Liquid pouring auxiliary tool

Abstract

To provide a liquid pouring auxiliary tool capable of accurately pouring out the desired amount of liquid contained in a bag-in-box.SOLUTION: A liquid pouring auxiliary tool 1 which is attached to a bag-in-box 100 containing a liquid to pour out the liquid comprises: a piping section 11 having a flow path guiding the liquid to the outside of the bag-in-box 100; a pouring section 12 having an outlet 12a for downwardly pouring the liquid guided by the piping section 11; a valve 40 provided inside the pouring section 12 for opening and closing the outlet 12a; and a lever 30 for activating the valve 40 in conjunction with operation of an operator. The lever 30 activates the valve 40 through the operation by the operator in a vertical direction and causes the amount of liquid corresponding to the amount of operation of the lever 30 by the operator to be poured out from the outlet 12a. If necessary, a support tool 50 is placed to regulate the movement of the piping section 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid pouring aid applied to a bag-in-box, which is used to pour liquid from the outside of a box when an inner bag is stored in a box such as cardboard.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a liquid pouring cock has been attached to a liquid container in which a plastic bag body generally called a bag-in-box, which contains liquids such as water, alcoholic beverages, liquid detergents, and soy sauce, is placed in a cardboard box made of paper. By operating this liquid pouring cock by a user, the liquid is poured out.

[0003] As a technique related to a conventional liquid pouring cock, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, a cock body and a cock attachment portion joined to a liquid storage container are connected via a connecting portion. The cock body has a cylindrical outer cylinder having an opening at the upper end, a liquid inlet at the side portion, and a discharge port at the lower end, and a cylindrical inner cylinder having an upper portion closed by an opening / closing lever, an internal liquid inlet at the side portion, and a liquid discharge port at the lower end. By operating the opening / closing lever in the lateral direction to rotate the inner cylinder and align the liquid inlet and the internal liquid inlet, a liquid pouring cock capable of pouring liquid from the liquid discharge port is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As for the type of liquid discharge cock described in Patent Document 1 that operates the opening and closing lever in the lateral direction, the structure is relatively simple, and it is possible to easily switch whether or not to discharge the liquid. However, since the outer cylinder and the middle cylinder are in close contact with each other, the outer cylinder and the middle cylinder are likely to rotate together. For this reason, it is difficult to finely move the opening and closing lever to adjust the size at which the liquid inlet and the internal liquid inlet are aligned. Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the amount of liquid discharged, and when pouring the discharged liquid into another container, there is a risk that the liquid will overflow from the container or the liquid level in the container will not reach the predetermined position. This point becomes a problem when applying a liquid discharge cock of the type that operates the opening and closing lever in the lateral direction to retailing a predetermined amount at a time from a bag-in-box containing a liquid with a set price per unit amount, such as liquor, liquid detergent, soy sauce, etc.

[0006] Also, when the liquid in the bag-in-box decreases, it is generally done to tilt the bag-in-box to let the liquid out and make the liquid level in the bag-in-box higher than the hole of the bag body. At this time, when the bag-in-box is tilted, the cock body may become inclined, and there is a risk that the outlet will not face vertically downward. For this reason, there is a risk that it will be difficult to transfer the liquid to another container while tilting the bag-in-box.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid discharge assisting tool capable of accurately discharging a desired amount of the liquid stored in a bag-in-box.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0009] (1) A liquid discharge assisting tool attached to a bag-in-box for storing a liquid, for discharging the liquid, comprising: A piping part having a flow path for guiding the liquid to the outside of the bag-in-box, A pouring part having a pouring outlet for pouring the liquid guided by the piping part downward, a closing part provided inside the pouring part for opening and closing the pouring outlet, and a lever part for operating the closing part in conjunction with an operation of an operator, wherein the lever part operates the closing part by an up-and-down operation by the operator, and pours out an amount of the liquid corresponding to an operation amount of the lever part by the operator from the pouring outlet. A liquid pouring assist tool characterized by that.

