WO2006123131A1

WO2006123131A1 - Liquid dispensing system

Info

Publication number: WO2006123131A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/001801
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fred Harrison; Julie Willans; John Cooke; Jon Shaw
Original assignee: Mars, Incorporated
Priority date: 2005-05-17
Filing date: 2006-05-16
Publication date: 2006-11-23
Also published as: GB2441075A; GB0510059D0; GB0722676D0; GB2426234A; GB2441075B

Abstract

A dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container (1), such as a flexible pouch, for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet (6) and a seal (11) that substantially seals the inlet (6), and a liquid dispensing mechanism (8) adapted to release the seal (11) on the inlet (6) and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet to produce said individual portion of a liquid food or beverage inside the container. Also provided is a method of making a container holding an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into the container through the inlet by means of the liquid dispensing. Also provided is a partially or completely collapsed container, preferably a pouch, for use in a dispensing system or method of the invention.

Description

LIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a system for dispensing individual portions of liquid food or beverage in collapsible containers, such as pouches. The invention further relates to methods of operation of such a system, and to pouches for use in such a system.

It is known to provide individual portions of cold beverages packaged in cartons or stand- up pouches. The cartons or pouches are sometimes provided with a region of foil into which a drinking straw can be pushed for consumption of the beverage. The use of such cartons and pouches is inexpensive and environmentally preferable to bottle formats, since the weight of the packaging is small. However, the filled cartons and pouches are heavy, which limits the number of such containers that can easily be carried or stored by an individual purchaser. The weight of the containers also results in substantial shipping and refrigeration costs for the generally low-value products. The large volume of the pouches and cartons makes them unsuitable for sale in many vending machines. Furthermore, the cartons and pouches are not always completely easy to open.

US-A-5731021 describes a collapsible canteen formed by a collapsible carton having nested therein a collapsible pouch whose open mouth is in alignment with a neck projecting from the carton. The collapsible canteen has a charge of powdered beverage concentrate deposited in the pouch. In use, hot or cold liquid is poured through the neck of the canteen into the pouch to dissolve the powder and prepare the beverage. The neck on the carton is provided with a screw thread, and a complementary threaded cap can be secured on the neck. These collapsible canteens have not found widespread use, possibly because filling and emptying of the containers is likely to be messy.

US-A-5850939 describes a squeeze canteen for producing and dispensing a soft drink. The canteen includes a collapsible pouch moulded to simulate a known character and provided with a socket forming the mouth of the pouch. Inserted in the socket is a removable drinking nozzle. Deposited in the pouch is a charge of water-soluble flavour capsules. In use, the pouch is filled with water through the socket, and the nozzle is then inserted into the socket. It is apparent that the steps of filling the pouch and inserting the nozzle in liquid-tight fashion will be problematical. A need therefore exists for improved packaging formats for distribution and consumption of liquid foods and beverages and that overcome one or more of the above-identified disadvantages. These and related objects are achieved by the present invention.

The present invention provides a dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet and a seal that substantially seals the inlet; and a liquid dispensing mechanism adapted to release the seal on the inlet and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet.

In other words, the container is initially in a collapsed, sealed state containing little or no liquid. It may contain a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, as discussed further below. The concentrated ingredient is inherently storage stable due to its low water activity. The container can be stored and distributed in this compact, lightweight condition. The liquid dispensing mechanism can then be used immediately or shortly before consumption to inject water or another liquid into the container to produce a portion of the liquid food or beverage stored inside the container. Unlike conventional beverage portion packs, the collapsible containers in the systems according to the present invention both store the ingredient before the liquid injection step and store the product portion after liquid injection. The invention permits the extemporaneous preparation of a wide range of novel liquid food and beverage products that are not sufficiently stable for storage and distribution in packs.

