US20040007588A1 - Flexible bag for use in manufacturing - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible bag for use in 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 manufacturing 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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/909,422, filed Jul. 19, 2001.[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• This invention relates generally to manufacturing processes and equipment, and more particularly to manufacturing of products employing a flexible bag for dispensing a fluent material to articles.[0002]
• Many manufacturing processes and apparatus have as a component element the dispensing of a fluent material to an article. As one example, packaging machinery which fills a container and seals or closes the container is widely employed to package a variety of products. For certain applications, the same machines also make the container. So called form, fill and seal machines typically form a bag from a web of flexible material and pass the bag directly to a filling station where the product is fed by gravity otherwise moved into the bag through an opening in the bag. The same machine then seals the bag opening to enclose the product. The bag may also be itself placed inside another container such as a cardboard box.[0003]
• Food and medicinal products are commonly packaged in the way and by the type of machine described above. These products are of the type which can flow under the force of gravity, or when pushed by a pump, auger or other suitable device. Of course, liquid materials can be packaged in this manner, but often the product is a solid (e.g., potato chips, cereal or pills) which is sufficiently granular to flow. Naturally, food and medicinal products must be handled by the machine in such a way as to maintain aseptic conditions. Accordingly, the parts of the machine which handle the food are made of materials (e.g., stainless steel) which are highly resistant to corrosion and can be cleaned. However, such materials are expensive and significantly increase the cost of the machine. The machines must be periodically shut down to clean surfaces which handle the food product and the bags. Many food products are prone to leave crumbs, residue or other debris as they are handled, which cause the machinery to become unsanitary. Although necessary, it is inefficient to stop the machine frequently for cleaning and this increases the cost of packaging the product.[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• In one aspect of the present invention, a flexible bag for use in dispensing a fluent material encloses a volume for containing the fluent material. The bag comprising a body and plural nipples, erach nipple being integral with the body and projecting outwardly from the body, the body and nipples being in fluid communication for movement of the fluent material from the body to the nipples.[0005]
• Other objects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.[0006]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus for automatically filling containers using a flexible bag of the present invention;[0007]
• FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic flow of the apparatus illustrating its operation in a forward feed mode;[0008]
• FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic flow of the apparatus illustrating its operation in a fill, seal and separate mode;[0009]
• FIG. 3 is an elevation of a flexible bag of the present invention with parts broken away to show the integral connection of nipples to the bag;[0010]
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the apparatus showing a pump thereof without the bag and open in preparation for receiving the bag nipples;[0011]
• FIG. 5 is a enlarged, fragmentary elevation taken from the vantage indicated by line[0012]5-5 of FIG. 1 with parts broken away to illustrate the reception of nipples in the pump;
• FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, schematic elevation similar to FIG. 5 but showing another pump capable of delivering fluent material at different rates or in different amounts from the different nipples;[0013]
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of apparatus similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but including a bag squeezing mechanism to force fluent material toward the nipples and pump; and[0014]
• FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the flexible bag showing one of the nipples receiving a needle in its outlet.[0015]
• Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, apparatus for forming[0017]containers10, filling the containers with a fluent material F and sealing the containers is indicated generally at12. The apparatus includes asupport14 which suspends a flexible bag (or “reservoir”)16 holding the fluent material F, and mounts a pump18 (the reference numerals designating their subjects generally). The fluent material F may be a food or medicinal product, but is not limited to materials consumed or otherwise used on or in the body. Moreover, the material may be of such a nature that it is fluent only at the time it is delivered from thebag16. The present invention is particularly adapted for use to maintain an aseptic environment for the fluent material F, but has application where it is not necessary that such an environment be maintained. Although the substance is preferably a liquid or semi-liquid, solids which are sufficiently granular to flow may also be held in theflexible bag16. As one example of the type of product packaged, the fluent material F could be honey to be packaged in small,disposable containers10 such as for single serving use by customers of a restaurant.
