Five Side Panel Shipping and Storage System
A packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The packaging assembly includes a box and liner. The box may have a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior. The four sides may be formed from at least five side panels. The liner has a bag portion and a fitment portion. The bag portion can be positioned in substantially a separate compartment of the box from the fitment portion. A product hold down flap may separate the interior of the box into the at least two compartments. The product hold down flap may have a main portion and at least one leg flap. The main portion, top end, and bottom end, may be positioned generally parallel to one another, and the leg flap may positioned adjacent a side of the box in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the main portion.
The present disclosure relates to shipping and packaging systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a packaging system including a fillable liner that may be placed inside of a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a Bag in Box packaging system, wherein the box is formed from at least five side panels, and wherein the system may be suitable for storing and/or shipping hazardous materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn order to transport hazardous materials, the requirements set forth in the Hazardous Material Regulations (“HMR”) document that is published by the Department of Transportation (“DOT”), Title 49 CFR must be met. The regulations include information on package classification, markings, labeling, documentation, specifications, testing procedures, as well as training requirements for personnel. The DOT requirements also conform to the principles established by the United Nations (“UN”) Model Regulations. All dangerous goods in international marine and international or domestic air transport are required to be in packaging displaying the UN marking. The UN marking indicates that the packaging design has been tested and has passed the recommendations of the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.
UN Certified packaging, therefore, undergo rigorous testing procedures intended to ensure that packaging that will contain hazardous materials can withstand normal conditions of transportation and are considered to provide the minimum acceptable design standards. Such testing includes a number of performance-oriented tests related to packaging integrity. How strenuous the tests are depends on the Packing Group into which the tested packaging falls. Packaging is tested in the “as for shipment” condition. Packaging may be submitted to the drop test; the stacking test; the leak proof test; the hydrostatic test; and/or the vibration test. Each of the tests has specific guidelines set up to ensure that the packaging being tested will conform to the respective packing group requirements. Accordingly, both a strong and durable packaging system is needed to pass the strenuous testing to which the packaging for hazardous materials is subjected.
Substantially rigid plastic containers with replaceable covers, e.g., bucket-type containers, also known as pails, are commonly used to package and ship selected liquid and viscous materials in the nature of foods and food preparation materials, cosmetic preparations, detergents, and the like, as well as hazardous materials. Such containers are sturdy, typically having a wall thickness in the range of about 0.075 inches to about 0.090 inches, and have a large mouth that renders them well suited for storing and dispensing a variety of viscous liquids. A typical 20-liter empty bucket may weigh approximately 2.25 lbs. Rigid plastic containers have traditionally been used for shipping hazardous materials because they may more easily comply with United Nations (“UN”) and Department of Transportation (“DOT”) certification requirements.
Nonetheless, pails have several drawbacks, including their weight, size, shape, and the material of which they are comprised. As stated above, a single traditional 20-liter bucket, for instance, may weigh approximately 2.25 pounds empty, which adds a considerable amount of weight to a truckload of product. Buckets or pails are also typically cylindrically shaped, making them inefficient for skidding or shipping because there may be a substantial amount of unused space between one bucket and the next bucket. Further, due to the rigidity of the buckets, they may take up a significant amount of space after use, but before disposal. The buckets may also be difficult or costly to dispose of or recycle. Further, the large mouth of the buckets may not allow for controlled discharge of the contents, which may be especially important for discharging hazardous materials that should not contact a person's skin, be spilled, and/or contaminated.
Another mode of shipping liquid products, including some hazardous products, is the “Bag in Box” (“BIB”) method, in which a bag made of flexible single or double ply plastic film and provided with a fitment for discharge of the bag's contents is stored in a box made of corrugated cardboard. The BIB may generally be preferable over the pail for a number of reasons, such as, the BIB may weigh less; be collapsible and hence take up less space; be palletized more efficiently because there may be no void space between boxes; etc. Further advantages of the BIB arise from plastic recycling requirements and food packaging regulations. For example, environmental regulations require containers with a volume of 5 gallons or less to be made of a recyclable material. Additionally, governmental regulations require that plastic containers for foodstuffs be made of a virgin plastic material. Flexible bags used in the BIB packaging system comprise a relatively smaller amount of plastic in comparison to pail containers, thereby reducing the amount of plastic that has to be disposed of or recycled.
