state containing little or no liquid. It may contain a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, as discussed further below. The concentrated ingredient is inherently storage stable due to its low water activity. The container can be stored and distributed in this compact, lightweight condition. The liquid dispensing mechanism can then be used immediately or shortly before consumption to inject water or another liquid into the container to produce the liquid food or beverage inside the container. It further permits the extemporaneous preparation of a wide range of novel liquid food and beverage formats that are not sufficiently stable for storage and distribution in packs.

The collapsible container in the systems according to the present invention may for example be a collapsible carton made up of panels joined by fold lines. 1-lowever, most suitably the collapsible container is a flexible pouch. The term "flexible pouch" refers to a closed container formed substantially or completely of a flexible sheet material. The sheet material normally comprises at least one continuous layer of thermoplastic film, or it may be a laminated sheet made up of more than one thermoplastic film layer. At least a portion of the sheet material may be transparent to allow inspection of the pouch contents. The sheet material is substantially impermeable to liquids, and it may also be substantially impermeable to gasses such as oxygen, especially when it is desired to maintain the freshness of the pouch contents. The sheet material making up the pouch may further comprise a metal layer, such as an aluminium layer, to render the material air-and light- impermeable and to provide aesthetic effects.

In certain embodiments, the collapsible container may comprise a layer of sheet material containing entrapped gasses such as entrapped air or CO2 to provide thermal insulation to the pouch. This may conveniently be achieved by including a layer of foamed polymeric material in the sheet. Thermal insulation of the sheet material may additionally or alternatively be accomplished by incorporating a layer of fibrous material, for example a textile material or a non-woven fibrous material such as a spunbonded web or a wet-laid fibrous web. In yet other embodiments, the collapsible container may comprise a pouch enclosed in a collapsible carton, for example as described in US-A-573 1021. In yet other embodiments, the collapsible container may comprise both flexible sheets and panels joined along fold lines.

As already discussed, the body of the collapsible pouch preferably consists essentially of the flexible sheet material. The pouch may, for example, be a so-called pillow pouch, typically formed by continuous formfill-seal equipment, or it may be formed by bonding together front and back faces of flexible sheet materials around their marginal edges. In certain embodiments, the pouch may be a stand-up pouch. That is to say, a pouch formed by bonding together front and back faces of sheet material around three edges, with a gusset sheet inserted and bonded to the respective fourth edges of the front and back sheets to form a base frr the pouch. The total thickness of each flexible wall of the pouch is suitably in the range of from 50 micrometers to 1000 micrometers, for example 100 micrometers to 500 micrometers.

The collapsible container may be provided with a nip and/or a line of weakness and/or a tear strip to allow the container to be opened after filling. The volume of the container, defined as the maximum volume of water that can be filled into the container by gravity feeding from a height of 10cm above the pouch, is suitably from 50 ml to 1000 ml, preferably from 100 ml to 500 ml, for example from 150 ml to 350 ml. This volume is appropriate for containing an individual portion of a food or beverage liquid, that is to say a portion suitable for consumption by one human individual at one time.

The containers are partially or completely collapsed before liquid injection. Preferably, the containers are substantially free from entrapped gas before the injection step. This minimises the volume of the containers for storage and distribution purposes, and maximises the stability of the pouch contents. l'hc flexible pouches may be folded, or rolled, up before the liquid injection step.

It is also envisaged that the containers may be substantially completely empty before the liquid injection step. Such containers would be suitable for receiving water, for example chilled water for immediate consumption. Such containers would also be suitable for receiving flavoured beverages from a flavoured beverage mixer/dispenser. In other embodiments, the collapsible containers contain a food or beverage ingredient, for example a concentrated or dried beverage ingredient, such as flavored sugar syrups, soluble coffee solids or soluble tea solids. Preferably, the total weight of the food or beverage concentrate in the containers before water injection is from about 0.5 grams to about 100 grams, preferably from about 1 gram to 50 grams.

