AU2021203104A1 - A rotational moulded bund enclosure for an intermediate bulk container - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotational moulded bund enclosure 10 for an intermediate bulk container (IBC) 28, the enclosure 10 having four walls 14, 16, 18, 20, that define a generally square or rectangular exterior and a roof 22 integrally connected to upper ends of the walls 14, 16, 18, 20. The enclosure 10 having an interior and a bottom portion 24 of the interior forming a liquid containment area. A support surface 26 being positioned over the liquid containment area on which an IBC 28 can be supported. First and second access openings 30 are formed in first and second walls 16, 18 of the four walls 14, 16, 18, 20. The first and second access openings 30 being for accessing the support surface 26 to install or remove an IBC 28 through either of the first and second access openings 30. First and second swing doors 46 being provided to close the first and second access openings 30. CC%4 LCf) LC))

Description

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A Rotational Moulded Bund Enclosure for an Intermediate Bulk Container

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bund enclosure for an intermediate bulk container, which is enclosed for protecting the intermediate bulk container against environmental elements, such as rain.

Background of the Invention

[0002] The discussion of the background to the invention that follows is intended to facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any aspect of the discussion was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.

[0003] Bund enclosures are provided for storage of vessels such as intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) to capture any spillage or leakage from the IBC. IBCs often contain dangerous liquids such as fertilisers and pesticides and so containment of spillage is desirable and often part of occupational health and safety requirements. A bund enclosure also can provide protection for an IBC by housing the IBC against exposure to environmental elements, such as rain.

[0004] Bund enclosures are available for the same purpose as the bund enclosure of the present invention. In one form of existing bund enclosure, a somewhat rectangular enclosure is provided that has a greater depth front to back at the bottom than at the top. The bottom thus extends further forward than the top, although the IBC is accommodated beneath the top and so needs to be set back within the enclosure from the front. This can make loading an IBC into the bund enclosure difficult. In addition, the single opening of the enclosure is closed by a roller door and roller doors can, over time, tend to stick or jam, making smooth operation difficult.

[0005] In another form of existing bund enclosure, again a somewhat rectangular enclosure is provided that has a greater depth front to back at the bottom than at the top, so that again, the IBC needs to be set back within the enclosure from the front. This can make loading an IBC into the bund enclosure difficult. In addition, the single opening of the enclosure is closed by a flexible sheet similar to a tarpaulin and so the security of the opening is low and removing the closure is requires substantial manual effort.

[0006] In another form of existing bund enclosure, the IBC is enclosed within an enclosure that has two openings for two-way, front and back entry/exit for loading and unloading an IBC, and roller doors to close the separate openings. The roller doors suffer from the same problems given above that they can, over time, tend to stick or jam, making smooth operation difficult.

[0007] Many existing bund enclosures also include many metallic components and this can be undesirable particularly where liquids stored within IBCs are highly acidic and therefore highly corrosive to metals.

[0008] The present invention intends to provide a new form of bund enclosure that is rotational moulded and that provides benefits over one or more of the prior art bund enclosures.

Summary of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a rotational moulded bund enclosure for an intermediate bulk container (IBC), the enclosure having four walls that define a generally square or rectangular exterior and a roof integrally connected to upper ends of the walls, the enclosure having an interior and a bottom portion of the interior forming a liquid containment area, a support surface being positioned over the liquid containment area on which an IBC can be supported, a first and second access openings formed in a first and second walls of the four walls, the first and second access openings being for accessing the support surface to install or remove an IBC through either of the first and second access openings, a first and second swing doors being provided to close the first and second access openings.

[0010] The present invention provides an improved bund enclosure compared to the prior art, as it provides a fully enclosed enclosure for protecting an IBC from environmental elements while also providing swing door access to the access openings for opening and closing the access openings.

[0011] The first and second access openings can have any suitable shape, although it is expected that in most forms of the invention, the access openings will be generally square or rectangular. This creates an opening suitable for receiving an IBC which is usually cubic.

[0012] The first and second access openings have an edge seal about a portion of or the full perimeter or periphery of the openings to seal against ingress of rainwater into the interior of the enclosure. The edge seals can also seal against egress of spillage from within the interior of the bund enclosure, such as if liquid from within the IBC spills or sprays from the IBC. This might occur if a hose feeding liquid from the IBC fails for example, or if the IBC splits. The edge seals can prevent toxic chemicals or acids from egressing the bund enclosure through the first and second access openings.

[0013] The edge seal can comprise a sealing lip that forms a channel or gutter for catching and redirecting rainwater about the periphery of the access opening. The gutter can be U-shaped, or V-shaped for example. The edge seal can extend at least along an upper edge of the access openings so that rainwater that reaches the upper edge is caught and redirected along the upper edge but does not enter the access openings. The edge seal can also extend along opposite sides of the access openings, so that rainwater that reaches the upper edge and that is caught and redirected along the upper edge, is redirected downwardly along the opposite sides of the access openings. The presence of the edge seal along opposite sides of the access openings also prevents rainwater that reaches the opposite sides from entering the access openings. The edge seal can also extend along the bottom edge of the access openings, so that rainwater that reaches the bottom edge is prevented from entering the access openings. This continuous seal about the full periphery of the first access opening provides good resistance to ingress of rainwater into the interior of the bund enclosure and thus provides good protection for an IBC within the bund enclosure. The edge seal also provides resistance to ingress of other environmental elements, such as dust and insects, but the exclusion of rainwater from entering the bund enclosure is the main focus of the edge seal externally of the bund enclosure.

[0014] Internally of the bund enclosure, the main focus of the edge seal is to resist or prevent egress of spillage from the IBC within the interior of the bund enclosure. Arrangements as discussed below can assist with this.

[0015] Where the access openings have an edge seal in the form of a sealing lip, the swing door of the access openings can include a peripheral recess to accommodate the sealing lip in a closed position of the swing door. This can create a form of labyrinth seal whereby the path for water to enter the interior of the bund enclosure through the access openings is convoluted and therefore more difficult. The sealing lip can press against a surface of the recess to assist sealing.

[0016] More generally, the swing door can press against the edge seal to seal against the edge seal. The edge seal can alternatively be a strip seal for example, that is sandwiched and/or compressed between the swing door and the periphery of the openings upon the swing doors closing the openings. Other forms of seals can be employed.

[0017] An edge seal can be provided on the swing doors in addition to or alternatively to the provision of an edge seal on the periphery of the access openings. The periphery of the swing doors can include a locating recess in which a portion of the edge seal can be seated and the seal can project from.

[0018] The inside surface of the swing doors can project inwardly into the interior of the bund enclosure so that if liquid from inside or outside the bund enclosure flows onto the inside surface of the swing doors, the liquid will flow off the bottom of the inside surface into the interior of the bund enclosure, and so likely into the liquid containment area of the bund enclosure, rather than tracking along the inside surface and past the bottom end of the swing door to egress the bund enclosure.

[0019] In alternative arrangements, the periphery of the access openings can have a channel or groove and the swing door can have a seal that enters the channel or groove for sealing with the channel or groove. Various other sealing arrangements could be adopted.

[0020] The second wall in which the second access opening is provided can be in the wall of the bund enclosure that is adjacent the first wall and thus generally perpendicular to the first wall. This advantageously allows the bund to be accessed from two different directions that are at 90° to each other and allows the bund to be placed against a wall, or in a corner and still allowing access in two different directions. This differs from prior art arrangements that have doors in opposed walls and whereby placement in a corner negates one of those doors.

[0021] Alternatively, the second wall can be opposite the first wall, particularly for installations in which the bund enclosure is spaced from any walls or is not located in a corner.

[0022] In some forms of the invention, the bund enclosure can have a third access opening formed in a third of the four walls for accessing the support surface to install or remove an IBC and a swing door is provided to close the third access opening. This third access opening can be of the same form as described above in relation to the first and second access openings and can include an edge seal about a portion of or the full perimeter or periphery of the opening to seal against ingress of rainwater into the interior of the enclosure. The provision of a third access opening provides further flexibility for accessing the support surface to install or remove an IBC.

[0023] The swing doors can open from a closed position to any suitable extent for clear and convenient access to the support surface within the interior of the bund enclosure. The swing doors can be connected to the walls of the bund enclosure by hinges to swing about a generally vertical axis sideways, or alternatively the swing doors can be arranged to swing about a generally horizontal axis and thus swing upwardly to open and downwardly to close. However, for ease of opening and closing, sideways swinging movement is considered appropriate. The hinges are preferably plastic where they are exposed to the interior of the bund enclosure so that metal is not potentially exposed to the liquids housed within the bund enclosure.

[0024] While in some forms of the invention, the swing doors can be arranged to swing through an angle of about 900, in other forms of the invention, the swing doors can be arranged to swing through an angle of about 1200 or more from the closed position. For example, in some forms of the invention, the swing doors can be arranged to swing through an angle of about 1600 or about 1800. Where the swing doors can swing through an angle of more than 900, the swing doors can conveniently be moved to a position in which they present no impediment or obstruction to the installation or removal of an IBC into or from the bund enclosure.

[0025] The swing doors can be lockable against opening in the closed position.

[0026] A bund enclosure of the present invention includes a liquid containment area in a bottom portion of the interior and a support surface which is positioned over the liquid containment area and on which an IBC can be supported. The liquid containment area is essential for the bund enclosure to operate as a bund. Australian standards require that the capacity of the a liquid containment area be at least 110% of the IBC capacity. The support surface of the bund enclosure can be formed in any suitable manner and in some forms of the invention, the support surface is formed as part of or a surface of a stand that stands within the liquid containment area. Such as stand can be hollow and can include openings for ingress of liquid into the stand to minimise the space lost in the liquid containment area by the inclusion of the stand. The stand can be a removable stand that is placed within the bund enclosure.

[0027] In some forms of the invention, the stand is wider than the width of the access openings, making the stand difficult to place within the interior of the bund enclosure. The stand can thus be formed in two or more sections which are more easily inserted into the interior of the bund enclosure and which can be connected together within the bund enclosure.

[0028] In alternative arrangements, the support surface is formed within the bund enclosure as an integral part of the bund enclosure and is formed in the rotational moulding process used to form the bund enclosure.

[0029] In some forms of the invention, the bund enclosure also includes a tank that is positioned in the liquid containment area for receiving liquid from an IBC. The tank can be of any suitable size or volume, but in some forms of the invention, a 2501, or 3001 tank is provided. The tank can be filled from an IBC positioned within the interior of the bund enclosure and this allows supply of fluid from the bund enclosure to be continuous even when the IBC is removed from the bund enclosure for replacement. This allows continuous extraction of liquid from the bund enclosure despite the absence of an IBC within the bund enclosure.

[0030] The tank can be placed on the interior bottom surface of the bund enclosure. The bottom surface can include a recess to accept and locate the tank.

[0031] Where the bund enclosure includes a stand to form the support surface, the tank can be positioned within the stand. For example, in some forms of the invention, the stand forms a support surface that is generally square or rectangular and which has a central opening within which or through which the tank is positioned. The central opening can be formed through the support surface and can exist between legs of the stand. For example, the stand can have four, six or eight legs extending downwardly from corners and sides of the support surface and the tank can be accommodated between the legs and beneath the support surface.

[0032] For clear and convenient access to the support surface within the interior of the bund enclosure, the lower edge of the access opening can be below the support surface, so that the lower edge of the access opening does not impede the loading and unloading of an IBC into and from the bund enclosure.

