Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes – Battery grid pasting
Patent
1997-10-30
1999-06-22
Walczak, David J.
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
Battery grid pasting
141114, 141313, B65B 104
Patent
active
059133422
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to deformable containers in particular containers for use in dispensing machines, the containers being intended to be deformed to discharge the contents thereof.
Deformable containers have been proposed which are of generally cylindrical shape having end walls at opposite ends, one end wall including an opening and the other end wall being arranged to be engaged to move the end walls relative to one another. During such movement the side walls are deformed and the side walls may have a concertina-like formation to enable deformation to take place to reduce the length and volume of the container and discharge the contents of the container. With the concertina-like formation the side wall may comprise a plurality of pleats which close up and open out during deformation of the container.
When the contents of the container are viscous or semi-solid it is important that the internal volume of the container is reduced to a minimum upon full discharge of the container, to ensure that the contents are substantially eliminated from the container.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved deformable container.
According to the invention a deformable container of generally cylindrical shape comprises end walls at opposite ends, one end wall including an opening and the other end wall being arranged to be engaged to move said other end wall relative to said one end wall to deform the side walls, the side walls having a concertina-like formation whereby the side walls deform upon said movement to reduce the length of the container, wherein the side walls comprise a plurality of pleats and the depth of the pleats differs over the length of the container.
Conveniently the depth of the pleats is greater towards the end of the container having said one end wall and said opening. In one arrangement said other end wall of the container is provided with a central portion to be engaged by a plunger for moving the end walls towards one another and an outer portion of said other end wall between said central portion and the concertina-like formation, said outer portion being flexibly arranged to permit the plunger to move initially along the container towards said one end and relative to the side wall to take up a position within said side wall without substantial deformation of said side wall. Such movement, upon continuation, causes deformation of the concertina-like formation.
Preferably the outer portion is of curvilinear shape and is outwardly convex before deformnation.
Conveniently there is provided a notch or kink in said outer portion which, upon deformation of said portion, engages a shoulder on said plunger.
Although the container is described as cylindrical it may take other forms such as eliptical, rectangular with rounded corners, or other curvilinear shapes.
The invention also provides a method of filling and discharging deformable containers of the kind described above in which the container is initially deformed so that its internal volume is reduced, preferably to a minimum, admitting product into the container through said opening while the container is deformed to increase its internal volume, continuing filling the container until it is substantially full of product, the container then being dischargeable by engaging the end of the container remote from the opening to deform the container to reduce its internal volume, and discharge product from said opening.
In the method of the invention a product discharge nozzle may be sealingly engaged over the opening so that as the volume of the container is increased the product admitted to the container completely occupies the increased space within the container. Preferably the container at the commencement of filling with product is substantially completely deformed to a position in which there is minimum volume within the container and deformation to increase its internal volume is resisted. In this way the container is filled with product with a minimum entrapment of air within the container and with a rapid filling rate.
Furthe
REFERENCES:
patent: 3289891 (1966-12-01), Frankenberg
patent: 3390821 (1968-07-01), Mullan
patent: 5333761 (1994-08-01), Davis et al.
McGill Technology Limited
Walczak David J.
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