Opening-member in a plastic bag for a fluid

Abstract

 A member for providing an opening in a plastics material bag comprises first (36) and second (38) interconnected portions with the first portion being formed from plastics material being adapted for fixing to the material of the bag, for example by fusion, and said second portion, which defines the opening, being of a material having a higher melting point than the first material.

Description

[0001] The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to containers for fluent material, for example liquids or fluent particulate materials, and apparatus for filling them. It refers especially to flexible plastics material bags.

[0002] It is well known to transport relatively small quantities of wine, for example 5 litres, in metalised plastics bags which are fitted with a discharge valve and normally contained in a corrugated board container through which the valve can project so that the contents of the bag can be discharged.

[0003] Also known are collapsable containers adapted for mounting on a pallet into which can be placed plastics material bags containing up to a tonne of fluent material. In the past, bags for use in such pallets have been filled through an opening in the top of the bag and discharged through an opening in the side of the bag adjacent to its base. Such bags have exhibited certain disadvantages, for example they have not been particularly suitable for use with viscous materials nor has it been possible, when contaminable material has to be contained in the bag, to readily employ an aseptic filling process.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to obviate and mitigate these disadvantages.

[0005] According to the present invention there is provided a member for providing an opening in a plastics material bag, comprising a first portion to which the bag can be attached and a second portion defining an opening leading to a passage through the member, said first portion being manufactured from a plastics material which can be readily attached to the material of the bag while at least the region of the other portion surrounding the opening is manufactured from a material having a higher melting point than that of the first portion.

[0006] Preferably the member is manufactured by injection moulding. In the injection moulding process said high temperature portion may be preformed and placed in the mould prior to the moulding operation so that the remainder of the member can be moulded onto the preformed portion.

[0007] Preferably the member has a cylindrical body having a cylindrical passage therethrough, the first portion having a flange projecting from one end of the member. The member may be provided with other flanges longitudinally spaced from said first flange, the other flanges having a lesser diameter than the first flange.

[0008] Preferably the body of the member between two of said additional flanges is provided with flats such that by engaging said flats by a fixed member, the opening member can be retained against rotation.

[0009] Preferably the inlet to the member is internally threaded.

[0010] Preferably a threaded closure is provided to close off the opening. The closure may have a cylindrical recess in its outer face with at least two protrusions projecting into said recess to assist in removal of the closure.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container for fluent material comprising a rigid outer case, a flexible lining bag, an opening member in said bag for allowing material to flow into and out of said bag, said rigid casing having an opening through one its sides adjacent to its base through which said opening member may project.

[0012] Preferably the rigid container is mounted on a pallet. Preferably the rigid container is collapsible and comprises a frame work supporting sheet-like side and top walls.

[0013] Further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for filling a bag including a nozzle which can be attached to an opening member of a container to be filled, the nozzle incorporating a plurality of inlet ports for sterilising fluid, at least one discharge port for said sterilising fluid, an inlet passage for material to be introduced into the container and valve means for selectively opening and closing said inlet ports drain means and material inlet passage.

[0014] Preferably the nozzle includes an arrangement for removing and repositioning a closure for the opening member.

[0015] Preferably said sterilising fluid inlet ports are adapted to direct sterilising fluid on said opening member as the nozzle is fitted thereto, said closure as it is fitted to the opening member, the interior of the nozzle prior to and after the passage of material therethrough and said arrangement for removing and replacing the closure.

[0016] An embodiment of the present inventions will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a front view of an opening member for a flexible plastics material bag,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the member,

Fig. 3 is a front view of a closure for the member of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 a sectional elevations of the closure,

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a container capable of carrying a bag fitted with the opening member illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, and

Figs. 6 to 9 show a nozzle for filling a bag within the container of Fig. 5.

[0017] A container for carrying fluent materials as shown in Fig. 5 comprises a base formed by a pallet 10 which has fitted thereto a collapsible framework 12 supporting four upstanding side walls 14 and a top 16, the pallet, sides and top enclosing a flexible plastics material bag for carrying a liquid or particulate fluent material.

[0018] The front wall 14 has an opening therein, normally closed off by a sliding door 18, the opening giving access to an opening member fitted to the internal lining bag and being held against rotation and outward and inward movement in the side wall 14.

[0019] One form of opening member is illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 comprises a cylindrical body 22 having a 76 mm (3 inch) diameter cylindrical passage 24 therethrough. A flange 26 is provided at the rear of the member and is adapted to be affixed in an opening in the lining bag in a fluid-tight manner, for example by welding. Two further flanges 28 and 30 are provided on the body spaced from each other and from the flange 26. The external cross-section of the body between the flanges 26 and 28 is substantially square, as can be seen from the chain line 32 shown in Fig. 1. This enables the member to be slid into a keyhole slot formed in the side wall 14 and held there without rotation the thickness of the side wall 14 being substantially equal to the spacing between the flanges 26 and 28 so that the member is also held against inward and outward movement relative to the side panel. The end of the passage 24 remote from the flange 26 is internally threaded.

