The object of the invention is a method and device for emptying a bag-in-box having big capacity, particularly one filled with a fluid substance of increased viscosity.

From patent description No. WO 2009/120079 Al known is the shape of a container wherein a bag-in-box is placed, which shape facilitates emptying said bag. The container has a flat bottom profiled in such a way that it has a fall towards an opening through which the bag-in-box outlet valve extends outside. The outlet valve of said bag-in-box is placed in the opening in the container below the bottom of the container and is connected to the container via a collar. The bag is emptied based on the force of gravity.

From patent description No. WO 2005/090205 Al known is a structure of a container, which has an additional component on its bottom, said component being a tilting panel being a movable cover plate covering the whole bottom. The tilt axis of the cover plate is located on the container wall, wherein an outlet opening is located, and said axis is located below this outlet opening. Putting the cover plate in motion consists in raising its edge that is opposite to the rotation axis of the cover plate. The preceding operation is performed by means of a strap attached to the container wall that is opposite the outlet opening. The motion of said cover plate results in emptying the container.

From patent description No. WO 2006070010 known is yet another solution. In the described solution the interior of the container is divided into two chambers by a movable horizontal cover plate. The upper chamber, over the cover plate, houses the emptied container. Emptying is performed via the outlet located in the upper wall of the container. The lower chamber, under the cover plate, is filled by a cushion connected to the hydraulic system . Increasing the volume of the cushion causes the upward movement of the cover plate and pressure on the container being emptied.

The use of the above-mentioned known solutions for emptying a bag-in-box does not permit complete emptying a bag having big capacity, especially filled with a fluid of high viscosity. Usually, a considerable quantity of the leftovers remains deposited on the bag walls and in the bag itself upon emptying thereof. Upon emptying, the bag-in-box becomes useless and thereby the leftovers remaining on the bag walls constitute waste of raw material in the production process .

The aim of the invention is to develop a method of emptying a bag-in-box having big capacity, whereby the remaining leftovers are considerably reduced without additional operations consisting in squeezing and manual forming of the bag while emptying .

The subject matter of the invention as to the method of emptying a bag-in box having big capacity consists in the fact that while emptying the bag-in-box the bottom of the filled bag-in-box is additionally pressed towards its outlet valve and the flow of the fluid substance along the inclined trough of shaped convergently to the bag-in-box outlet valve axis is caused .

The subject matter of the invention as to a device for emptying a bag-in-box having big capacity consists in that said device is a flexible leakproof cushion, which after filling with gas, preferably with air, has the shape of a trough inclined downwards, convergent to the bag-in-box outlet valve axis, said cushion having at least two trapezoid-shaped baffle plates, which trapezoid has sides of different length, said baffle plates being attached inside the cushion to both walls thereof and being convergent to the cushion axis running through the bag-in-box outlet valve axis, and being attached to the cushion walls in such manner that free air circulation is enabled around them, and the upper and lower cushion walls are tightly connected on their edge adjoining the bag-in-box outlet valve, said connection line having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid whose axis perpendicular to the longer base coincides with the cushion axis, with an additional baffle plate being tightly attached on the upper base line of the trapezoid forming this connection, between the upper and lower cushion wall . Baffle plate surfaces are either continuous or perforated, or open-work and if necessary baffle plates have reinforcement components for increasing stiffness .

The object of the invention will be described more accurately below with use of a drawing, whose fig. 1 represents a schematic cross-section side view of the air-filled cushion, fig. 2 represents a top view of the cushion prior to filling thereof with air, fig. 3 represents a demonstrative external view of the air-filled cushion and shows the formed trough, fig. 4 represents schematically a container housing a bag-in-box with a cushion placed under said bag-in-box prior to filling the cushion with air.

