Oxygen impermeable bag-in-box container and methof of making

Abstract

A bag-in-box container includes a box defining a cavity receiving a bag. The bag includes walls formed of plastic sheet material forming a variable-volume chamber, and a fitting carried on one of the walls provides a passage communicating with the variable-volume chamber. The fitting is formed of material which is essentially impermeable to oxygen. A method of sealingly attaching the fitting to a wall of the bag without the use of heat sealing or adhesives is disclosed.

1 . A bag container comprising: 
 a bag having a wall defining a variable-volume chamber and including a fitting defining a passage opening to said variable-volume chamber;    said fitting sealingly engaging with said wall and being formed of a material which is essentially impermeable to oxygen.    
   
   
       2 . The bag container of  claim 1  wherein said fitting includes a pair of cooperative component parts, and said cooperative component parts each sealingly engaging said wall adjacent to a hole in said wall through which passes said passage.  
   
   
       3 . The bag container of  claim 2  wherein said pair of cooperative component parts cooperatively define at least one interference fit arranged both inwardly and outwardly of said wall and circumscribing said hole.  
   
   
       4 . The bag container of  claim 2  wherein said at least one interference fit is arranged across a thickness of said wall, and said pair of cooperative component parts cooperatively sealingly pinch said wall at said at least one interference fit.  
   
   
       5 . The bag container of  claim 2  wherein said pair of components define a plurality of axially arrayed interference fit features each cooperatively and sealingly engaging said wall.  
   
   
       6 . The bag container of  claim 2  wherein said pair of components each sealingly engage with one another both radially inwardly and radially outwardly of said wall.  
   
   
       7 . The bag container of  claim 6  wherein said pair of components each define a respective axially arrayed plurality of respective axially spaced tapered surfaces each cooperatively capturing the wall portion therebetween.  
   
   
       8 . A method of sealingly attaching a fitting to a fine-dimension flexible wall of a bag container, which bag container includes at least one flexible wall circumscribing and defining a variable volume chamber, said method including steps of: 
 providing a pair of fitting parts cooperatively defining a passage for communicating to said variable-volume chamber;    providing said at least one flexible wall with a hole opening to said variable-volume chamber, and disposing said pair of fitting parts one on each opposite side of said at least one flexible wall at said hole;    defining on each of said pair of fitting parts at least one interference fit feature sealingly cooperable with the at least one interference fit feature of the other of said pair of fitting parts and with a portion of said at least one flexible wall when interposed between said pair of fitting parts; and    arranged said pair of fitting parts across a thickness of said wall about said hole and forcefully engaging said pair of fitting parts with said wall and with one another, whereby said pair of cooperative fitting parts sealingly pinch said wall at said at least one interference fit.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further including the steps of: 
 providing for an outer one of said pair of fitting parts to define a conical wall surface, and configuring said conical wall surface to inwardly define a recess and plural convergent conical female surface sections;    interdigitated said plural convergent conical surface sections with a multitude of cooperative divergent conical female surface sections    utilizing the cooperative plural convergent conical surface sections and multitude of divergent conical surface sections to cooperatively define a number of successive and axially spaced apart annular female rings circumscribing the recess;    configuring an inner one of said pair of fitting parts to define a radially outer conical male surface defining plural convergent conical male surface portions;    interdigitated the plural convergent conical male surface portions with a multitude of divergent conical male surface portions;    utilizing convergent and divergent male surface portions on said inner fitting part to cooperatively define a number of annular ribs about said other fitting part; and    engaging the outer and inner fitting parts with said wall at the hole and forcing a peripheral portion of said wall into said recess and about said inner fitting part, so that each rib is forced axially past a corresponding ring and sealingly pinches said wall between said inner and said outer fitting parts.    
   
   
       10 . An oxygen impermeable flexible bag container including an essentially oxygen impermeable flexible bag wall bounding a variable-volume chamber, and an essentially oxygen impermeable bag fitting sealingly attaching to said bag wall and defining a passage communicating with said variable-volume chamber, said bag container comprising; 
 a flexible and essentially oxygen impermeable wall circumscribing and defining a variable volume chamber,    an essentially oxygen impermeable fitting for sealingly attaching to said wall and defining a passage for communicating between said variable-volume chamber and ambient;    said flexible wall defining a hole opening to said variable-volume chamber, and including a peripheral portion circumscribing said hole;    said fitting including a pair of fitting parts disposed on opposite side of said wall and each sealingly engaging said peripheral portion;    each of said pair of fitting parts defining respective interference fit features sealingly cooperable with said peripheral wall portion and with a corresponding interference fit feature of the other of said pair of fitting parts.    
   
   
       11 . The flexible bag container of  claim 10  wherein an outer one of said pair of fitting parts defines a conical wall surface inwardly define a recess and plural convergent conical female surface sections disposed along said recess; and a multitude of cooperative divergent conical female surface sections interdigitated with said plural convergent conical female surface sections, and said convergent and divergent conical female surface sections cooperatively defining a number of successive and axially spaced apart annular female rings circumscribing said recess; 
 said inner one of said pair of fitting parts defining a radially outer conical male surface defining plural convergent conical male surface portions; a multitude of divergent conical male surface portions interdigitating with said plural convergent conical male surface portions; and    said convergent and divergent male surface portions on said inner fitting part cooperatively defining a number of annular ribs about said inner fitting part; whereby said pair of fitting parts engage with said wall at the hole and forcibly dispose a peripheral portion of said wall into said recess and about said inner fitting part, so that each rib is forced axially past a corresponding ring and sealingly pinches said wall between said inner and said outer fitting parts.    
   
