A containment assembly such as urns or vessels may be used for holding and serving liquid or beverages. Typical assemblies may be constructed of metal and thus require cleaning after usage. In a restaurant environment, it is generally preferred to clean such vessels at the end of each shift so as to maintain cleanliness. However such a cleaning task requires increased man power and other resources and such is not preferred.
Another containment assembly uses a plastic bag assembly that is positioned within a containment vessel having a dispensing valve, which in turn is used to deliver beverages to consumers. These bag assemblies may be formed of a two-layer plastic sheet that is heat sealed on three sides with a spout that is heat sealed to an outer surface and over an aperture in one side of the plastic sheet. To fluidly connect with the dispensing value, the typical spout is releasably received into a filament connected to an elongated dispensing tube. As a result, the traditional spout may be physically separated from the elongated dispensing tube by the filament. To dispense beverages, the elongated dispensing tube is passed into the dispensing valve of the containment vessel to be selectively operated by customers. Thus, typical plastic bag assemblies may include excess components thereby unnecessarily increasing material costs and complexity of installation.
Further, typical bag assemblies are not tamper-resistant. After beverages have been dispensed or at the end of a work shift, the containment assembly should be cleaned by throwing away the plastic bag assembly. However, traditional bag assemblies include a releasable connection between the spout and filament. This releasable connection may be utilized to reuse portions or all of the bag assembly, which may lead to unsanitary conditions. As a result, there is a need for a tamper-resistant liner assembly.
Moreover, typical bag assemblies made of two-layer plastic sheet are not configured for the shape of the containment vessel. The concern with such designs is that the plastic bag does not uniformly fit within the containment vessel and as such, crevices are created at the base and elsewhere in the bag which tends to trap useful beverages that in turn cannot be released to the consumer for consumption. Thus, beverage product is wasted and such is not very efficient in the restaurant industry.
Other containment assembly designs employ expensive plastic bags that employ complex valves and dispensing systems that in turn may be used with a vessel. It would be helpful to provide an improved disposable container assembly that has improved functionality, a reduction in the number of working components, yet is more cost competitive for the beverage industry.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds