FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to shipping and packaging systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a packaging system including a fillable liner that may be placed inside of a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a Bag in Box packaging system, wherein the box is formed from at least five side panels, and wherein the system may be suitable for storing and/or shipping hazardous materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to transport hazardous materials, the requirements set forth in the Hazardous Material Regulations (â€œHMRâ€ ) document that is published by the Department of Transportation (â€œDOTâ€ ), Title 49 CFR must be met. The regulations include information on package classification, markings, labeling, documentation, specifications, testing procedures, as well as training requirements for personnel. The DOT requirements also conform to the principles established by the United Nations (â€œUNâ€ ) Model Regulations. All dangerous goods in international marine and international or domestic air transport are required to be in packaging displaying the UN marking. The UN marking indicates that the packaging design has been tested and has passed the recommendations of the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

UN Certified packaging, therefore, undergo rigorous testing procedures intended to ensure that packaging that will contain hazardous materials can withstand normal conditions of transportation and are considered to provide the minimum acceptable design standards. Such testing includes a number of performance-oriented tests related to packaging integrity. How strenuous the tests are depends on the Packing Group into which the tested packaging falls. Packaging is tested in the â€œas for shipmentâ€ condition. Packaging may be submitted to the drop test; the stacking test; the leak proof test; the hydrostatic test; and/or the vibration test. Each of the tests has specific guidelines set up to ensure that the packaging being tested will conform to the respective packing group requirements. Accordingly, both a strong and durable packaging system is needed to pass the strenuous testing to which the packaging for hazardous materials is subjected.

Substantially rigid plastic containers with replaceable covers, e.g., bucket-type containers, also known as pails, are commonly used to package and ship selected liquid and viscous materials in the nature of foods and food preparation materials, cosmetic preparations, detergents, and the like, as well as hazardous materials. Such containers are sturdy, typically having a wall thickness in the range of about 0.075 inches to about 0.090 inches, and have a large mouth that renders them well suited for storing and dispensing a variety of viscous liquids. A typical 20-liter empty bucket may weigh approximately 2.25 lbs. Rigid plastic containers have traditionally been used for shipping hazardous materials because they may more easily comply with United Nations (â€œUNâ€ ) and Department of Transportation (â€œDOTâ€ ) certification requirements.

Nonetheless, pails have several drawbacks, including their weight, size, shape, and the material of which they are comprised. As stated above, a single traditional 20-liter bucket, for instance, may weigh approximately 2.25 pounds empty, which adds a considerable amount of weight to a truckload of product. Buckets or pails are also typically cylindrically shaped, making them inefficient for skidding or shipping because there may be a substantial amount of unused space between one bucket and the next bucket. Further, due to the rigidity of the buckets, they may take up a significant amount of space after use, but before disposal. The buckets may also be difficult or costly to dispose of or recycle. Further, the large mouth of the buckets may not allow for controlled discharge of the contents, which may be especially important for discharging hazardous materials that should not contact a person's skin, be spilled, and/or contaminated.

Another mode of shipping liquid products, including some hazardous products, is the â€œBag in Boxâ€ (â€œBIBâ€ ) method, in which a bag made of flexible single or double ply plastic film and provided with a fitment for discharge of the bag's contents is stored in a box made of corrugated cardboard. The BIB may generally be preferable over the pail for a number of reasons, such as, the BIB may weigh less; be collapsible and hence take up less space; be palletized more efficiently because there may be no void space between boxes; etc. Further advantages of the BIB arise from plastic recycling requirements and food packaging regulations. For example, environmental regulations require containers with a volume of 5 gallons or less to be made of a recyclable material. Additionally, governmental regulations require that plastic containers for foodstuffs be made of a virgin plastic material. Flexible bags used in the BIB packaging system comprise a relatively smaller amount of plastic in comparison to pail containers, thereby reducing the amount of plastic that has to be disposed of or recycled.

Traditionally, the box of a BIB may have end panels, and four side panels comprised of corrugated cardboard that may be connected or attached to one another to form a box. Corrugated cardboard boxes may have a variety of thicknesses. Generally, cardboard boxes that are designed to meet UN/DOT standards are relatively thicker, in order to gain strength and durability. Similarly, BIB designs subject to UN standards may have a cube shape, such that each side, edge, and corner of the box may bear the weight of the contents substantially equally. With a cube-shaped box design, it is expected that no side, corner, or seam may be inherently weaker than any other side, corner or seam. Even with a cube-shaped box design, however, with or without relatively thicker box materials, meeting UN standards proves difficult, particularly when the bag contains a liquid that may shift within the liner.

A bag, also known as a liner, of a BIB system may have some type of fitment/sealing cap assembly. Typically, a fitment portion may be integral with the liner and a cap may be detachably secured to the fitment. The bag may be filled with material through the fitment opening. Once the bag is filled, the cap may be fixed on the fitment, in order to securely contain the contents of the bag. The cap may be removed to permit the bag to be emptied of its contents. Ideally, a bag filled with material may be snuggly and uniformly enclosed within a box to minimize the ability of the liquid to shift. However, due to the presence of the fitment/cap assembly, which may protrude a significant distance from a side of the liner, the liner of a typical BIB system may not be snuggly and uniformly enclosed within the box. Accordingly, when liquid shifts, particularly during a fall, uneven pressure and force may be applied to the sides and seams to which the liquid shifts, making those areas susceptible to damage and/or leakage. Further, traditional BIB systems may have the fitment positioned outside of the box, making such systems unlikely to be able to pass the strict requirements of the UN and/or DOT.

Thus, a need exists for a BIB system suitable for storing and shipping contents, including potentially hazardous contents, that may be subject to UN and/or DOT regulations. A further need exists for a BIB system including a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to shipping and storage systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a packaging system including a fillable liner that may be placed inside of a five side panel container for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a BIB packaging system, wherein the box is formed from at least five side panels, and wherein the system may be suitable for storing and/or shipping hazardous materials.

The present disclosure, in one embodiment, relates to a packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The packaging assembly includes a box and liner. The box may have a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior. The four sides may be formed from at least five side panels. The liner has a bag portion and a fitment portion. The bag portion can be positioned in substantially a separate compartment of the box from the fitment portion. A product hold down flap may separate the interior of the box into the at least two compartments. The product hold down flap may have a main portion and at least one leg flap. The main portion, top end, and bottom end, may be positioned generally parallel to one another, and the leg flap may positioned adjacent a side of the box in a substantially intersecting or connected, including substantially perpendicular, orientation to the main portion.

The present disclosure, in another embodiment, relates to a method of packaging, storing, and shipping liquids, viscous materials, and particulate materials. the method includes filling a liner with material, wherein the liner comprises a bag portion and a fitment portion, and securing the liner inside of a box. The box has a top end, a bottom end, four sides, and at least two compartments in its interior. The four sides are formed from at least five side panels. The bag portion is contained in one compartment of the box, and the fitment portion of the liner is substantially contained in a separate compartment of the box. In some cases, the liner is filled after securing it inside of the box. In yet further cases, the liner is filled and secured inside of the box using an automatic case erector.

The present disclosure, in yet another embodiment, relates to a box for a bag in box system. The box may include a top end, a bottom end, and four sides formed from at least five side panels. One of the at least five side panels may include a product hold down flap separating the interior of the box into at least two compartments.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the disclosure will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liner and box, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an empty liner in a collapsed state, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2b is a perspective view of one embodiment of a liner in a filled state, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3a is a perspective view of a cap assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3b is a perspective view of the sealing part of the cap assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a flat sheet of a box, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, before it has been assembled;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled box with a liner fitment resting on top of the product hold down flap of the fifth side panel, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6a is a fragmentary view of the product hold down flap of the fifth side panel with the perforated fitment securing portion in place, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6b is a fragmentary view of the product hold down flap of the fifth side panel with the perforated fitment securing portion pulled away from the product hold down flap, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7a is a top view of a flat sheet of a box, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, before it has been assembled and having a fitment securing slot;

