Container for holding flexible bag

Abstract

A container for dispensing a beverage includes a top panel, a left panel coupled to the top panel, a right panel coupled to the top panel and opposite the left panel, a first bottom panel coupled to the left panel, the first bottom panel including a first opening, a second bottom panel coupled to the right panel and overlaying the first bottom panel, the second bottom panel including a second opening coincident with the first opening to form at least a portion of a container opening, a front panel coupled to either the left of right panel and a support panel coupled to the front panel and disposed against either the first or second bottom panel.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to a container for storing a flexible bag that holds a liquid, and more particularly to a container that allows the liquid to be dispensed from the flexible bag.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Dispensing machines such as that shown in FIG. 1 have become ubiquitous at hotels, restaurants, colleges, and foodservice operations that need to serve large volumes of drinks to many consumers. In such a traditional beverage dispensing system, beverage concentrates are stored in containers within the dispensing machine. To acquire the desired beverage, a user places a cup under the dispensing spout and pushes a button. When the button is pressed, a switch is activated, and the beverage dispensing machine actuates a dispense valve on the beverage concentrate container. The beverage concentrate flows to a mixing chamber where it is mixed with water to form the beverage. The reconstituted beverage is the sent downwardly out of ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Thawing requires time and the frozen state of the concentrate prevents the products from being useful upon their arrival.

Further, because the concentrates are water-based, upon thawing the product shrinks in size.

Moreover, a frozen product may thaw during the trip and re-freeze, thus allowing the product to become contaminated.

Finally, preservatives are often added to the product, which is becoming less and less desirable to the consumer.

However, the particular design has proven to be unsatisfactory because the box is not strong enough to maintain the valve in a fixed position.

Because the corrugated box cannot maintain the valve, the valve generally collapses into the interior of the corrugated box.

Further, the interior of the beverage dispensing machine is wet and humid, and the corrugated material itself tends to break down, thus exacerbating the problem of the container not being able to hold the valve in place to properly dispense the liquid.

As mentioned earlier, there are several disadvantages in using the frozen concentrate.

However, the currently used packaging for concentrates used for beverage dispensing machines are not useful for aseptics.

This set-up, while possible, is not financially reasonable.

The previously described bag-in-a-box system is not effective because it retains its problems listed above.

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