Apparatus for packaging and dispensing beverages or the like

Claim 1

A SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISTRIBUTING AND DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A CONTAINER OF RIGID MATERIAL HAVING A REMOVABLE CLOSURE ELEMENT ADAPTED TO BE SEALED IN FLUIDTIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CONTAINER, A DIP TUBE HAVING AN UPPER END PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CLOSURE ELEMENT IN A GAS-TIGHT MANNER AND HAVING A LOWER END PORTION TERMINATING ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER, A COLLAPSIBLE BAG SNUGLY SURROUNDING AND SUBSTANTIALLY TOTALLY ENCLOSING SAID DIP TUBE, SAID BAG BEING OF THIN, EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE AND EASILY COLLAPSIBLE MATERIAL, A YIELDABLE FERRULE, THE MOUTH PORTION OF THE BAG BEING SEALED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FERRULE AND SAID FERRULE ADAPTED TO HAVE SLIDING MOVEMENT OVER SAID TUBE INTO A SEALING RELATION WITH RESPECT SAID TUBE, VALVE MEANS ON SAID CLOSURE ELEMENT FOR CLOSING OFF THE OUTLET OF SAID DIP TUBE AND FOR INTRODUCING LIQUID, TO BE DISPENSED, THROUGH SAID TUBE AND INTO SAID BAG, EXPELLANT VALVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH AN EXPELLANT IS SELECTIVELY INTRODUCED INTO SAID CONTAINER EXTERIORLY OF SAID BAG, OR WITHDRAWN THEREFROM, WHEREBY DURING DISPENSING THE PRESSURE OF SAID EXPELLANT WILL PROGRESSIVELY COLLAPSE THE BAG AS LIQUID IN SAID BAG IS DISPENSED OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID TUBE AND FIRST MENTIONED VALVE MEANS, OR WHEREBY THE EXPELLANT MAY BE EXHAUSTED FROM THE CONTAINER, SAID LIQUID BEING TOTALLY ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID BAG AND TUBE AND BEING OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE INNER WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER.