Bag-in-box container rack

Abstract

A bag-in-box container rack has first and second side walls, a pair of support bars, spaced apart and parallel to one another, extending horizontally between the first and second side walls, and a plurality of bag-in-box container supports extending between the support bars. The rack has at least one vertical panel having a plurality of flanges that are adapted to slidably support a fluid dispensing component, such as a pump or pump assembly, on the panel; the flanges being made from the same material as the rest of the panel, and being monolithically formed therewith. In one embodiment, the vertical panel is made of metal and the flange portions are cut from the metal forming the panel and bent outwardly to form the flange. The rack can be used in a modular bag-in-box container rack system made from a plurality of substantially identical rack sections stacked vertically on one another. Each container support includes a pair of rails adapted to support a standard size bag-in-box container. The vertical distance between the support bars of adjacent rack sections is sufficient to allow one standard size bag-in-box container to be stacked vertically on each of the container supports, whereby standard size bag-in-box containers can be stacked vertically, side by side, on each rack section.

1 . A bag-in-box container rack comprising: 
 a) first side wall, a second side wall, a pair of support bars, spaced apart and parallel to one another, extending horizontally between the first and second side walls, and a plurality of bag-in-box container supports extending between the support bars; and    b) at least one vertical panel having a plurality of flanges that are adapted to slidably support a fluid dispensing component on the panel, the flanges being made from the same material as the rest of the panel, and being monolithically formed therewith.    
   
   
       2 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the vertical panel is made of metal and the flange portions are cut from the metal forming the panel and bent outwardly to form each flange.  
   
   
       3 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  further comprising at least one fluid dispensing component mounted on said panel.  
   
   
       4 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 3  wherein said fluid dispensing component comprises a pump.  
   
   
       5 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 3  wherein said fluid dispensing component comprises a pump assembly comprising a pump, a valve, a filter, and a regulator.  
   
   
       6 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the at least one vertical panel is part of the first side wall.  
   
   
       7 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein each side wall includes one of said vertical panels with flanges thereon.  
   
   
       8 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the at least one vertical panel comprises four flanges: two on an upper portion of the panel opening downwardly, and two on a lower portion of the panel opening upwardly.  
   
   
       9 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 8  wherein the two flanges on the upper portion of the panel are in line with one another.  
   
   
       10 . A modular bag-in-box container rack system comprising a plurality of the racks of  claim 1  staked on top of one another, wherein the support bars of adjacent racks are spaced such that the vertical distance between the support bars of adjacent racks is sufficient to allow one standard size bag-in-box container to be stacked vertically on each of the container supports, whereby a plurality of standard size bag-in-box containers can be stacked vertically, side by side, on each rack section.  
   
   
       11 . The modular bag-in-box container rack system of  claim 10  wherein each rack includes three container supports and has an overall width of between twenty-four inches and thirty inches, whereby three standard sized bag-in-box containers can be stacked vertically, side by side, on the three container supports.  
   
   
       12 . The modular bag-in-box container rack system of  claim 10  wherein each rack includes four container supports and has an overall width of between thirty-six inches and forty-two inches, whereby four standard sized bag-in-box containers can be stacked vertically, side by side, on the four container supports.  
   
   
       13 . The modular bag-in-box container rack system of  claim 10  wherein the support bars of adjacent rack sections are spaced at least fourteen inches apart.  
   
   
       14 . The modular bag-in-box container rack system of  claim 10  wherein the first and second side walls of each rack section include a pair of support legs, each leg having a top and bottom, the top of each leg being adapted to engage the bottom of another leg.  
   
   
       15 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the vertical panel includes a plurality of flanges vertically staggered with respect to one another.  
   
   
       16 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the vertical panel extends between two spaced apart support legs.  
   
   
       17 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 16  wherein the vertical panel is located vertically above the support bars.  
   
   
       18 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein the container supports include features formed therein to provide a stop to prevent the bag-in-box container from sliding forward off the container support.  
   
   
       19 . The bag-in-box container rack of  claim 1  wherein each container support is substantially flat and aligned within a horizontal plane.  
   
   
       20 . A modular bag-in-box container rack system comprising: 
 a) a plurality of substantially identical rack sections, stacked vertically on one another;    b) each rack section defining a width, height, and depth, the width, height, and depth of each rack section being fixed;    c) each rack section including a first side wall, a second side wall, a pair of support bars, spaced apart and parallel to one another, extending horizontally between the first and second side walls, and a plurality of container supports extending between the support bars;    d) the support bars of adjacent rack sections being spaced at least fourteen inches apart, such that the vertical distance between the support bars of adjacent rack sections is sufficient to allow one standard size bag-in-box container to be stacked vertically thereon such that a plurality of standard size bag-in-box containers can be stacked vertically, side by side, on each rack section;    e) the first and second side walls of each rack section including a pair of support legs, each leg having a top and bottom, the top of each leg being adapted to engage the bottom of another leg such that the individual rack sections can be stacked vertically on one another; and    f) at least one of the first and second side walls of each rack section including a vertical panel having a plurality of flanges that are adapted to slidably support a fluid dispensing component on the panel, the flanges being made from the same material as the rest of the panel, and being monolithically formed therewith.