Method for filling a thin-body flexible bag provided with a spout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710753-B2
Application number	US-201816168207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling a thin-body flexible package provided with a spout. The spout is provided with a normally closed membrane valve. The filling system provides a filling nozzle which dispenses the product intended to fill the bag upstream of the valve, outside the spout or inside it.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for filling a thin-body flexible package provided with a spout, comprising the steps of:
providing for, inside the spout, a main duct accessible by a mouth portion and an inner chamber adjacent to the main duct and accessible by an inner opening opposite the mouth portion;
providing for a valve assembly comprising a normally closed valve made as a single piece and a retaining ring made as a single piece, where the normally closed valve comprises a flexible membrane provided with at least one through-cut forming flaps of the membrane, the normally closed valve being arranged between the main duct and the inner chamber of the spout;
providing for a filling nozzle provided with a dispensing opening arranged upstream of the valve for dispensing a product intended to fill the package;
causing the product to flow from the filling nozzle into the main duct;
deforming the flaps so as to open the valve by the action of the product in the main duct;
causing the product to flow into the inner chamber through an opening made by the flaps deformed by the product.

2. The filling method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the package comprises a pouch comprising walls formed of flexible film;
the spout externally comprises a weld portion having a predetermined axial extension, the weld portion being welded between the walls of the pouch;
the valve is arranged inside the spout, in an area outside the weld portion.

3. The filling method according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane of the valve is flat or concave on the side facing the main duct.

4. The filling method according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing opening is positioned upstream of the mouth portion.

5. The filling method according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing opening is positioned in the main duct upstream of the valve.

Assignees

• Guala Pack Spa

Inventors

• Tamarindo Stefano

Classifications

• B65D83/771

  for dispensing fluent contents by means of a flexible bag or a deformable membrane or diaphragm · CPC title

• B65D77/065

  Spouts, pouring necks or discharging tubes fixed to or integral with the flexible container · CPC title

• B65D75/5866

  Integral spouts · CPC title

• B65B3/17 Primary

  for filling valve bags · CPC title

• B65B3/045 Primary

  for filling flexible containers having a filling and dispensing spout, e.g. containers of the "bag-in-box"-type · CPC title