FIG. 7b is a fragmentary view of a product hold down flap of the fifth side panel with a securing slot, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an assembled box with a top flap up providing access to the fitment/cap assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9a is a partial view of an assembled box showing the top of the box with all of the top flaps and the handle portion punched through, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9b is a partial view of an assembled box showing the top of the box with all of the flaps with the handle portion punched through and the fitment/cap assembly tab removed, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 is a top view of a flat sheet of a box, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, before it has been assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous shipping and storage systems that may be used to ship liquid or viscous products or particulate matter. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a shipping and storage system 100 according to the present disclosure may generally include an inner liner 102 and an outer container or box 104. In some embodiments, the liner may be filled before the liner is placed in the box, while in other embodiments, the liner may be placed in the box and then filled, in which case the liner may be inserted into the box in an empty and collapsed state, as will be described in further detail below. The boxes of the present disclosure may generally include five or more side panels, instead of the traditional four side panels. In embodiments with five side panels, the fifth panel can provide another layer of thickness for at least a portion of at least one side of the box, which can result in a stronger box. Further, the fifth panel may be used to form a product hold down flap. As may be appreciated, in some embodiments, the product hold down flap may separate the box into two compartments, for example, a compartment for containing a liner, and a void space compartment that may contain at least the fitment portion of the liner and the cap assembly. The separate compartment that houses the fitment can be beneficial as it may provide a secure place for the fitment, which is preferable to the fitment's being outside of the box (which may make the fitment particularly susceptible to damage) or inside the same compartment as the bag. Many other advantages result from the fitment and cap assembly being located in the void area, including, but not limited to, ease of access to and additional support for the fitment and cap. For example, the fitment and cap assembly being located in the void area may make it substantially easier to access the product than having the fitment and the cap in the same compartment as the liner because one does not have to fish around inside of the box to find the cap. In addition, the product hold down flap may be used to securely position the fitment in the void space compartment and the liner in the liner compartment, thereby allowing the entire liner to fill the area in the liner compartment that would otherwise be taken up by the fitment and allow the liner to be snuggly enclosed within the liner compartment, as described in further detail below. Accordingly, the shipping and storage systems of the present disclosure may be particularly useful for packaging and shipping hazardous materials subject to UN/DOT rules and regulations.

Any suitable style of liner may be used in conjunction with the containers or boxes of the present disclosure, including a pillow-bag liner, a bag with corner seam welds, or any other type of liner, including but not limited to a liner such as that generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,121, entitled â€œBag for Bag-in-Box and Bag-in-Box,â€ which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. More particularly, a liner of the BIB of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, may be made of a plastics thin film, for example. The liner films may be made in a variety of thicknesses, and in some embodiments may depend on, and strike a balance between, for instance, the desired cost and the robustness of the liner. The liner may be comprised of one layer of plastic, or a plurality of layers, or may have some portions with a first number of layers, and other portions with a different number of layers. A fitment may be provided and may be integral with the liner, and made of a harder plastic, for example, than the plastic that comprises the bag portion of the liner. The fitment may be positioned at any convenient or suitable location on the liner.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate one embodiment of a suitable liner 102 for use with the BIB system of the present disclosure. FIG. 2a shows liner 102 in a flattened, unfilled state while FIG. 2b shows liner 102 in a filled or inflated state. In one embodiment, liner 102 may be a four-side-seal type bag composed of a pair of opposing flat portions 202, 204 constituting front and back side portions of the bag body and two gusseted side portions 206, 208 connecting front and back side portions at both side ends thereof. Each of the flat portions and the gusseted side portions may generally have a shape of a square or a rectangle. In case of the bag 102, illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the flat portions 202, 204 and the gusseted side portions 206, 208 have a shape of a rectangle. The liner 102 may include top seal portions 210, bottom seal portions 212, and side seal portions 214 respectively provided at the periphery of the bag body, sealing the front, back, and gusseted side portions together. The liner may further include oblique corner seal portions 216 and triangular fin portions 218 provided at respective corner portions of the bag body. Oblique corner seal portions 216 may not only provide the liner with additional strength, but may also help the filled liner generally conform to the shape of a cube or rectangular prism in a filled or inflated state, as shown in FIG. 2b, thereby allowing the filled liner to be snuggly and uniformly enclosed inside of a cube-shaped or rectangular prism-shaped box. A bonding operation for forming the top seal portions 210, bottom seal portions 212, side seal portions 214, and oblique seal portions 216 may usually be performed by using a heat sealing method; however, other suitable sealing methods may be used.

The liner 102 may further be provided with one or more outlets, fittings, or fitments 220 for filling or emptying the liner 102. A fitment 220 may include one or more lips 222 for securing the fitment 220 to the box 104, as will be described in detail below. The fitment 220 may also include a surface on its interior or exterior for engaging and securing a cap. Securing or locking mechanisms that may be used to engage a cap include but are not limited to press-fit, threads, or bayonet connections.