Cushion 1 according to the invention, used for emptying a bag-in-box having big capacity, is flexible and is a flat component during the filling of the bag in-box, and becomes a spatial component during the emptying of the bag-in-box. The cushion according to the invention in the flat form is placed on the bottom of a container 2 , wherein a bag-in-box 3 is placed, which is subsequently filled with a fluid substance. Upon filling the bag-in-box, the bag-in-box and the container are prepared for transport . Inside the cushion 1 are placed flexible baffle plates 4 permanently attached to the cushion 1 walls. The baffle plates 4 are trapezoid- shaped . In an embodiment of a cushion 1 according to the invention, the trapezoid sides are perpendicular to the bottom base and have different lengths . In an embodiment of a cushion 1 are two baffle plates 4 . The bottom and top bases of the trapezoid are not parallel . Baffle plates 4 are connected via their bases to the upper and lower wall of the cushion 1 , preserving a distance from the cushion edge . The shorter side of the baffle plate 4 is placed at the side of the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . Baffle plates 4 are in direction corresponding to the axis of the cushion 1 running through the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . Baffle plate 4 surfaces are either continuous or perforated, or open-work and if necessary baffle plates have reinforcement components for increasing stiffness. On the edge of the cushion, within its part placed by the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 , the upper and the lower wall of the cushion 1 are connected and a connection 6 of shape of an isosceles trapezoid is made . The axis of said trapezoid , perpendicular to the longer base thereof, coincides with the cushion 1 axis . Baffle plates 4 located between the cushion walls are not connected with the connection 6 of shape of an isosceles trapezoid . On the line of the trapezoid top base forming the connection 6 , a tightly fastened additional baffle plate 7 is located between the upper and lower cushion 1 wall . Said cushion 1 has an inlet valve 8 for air, preferably compressed . In an embodiment of a cushion said valve is located on the lower cushion wall .

While filling the cushion 1 with gas , preferably with air, said air flows freely between the cushion 1 walls and baffle plates 4 and the cushion becomes a spatial component . This is presented schematically in fig.3. Its upper wall is formed into a trough which becomes narrower axially and has a fall towards the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . The upper cushion wall is inclined at different depth at different distances from the axis and from the point of incorporation of the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . This is due to the described distribution of baffle plates 4 relative to the cushion 1 axis, the trapezoid shape of said baffle plates 4 , the location of the shorter side of each baffle plate 4 near the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 , and the existence of a connection 6 of the upper and lower cushion 1 wall along an isosceles trapezoid line, said trapezoid having the vertical axis coinciding with the cushion axis, as well as due to placing an additional baffle plate 7 on the line of connection 6 in the part surrounding the location of the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . Thus, upon filling the cushion 1 with air, said cushion 1 receives the shape of a falling trough which becomes narrower towards the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 .

While emptying the bag-in-box 3 , air is fed to the cushion via its inlet valve 8 . The cushion in the process of filling assumes the shape of a trough and exerts pressure on the bag-in-box 3 along the entire circumference of the bag and on its bottom . Pressure is exerted on the fluid substance being removed from the bag-in- box 3 , the fluid substance is collected from the bag walls and is directed as a jet to the outlet valve 5 . More accurate emptying of the bag from the fluid substance is thereby achieved, and low amount of leftovers of the substance removed from the bag remains on the bag walls .

The cushion is light, whereby the weight of the container with the filled bag is only slightly increased . Said cushion is easy to handle while filling thereof and depending on the used filling equipment it enables considerable mechanization of the bag-in-box emptying process.

The structure of an embodiment of a cushion according to the invention is reflected in fig. 1 illustrating the appearance of the cushion in the process of filling with air. The cushion 1 has two walls, the upper and the lower one , and between them two baffle plates 4 are located . Said baffle plates 4 have the shape of a trapezoid with non-parallel bases . Their sides have different lengths , whereby the attached baffle plates 4 are inclined towards the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . Since the sides of the baffle plates 4 are free and are not connected with the cushion 1 walls, air flows freely inside the cushion while filling said cushion 1 .

While filling a bag-in-box 3 having big capacity with a fluid substance and preparing it for transport , first a cushion 1 devoid of air is placed onto the bottom of the container 2 and the inlet valve 8 of said cushion is placed in the relevant opening in the container 2. This is reflected in fig. 4. Subsequently, the bag-in-box 3 is placed in the container 2 and the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 is placed in the relevant opening in the container 2 . The bottom of the bag-in-box 3 rests on the cushion 1 . The bag-in-box 3 is filled with a fluid substance. Upon closing the container 2 the bag-in-box 3 is ready for transport . For emptying the bag-in-box 3 from its contents, the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 is opened and while the bag contents flow out, air, preferably compressed , is fed into the cushion 1 via the inlet valve 8 . The cushion supports accurate emptying of the bag from its contents, since said cushion assumes the shape of a convergent trough falling towards the outlet valve 5 of the bag-in-box 3 . Said trough exerts pressure on the bottom of the bag-in-box 3 and its walls and generates a force that supports the flow of the fluid substance out of the bag and provides the effect of a considerable removal of the contents from the bag walls .