• A conveyor of the[0018]apparatus12 is generally indicated at19 and includes in the illustrated embodiment afirst feed roller20 holding a roll of material to formcontainers10 extending forward from the first feed roller in aweb22, and a take-up roller24 which receives a remnant of the web. Afirst guide roller26 is provided to locate theweb22 in a horizontal position while permitting the web to change direction to reach the take-up roller24. Abelt conveyor28 located under theweb22 at the downstream end of the web receives sealedcontainers10 which are separated from the web, and conveys them for tumble packaging in a box B. It is to be understood that the illustration of theconveyor19 is schematic as the details of construction are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art in the field of such apparatus. Moreover, although theconveyor19 is illustrated to includerollers20,24 which let out and take up theweb22 of material from which thecontainers10 are formed, other conveyors are envisioned. For instance, a belt or other moving surface or support (not shown) which receives pre-formed containers could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. In that instance, thefirst feed roller20 andbelt conveyor28 would not be present.
• Further, it is envisioned that a conveyor for establishing relative motion between the[0019]containers10 and theflexible bag16 could include not only theconveyor19, but also structure for moving the bag while the containers are stationary, or structure which produces some combination of movement of the bag and movement of the containers. In any event if thebag16 is the frame of reference, thecontainers10 will move past the bag. Still further, it is not necessary that the fluent material F be used to fill containers of any type. Indeed the fluent material can be applied to the exterior of an article (or “receiving member”), such as the application of icing to a manufactured food product, which does not “contain” the fluent material. The fluent material could also be injected into the article.
• In the illustrated embodiment,[0020]containers10 are formed from theweb22 by adie32 and a form (not shown) which come together just upstream from thefirst feed roller20 to deform the web into rectangular, flat-bottomed depressions constituting the containers. The die32 containsrecesses34 having shapes substantially the same as that of thecontainers10 to be formed. The form, which would be located above theweb22, has not been shown so as not to obstruct the view of theflexible bag16. The shape of the end of the form is the reverse of the recess so that the form may fit into the recess, forming theweb22 between them. The form and die32 create one laterally extending row ofcontainers10 from theweb22 on a single stroke. In the illustrated embodiment, the rows constitute an array ofcontainers10. However as used herein, an array can refer to a single file line of containers or only a single container placed under thebag16 for filling. As shown, thecontainers10 are formed by stretching theweb22 without substantially affecting the lateral dimension or shape of the web. However, some dimensional variation can be tolerated if thecontainers10 retain their relative arrangement. Once formed, thecontainers10 retain their shape, but remain part of theweb22 and move with the web.
• The[0021]web22 passes forwardly from the form and die32 under theflexible bag16 held by thesupport14. Thebag16 is made of a flexible material (which as used herein would include a limp material), which can be formed in a sterile environment or formed and filled in a non-sterile environment and then subject to a sterilizing process. However as mentioned above, thebag16 could also be used for products not requiring an aseptic conditions. Any suitable material could be used to form thebag16, such as an appropriate polymer, including without limitation polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin, polymer laminates and polymer alloys. As shown, thebag16 is transparent so that the flowable product carried by the bag can be readily seen to determine if the bag is empty. However, other ways (not illustrated) of establishing whether thebag16 is nearing empty can be employed, such as electronic eyes which view the level of fluent material F, and devices to weigh the bag.
• Referring to FIG. 3, the[0022]bag16 comprises a thin-walled body38 which encloses a volume containing the large majority of the fluent material F. At the upper end of thebody38, two laterallyelongate loops40, together constituting in the illustrated embodiment “a hanger”, are formed as one piece with the remainder of thebag16. Theloops40 can be also formed separately from thebag16 and attached to thebody38 in a suitable manner such as by welding, adhesive or with a mechanical fastener(s). Theloops40 receive a mountingrod42 of thesupport14 which extends laterally of the bag and holds the bag on the support. The ends of therod42 are received in upwardly opening,U-shaped receptacles44 at the upper ends ofuprights45 of thesupport14. Thereceptacles44 hold therod42 and thebag16, but permit the bag to be removed from thesupport14 and replaced, by lifting the rod out of the receptacles, sliding theloops40 off of the rod and sliding a new bag (not shown) onto the rod. Therod42 supporting the new bag can then be replaced with its ends in theU-shaped receptacles44 for continued operation. Of course other ways of supporting thebag16 may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Preferably, thebag16 is supported so that it can be readily removed and replaced. It is envisioned that structure, such as a second support and pump (not shown), could be used so that bags could be changed out without any interruption in operation of theapparatus12.
• At the lower end of the[0023]body38, fournipples46 extending down from the body are in fluid communication with the interior of thebag16 for delivery of the fluent material F out of the bag and into thecontainers10, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The number ofnipples46 is preferably the same as the number ofcontainers10 formed in each row. Naturally, the number of nipples and their precise arrangement can be varied as necessary for the particular manufacturing operation. Thenipples46 are generally elongate tubes which are integral with thebody38. Thenipples46 may be formed separately from thebody38 and attached in a suitable manner, such as by welding, adhesive or mechanical fastener(s) to achieve integration with the bag material which forms the body. However in the preferred embodiment, thenipples46 are formed of the same piece of material as thebody38 of thebag16. As initially formed, the lower ends of thenipples46 are closed (as shown in FIG. 3) to seal the interior of thebag16 to hold the fluent material F in the bag. In manufacturing operation, the ends are cut or otherwise made to have outlets to allow the fluent material F to flow out of thebag16. Preferably, thenipples46 are tubular with no internal structure. However, it is envisioned that the nipples could be equipped with internal valves or re-expansion devices (not shown) without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• The[0024]bag16 can be formed in any suitable fashion. A typical way of forming thebag16 is to provide two webs of material which are brought together and cut to shape by a die (not shown) to form an enclosure. At the same time the webs are cut to shape, adjacent the peripheral edges of the bag are welded together in the die, such as by a solvent or RF welding. The adjacent edges could also be heat sealed, for example. As one alternative, a single web of polymeric material could be folded over against itself to form the enclosure. The folded web could be cut and sealed in a similar way as for the bag formed from two webs. Adjacent peripheral edges may be left unattached along a portion of thebag16 to provide an opening for filling the bag with fluent material.
• The[0025]nipples46 are received through thepump18 which acts on the nipples as by deforming the nipples to produce a metered flow of the fluent material F out of thebag16. Thepump18 is mounted on thesupport14 which also holds thebag16 and extends transversely over theweb22. Thepump18 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and5 is a shuttle pump, which includes ashuttle50 and ananvil52. The shuttle is mounted on astationary crosspiece54 for sliding movement relative to the crosspiece andanvil52 in a direction transverse to theweb22. Ahousing56 at the left end of thecrosspiece54 encloses a shuttle actuation mechanism (not shown). Adoor58 hingedly attached to the crosspiece54 carries theanvil52. The door can be opened as shown in FIG. 4 to facilitate reception of thenipples46 in thepump18, and locked with alatch60 in a closed position for operation, as will be more fully described. Referring to FIG. 4, both theshuttle50 and theanvil52 are shaped to have five flat plateaus (50A,52A) separated by four valleys (50B,52B). Except when thepump18 is actuated to deliver fluent material F, theplateaus50A,52A andvalleys50B,52B of theshuttle50 and theanvil52 are in substantial registration when thedoor58 is closed. Thenipples46 are received in the alignedvalleys50B,52B such that each nipple is surrounded by theshuttle50 andanvil52. In the illustrated embodiments, thenipples46 are the portions or regions of thebag16 which are received in or acted upon by thepump18. Two of thenipples46 are illustrated in FIG. 5 as received in thevalleys50B,52B, but only thevalleys50B may be seen because thedoor58 andanvil52 have been broken away. Thecrosspiece54 is further formed with upper and lower alignedslots62 which are vertically aligned with the valleys of theanvil52. Thenipples46 pass through theseslots62 upon entering and exiting thepump18. Anupper pincher64 and alower pincher66 located on one side of eachslot62 are mounted for extension and retraction from thecrosspiece54 across the slot (i.e., transverse to the web22). Thepinchers64,66 extend to pinch the nipples off, closing the nipples from fluid flow past the points where the nipples are pinched. Thepinchers64,66 are separately actuated from theshuttle50 and the upper pinchers are separately actuated from the lower pinchers, as will be described more fully hereinafter, to facilitate accurate dispensing of the fluent material F. A pump of the same general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