In some embodiments, illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b, a cap 302 may be provided, or used in conjunction with the fitment or fitments 220 to securely contain the contents within the liner. The cap 302 in some embodiments may have one or more parts. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3a, the cap 302 may comprise two parts, a connecting part 304, for attaching to a fitment 220, and a covering part 306, for sealing the liner closed. The connecting part 304, as shown in FIG. 3b, in some embodiments, may have a first end 308 with one or more ribs 310 for engaging with a surface, such as an interior surface, of the fitment 220 by, for example, press-fit. Alternatively, first end 308 may include a threaded portion or other suitable securing or locking means that may be used to couple the connecting part 304 with the fitment 220 of the liner 102. A second end 312 of the connecting part 304 may include threads 314. The threads 314 on the second end 312 may couple with complementary threads on the covering part 306. In other embodiments, means other than threading may be used to connect the connecting part 304 and covering part 306, such as but not limited to press-fit, bayonet, or other suitable, securing, locking, or connecting means. In further embodiments, the connecting part 304 may include a removable seal 316, and in further embodiments, the removable seal 316 may include a pull ring 318, for example, such that when a user pulls up on the pull ring 318, the removable seal 316 can be removed, and the interior of the liner may be accessed (e.g., to discharge the liner's contents). The covering part 306 may be removably threaded on, or otherwise affixed to, the connecting part 304 to provide a resealable liner.

A box of the present disclosure may be assembled from a flat carton sheet. Typically, the flat sheet may be formed from a blank sheet by die cutting or other suitable method. Stacks of unassembled boxes, also referred to as flat sheets, may be stored and shipped in a collapsed state. A box of the present disclosure in some embodiments may be comprised of cardboard, but it will be recognized that corrugated cardboard, paperboard, boxboard, or other forms of heavy-duty paper or plastic materials, or any combination thereof, may also be used to form a box of the present disclosure. The material used to form a box may be 100% recyclable, or may be recyclable to a lesser degree. A box may be made to any size, including but not limited to hold about 5 gallons or less. A box of the present disclosure, when assembled, may be shaped generally as a cube or rectangular prism.

FIG. 4 shows a view of one embodiment of a flat sheet 400 for a box 104 of the present disclosure, before it has been assembled. As shown in FIG. 4, the flat sheet 400 may have five side panels 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, generally defined by fold lines or creases 412, 414, 416, 418. In one embodiment, the side panels 402, 404, 406, 408 may be generally square or rectangular in shape. Attached at the bottom and top of each of the four side panels 402, 404, 406, 408 may be a respective bottom flap 420, 422, 424, 426 and a respective top flap 428, 430, 432, 434, extending from its ends and defined by fold lines or creases 436. The bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may form a bottom end of the box in the assembled position while the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 may form a top end of the box in the assembled position, as will be described in detail below.

In one embodiment, the fifth side panel 410 may be generally square or rectangular in shape, with a shoulder portion 438 in one corner. A product hold down flap 440, defined by fold line 442 and separation 444 bordering shoulder portion 438, may extend from one end of the fifth side panel 410. The product hold down flap 440, in one embodiment, may include a main portion 446, one or more leg flaps 448 defined by leg flap fold lines 449, a fitment opening 450, and a perforated fitment securing portion 452. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the fold line 442 is positioned into the fifth side panel 410 away from alignment with fold lines 436 defining the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 a distance generally equal to the height of the shoulder portion 438. The separation 444 may generally be a cut, gap, perforated section, etc. allowing the product hold down flap 440 to move freely with respect to shoulder portion 438. As will be described in further detail below, this can allow the product hold down flap 440 to fold along fold line 442 into the assembled box, creating a void area between the product hold down flap 440 and the top end of the box created by the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a box 104 of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, may generally be assembled by folding side panels 402, 404, 406, 408, 410 along fold lines 412, 414, 416, 418 to form a structure having four sides with panels 402 and 406 positioned generally across from, and parallel with, one another and panels 404 and 408 positioned generally across from, and parallel with, one another. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the fifth side panel 410 may be positioned generally adjacent side panel 402, resulting in at least a portion of one side of the box having two side panel layers 402, 410. In some embodiments, the fifth side panel 410 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to an interior side 454 of panel 402. In other embodiments, the fifth side panel may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to an exterior side 456 of panel 402. Providing at least a portion of one side of the box 104 with two side panel layers may significantly increase the strength of the overall BIB system, which may allow the system to pass UN/DOT tests, such as the drop test. While the aforementioned embodiment may be described as using glue to affix panel 410 to panel 402, it will be recognized that other methods for securing the side panels may be used, such as but not limited to tape, staples, slots and latches formed in the material, or any other suitable method, or combination of methods. The fifth panel also may be integral with at least one other section of the box. Furthermore, it is recognized that in some embodiments, it is not necessary to adhere the fifth side panel 410 to panel 402, as the structure of the assembled box 104 could keep the fifth side panel 410 in place and adjacent to panel 402, without permanently affixing the panel 410 to panel 402.

The bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be assembled by folding along fold lines 436, as will be understood in the art, to form a bottom end panel. In one embodiment, two or more of the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to one another. However, in other embodiments, it is not necessary to permanently affix the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 to one another. While gluing has been specifically mentioned, other methods for securing the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426 may be used, such as but not limited to tape, staples, slots and latches formed in the material, or any other suitable method, or combination of methods, including but not limited to overlapping the bottom flaps in a criss-crossing or overlapping pattern.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the product hold down flap 440 may be folded along fold line 442 from its position shown in FIG. 4 toward and into the opening of the box created by the side panels 402, 404, 406, 408, 410. Accordingly, the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440 may be folded along fold line 442, so that it is generally positioned within and surrounded by the side panels 404, 406, 408, 410. In one embodiment, the product hold down flap 440 may be positioned so that the main portion 446 is generally perpendicular to the side walls 402, 404, 406, 408, 410 and generally parallel to the assembled bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426.

Before folding the product hold down flap 440 along fold line 442, or in other embodiments, as the product hold down flap 440 is folded along fold line 442 and positioned within the side panels 404, 406, 408, 410, the leg flaps 448 may fold up at the leg flap fold lines 449 such that they are positioned generally perpendicular to the main portion 446 and generally adjacent to a respective side panel. The height of the leg flaps 448 may be substantially equal to the height of the shoulder portion 438. Accordingly, a top edge of the leg flaps 448 may reinforce the top end of the box when in an assembled and closed position. In one embodiment, one or more of the leg flaps 448 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to an interior side of a respective side panel. However, it is recognized that in other embodiments, it is not necessary to secure the leg flaps 448, and the structure of the assembled box 104 could keep the leg flaps in place and adjacent to a respective side panel, without permanently affixing the leg flaps 448. In some cases, the height of the leg flaps 448 may be selected based on the desired packaging specifications.

When the box is assembled and the product hold down flap 440 has been folded down into the formed box at fold line 442, the shoulder portion 438 may extend above the product hold down flap 440. Similar to the rest of the fifth side panel 410, the shoulder portion 438 may also be, although not necessarily, attached to panel 402. In this way, the shoulder portion 438 may provide further strength and integrity to its respective edge (e.g., the edge between side panels 408 and 410) of the assembled box 104. Thus formed, in some embodiments, each of the side panels adjacent a leg flap 448 may be reinforced by having a portion with a second panel layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, panel 402 may be entirely or partially reinforced by the fifth side panel 410, while panels 404, 406, 408 may each be partially reinforced by a respective adjacent leg flap 448.

In addition to providing support for a top end of the box, the product hold down flap 440 can also separate the box 104 into two separate areas or compartments. A first free space area or void area may be formed between the main portion 446 and the top end of the box formed by closing the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434, as described below. A second liner area or compartment may be formed between the main portion 446 and the bottom end of the box formed by closing the bottom flaps 420, 422, 424, 426.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an assembled box 104 with all panels and flaps assembled except the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434. To close the box, the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 may be folded along fold lines 436, as will be understood in the art, to form a top end panel. In one embodiment, two or more of top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 may be secured, glued, or otherwise affixed to one another. However, in other embodiments, it is not necessary to permanently affix the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 to one another. While gluing has been specifically mentioned, other methods for securing the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 may be used, such as but not limited to tape, staples, slots and latches formed in the material, or any other suitable method, or combination of methods, including but not limited to overlapping the top flaps in a criss-crossing or overlapping pattern. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, top flaps 430, 434 may each comprise an edge having a sloped, or step-like pattern 458, or other suitable pattern, such that when the top flaps 430, 434 are closed, there remains an opening over, or access to, the fitment opening 450 of the product hold down flap 440 (see also FIG. 8). While the top flaps 430, 434 are shown with three â€œsteps,â€ more or fewer steps may be used, or any other cut-out shape may be used, such that when the top flaps 430, 434 are folded in at the fold lines 436, the fitment/cap assembly 220/302 may still be accessed.

As will be recognized, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the assembled box may generally form a rectangular prism. However, in other embodiments, the box may be generally cube-shaped.

