Hydraulic Coupling Comprising a Sealed Closure and Connection Fitting for a Flexible Container

This invention relates generally to so-called bag-in-the-box containers for flowable materials such as liquids, powders and the like and more particularly, concerns the provision of an improved closure plug and a connector fitting adapted to be coupled thereto, said closure plug having internal dislodgeable means blocking access to the contents of the container, but offering access when dislodged from the exterior of the container.

Packaging of flowable materials such as liquids, powders and the like for direct dispensing thereof offers many difficulties, particularly if the materials are valuable, odiferous, corrosive or possessed of other noxious or disagreeable characteristics. Further, it often is desired that the container for such materials not only must be sealed but must be capable of being completely emptied of its contents, i.e., dispensed to the last drop. In many applications, throwaway packages are preferred to reduce waste and to obviate disposal problems in storing and disposal of containers of the rigid or semi-rigid catagory.

The development of the so-called bag-in-the-box packaging concepts have met with considerable success in providing solutions to the above dispensing packaging difficulties. The bag-in-the box concepts involve the packaging of the flowable materials in flexible bags which themselves are disposed within corrugated paperboard containers for dispensing of the contents. These filled bags generally take the shape of the paperboard container within which they are disposed and are supported therein by the walls thereof. Means are provided for establishing access to the inner container which, when filled, often expands to conform to the interior of the outer container for use in desired automatic dispensing machines.

Use of such containers also enables reduction in both bulk and weight, as well as affords the convenience of maximum space utilization for shipping since the flowable material conforms to the shape of the container, the container being impervious to the material packaged therein and the overall shape of the box and container being suitable for efficient storage and loading as for shipping in commerce. Avoidance of rigid containers such as formed of steel, glass or plastic offers material reduction in shipping weight as well as the benefits involved in disposal of such container. Possible contamination of the flowable material contents likewise is a logistical problem. Opening of such containers is difficult. The bag-in-the-box packaging generally reduces the need for providing special access means. Acceptance of such technique is popular because it enables dispensing without retention of much residual material in the container. Lightweight corrugated paper containers may be employed.

The aforementioned bag-in-a-box containers have found wide acceptance in the packaging of flowable powders, corrosive liquids, printing inks, dyes, milk, etc.

Often where flowable material such as ink, dyes, corrosive liquids and the like are packaged for dispensing from the container, greater security against leakage during transit, handling and coupling to the dispensing system must be afforded to assure that the flowable material does not escape from the package and/or the connection to the system. In addition to the safety requirements in the handling and dispensing of the flowable material, improved provision for security should be afforded but without significant increase in cost.

The invention provides a closure plug and flow fitting for the flexible bag of a bag-in-the-box type container used for the packaging of flowable materials such as liquids, powders and the like, the closure plug being sealingly coupled to the filling spout of such flexible bag. The closure plug has a cylindrical multi-flanged tubular body, an annular exterior flange at one end thereof, a transverse interior disc formation at the opposite end of the body, the disc having a central opening and an elongate hollow tube formed unitary with said disc about the central opening and extending concentrically toward the flanged end of the body. The hollow tube is plugged at its inner end with a dislodgeable sealing plug. The exterior end of the tube is capped by a sealing cap. Further, a connecting or tapping fitting is provided adapted to be coupled sealably to the closure plug for connecting the hollow tube thereof to the dispensing system. In one embodiment, the connecting or tapping fitting includes a tapered recess having a cental plunger arranged for dislodging the inner plug, said plunger capable of being moved reciprocably in and out of the recess to effect such dislodgement. Once the fitting has been secured to the closure, the inner plug can be dislodged by manipulating the plunger with using suitable screw means provided. Sealing means may be provided interior of the tapered passageway of the connector fitting. The sealing connection can be effected both by coupling the fitting via the interior or the exterior surface of the hollow tube of the closure. The discharge portion of the fitting may be coaxial, may be offset or may be eccentric relative to the longitudinal axis thereof. The tube portion of the closure plug may be tapered a narrow diameter exterior portion with the dislodgeable plug of like taper. It is important to recognize that the inner plug is self sealing, that is the higher the internal pressure of the flexible container, the greater the sealing force exercised on the plug, the flange provided on the plug serving as a stop therefor.

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a package comprising a flexible bag seated within a corrugated paperboard box with a flanged filling spout secured to the wall of the bag and passing through a wall of the box, the sealing plug of the invention being secured thereon and illustrated on one side for ease in viewing.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the flanged filling spout with the sealing plug according to the invention installed therein;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a connector fitting for coupling the package to a dispensing system;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating a modified connector fitting;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the fitting illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section illustrating a further modification of the connector fitting;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged end view of the fitting illustrated in FIG. 6, and,

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the installed filling spout closure plug and connector fitting illustrating a security spring lock installed thereon.