In certain embodiments, the containers may comprise more than one compartment. A food or beverage ingredient may be present in one or more of the compartments. In the ease of flexible pouches, the compartments may, for example, be separated by a line of sealing between the front and back faces of a pouch. In certain embodiments this line of sealing is releasable by the action of heat or pressure (e.g. from squeezing a pouch) , whereby mixing of the compartment contents can be achieved after filling of the pouch. This mixing can be applied to achieve novel colour, flavour, temperature and/or texture effects in the product.

Suitable multicompartment pouches and laminated film materials for the manufacture of such pouches are described, for example, in W02004/058594, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The containers in the dispensing system according to the present invention further comprise an inlet, and a seal that substantially seals the inlet against the ingress or egress of liquid or oxygen etc. until the liquid injection step. Typically, the inlet comprises a substantially rigid nozzle (or spout) that is bonded into the containers. For example, the nozzle may extend through a hole in the container wall, and may further comprise a flanged base bonded in liquid-tight fashion to the sheet material of the container wall on the inside of the pouch. In other embodiments, the nozzle may be inserted in liquid-tight fashion between opposed sheets of material in an edge of a pouch, in similar fashion to the well kno beverage brewing sachets described for example in GB-A2123685. In these latter embodiments, it is not necessary for the nozzle to have a flange inside the pouch, since the front and back faces of sheet material wrap around the sides of the nozzle in liquid-tight fashion. The nozzle is typically formed from molded thermoplastic, for example by injection molding.

The nozzle has an opening therein for passage of liquids, for example the opening may be a tubular bore. The opening is initially sealed by the seal. The seal may, for example, comprise a membrane extending across the opening that is pierced by an injector on the liquid dispensing mechanism. In certain embodiments, the membrane may be an elastomeric septum or split septum that provides at least a degree of sealing after the injector has been withdrawn. Preferably, the seal does not comprise any frangible part that could be pushed into the pouch by the injector and thereby contaminate the contents. In certain embodiments, the seal could be provided by a mechanical valve arrangement, for example a biased valve such as a spring-loaded valve that is released by the action of the liquid dispensing mechanism. Alternative valve arrangements are any of the well known sports cap valves formed from two or more thermoplastic parts, wherein the valve is opened by twisting or pulling on the outer valve part.

The nozzle preferably projects outwardly from the container by at least about 5mm, and may be provided with a locking recess or projection, such as a flange, to enable the nozzle to be gripped by the liquid dispensing mechanism during liquid injection.

The containers in the dispensing system according to the present invention preferably further comprise a valve element that resists the escape of liquid from the liquid-filled container through the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container. This permits at least limited movement of the filled container with minimal leakage after filling.

In certain embodiments, the valve element allows liquid to escape through the inlet when a pressure difference is applied across the valve, for example by squeezing the container or applying suction to the inlet. Such an arrangement is especially convenient for controlled dispensing of liquid from the pouch. In other embodiments, the valve element substantially completely blocks the escape of liquid from the liquidfilled container. This is the case, for example, when a valve element is provided by a bias e.g. spring loaded valve in the inlet, or it is a valve of the sports drink type. Such sealing arrangements are especially convenient when a container is further provided with a separate outlet opening, as described further below.

It will be appreciated that in yet other embodiments the liquid dispensing mechanism may further comprise a device for sealing the inlet after liquid injection step is complete. The sealing device may, fbr example, comprise a threaded neck on the inlet for attachment of a complementary threaded cap over the inlet. In certain embodiments, the sealing device may comprise a cap or a plug seal for forming an interference fit or a snap-fit on the inlet, wherein the plug or cap is attached to the inlet nozzle, for example by a hinge, for example the plug or cap and the hinge may be molded in one piece with the inlet nozzle.

A particularly preferred valve element is a split septum, or a septum having lines of weakness that are split by the action of the injector. In addition to low cost, these valve elements have the advantage that a drinking straw can be inserted through the septum for consumption of the container contents after filling. Accordingly, in these and other embodiments, the containers in the dispensing systems according to the present invention may further comprise a drinking straw attached to the outside of the container.

The container of the dispensing system according to the present invention may further comprise an outlet separate from the inlet. The outlet may be in the form of a nozzle or spout, which may be formed from thermoplastic material and secured to the container as described above in relation to inlet nozzle. The outlet may be dimensioned for insertion into the mouth for drinking directly from the container. I'he outlet is initially sealed in substantially liquid-tight fashion, for example by a screw cap, or it may comprise one of the many sports-drink closure assemblies, wherein the drinking spout can be opened by rotating the spout or pulling upwardly on the spout.

Preferably, the dispensing system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of the above containers, wherein each of the plurality contains a different food or beverage ingredient. I'he plurality of containers may, for example, be displayed in a rack for selection by an operator, or may be stored in a vending machine for selecting and purchase by an operator. A glass-fronted vending machine such as a spiral vending machine would be suitable. In this way a wide range of different beverages and other dehydrated liquid food products can be distributed in stable, hygienic and lightweight form and rehydrated at the point of consumption by means of a liquid dispensing mechanism specifically adapted for use with the containers.

The liquid dispensing system may be based on a wide variety of existing liquid dispensing systems for beverage dispensing. A distinguishing feature of the dispensing mechanism in the systems according to the present invention is that it incorporates a device to release the seal on the container inlet and to inject liquid into the container. The simplest such mechanism is an injector tube adapted to pierce a membrane seal on the inlet. The dispensing mechanism preferably comprises a clamp to hold the container, and in particular to hold the inlet of the container while all liquid injection is taking place. For example, the clamp may grip the inlet nozzle or spout on the container. The injector tube and/or the clamp may be moveable in reciprocating relation in order to insert the injector tube into the inlet. Suitable clamps and injector nozzles are described for example in GB- A-2123685, GB-A-2l23685, GB-A-212l762 and GB-A-2l22881, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Typically, the dispensing mechanism is programmed to dispense a predetermined total volume of liquid into the container, and such volume is preferably from 50 to 1 000ml, more preferably from 100 to 500ml, and most preferably from 150 to 350 ml. The liquid injected by the mechanism may for example be selected from ambient water, chilled water, hot water, water/ice slush, carbonated water and milk. A wide range of beverages may alternatively be injected into the pouch, for example where the dispensing mechanism incorporates a beverage mixer/dispenser. The mechanism may also comprise an air pump for injecting air into the pouch in order to create a head space in the filled pouch.

It will be appreciated that the dispensing mechanism preferably comprises at least a clamp adapted to grip the containers, an injector tube for insertion into the inlet of the container, and a mechanism to insert the injector tube into the inlet of the container when it is held in the clamp. Optionally the dispensing mechanism further comprises a pump and control therefore for injecting the said predetermined amount of liquid into the containers.

Optionally, the dispensing mechanism further comprises at least one tank for holding one or more liquids for injection into the containers.

In yet other embodiments, the dispensing mechanism may comprise a plurality of injectors for injecting a plurality of different ingredients into the inlet of the container, for example it may comprise a water injector and a flavouring syrup injector.

It will further be appreciated that the dispensing mechanism preferably further comprises a control system adapted to receive an operator instruction and to inject liquid into a container in response to the instructions. The composition, temperature and volume of the injected liquid will be selected in accordance with the operator instructions. It will further be appreciated that the control system may be adapted to detect the presence of a container in the clamp, and to prompt a user to insert a container into the clamp if no container is present in the clamp. The control system may further be adapted to prompt the operator to remove the container from the clamp when liquid dispensing is completed. The control system may further be adapted to dispense liquid into a container only upon receipt of a payment, e.g. by means of a coin feed mechanism.

