Receptacle for a Flexible Beverage Container

This invention is directed to a specialized, hand-held receptacle having rigid walls defining an interior space for housing in a non-crushing, non-deflating manner a flexible beverage container, or juice box, of the "Tetra-Pak" style, that is, a beverage container or juice box of a substantially rectangular, box-shape having flexible sidewalls and a pierceable, foil sealed, access port on its top.

Many styles of containers may be selected to be used to transport and to store non-carbonated beverages including juice drinks and associated products such as super pasteurized milk products. Examples of such containers include containers composed of glass, of plastic, or of paraffin coated paper products. One container product which has gained wide consumer acceptance comprises a substantially rectangular, box-shaped paper container having flexible sidewalls and a pierceable, foil sealed access port on its top. The access port generally is located substantially in a corner portion of the top of the box and is approximately one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch in diameter. The foil seal functions as an closure and as a means to maintain a sterile fluid product, but is capable of being punctured easily through piercing with a selected pointed end of a plastic drinking straw. One such juice box container is marketed under the name "Tetra-Pak." See, for example, United States Letters Patent No. 4,287,247, incorporated herein by reference.

When accessing the interior of the beverage container, the pointed end of a plastic drinking straw (such straw is generally provided attached by a securement means, such as glue or adhesive tape, to the exterior of the beverage container) is placed against the foil seal located on the top of the beverage container and pressure is exerted until the straw pierces the seal and becomes immersed in the liquid contained within the beverage container. The foil seal, although pierced, nevertheless maintains a fairly secure seal about the sidewall of the drinking straw.

This style of beverage container is attractive because it is easily manipulated by small children, can be carried in school lunch boxes, and is disposable, among other reasons. Nevertheless, several problems are associated with beverage containers of the "Tetra-Pak" style. Most importantly, the juice box container has very flexible sidewalls; the sidewalls generally are constructed of a paper product. After the drinking straw has been inserted through the foil seal and immersed within the fluid contained within the beverage container, the fluid may be expelled easily through the drinking straw by exerting pressure on the sidewalls of the beverage container through squeezing. With even slight pressure, fluid is transported through the drinking straw and is discharged in a stream from the exposed end of the drinking straw. Unfortunately, many small children do not comprehend that pressure exerted on the exterior sidewalls of the container will result in an unwanted puddle of liquid; those that do comprehend, much to the dismay of some adults, sometimes delight in their new found toy and its garden-hose like qualities.

With these problems in mind, the present invention is a receptacle for housing a juice box container and for prohibiting the discharge of juice or other fluid from a drinking straw by squeezing the sidewalls of the juice box container.

The present invention is a rigid receptacle having an interior space for housing a substantially rectangular boxshaped beverage container having flexible sidewalls and a pierceable, foil sealed access port located in a selected portion of its top. The receptacle is constructed of rigid plastics material and may be either of single or double wall construction. When double wall construction is used, the space between the sidewalls functions as a dead air space which, in turn, provides insulation for the cool fluid contained in the beverage container when deposited within the receptacle. Moreover, the air space present when double wall construction is used, may be filled with an insulative material, such as a foamed plastics material for example.

The receptacle may have a movably secured cap piece which covers a portion of the top of the beverage container and secures the beverage container within the interior space defined by the sidewalls and bottom of the receptacle. The cap piece, for example, may be a sliding member or a pivoting member, and, for example, may snap into place to secure the juice box within the interior space defined by the receptacle. The receptacle may have at least one handle, such as substantially ring shaped handle, attached to an exterior side portion of the receptacle. Also, the receptacle may have a series of grooves carried in one or more exterior sidewalls of the receptacle, which grooves act to enhance the grip of the consumer about the receptacle. Further, the receptacle may contain a hole in its bottom portion to facilitate easy extraction of the beverage container from the interior portion of the receptacle, and may contain aesthetically pleasing designs or other indicia on the exterior of the receptacle.

One object of this invention is to provide a specialized, hand-held, rigid receptacle for holding a flexible beverage container, or juice box, in a manner that will prohibit unwanted pressure from being exerted on the exterior sidewalls of the beverage container resulting in unwanted discharge of the fluid contained within the beverage container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for a flexible beverage container wherein the receptacle has a cap to ensure that the beverage container will remain within the interior space defined by the sidewalls and bottom of the receptacle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a receptacle having means for the consumer to grasp the receptacle; such means for grasping are exemplified by at least one handle attached to the exterior of the receptacle, and by a grooved pattern in the exterior sidewall of the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle comprising a plastics material which is light in weight and which permits inexpensive manufacturing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a receptacle comprising insulation which insulation functions to keep the contents of the beverage container either hot or cool.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle of the present invention illustrating a beverage container housed with the interior space defined by the sidewalls of the receptacle.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of the receptacle of the present invention illustrating handles provided to allow, for example, small children to hold the receptacle.

FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the receptacle of the present invention illustrating grooves on the external sidewall, provided to allow, for example, small children to grip the exterior of the receptacle.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view in perspective of the receptacle of the present invention illustrating a double wall construction with insulation.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the receptacle illustrating an opening which allows ejection of a beverage container which becomes lodged within the receptacle.

FIG. 5a is a perspective view of a top of the receptacle illustrating a sliding cover used to retain a beverage container within the receptacle.

FIG. 5b is a perspective view of a top of the receptacle illustrating a pivoting cover which snaps closed.

FIG. 5c is a perspective view of a top of the receptacle illustrating a snap closure which can be removably secured to the receptacle.

FIG. 5d is a perspective view of a top of the receptacle illustrating a pivoting cover connected to the receptacle by a thin web of plastic material, and illustrating a snap closure.

FIG. 5e is a side view of a top of the receptacle showing an elongated, outwardly extending flange.

FIG. 5f is a side view of a top of the receptacle showing an outwardly extending protuberance on one end of the top and a portion of a snap closure.

The receptacle is designated as 10 and is composed of an inexpensive, lightweight material such as plastic. Receptacle 10 comprises four rigid walls designated 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d; a top 14 such as 14a, 14b, 14c or 14d; and a bottom 16. The bottom 16 and four walls define an interior space for receiving and for holding in a noncrushing, non-deflating manner a flexible beverage container 1 of the "Tetra-Pak" style. A "Tetra-Pak" style container is a substantially rectangular box-shaped container having flexible sidewalls and a pierceable, foil sealed access port 3 on its top. Generally, a drinking straw 5 accompanies the "Tetra-Pak" style container and is used to pierce the foil sealed access port 3.

Receptacle 10 may have one or more handles 20 capable of being grasped by a small child such as a toddler, or it may have one or more grooves 22 on the eternal sidewall which serve to improve the grip exerted, for example, by small children such as toddlers. Further, receptacle 10 may include an opening 18 on the bottom 16 of the receptacle 10; opening 18 allows ejection or extraction of a beverage container which becomes lodged within the interior space of receptacle 10.

Receptacle 10 may be constructed as single walled receptacle as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1, 2a or 2b. Likewise, receptacle 10 may be constructed as a double walled receptacle as shown in FIG. 3. The double wall construction shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated by use of outer wall 13a and inner wall 13b secured in spaced relationship so as to provide an air space 13c. Air space 13c functions as an insulative means when the top and bottom of receptacle 10 are closed so that ambient air cannot flow freely from the outside of the receptacle into the air space and out again.

Air space 13c can be formed by creating an outer shell comprising exterior sidewall 13a, by creating an inner shell comprising interior sidewall 13b fashioned as a cup and designed to be inserted within the outer shell, and by inserting the inner shell within the outer shell. Inner shell 13b includes an outwardly and downwardly turning lip 13d having an outer edge 13e designed to sealingly mate with the upper edge 13f of the outer shell. In this construction, the bottom of the inner shell does not contact the inside, bottom portion of the outer shell; this helps to maintain the receptacle's insulative properties. In another construction, a unitary outer wall and inner wall may be molded, for example, of plastic; the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of each of the sidewalls shows a monolithic U-shaped construction comprising parallel inner and outer walls; a bottom positioned substantially perpendicularly to and integrally joined with, each of the inner walls; and a unitary distal edge portion defined by each outer sidewall extending further downwardly and in the longitudinal direction than each corresponding inner wall portion. This extension allows for a bottom portion to be sealingly attached to the distal edge portion thereby defining an interior air space having insulative qualities. It should be noted that in any receptacle 10 having an insulative air space defined by inner and outer walls, a foamed plastics material may be introduced into the air space to increase the insulative properties of the receptacle 10.

Receptacle 10 includes a top such as 14a, 14b, 14c or 14d, which, when in its closed position, secures a beverage container, such as juice box 1, within the receptacle 10 in the interior space defined by walls 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d. One top comprises a rectangular piece of material, such as plastic, having two outwardly extending flanges 24, each matingly received and in sliding contact with a respective groove 26 carried in one of the respective sidewalls 12a and 12c of the receptacle. The grooves may be extended to the edge of the receptacle and open outwardly allowing the flanges 24 carried on top 14a to be slipped into respective grooves 26. In the alternative, each of the flanges may be an outwardly extending post 25 riding in an alternative groove (not shown) which groove does not open outwardly along its longitudinal axis. The alternative groove, thus, retains the post within the groove allowing the top 14a to slide alternatively to an open or to a closed position. A snap closure such as 27 may be included on the end portion of the top opposite the end portion bearing the posts 25. Such a snap, for example, extends downwardly and slightly outwardly and cooperates by matingly engaging an aperture on the interior of an adjacent sidewall when the top is in its closed position.

A second top 14b comprises a rectangular piece of material, such as plastic, having a pivot pin (not shown) extending from each of two opposite sides of the top 14b, each pivot pin (not shown) being pivotally secured within a respective aperture (not shown) located in a respective internal sidewall 12a and 12c of the receptacle 10. Two separate pivot pins may be employed instead of a single pivot pin; if two are employed, the longitudinal axis of one is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the other. The second top 14b, on its opposite end portion bears two protuberances 30 which each extend from a respective one of two opposite sides of top 14b. Each protuberances 30 comprises a portion of a snap closure; each protuberance 30 cooperates in snapping fashion with a respective aperture 32 carried in one of the sidewalls; the respective aperture 32 comprises the other portion of the snap closure. The snap closure comprises two protuberances 30 cooperating with two respective apertures 32, for example.

A third top 14c comprises a rectangular piece of material, such as plastic, having two outwardly extending flange-like portions 32 each matingly received in a respective groove 34 carried on the interior of one of the respective sidewalls of the receptacle. Top 14c is a snap closure; it may be snapped into place by positioning the flanges 32 of top 14c substantially adjacent respective grooves 34, and pressing top 14c toward receptacle 10 to achieve a snap fit, wherein grooves 34 engage flanges 32 to achieve securement.

A fourth top 14d comprises a rectangular piece of plastic material, having a pivoting edge portion positioned at one end of the top and connected via a thin pliable plastic web 36 to one of the planar sidewalls of the receptacle or, in the alternative, to an upper edge portion of the receptacle. The thin web 36 acts as a hinge and secures the top to the sidewall or, in the alternative, to an upper edge portion, and can be easily molded of a plastics material. Accordingly the top and sidewall or, in the alternative, the upper edge portion, form a monolithic structure. Top 14d, on its opposite end portion bears two protuberances 30 which each extend from a respective one of two opposite sides of top 14b. Each protuberance 30 comprises a portion of a snap closure; each protuberance 30 cooperates in a snapping fashion with a respective aperture 32 carried in one of the sidewall 12a and 12c; the respective aperture 32 comprises the other portion of the snap closure. The snap closure comprises two protuberances 30 cooperating with two respective apertures 32, for example.

It should be noted that each top does not cover the entire top surface of the beverage container; such positioning leaves the foil covered access port 3 open to receive drinking straw 5 of beverage container 1. The top or cap (e.g., 14a, 14b, 14c or 14d) preferably covers no more than two-thirds of the top portion of beverage container 1; this ensures that a portion of the top portion of beverage container 1 carrying the access port 3 will not be covered or otherwise blocked; such blockage would prohibit access to the foil sealed port. In addition it is recognized that any one of the tops (e.g., 14a, 14b, 14c or 14d) could be positioned and, for example, hinged or otherwise coupled with any combination of the four planar sidewalls.