• Although the[0026]shuttle pump18 is believed to be adequate for use in theapparatus12, other forms of pumps may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thepresent pump18 may be so configured that theupper pinchers64 in each slot are separately actuated from each other, as are thelower pinchers66 so that fluid flow from eachnipple46 is independent of that of the other nipples. However, the pump or fluid flow control device may take on other, entirely different forms. For instance and without limitation, a peristaltic pump (generally indicated at70) of the type shown in FIG. 6 could be used. Theperistaltic pump70 has apump wheel72 for eachnipple46 includingpegs74 which extend perpendicularly outward from the wheel near its periphery. Eachwheel72 is mounted for rotation, such as by an individual electric motor (not shown) so that thepegs74 are brought into sequential engagement with thenipple46 to force fluent material F out of the nipple. By stopping thewheel72 as shown in FIG. 6, the nipple would be pinched off so that no fluent material would exit thebag16. Thewheels72 could be run at different times and at different speeds to vary the sequence of fluid delivery and/or the flow rate betweennipples46. The angular spacing betweenadjacent pegs74 on thewheels72 could be different so that the amount of fluent material dispensed for the same angular rotation of the wheels is different. It is to be understood that FIG. 6 is but one example of an alternate pump which could be used.
• It will be necessary for viscous fluent material F to provide a mover in addition to the[0027]pump18 to cause the fluent material to flow for refilling thenipples46 after a discharge by the pump. A second mover of this type is indicated generally by thereference numeral90 in FIG. 7. The second mover is shown to comprise a pair ofrollers92 mounted onarms94 and located on opposite sides of thebag16. Therollers92 are mounted for free rotation about their longitudinal axes, and can be separated to facilitate removal and replacement of thebag16. Thearms94 are connected to a controlled actuator (not shown) which is capable of indexing the arms down to gradually squeeze thebag16 from top to bottom to empty the bag. The downward movement of thearms94 to squeeze thebody38 of thebag16 is used to force the fluent material F downwardly into thenipples46. It is envisioned that thearms94 could be indexed down after thepump18 has discharged to assist in refilling thenipples46 for the next discharge.
• As stated previously, the[0028]apparatus12 has application where fluent material F is applied onto an article, or injected into an article. Referring to FIG. 8, thebag16 may have a fitment, in this case in the form of aninjection needle96, attached to each nipple46 (only one is shown). Theneedle96 is formed of a suitably rigid material and sealingly attached in the outlet of thenipple46. Theneedle96 could be captured by an injection device (not shown) to move the needle down into the article before operation of thepump18 to eject fluent material. Alternatively, theneedle96 could be held stationary and the articles moved upward into the needles. It is to be understood that other types of fitments (not shown) could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. For instance a fitments which allow thenipple46 to be attached to another nipple or tube (not shown), or which shape the fluent material F as it flows out of the nipple could be used. Moreover, the end of thenipple46 could be formed to shape or control flow of the fluent material. Further, polymer material having different material characteristics (e.g., such as density and rigidity) could be integrally formed with the material of thebag16 at the outlets for such purposes.
• Downstream from the[0029]support14 and thebag16 is a mechanism for closing thecontainers10 filled with fluent material F. As shown in FIG. 1, aweb78 from a roll of closure material held by asecond feed roller80 is fed downwardly under asecond guide roller82 toward and under thefirst guide roller26 to the take-uproller24. Thus, it may be seen that the take-uproller24 collects both remnants of thecontainer material web22 and theclosure material web78. After passing under thesecond guide roller82, theclosure material web78 is in face-to-face relation with the unformed material of theweb22 surrounding the open tops of thecontainers10. The closure mechanism comprises aheat sealing device84 capable of coming down against theclosure material web78 and sealing the closure material with the container material of theweb22 so that the open tops of all fourcontainers10 in the row are separately closed, sealing in the fluent material F in the containers. Apunch86 and a die88 downstream from the closing mechanism are operable to move together to punch through theclosure material web78 and thecontainer material web22 to separate each container10 (including its own closure) from the container material web and the closure material web. The remnants of thecontainer material web22 and theclosure material web78 remain in tact for movement to the take-uproller24. Thepunch86 has fourrectangular projections86A (only one is shown) and the die has fourholes88A (only one is shown), one for eachcontainer10 in the row. Theprojections86A are received in theholes88A when thepunch86 and die88 are activated to cut through theclosure material web78 andcontainer material web22. Thecontainers10 drop down through the die88 to thebelt conveyor28 for transport to the box B.