The invention to be described herein comprises a closure plug and a connector fitting for use on a flexible dispensing container, i.e., a bag seated within a box normally formed of corrugated paperboard, for the packaging therein of flowable materials such as liquids (ink, dyes, corrosive material) and powders. The closure plug is snap-fitted or otherwise tightly coupled to the flanged filling spout which is sealed to a wall of the flexible bag and is commonly passed through a wall of the box. The connector fitting is adapted to be coupled to the closure plug and is provided with means for gaining access to the interior of the bag via the closure plug. The fitting also is provided with means for coupling a conduit thereto for directing the flow of the material to a predetermined destination.

The closure plug includes a flanged cylindrical hollow body having a transverse wall interior thereof adjacent one end of the body. An opening is formed in said transverse wall and an interior, tapered discharge tube is integral with said wall and surrounds said opening, extending generally parallel to the axis of the body toward the opposite end of the body. A plastic sealing plug is provided at the inner end of the discharge tube and a cap preferably is secured over the narrower outer end of the discharge tube. The discharge tube need not be tapered but the sealing plug must be of a configuration tightly to be received therein.

The connector fitting is provided with means for sealingly accommodating the tapered discharge tube of the closure cap. Exterior means also are provided for gaining access to the interior of the flexible container by selective dislodgement of the inner plug from the inner end of the tapered discharge tube. Means are provided for coupling a conduit to the fitting to direct the flowing material to a destination, say a dispensing system or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a typical bag-in-a-box container 10 is illustrated as comprising a flexible bag 12 formed by hermetically sealing the edges of a pair of superposed sheets of metallized plastic and liner. One wall 14 of bag 12 has an access opening 16 and carries a flanged spout 18 sealed thereto surrounding the opening 16. The flanged spout 18 includes an outwardly extending multiflanged tubular portion 20 which is adapted to be pulled through a suitable passage 22 formed in wall 24 of the box 26 which preferably is formed of corrugated paperboard material. The spout 18 is closed by force fitting, as by a snap-in connection, of the closure plug 30.

The closure plug 30 has an externally ribbed cylindrical tubular body 32 with an annular flange 33 at one end and a transverse wall 34 at its opposite end 36. A unitary transverse wall 34 includes a central opening 38 and an elongate hollow discharge tube 40 is formed as a unitary part of said wall 34 surrounding the opening 38 and extending interior of the body 32 generally concentric with and parallel to the axis thereof. The tube 40 is tapered in a direction so that the narrow portion is located at the delivery or outer end 42 of the discharge tube 40. The chamber 44 interior of the tube 40 is likewise tapered to place the narrow opening 42' adjacent the opening of body 32. A sealing plug 46, preferably tapered, is seated tightly in the entrance 48 of the chamber 44 while a cap 50 is force-fitted over the delivery end 42 of discharge tube 40. The sealing cap 50 is slightly tapered to conform to the configuration of the discharge tube 40 at its end 42 so that it sealably receives said tapered delivery end 42. An additional function of the cap 50 is to prevent dirt or other foreign material from entering the chamber 44 from the exterior of the plug 30.

The cap 50 also serves to protect against the unauthorized use of a foreign object to gain access to the internal plug 46 for the purpose of dislodging same and tapping into the content of the bag 12. The tapered fit between the discharge tube 40 and the internal plug 46 achieves a tight effectively self-sealing engagement against increased pressure due to sudden surges resulting from handling and impact during manipulation of the package or from a pressure build-up interior of the flexible bag 12 occuring when the same is placed under adverse pressure and/or environmental conditions. The flange 47 on plug 46 serves as a stop limit to prevent its its being forced through the interior 44 of tube 40 by excess pressure interior of the bag 12.

The closure plug 30 assembled with the plug 46 and cap 50 is coupled to the flexible bag 12 by effecting a force-fit within the spout 18 after the bag 12 is filled with the flowable material and the flange 33 abuts tightly against the spout 18. The plug 30 can rest against the interior of wall 24 of exterior box 26. The package 10 now is suitable for shipping and storage. A punch-out wall portion (not shown) can be provided and the spout 18 pulled through same.

For use, a tapping connector or fitting is provided. Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated tapping connector fitting 60 provided by the invention herein and adapted to be coupled sealably to the closure plug 30 for gaining access to the contents of the bag 12 and directing such contents to a predetermined location, say removed from the package. The tapping connector or fitting 60 comprises a body 62 having an interior conical chamber 64 conforming generally to the configuration of the tapered discharge tube 40 and extending toward the opposite end 66 of the body 62. A threaded passage 68 is formed in body 62 opening to the opposite end 66 of the body 62 and carries suitable threading for reception therethrough of plunger 70 having an enlarged threaded inner end 72 having an enlarged head 74. Resilient sealing ring 76 is seated in groove 78 formed adjacent the entrance to chamber 64. A radial passage 80 is formed in body 62 to communicate with the interior of the internal passageway 68 and opens to threaded socket 82 capable of receiving a threaded male coupling 84. The plunger 70 comprises a cylindrical rod 86 which is disposed coaxially within the chamber 64 and passageway 68 and extends outward of the entrance to conical chamber 64. The inner diameter of the sealing ring 76 is selected to be slightly less than the greater diameter of the tapered discharge tube 40 of the closure plug 30. When the connector fitting 60 and plug 30 are assembled by removing the cap 50 and force-fitting tube 40 into the tapered chamber 64, the O-ring 76 is sealingly engaged against the outer wall of said discharge tube 40. The The plunger 70 is received within the tube 40 and the end 86' of rod 86 forced against the plug 48 to dislodge same, thereby gaining access to the flowable material within the flexible bag 12. The outer diameter of the body 62 coextensive with the chamber 64 is selected to be slightly less than the inner diameter of the body 32 and closure plug 30.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified fitting 60' wherein the plunger 70' is integral with the fitting body 62' and the threaded socket 68' is formed concentric with the chamber 64'. Fitting 62' has a relatively short, axial passageway 94 therein eccentric relative to the central axis of the conical chamber 64' in fitting body 62' as an extension thereof communicating to the socket 68'. The plunger 70' is formed integral with the fitting body 62' and extends at its free end a predetermined distance outward of the entrance to chamber 64'. The body 62' is forced into the well 96 defined between the tube 40 and the inner wall of body 32 of the closure 30. When the body 62' is seated on said tube 40, the plunger 70' has forced the plug 46 from the entrance to chamber 44 of tube 40. The discharge of the contents of the bag 12 is effected through the concentric opening 68'. The flow from the discharge tube 40 is by way of the short, axial passageway 94. The internal O-ring 76 of fitting 60 is not required. The relationship of the passageways is illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates another modified connector fitting, here represented by fitting 60". Fitting 60" differs from fittings 60 and 60' in that the body 62" of fitting 60" has an outer tapered portion, with the plunger 70" being unitary with the narrow end of the body 62". Axial openings 102 are formed in the body 62" adjacent the junction of plunger 70" therewith, said one or more openings 102 extend as internal coaxial passageways 94'. The passageways 94' terminate in rearwardly opening threaded socket 104. There is inserted a plug 105 having symmetrically arranged ribs or flutes 106. Axial passageways 94' are defined between the resultant ribs or flutes 106 and are eccentric relative to the center of the fitting 60".

In FIG. 9 there is illustrated the safety locking clip 92 installed positively to resist vibrational and other axial forces tending to separate the respective fittings from their engagement with the closure plug 30. An annular groove or grooves 88 is provided in the portion of the body 62 which is exterior of the closure plug 30 when the fitting is fully engaged therein. The groove or grooves 88 cooperate with grooves 90 formed in exterior of the spout 18 to enable U-shaped safety clip 92 to be seated in one of said outer selected grooves 90 and the annular groove 88 formed in the fitting body 60 positively for effecting a positive locking engagement. Clip 92 may be formed as a spring clip. Other retaining means can be applied to maintain the engagement of fitting 60 and closure plug 30 and spout 18. The circumferential surfaces of all the fitting bodies of the fittings which are illustrated herein are provided with the aforementioned outer rings or grooves 88 or their equivalent. The rings formed in the spout members serve to engage the wall 14 about a circular opening formed in the wall of said outer container 16 through which the flanged spout member 18 is pulled when seating same.

This engagement maintains the position of the filling flanged spout member and facilitates the use of the container. The safety lock is shown as a U-shaped spring element, either formed as a metal stamping or a wire form that is radially engaged, a groove 80 in the fitting 60 and one of the grooves 90 on the flanged spout 18 which may be available. When applied, relative motion between said spout and fitting 60 is materially resisted. When the safety lock element is formed of spring metal, the cantilever spring action provided exerts a positive clamping force therebetween. The wire form, for example, can even be made captive on one of the grooves of the fitting 60 with the free portion thereat capable of being secured onto the spout and anchored into a suitable groove 90 formed thereon.

The bag-in-a-box 10 is illustrated oriented on one side but in use, preferably is disposed in a canted rack (not shown) with the spout 18 facing downward, wall 24 functioning as the bottom wall, so that container 12 can be substantially fully emptied of its content.

Variations are capable of being made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.