Traditionally, the box of a BIB may have end panels, and four side panels comprised of corrugated cardboard that may be connected or attached to one another to form a box. Corrugated cardboard boxes may have a variety of thicknesses. Generally, cardboard boxes that are designed to meet UN/DOT standards are relatively thicker, in order to gain strength and durability. Similarly, BIB designs subject to UN standards may have a cube shape, such that each side, edge, and corner of the box may bear the weight of the contents substantially equally. With a cube-shaped box design, it is expected that no side, corner, or seam may be inherently weaker than any other side, corner or seam. Even with a cube-shaped box design, however, with or without relatively thicker box materials, meeting UN standards proves difficult, particularly when the bag contains a liquid that may shift within the liner.
A bag, also known as a liner, of a BIB system may have some type of fitment/sealing cap assembly. Typically, a fitment portion may be integral with the liner and a cap may be detachably secured to the fitment. The bag may be filled with material through the fitment opening. Once the bag is filled, the cap may be fixed on the fitment, in order to securely contain the contents of the bag. The cap may be removed to permit the bag to be emptied of its contents. Ideally, a bag filled with material may be snuggly and uniformly enclosed within a box to minimize the ability of the liquid to shift. However, due to the presence of the fitment/cap assembly, which may protrude a significant distance from a side of the liner, the liner of a typical BIB system may not be snuggly and uniformly enclosed within the box. Accordingly, when liquid shifts, particularly during a fall, uneven pressure and force may be applied to the sides and seams to which the liquid shifts, making those areas susceptible to damage and/or leakage. Further, traditional BIB systems may have the fitment positioned outside of the box, making such systems unlikely to be able to pass the strict requirements of the UN and/or DOT.
Thus, a need exists for a BIB system suitable for storing and shipping contents, including potentially hazardous contents, that may be subject to UN and/or DOT regulations. A further need exists for a BIB system including a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure relates to shipping and storage systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a packaging system including a fillable liner that may be placed inside of a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a BIB packaging system, wherein the box is formed from at least five side panels, and wherein the system may be suitable for storing and/or shipping hazardous materials.
The present disclosure, in one embodiment, relates to a packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The packaging assembly includes a box and liner. The box may have a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior. The four sides may be formed from at least five side panels. The liner has a bag portion and a fitment portion. The bag portion can be positioned in substantially a separate compartment of the box from the fitment portion. A product hold down flap may separate the interior of the box into the at least two compartments. The product hold down flap may have a main portion and at least one leg flap. The main portion, top end, and bottom end, may be positioned generally parallel to one another, and the leg flap may positioned adjacent a side of the box in a substantially intersecting or connected, including substantially perpendicular, orientation to the main portion.
The present disclosure, in another embodiment, relates to a method of packaging, storing, and shipping liquids, viscous materials, and particulate materials. the method includes filling a liner with material, wherein the liner comprises a bag portion and a fitment portion, and securing the liner inside of a box. The box has a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior. The four sides are formed from at least five side panels. The bag portion is contained in one compartment of the box, and the fitment portion of the liner is substantially contained in a separate compartment of the box. In some cases, the liner is filled after securing it inside of the box. In yet further cases, the liner is filled and secured inside of the box using an automatic case erector.
The present disclosure, in yet another embodiment, relates to a box for a bag in box system. The box may include a top end, a bottom end, and four sides formed from at least five side panels. One of the at least five side panels may include a product hold down flap separating the interior of the box into at least two compartments.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the disclosure will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:
The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous shipping and storage systems that may be used to ship liquid or viscous products or particulate matter. As illustrated in
Any suitable style of liner may be used in conjunction with the containers or boxes of the present disclosure, including a pillow-bag liner, a bag with corner seam welds, or any other type of liner, including but not limited to a liner such as that generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,121, entitled “Bag for Bag-in-Box and Bag-in-Box,” which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. More particularly, a liner of the BIB of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, may be made of a plastics thin film, for example. The liner films may be made in a variety of thicknesses, and in some embodiments may depend on, and strike a balance between, for instance, the desired cost and the robustness of the liner. The liner may be comprised of one layer of plastic, or a plurality of layers, or may have some portions with a first number of layers, and other portions with a different number of layers. A fitment may be provided and may be integral with the liner, and made of a harder plastic, for example, than the plastic that comprises the bag portion of the liner. The fitment may be positioned at any convenient or suitable location on the liner.
The liner 102 may further be provided with one or more outlets, fittings, or fitments 220 for filling or emptying the liner 102. A fitment 220 may include one or more lips 222 for securing the fitment 220 to the box 104, as will be described in detail below. The fitment 220 may also include a surface on its interior or exterior for engaging and securing a cap. Securing or locking mechanisms that may be used to engage a cap include but are not limited to press-fit, threads, or bayonet connections.
In some embodiments, illustrated in
A box of the present disclosure may be assembled from a flat carton sheet. Typically, the flat sheet may be formed from a blank sheet by die cutting or other suitable method. Stacks of unassembled boxes, also referred to as flat sheets, may be stored and shipped in a collapsed state. A box of the present disclosure in some embodiments may be comprised of cardboard, but it will be recognized that corrugated cardboard, paperboard, boxboard, or other forms of heavy-duty paper or plastic materials, or any combination thereof, may also be used to form a box of the present disclosure. The material used to form a box may be 100% recyclable, or may be recyclable to a lesser degree. A box may be made to any size, including but not limited to hold about 5 gallons or less. A box of the present disclosure, when assembled, may be shaped generally as a cube or rectangular prism.
In one embodiment, the fifth side panel 410 may be generally square or rectangular in shape, with a shoulder portion 438 in one corner. A product hold down flap 440, defined by fold line 442 and separation 444 bordering shoulder portion 438, may extend from one end of the fifth side panel 410. The product hold down flap 440, in one embodiment, may include a main portion 446, one or more leg flaps 448 defined by leg flap fold lines 449, a fitment opening 450, and a perforated fitment securing portion 452. As can be seen in
With reference to
The bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be assembled by folding along fold lines 436, as will be understood in the art, to form a bottom end panel. In one embodiment, two or more of the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to one another. However, in other embodiments, it is not necessary to permanently affix the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 to one another. While gluing has been specifically mentioned, other methods for securing the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be used, such as but not limited to tape, staples, slots and latches formed in the material, or any other suitable method, or combination of methods, including but not limited to overlapping the bottom flaps in a criss-crossing or overlapping pattern.
As can be seen in
Before folding the product hold down flap 440 along fold line 442, or in other embodiments, as the product hold down flap 440 is folded along fold line 442 and positioned within the side panels 404, 406, 408, 410, the leg flaps 448 may fold up at the leg flap fold lines 449 such that they are positioned generally perpendicular to the main portion 446 and generally adjacent to a respective side panel. The height of the leg flaps 448 may be substantially equal to the height of the shoulder portion 438. Accordingly, a top edge of the leg flaps 448 may reinforce the top end of the box when in an assembled and closed position. In one embodiment, one or more of the leg flaps 448 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to an interior side of a respective side panel. However, it is recognized that in other embodiments, it is not necessary to secure the leg flaps 448, and the structure of the assembled box 104 could keep the leg flaps in place and adjacent to a respective side panel, without permanently affixing the leg flaps 448. In some cases, the height of the leg flaps 448 may be selected based on the desired packaging specifications.
When the box is assembled and the product hold down flap 440 has been folded down into the formed box at fold line 442, the shoulder portion 438 may extend above the product hold down flap 440. Similar to the rest of the fifth side panel 410, the shoulder portion 438 may also be, although not necessarily, attached to panel 402. In this way, the shoulder portion 438 may provide further strength and integrity to its respective edge (e.g., the edge between side panels 408 and 410) of the assembled box 104. Thus formed, in some embodiments, each of the side panels adjacent a leg flap 448 may be reinforced by having a portion with a second panel layer. For example, as shown in
In addition to providing support for a top end of the box, the product hold down flap 440 can also separate the box 104 into two separate areas or compartments. A first free space area or void area may be formed between the main portion 446 and the top end of the box formed by closing the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434, as described below. A second liner area or compartment may be formed between the main portion 446 and the bottom end of the box formed by closing the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426.
As will be recognized, in the embodiment of
As further shown in
As can be better seen in
While the process of positioning the fitment in the fitment opening and replacing the fitment securing portion may be done manually, it will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that a standard case erector may be custom-modified such that these steps are automated. In some embodiments using the aforementioned configuration, the fitment 220 may be secured to the product hold down flap by the case erector and then the liner may be filled. In other embodiments the liner may be filled first and then secured to the product hold down flap by the case erector. In order to more advantageously work with a case erector, in another embodiment of a box 704 of the present disclosure, shown in
The liner may be secured to the fitment opening, positioned within the box, and filed in generally any order. For example, in some embodiments, the liner may be placed in the box, secured to the fitment opening, then filled. However, in other embodiments, the liner may be filled, placed in the box, then secured to the fitment opening. In any of the above embodiments, once the liner has received contents, a cap may be affixed to the fitment of the liner, as described above.