[0010] (1) According to this, since an amount of liquid corresponding to the operation amount of the lever part by the operator is poured out from the pouring outlet, it becomes possible for the operator to transfer the liquid to another container while adjusting the amount of liquid poured out from the bag-in-box. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of liquid transferred to another container being small or the liquid overflowing from the container, and it becomes possible to transfer an accurate amount to another container. In this way, it becomes possible to provide a liquid pouring assist tool capable of accurately pouring out a desired amount of the liquid stored in the bag-in-box. In addition, the up, down, left, and right in the present invention basically mean the up, down, left, and right in a state where the bag-in-box to which the liquid pouring assist tool is attached is arranged so that the pouring outlet faces downward.

[0011] (2) In (1), it further includes a support body that is arranged outside the bag-in-box and supports the piping part so as to restrict at least downward movement of the piping part. A liquid pouring assist tool characterized by that.

[0012] (2) According to this, as the amount of liquid stored in the bag-in-box decreases, when the lever part is pressed down, the piping part may rotate downward and the pouring outlet may move. In such a case, by supporting the piping part with the support body and restricting the downward movement of the piping part, it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet. As a result, it becomes easier for the operator to transfer the liquid in the bag-in-box to another container.

[0013] (3) In (2), the support member is configured in an L-shape having a plate-shaped flat portion and a plate-shaped wall portion extending perpendicularly from the flat portion, and when the flat portion is disposed below the bag-in-box, the upper portion of the wall portion abuts against the lower portion of the piping portion. A liquid pouring assist device characterized by this.

[0014] According to (3), by disposing the flat portion below the bag-in-box and bringing the piping portion into contact with the upper portion of the wall portion, it becomes possible to restrict the downward movement of the piping portion. Thereby, it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet.

[0015] (4) In (3), the liquid pouring assist device is characterized by having a recess formed in the upper portion of the wall portion and engaging with the piping portion.

[0016] According to (4), by engaging the piping portion with the recess of the wall portion, it becomes possible to restrict the movement of the piping portion in the left-right direction and downward. Thereby, it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet.

[0017] (5) In (4), the liquid pouring assist device is characterized in that the width and depth of the recess are substantially equal to the outer diameter of the piping portion.

[0018] According to (5), since the piping portion is disposed inside the recess, it becomes possible to more reliably restrict the movement of the piping portion in the left-right direction and downward. Thereby, it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet.

[0019] (6) In (2) to (5), the liquid pouring assist device is characterized in that the support member is made of a magnetic metal.

[0020] According to (6), since the support is made of metal, it is possible to reduce the thickness while maintaining the strength of the support, and it becomes possible to easily arrange the support by sliding the flat portion of the support below the bag-in-box. Further, since the support is made of a magnetic metal, it is possible to adsorb a permanent magnet and further reduce the movement width of the piping portion.

[0021] (7) In (3) to (5), the bag-in-box has a bag body for storing the liquid, a spout attached to the bag body for allowing the liquid to be poured out to the outside and connectable to the liquid pouring aid, and a paper box body for storing the bag body. The liquid pouring aid is characterized in that the upper part of the wall surface portion is sized such that it can be placed inside an opening formed in the box body and exposing the spout to the outside.

[0022] (7) According to this, when the amount of liquid inside the bag-in-box decreases, the bag-in-box is tilted to pour out the remaining liquid to the outside. At this time, since the upper part of the wall surface portion enters inside the opening formed in the box body, the upper part of the wall surface portion does not contact the box body and the tilt of the bag-in-box is not restricted. Therefore, even if the support is arranged, it is possible to tilt the bag-in-box to such an extent that the remaining liquid is poured out to the outside. As a result, it is possible to tilt the bag-in-box while stabilizing the position of the pour spout.

Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid pouring aid capable of accurately pouring out a desired amount of liquid stored in a bag-in-box.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the bag-in-box 100 to which the liquid pouring aid 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bag-in-box 100.

[0026] [Configuration of Bag-in-Box 100] As shown in FIG. 2, the bag-in-box 100 includes a flexible plastic bag body 101, a pouring tool 102, and a cardboard box 103 made of cardboard paper.

[0027] The bag body 101 is a container body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape or a cubic shape, and liquids such as water, alcoholic beverages, liquid detergents, and soy sauce, whose prices per unit quantity are set, are stored inside the bag body 101.

[0028] The pouring tool 102 is composed of a plastic cylindrical body 102a and a lid body 102b. The cylindrical body 102a is attached to the lower part of a specific side surface of the bag body 101, and the liquid inside the bag body 101 can be discharged to the outside through the cylindrical body 102a. A screw thread is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the cylindrical body 102a.

[0029] The lid body 102b is a cylindrical body with a bottom, and a screw groove that can be screwed onto the tip of the cylindrical body 102a is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body part. The lid body 102b is an element excluded from the bag-in-box 100 in a state where the liquid pouring aid 1 is attached.

[0030] The cardboard box 103 is a box body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape or a cubic shape that houses the bag body 101 inside. A circular perforation 103a larger than the lid body 102b is provided at a portion of the cardboard box 103 facing the pouring tool 102.

[0031] When manufacturing the bag-in-box 100, first, the bag body 101 is stored inside the cardboard box 103 so that the pouring tool 102 faces upward. Next, a liquid is injected into the bag body 101 through the cylindrical body 102a. Then, after filling the bag body 101 with the liquid, the lid body 102b is attached to the cylindrical body 102a to prevent the liquid from leaking. Finally, the flap of the cardboard box 103 is folded to close the upper part of the cardboard box 103. Thereby, the bag-in-box 100 is manufactured.

[0032] When using the bag-in-box 100, first, turn the surface where the stitch 103a is formed upward, and cut off the part of the stitch 103a to form a circular opening 103b (see Fig. 8). Expose the pouring tool 102 from this opening 103b. Then, remove the lid 102b and attach the liquid pouring assist tool 1 to the cylindrical body 102a instead of the lid 102b. Finally, by rotating the bag-in-box 100 by 90 degrees so that the liquid pouring assist tool 1 is arranged at the lower part of the side surface, as shown in Fig. 1, the bag-in-box 100 is in a usable state. The bag-in-box 100 shown in Fig. 1 and the liquid pouring assist tool 1 attached to the bag-in-box 100 and pouring liquid from the bag-in-box 100 constitute a liquid container.

[0033] The bag body 101 of the bag-in-box 100 generally has popular capacities of 5 liters, 10 liters, 18 liters, and 20 liters, and an inner diameter of 32 mm is often used as the pouring mouth. According to this embodiment, the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 102a is 32 mm.

[0034] [Configuration of the liquid pouring assist tool 1] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the liquid pouring assist tool 1. Fig. 4 is a side view showing the components of the liquid pouring assist tool 1, Fig. 4(a) is an exploded view, and Fig. 4(b) is an assembled view. The liquid pouring assist tool 1 includes a main body 10 having a flow path through which liquid from the bag-in-box 100 flows, a connecting member 20 for connecting the main body 10 to the bag-in-box 100, a sealing member 21 for sealing the gap between the connecting member 20 and the main body 10, two packings 22, 23, a nut 24, a lever 30, a valve 40, and a support 50.

[0035] The main body 10 includes a cylindrical pipe portion 11 with one end disposed inside the bag-in-box 100, a funnel-shaped pouring portion 12 formed at the other end of the pipe portion 11, a disc-shaped flange portion 13 formed at the central portion of the pipe portion 11, and a threaded portion 14 formed on the cylindrical portion from the position of the flange portion 13 to one end on the outer surface of the pipe portion 11.

[0036] The piping part 11 and the pouring part 12 communicate with each other internally, and the central axis of the pouring part 12 is orthogonal to the central axis of the piping part 11.

[0037] The pouring part 12 has a funnel-shaped upper part that is closed, and a pouring port 12a in a lower part that is thinner than the upper part.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the components of the liquid pouring assist tool 1, FIG. 5(a) shows the connecting member 20, and FIG. 5(b) shows the sealing member 21.

[0039] The connecting member 20 has a cylindrical part 20a formed of a bottomed cylindrical body, and an annular flange part 20b extending in the radial direction from the opening edge of the cylindrical part 20a. A thread groove that can be screwed onto the cylindrical body 102a is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical part 20a, and a circular hole part 20c that is slightly larger than the flange part 13 is formed at the center of the bottom surface. Note that the connecting member 20 of the present embodiment has a hole part 20c formed at the center of the bottom surface of the lid body 102b.

[0040] The sealing member 21 has a cylindrical part 21a formed of a bottomed cylindrical body sized to be accommodated inside the connecting member 20, and an annular flange part 21b extending in the radial direction from the opening edge of the cylindrical part 21a. A hole part 21c is formed at the center of the bottom surface of the cylindrical part 21a. This hole part 21c is formed in a circular shape with a radius larger than that of the piping part 11 and smaller than that of the flange part 13. The diameter of the flange part 21b is set to be larger than the hole part 20c of the connecting member 20 and smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting member 20. For this reason, when the sealing member 21 is accommodated inside the connecting member 20, the flange part 21b abuts against the bottom surface of the connecting member 20.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of packings 22 and 23. FIG. 6(a) is a view of the packings 22 and 23 seen from above, and FIG. 6(b) is a view of the packings 22 and 23 seen from below. The packing 22 and the packing 23 have the same shape. The packings 22 and 23 are annular rubber members having hole portions 22a and 23a at the center. One of the front and back surfaces of each of the packings 22 and 23 is tapered so as to slope downward from the central hole portions 22a and 23a toward the outer peripheral side. The diameters of the hole portions 22a and 23a are substantially the same as the outer diameter of one end portion of the piping portion 11, and the diameters of the packings 22 and 23 are substantially the same as the diameter of the flange portion 13.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 4, the nut 24 is screwed onto the threaded portion 14 of the piping portion 11. The lever 30 is disposed above the pouring portion 12 and is for the user to perform an operation of moving it in the vertical direction. The valve 40 as an opening / closing portion is disposed inside the pouring portion 12 and opens and closes the pouring port 12a from the inside in conjunction with the lever 30.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lever 30 has an isosceles trapezoidal plate-like operation portion 30a and a pair of plate-like extending portions 30b and 30b vertically standing from the lower surface of the operation portion 30a.

[0044] The operation portion 30a is a portion operated by the user, and the height direction of the isosceles trapezoid is formed in a long shape. The extending portion 30b is formed in a right trapezoid shape, and the hypotenuse portion of the extending portion 30b serves as the base with the operation portion 30a. Chamfers are provided at both corner portions at the tip end portion of the extending portion 30b.

[0045] Further, the pair of extending portions 30b and 30b extend from the tapered end portion of the operation portion 30a. The pair of extending portions 30b and 30b are arranged at a predetermined interval so as to be line-symmetrical with respect to the vertical bisector of the isosceles trapezoid in the operation portion 30a.

[0046] The lever 30 is arranged such that a pair of extending portions 30b, 30b abut against the upper surface of the pouring portion 12. At this time, since the operating portion 30a extends obliquely along the hypotenuse portions of the extending portions 30b, 30b, it extends obliquely upward with respect to the central axis of the piping portion 11. Note that the angle between the direction in which the operating portion 30a extends and the central axis of the piping portion 11 can be set as appropriate. In the present embodiment, it is set to about 30 degrees.

[0047] The lever 30 and the valve 40 are connected by a telescopic member (for example, rubber) (not shown). A small hole is formed at the center of the upper surface of the pouring portion 12, and the telescopic member (not shown) is passed through this small hole.

[0048] The normal state of the lever 30 is a state in which the extending end portions of the extending portions 30b, 30b are in contact. In the normal state, the valve 40 closes the pouring outlet 12a. When the user presses or lifts the operating portion 30a, the valve 40 is pulled up and the pouring outlet 12a is opened. Note that, as shown in FIG. 9(b), when the operating portion 30a is lifted and the extending portions 30b, 30b are rotated by 90 degrees so that the short sides of the extending portions 30b, 30b abut against the upper surface of the pouring portion 12, that is, in a state where the lever 30 is rotated by 90 degrees, it is maintained. In this state, the valve 40 is pulled up and the pouring outlet 12a is maintained in an open state. Further, the lever 30 can be rotated 180 degrees around the central axis of the pouring portion 12 so that the direction of the operating portion 30a is opposite to that in the normal state.

[0049] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the support 50. The support 50 as a support body is composed of a rectangular flat plate-shaped plane portion 50a and a rectangular flat plate-shaped wall portion 50b that extends perpendicularly from one end in the longitudinal direction of the plane portion 50a. According to the present embodiment, the support 50 is made of a metal having magnetism, such as iron or stainless steel, and is configured by applying an L-shaped bend to a rectangular metal plate.

[0050] The widths of the flat portion 50a and the wall portion 50b are set within a range that is shorter than the diameter of the opening 103b that can be formed in the cardboard box 103 and longer than the diameter of the flange portion 13. The length of the flat portion 50a is approximately 1 / 2 of the lateral width of the cardboard box 103, and the length (height) of the wall portion 50b is set to the length from the lower surface of the cardboard box 103 to the uppermost part of the portion from the flange portion 13 to the pouring portion in the piping portion 11 when the liquid pouring aid 1 is attached to the bag body 101 of the bag-in-box 100 instead of the lid body 102b.

[0051] At the center of the upper end portion of the wall portion 50b, a recess 50c extending downward is formed. The width and depth of the recess 50c are set to be slightly longer than the outer diameter of the piping portion 11. That is, the recess 50c is formed so that the piping portion 11 can be placed inside.

[0052] Next, the assembly of the connecting member 20, the sealing members 21, the two packings 22, 23, and the nut 24 to the main body 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0053] First, the connecting member 20 is passed through the piping portion 11, and the connecting member 20 is positioned between the pouring portion 12 and the flange portion 13. Next, the packing 22 is inserted into the piping portion 11. At this time, the surface opposite to the tapered surface of the packing 22 is inserted facing the flange portion 13 and brought into contact with the plate surface of the flange portion 13. Next, with the opening side of the sealing member 21 facing the flange portion 13, the piping portion 11 is inserted into the hole portion 21c. Next, the packing 23 is inserted into the piping portion 11 with the tapered surface facing the flange portion 13. Finally, the nut 24 is screwed onto the piping portion 11, and the packings 22, the sealing member 21, and the packing 23 are brought into close contact between the flange portion 13 and the nut 24. At this time, the flange portion 13 and the packing 22 are accommodated inside the sealing member 21. Since the connecting member 20 can abut against the flange portion 21b of the sealing member 21, it is maintained in a loosely fitted state on the piping portion 11. Thereby, the liquid pouring aid 1 is assembled.

[0054] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a state where the liquid pouring assist device 1 is attached to the bag-in-box 100. First, place the bag-in-box 100 on a table or the like with the perforation 103a on the upper surface. Cut out the part of the perforation 103a (see FIG. 2) in the cardboard box 103 of the bag-in-box 100, expose the pouring tool 102 from the opening 103b, and remove the lid 102b. Next, insert the pipe part 11 into the inside of the cylindrical body 102a and screw the connecting member 20 to the cylindrical body 102a. Thereby, the liquid pouring assist device 1 is attached to the bag-in-box 100. Finally, rotate the bag-in-box 100 by 90 degrees so that the pouring outlet 12a of the pouring part 12 faces downward as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 8. In this state, by operating the lever 30, the liquid in the bag-in-box 100 is poured out from the pouring outlet 12a through the pipe part 11.

[0055] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing an operation example using the liquid pouring assist device 1. As shown in FIG. 9(a), by pressing down the lever 30, the liquid in the bag-in-box 100 is poured out from the pouring outlet 12a. At this time, by adjusting the pressing amount of the lever 30, the amount of liquid poured out from the pouring outlet 12a can be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 9(b), by lifting and rotating the lever 30 by 90 degrees, the state where the liquid in the bag-in-box 100 is poured out from the pouring outlet 12a can also be maintained.

[0056] The user returns the lever 30, presses down the lever 30, and continues until the desired amount of liquid is accurately poured into the container while adjusting the amount of liquid poured out. Thereby, the user can accurately transfer the required amount of liquid in the bag-in-box 100 to another container. Moreover, when transferring to another container, it is possible to reduce the overflow of liquid from the container.

[0057] Note that the length of the operation part 30a of the lever 30 is preferably such that when the user presses down the operation part 30a, the operation part 30a does not interfere with the connecting member 20.

[0058] Incidentally, in order to adjust the amount of liquid poured out from the pouring part 12, it is advantageous for the operation part 30a to be long. In order to make the operation part 30a long, it is necessary to make the piping part 11 long. However, when the piping part 11 becomes long, when the operation part 30a of the lever 30 is pressed, the piping part 11 itself will tilt downward due to the pressing force, the position of the pouring outlet 12a will change, and it will become difficult to pour the liquid into another container. In particular, when the amount of liquid in the bag-in-box 100 decreases, the bag body 101 is likely to deform.

[0059] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the lever 30 in a state where the amount of liquid in the bag-in-box 100 has decreased. When the operation part 30a of the lever 30 is pressed in a state where the amount of liquid in the bag-in-box 100 has decreased, as shown in FIG. 10, the pouring tool 102 will tilt, and accordingly, the piping part 11 will tilt downward, and the position of the pouring outlet 12a will change. For this reason, there is a possibility that it will become difficult to pour the liquid into another container. For example, it is conceivable to suppress the inclination of the pouring tool 102 with the hand opposite to the hand pressing the operation part 30a, but usually, the opposite hand often holds another container that is the extraction destination. For this reason, it is also difficult to hold down the inclination of the pouring tool 102 by hand. In such a case, by using the support tool 50, it becomes possible to stabilize the pouring outlet 12a in a state facing vertically downward, and it becomes easier to pour the liquid into another container.

[0060] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the support tool 50 is used for the bag-in-box 100. When the bag-in-box 100 is placed on a table and used, the flat part 50a of the support tool 50 is inserted between the bag-in-box 100 and the table, and the piping part 11 is placed in the concave part 50c. Thereby, it becomes possible to restrict the vertical and horizontal movement of the piping part 11, and it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet 12a.

[0061] Also, when the water level in the bag-in-box 100 is lower than the spout 102, it becomes difficult for the liquid to flow out from the spout 12a. At this time, since the bag-in-box 100 is lightweight, for example, a store clerk can lift the back part of the bag-in-box 100 seen from the spout 102 side and tilt it forward, i.e., toward the spout 102 side, so that the liquid is sent out toward the spout 102 side.

[0062] FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a state where the bag-in-box 100 is tilted toward the spout 102 side. By tilting the bag-in-box 100, as shown in FIG. 12, the spout 102 tilts, and accordingly, the piping portion 11 tilts forward, so that the position of the spout 12a changes. As a result, it may become difficult to pour the liquid into another container.