[0033] A bund enclosure according to the present invention has a roof that connects integrally with the four walls. The roof advantageously limits or even eliminates the likelihood of rain entering the interior of the bund enclosure, while also acting as barrier to the ingress of dust and other foreign matter such as insects. In some forms of the invention, the roof can have a shape or profile that is curved in order to promote shedding of water that lands on the roof. Thus, the roof can be curved to be convex when viewed from outside, or it can be dome shaped.

[0034] A bund enclosure according to the present invention can include a cabinet attached to a wall of the four walls, being a wall that does not already include an access opening. The cabinet might be formed integrally with the bund enclosure as part of the rotational moulding process used to form the bund enclosure, or the cabinet can be formed separately for connection with the bund enclosure. The cabinet can be provided for storage of equipment associated with the use of the bund enclosure and in particular can be used to house equipment for fluid communication with an IBC enclosed within the bund enclosure. The equipment can be dosing equipment for example. Like the swing doors that close the access openings, the cabinet can also have a swing door to close the cabinet. In some forms of the invention, the cabinet can have a pair of swing doors that swing in opposite directions to close the cabinet about vertical hinge axes.

[0035] The bund enclosure of the invention can be rotationally moulded from high grade polyethylene material and utilising UV-resistant resin to allow either outside or indoor locations. This makes the bund enclosure generally non-corrosive despite the use of the bund enclosure with IBCs containing corrosive chemicals.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036] In order that the invention may be more fully understood, some embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures in which:

[0037] Figure 1 illustrates a rotationally moulded bund enclosure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bund enclosure of Figure 1 showing the cabinet of the bund enclosure of Figure 1 separate from the remaining parts of the bund enclosure.

[0039] Figures 3 and 4 show different bund arrangements in which access openings to the bunds are provided in different walls.

[0040] Figure 5 is a detailed view showing the interior of the bund enclosure of Figure 1 with a stand and tank placed within the interior.

[0041] Figure 6 is an exploded view of Figure 5 showing the stand and tank separate from each other.

[0042] Figure 7 is an operational view of the bund enclosure of Figure 1, showing a forklift loading and IBC into the interior of the bund enclosure.

Detailed Description

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates a rotationally molded bund enclosure 10 that incorporates a cabinet 12. In the bund enclosure 10, the cabinet 12 is manufactured separately and is attached to the wall 14 of the bund enclosure 10 for communication with the interior of the bund enclosure 10.

[0044] The bund enclosure 10 has four walls including the wall 14 and additional walls 16, 18 and 20. These walls are numbered in Figures 3 and 4 and those figures show that the bund enclosure 10 has a generally square exterior.

[0045] The bund enclosure 10 further includes a roof 22 that is formed integrally with the upper ends of the walls 14 to 20, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the roof 22 is curved in order to promote shedding of water that lands on the roof 22. The curved shape of the roof 22 and its connection to the upper ends of the walls 14 to 20 also strengthens the roof against inward buckling,

[0046] The interior of the bund enclosure 10 includes a liquid containment area formed within a bottom portion 24 of the enclosure 10. The liquid containment area is for the containment of any spillage or leakage from the IBC as is a normal function of any bund. Within the interior of the bund enclosure 10 is a support surface 26 which is positioned over the liquid containment area and is provided to support an IBC 28 within the bund enclosure 10.

[0047] The wall 16 of the bund enclosure 10 forms a first wall of the four walls 14 to 20 and includes a first access opening 30 which allows access to the support surface 26 for installing or removing an IBC to or from the bund enclosure 10. A swing door 32 is provided to close the access opening 30. This closed position is shown in Figure 2.

[0048] It can be seen from Figure 1, that the access opening 30 is generally rectangular, having a greater height than width. As shown in Figure 7, the installation of the IBC 28 into the interior of the bund enclosure 10 is a relatively close fit, although there is clearance on either side and above and below the IBC for ease of entry and exit. In particular, the access opening 30 has an upper edge 34, a lower edge 36 and opposite side edges 38 and 39. The lower edge 36 is below the support surface 26, so that the lower edge 36 does not impede or otherwise obstruct access to the support surface 26 for placement or removal of the IBC 28.

