CARTON-BASED PACKAGING FOR A BEVERAGE DISPENSER

TECHNICAL FIELD [0101] The present application relates generally to packaging for fluids and more particularly relates to carton-based packaging for micro-ingredients and other types of ingredients used in a beverage dispenser and other types of dispensing equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0102] Beverage dispensers traditionally mix a syrup and/or other types of concentrates with a diluent such -water or carbonated water to produce a beverage. The syrup or other type of concentrate generally is placed in a tank, a bag-in-box, or other type of container. The size of these containers, however, limits the variety of the different beverages and beverage options available to the consumer at the beverage dispenser, i.e., there is generally only so much room to position the ingredient containers about the beverage dispenser.

[0103] One improvement has been to separate the beverage components and then concentrate the several components even further. For example, commonly owned U.S. Patent No. 4,753,370 concerns a 'Tri-Mix Sugar Based Dispensing System." This patent describes a beverage dispensing system that separates the highly concentrated flavorings from the sweetener and the diluent. This separation allows for the creation of numerous beverage options using several flavor modules and one universal sweetener.

[0104] The concept of separation was taken even further in commonly owned U.S. Publication No. 2007/0205221, entitled "Beverage Dispensing System' ^" . This application describes concentrating the flavors, the colors, the sweeteners, and other additives into micro-ingredients, i.e., concentrations of about ten to one (10:1) or much higher. The beverage dispenser then combines these micro-ingredients with various types of macro-ingredients, such as sweeteners, and w ith diluents to form a beverage.

[0105] One of the issues with the micro-ingredients is how to provide an adequate package to transport the micro-ingredients to the beverage dispenser and to maintain the micro-ingredients while in the beverage dispenser given that relative!) small amounts that may be used. Such a package preferably would provide adequate

protection against degradation of the micro-ingredients while being efficient in term of space, volume, and cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0106] The present application thus provides a dispenser for combining a number of ingredients. The dispenser may include a laminated container with one of the number of ingredients therein and a pump in communication with the laminated container.

[0107] The laminated container may include a paper layer and one or more polymeric layers. The paper layer may include about 75% of the laminated container. The laminated container also may include a metallic layer. The laminated container may include a fitment thereon. The laminated container may include a first end and the fitment is positioned about the first end. The pump may include a fixed displacement pump. The pump evacuates more than 97% of the ingredient within the laminated container. The laminated container may include folds and/or contraction means thereon. The laminated container may include a box-like shape and/or a wedge-like shape.

[0108] The dispenser further may include a number of laminated containers and a number of pumps. The laminated container may include a micro-ingredient therein. The laminated container may include an aseptic container.

[0109] The present application further describes a beverage dispenser for combining a number of micro- ingredients. The beverage dispenser may include an aseptic container with one of the number of micro-ingredients therein with a paper layer and one or more polymeric layers and a pump in communication with the aseptic container.

[0110] The present application further describes a method of providing a micro- ingredient for use in a beverage dispenser. The method may include the steps of erecting a laminated container, filling the laminated container aseptically with the micro- ingredient, installing the laminated container in the beverage dispenser, and pumping the micro-ingredient from the laminated container via a fixed displacement pump.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0111] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a known container.

[0112] Fig. 2 is side cross-sectional view of the laminate used in the container of Fig. ϊ . [0113] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a container with a fitment thereon as is described herein.

[0114] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a beverage dispenser using the container of Fig. 3.

[0115] Fig. 5 is an alternative embodiment of a container as is described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0116] Referring now to the drawings, in which ϋke numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views. Fig. 1 shows a container 10 as is known in the art. The container 10 may be commercially available from, by way of example, Tetra- Pak Inc. of Vernon Hills, Illinois and sold under the marks "Tetra-Brik' ^" and ^b 'Tetra-

Wedge." As is shown in Fig. 2, the container 10 may be made out of a laminate 20. The laminate 20 may include a paper material 30, a polymeric material 40, and aluminum foil

50. The paper material 30 provides strength and stiffness to the container 10. The polymeric film or films 40 provide a barrier against permeation and microorganisms and ensures a liquid tight seal. The aluminum foil layer 50 serves to provide a further barrier against light to ensure a high degree of product integrity and the retention of nutrients.

[0117] As is known, the container 10 may have one or more folds 60 and a seal 70. The container 10 may be aseptically filled with a fluid and sealed as is known in the art. To date, the container 10 generally has been used for materials such as milks, juices, and other types of beverages.

[0118] Other types of containers 10 and laminates 20 may be used herein. For example, containers 10 offered by SIG of Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland and sold under the mark Combibloc may be used herein. Other containers 10 may include those offered by Elopak of Norway and sold under the mark Pure-Pak. Similar containers 10 may be used herein. The container 10 may have any desired size or shape. Different sizes and shapes may be used herein with different types of micro-ingredients or other types of fluids.

[0119] Fig. 3 shows a container 100 as is described herein. The container 100 may be largely identical to the container 10 described above but with the addition of a fitment 110 thereon. The fitment 1 10 may be of conventional design and may be made from a plastic material. Examples of fitments 1 10 include those manufactured by Innovative Packaging Network (IPN) of Houten, Netherlands, and simiiar designs. The fitment 110 may be attached to the container 100 via an adhesive or other type of bonding means.

[0120] The container 100 may be used with a beverage dispenser 120 as is shown in Fig. 4. The beverage dispenser 120 may be of conventional design. Specifically, the beverage dispenser 120 may include one or more pumps 130 and a dispensing nozzle 140. The container 100 may be in communication with one of the pumps 130 via a line 150 attached to the fitment 1 10. Multiple containers 100 and pumps 130 may be used herein. The pumps 130 may be of conventional design. More specifically, the pumps 130 may be similar to that described in commonly owned U.S. Serial No. 1 1/869,759, entitled "Fixed Displacement Pump", filed on October 10, 2007. A fixed displacement pump may be preferred given the relatively small amounts of micro-ingredients that may be pumped. The dispensing nozzle 140 may be of conventional design. More specifically, the dispensing nozzle 140 may be similar to those described in commonly owned U.S. Publication No. 2004/0040983 Al, entitled "Dispensing Nozzle", filed on September 3, 2202; U.S. Publication No. 2006/0191964 Al, entitled "Dispensing Nozzle", filed on March 6, 2006; and/or U.S. Serial No. 1 1/782,833, entitled ''Dispensing Nozzle Assembly", filed on July 25, 2007.

[0121] As described above, the known containers 10 are generally used with drinking straws or the fluid therein may be poured out of the container 10. Generally described, these known containers 10 have not been used with any sort of pumping means. The positioning of the container 100 and the fitment 1 10 thereon thus has been considered in terms of the amount of product that can be removed from the container 100. For example, if the container 100 is in a horizontal position with the fitment 1 10 at the lower front end of the container 100, about 4.9% of the product may remain. If the product 100 is positioned at a slant, the percentage of product remaining may be reduced to about 2.1% with the pump 130 pulling a vacuum. Placing the container 100 in a vertical position with the fitment 1 10 at the bottom of the container 100 left about 2.5%

of product remaining. The amount of the product left in the container 100 and the amount of the vacuum being pulled by the pumps 130 thus varies.

[0122] The container 100 was given a number of fold lines 160 along the sides so as to assist in contracting the container 100. For example, a container 100 with the fold ϋnes therein and the fitment 1 10 at the lower corner evacuated all but about 1.0% of the product. Various types of contraction means 170 also were evaluated. These contraction means 170 may include the use of common rubber bands to assist in squeezing the product out of the container 100. Other types of contraction means 170 such as springs, other types of loading mechanisms, and the like may be used herein. Further, the folds 60 about the bottom or the top of the container may be unfolded in whole or in part to assist in evacuating the product therein.

[0123] In a further embodiment as is shown in Fig. 5, a wedge-shaped container 200 also may be used. The wedge-shaped container 200 may be similar to the Tetra Wedge product described above and have about five sides as is shown. The use of the wedge-shaped container 200 with unfolded ends and the fitment 1 10 at the lower edge left about 1% of the product therein. The use of the contraction means 170 also reduced the amount of product to about 0.8% and lower. In all, remnant levels range from less than about 1% to more than about 50% depending upon the orientation and adaptation of the container 100, 200 and the vacuum being pulled by the pump 130. Specifically, target evacuation levels of less than about 3% of product remaining therein have been met, i.e., evacuation levels of more than 97% are possible.

[0124] The container 100, 200 thus provides a low cost, volumetrically efficient solution to the packaging and use of micro-ingredients. Specifically, the container 100, 200 may be provided with about 96% product and only about 4% packaging material, Due to this volumetric efficiency, the containers 100, 200 are cost effective in terms of transportation and storage and in terms of the environmental impact in that about 75% of the container 100, 200 is renewable paper and only about 20% of the container 100, 200 is a thermoplastic with only about 5% percent as aluminum foil. Other percentages may be used herein,