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(11) | EP 2 441 695 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Improved container for liquids |
| (57) An improved container for liquids (1) is described, particularly of the "bag-in-tube"
type, composed of at least one external container (3), with a cylindrical, ellyptical
or other similar shape, containing therein at least one pocket (7) containing a liquid
and equipped with at least one tap (9), comprising at least one handle (13) having
its two opposite ends equipped with abutment means (15), such external container (3)
being equipped on an external surface thereof with at least one pair of holes (17)
adapted to receive therein the opposite ends equipped with the abutment means (15)
of the handle (13), such abutment means (15) being adapted to prevent the end of the
handle (13) from going out through the holes (17).
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[0002] Containers generally called "bag-in-box" or "bag-in-tube" are known in the art, and are composed of an external rigid container, usually made of cardboard, inside which a pocket made of flexible material is arranged, this pocket containing a liquid and being equipped with a tap that can be made go out of the external container through a suitable opening to allow pouring the liquid itself.
[0003] Particularly, the "bag-in-tube" containers, typically having a cylindrical shape or a shape with an oval plan, are made by winding strips of cardboard in order to substantially make the external container shaped as a tube, to which a bottom is fastened, generally made of plastic material: once having then inserted the pocket of liquid inside the external container, a cover is secured, generally equipped with a transporting handle, in order to close the external container also on its upper side.
[0004] Such containers however have some inconveniences: in fact, due to the need of assembling the handle, generally made of plastic, onto the surface of the cover, they will be difficult to assemble, above all in case of manual assembling, as typically occurs in small-sized factories. Moreover, always due to the complexity of the cover and its related handle, known containers are more costly and more complex to make.
[0005] Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing an improved container for liquids which can be more easily, quickly and practically assembled, also in case of manual assembling.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is providing an improved container for liquids that is cheaper and that can be more easily manufactured with respect to prior art containers.
[0007] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with an improved container for liquids as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
[0008] It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the following claims.
[0009] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which the only Figure 1 shows an exploded, front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the improved container for liquids according to the present invention.
[0010] With reference then to Figure 1, it is possible to note that the improved container for liquids 1 according to the present invention, particularly of the "bag-in-tube" type, is composed of at least one external container 3, which has a cylindrical, ellyptical or other similar shape, manufactured with any method known in the paper-manufacturing field (such as, for example, by spirally winding bands of cardboard or light cardboard, in order to have an external container 3 that is cylindrical or with an oval plan) containing therein at least one pocket 7, preferably made of a flexible material, containing a liquid and equipped with at least one tap 9.
[0011] The external container 3 further comprises at least one lower bottom 5, preferably made of a rigid material such as a plastic or metallic material, fastened, glued or secured to the internal perimeter of the lower opening of the external container 3.
[0012] Moreover, the external container 3 comprises, on an external surface thereof, at least one pre-cut portion 4, for example through die-cutting, whose at least partial removal provides an opening through which the tap 9 of the pocket 7 can go out in order to allow pouring the liquid.
[0013] The external container 3 further comprises at least one upper cover 11, preferably made of a rigid material, such as a plastic or metallic material, also adapted to be fastened, glued or secured to the internal perimeter of the upper opening of the container 3 once having inserted the pocket 7 inside this latter one.
[0014] Advantageously, the improved container for liquids 1 according to the present invention further comprises at least one handle 13, preferably made of a flexible material, having its two opposite ends equipped with abutment means 15 and the external container 3 is equipped, on an external surface thereof, preferably next to the upper opening of the external container 3 itself, with at least one pair of holes 17, preferably arranged in diametrically opposite positions with respect to such external container 3, and adapted to receive therein such opposite ends equipped with abutment means 15 of the handle 13, such abutment means 15 being adapted to prevent such end of the handle 13 from going out through such holes 17.
[0015] Particularly, the abutment means 15 are respectively made as flexible, "T"-shaped appendixes: by bending such appendixes along the handle 13, it is possible to easily insert the ends of the handle 13 into the respective holes 17 of the external container 3: once inside the holes 17, the appendixes naurally go back to their "T"-shaped position with respect to the respective end of the handle 13, consequently preventing such end of the respective holes 17 from going out.
[0016] Preferably, the handle 13 is made of any flexible material, such as for example natural or synthetic fibre: in such case, still more preferably, the handle 13 is a section of a small rope.
[0017] Alternatively, as shown as an example in Figure 1, the handle 13 is a section of a small chain composed by mixing classical concatenated braids or a plurality of small bushes made of a plastic or metallic material, fastened in succession along a section of flexible cord.
[0018] As described above, it is clear how the improved container for liquids 1 according to the present invention allows an easier, quicker and more practical assembling, also in case of manual assembling: in fact, once having provided the individual un-assembled components of the container 1, such as the external container 3 already equipped with its lower bottom 5, the pre-cut portion 4 and the holes 17, the upper cover 11 and the handle 13, to the producer of liquid, for example wine, contained in the pocket 7 to obtain the completely assembled container 1, it is enough to proceed as follows:
- fill-up the pocket 7 with liquid;
- insert the pocket 7 inside the external container 3;
- insert the handle 13 into the external container 3, particularly by inserting the abutment means 15 of the handle 13 inside their respective holes 17; and
- fasten the upper cover 11 onto the upper opening of the external container 3.
[0019] Moreover, it is clear that the container 1 according to the present invention is cheaper and more easily manufactured with respect to prior art "bag-in-tube" containers, since the traditional arrangement of the upper cover for inserting a plastic handle is replaced by simple holes 17 obtained along the external container 3: moreover, the same handle 13 made of a common flexible material is surely cheaper, above all in case of small production batches, than the traditional plastic handles made through suitable, also relatively costly, dies.
1. Improved container for liquids (1), particularly of the "bag-in-tube" type, composed
of at least one external container (3), containing therein at least one pocket (7)
containing a liquid and equipped with at least one tap (9), characterised in that it comprises at least one handle (13) having its two opposite ends equipped with
abutment means (15), and in that said external container (3) is equipped, on an external surface thereof, with at
least one pair of holes (17) adapted to received therein said opposite ends equipped
with said abutment means (15) of said handle (13), said abutment means (15) being
adapted to prevent said end of said handle (13) from going out through said holes
(17).
2. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said external container (3) comprises, on an external surface thereof, at least one
pre-cut portion (4), whose at least partial removal provides an opening through which
said tap (9) of said pocket (7) can go out in order to allow pouring said liquid.
3. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said external container (3) further comprises at least one lower bottom (5) made
of a rigid material, fastened, glued or secured to an internal perimeter of a lower
opening of said external container (3), and in that said external container (3) further comprises at least one upper cover (11) made
of a rigid material, fastened, glued or secured to an internal perimeter of an upper
opening of said container (3).
4. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said holes (17) are arranged in diametrically opposite positions with respect to
said external container (3).
5. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that said holes (17) are arranged next to said upper opening of said container (3).
6. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said abutment means (15) are respectively "T"-shaped flexible appendixes.
7. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said handle (13) is made of a flexible material, such as a natural or synthetic fibre.
8. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that said handle (13) is a section of a small rope.
9. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said handle (13) is a section of a small chain.
10. Improved container for liquids (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that said small chain is composed by mixing concatenated braids or of a plurality of small
bushes made of a plastic or metallic material, fastened in succession along a section
of flexible cord.