Patent Application
20200010267
The present invention is concerned with container assemblies for a variety of materials, especially particulate solid materials such as contaminated earth. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such container assemblies which may be flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), characterized by the provision of a central flexible bag for the materials, with a surrounding collection skirt allowing easy bag filling and closure of the assemblies.
A flexible intermediate bulk container, also referred to as a “bulk bag” or a “big bag,” is an industrial container made of flexible material that is designed for storing and transporting dry, flowable products, such as earth, sand, fertilizer, and plastic granules. A variety of FIBC designs have been proposed in the past, which are typically differentiated by the bag bottom wall, which may be plain or equipped with various types of closures or discharge spouts. In general, these bags are used by deployment thereof in an open-top unfilled condition, followed by depositing the desired material into the bag structure. These types of designs suffer from the fact that extraneous material will often flow past the bag opening and collect as spillage on the ground or other support surface. This is particularly troublesome where contaminated materials, such as soils, are to be bagged and transferred.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,579 discloses an “industrial diaper” for use in controlling spills from damaged FIBCs. As illustrated in
U.S. Pat. No. 7,736,057 discloses a leaf bag having a standard upright rectangular bag 102 with a funnel construction extending upwardly and outwardly from the upper margins of the bag. As disclosed, the funnel is designed to facilitate loading of the bag 102. However, the bag 102 is not collapsible and the funnel structure is not designed to lay flat on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,705 discloses a leaf bag system for use with a receptacle, such as a waste can. The '705 bag provides a funnel-like structure which can be secured to the upper end of the can to allow filling thereof with leaves.
Additional references include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,374,929, 3,893,595, 4,364,424, 4,603,432, 5,529,393, 5,685,644, 6,431,753, 6,938,860, 6,974,783, 8,070,006, and 8,161,676; US Patent Publications Nos. 2011/0044564, 2016/0264805, and 2017/0043946; Foreign Patent References Nos. EP2570353B1, WO1994019259 and WO07108833; and three non-patent literature references: BAGCORP Product Descriptions, 2018, found online at www.bagcorpstore.com/Duffle-Top_c_150.html; Sinopack Product Descriptions, 2018, found online at sinopack.en.made-in-china.com/product/zv/KxSQ1PgVhY/China-Circular-Big-Bag-; and SSANGLEONG BULKHANDLING article “SSuper Sack,” 2018, found online at http://www.ssangleong.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=19.
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides container assemblies for materials generally comprising a flexible bag including an open top and presenting a periphery, sidewall structure, and a bottom wall. The bag is movable between a collapsed position when unfilled with material, and an expanded position when material is placed therein. The overall assemblies also include a flexible collection skirt secured to the bag adjacent the open top thereof and extending outwardly therefrom and around the periphery of the open top. The collection skirt has an outer margin and gathering apparatus at spaced locations adjacent the outer margin in order to permit gathering of the skirt during filling of the bag with material and consequent movement of the bag to the expanded position thereof.
In order to provide adequate protection against material spillage, the area of the surrounding skirt is greater than the area of the open top of the bag. In an embodiment, the outer margin of the skirt may be substantially circular, but this is in no way required; indeed, the skirt can assume any desired shape so long as it surrounds the open top of the bag and provides adequate area for preventing material spillage. Gathering apparatus is also provided for the skirt, which may be in the form of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart lifting loops secured to the outer margin of the skirt; alternately, a drawstring-type gathering apparatus may be used.
In addition, the central bag is advantageously equipped with a plurality of exterior lifting points located about the periphery of the top of the bag. In order to accommodate the bag, the skirt has a central opening in the shape of the bag and a plurality of connection segments adjacent this central opening in order to permit attachment of the bag top to these segments.
The bag and skirt are preferably formed of flexible synthetic resin material, but other types of flexible material, such as canvas, could be used.
In the use of the container assemblies of the invention, the latter are deployed on the ground or other support surface by maintaining the bag in a collapsed position with the skirt extending outwardly therefrom in an essentially lay-flat configuration. Thereupon, the material to be bagged is deposited in the central region of the assembly over the open top of the bag and, as necessary, on the skirt near the bag. Next, the skirt gathering apparatus is used to lift the outer margin of the skirt in order to elevate the assembly. This causes flow of the material into the bag in order to fill it, with the gathered skirt above the bag opening. This gathered skirt can then be tied off or otherwise closed to create a duffel top. The now-exposed bag lifting points are then used to lift the filled and closed container for transport of the collected material.
While the drawings do not necessarily provide exact dimensions or tolerances for the illustrated components or structures,
Turning now to
In more detail, in the illustrated embodiment, the bag 12 is of quadrate configuration in plan with foldable sidewall structure 24 and a planar bottom wall 26. As shown in
The skirt 14 completely surrounds the bag 12, which is important for purposes to be described, and has a central opening 29 for accommodating the bag 12. As depicted, the gathering apparatus 16 includes a series of pickup loops 30 secured by welding or stitching to the outer margin of the skirt at circumferentially spaced locations. Again, while the skirt 14 is depicted as being substantially circular at its outer margin, any number of skirt shapes could be used.
In order to properly secure the bag 12 to skirt 14, the latter is equipped with a series of connection segments 32 at the region of opening 29 (see
As illustrated in
In some instances, the flexible bags of the container assemblies of the invention may be equipped with waterproof liners, formed of an appropriate material, such as polyethylene, to prevent leakage of liquids.
