Patent Application
20170197781
The present invention is directed to a portable silo for storing grains, in bulk, which is easily transportable and which is self-erecting.
Conventional silos configured to store grain or other commodities in bulk amounts of 10-50 tonnes are generally comprised of rigid materials such as metal, and are thus heavy and relatively expensive. Moreover, transporting such silos is difficult. It has previously been proposed to use a silo of flexible material, which could provide a lightweight alternative. However, introduction of grains or other commodities into such flexible materials is difficult, in that the sides of the silo need to be lifted during pouring of the commodity therein. Moreover, use of flexible material such as plastic may not be sufficiently hermetic to store the commodity for extended periods of time.
There is thus a need for a lightweight, portable, hermetic silo which is capable of storing bulk commodity for an extended period of time.
There is provided, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a portable silo for hermetic storage, the silo including a bottom portion and a wall portion surrounding and sloping vertically upwards from the bottom portion, thus defining an enclosure for storage of a commodity, wherein the wall portion is comprised of a series of vertically sloping inflatable bladders (or ribs) around a circumference of the wall portion, creating a double walled structure.
In accordance with features in embodiments of the invention, the wall portion may be comprised of a material having a permeability to oxygen of less than 500 cc/m2/day and a permeability to water vapor of less than 9 g/m2/day. The silo may further include a sealable cover portion for placing on top of the wall portion and hermetically sealing the stored commodity in the portable silo.
In accordance with features in embodiments of the invention, the wall portion has an inward slope such that a bottom diameter of the wall portion is larger than a top diameter of the wall portion. Thus, the overall shape of the silo is substantially a truncated cone. In accordance with features in embodiments of the invention, the silo may further include one or more sealable outlet ports in the wall portion for removal of the stored commodity. The outlet port may be positioned in the wall portion near the bottom portion. Each of the inflatable bladder sections may include an inflation/deflation port for pumping air into the inflatable bladders and for removing air from the inflatable bladders. The portable silo may be capable of storing at least 10 tonnes to 100 tonnes of commodity therein, and the silo may have a weight of less than 300 kilograms, in the case of a 100 tonnes capacity, and less than 50 kilograms in the case of a 10 tonnes capacity.
There is provided, in accordance with additional embodiments of the present invention, a storage silo including a bottom portion for receiving a commodity thereon, said bottom portion configured for placement onto a surface, and a flexible wall portion surrounding the bottom portion and wherein in an extended configuration, the flexible wall portion is configured to extend upwards from the bottom portion thus forming an enclosure for storage of a commodity, the wall portion having an internal wall portion side and an external wall portion side separated from the internal wall portion side by a distance of at least 20 cm, and may be in a range of 20-50 centimeters or more. In one embodiment, the distance is approximately 35 centimeters, wherein the bottom portion the wall portion form substantially a truncated conical shape when the wall portion is in said extended configuration.
In accordance with features in embodiments of the invention, the extended configuration is obtained by providing air into a space between the internal wall portion side and the external wall portion side. In embodiments of the invention, the space is compartmentalized into a series of vertically extending inflatable bladders. The flexible wall portion may be comprised of a material having a permeability to oxygen of less than 500 c/m2/day and a permeability to water vapor of less than 9 g/m2/day.
The silo may further include a sealable cover portion for placing on top of the wall portion and hermetically sealing the stored commodity in the portable silo. In accordance with features in embodiments of the invention, the silo may further include one or more outlet ports in the wall portion for removal of the stored commodity. The outlet port may be positioned in the wall portion near the bottom portion. Removal of stored commodities can be done with a auger or with a suction pump. Each of the inflatable bladders may include an inflation/deflation port for pumping air into the inflatable bladders and optionally for removing air from the inflatable bladders. The portable silo may be capable of storing at least 10 tonnes of commodity therein, and the silo may have a weight of less than 300 kilograms, in the case of a 100 tonnes capacity, and less than 50 kilograms in the case of a 10 tonnes capacity.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
The above and further advantages of the present invention may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn accurately or to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity or several physical components may be included in one functional block or element. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Moreover, some of the blocks depicted in the drawings may be combined into a single function.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and structures may not have been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
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The material may include an outer layer and an inner layer, with a middle layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers. The outer layer, inner layer and middle layer may be co-extruded. The purpose of the middle layer is to provide low permeability to oxygen, while the outer and inner layers are designed to add strength to the middle layer and to provide a low permeability to water vapor. The outer and inner layers may be comprised of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, while the middle layer is comprised of a very low permeability material to oxygen, such as, for example, nylon. An example of such a co-extruded material is PLASTOBARR N 80, manufactured and sold by Plastopil Ltd., Hazorea, Israel, originally designed for chemical and bacteriological warfare protection and now also used in retail vacuum packaging of meats, fish, or cheese (“vacuum pouches”) to preserve freshness, and also used in retail packaging for preserving freshness of fresh vegetables. This material includes a thin co-extruded flexible triple-layer material (PE/PA/PE), including an outer layer and an inner layer of one polymeric material (polyethylene), and a very low permeability middle layer sandwiched between the two outer layers. In some embodiments, any one or several of outer layer, inner layer and middle layer may include multiple layers of material or a combination of materials. For example, a material which has low permeability to oxygen, but not to moisture may be combined with a material which has low permeability to water but not to oxygen. It should be readily apparent that the middle layer may be comprised of any low permeability barrier material suitable for sandwiching between an outer layer and an inner layer.
Silo 10, when manufactured from these or similar materials will have a very low permeability to Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and water vapor, even when the total thickness is under 1 mm. Thus, the permeability per unit area for Oxygen is 500 cc/m2/day or less, and permeability for water vapor is 9 grams/m2/day or less. The term “ultra low permeability” for purposes of the present invention thus refers to permeability to Oxygen of less than 100 cc/m2/day and to water vapor less of than 15 g/m2/day.
Use of a silo with hermetic properties such as the ones disclosed herein provide the commodity with protection from insect infestation and mold growth solely based upon the ultra-low permeability packaging material and without the use of a pesticide and without the use of vacuum pumping after hermetically sealing the container. The available oxygen is consumed by infesting insects including eggs, larva, pupae, and adult insects to a level low enough to cause the death of the infesting insects, and is further configured to protect the commodity in the hermetically sealed storage container by inhibiting mold and fungus growth through the low level of oxygen and lack of a high humidity.
It should be readily apparent that the silo of the present invention allows for storage of bulk commodity without the need for bags to support the flexible exterior, while maintaining a hermetic environment. Moreover, the silo of the present invention may accommodate 10-100 tonnes or more of a commodity, a feature which is not possible using other portable silo configurations.
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First, a portable silo 10 is provided (step 202) at a desired location. Silo 10 is comprised of a flexible material, and is lightweight, which enables silo 10 to be transported to the desired location. Silo 10 is shown in a collapsed state in
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention.
