PACKAGE

Abstract

A package to facilitate the use of squeeze bottles and other dispensers, particularly in the food service industry. The invention is directed to, in particular, a combined bottle liner and food product which includes a liner pouch, a liner fitment, preferably a fitment closure, and a food product contained within the liner pouch. The product of the invention facilitates the use of squeeze bottles for products such as mayonnaise and other dressings in food service by permitting sale of a combined bottle liner and food product to the busy eating establishment. The eating establishment can simply insert the liner into the squeeze bottle or other dispenser and open the closure. A closure is placed on the squeeze bottle and releasably secured to the fitment and the squeeze bottle, after which the squeeze bottle is ready to dispense the product. The invention also concerns the process of using the package in food service.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dressing such as mayonnaise and salad dressings are popular as components of salads or sandwiches. In some cases, casual eating establishments employ squeeze bottles to dispense the dressings. While squeeze bottles are a convenient and effective means for dispensing the product, filling and maintaining the squeeze bottles is relatively labor intensive. For instance, when most of the contents have been dispensed, it is generally necessary for an employee manually to scoop replacement product out of a large container and funnel it into the squeeze bottle. Also, it is desirable that squeeze bottles are periodically cleaned, for health reasons.

Liners have previously been disclosed for use with squeeze bottles. For instance, PBM Plastics has disclosed various applications for its melt phase system and billet technology. Among the applications are baby bottles, test tubes and consumer squeeze bottle liners. In particular, at its website, a consumer squeeze bottle liner and a squeeze bottle having a dispensing and a one way valve to admit air are disclosed.

Package Design Magazine discloses on its website, www.packagedesignmag.com/awards/FDA.shtml accessed on Dec. 13, 2006, the Glenkos performance beverage stand-up pouch, which includes a valve/fitment combination.

Jongen et al., a combined bottle liner and food product, which includes a liner pouch, a liner peripheral sealing area and a food product contained within the liner pouch. Preferably, the combined bottle liner and food product also includes a closure which includes a sealing surface which, when upon fastening of the closure, applies pressure to the sealing surface of the bottle liner. The product of the invention facilitates the use of squeeze bottles for products such as mayonnaise and other dressings in food service by permitting sale of a combined bottle liner and food product to the busy eating establishment. The eating establishment can simply insert the liner into the squeeze bottle or other dispenser and remove the liner closure. A bottle closure is placed on the squeeze bottle and the squeeze bottle is then ready to dispense the product.

Various other combinations of external and internal containers are disclosed in the literature.

Battegazzore EP 510 388 relates to a dispenser of viscous products such as toothpaste cosmetic creams, food juices and the like in which an container is squeezed to deliver a product and then released. The product is contained within an inner bag. The bags may be replaced as refills. A one way valve and a vent are provided.

Boll et al. GB 2 253 387 discloses an elastically deformable external container and an internal container arranged to accommodate the material to be dispensed. When the outer container is squeezed, the inner container is deformed and material is dispensed through a one way valve. When the outer container is released, air flows through a second one way valve and maintains the internal container in a deformed state. The internal container is extended into a neck-like extension provided at its free end region with a rib. When the closure is fitted into position the rib is pressed firmly against the neck of the external container in order to provide an air-tight closure effect. It is said that the pack may be used for toothpaste, skin cream and the like.

DE 19 737 175 discloses a dispensing vessel for a paste or a viscous fluid. The vessel includes a relatively hard but elastic cylindrical body and a bag which is connected by an opening in the bottom containing a non-return valve. A cap has a discharge opening in its tip which includes a second non-return valve working in the opposite direction to that of the bottom valve.

Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,007 is directed to a squeezable dispenser having a flexible outer container closed by a top having an opening therein and an inner collapsible flexible fluid containing bladder. A one way flow valve is mounted in the top normally closing off the opening. A vent in the top provides fluid communication between the interior of the container and the exterior thereof.

Workum EP 1 090 169 discloses a package which includes an outer container and an inner container which includes the product. When the outer container is squeezed a pressure develops and by this pressure a certain amount of the product is forced out of the inner container.

Wagner et al. EP 473 994 is directed to a package with an essentially dimensionally rigid but elastically deformable external container, within which is an easily deformable internal container. The package includes an extraction valve and a ventilation valve.