The collapsible container in the systems according to the present invention comprises a container body, and inlet, and optionally an outlet separate from the inlet. The container body is preferably collapsible to a substantially flat state when empty. It may for example be a collapsible carton made up of panels joined by fold lines. However, most suitably the collapsible container body is a flexible pouch. The term "flexible pouch" refers to a closed container formed substantially or completely of a flexible sheet material. The sheet material normally comprises at least one continuous layer of a thermoplastic, or it may be a laminated sheet made up of more than one thermoplastic film layer. At least a portion of the sheet material may be transparent to allow inspection of the pouch contents. The sheet material is substantially impermeable to liquids, and it may also be substantially impermeable to gases such as oxygen, especially when it is desired to maintain the freshness of the pouch contents. The sheet material making up the pouch may further comprise a metal layer, such as an aluminium layer, to render the material air-and light- impermeable and to provide aesthetic effects.

The material used to make the container body may be heat-resistant and optionally also thermally insulating, for example where the product being made inside the container is a hot beverage by injection of hot water into the container. In certain embodiments, the collapsible container body may comprise a layer of sheet material containing entrapped gases such as entrapped air or CO₂ to provide thermal insulation. This may conveniently be achieved by including a layer of foamed polymeric material in the sheet material. Thermal insulation of the sheet material may additionally or alternatively be accomplished by incorporating a layer of fibrous material, for example a textile material or a non-woven fibrous material such as a spunbonded web or a wet-laid fibrous web. In yet other embodiments, the collapsible container body may comprise a pouch enclosed in a collapsible carton, for example as described in US-A-5731021. In yet other embodiments, the collapsible container body may comprise both flexible sheets and panels joined along fold lines.

As already discussed, the body of the collapsible container preferably is preferably a pouch that consists essentially of the flexible sheet material. The pouch may, for example, be a so-called pillow pouch, typically formed by continuous form-fill-seal equipment, or it may be formed by bonding together front and back faces of flexible sheet materials around their marginal edges. In certain embodiments, the pouch may be a stand-up pouch. That is to say, a pouch formed by bonding together front and back faces of sheet material around three edges, with a gusset sheet inserted and bonded to the respective fourth edges of the front and back sheets to form a base for the pouch. The total thickness of each flexible wall of the pouch is suitably in the range of from 50 micrometers to 1000 micrometers, for example 100 micrometers to 500 micrometers.

The collapsible container may be provided with a nip and/or a line of weakness and/or a tear strip to allow the container to be opened after filling. The internal volume of the collapsible container when folly expanded is sufficient to store the liquid food product portion being made in the container. The volume of the container, defined as the maximum volume of water that can be filled into the container (for example by gravity feeding from a height of 10cm above the inlet) is suitably from 50 ml to 1000 ml, preferably from 100 ml to 500 ml, for example from 150 ml to 350 ml. This volume is appropriate for containing an individual portion of a food or beverage liquid, that is to say a portion suitable for consumption by one human individual at one time.

The containers are partially or completely collapsed before liquid injection. Preferably, the containers are substantially free from entrapped gas before the injection step; that is to say, the containers contain substantially only the the food or beverage ingredients, with substantially no gas or headspace. This minimises the volume of the containers for storage and distribution purposes, and maximises the stability of the pouch contents. The flexible pouches may be folded, or rolled, up before the liquid injection step.

It is also envisaged that the containers may be substantially empty before the liquid injection step. Such containers would be suitable for receiving water, for example chilled water and/or filtered water for immediate consumption. Such containers would also be suitable for receiving flavoured beverages from a flavoured beverage mixer/dispenser. In other embodiments, the collapsible containers contain a beverage ingredient, for example a concentrated or dried beverage ingredient, such as flavored sugar syrups, soluble coffee solids or soluble tea solids. In yet other embodiments, the collapsible containers contain a low moisture food ingredient, for example a breakfast cereal. Preferably, the total weight of the food or beverage concentrate in the containers before water injection is from about 0.5 grams to about 100 grams, preferably from about 1 gram to 50 grams.

In certain embodiments, the containers may comprise more than one compartment. Suitably, two or more of the compartments are adapted to permit mixing of the compartment contents after injection of liquid into the collapsible container. A food or beverage ingredient may be present in one or more of the compartments. In the case of flexible pouches, the compartments may, for example, be separated by a line of sealing between the front and back faces of a pouch. In certain embodiments this line of sealing is releasable by the action of heat or pressure (e.g. from squeezing a pouch), whereby mixing of the compartment contents can be achieved after filling of the pouch. This mixing can be applied to achieve novel colour, flavour, temperature and/or texture effects in the product. Suitable multicompartment pouches and laminated film materials for the manufacture of such pouches are described, for example, in WO2004/058594, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The containers in the dispensing system according to the present invention further comprise an inlet, and a seal that substantially seals the inlet against the ingress or egress of liquid or oxygen etc. until the liquid injection step. Typically, the inlet comprises a substantially rigid nozzle (or spout) that is bonded into the containers. For example, the nozzle may extend through a hole in the container wall, and may further comprise a flanged base bonded in liquid-tight fashion to the sheet material of the container wall on the inside of the pouch. In other embodiments, the nozzle may be inserted in liquid-tight fashion between opposed sheets of material in an edge of the container, for example as in the well known beverage brewing sachets described in GB-A-2123685 and the related applications listed herein. In these latter embodiments, it is not necessary for the nozzle to have a flange inside the pouch, since the front and back faces of sheet material wrap around the sides of the nozzle in liquid-tight fashion. The nozzle is typically formed from molded thermoplastic, for example by injection molding.

The nozzle has an opening therein for passage of liquids, for example the opening may be a tubular bore. The opening is initially sealed by the seal. The seal may, for example, comprise a membrane extending across the opening that is pierced by an injector on the liquid dispensing mechanism. In certain embodiments, the membrane may be an elastomeric septum or split septum that provides at least a degree of sealing after the injector has been withdrawn. Preferably, the seal does not comprise any frangible part that could be pushed into the pouch by the injector and thereby contaminate the contents. In certain embodiments, the seal could be provided by a mechanical valve arrangement, for example a biased valve such as a spring-loaded valve that is released by the action of the liquid dispensing mechanism. Alternative valve arrangements include any of the well known sports cap valves formed from two or more thermoplastic parts, wherein the valve is opened by twisting or pulling on an outer valve part. The nozzle preferably projects outwardly from the container by at least about 5mm, and may be provided with a locking recess or projection, to enable the nozzle to be gripped by the liquid dispensing mechanism during liquid injection. Suitable locking recesses or projections include a flange, a thread, a socket or a bayonet fitting.

As already noted, the containers in the dispensing system according to the present invention preferably further comprise a valve element that resists the escape of liquid from the liquid-filled container through the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container. This permits at least limited movement of the filled container with minimal leakage after filling. In certain embodiments, the valve element allows liquid to escape through the inlet when a pressure difference is applied across the valve, for example by squeezing the container or applying suction to the inlet. Such an arrangement is especially convenient for controlled dispensing of liquid from the pouch. In other embodiments, the valve element substantially completely blocks the escape of liquid from the liquid-filled container. This is the case, for example, when a valve element is provided by a bias e.g. spring loaded valve in the inlet. Such sealing arrangements are especially convenient when a container is further provided with a separate outlet opening, as described further below.

It will be appreciated that in yet other embodiments the liquid dispensing mechanism may further comprise a device for sealing the inlet after liquid injection step is complete. The sealing device may, for example, comprise a threaded neck on the inlet for attachment of a complementary threaded cap over the inlet. In certain embodiments, the sealing device may comprise a cap or a plug seal for forming an interference fit or a snap-fit on the inlet, wherein the plug or cap is attached to the inlet nozzle, for example by a hinge, for example the plug or cap and the hinge may be molded in one piece with the inlet nozzle.

As already noted, a particularly preferred valve element is a split septum or X-cut septum, or a septum having lines of weakness that are split by the action of the injector. In addition to low cost, these valve elements have the advantage that a drinking straw can be inserted through the septum for consumption of the container contents after filling. Accordingly, in these and other embodiments, the containers in the dispensing systems according to the present invention may further comprise a drinking straw attached to the outside of the container. The inlet may comprise a nozzle or spout, to assist pouring from the container after it has been filled. In certain embodiments, the nozzle or spout may be dimensioned for insertion into the mouth for drinking directly from the container. For example, as already noted, the inlet may comprise one of the many sports-drink closure assemblies, wherein the drinking spout can be opened by rotating a part of the spout or pulling upwardly on a part of the spout.