[0020] A modified form of inlet member is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 and in these Figures components corresponding to the components shown in Figs. 1 and 2 have been given the same reference numerals. It will be appreciated that in overall configuration the member of Fig. 6 to 9 is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2 but as illustrated in Fig. 6 it comprises two portions, an inner portion 36 and an outer portion 38. As will be described in greater detail the container is suitable for an aseptic filling process in operation which certain areas of the opening member are sterilised by superheated steam. Those areas of the member are located on the outer portion 38 and consequently the material of the outer portion must be capable of withstanding a relatively high temperature. On the other hand, the bag is usually manufactured from polyethelene and, as mentioned above, the flange 26 is heat sealed to the bag, consequently the flange 26 must be of polyethelene or a material which can be readily welded to the bag. Such materials have relatively low melting or softening points, that is below the temperature of the superheated steam utilised for sterilisation. As a result the portions 36 and 38 must be of different materials.

[0021] According to an aspect of the present invention the opening member is manufactured from two materials by injection moulding, the first outer portion being preformed from a relatively high temperature material and positioned, preformed, in the mould of the injection moulding machine in which the inner portion 36 is moulded. In one embodiment the material of the outer portion is chosen such that during the moulding operation the inner and outer portions are permanently joined together.

[0022] When the bag has been filled the inlet member is closed off by a closure 42 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 which is threadably mountable in the outer end of the opening member by interengagement of an external thread 40 on the closure member 42 with the internal threads 34 in the passage through the opening member.

[0023] The closure 42 is substantially cylindrical and has a cylindrical recess 44 in its outer face, two diametricaly opposed protrusions 46 being provided in the recess. The closure has a peripheral groove 48 to accomodate a sealing O-ring 50.

[0024] Where the material to be stored in the bag is susceptible to contamination it is a requirement that the bag is filled and maintained under aseptic conditions and the filling nozzle illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 is suitable for carrying out an aseptic filling operation.

[0025] Before a bag placed in the container, its opening member and closure is irradiated to ensure its sterility. The bag is folded in such a manner that as material is introduced through the opening member into the bag it unfolds without any creases being retained therein. Such an arrangement does away with the need for an additional opening in the top of the bag.

[0026] As described above the irradiated bag is fitted into the container and by opening the door 18 in the front wall 14 the opening member can be fitted into the keyhole slot formed in the wall 14 with the wall sandwiched between the flanges 26, 28 or the peripheral recess 29 shown in the modification of Figs. 6 to 9. At this stage the interior of the bag is sterile but the exterior of the bag may not be and it is a requirement that those parts of the inlet member which will come into contact with material to be filled into the bag during the filling process should be sterile prior to and during filling operation.

[0027] The nozzle shown in Figs. 6 to 9 fulfils this requirement and Fig. 6 shows the nozzle fitted to an opening member with its closure is still fitted.

[0028] The nozzle comprises a substantially cylindrical body having cylindrical internal chamber 52 teminating in a forward circular cross-section opening 54, the internal diameter of which is substantially equal to the external diameter of the outer portion 38 of the opening member. A product inlet passage 56, provided with a shut off valve (not shown) leads into the chamber 52 adjacent to its outer end 54 and a drain 58 also fitted with a shut off valve (not shown), is provided diametrically opposite the material inlet 56. The body 50 is provided with a plurality of inlet ports for sterilising steam port.

[0029] The outer end of the chamber 52 is closed off by an end member 60 through which passes a rotatable spindle 62 carrying a closure engaging and removing arrangement 64. The arrangement 64 can move axially and can be rotated.

[0030] Prior to a filling operation the nozzle, before being offered up to the opening member, has superheated steam supplied to the inlet port 66 at its forward end, the port 66 being located between two sealing rings 70, 72 and communicating with an annular recess 68 in the wall of the chamber 52. It will be realised therefore that as the nozzle is placed over the inlet to the opening member superheated steam will sterilise the outer faces of the closure member and the mouth opening member. Superheated steam will also be fed to an inlet port 74 adjacent to the inlet to the material passage 56. At this stage the shut off valve for the material inlet passage 56 is closed so that steam passes through the material inlet passage 56, the nozzle chamber 52 and out of steam drain 58, thereby sterilising the interior of the chamber and the opening member and closure. This sterilising action can be assisted by the introduction of superheated steam through the inlet port 76 which performs a further function which will be described in detail below.

[0031] After sterilisation of the interior of the nozzle has been assured the arrangement 64 can be advanced towards the closure 42. It is ensured that this action produces no contamination by introducing superheated sterilising steam through parts 78, 80. The arrangement 64 is advanced until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 7 at which stage the rod 62 can be rotated in the appropriate direction to engage the protrusion 46 and cause the closure to be unscrewed from the opening member. The arrangement 64 can then be withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 8.

[0032] It will be realised that the supply of sterilising steam to ports 76 and 74 (but not to port 66) is now terminated and the shut off valve in the drain 58 closed off. The shut off valve of the material inlet passage 56 can then be opened allowing material to flow into the sterilised chamber and the sterile interior of the bag within the container. This operation continues until a metred quantity of material has been introduced in to the bag at which stage the shut off valve in the inlet 56 is closed and arrangement 64 advanced to bring the closure 42 to a position where its threads 40 are just about engaging the internal threads 34 of the opening member. At this stage superheated steam is supplied through the port 76 to clean product from the external surfaces of the closure member. Simultaneously port 74 can be supplied with steam and the drain 58 can be reopened thereby clearing all material from the inlet 56, the chamber 52 and the closure 42. The rod 62 can then be rotated to engage the closure in the opening member, the closure eventually sealing off the opening member. The fingers 82 of the arrangement will then be disengaged from the protrusions 46 by slightly rotating the rod 62 in a closure opening direction and withdrawing it towards the closure end 60 of the nozzle which can then be removed.

[0033] Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in so far as the opening member is concerned, any configurations of flanges, internal or externally threaded closure shapes etc. can be provided.

[0034] It is desirable however, that if aseptic filling is called for, the opening member comprises two portions fixed to each other with the outer portion having a higher melting or softening point such that it can withstand the temperature of sterilising steam. Of course it should be realised that sterilising steam need not be the only fluid utilised for sterilisation as is possible that a room temperature sterilising fluid giving a chemical sterilising affect could be used.

[0035] The nozzle can take many different configurations but it is important that it is provided with means for sterilising those parts of the opening member prior to and during a fitting operation.
In a further modification the two portions of the opening member need not be permanently fixed together, one could be attached to the other in a rotatable but fluid-tight manner. If the portions are fixed to each other this fixing may be acheived by bonding one plastics material to the other or by designing the configuration of the portions so that permanent fluid tight fixing is achieved.

Claims

1. A member for providing an opening in a plastics material bag, comprising a first portion to which the bag can be attached and a second portion defining an opening leading to a passage through the member, said first portion being manufactured from a plastics material which can be readily attached to the material of the bag while at least the region of the other portion surrounding the opening is manufactured from a material having a higher melting point that that of the first portion.

2. A member as claimed in Claim 1, manufactured by injection moulding.

3. A member as claimed in Claim 2, in which in the injection moulding process said high temperature portion is preformed and placed in the mould prior to the moulding operation so that the remainder of the member can be moulded onto the preformed portion.

4. A member as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, including a cylindrical body having a cylindrical passage therethrough, the first portion having a flange projecting from one end of the member.

5. A member as claimed in Claim 4, provided with other flanges longitudinally spaced from said first flange, the other flanges having a lesser diameter than the first flange.

6. A member as claimed in Claim 5, in which the body between two of said additional flanges is provided with flats such that by engaging said flats by a fixed member, the member can be retained against rotation.

7. A member as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the inlet to the member is internally threaded.

8. A member as claimed in Claim 7, in which a threaded closure is provided to close off the opening.

9. A member as claimed in Claim 8, in which the closure has a cylindrical recess in its outer face with at least two protrusions projecting into said recess to assist in removal of the closure.

10. A container for fluent material comprising a rigid outer case, a flexible lining bag, an opening member in said bag for allowing material to flow into and out of said bag, said rigid casing having an opening through one of its sides adjacent to its base through which said opening member may project.

11. A container as claimed in Claim 10, mounted on a pallet.

12. A container as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11 which is collapsible and comprises a framework supporting sheet-like side and top walls.

13. Apparatus for filling a bag including a nozzle which can be attached to an opening member of a bag to be filled, the nozzle incorporating a plurality of inlet ports for sterilising fluid, at least one discharge port for said sterilising fluid, an inlet passage for material to be introduced into the container and valve means for selectively opening and closing said inlet ports, drain means and material inlet passage.

14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, in which the nozzle includes an arrangement for removing and repositioning a closure for the opening member.

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14, in which said sterilising fluid inlet ports are adapted to direct sterilising fluid on said opening member as the nozzle is fitted thereto, said closure as it is fitted to the opening member, the interior of the nozzle prior to and after the passage of material therethrough and said arrangement for removing and replacing the closure.

Drawing