Evezich EP 352 348 discloses an apparatus for dispensing fluid materials in a readily deformable inner container which is located within a resilient outer container. A nozzle has a one-way check valve permitting ejection of the contents from the inner container. The resilient outer container has a second one-way valve to admit air from the exterior of the device to the space between the inner and outer containers.

Evezich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,416 discloses an inner container located within an outer container. The inner container includes a first portion having a nozzle affixed to one end and a readily reshapable bladder. The nozzle has a one way check valve permitting ejection of the contents from the inner container. The outer container has a second one way valve.

Schwartzman U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,365 is directed to a squeezable container having a bottom secured with a check valve adapted to open when the pressure in the container is less than atmospheric. An inflatable bag is disposed in the container and held in place by a cover detachably secured thereto. The cover has a dispensing opening with a valve.

US Patent Publication No. US 2003/0155376 is directed to a fluid dispenser including a dispensing member including a neck and a least one deformable actuating wall. The packaging is connected to the dispensing member at a fixing apparatus.

Behar et al. FR 2 821 766 is directed to a dispenser for a fluid which is typically a cosmetic product. The dispenser includes a rigid head with a channel, valve and outlet, a pouch and an outer compressible bulb with an air inlet valve. When the bulb is squeezed in the hand, the pouch is compressed and product is expelled. When released, the bulb resumes its original shape by drawing in air through the valve.

Mack et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,213 discloses a dispensing container produced from a collapsible inner container surrounded by a resilient outer container. A dispensing check valve is provided in a cap assembly to allow material to be dispensed without air being drawn into the container.

Kock et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,875 discloses a replaceable inner receptacle for use in an outer squeeze bottle having a large finish. The inner receptacle includes a single integral piece flexible bag which is adapted to contain a fluid product. A fitment portion of the inner receptacle has a flange which is adapted to attach to the finish of the outer bottle and which may contain a vent hole. The vent hole may also be located elsewhere. A peelable film tear tab provides a means for initially sealing the fluid passage of the filled inner receptacle to prevent fluid from exiting the inner receptacle during shipping and handling. The peelable tear tab is releasably sealed to a flat annular upwardly facing surface of a flared portion of a cylindrical wall portion surrounding the fluid passage. In an alternative configuration, the film may be permanently sealed to the flat annular surface of the flared portion and punctured for use.

Kock et al. disclose a closure which includes a dispensing orifice and a product valve. A raised grip portion assists in securing the closure to the external squeeze bottle. Tightening of the closure seals the flange to the finish of the external squeeze bottle and also seals a depending annular wall on the closure to the cylindrical wall of the inner receptacle. Also, as the annular depending wall is inserted into the fluid passage it could be adapted to puncture any permanently sealed film utilized to seal the fluid passage.

Meshberg U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,191 is directed to a dispensing head for a squeeze container. A collapsible bag is disclosed for isolating liquid in the container from air in the container. A gasket sealingly engages a dip tube received within and sealed to the collapsible bag. The proper angular orientation of the gaskets is maintained by engaging keys in keyways.

Haviv et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,300 is directed to a closed system for dispensing fluid, where the fluid is maintained free of any contamination. The importance of maintaining the sterility of certain fluids such as drugs, pharmaceuticals, liquid foodstuffs, beverages and the like is mentioned in the background section in connection with U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,810 which is cited as disclosing the ReSeal valve which may be used by Haviv et al. Haviv et al.'s fluid dispensing unit includes a hollow support with a reservoir or container located within the support. The reservoir is in the form of a flexible bag. The container includes a one-way valve for dispensing fluid.

Van Coney EP 305 003 is directed to a resilient squeeze bottle package for dispensing viscous products such as toothpaste. The viscous product is contained in a thin, flexible bag which is suspended inside a resilient squeeze bottle.

Other packages in the literature, which may include collapsible internal bags, include Loeffler U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,476, Bouet FR 2 081 244, Eluere FR 2 094 286, Krishna et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,534, Kersten et al. EP 576 916, Yamawaki et al. EP 548 840, Piarrat EP 494 132, FR 2 655 315, and Seidler WO 93/14021. Evezich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,018, Evezich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,937, Schroeder, U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,845, Hennessey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,704, CA 1332591, Evezich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,250, Gay III, et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0029285.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a package to facilitate the use of squeeze bottles and other dispensers, particularly in the food service industry. The invention is directed to, in particular, a liner for a bottle, which liner includes a liner pouch, and a fitment attached to one end of said pouch. The fitment is adapted to be fastened, directly or indirectly, to a bottle. For instance, the fitment may include external threads which mate with internal threads on a bottle closure. The fitment is not permanently connected to a dispensing spout, so that the liner, including the fitment, can be discarded without sacrificing the dispensing spout. The dispensing spout can then be re-used. The interior of said fitment is in fluid communication with the interior of said liner pouch so that product contained within the pouch can flow out of said pouch through the interior of said fitment.