The dispensing system described above in accordance with the invention is a semi- automatic system. That is to say a system wherein a human operator selects a container, and then manually inserts it into the dispensing mechanism for the container to be filled with liquid. In alternative embodiments the dispensing system according to the present invention is a fully automatic dispensing machine comprising: a container storage section containing a plurality of said containers, a container clamp, a liquid injector, and a control system adapted to receive an operator product selection, select an appropriate container from the container storage section, insert said container into the clamp, and inject an appropriate volume of an appropriate liquid into the container in order to prepare the selected product in said container.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the container further comprises a valve element or a closure element to resist escape of liquid from the container through said inlet after filling.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the liquid capacity of the container is from about 50m1 to about l000ml, preferably from about 150m1 to about 350m1.

Preferably, the various features and detailsof the containers according to these aspect of the invention are as described above in relation to the systems of the invention.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of making a container that holds an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the said container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into said container through said inlet by means of the liquid dispensing mechanism to form said liquid food or beverage product inside the container.

Preferably, the containers and liquid dispensing mechanisms used for the methods according to this aspect of the invention are as described above in relation to the preceding aspects of the invention.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a dispensing system according to the present invention comprising a pouch and part of a dispensing mechanism; Fig. 2 shows a detail view of the inlet nozzle of the pouch in the embodiment of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows the pouch according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the dispensing system comprises a pouch I formed from front and back sheets of laminated thermoplastic film that are heat sealed together along side edges 2, 3, bottom edge 4 and top edge 5. A injection molded thermoplastic inlet nozzle 6 is inserted in top edge 5 in liquid-tight fashion between the front and back pouch sheets. Nozzle 5 has a substantially cylindrical central bore 7 into which the liquid injector tube 8 of the dispensing mechanism is inserted to inject liquid into the pouch in use. The distal end of the bore 7 has a circumferential flange 9, whereby the inlet nozzle 6 can be gripped by clamp arms 10 of the dispensing mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 2, the bore 7 is initially sealed by a foil sealing membrane 11 extending across the top of the bore 7. At the bottom of the bore 7 there is provided a X-cut elastomeric septum 12, through which the injector tube 8 can pass while liquid injection into the inlet is taking place. After liquid injection is complete and the injector 8 has been withdrawn, the X-cut septum 12 acts as a valve to resist escape of liquid from the pouch unless pressure is applied to the pouch, or suction is applied to the nozzle. Alternatively, a user can insert a drinking straw through the septum 12 to consume the beverage from the pouch.

Referring to Fig. 3, the stand-up pouch 15 comprises front and back sheets of laminated thermoplastic material that are heat-sealed together along side edges 16, 17 and top edge 18. A bottom gusset piece 19 is heat-sealed to the front and back faces along bottom edges 20, 21 to form the base of the stand-up pouch. A nozzle 22 identical to that described in relation to Figs. I and 2 is inserted in top edge 18 of the stand-up pouch. A removable plug cap (not shown) can be used to seal the nozzle 22 after filling of the pouch.

A further feature of the stand-up pouch 15 is that the properties of the thermoplastic filling layers of the sheet material are selected so that a further, relatively weak seal 23 can be formed between the front and back sheets, extending diagonally across a top corner of the pouch to define a separate compartment 24 for a concentrate ingredient. After filling of the primary compartment 25 of the pouch and sealing of the inlet nozzle 22 with the cap, the pouch can be squeezed to burst the seal 23 and mix the contents of compartments 24 and 25. Details of thermoplastic films suitable for forming such multi- compartment pouches are given in W02004/058594, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The above embodiments have been described by way of example only. Many other embodiments falling within the scope of the accompanying claims will be apparent to the skilled reader.

Claims

1. A dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet and a seal that substantially seals the inlet; and a liquid dispensing mechanism adapted to release the seal on the inlet and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet to produce said individual portion of a liquid food or beverage inside said container.