• Having described the construction of the[0030]apparatus12 and theflexible bag16, the operation of the apparatus will be described. As an initial matter, flexible bags such asbag16 will have been formed, filled with the fluent material F (e.g., honey) to be packaged in thecontainers10, and sealed at a remote location, such as a processing plant. The use of bags of the present invention in manufacturing is not limited to remote forming, filling and sealing of the bags, but is suited for this type of manufacturing arrangement. Thebags16 are formed, filled with the fluent material F and sealed at the processing plant, and then placed in a suitable transport to the manufacturing facility where the final packaging is to be done. The bags can be formed, filled and sealed in an aseptic form/fill/seal machine, or could be formed under non-aseptic conditions and then sterilized along with the fluent material after the bag is filled. As previously stated, it is not necessary that thebags16 be aseptic where the conditions do not require it, but bags of this type are particularly adapted for use where aseptic conditions are needed, such as in food or medicine packaging.
• Once at the final packaging site, one of the[0031]bags16 is loaded into theapparatus12 by lifting at least one end of therod42 out of theU-shaped receptacles44 and sliding the bag onto the rod so that the rod is received through both of theloops40 at the top of the bag. Therod42 is then replaced on thesupport14 with its ends in thereceptacles44. Thedoor58 of thepump18 is open, substantially as shown in FIG. 4, and thenipples46 are positioned in the upper and lower slots of thecrosspiece54 in registration with the valleys of theshuttle50. Thedoor58 is then closed and the latch locked so that thenipples46 are received in both the valleys of theshuttle50 and the valleys of the anvil52 (FIG. 5). Thefirst feed roller20 will have had a roll of container material mounted thereon and theweb22 of container material is threaded from the roll around thefirst guide roller26 and attached to the take-uproller24. Similarly, the roll of closure material is received on thesecond feed roller80 and theweb78 of closure material is threaded around thesecond guide roller82 to thefirst guide roller26 and then attached to the take-uproller24. Theapparatus12 is ready for production operation to form, fill and sealcontainers10.
• Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the sequence of operation of the[0032]apparatus12 is described. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the first andsecond feed rollers20,80 and the take-uproller24 are actuated (such as by one or more electric motors, not shown) to index thecontainer material web22 and theclosure material web78 forward one increment. The increment in the illustrated embodiment corresponds to the dimension of onecontainer10 to be formed which is parallel to the lengthwise extent of theweb22 plus a predetermined amount corresponding to the spacing between adjacent rows of containers. The first andsecond feed rollers20,80 and the take-uproller24 are halted to stop the forward advance of thecontainer material web22 andclosure material web78 for a dwell. The form and die32 are actuated to engage thecontainer material web22 to form a row ofcontainers10 still attached to the container material web. The index and form steps are initially repeated until a row of formedcontainers10 underlies thenipples46 when thecontainer material web22 dwells.
• This time the[0033]shuttle pump18 is actuated to deliver a preselected charge of fluent material F to each of the fourcontainers10 in the row. After thebag16 was installed in theapparatus12 as described above, thelower pinchers66 were extended (to the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 5) to pinch thenipples46 near, but spaced somewhat above their lower ends against thecrosspiece54 in theslots62. The ends of thenipples46 were cut open to form outlets for delivering fluent material F. Theupper pinchers64 are then extended to pinch off thenipples46 near their upper ends (the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 5) and define a charge of fluent material F located in each nipple between the upper pincher and thelower pincher66. After the first row ofcontainers10 stops under thenipples46, thepump18 is activated to retract thelower pinchers66 into the crosspiece54 (the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 5) and slide theshuttle50 in a direction transverse to thecontainer material web22. Retraction of thelower pinchers66 allows fluent material to flow out of thenipples46 under the force of gravity. However, thepump18 also deforms thenipples46 by squeezing to make certain the charges of fluent material F between thepinchers64,66 is delivered out of the nipples. The sliding of theshuttle50 moves thevalleys50B substantially out of registration with thenipples46 and moves theplateaus50 A substantially into registration with thevalleys52B of theanvil52, squeezing the nipples and forcing the fluent material out of the outlets at the lower ends and into thecontainers10.