The liner is preferably used by inserting it into the interior of a bottle. A bottle closure is releasably fastened to the liner fitment and the bottle closure is also releasably fastened to the bottle. For instance, the liner fitment may include external threads which mate with internal threads lining a dispensing nozzle in the closure. Or, the fitment may be snap fit into the base of the nozzle. Alternatively, a male member may extend downwardly from the bottle closure and is received with a snap fit in the fitment of the pouch. Or, screw threads on a downwardly extending member on the closure and on the fitment may be used to secure them together. The bottle closure can be releasably fastened to the bottle as by internal threads on the closure which mate with external threads on the bottle.

Whatever the exact arrangement adopted, the interior of the liner pouch will be in fluid communication through the liner fitment with the dispensing spout of the bottle closure when any closure for the pouch fitment is removed so that product can be expelled from the interior of the pouch through the dispensing spout of the bottle closure. Preferably, the dispensing spout includes a one way dispensing nozzle and the bottle includes a one way valve which permits air to enter the bottle from the outside when product is dispensed through the dispensing spout.

In a preferred embodiment, the liner pouch contains an edible material, i.e., a food such as mayonnaise, and can be sold as a replacement. In this embodiment, the fitment may include a closure. Thus, instead of laboriously cleaning out the container relatively frequently, the food is contained within the pouch which can be used easily to replace the nearly empty pouch previously used. The product of the invention therefore facilitates the use of squeeze bottles for products such as mayonnaise and other dressings in food service by permitting sale of a combined bottle liner and food product to the busy eating establishment. The eating establishment can simply insert the liner into the squeeze bottle or other dispenser and remove the liner closure. A bottle closure is placed on the squeeze bottle and the squeeze bottle is then ready to dispense the product. The invention is also directed to the use of liners and/or squeeze bottles in food service in the dispensing of dressings and other liquid and semi-liquid products.

When all or most of the food product has been dispensed, the employee simply removes the closure from the squeeze bottle or other container, disconnects the fitment on the flexible pouch/liner from the closure, and removes the liner/pouch containing the fitment. This leaves a clean squeeze bottle ready to receive an additional liner pouch filled with the food product. After the liner pouch is inserted into the bottle and the liner closure is opened, the fitment is releasably secured to the bottle closure, for instance by screw threads, and the bottle closure can be releasably secured to the squeeze bottle, which is again ready for use.

The liner may be made in accordance with the melt phase billet technology, aluminum or other foil, or a monolayer or laminate plastic structure. The closure for the fitment may be a film or it may be a plastic structure, e.g., a cap. For instance, to open the plastic fitment, the user will either peel or puncture a film, cut off the top, twist off the top or puncture the plastic at the top of the fitment. The bottle which is to contain the pouch is preferably a squeeze bottle.

The invention is also directed to the use of liners and/or squeeze bottles in food service in the dispensing of dressings and other liquid and semi-liquid products. The liner containing the food product and a closure can be sold to a purveyor of ready-to-eat foods, who can insert the liner into an empty squeeze bottle and use the thus-filled squeeze bottle to prepare ready-to-eat foods for sale to customers.

For a more complete description of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following description of the preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a liner with fitment, shown with the bottle closure, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of two alternative bottle liners with an alternative fitment according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two further alternative bottle liners filled with product and showing particularly the end opposite the fitment end;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of liner in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a liner, fitment and bottle closure in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective, exploded view of a bottle including a bottle closure and liner according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a liner and bottle showing an alternative closure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fitment closure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Liner 10 comprises product receiving pouch 12 and fitment 14. Liner 10 may be made of a material suitable to contain food and to be placed within an outer container. For example, it may be polyethylene, a foil or a laminate. One such laminate could be 48 gauge Oriented Poly Propylene/Ink/7.0 lbs/ream White Low Density Polyethylene Coextruded/28.5 gauge Aluminum foil/14 lbs/ream linear low density polyethylene sealant. Fitment 14 is preferably made of a durable plastic such as polypropylene or a form of polyethylene, such as high density polyethylene. Fitment 14 must be capable of attaching to the liner and permitting product to flow through it. Fitment 14 does not include a permanent dispensing spout or nozzle. In particular, fitment 14 does not include a one way dispensing nozzle.

