Disposable Liner Pouch with Fitment for Clean Beverage Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage dispensing systems face challenges in maintaining the cleanliness of reusable vessels and valves, as liquids often come into contact with them, leading to contamination and increased cleaning complexity.

Innovation Solution

A disposable urn liner assembly with a flexible pouch and fluid dispensing fitment is used, where the pouch is placed inside the vessel, allowing liquids to be poured in without contacting the vessel or valve, and the top is sealed or tied to prevent contamination and facilitate easy cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a disposable liner assembly with pouch and fitment is used, then the cleanliness of reusable vessel and valve is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination of reusable vessel and valveVSAvoidcomplexity of liner assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The liner assembly is divided into separate functional components: a pouch for containing liquid, a fitment assembly with valve for controlled dispensing, and a spout for directing flow. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall functionality, resolving the contradiction by making the disposable liner complex enough to protect the reusable vessel but simple enough to be easily replaced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs a disposable liner assembly that is discarded after single use, eliminating the need to clean and sanitize the reusable vessel and valve. This disposable approach directly addresses the contamination problem by ensuring the reusable components never contact the liquid, while the low cost and simple construction of the disposable liner keep the added complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Ease of operation

If the pouch is partially sealed with tear strip and tie strip, then ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of opening and closing pouchVSAvoidprecision of seal and perforation alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pouch is pre-formed with perforated tear strips and tied-down strips during manufacturing, preparing the structure for easy user operation. The tear strips include pre-defined break points that allow users to easily open the pouch by pulling, while the tied-down strips are pre-positioned to securely close the pouch after use. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction by embedding operational ease into the manufacturing process itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the pouch are given different properties: the top seal area includes perforated tear strips for easy opening, the side walls have reinforced seams for durability, and the bottom includes the fitment assembly for controlled dispensing. This local differentiation of qualities allows each area to serve its specific function optimally, balancing ease of operation with manufacturing feasibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the fitment assembly with tube and valve is used, then reliability of fluid dispensing is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of fluid dispensingVSAvoidcomplexity of fitment assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fitment assembly employs a nested structure where the tube is inserted through the valve, and the spout connects to the tube. This nesting arrangement allows multiple functional components to be integrated in a compact manner, improving dispensing reliability by ensuring proper fluid flow path while minimizing the overall space required and reducing the complexity of assembly compared to separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11332304B2Liner for beverage and food vessels

Publication Date: 2022.05.17 LB EUROPE LIMITED

AI summary

A liner for use with a fluid dispensing vessel. The liner includes a flexible pouch defining an interior region and configured to be placed in a fluid dispensing vessel. The pouch includes a top end that is partially sealed and that includes a first opening. The pouch includes a fluid passageway defined by at least two sealed boundaries and that leads from the opening to the interior region. The pouch includes a bottom end that includes a second opening. The liner includes a fluid dispensing fitment connected to the pouch and configured to be in fluid communication with interior region via the second opening. When fluid is poured into the interior region of the pouch through the opening, it can be dispensed from the pouch through the fitment.