[0063] FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing a state where the support tool 50 is used for the tilted bag-in-box 100. When the bag-in-box 100 is placed on a table for use, the flat portion 50a of the support tool 50 is inserted between the bag-in-box 100 and the table, and the piping portion 11 is placed in the concave portion 50c. Thereby, it becomes possible to restrict the vertical and horizontal movement of the piping portion 11 and to stabilize the position of the spout 12a. By using the support tool 50, it becomes possible to stabilize the position of the spout 12a and to make it easier to pour the liquid into another container. When the end of the operation portion 30a abuts against the bag-in-box 100 when the bag-in-box 100 is tilted, the lever 30 may be rotated 180 degrees so that the operation portion 30a faces the opposite side with respect to the bag-in-box 100 as shown in FIG. 13.

[0064] Note that, as shown in FIG. 13, it is desirable that the width of the support tool 50 be such that the upper part of the wall surface portion 50b can be inserted into the opening portion 103b when the bag-in-box 100 is tilted. Specifically, it is desirable that the width be longer than the inner diameter of the connecting member 20 and shorter than the diameter of the opening portion 103b. According to the present embodiment, the width of the support tool 50 is set to about 5 cm.

[0065] [Operation and Effect] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, since the liquid is poured out from the pouring outlet 12a according to the operation amount of the lever 30 by the operator, the operator can transfer the liquid to another container while adjusting the liquid amount from the bag-in-box 100. As a result, it is possible to reduce the situation where the amount of liquid transferred to another container is too small or the liquid overflows from another container, and it becomes possible to accurately transfer the liquid to another container. In this way, it becomes possible to provide the liquid pouring assist device 1 that can accurately pour out the desired amount of liquid stored in the bag-in-box. The bag-in-box 100 according to the present embodiment is a container suitable for selling by weight by transferring an amount of liquid less than the total capacity of the bag-in-box 100 to another container, rather than handling an amount of liquid corresponding to the total capacity of the bag-in-box 100 at one time. For example, when selling only 200 milliliters of the liquid in the bag-in-box 100, a container for 200 milliliters is prepared in advance, and the liquid is poured out until the liquid level reaches a specific part in this container. Thereby, it becomes possible to transfer the liquid to the container without excess or deficiency, and it is possible to reduce the loss for both the customer and the store side.

[0066] Further, according to the present embodiment, by supporting the pipe portion 11 by the support 50 and restricting the downward movement of the pipe portion 11, even when a downward force is applied to the pipe portion 11 when the lever 30 is pressed, it is possible to stabilize the position of the pouring outlet 12a. This facilitates the operation of transferring the liquid in the bag-in-box 100 to another container.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the support 50 is configured in an L shape having a plate-shaped flat portion 50a and a plate-shaped wall portion 50b extending perpendicularly from the flat portion 50a. By disposing the flat portion 50a below the bag-in-box 100 and bringing the pipe portion 11 into contact with the upper portion of the wall portion 50b, it becomes possible to restrict the downward movement of the pipe portion 11. Further, by engaging the pipe portion 11 with a recess 50c formed in the upper portion of the wall portion 50b, it becomes possible to restrict the movement of the pipe portion 11 in the left-right direction and downward. Moreover, since the width and depth of the recess 50c are substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pipe portion 11, the pipe portion 11 is disposed inside the recess 50c, and it becomes possible to more reliably restrict the movement of the pipe portion 11 in the left-right direction and downward.

[0068] According to this embodiment, since the support 50 is made of metal, it is possible to reduce the thickness while maintaining the strength of the support 50, and it becomes easy to insert the flat portion 50a of the support 50 between the bag-in-box 100 and the table while sliding. Further, since the support 50 is made of a metal having magnetism, it becomes possible to adsorb a permanent magnet to further reduce the movement range of the pipe portion 11. For example, by preparing a U-shaped magnet into which the pipe portion 11 can be inserted, covering the pipe portion 11 from above with the U-shaped magnet, and adsorbing both ends of the U-shaped magnet to the upper portion of the wall portion 50b, the movement of the pipe portion 11 can be restricted.