As seen in FIG. 2, the liner 10 may be formed as a 4-sided sealed pouch having four heat sealed areas, 51, 53, 55 and 59. Two sheets of film may be superimposed on each other and then sealed on 4 sides to form pouch 10′ as illustrated. Alternatively, a sheet of film may be folded on itself and its free ends heat sealed together at fin 11, while the sides 13 and 15 are also sealed. Sealing is preferably effected by imposing heat and pressure to form a heat seal. In FIG. 3, liner 10b is filled with product

As seen in FIG. 3, liner 10a can also be sealed in part using a metal clamp 19. The liners illustrated in FIG. 3 are similar to packages known in the art for containing cookie dough and the like. The pouch/liner would be heat and pressure sealed along the long part of the pouch. One end would be sealed with the fitment in place and the other end open until it is filled with product, and then twisted and sealed with heat and pressure. Use of the clamp may be required if the seal after filling with product is not strong enough on its own to survive transportation and handling.

The fitment 14 can be applied by sliding it down a track and attaching it with heat and pressure so that it adheres to the inside of the pouch. The fitment can be pre-applied by the pouch or film vendor or can be applied at the site where the edible contents of the pouch are prepared.

An alternative pouch 10c is seen in FIG. 4. This pouch is formed so it is self-supporting, i.e., a “stand up pouch,” which may have a gusseted bottom 23.

The pouches may be filled with edible product at the end opposite to the fitment end, if desired. This will be preferred for the 4-sided and fin seal pouches.

After filling with mayonnaise product 16, liner 10 has applied thereto fitment 14. The food establishment can insert liner 10 into an empty squeeze bottle such as squeeze bottle 20 having valve 22. Squeeze bottle 20 also includes threads 26 or other fastening means to accommodate and seal a closure thereon.

Once liner 10 has been inserted into squeeze bottle 20, or other outer container, liner fitment closure 18 can be removed.

The next step is releasable attachment of the fitment 14 to bottle closure 30, which serves the multiple purposes of securing the fitment 14 and liner 10 indirectly to bottle 20, and of closing bottle 20. The closure 30 can be made of HDPE, LDPE, PP or other thermoplastic or other materials.

Closure 30 includes a dispensing spout 32, which is preferably a one way dispensing nozzle, which is preferably lined in its lower aspects with a connecting means such as internal threads 31 to releasably fasten fitment 14 to closure 30. Preferably the closure/dispensing spout will be a one-piece plastic structure. The closure 30 and the one way dispensing valve 32, which can be made of a soft rubber material, can be manufactured separately and then manually assembled. Nozzle 32 may be cone shaped, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Cone-shaped spout 32 tapers outwardly and downwardly to end in horizontal disc-shaped wall 33. Side wall 35 extends downwardly from wall 33 and has threads 37 on its inside, which mate with external threads 26 on the bottle 20.

Fitment 14 may be received within spout 32 of closure 30 or the closure may include a male member 39 to be received within fitment 14. Alternatively, fitment 14 may be received within a female member depending from closure 30. Especially where the connector between the fitment and the closure 30 is a downwardly depending male or female member, the closure 30 can be dual injection molded with a soft rubber material to form the one way dispensing valve 32.

As seen in FIG. 7, a donut shaped connector 60 having internal central threads for connecting to the fitment and internal peripheral threads for connecting to the bottle may be used to connect the fitment and liner to the bottle. In any of the embodiments of the invention, the fitment may include an alternative fastener or connector to connect with the bottle closure 20. For instance, in FIG. 7 a lock snap mechanism using lugs 62 is shown.

Bottle 20 is preferably a squeeze bottle and is preferably made of a resilient material. The squeeze bottle can be made of HDPE, LDPE, PET or other thermoplastic or other materials.

When it is desired to dispense product, squeeze bottle 20 is inverted and pressure is manually applied to sidewalls 34. Application of pressure causes mayonnaise and/or other food product contained within liner 10 to emerge through one way dispensing valve 32. When the dosing of product is completed and the pressure is released, the walls of the squeeze bottle 20 return to their original shape thus pulling outside air in through one way valve 22 to replace the volume of product which has been dispensed. One way valve 22 leads to the chamber located between liner 10 and squeeze bottle 20. Air drawn into this chamber does not come in contact with the product.