As further shown in FIG. 5, when a liner 102 is positioned inside of the box 104, a fitment 220 or cap 302 of the liner may be secured by the fitment opening 450 in the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440. Accordingly, at least a portion of the fitment 220 or cap 302 may rest securely above of the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440 in the void area between the product hold down flap and the top end of the box. The fitment 220 or cap 302 may be secured to the product hold down flap 440 by positioning or inserting a portion of the product hold down flap between the liner and the lip 222 of the fitment 220, such that the lip 222 engages the product hold down flap and is held in a position that generally prevents the fitment from passing through the fitment opening 450 into the liner compartment. The fitment 220 can be secured to the product hold down flap 440 such that the fitment 220, with or without a cap 302 attached thereto, may generally easily fit within the void space between the product hold down flap and the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 when they are folded down at their fold lines 436 to close the box 104.

As can be better seen in FIGS. 6a and 6b, which illustrate the product hold down flap 440 separate from the rest of the box for clarity, in one embodiment, the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440 may have a fitment opening 450 and a perforated fitment securing portion 452 defined by perforations 602. Either before or after a liner 102 has been placed in the box 104, the fitment 220 of the liner 102 may be positioned within the fitment opening 450 of the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440. The fitment opening 450 may be formed, such that a portion of the fitment opening is formed in the main portion 446 and another portion of the fitment opening is formed in the perforated fitment securing portion 452 of the main portion 446. As shown in FIG. 6b, the perforated fitment securing portion 452 may be pulled back and separated from the main portion 446 at perforations 602, to create a fitment insertion space 604, which is large enough to receive the fitment 220 and bring the fitment through and into the lip of the fitment opening 450. As stated above, the fitment 220 may be secured to the product hold down flap by positioning the lip of the fitment opening 450 between the liner 102 and the fitment lip 222. Once the fitment 220 is positioned in the fitment opening 450, the perforated fitment securing portion 452 may be pushed down again to its initial position as shown in FIG. 6a. Generally, the fitment opening 450 may be configured so that its diameter is smaller, or slightly smaller, than the diameter of the lip 222 of the fitment 220 of the liner 102, thereby removably securing the fitment 220 to the product hold down flap 440.

While the process of positioning the fitment in the fitment opening and replacing the fitment securing portion may be done manually, it will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that a standard case erector may be custom-modified such that these steps are automated. In some embodiments using the aforementioned configuration, the fitment 220 may be secured to the product hold down flap by the case erector and then the liner may be filled. In other embodiments the liner may be filled first and then secured to the product hold down flap by the case erector. In order to more advantageously work with a case erector, in another embodiment of a box 704 of the present disclosure, shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, a product hold down flap 740 may include a securing slot 750 on the main portion 746, rather than a generally circular fitment opening, such as fitment opening 450. The securing slot 750 may be generally concave, including as a generally elongated â€˜Uâ€™-shaped slot, which may be accessible at one end 760 of the main portion 746. Main portion 746 may include leg flaps 748, including one or more leg flaps at end 760, shown in phantom, which may be divided by the opening to the securing slot 750, as shown in FIG. 7a. An advantage of this embodiment is that a standard case erector may be more easily adapted or used to secure the fitment 220 of the liner 102 to the product hold down flap 740. Generally, the fitment 220 may be passed through the opening of the securing slot 750 at end 760 and slid to the opposite end of the securing slot. Generally, the securing slot 750 may be configured so that its width is smaller, or slightly smaller, than the diameter of the lip 222 of the fitment 220 of the liner 102, thereby removably securing the fitment 220 to the product hold down flap 440. While case erectors may be customized or modified to accommodate specialty boxes, including for example, some embodiments of the present disclosure, this embodiment may be advantageous because the system may be more easily integrated into already existing single and multi-head filling lines. Furthermore, the box may be assembled using standard case erecting equipment. The liner may be positioned in the box as described above, for example, and the box and liner may be conveyed to an existing filler for adding contents to the liner.

The liner may be secured to the fitment opening, positioned within the box, and filed in generally any order. For example, in some embodiments, the liner may be placed in the box, secured to the fitment opening, then filled. However, in other embodiments, the liner may be filled, placed in the box, then secured to the fitment opening. In any of the above embodiments, once the liner has received contents, a cap may be affixed to the fitment of the liner, as described above.

