Fluid containers and methods of manufacture thereof

摘要

A bag-in-the-box container comprises a box folded from flexible sheet material and having side walls, a bottom closure and a top closure. An integral pouring spout formation is formed between one of the side walls and the top closure. The pouring spout formation comprises a lower projecting wall which folds along a lower fold line with respect to the side wall and an upper wall arrangement including a rear portion which forms part of the top closure and a front projecting wing portion which is delineated from the rear portion by means of at least one upper fold line. The upper wall is preformed to bow upwardly above the plane of the top closure and the lower projecting wall so as to define a spout passage in conjunction with the lower projecting wall when the pouring spout formation is in the raised pouring position and to collapse towards the lower projecting wall when the pouring spout is folded downwardly into a lowered position against the side wall. A fluid-tight bag is arranged to fit into the box, the bag having an inner spout which is located within the spout passage. The tip of the inner spout nests within the tip of the pouring spout formation, so that both tips can simultaneously be snipped or torn off in a single cutting or tearing operation to obtain access to the fluid within the bag. The invention extends to a method of forming a bag-in-the-box container.