Cardboard packaging for liquids

A disposable package for liquids comprising:

• an outer cardboard box formed from a cardboard box blank, said blank having fold lines defining a plurality of rectangular box walls, said blank also having a plurality of connecting flaps defined by additional fold lines, said connecting flaps being foldable against adjacent box walls and/or associated other ones of said flaps, one of said box walls having an aperture therethrough;
• an inner bag disposed within said cardboard box, said bag having collapsible sidewalls formed from a tube of flexible material, said tube having a pair of spaced transverse seams extending substantially orthogonally to the one box wall having an aperture therein, the distance between said spaced seams being greater than the width of the one box wall, said transverse seams defining a first pair of gores adjacent said one box wall and a second pair of gores adjacent an opposed box wall;
• said first pair of gores being folded over a respective pair of box walls adjacent to said one box wall and being secured against said pair of walls and clamped between associated ones of said connecting flaps folded against said pair of walls;
• said second pair of gores being folded into regions within said box and being unattached to said box;
• attachment means for bonding a sidewall portion of said inner bag which has no seams therein to only said one box wall, the remaining sidewall portions of said bag being unattached to said box walls;
• and
• a spout for withdrawing liquid from the package, said spout extending through the aperture in said one of the box walls and being sealed to the sidewall portion of the inner bag which is bonded to said one box wall.

A pre-bonded blank assembly for forming a disposable package for liquids comprising:

• a cardboard blank having fold lines defining a plurality of rectangular box walls of a cardboard box to be erected, said blank also having a plurality of connecting flaps defined by additional fold lines, said connecting flaps being foldable against adjacent box walls and/or associated other ones of said flaps, one of said box walls having an aperture therethrough;
• an inner bag to be disposed within said erected cardboard box, said bag having collapsible sidewalls formed from a tube of flexible material, said tube having a pair of spaced transverse seams extending substantially orthogonally to the one box wall having an aperture therein, the distance between said spaced seams being greater than the width of the one box wall, said transverse seams defining a first pair of gores to be disposed adjacent said one box wall of the erected box and a second pair of gores to be disposed adjacent an opposed box wall of the erected box;
• said first pair of gores being foldable over a respective pair of box walls adjacent to said one box wall when the blank is erected to form a box and being secured against said pair of walls and clampable between associated ones of said connecting flaps folded against said pair of walls;
• said second pair of gores being foldable into regions within said box and being unattached to said box when said blank is erected to form a box;
• and
• attachment means for bonding a sidewall portion of said inner bag which has no seams therein to the blank at only said one box wall, the remaining sidewall portions of said bag being unattached to said box walls.

A method of making a three-dimensional cardboard package for liquids comprising the steps of:

• providing a cardboard box blank having fold lines defining walls of a cardboard box to be erected and a plurality of connecting flaps;
• providing an inner sleeve of flexible thermoplastic material and a spout for withdrawing liquid from the package;
• forming a hole in one of said walls of the cardboard blank;
• forming one or more holes in said connecting flaps;
• inserting the spout through the hole in one of said walls and securely bonding the inner bag portions surrounding the spout to the one wall;
• detachably connecting other portions of the inner bag to one or more of said flaps by applying suction through said one or more holes in the flaps;
• erecting the cardboard box blank into a three-dimensional box by folding the box walls and flaps about the fold lines while continuing to apply said suction;
• and
• releasing the inner bag portions from the flap or flaps once the box blank is fully erected into a three-dimensional box by stopping the application of said suction.

A method for making a disposable package for liquids comprising the steps of:

• providing a box blank having fold lines defining a plurality of rectangular box walls of a box to be erected from said blank, said blank also having a plurality of connecting flaps defined by additional fold lines, said connecting flaps being foldable against adjacent box walls and/or associated other ones of said flaps, one of said box walls having an aperture therethrough;
• providing an inner bag to be disposed within said box, said bag having collapsible sidewalls formed from a tube of flexible material;
• bonding a portion of said tube which has no seams therein to only said one box wall, the remaining portions of said tube being unattached to said box walls;
• erecting the box blank to form the box and expanding the said tube therewith,
• introducing a spout for withdrawing liquid from the package, through one of said ends into said tube and inserting said spout through an opening in said tube portion bonded to said one box wall and through said aperture in said one box wall and sealing the spout to the tube portion which is bonded to said one box wall;
• sealing the tube at said both ends by transverse seams, said seams defining a first pair of gores adjacent said one box wall and a second pair of gores adjacent an opposite box wall;
• folding the first pair of gores over a respective pair of box walls adjacent to said one box wall, and securing said first pair of gores against said pair of walls by clamping said pair of gores between associated ones of said connecting flaps folded against said pair of walls;
• and
• folding said second pair of gores into regions within said box and leaving said second pair of gores unattached to said box.