When the product has been fully (or almost fully) dispensed from squeeze bottle 20, closure 30 is unscrewed or otherwise removed from the squeeze bottle, and liner 10 is readily removed from the closure by unscrewing it (where screw threads are used) or otherwise undoing the releasable fastening means. This leaves a squeeze bottle 20 which requires little or no cleaning and which is ready to receive the next insert filled with product. Also, the closure 30, which is a relatively expensive component due to presence of the spout, can be reused. This also minimizes solid waste. While the closure 30 is illustrated as have screw threads to be releasably fastened to the fitment 14 and to the bottle 20, other fasteners such as protuberances and detents and the lugs shown in FIG. 7, useful in a snap-closed arrangement, or indeed other releasable fastening arrangements, may be employed.

The liners can be used to contain a wide variety of food products, such as mayonnaise, salad dressings, other dressings, and condiments such as ketchup and mustard. The liners can also contain savory products which are either shelf stable, retorted or aseptically filed. Finished sauces such as Hollandaise, Demi Glaze or Cheese sauce can be packaged in this liner as well.

Liner 10 is preferably inserted by hand into squeeze bottle 20. Once liner 10 has been inserted into bottle 20, closure 30 is releasably fastened to the fitment and the closure is then releasably fastened to the bottle.

Upon exertion of pressure upon the outside wall of squeeze bottle 20, product 60 flows from the interior of liner 10 through fitment 14 and out through one way valve 32. To compensate for the volume of product which is expelled through valve 32, one way valve 22 shown in FIG. 6 at what is normally the bottom of the squeeze bottle, permits air to enter the bottle (one way). Air thus entering the bottle will remain between the outside of the liner 10 and the inner wall of squeeze bottle 20.

Valves of the type shown as 32 may be obtained from ASEPT International AB of Lund, Sweden.

The squeeze bottle may include outer surfaces appropriately contoured or textured to facilitate gripping by the user. Food-containing liner 10, e.g., as seen in FIG. 3, may be sold as a food service item to food preparation establishments such as fast food and other restaurants, deli's, cafeterias and hospitals, where it can be inserted into a squeeze bottle and easily prepared for use by screwing a closure onto the fitment and the bottle. The closure can be unscrewed and the liner readily removed and replaced once the product has been depleted.

It will be appreciated that the liner and food product of the invention greatly facilitates refilling and cleaning of squeeze bottles and other containers. While the invention has been illustrated using a squeeze bottle as an outer container, it will be apparent that other outer containers may be used within the purview of this invention.

It should be understood of course that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teaching of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A liner for a bottle, which liner comprises:

(a) a liner pouch, and

(b) a fitment attached to one end of said pouch, said fitment being suitable to be fastened, directly or indirectly, to a bottle, said fitment not being permanently connected to a dispensing spout, the interior of said fitment being in fluid communication with the interior of said liner pouch whereby product contained within said pouch can flow out of said pouch through the interior of said fitment.

2. The liner according to claim 1 wherein the pouch is heat sealed on four sides.

3. The liner according to claim 1 wherein the pouch is heat sealed on two sides.

4. The liner according to claim 1 wherein said pouch has a second end and the pouch is crimped with a clamp at said second end.

5. The liner according to claim 4 wherein said clamp is made from metal.

6. The liner according to claim 1 wherein said pouch is self supporting so that it can stand on a second end of said pouch.

7. The liner according to claim 6 wherein said self-supporting pouch includes a gusseted bottom at said second end.

8. The liner according to claim 1 in combination with a bottle and a bottle closure, said liner being contained within said bottle, said bottle closure including a dispensing spout in fluid communication with said fitment and said pouch interior, said closure being releasably fastened to said fitment and to said bottle.

9. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 wherein said dispensing spout includes a one way dispensing nozzle.

10. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 wherein said closure is releasably fastened to said fitment with screw threads.

11. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 wherein said closure is releasably fastened to said fitment with a lug and detent.

12. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 wherein said closure is releasably fastened by a snap fit.

13. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 wherein said closure includes a male member received within said fitment when said closure is releasably fastened to said fitment.

14. The combined liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 9 wherein said bottle includes a one way valve permitting air to enter the bottle as product is dispensed through the dispensing nozzle.

15. The liner, bottle and bottle closure according to claim 8 in combination with an edible material contained within said liner.