The container of the dispensing system according to the present invention may optionally further comprise an outlet separate from the inlet. The outlet may be in the form of a nozzle or spout, which may be formed from thermoplastic material and secured to the container as described above in relation to inlet nozzle. The outlet may be dimensioned for insertion into the mouth for drinking directly from the container. The outlet is initially sealed in substantially liquid-tight fashion, for example by a screw cap, or it may comprise one of the many sports-drink closure assemblies, wherein the drinking spout can be opened by rotating a part of the spout or pulling upwardly on a part of the spout.

In certain embodiments, the collapsible containers according to the present invention may comprise a distinct beverage preparation compartment that contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient. The beverage preparation compartment is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet so as to receive the liquid injected into the fluid inlet, and further comprises an outlet to allow liquid from the beverage preparation compartment to flow into the interior of the collapsible container body. The beverage preparation compartment may be completely enclosed within the collapsible container body, or it may be located outside the main collapsible container body portion. The liquid is injected through the inlet nozzle directly into the beverage preparation compartment, where it mixes with the ingredient to form the food or beverage. The food or beverage then flows out of the beverage preparation compartment through the opening therein, into the main part of the container body, from where it can be dispensed via an outlet as hereinbefore described.

For example, the beverage preparation compartment may take the form of a sachet containing a portion of a beverage preparation ingredient such as coffee, tea leaves, instant coffee, instant tea, chocolate, a whitener, or a cold drink concentrated such as soluble fruit drink crystals. In certain embodiments, the sachet may be similar to the commercially available FLAVIA coffee brewing portion packs of the kind described in GB-A-2123685, GB-A-2123685, GB-A-2121762 and GB-A-2122881. Briefly, such a sachet comprises front and back faces of flexible sheet material in face-to-face relation. The faces are bonded together around the edges thereof to form the sachet. A bottom edge of the sachet is bonded with a heat- and pressure-sensitive adhesive, whereby the front and back faces peel apart along the bottom edge when hot water is injected into the sachet. The inlet nozzle is bonded into the top edge of the sachet between the front and back faces, in liquid- tight fashion. The bottom edge of the sachet opens into the collapsible container body. In certain embodiments, the top edge of the sachet containing the inlet nozzle is overlapped by, and bonded into an edge of the main container body, so that the sachet (apart from the inlet nozzle) is substantially completely enclosed inside the container body,.

The advantages of these beverage preparation compartment formats include: better mixing of the injected liquid (usually water) with the concentrate, and the possibility of making infused beverages such as brewed coffee and leaf tea by providing a filter to prevent flow of infusible ingredients such as coffee grounds or tea leaves from the beverage preparation compartment into the body of the collapsible container. A further advantage is that the outlet from the beverage preparation compartment may be sealed before use (for example by a heat- and/or pressure-sensitive adhesive) so as to improve the storage stability of the ingredients. For example, the relatively small beverage preparation compartment may be made of a material having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties, whereas the body portion of the collapsible container can then be made from a lighter, less expensive sheet material having inferior barrier properties as it is no longer the primary freshness barrier.

Preferably, the dispensing system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of the above collapsible containers, wherein each of the plurality contains a different food or beverage ingredient. The plurality of collapsible containers may, for example, be displayed in a rack for selection by an operator, or may be stored in a vending machine for selection and purchase by an operator. A glass-fronted vending machine such as a spiral vending machine would be suitable. In this way a wide range of different beverages and other dehydrated liquid food products can be distributed in stable, hygienic and lightweight form and rehydrated at the point of consumption by means of a liquid dispensing mechanism specifically adapted for use with the containers.

The liquid dispensing system may be based on a wide variety of existing liquid dispensing systems for beverage dispensing. A distinguishing feature of the dispensing mechanism in the systems according to the present invention is that it incorporates a device to release the seal on the container inlet and to inject liquid into the container. The simplest such mechanism is an injector tube adapted to pierce a membrane seal on the inlet. The dispensing mechanism preferably comprises a clamp to hold the container, and in particular to hold the inlet of the container while all liquid injection is taking place. For example, the clamp may grip the inlet nozzle or spout on the container. The injector tube and/or the clamp may be moveable in reciprocating relation in order to insert the injector tube into the inlet. Suitable clamps and injector nozzles are described for example in GB- A-2123685, GB-A-2123685, GB-A-2121762 and GB-A-2122881, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Typically, the dispensing mechanism is programmed to dispense a predetermined total volume of liquid into the container, and such volume is preferably from 50 to 1000ml, more preferably from 100 to 500ml, and most preferably from 150 to 350 ml. The liquid injected by the mechanism may for example be selected from ambient water, chilled water, hot water, water/ice slush, carbonated water and milk. A wide range of liquids may alternatively be injected into the collapsible container, for example where the dispensing mechanism incorporates a beverage mixer/dispenser. The mechanism may also comprise an air pump for injecting air into the pouch in order to create a head space in the filled pouch.

It will be appreciated that the dispensing mechanism preferably comprises at least a clamp adapted to grip the containers, an injector tube for insertion into the inlet of the container, and a mechanism to engage the injector tube with the inlet of the container when it is held in the clamp. The clamp may be any fitting suitable to retain the collapsible container while injection takes place. It may, for example, comprise jaws to grip the inlet nozzle,and/or it may comprise threads or bayonet fittings to engage the inlet nozzle, and/or it may comprise a recess to receive a complementary projection on the inlet nozzle. Optionally the dispensing mechanism further comprises a pump and control therefor for injecting the said predetermined amount of liquid into the containers. Optionally,, the dispensing mechanism further comprises at least one tank for holding one or more liquids for injection into the containers. In certain embodiments, the dispensing mechanism may be programmable to inject more than one liquid sequentially through the injector, for example a flavouring syrup followed by water.

In yet other embodiments, the dispensing mechanism may comprise a plurality of injectors for injecting a plurality of different ingredients sequentially into the inlet of the container, for example it may comprise a water injector and a flavouring syrup injector.

It will further be appreciated that the dispensing mechanism preferably further comprises a control system adapted to receive an operator instruction and to inject liquid into a container in response to the instructions. The composition, temperature and volume of the injected liquid will be selected in accordance with the operator instructions. It will further be appreciated that the control system may be adapted to detect the presence of a container in the clamp, and to prompt a user to insert a container into the clamp if no container is present in the clamp. The control system may further be adapted to prompt the operator to remove the filled container from the clamp when liquid dispensing is completed. The control system may further be adapted to dispense liquid into a container only upon receipt of a payment, e.g. by means of a coin freed mechanism.

The dispensing system described above in accordance with the invention is a semiautomatic system. That is to say a system wherein a human operator selects a container, and then manually inserts it into the dispensing mechanism for the container to be filled with liquid. In alternative embodiments the dispensing system according to the present invention is a fully automatic dispensing machine comprising: a container storage section containing a plurality of said containers, a container clamp, a liquid injector, and a control system adapted to receive an operator product selection, select an appropriate container from the container storage section, insert said container into the clamp, and inject an appropriate volume of an appropriate liquid into the container in order to prepare the selected product in said container.

The collapsible containers of the invention may comprise machine-readable pack recognition features, and the dispensing machine may comprise apparatus to read these pack recognition features on a pack received in the machine, whereby the type, amount, temperature and/or other characteristics of the liquid injection into the pack can be determined automatically by the control system of the dispensing machine based on the type of container. Suitable machine-readable pack recognition features include, for example, bar codes, radio frequency identification devices (RFID), and colour/reflectance coding.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to the present invention, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the container further comprises a valve element or a closure element to resist escape of liquid from the container through said inlet after filling.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to the present invention, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the liquid capacity of the container is from about 50ml to about 1000ml, preferably from about 150ml to about 350ml.