   
       12 . The flexible bag container of  claim 10  wherein an outer one of said pair of fitting parts defines an axially extending annular inner wall portion inwardly defining a portion of said passage, and said inner fitting part defining a stepped through bore, a smaller diameter portion of which also inwardly defines a corresponding portion of said passage, said inner fitting part including a larger diameter bore portion which is received into said recess of said outer fitting portion and is disposed radially outwardly of said axially extending annular inner wall portion of said outer fitting part.  
   
   
       13 . The flexible bag container of  claim 12  wherein inner fitting part on said larger diameter bore portion defines one of a radially inwardly disposed groove and ring, and said axially extending annular inner wall portion defining the other one of a radially outwardly disposed groove and ring, whereby, said ring and groove on said larger diameter bore portion of said inner fitting part and on said axially extending annular inner wall portion of said inner fitting part engage one another.  
   
   
       14 . The flexible 12 bag container of  claim 13  wherein said outer fitting part captures said inner fitting part both radially inwardly of said conical wall surface, and radially outwardly of said axially extending annular inner wall portion.  
   
   
       15 . An essentially oxygen impermeable flexible bag container including an essentially oxygen impermeable flexible bag wall bounding a variable-volume chamber, and an essentially oxygen impermeable bag fitting sealingly attaching to said bag wall and defining a passage communicating with said variable-volume chamber, said bag container comprising; 
 a flexible essentially oxygen impermeable wall circumscribing and defining a variable volume chamber, said wall including a peripheral portion circumscribing a hole communicating between said variable-volume chamber and ambient;    an essentially oxygen impermeable fitting for sealingly attaching to said wall and defining a passage for communicating between said variable-volume chamber and ambient;    said fitting including a pair of fitting parts disposed on opposite side of said wall and each sealingly engaging said peripheral portion; and said peripheral wall portion extending axially between said pair of fitting parts and outwardly of said passage.    
   
   
       16 . An essentially oxygen impermeable bag container comprising: 
 a bag having an essentially oxygen impermeable wall defining a variable-volume chamber and including a fitting defining a passage opening to said variable-volume chamber;    said fitting including a pair of fitting parts, one of said pair of fitting parts being disposed inside of said wall and the other of said fitting parts being disposed outside of said wall, and said pair of fitting parts sealingly engaging with said wall, and at least one of said pair of fitting parts being formed of a material which is essentially impermeable to oxygen.    
   
   
       17 . The bag container of  claim 16  wherein each of said pair of fitting parts cooperatively and sealingly engage said wall at a peripheral portion circumscribing a hole in said wall through which communicates said passage.  
   
   
       18 . The bag container of  claim 16  wherein said pair of fitting parts cooperatively define at least one tapered interference fit arranged both inwardly and outwardly of said wall peripheral portion and circumscribing said hole.  
   
   
       19 . The bag container of  claim 16  wherein said pair of fitting parts are in forceful permanent interference fit engagement with one another and with said wall peripheral portion to sealingly engage said wall.  
   
   
       20 . A fitting structure for sealingly attaching to a fine-dimension flexible wall of a bag container without heat sealing or adhesive, said fitting structure comprising: 
 a pair of fitting parts cooperatively defining a passage for communicating to said bag container;    each of said pair of fitting parts defining a respective one of at least one pair of interference fit features sealingly cooperable with one another and with said flexible wall of said bag container.    
   
   
       21 . The fitting structure of  claim 20  wherein said at least one pair of interference fit features includes one of said pair of fitting parts defining a wall surface circumscribing a recess, and said wall surface inwardly defining at least one convergent female surface section leading to at least one divergent female surface section; said convergent and divergent female surface sections intersecting to form a shoulder circumscribing said recess; and 
 the other of said pair of fitting parts defining an outwardly disposed wall surface for being received into said recess, said other fitting part similarly outwardly defining at least one convergent male surface portion leading to at least one divergent male surface portion; said convergent and divergent conical male surface portions intersecting to form a rib circumscribing said wall surface of said other fitting part; and    said rib and said shoulder cooperatively forming an interference fit with said flexible wall interposed therebetween.    
   
   
       22 . The fitting structure of  claim 21  wherein each of said pair of fitting parts defines plural pairs of interference fit features arranged axially along said recess.  
   
   
       23 . The fitting structure of  claim 21  wherein said one fitting part defines a radially inner wall portion inwardly bounding said passage and outwardly bounding said recess, and said one fitting part also defines a radially outer wall portion outwardly bounding said recess; said other fitting portion being received into said recess between said inner wall portion and said outer wall portion.  
   
   
       24 . The fitting structure of  claim 23  wherein said pair of fitting parts define a cavity disposed in said recess and radially between said inner wall portion and said outer wall portion, and said pair of fitting parts cooperatively sealingly trapping an end edge of said flexible wall at a hole thereof about said passage and in said cavity.