Bulk bin and bag dispensing apparatus

Abstract

A bulk bin and bag dispensing apparatus comprises a bag fitment having an elongated buttress female thread and a nipple adapted to be joined to the bag fitment. The nipple comprises an elongated body portion having an axial flow passage therethrough and a projection portion extends radially therefrom. The body portion further includes a first end and a second end. The first end is defined by male buttress thread thereto and the second end is defined by NPT thread thereto. The first end includes a ring cutter and at least one sealing means attached thereto so that the nipple strokes threadedly within the elongated buttress female thread causing the ring cutter to puncture a bag membrane to thereby permit liquid to be dispensed through the flow passage.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to bulk shipping containers and more particularly, to an improved dispensing apparatus used in a bulk bin and bag combination or bag-in-box for storage and dispensing of a flowable material. The bag-in-box as known in the art is type of a container for the storage and transportation of liquid or semi-liquid material.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Containers and / or intermediate bulk container (IBC) is a container used for transport and storage of fluids and bulk materials. They are generally cubic in form and therefore can transport more material in the same area than cylindrically shaped containers and far more than might be shipped in the same space if packaged in consumer quantities. They generally rely on plastic liners that can be filled and dispensed with a variety of systems. The manufacturer / processor of a product can bulk package a product in one country and ship it to many other countries at a reasonably low cost where it...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]This invention provides a solution to dispensing IBC bag liners that eliminates cross threading by using a coarse buttress thread and eliminates leakage when using an external cutter tool. The invention also eliminates leakage while threading in a buttress nipple when using a ring cutter. When comparing the use of a ring cutter and BSP threaded fitments, the present invention provides a seal that doesn't rely on the threads for the seal and eliminates the need for a ring cutter to be provided with each and every bag as it has been the practice. This invention thus eliminates a step in the dispensing process. Typically, when using a ring cutter one has to first removes the plug, removes the ring cutter, insert the ring cutter facing the membrane and then insert the valve and nipple into the dispense fitment. With the present invention, only remove the plug and insert the valve / nipple / cutter assembly.

Problems solved by technology

This happens due to a number of factors such as 1) poor light in operations where the IBC will be dispensed and the fact that 2) the soft fitment tends to go out of round when resting against the side of the dispense hole in the container and 3) the general difficulty in starting soft fine threads.

This fitment has a coarse thread which is very difficult to cross-thread.

Although the buttress fitment solved the cross threading problem it created a new challenge and that was a means to puncture the bag membrane.

When removing the cutter tool prior to installing an outlet fitting, a small amount of product had to be collected or was spilled on the floor.

However, the problem here was that the coarse threads allowed a lot of product to leak while threading in the nipple and the membrane having been punctured.

However, this approach did not produce a complete seal and a small amount of product still was leaked out and was unacceptable for many customers and many products.

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