Suitably, the various features and details of the containers according to these aspects of the invention are as described above in relation to the systems of the invention. Accordingly, it is not necessary to repeat the description of preferred features and aspects of the collapsible containers.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of making a container that holds an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the said container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into said container through said inlet by means of the liquid dispensing mechanism to form said liquid food or beverage product inside the container. Suitably, the containers and liquid dispensing mechanisms used for the methods according to this aspect of the invention are as described above in relation to the preceding aspects of the invention.

Suitably, the amount of liquid injected into the collapsible container is from 50 ml to 1000 ml, preferably from 100 ml to 500 ml, for example from 150 ml to 350 ml. The liquid is retained inside the collapsible container during and immediately after the liquid injection step.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a dispensing system according to the present invention comprising a pouch and part of a dispensing mechanism; Fig. 2 shows a detail view of the inlet nozzle of the pouch in the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the pouch according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through a collapsible container according to another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through the collapsible container of Fig. 4 after it has been filled with liquid.

Referring to Fig. 1 , the dispensing system comprises a pouch 1 formed from front and back sheets of laminated thermoplastic film that are heat sealed together along side edges 2, 3, bottom edge 4 and top edge 5. A injection molded thermoplastic inlet nozzle 6 is inserted in top edge 5 in liquid-tight fashion between the front and back pouch sheets. Nozzle 5 has a substantially cylindrical central bore 7 into which the liquid injector tube 8 of the dispensing mechanism is inserted to inject liquid into the pouch in use. The distal end of the bore 7 has a circumferential flange 9, whereby the inlet nozzle 6 can be gripped by clamp arms 10 of the dispensing mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 2, the bore 7 is initially sealed by a foil sealing membrane 11 extending across the top of the bore 7. At the bottom of the bore 7 there is provided a X-cut elastomeric septum 12, through which the injector tube 8 can pass while liquid injection into the inlet is taking place. The total amount of liquid injected into the pouch is 50 ml to 1000 ml, preferably from 100 ml to 500 ml, for example from 150 ml to 350 ml, depending on the size of the pouch. After liquid injection is complete and the injector 8 has been withdrawn, the X-cut septum 12 acts as a valve to resist escape of liquid from the pouch unless pressure is applied to the pouch, or suction is applied to the nozzle. Alternatively, a user can insert a drinking straw through the septum 12 to consume the beverage from the pouch.

Referring to Fig. 3, the stand-up pouch 15 comprises front and back sheets of laminated thermoplastic material that are heat-sealed together along side edges 16, 17 and top edge 18. A bottom gusset piece 19 is heat-sealed to the front and back faces along bottom edges 20, 21 to form the base of the stand-up pouch. A nozzle 22 identical to that described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2 is inserted in top edge 18 of the stand-up pouch. A removable plug cap (not shown) can be used to seal the nozzle 22 after filling of the pouch.

A further feature of the stand-up pouch 15 is that the properties of the thermoplastic filling layers of the sheet material are selected so that a further, relatively weak seal 23 can be formed between the front and back sheets, extending diagonally across a top corner of the pouch to define a separate compartment 24 for a concentrate ingredient. After filling of the primary compartment 25 of the pouch and sealing of the inlet nozzle 22 with the cap, the pouch can be squeezed to burst the seal 23 and mix the contents of compartments 24 and 25. Details of thermoplastic films suitable for forming such multi-compartment pouches are given in WO2004/058594, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring to Fig. 4, the collapsible container 30 has a main body portion 31 formed as a stand-up pouch from front and back faces 32,34 of flexible sheet material, with a gusset sheet 36 welded into the bottom seam of the pouch substantially as for the embodiment of Fig. 3. The collapsible container 1 further comprises a coffee brewing sachet 38 defining a beverage preparation compartment inside the container body. The coffee brewing sachet is substantially identical to the commercially available FLAVIA coffee brewing portion packs of the kind described in GB-A-2123685, GB-A-2123685, GB-A-2121762 and GB- A-2122881. Briefly, it comprises rectangular front and back faces 40,42 of flexible sheet material in face-to-face relation. The faces 40,42 and bonded together around the edges thereof to form a rectangular sachet. The bottom edge 44 of the sachet is bonded with a heat- and pressure-sensitive adhesive, whereby the front and back faces 40,42 peel apart along the bottom margin 44 when hot water is injected into the sachet. The top edge of the sachet 38 is overlapped by, and bonded to the top edges of the front and back faces 32,34 of the main container body.

The sachet 38 contains ground coffee 46 and a filter paper barrier 48 bonded to the internal surfaces of the front and back faces 40,42 to retain the ground coffee in the sachet.

An inlet nozzle 50 is inserted in the top edge of the collapsible container. It is sealed in liquid-tight fashion between the front and back faces 40,42 of the sachet 38, whereby liquid injected into the inlet nozzle 50 passes directly into the sachet 38, and not into the main container body 31. The nozzle has a tubular bore, and a flange 52 at the distal end of the bore. In use, the beverage dispensing machine suitably comprises a clamp that grips the inlet nozzle bore underneath the flange 52. A frangible freshness barrier, such as a membrane seal, is provided in the nozzle inlet to maintain freshness of the sachet contents before use. It is an advantage of this embodiment that the coffee 46 is sealed inside the sachet 38 before use. This means that only the sachet 38 needs to be made of relatively expensive high-barrier laminate. The properties of the main container body sheet material can be independently optimised for cost and other desirable parameters. It is a further advantage of this embodiment that the sachets 38 can be made on existing machinery prior to insertion into the main collapsible container body.

An outlet tube 58 is provided on one of the flexible faces 34 of the main container body 31. The outlet tube 58 is inserted into a hole in the flexible sheet 34, and a flange 60 on the outlet tube is bonded in liquid-tight fashion to the inside of the flexible sheet 34 around the hole. The outer end of the outlet tube 58 is threaded, and a threaded cap 62 seals the outlet tube.

In use, hot water typically at about 9O⁰C and 0.2-0.5bar gauge pressure is injected into the inlet nozzle 50 through an injector tube that also serves to pierce the freshness barrier. The hot water infuses the coffee 46 in the sachet 38, and the heat and pressure of the water act to release the seal in the bottom edge of the sachet as shown in Fig. 5, thereby releasing the coffee liquid 54 into the main container body 31, where it is retained. A final pulse of air is pumped into the inlet nozzle 50 through the injector tube to dewater the coffee grounds 46 and to provide a headspace 56 in the pouch. The coffee can then be poured or sipped through outlet 58.

The above embodiments have been described by way of example only. Many other embodiments falling within the scope of the accompanying claims will be apparent to the skilled reader.

Claims

1. A dispensing system comprising: a partially or completely collapsed container for containing an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage, wherein the container comprises an inlet and a seal that substantially seals the inlet; and a liquid dispensing mechanism adapted to release the seal on the inlet and to inject a liquid into the container through the inlet to produce said individual portion of a liquid food or beverage inside said container.

2. A dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a flexible pouch having a body formed from flexible sheet material.

3. A dispensing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partially collapsed container contains a food or beverage concentrate for dilution or dispersion in said predetermined volume of liquid.

4. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises a valve element to resist the escape of liquid from the liquid-filled container through the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container.

5. A dispensing system according to claim 4, wherein the valve element allows liquid to escape through the inlet when an external pressure difference is applied across the valve by squeezing the container or applying suction to the inlet.

6. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises a closure element to seal the inlet after the liquid has been injected into the container.

7. A dispensing system according to claim 6, wherein the closure element is selected from the group consisting of a sports drink closure, a screw cap and a plug seal.

8. A dispensing system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the valve element comprises a split septum.

9. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises an outlet separate from said inlet, and said outlet is sealed by a closure that can be opened after the container has been filled with liquid.

10. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container inlet or the optional container outlet is provided with a spout to assist drinking or pouring from the container.

11. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises a thermally insulating sheet material to improve the thermal insulation properties of the container.

12. A dispensing system according to claim 11, wherein the thermally insulating sheet material comprises a polymer foam, or a fibrous material containing entrapped air.

13. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises an opening feature selected from the group consisting of a nip, a line of weakness and a tear strip for opening of the container after filling.

14. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises a drinking straw attached thereto.

15. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal in said inlet comprises a membrane and the dispensing mechanism comprises an injector tube to pierce the membrane.

16. A dispensing system according to claim 15, wherein the membrane is an elastomeric septum that reseals following withdrawal of the injector tube.

17. A dispensing system according to claim 15, wherein the membrane is an elastomeric septum comprising at least one line of weakness, whereby the membrane forms a split septum valve when the injector is withdrawn.

18. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises two or more closed compartments separated by at least one barrier region.

19. A dispensing system according to claim 18, wherein one or more of the barrier regions may be released and the contents of two or more of said compartments may be mixed within the container.

20. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein: the container comprises a distinct beverage preparation compartment that contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient; the beverage preparation compartment is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet so as to receive the liquid injected into the fluid inlet; and the beverage preparation compartment further comprises an outlet to allow liquid from the compartment to flow into the interior of the collapsible container body.

21. A dispensing system according to claim 20, wherein the beverage preparation compartment is in the form of a sachet containing a beverage preparation ingredient

22. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for holding the container during injection of the liquid.

23. A dispensing system according to claim 22, wherein the container inlet comprises a substantially rigid inlet nozzle, and the clamp is adapted to grip the rigid nozzle while the liquid is injected.

24. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises a removable cap or plug that can be used to seal the inlet after injection of liquid into the container is complete.

25. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises a plurality of said containers, each of said plurality containing a different food or beverage concentrate.

26. A dispensing system according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of containers is stored in a display rack or a vending machine.

27. A dispensing system according to claim 25, wherein said containers comprise machine-readable pack recognition features, and the dispensing machine comprises apparatus to read these pack recognition features on a container received in the machine, whereby characteristics of the liquid injection into the pack can be determined automatically by the control system of the dispensing machine based on the type of container.

28. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said dispensing mechanism is adapted to inject a liquid selected from the group consisting of ambient water, chilled water, hot water, carbonated water, ice slush, a beverage concentrate, milk, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

29. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a control system adapted to inject a predetermined volume of said liquid into the container in response to an operator command.

30. A dispensing system according to claim 29, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for the container, and the control system is adapted to prompt an operator to insert a container into the clamp before liquid dispensing is initiated.

31. A dispensing system according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a clamp for the container, and the control system is adapted to prompt an operator to remove the container from the clamp when liquid dispensing is completed.

32. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid dispenser is adapted to dispense from about 150 to about 350ml of total liquids into the container.

33. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser comprises a plurality of injectors for injecting a plurality of different liquids into the container.

34. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser is a vending dispenser.

35. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim which is a fully automatic dispensing machine comprising: a container storage section containing a plurality of said containers, a container clamp, a liquid injector, and a control system adapted to receive an operator product selection, select an appropriate container from the container storage section, insert said container into the clamp, and inject an appropriate volume of an appropriate liquid into the container in order to prepare the selected product in said container.

36. A partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the system further comprises a valve element or a closure element to resist escape of liquid from the container through said inlet after filling.

37. A partially or completely collapsed container for use in a dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the container contains a concentrated food or beverage ingredient, the container comprises a substantially rigid, sealed inlet, and the liquid capacity of the container is from about 50ml to about 1000ml, preferably from about 150ml to about 350ml.

38. A method of making a container that holds an individual portion of a liquid food or beverage product, comprising the steps of: ^% providing a partially or completely collapsed container having a substantially rigid, sealed inlet; clamping the said container in a liquid dispensing mechanism; and injecting a liquid into said container through said inlet by means of the liquid dispensing mechanism to form said liquid food or beverage product inside the container.