[0049] It will be evident from Figure 1, that the access opening 30 formed in the first wall 16 includes an edge seal that extends fully about the perimeter or periphery of the opening 30 and the edge seal is formed as a sealing lip 40, that creates a channel or gutter for catching and redirecting rainwater about the periphery of the access opening 30. Thus, it will be evident from Figure 1, that water that runs across the roof 22 and on to the upper end of the wall 16, will enter the sealing lip 40 and will flow within the channel or gutter of the sealing lip 40 to the side edges 38 and 39 and then downwardly along the side edges 38 and 39 to egress the sealing lip 40 at the bottom end of the side edges 38 and 39. The water is thus prevented from entering the interior of the bund enclosure 10 through the access opening 30.

[0050] It is to be noted that the sealing lip 40 extends along the lower edge 36 of the access opening 30, and while this can assist the prevention of water from entering the access opening 30, the continuance of the sealing lip 40 along the lower edge 36 is provided more for the prevention of other foreign matter entering the interior of the bund enclosure 10, such as dust and insects.

[0051] It will be evident from Figure 1, that the sealing lip 40 projects outwardly from the surface of the wall 16. Thus, the inside of the swing door 32 includes a peripheral recess 42 to accommodate the sealing lip 40 in the closed position of the swing door 32 as shown in Figure 2. The provision of the peripheral recess 42 enables the edge 44 of the swing door 32 to either engage against the facing surface of the wall 16 in the closed position, or to be in very close facing relationship with the wall 16. This either engaging or close facing relationship assists to prevent ingress of rainwater and other environmental elements or foreign matter into the interior of the bund enclosure 10.

[0052] It will be evident from Figures 3 and 4, that a bund enclosure according to the invention can include a second access opening formed in a second wall of the bund enclosure 10, and a second swing door to close that opening. In Figure 3, access openings are provided in each of the walls 18 and 20, and swing doors 46 are provided to close those openings. The access openings in the walls 18 and 20 can be formed in accordance with the access opening 30 as shown in Figure 1, while the swing doors 46 can be in accordance with the swing door 32 as shown in Figure 1.

[0053] In Figure 4, access openings are provided in the walls 16 and 18 and swing doors 48 are shown for closing those openings. Again, the access openings provided in walls 16 and 18 and the swing door 48 can be as per the corresponding features shown in Figure 1.

[0054] It will be appreciated that the bund enclosure 10A shown in Figure 3 can be located within a warehouse for example, with the wall 16 located against a wall within the warehouse. This allows IBC entry and exit through either of the walls 18 and 20, and cabinet 12 access by opening the swing doors 50 of the cabinet 12.

[0055] In contrast, the bund enclosure 10B can have the wall 20 placed against a wall of a warehouse, with access through the access openings formed in the walls 16 and 18.

[0056] It is to be appreciated that in Figures 3 and 4, an access opening could be included in the walls 16 and 20 respectively, so that the bund enclosures 10A and B could each have three access openings and three separate swing doors to close those access openings.

[0057] As shown in the figures, all of the swing doors 32, 46 and 48 swing about generally vertical axes, so that the swing doors swing laterally from side to side. It is of course within the scope of the present invention that one or more of the swing doors swing about a horizontal axis, so that the doors swing upwardly rather than sideways.

[0058] The swing doors 46 and 48 are shown to swing to a position at about 90° to the closed position shown in Figure 2. The intention however is that the hinge arrangement used to mount the swing doors to the walls of the bund enclosure allows for a greater swing angle of above 90, such as 1200 or even up to 160. Allowing the swing doors to swing beyond 90 from the closed position allows the doors to be completely free from a position in which they might impede or obstruct the installation or removal an IBC into or from the bund enclosure 10.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the swing door 32 includes a locking latch 52 that can be used to lock the swing door 32 shut in the closed position shown in Figure 2. The latch 52 can be locked in place via a key inserted into the keyway 54.