As shown in FIG. 8, in one embodiment, a box 104 of the present disclosure may provide for generally easy access to the fitment 220 and/or cap 302, and therefore to the contents of the liner 102, without the need for removal of the liner 102 from the box 104. Particularly, in one embodiment, when top flaps 430, 432, 434 are closed and top flap 428 is open or otherwise not folded down, the fitment 220 and/or cap 302 may generally be exposed due to the steps 458 of flaps 430, 434. As described in detail above, the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440 may be positioned generally within the box 104 a distance 802 beneath the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434 when folded to form a closed box. Generally, the distance 802 may be any suitable distance equal to or greater than the distance the fitment 220 and/or cap 302 protrude above the main portion 446 of the product hold down flap 440. For example, a distance of approximately one and one half inches may be used, or any other desirable distance may be used, and in some embodiments, the distance 802 may depend on the desired specifications for the liner, fitment, cap, and/or box. The remainder of the free space or void space 804 that is created between the product hold down flap 440 and the top of the box may be left empty. In other embodiments, the void space 804 may be used to hold information, materials, or other items to be sent to the recipient, or packing material, such as, packaging peanuts or air-filled bags, etc. to help fill the void space, reinforce the box, and/or assist in protecting the contents of the liner, etc.

As stated above, the top flaps 428, 430, 432, 434, may be folded down to secure the system when it is being shipped or stored. In one embodiment, for example, tape, such as a strong, water-resistant tape, or other suitable tape, may be used to secure one or more of the top flaps down and together so that the top end of the box may be securely closed. While reference is made to using tape to secure the top flaps, it is also within the scope of the present disclosure to secure the flaps by any suitable means, such as glue, staples, or any other suitable method or combination of methods. To further assist in usability of the box 104 and accessibility to the liner 102 while in the box when the box is secured closed, in one embodiment shown in FIGS. 8, 9a, and 9b, the top flap 428 may have a handle perforation area 902 and a fitment/cap access tab 904, which may, but not necessarily, also extend into side panel 402.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9a, the handle perforation area 902 may include a handle tab 912 that may be pushed in to create a handle opening 908. In order to create handle opening 908, by which a user may easily carry and/or move the box, the handle tab 912 may be separated at perforation lines 906 and pushed in or down along fold line 910. In some embodiments, where the handle tab 912 is punched in and down, it may further be folded in and underneath one or more of the other top flaps to create an overlapping handle portion. In alternative embodiments, the handle tab 912 may be removed altogether to create the handle opening 908.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 9a, and 9b, a fitment/cap access tab 904 may be provided for accessing the fitment 220 and/or cap 302. The fitment/cap access tab 904 may be defined by perforation lines 906 of the handle perforation area 902 and by perforation lines 920. In FIG. 9a, the fitment/cap access tab 904 has not been removed; accordingly, the fitment/cap assembly 220/302 can remain substantially safe from unwanted tampering or wear and tear from transportation, etc. FIG. 9b, on the other hand, illustrates a box 104 with the fitment/cap access tab 904 removed along its perforations 906, 920 to create a fitment/cap assembly access area 922 so that the fitment/cap assembly 220/302 may be accessed, the cap removed, and the contents of the liner discharged, without the need to remove the liner from the box. In other embodiments, the liner may be removed from the box before emptying.

In further embodiments, as a security feature, in order to access the fitment/cap assembly 220/302, and by extension the contents of the liner 102, it may be required that the fitment/cap assembly tab 904 be removed. Accordingly, removal of the fitment/cap assembly tab 904 may provide evidence of unauthorized access to, or tampering with, the contents of the liner. If the tab is not removed, or damaged, or punched through, a recipient may be fairly confident that the contents of the liner have not been accessed, or contaminated. If, however, the tab is removed, damaged, or punched through entirely or partially, the recipient may be alerted that the contents of the liner may have been affected in some way. This additional safeguard provided by this embodiment may be particularly advantageous when the liner is filled with a hazardous material and/or it is desired that the purity of the contents be maintained and ensured.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrated in FIG. 10, a box 1000 may have five side panels 1002, 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010, bottom flaps 1020, 1022, 1024, 1026, and top flaps 1028, 1030, 1032, 1034. The fifth side panel 1010 of box 1000 may include a first product hold down flap 1440, which may have features similar to those described previously. In addition, the fifth side panel 1010 may further include a bottom flap 1070, which may include a main portion 1072 and one or more leg flaps 1074, and may also include a shoulder portion 1076, similar to the shoulder portion 438 described above for product hold down flap 440. The bottom flap 1070 may be used to reinforce and provide another layer of support for the bottom of the box. While the bottom flap 1070 is shown in FIG. 10 with two leg flaps 1074, in other embodiments the bottom flap 1070 may have one leg flap, or any other suitable number of leg flaps. In further embodiments, the bottom flap 1070 may not include a shoulder portion, and instead may provide an extra bottom layer for the bottom of the box. In such an embodiment, the bottom flap 1070 may have no leg flaps.