[0069] According to this embodiment, when the amount of liquid inside the bag-in-box 100 decreases, the bag-in-box 100 is tilted to pour out the remaining liquid to the outside. At this time, since the upper portion of the wall portion 50b enters the inside of the opening 103b formed in the cardboard box 103, the upper portion of the wall portion 50b abuts against the cardboard box 103 and the tilt of the bag-in-box 100 is no longer restricted. For this reason, even if the support 50 is disposed, it becomes possible to tilt the bag-in-box 100 to the extent that the remaining liquid is poured out to the outside, and it becomes possible to tilt the bag-in-box 100 while stabilizing the position of the spout 12a.

[0070] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the present invention can be modified within a range not exceeding its gist. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the support 50 is made of metal, but it may be made of resin, for example. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the support 50 is L-shaped, but it may be T-shaped. For example, the support 50 may extend a predetermined length along the flat portion 50a from the base portion of the flat portion 50a and the wall portion 50b. Thereby, the amount of liquid in the bag-in-box 100 is reduced, and when the bag-in-box 100 is tilted, it is possible to prevent the support 50 from tilting or falling together with the bag-in-box 100.

Explanation of Signs

[0071] 1 Liquid pouring assist device 10 Main body 11 Pipe portion 12 Pouring portion 12a Pouring outlet 13 Flange portion 14 Threaded portion 20 Connecting member 20a Cylindrical portion 20b Flange portion 20c Hole portion 21 Sealing member 21a Cylindrical portion 21b Flange portion 21c Hole portion 22, 23 Packing 22a, 23a Hole portion 24 Nut 30 Lever 30a Operating portion 30b Extending portion 40 Valve 50 Support 50a Flat portion 50b Wall portion 50c Concave portion 100 Bag-in-box 101 Bag body 102 Pouring tool 102a Cylindrical body 102b Lid body 103-piece cardboard box 103a perforation 103b opening

Claims

1. A liquid pouring aid attached to a bag-in-box for containing a liquid and for pouring out the liquid, comprising: a piping section having a flow path for guiding the liquid to the outside of the bag-in-box; a pouring section having a pouring outlet for pouring downward the liquid guided by the piping section; a switching section provided inside the pouring section for opening and closing the pouring outlet; a lever section for operating the switching section in conjunction with an operation by an operator, wherein the lever section operates the switching section by an up-and-down operation by the operator, and pours out from the pouring outlet an amount of the liquid corresponding to an operation amount of the lever section by the operator. The liquid pouring aid is characterized by this.

2. The liquid pouring aid according to claim 1, further comprising a support body that is disposed outside the bag-in-box and supports the piping section so as to restrict at least downward movement of the piping section.

3. The support body: is configured in an L-shape having a plate-shaped flat surface portion and a plate-shaped wall surface portion extending perpendicularly from the flat surface portion, and when the flat surface portion is disposed below the bag-in-box, an upper portion of the wall surface portion abuts against a lower portion of the piping section. The liquid pouring aid according to claim 2 is characterized by this.

4. The support body: has a recess formed in an upper portion of the wall surface portion, into which the piping section engages. The liquid pouring aid according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. The width and depth of the recess are substantially equal to an outer diameter of the piping section. The liquid pouring aid according to claim 4 is characterized by this.

6. The support body is made of a magnetic metal. The liquid pouring aid according to any one of claims 2 to 5 is characterized by this.

7. The bag-in-box has a bag body for containing the liquid, a pouring tool attached to the bag body for enabling the liquid to be poured out to the outside and connectable to the liquid pouring aid, and a paper box body for containing the bag body, wherein an upper portion of the wall surface portion has a size that can be placed inside an opening formed in the box body and exposing the pouring tool to the outside. The liquid pouring aid according to any one of claims 3 to 5 is characterized by this.

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