[0060] The bund enclosure 10 further includes a vent 56 at the junction between the wall 14 and the roof 22, while a similar vent is positioned on the opposite wall 18. This can allow airflow through the bund enclosure 10 and can allow the dispersion of gases that might otherwise accumulate within the interior of the bund enclosure 10.

Lifting lugs 58 enable the bund enclosure 10 to be lifted by crane on chains or rope for example, while bolt down lugs 60 are provided at each corner for bolting the bund enclosure 10 to a floor. Forklift tyne openings 62 enable the bund enclosure 10 to be lifted for transport.

[0061] The cabinet 12 is attached to the wall 14 and can be used to house equipment associated with the use of the bund enclosure 10, in particular dosing equipment. The cabinet 12 is intended to rest on the same floor or ground surface that the bottom portion 24 of the bund enclosure 10 rests on. The connection between the wall 14 and the cabinet 12 can be achieved by a combination of conduit connection between the connection 78 (see Figure 2) to the dosing equipment housed within the cabinet 12 and through screw or bolt connectors that extend through the wall 14 and the facing wall of the cabinet 12.

[0062] Equipment of that kind is shown in Figure 1 and includes pipework for bridging between the cabinet 12 and the interior of the bund enclosure 10 for connecting with the IBC 28. Dosing equipment is known in the art and allows for sample doses or mixtures of liquids including liquid from the IBC 28 to be created for testing prior to more substantial use of the liquid of the IBC 28.

[0063] The cabinet 12 can also have a swing doors 50 to close the cabinet. The swing doors 50 of the cabinet 12 can be lockable.

[0064] The support surface 26 is formed as part of a stand 64 which is shown clearly in Figures 5 and 6. The stand 64 can be formed of polymer material such as the same high-grade polyethylene material that the bund enclosure 10 is formed from. The stand 64 is hollow and includes openings 66 to allow entry of liquid into the interior of the stand 64 if there is a sufficient spill of liquid from the IBC 28. As can be appreciated from Figures 5 and 6, the stand 64 is a removable component of the bund enclosure 10 and so the stand 64 is not formed integrally with the remaining parts of the bund enclosure 10.

[0065] The support surface 26 is a generally square surface, although a central opening 69 is formed in the stand is open for placement or accommodation of a tank within the stand 64. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a tank 68 can be installed within the interior of the bund enclosure 10 within the stand 64, in particular, between the legs 70 of the stand 64. Installation of the tank 68 within the bund enclosure 10 can precede the stand 64, so that the tank can be positioned on a floor surface of the bund enclosure 10 and the stand 64 can be placed over the tank 68.

[0066] The tank 68 provides a reservoir for containment of liquid received from the IBC 28, so that the IBC 28 can be removed from the bund enclosure 10 without disturbing continued extraction of liquid from the bund enclosure 10. Thus, an IBC having a capacity for example of 1000L, might feed liquid through the tank for subsequent extraction from the bund enclosure 10. The tank 68 might have a capacity such as 250L or 300L. By this arrangement, the IBC 28 will be emptied prior to the tank 68 being emptied and so the IBC 28 can be removed from the bund enclosure 10 and replaced, while liquid can continue to be extracted from the tank 68. A new IBC can be connected to the tank 68 and feed the tank 68 so that the tank 68 is never fully exhausted of liquid and no break in extraction of liquid from the bund enclosure 10 is experienced. Figure 1 shows a hose 72 that extends from the IBC 28 and that connects to the tank 68 for delivering liquid from the IBC 28 to the tank 68. The hose 72 might connect to the inlet 74 of the tank 68 (see Figure 6), while liquid may be extracted from the tank 68 through the outlet 76 that feeds through the connection 78 (see Figure 2) to the dosing equipment housed within the cabinet 12.

