Product container including a product discharge device and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12383094-B2
Application number	US-202117565906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2021
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A product container includes a product discharge device for releasing product from the container, the discharge device including a spout unit for discharge. The spout unit is rotatable, about a spout rotation axis, from a first position to an operational position. The spout unit preferably includes a handle for rotation from the first to the operational position, the handle preferably extending substantially radially outwardly from the axis; and a seal unit configured to enter an opened state, from a sealed state. In the latter, the seal unit is configured to substantially airtightly close off a flowthrough channel of the discharge device, and, in the former, the seal unit is configured to allow flow through the flowthrough channel. The discharge device is configured such that the seal unit can be brought from the sealed to the opened state by rotating the spout unit from the first to the operational position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A product container comprising a product discharge device for releasing product from the container, the discharge device comprising:
a spout for product discharge, wherein the spout is rotatable about a spout rotation axis, from a first position to an operational position; and
a seal which is configured to enter an opened state from a sealed state, wherein, in the sealed state, the seal is configured to airtightly close off a first product flowthrough channel of the discharge device, wherein, in the opened state, the seal is configured to allow a flow of product through the first product flowthrough channel,
wherein the discharge device is configured such that the seal is brought from the sealed state to the opened state by rotating the spout from the first position to the operational position, and
wherein the discharge device is configured to convert a rotation of the spout from the first position to the operational position, to a respective translation of a follower, wherein the seal is configured to enter the opened state from the sealed state by the translation of the follower, and wherein a direction of the translation of the follower extends radially outwardly from the spout rotation axis.

2. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the spout comprises a handle for rotating the spout from the first position to the operational position.

3. The product container according to claim 2 , wherein the spout comprises an outlet channel for conveying product to a product outlet of the spout, wherein the outlet channel extends in the direction in which the handle extends.

4. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the spout rotation axis coincides with a central axis of a second product flowthrough channel of the discharge device, which is downstream of the first product flowthrough channel.

5. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the first position of the spout and the operational position of the spout differ by an angle of rotation about the spout rotation axis of between 10 and 275 degrees.

6. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the spout comprises a cam for bringing the seal from the sealed state to the opened state, wherein the cam is rotatable about the spout rotation axis by a rotation of the spout about the spout rotation axis.

7. The product container according to claim 6 , wherein the cam is a disk cam.

8. The product container according to claim 6 , wherein the discharge device is configured such that the cam engages the follower element for bringing the seal from the sealed state to the opened state.

9. The product container according to claim 6 , wherein the discharge device is configured such that the cam engages the plug for bringing the seal from the sealed state to the opened state.

10. The product container according to claim 6 , wherein the cam of the spout has a stroke of between 1 and 6 mm.

11. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a plug, which, in the sealed state, is received by a shaft of the seal to airtightly close off the first product flowthrough channel of the discharge device,
wherein the seal is configured such that the plug is at least partially removable from the shaft to bring the seal to the opened state.

12. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a cuttable seal material for airtightly closing off the first product flowthrough channel of the discharge device, wherein the seal comprises a cutter for cutting the seal material,
wherein the seal is configured such that the cutter is cuttingly movable through the seal material.

13. The product container according to claim 12 , wherein the seal is configured such that the cutter is cuttingly movable through the seal material by the translation of the follower.

14. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge device is configured to convert an actuation of the cutter to a helical movement of the cutter, wherein the seal includes an engaging structure for engaging with a respective engaging structure of the cutter, wherein at least one of the mutual engaging structures includes a helical profile.

15. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the spout comprises a microfiltration device which is provided with a product entrance for supply of product, wherein the microfiltration device is connectable to a fluid supply for supplying gas to the product during product discharge.

16. The product container according to claim 15 , wherein the spout comprises a processing device, which is arranged downstream of the microfiltration device, for performing a mixing treatment or pressure reduction treatment on the product provided with gas.

17. The product container according to claim 15 , wherein the spout comprises the microfiltration device provided with a filtration wall with gas transmissive pores having a pore size in the range of 0.1-10 microns, and a length of at most 5 cm, measured in a product flow direction of product during use flowing along that wall, parallel to that wall.

18. The product container according to claim 1 , configured to be exchangeably received by a dispensing machine.

19. The product container according to claim 15 , wherein the discharge device comprises a mixing device upstream of the microfiltration device, wherein the mixing device is configured to mix a diluent into the product, wherein the mixing device is connectable to a diluent supply for receiving the diluent.

20. The product container according to claim 19 , wherein the mixing device is configured such that supplying the diluent to the mixing device causes product to be pumped into the mixing device.

21. The product container according to claim 19 , wherein the mixing device comprises a flow constriction in a flow path of the diluent to form an aspirator pump for pumping product into the mixing device.

22. The product container according to claim 19 , wherein the mixing device comprises a valve member for selectively blocking a flow of product into the mixing device, wherein the valve member is movable between a blocking state, wherein a flow of product is blocked, and a passage providing state, wherein a passage for flow of product into the mixing device is provided.

23. The product container according to claim 22 , wherein the valve member comprises a diluent flowthrough channel for conveying a flow of diluent through the valve member or the valve member is connectable to the diluent supply.

24. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the spout comprises a handle for rotating the spout from the first position to the operational position, wherein the handle extends more than 1 cm radially outwardly from the spout rotation axis.

25. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge device is configured such that an angular position of the spout about the spout rotation axis is limited to angular positions ranging from the first position up to and including the operational position.

26. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge device is configured such that when the spout is in the operational position, the position of the spout is fixed in the operational position.

27. The product container according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge device is provided with a transport lock which is configured

Assignees

• Frieslandcampina Nederland Bv

Inventors

• Broess Alfonsus Wilhelmus Maria
• Bulsink Dirk Jan
• Heijdenrijk Jacobus Constantijn
• Knapen Franciscus Johannes

Classifications

• B67D3/043

  with a closing element having a linear movement, in a direction perpendicular to the seat · CPC title

• B65D77/067 Primary

  combined with a valve, a tap or a piercer · CPC title

• A47J31/4489

  Steam nozzles, e.g. for introducing into a milk container to heat and foam milk · CPC title

• A47J31/446

  Filter holding means; Attachment of filters to beverage-making apparatus · CPC title

• B65D47/241

  the valve being opened or closed by actuating a cap-like element · CPC title