As shown in
As stated above, the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434, may be folded down to secure the system when it is being shipped or stored. In one embodiment, for example, tape, such as a strong, water-resistant tape, or other suitable tape, may be used to secure one or more of the top flaps down and together so that the top end of the box may be securely closed. While reference is made to using tape to secure the top flaps, it is also within the scope of the present disclosure to secure the flaps by any suitable means, such as glue, staples, or any other suitable method or combination of methods. To further assist in usability of the box 104 and accessibility to the liner 102 while in the box when the box is secured closed, in one embodiment shown in
More specifically, as shown in
As shown in
In further embodiments, as a security feature, in order to access the fitment/cap assembly 220/302, and by extension the contents of the liner 102, it may be required that the fitment/cap assembly tab 904 be removed. Accordingly, removal of the fitment/cap assembly tab 904 may provide evidence of unauthorized access to, or tampering with, the contents of the liner. If the tab is not removed, or damaged, or punched through, a recipient may be fairly confident that the contents of the liner have not been accessed, or contaminated. If, however, the tab is removed, damaged, or punched through entirely or partially, the recipient may be alerted that the contents of the liner may have been affected in some way. This additional safeguard provided by this embodiment may be particularly advantageous when the liner is filled with a hazardous material and/or it is desired that the purity of the contents be maintained and ensured.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrated in
In a further embodiment of a box of the present disclosure, a fifth side panel may have two product hold down flaps, one on each end of the fifth panel, such that bottom flap 1070 may have one or more features similar to those described previously with reference to the first product hold down flap 1440. This embodiment creates three compartments: one compartment, in the middle for holding a liner, and two more compartments, one on each end of the box, that can house a fitment/cap assembly or other related materials, such as paper materials, attachments for the liner/fitting, etc. as may be desired. This embodiment may also allow for a liner having a fill fitting and an exhaust fitting. The fill fitting may be attached to a fitment opening of flap 1440 while the exhaust fitting may be attached to a fitment opening of flap 1070, or vice versa.
As generally discussed above, many advantages may be realized by a box of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. One advantage of a box of the present disclosure is that the product hold down flap may help “square” the box and provide additional support to the overall BIB system. Additionally, the liner and its contents may be more securely enclosed because the product hold down flap may exert a generally uniform pressure on the inner sides of each of the side panels of the box, helping the box to maintain its shape, and also helping to protect the liner and box from outside forces crushing and/or deforming the sides of the box.
A further advantage of the BIB of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to the fitment and cap assembly of the present disclosure being generally retained above the product hold down flap in a separate void space. With a traditional BIB system, the fitment/cap assembly is located in the same compartment as the filled bag, and thus, the liner may not be uniformly or snuggly enclosed within the box because the fitment/cap assembly necessarily takes up a certain amount of head space. Similarly, in a traditional BIB system, in order to discharge the contents of the bag, a user must typically break away a portion of the box and fish around inside of the box for the cap assembly. Once the cap assembly is found, the cap assembly must be pulled out of the box and secured in some manner so that the contents of the bag may be removed. The BIB of the present disclosure remedies these problems, because the fitment and cap assembly are generally retained above the product hold down flap. The fitment and cap assembly does not take up head space away from the liner when positioned in the liner compartment of the box. Thus, a substantially filled liner may be snuggly and uniformly contained within its own compartment below the product hold down flap of the box while access to the contents of the liner is provided above the product hold down flap. This can be significant and advantageous because the uniform pressure on the liner and its contents when the liner is filled with a liquid can provide stability to the system as the system is handled, moved, repositioned, and/or dropped. When the system is strengthened and stabilized in this manner, the likelihood of the box sustaining damage, or the contents of the liner leaking, spilling, or becoming contaminated may be reduced, and in some cases, significantly reduced. Furthermore, a fitment/cap assembly of the present disclosure may remain in the same place when the system is stored as when the contents of the liner are discharged. Maintaining a single position for the fitment/cap assembly can be advantageous over the typical BIB system because it takes less time to access the contents of the liner. Further, much less stress is placed on the system when there is no need to dig around inside the box looking for the cap assembly. Particularly when the liner contains hazardous materials, it may be preferable to stress the system as little as possible in order to minimize the possibility of contamination as well as leakage of the contents that could inadvertently contact, and possibly injure the person positioning the fitment for discharge of the liner's contents.
The leg flaps of the product hold down flap of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide advantages. The leg flaps can provide additional material and support to the BIB system, such that for example, if the box is placed or dropped upside down, the leg flaps may help support the box and maintain the shape and integrity of the box while in that position.
In general, the BIB systems of the present disclosure may be significantly more robust and strong so as to withstand larger falls and avoid scoring, tearing, leaks, and/or contamination of the material in the liner. Further, the additional fifth side panel layer may provide more stacking strength to the system when a plurality of systems are stacked on top of one another, such as during shipping and/or storage. The added strength of the system provided by the double layer of side panel may also permit for more robust systems that are generally rectangular prism-shaped. As stated previously, traditionally cube-shaped boxes are used for transporting materials because a cube-shaped system may inherently have sides and edges that are stressed equally during, for instance, a fall or when the systems are stacked. A rectangular prism-shaped system, however, may place more stress on particular sides, corners, and/or edges because of the geometry of the box. Nonetheless, in some cases, it may be desirable to have a rectangular prism-shaped box to store hazardous materials, as opposed to a cube-shaped box. In these cases, embodiments of the present disclosure with a rectangular prism shape may be capable of passing the UN/DOT tests because of the added strength provided by the double layer of side panel along at least a portion of at least one side of the box.
In the foregoing description, various embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
Claims
1. A packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material comprising:
- a box with a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior, the four sides formed from at least five side panels; and
- a liner comprising a bag portion and a fitment portion, wherein the bag portion is substantially positioned in a separate compartment of the box from the fitment portion.
2. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the four sides of the box comprises two of the at least five side panels.
3. The packaging assembly of claim 2, wherein one of the at least five panels includes a product hold down flap separating the interior of the box into the at least two compartments.
4. The packaging assembly of claim 3, wherein the product hold down flap includes a main portion and a leg flap, wherein the main portion, top end, and bottom end, are positioned generally parallel to one another and the leg flap is positioned adjacent a side of the box in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the main portion.
5. The packaging assembly of claim 4, wherein the main portion of the product hold down flap is positioned approximately 1 inch to approximately 2 inches inside the box away from the top end.
6. The packaging assembly of claim 4, wherein the product hold down flap comprises a fitment opening for receiving the fitment portion of the liner.
7. The packaging assembly of claim 4, wherein one of the at least five side panels comprises a top flap with a first perforated area, whereby the first perforated area can be separated to create a handle opening.
8. The packaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the top flap comprises a second perforated area, whereby the second perforated area can be separated to provide access to the fitment portion of the liner.
9. The packaging assembly of claim 4, further including a cap assembly that may be removably coupled to the fitment portion of the liner.
10. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the box is comprised of corrugated cardboard.
11. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the box is rectangular prism-shaped.
12. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the box is cube-shaped.
13. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the liner is a pillow-type liner.
14. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the liner has corner seam welds and is generally conforms to the same shape of one of the interior compartments of the box.
15. A method of packaging, storing, and shipping liquids, viscous materials, and particulate materials comprising:
- filling a liner with material, wherein the liner comprises a bag portion and a fitment portion; and
- securing the liner inside of a box comprising a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior, the four sides formed from at least five side panels, wherein the bag portion is contained in one compartment of the box, and the fitment portion of the liner is substantially contained in a separate compartment of the box.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the liner is filled after securing it inside of the box.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the liner is filled and secured inside of the box using an automatic case erector.
18. A box for a bag in box system comprising:
- a top end;
- a bottom end; and
- four sides formed from at least five side panels;
- wherein one of the at least five side panels comprises a product hold down flap separating the interior of the box into at least two compartments.
19. The box of claim 18, wherein the product hold down flap includes a main portion and a leg flap, wherein the main portion, top end, and bottom end, are positioned generally parallel to one another and the leg flap is positioned adjacent a side of the box in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the main portion.
20. The box of claim 18, wherein the box is rectangular prism-shaped.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 9, 2010
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2011
Inventors: Michael E. Solimini (Middleboro, MA), Stephen L. Gosling (Kingston, MA)
Application Number: 12/720,507