PIERCEABLE BAG FOR CONTAINING BEVERAGE AND BAG KIT THEREWITH

[0001] The present invention concerns a pierceable bag for containing beverages, and in particular for containing mineral or drinking water.

[0002] It is well known to provide containment systems for mineral or drinking water in rigid containers, such as so-called "bottles", which are sealed and intended to be inserted in a water dispenser to deliver water directly into the glass.

[0003] However, rigid containers, such as jerry cans and bottles, suffer from some problems related to transport, storage and bacterial proliferation. In particular, as far as transport and storage are concerned, rigid containers are bulky, not very flexible for storage in confined spaces and also not easy to handle. In addition, due to the presence of a rigid opening, rigid containers often encourage the proliferation of bacteria around the opening, as bacteria find an ideal environment between the handles and crevices of the opening both during storage and during the delivery of water from the container .

[0004] Not only that, to balance the pressure inside the bottle with the external pressure during the delivery of water from the bottle air is introduced from the external environment. This causes the entry of environmental pollutants and airborne bacteria into the bottle, contaminating the water it contains and further contributing to the proliferation of bacteria.

[0005] Furthermore, the bottles of the known art made from polycarbonate run the risk of releasing bisphenol A (BPA) , which is known to be toxic.

[0006] The present invention is placed in the preceding context, proposing to provide a pierceable bag containing a beverage that is able to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, and in particular designed to allow easy handling and at the same time improved flexibility in storage and transport, together with an improved hygienic and environmental aspect .

[0007] This is achieved by means of a bag and a bag kit according to the accompanying independent claims . The claims dependent thereon show preferred variants of embodiment .

[0008] The subject-matter of the present invention will now be described in detail, with the help of the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0009] - Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bag kit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] - Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bag kit according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a first configuration of the handle device;

[0011] - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a bag kit according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a second configuration of the handle device;

[0012] - Figure 4 shows a plan view from above of the bag kit of Figure 3;

[0013] - Figure 5 shows a plan view from below of a bag kit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] With reference to the aforesaid figures, a bag 1 containing a beverage, preferably containing mineral or drinking water, intended to be delivered by a dispenser directly into a glass (or a jug or bottle) is indicated collectively at reference number 1. The bag 1 is thus suitable to be penetrated by a bag opening device arranged inside a water dispenser (not shown) . In particular, the bag opening device is, for example, a piercing element, suitable to pierce the bag to allow the withdrawal and subsequent dispensing of the beverage contained in the bag.

[0015] The bag 1 comprises a thin wall 10, flexible and collapsible, made of plastic material, enclosing an inner chamber 11 containing the beverage.

[0016] The thin wall 10 comprises a pierceable region 20, facing away from the inner chamber and covered with a tear-off tab 30, which may be removed to expose the pierceable region 20.

[0017] The bag 1 is suitable to assume an intact configuration, wherein the tear-off tab 30 covers the pierceable region 20 and a pre-pierced configuration with the tear-off tab 30 removed.

[0018] In the pre-pierced configuration, the pierceable region 20 is intact so as not to allow the outflow of the beverage .

[0019] Preferably, the thin wall 10 is made entirely of a single material, preferably entirely of polyethylene, more preferably of extruded polyethylene, even more preferably of coextruded polyethylene.

[0020] In accordance with a variant embodiment, the bag 1 only comprises the thin wall 10 for containing the beverage, without additional thin walls adhered thereto.

[0021] Preferably, the bag 1 consists only of the thin wall 10 and the tear-off tab 30, without additional accessory components such as nozzles or necks to accommodate caps or closures.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, the tear-off tab 30 is attached to the thin wall 10 in a peelable manner only in an attachment region 31 located peripherally to the pierceable region 20.

[0023] Preferably, the tear-off tab 30 is attached with glue or heat-sealed to the thin wall 10 in a peelable manner .

[0024] For example, the attachment region 31 is an annular region around the pierceable region 20.

[0025] This allows contamination of the pierceable region to be avoided, especially if the tear-off tab 30 is attached to the thin wall 10 with adhesive.

[0026] Preferably, the pierceable region 20 lies on the same surface to which the tear-off tab 30 is attached, for example, glued or heat-sealed. This allows for a simple construction of the bag.

[0027] In other words, the tear-off tab 30 is attached directly to the thin wall 10 on the outer side of the thin wall 10, not facing the inner chamber 11 containing the beverage.

[0028] In a variant embodiment, the thin wall 10 consists of a flexible and collapsible thin outer wall 10 made of plastic material, which surrounds a thin inner wall 10' . The thin inner wall 10' encloses the inner chamber 11 which contains the beverage, preferably only water. The thin inner wall 10' thus comprises the pierceable wall region 20.

[0029] In this variant, the bag 1, in its pre-pierced configuration, provides for the thin inner wall 10' to be intact at the pierceable region 20 so as to keep the beverage from escaping. [0030] Preferably, the tear-off tab 30 is attached or made in one piece on/with the thin outer wall 10'' but not on/with the thin inner wall 10' .

[0031] In other words, the pierceable region 20 is covered by the tear-off tab 30, joined only to the thin outer wall 10' ' .

[0032] Preferably, at the pierceable region 20, the thin outer wall 10'' is spaced from the thin inner wall 10' so that there is a space between the thin outer wall 10'' and the pierceable region 20. This prevents dirt or bacteria from coming into contact with the pierceable region 20 even when the tear-off tab 30 is removed.

[0033] More specifically, the tear-off tab 30 is spaced from the pierceable region 20, so that there is a space between the pierceable region 20 and the tear-off tab 30 when the bag is in its intact configuration. This reduces the possibility of contamination by bacteria or dirt even after the tear-off tab has been removed and, for example, if the bag 1 is placed on a flat surface after the tear- off tab 30 is removed.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the thin inner wall 10' is an inner bag and the thin outer wall 10'' is an outer bag into which the inner bag is inserted. In other words, the outer bag 10' ' at least partially or totally surrounds the inner bag 10' . [0035] As said, once the tear-off tab 30 has been removed, the bag 1 is ready to be inserted into a beverage dispenser (not shown) , so that the pierceable region 20 ends up near a piercing device capable of piercing the bag 1 in the pierceable region 20. This piercing device is also capable of being sealingly inserted into the bag 1, due to the flexibility of the flexible inner wall 10', and of taking the beverage from inside the bag and delivering it to the glass.

[0036] Preferably, the pierceable region 20 is disinfected, or sterile or sterilized. In this way, the absence of bacteria is further guaranteed.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the bag comprises a handle portion 12, made in one piece with the thin outer wall 10 and comprising handle holes 121, 122, 123, 124,

125 intended to accommodate the fingers of an operator or a handle device 90, described hereinafter.

[0038] Preferably, the handle holes 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 have a substantially semicircular shape.

[0039] In an advantageous variant embodiment, the handle holes 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 comprise at least two first holes 122, 123 arranged along a horizontal direction X and at least two second holes 122, 125 arranged along a second direction Y inclined with respect to the horizontal direction X. This allows the bag to be conveniently gripped in two positions, a transport position (holes arranged in the horizontal direction X) and a position for loading in the dispenser (holes arranged in the second direction Y) .

[0040] Preferably, a hole 123 of the two first holes 122,

123 is in common, i.e. coincident, with a hole 123 of the two second holes 123, 125.

[0041] Preferably, the thin inner wall 10' and the thin outer wall 10'' are entirely made of polyethylene, even more preferably extruded or coextruded polyethylene.

[0042] Moreover, preferably the thin inner wall 10' and/or the thin outer wall 10'' is transparent.

[0043] Preferably, in the case of a bag with a transparent thin wall 10 (or transparent thin inner wall 10' and transparent thin outer wall 10' ' ) , around each of the handle holes 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 there is a labeled area, for example a colored area, so that the position of the holes may be easily identified. The labeled area is for example an annular region around each of the handle holes.