In a further embodiment of a box of the present disclosure, a fifth side panel may have two product hold down flaps, one on each end of the fifth panel, such that bottom flap 1070 may have one or more features similar to those described previously with reference to the first product hold down flap 1440. This embodiment creates three compartments: one compartment, in the middle for holding a liner, and two more compartments, one on each end of the box, that can house a fitment/cap assembly or other related materials, such as paper materials, attachments for the liner/fitting, etc. as may be desired. This embodiment may also allow for a liner having a fill fitting and an exhaust fitting. The fill fitting may be attached to a fitment opening of flap 1440 while the exhaust fitting may be attached to a fitment opening of flap 1070, or vice versa.

As generally discussed above, many advantages may be realized by a box of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. One advantage of a box of the present disclosure is that the product hold down flap may help â€œsquareâ€ the box and provide additional support to the overall BIB system. Additionally, the liner and its contents may be more securely enclosed because the product hold down flap may exert a generally uniform pressure on the inner sides of each of the side panels of the box, helping the box to maintain its shape, and also helping to protect the liner and box from outside forces crushing and/or deforming the sides of the box.

A further advantage of the BIB of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to the fitment and cap assembly of the present disclosure being generally retained above the product hold down flap in a separate void space. With a traditional BIB system, the fitment/cap assembly is located in the same compartment as the filled bag, and thus, the liner may not be uniformly or snuggly enclosed within the box because the fitment/cap assembly necessarily takes up a certain amount of head space. Similarly, in a traditional BIB system, in order to discharge the contents of the bag, a user must typically break away a portion of the box and fish around inside of the box for the cap assembly. Once the cap assembly is found, the cap assembly must be pulled out of the box and secured in some manner so that the contents of the bag may be removed. The BIB of the present disclosure remedies these problems, because the fitment and cap assembly are generally retained above the product hold down flap. The fitment and cap assembly does not take up head space away from the liner when positioned in the liner compartment of the box. Thus, a substantially filled liner may be snuggly and uniformly contained within its own compartment below the product hold down flap of the box while access to the contents of the liner is provided above the product hold down flap. This can be significant and advantageous because the uniform pressure on the liner and its contents when the liner is filled with a liquid can provide stability to the system as the system is handled, moved, repositioned, and/or dropped. When the system is strengthened and stabilized in this manner, the likelihood of the box sustaining damage, or the contents of the liner leaking, spilling, or becoming contaminated may be reduced, and in some cases, significantly reduced. Furthermore, a fitment/cap assembly of the present disclosure may remain in the same place when the system is stored as when the contents of the liner are discharged. Maintaining a single position for the fitment/cap assembly can be advantageous over the typical BIB system because it takes less time to access the contents of the liner. Further, much less stress is placed on the system when there is no need to dig around inside the box looking for the cap assembly. Particularly when the liner contains hazardous materials, it may be preferable to stress the system as little as possible in order to minimize the possibility of contamination as well as leakage of the contents that could inadvertently contact, and possibly injure the person positioning the fitment for discharge of the liner's contents.

The leg flaps of the product hold down flap of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide advantages. The leg flaps can provide additional material and support to the BIB system, such that for example, if the box is placed or dropped upside down, the leg flaps may help support the box and maintain the shape and integrity of the box while in that position.

In general, the BIB systems of the present disclosure may be significantly more robust and strong so as to withstand larger falls and avoid scoring, tearing, leaks, and/or contamination of the material in the liner. Further, the additional fifth side panel layer may provide more stacking strength to the system when a plurality of systems are stacked on top of one another, such as during shipping and/or storage. The added strength of the system provided by the double layer of side panel may also permit for more robust systems that are generally rectangular prism-shaped. As stated previously, traditionally cube-shaped boxes are used for transporting materials because a cube-shaped system may inherently have sides and edges that are stressed equally during, for instance, a fall or when the systems are stacked. A rectangular prism-shaped system, however, may place more stress on particular sides, corners, and/or edges because of the geometry of the box. Nonetheless, in some cases, it may be desirable to have a rectangular prism-shaped box to store hazardous materials, as opposed to a cube-shaped box. In these cases, embodiments of the present disclosure with a rectangular prism shape may be capable of passing the UN/DOT tests because of the added strength provided by the double layer of side panel along at least a portion of at least one side of the box.

In the foregoing description, various embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.