Apparatus, method and flexible bag for use in manufacturing
AssigneeBaxter International Inc.
InventorHal C. Danby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing in which a fluent material is dispensed to an article such as a container from a flexible bag The fluent material is dispensed directly to the container without any intervening structure which contacts the fluent material. Accordingly, the apparatus can be constructed of less expensive materials and does not require frequent cleaning. The apparatus acts on the bag to dispense and does not act on the fluent material. Thus, the apparatus has particular application where aseptic conditions need to be maintained such as in the packaging of the food and medicine The flexible bag is preferably formed with multiple outlets permitting simultaneous dispensing to multiple containers.
Claims29
A method of automatically filling receiving members with a fluent material for mass production of filled receiving members, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an array of receiving members adapted to receive fluent material;
- providing a flexible bag containing fluent material;
- and
- metering a charge of fluent material from the bag to plural ones of the receiving members at the same time.
A method of dispensing a fluent material to articles which receive the fluent material in a manufacturing operation comprising the steps of:
- selectively dispensing fluent material to plural ones of the articles at the same time by deforming a flexible reservoir to eject fluent material therefrom;
- and
- replacing the flexible reservoir with another flexible reservoir upon substantial depletion of fluent material from the reservoir as a result of the dispensing step, for continued dispensing of the fluent material.
A method of automatically filling receiving members with a fluent material for mass production of filled receiving members, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an array of receiving members adapted to receive fluent material;
- providing a flexible bag having multiple outlets and containing fluent material;
- metering a charge of fluent material from the bag to plural ones of the receiving members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.