2. A dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a flexible pouch having a body formed from flexible sheet material.

3. A dispensing system according to claim I or 2, wherein the partially collapsed container contains a food or beverage concentrate fbr dilution or dispersion in said predetermined volume of liquid.

4. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises a valve element to resist the escape of liquid from the liquid-filled container through the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container.

5. A dispensing system according to claim 4, wherein the valve element allows liquid to escape through the inlet when an external pressure difference is applied across the valve by squeezing the container or applying suction to the inlet.

6. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises a closure element to seal the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container.

7. A dispensing system according to claim 6, wherein the closure element is selected from the group consisting of a sports drink closure, a screw cap and a plug seal.

8. A dispensing system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the valve element comprises a split septum.

9. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises an outlet separate from said inlet, and said outlet is sealed by a closure that can be opened after the container has been filled with liquid.

10. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container inlet or the optional container outlet is provided with a spout to assist drinking or pouring from the container.

11. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises a thermally insulating sheet material to improve the thennal insulation properties of the container.

12. A dispensing system according to claim 11, wherein the thermally insulating sheet material comprises a polymer foam, or a fibrous material containing entrapped air.

13. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises an opening feature selected from the group consisting of a nip, a line of weakness and a tear strip for opening of the container after filling.

14. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises a drinking straw attached thereto.

15. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal in said inlet comprises a membrane and the dispensing mechanism comprises an injector tube to pierce the membrane.

16. A dispensing system according to claim 15, wherein the membrane is an elastomeric septum that reseals following withdrawal of the injector tube.

17. A dispensing system according to claim 15, wherein the membrane is an elastomeric septum comprising at least one line of weakness, whereby the membrane forms a split septum valve when the injector is withdrawn.

18. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises two or more closed compartments separated by at least one barrier region.

19. A dispensing system according to claim 18, wherein one or more of the barrier regions may be released and the contents of two or more of said compartments may be mixed within the container.

20. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for holding the container during injection of the liquid.

21. A dispensing system according to claim 20, wherein the container inlet comprises a substantially rigid inlet nozzle, and the clamp is adapted to grip the rigid nozzle while the liquid is injected.

22. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises a removable cap or plug that can be used to seal the inlet after injection of liquid into the container is complete.

23. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises a plurality of said containers, each of said plurality containing a different food or beverage concentrate.

24. A dispensing system according to claim 23, wherein said plurality of containers is stored in a display rack or a vending machine.

25. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said dispensing mechanism is adapted to inject a liquid selected from the group consisting of ambient water, chilled water, hot water, carbonated water, ice slush, a beverage concentrate, milk, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

26. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a control system adapted to inject a predetermined volume of said liquid into the container in response to an operator command.

27. A dispensing system according to claim 26, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for the container, and the control system is adapted to prompt an operator to insert a container into the clamp before liquid dispensing is initiated.

28. A dispensing system according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for the container, and the control system is adapted to prompt an operator to remove the container from the clamp when liquid dispensing is completed.

29. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser is adapted to dispense from about 150 to about 350ml of total liquids into the container.

30. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser comprises a plurality of injectors for injecting a plurality of different liquids into the container.

31. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser is a vending dispenser.

32. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim which is a fully automatic dispensing machine comprising: a container storage section containing a plurality of said containers, a container clamp, a liquid injector, and a control system adapted to receive an operator product selection, select an appropriate container from the container storage section, insert said container into the clamp, and inject an appropriate volume of an appropriate liquid into the container in order to prepare the selected product in said container.

33. A partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the system further comprises a valve element or a closure element to resist escape of liquid from the container through said inlet after filling.

34. A partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the liquid capacity of the container is from about 50m1 to about l000ml, preferably from about I5Oml to about 350ml.

35. A method of making a container that holds an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the said container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into said container through said inlet by means of the liquid dispensing mechanism to form said liquid food or beverage product inside the container.