• The[0034]shuttle50 moves back to its original position and thelower pinchers66 are extended to close off thenipples46 against further flow of fluent material F.
• The[0035]upper pinchers64 are retracted and more fluent material moves down into the nipple, re-filling it. Theupper pinchers64 are then closed to pinch off the upper ends of the nipples and define new charges of the same volume as the previous charges and the cycle is repeated. The re-filling of thenipples46 preferably occurs in the time it takes for thecontainer material web22 to be advanced forward one row. It will be appreciated that thepump18 operates at the same time a new row ofcontainers10 is being formed during a dwell of thecontainer material web22. It is envisioned that additional rollers or other devices (not shown) to hold theweb22 from vibrating under thebag16 as a result of the act of forming of the containers could be used as needed.
• The filled[0036]containers10 in the row move downstream with each feed of thecontainer material web22, eventually passing under theclosure material web78. The open tops of thecontainers10 are covered by theclosure material web78 when the containers reach theheat sealing device84. During the dwell, the heat-sealingdevice84 moves down against theclosure material web78 and seals the closure material to the unformed material of thecontainer material web22 surrounding the open upper ends of thecontainers10. The fluent material F is now sealed inside thecontainers10. The containers continue to be attached to thecontainer material web22 and are now also attached to theclosure material web78. The attachment is illustrated by the dashed lines on theclosure material web78.
• At a subsequent dwell, the row of sealed[0037]containers10 is aligned with thepunch86 and die88 which are actuated to cut through theclosure material web78 andcontainer material web22 to separate the sealed containers from the webs. Thecontainers10 fall through theholes88A in the die88 onto thebelt conveyor28. The belt conveyor may run continuously to carry the loose containers to the box B. In the illustrated embodiment, thecontainers10 simply fall into the box B (i.e., are tumble packed). It will be understood that other final packing arrangements within the knowledge of those of ordinary skill could be used. The remnants of thecontainer material web22 and theclosure material web78 continue on around thesecond guide roller82 to the take-uproller24.
• When the[0038]bag16 is exhausted of fluent material F, it may be removed and replaced with a new bag. Theexhausted bag16 can be disposed. It will be appreciated that none of the machinery of theapparatus12 comes into contact with the fluent material F in the packaging operation. Thebags16 themselves, rather than the fluent material F, are acted upon by thepump18 to cause thecontainers10 to be filled so that the bags may serve as the aseptic surfaces in theapparatus12. Of course, the container material and the closure material must be aseptic when conditions require it, but in every circumstance it will be easier to keep the parts of theapparatus12 which handle this material clean. It will not be necessary in the ordinary course to clean the fluent material from theapparatus12.
• In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.[0039]
• When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.[0040]
• As various changes could be made in the above without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.[0041]

Claims (10)

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible bag for use in dispensing a fluent material, the bag being formed of flexible material and shaped for substantially enclosing a volume for containing the fluent material, the bag comprising a body and plural nipples, each nipple being integral with the body and projecting outwardly from the body, the body and nipples being in fluid communication for movement of the fluent material from the body to the nipples.

2. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the nipples are formed of the flexible material as one piece with the body.

3. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 2 wherein each nipple has a generally elongate, tubular shape.

4. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 3 wherein each nipple has an outlet therein for passage of fluent material out of the bag.

5. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 1 further comprising a hanger for hanging the bag.

6. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 5 wherein the hanger is formed integrally with the bag.

7. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 5 wherein the hanger is located on a side of the body opposite the nipples.

8. A flexible bag as set forth inclaim 1 in combination with apparatus for dispensing fluent material from the bag, the apparatus comprising a flow control adapted to deform the bag for forcing material from the bag.

9. The combination as set forth inclaim 8 wherein the flow control is adapted to receive plural portions of the bag, the flow control being adapted to separately deform the bag portions for dispensing fluent material to plural articles and the same time.

10. The combination as set forth inclaim 9 wherein the apparatus further comprises a bag squeezing device for moving fluent material in the bag generally toward the flow control.

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