This invention relates generally to air evacuation systems and methods for lining a container, and more particularly, to air evacuation systems and methods for lining a container with a flexible liner.
Many businesses package products or waste materials before shipping the products or materials to other locations. Specifically, these businesses package the products or materials into containers for shipping and transportation. In at least some of these cases, the products or materials are packaged in containers lined with a flexible or plastic liner to reduce spoiling or spillage of the products or materials. For example, a corrugated container lined with a plastic liner may be used for shipping certain products or materials wherein the plastic liner is utilized to reduce spoilage of the products or leakage of the products through the corrugated container.
In at least some known applications of placing a flexible liner within a container, an operator will manually erect the container and then position the liner by hand within the container. This process can be time consuming and result in increased labor costs. Moreover, in at least some cases, the operator may fail to properly position the liner within the container (e.g., fully opening and expanding the liner within the container), which may result in reducing the amount of actual materials that can be loaded into the container or may result in damage to the liner when loading the materials into the container. In fact, in at least some know cases, an improperly positioned liner within a container may result in the liner being punctured during the loading of the material into the container, and thus, allowing the materials to spoil or leak through the container.
In response to the additional labor costs and improper positioning of a liner within a container, at least some known machines have been developed to aid in the lining of such containers. At least some known machines automate the lining process by physically placing the liner within the container. However, these machines require complex mechanical features and components. Specifically, mechanical arms are used to place the liner into the container along the sides and bottom walls of the container. At least some other known machines automate the lining process by placing the liner along the top of the container and blowing the liner into the container. At least some other known machines automate the lining process by removing the air between the liner and the container to draw the liner against the interior of the container. At least one of these known machines positions a vacuum plenum beneath an opened bottom portion of the container, and pulls the air from the container cavity through the open bottom portion of the container. However, because the container is formed after the liner is positioned within the container, the liner is not fully seated against the interior surfaces of the container.
In one aspect, an air evacuation system is provided for lining a container with a flexible liner. The container has a plurality of walls defining a cavity with an open top, and each wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The air evacuation system includes a platform for supporting the container in a formed state, wherein the container has the liner in an unseated position within the cavity. A vacuum assembly is coupled to the platform. The vacuum assembly includes a pump in airflow communication with at least one inlet positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of a first container wall. The vacuum assembly is configured to draw air using the at least one inlet from the cavity through the first container wall such that the liner is positioned substantially adjacent to the interior surface of the container in a seated position.
In another aspect, an air evacuation apparatus is provided for positioning a flexible liner within a container. The container has a plurality of walls defining a cavity, and each wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The air evacuation apparatus includes a platform having a base for supporting the container in a formed state and a plurality of side rails for aligning the container with respect to said platform. The container includes the liner in an unseated position within the cavity. A suction member is coupled to the platform and is configured to position the unseated liner in a seated position adjacent the interior surface of the container by drawing air from the container cavity through at least one container wall such that substantially all of the air between the interior surface of the container and the unseated liner is removed.
In a further aspect, a method of lining a container with a flexible liner using an air evacuation system is provided. The container has a plurality of walls defining a cavity with an open top, and each wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The air evacuation system includes a platform for supporting the container and a vacuum assembly coupled to the platform. The method includes forming the container, positioning the container on the platform, and positioning the liner at least partially within the container cavity, wherein the liner is in an unseated position. The method also includes operating the vacuum assembly to create a vacuum around at least a portion of the container to draw air from the container cavity through at least one container wall such that the liner is positioned adjacent the interior surface of the container in a seated position.
Each wall 20 defining the sides of container 12 includes an inner surface 24 and an outer surface 26, and extends between a top edge 28 and a bottom edge 30. In an exemplary embodiment, container 12 is open to cavity 22 at top edge 28 and is closed to define cavity 22 at a bottom wall 32. As such, bottom wall 32 and walls 20 defining the sides of container 12 are collectively referred to as container walls. In one embodiment, bottom wall 32 is defined by a plurality of flaps 34. Each flap 34 is connected to a respective bottom edge 30 of each wall 20 at a fold line. During forming, flaps 34 are secured or coupled together using a mechanical feature, such as a retaining slot, or a chemical bond, such as an adhesive. Once assembled and formed, container 12 receives liner 14 (shown in
Platform 16 includes a base 62 supported by a plurality of support legs 64. In an exemplary embodiment, base 62 is substantially planar and has a similar shape as container 12 (shown in
Platform 16 also includes a plurality of side rails 72 defining a recess 74 for receiving container 12 therein. When installed, container walls 20 are positioned adjacent platform side rails 72, and in an exemplary embodiment, engage at least a portion of platform side rails 72. As a result, container 12 is positioned or aligned within platform 16, and retained in place for the air evacuation process by vacuum assembly 18. In an exemplary embodiment, each side rail 72 has an interior and an exterior surface 76 and 78, respectively. Vacuum tube 60 is coupled to exterior surface 78 such that vacuum assembly 18 is in airflow communication with platform 16. Moreover, interior surfaces 76 of each side rail 72 include air inlets 80 in airflow communication with vacuum tube 60. Specifically, and as will be described in detail below, side rails 72 have an internal channel (not shown) which communicates with inlets 80 and tube 60. As such, during operation, air is drawn through inlets 80, internal channel, and vacuum tube 60 by vacuum assembly 18. Additionally, each air inlet 80 is in airflow communication with recess 74. As a result, air within recess 74 is evacuated by vacuum assembly 18.
Seal member 82, an embodiment of which is illustrated in
As further illustrated in
In an exemplary embodiment, when operated, vacuum assembly 18 draws or sucks air from container cavity 22, through container walls 20, into recess 74. More specifically, vacuum assembly 18 draws the excess air located between inner surface 24 of container and liner 14. Additionally, vacuum assembly 18 then draws or sucks the air from recess 74, into air inlets 80, through internal channel 90 and vacuum tube 60. The air is then exhausted by blower 50 (shown in
Once formed, container 12 is positioned 104 on platform 16 such that bottom wall 32 engages base 62, and more particularly, engages ribs 66 and/or spacer tabs 70. As such, a gap or void is created between container bottom wall 32 and upper surface 68 of base 62. Moreover, container 12 is positioned 104 on platform 16 such that container side walls 20 are positioned adjacent platform side rails 72. In one embodiment, a gap or void is positioned between container and platform side rails 20 and 72.
Once container 12 is positioned, liner 14 is positioned 106 at least partially within container cavity 22. As such, liner 14 is initially positioned in an unseated position. In one embodiment, an operator positions liner 14 partially within container cavity 22 and extends or cuffs liner 14 around top edge 28 of container side walls 20. Additionally, the operator may secure liner 14 around top edge 28 using, for example, a securing strap or another mechanical feature which retains liner 14 at top edge 28. Alternatively, the operator may hold liner 14 at top edge 28 during use of air evacuation system 10.
In lieu of the operator manually placing liner 14 in a seated position wherein liner 14 is seated against inner surface 24 of container walls 20 and 32, the operator operates air evacuation system 10. For example, once liner 14 is positioned within container 12, the operator forms 108 a seal around outer surfaces 26 of container walls 20 using seal member 82. In one embodiment, air evacuation system 10 includes inflatable bladder assembly 84, and operator inflates bladder 88 such that a seal is formed around a perimeter of container 12. In one embodiment, the seal is positioned proximate to bottom wall 32 such that air evacuation system draws air through a bottom portion, particularly bottom wall 32 and portions of side walls 20 adjacent bottom wall 32, of container 12.
Once the seal is formed around container 12, the operator operates 110 vacuum assembly 18. In one embodiment, the operator operates 110 vacuum assembly 18 using a foot switch. When activated, vacuum assembly 18 creates a vacuum to draw air therethrough. In operation, vacuum assembly 18 includes a vacuum pump 50 that facilitates creating the vacuum, and a plurality of vacuum tubes 60 in flow communication with vacuum pump 18 and platform 16. As such, air is drawn from the gap or void between container 12 and platform 16, through inlets 80 and internal channel 90 and into vacuum tubes 60. In one embodiment, the amount of air drawn through the individual air inlets 80 is varied by vacuum assembly 18 such that a differential air pressure is created within the gap or void and against the various side walls 20 and bottom wall 32 of container 12. The differential air pressure facilitates controlling the positioning of liner 14 within container 12 by varying the suction force within container 12.
Moreover, vacuum assembly 18 also draws 112 air from container cavity 22 into the gap or void between container 12 and platform 16. In one embodiment, air is drawn 112 through container side walls 20 and bottom wall 32. As such, the air is evacuated from container cavity 22. As the air is evacuated from container cavity 22, liner 14 is drawn into container cavity 22 and is eventually seated against inner surfaces 24 of container side walls and bottom wall 32. Particularly, substantially all of the air between liner 14 and inner surfaces 24 of container side walls and bottom wall 32 is evacuated such that liner 14 is positioned adjacent inner surfaces 24. As a result, the entire volume of container cavity 22 is available for receiving the product therein. Additionally, the risk of tearing liner 14 is reduced as liner 14 is firmly seated against inner surface 24 of container 12. Moreover, as indicated by the various steps of method 100, liner 14 is positioned automatically and without the need of operator assistance.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060264309 A1 | Nov 2006 | US |