[0044] Moreover, preferably on the thin wall 10 or on the thin outer wall 10'' or on the thin inner wall 10', at the attachment region 31 or the pierceable region 20, a labeled centering zone, e.g. a colored zone, is made to help the operator to position the pierceable region at the bag opening device.

[0045] Additionally, preferably, the tear-off tab 30 is made of polyethylene.

[0046] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the bag 1 consists only of the transparent thin wall 10, heat- sealed along only two regions opposite each other, and of the tear-off tab 30, possibly with the further presence of the handle portion 12, made in one piece with the thin wall, on one side of one of the two heat-sealed regions.

[0047] In an embodiment according to the invention, the pierceable region 20 is arranged on a lower portion 13 of the thin inner wall 10' of the bag 1. This lower portion is arranged facing and on the side opposite the handle portion 12.

[0048] Also subject-matter of the present invention is a bag kit 100, comprising a bag described above and a handle device 90 comprising a handle 91 from which engagement elements 92 protrude, suitable for inserting into the handle holes.

[0049] In accordance with an embodiment, the engagement elements 92 are arranged in such a way that they are insertable either in the two first holes 122, 123 arranged along a horizontal direction X, or in the two second holes 122, 125 arranged along a second direction Y, inclined with respect to the horizontal direction X. This makes it possible to obtain a handle device that is particularly flexible and suitable for all configurations of use of the bag (transport and loading into the dispenser) .

[0050] Preferably the handle 91 is made of metal or plastic and comprises a gripping area 91' at least partially covered with a layer of polyurethane.

[0051] Innovatively, the bag and the bag kit according to the present invention allow the drawbacks related to the known art to be resolved, in particular by improving the handling and flexibility of storage and transport of containers of the known art. In addition, an improvement of the hygienic safety aspects is guaranteed, due to the presence of a removable tear-off tab that guarantees a pierceable region that is always clean and free from bacterial proliferation.

[0052] Moreover, the bag according to the present invention, being collapsible on itself, does not require the introduction of ambient air during the withdrawal of water in the step of delivery by the dispenser, ensuring optimal water quality and avoiding the risk of contamination by pollutants and/or bacteria.

[0053] Advantageously, moreover, the bag is made of polyethylene, which guarantees the absence of BPA residues and at the same time improves the environmental impact, being a totally recyclable material.

[0054] In addition, the variant providing for the tear-off tab 30 attached directly to the thin wall 10 in a peelable manner only in a fastening region 31 arranged peripherally relative to the pierceable region 20 makes it possible to obtain a bag that is easy to make, thus avoiding unnecessary steps in the process for the adhesion of additional pierceable layers, prevents leakage and at the same time ensures that the contamination of the pierceable region is reduced as much as possible.

[0055] It is clear that the pierceable region 20 does not provide means to allow adhesion between the tear-off tab 30 and the thin wall 10 along the attachment region 31. This may occur either because the pierceable region 20 lacks the glue or adhesive used along the attachment region 31 or because any glue or adhesive also used on the pierceable region is deactivated only at the pierceable region 20 by means of a specific chemical compound or an additive, able likewise to make the pierceable region compatible from the perspective of food safety. Furthermore, in the case of heat-sealing, it is clear that in the pierceable region the heat-sealing is either absent or weaker than the heat-sealing on the attachment region 31. [0056] Moreover, due to the presence of suitably arranged handle holes, the stress on the flexor tendons of the fingers is reduced during transport and insertion of the bag into the dispenser. With respect to the systems of the known art, this allows for improved handling, since heavy rigid containers do not have to be lifted.

[0057] Additionally, the special semi-circular shape of the holes prevents accidental breakage or yielding of the thin wall of the bag.

[0058] To the embodiments of the aforesaid bag and bag kit, a person skilled in the art, in order to meet specific needs, may introduce variants or replacements of elements with others that are functionally equivalent.

[0059] These variants are likewise contained within the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

[0060] Moreover, each variant described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be implemented independently of the other variants described.