[0067] Figure 7 has been previously discussed, but shows the bund enclosure 10 of Figure 1 having the IBC 28 installed onto the support surface 26. The IBC 28 is being installed by forklift 80, although it will be appreciated, that if the enclosure bund of Figure 7 were to be replaced by the enclosure bund 1OB of Figure 4, the forklift could approach the enclosure bund 10 from the wall 18 at 90 to the wall 16.

[0068] The rotational molding of the bund enclosure 10 means that the parts of the enclosure 10 excluding the cabinet 12, the stand 64 and the tank 68, can be formed in one piece providing the bund 10 with significant strength and integrity and limiting entrance points or areas for rainwater and other environmental elements or foreign matter into the interior of the bund enclosure 10. Rotational molding also means that the bund 10 can be formed from stable and UV-resistant materials, appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use. The use of swing doors overcomes difficulties with the prior art that uses roller doors which can stick or jam over time, while it is evident clearly from Figures 1 and 7, that the placement of the IBC 28 within the bund enclosure 10 is very close to the access opening through which the IBC 28 is installed so that the IBC is not required to be set back within the enclosure from the front as in some of the prior art.

[0069] The provision of the tank 68 provides continuity of fluid delivery advantages, while the liquid containment area within the bund enclosure 10 can be adequate to cope with any level of spillage from the IBC 28.

[0070] A particularly beneficial aspect of the bund enclosure 10 is the ability to provide one, two or three access openings, each of which can be closed by a lockable swing door, so that loading and unloading of an IBC into and from the bund enclosure is convenient.

[0071] Where any or all of the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising" are used in this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (30)

Claims

1. A rotational moulded bund enclosure for an intermediate bulk container (IBC), the enclosure having four walls that define a generally square or rectangular exterior and a roof integrally connected to upper ends of the walls, the enclosure having an interior and a bottom portion of the interior forming a liquid containment area, a support surface being positioned over the liquid containment area on which an IBC can be supported, first and second access openings formed in first and second walls of the four walls, the first and second access openings being for accessing the support surface to install or remove an IBC through either of the first and second access openings, first and second swing doors being provided to close the first and second access openings.

2. A bund enclosure according to claim 1, the first and second access openings being generally square or rectangular.

3. A bund enclosure according to claim 2, the first and second access openings having an edge seal about a portion of or the full perimeter or periphery of the opening to seal against ingress of rainwater into the interior of the enclosure.

4. A bund enclosure according to claim 3, the edge seal comprising a sealing lip that forms a channel or gutter for catching and redirecting rainwater about the periphery of the access opening.

5. A bund enclosure according to claim 4, the swing door including a peripheral recess to accommodate the sealing lip in a closed position of the swing door.

6. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 3 to 5, the edge seal extending at least along an upper edge of the first and second access openings so that rainwater that reaches the upper edge is caught and redirected along the upper edge.

7. A bund enclosure according to claim 6, the edge seal also extending along opposite sides of the first and second access openings.

8. A bund enclosure according to claim 6, the edge seal also extending along the bottom edge of the first and second access openings, thus providing a continuous seal about the full periphery of the first and second access openings.

9. A bund enclosure according to claim 4, the sealing lip extending at least along an upper edge of the first and second access openings and along opposite sides of the first and second access openings.

10. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the second access opening being formed in a second of the four walls that is adjacent the first wall.

11. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the second access opening being formed in a second of the four walls that is opposite the first wall.

12. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a third access opening being formed in a third of the four walls for accessing the support surface to install or remove an IBC, a swing door being provided to close the third access opening.

13. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, including a tank positioned in the liquid containment area for receiving liquid from an IBC.

14. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the support surface being formed as part of a stand that stands within the liquid containment area.

15. A bund enclosure according to claim 14, the stand being hollow and including openings for ingress of liquid.

16. A bund enclosure according to claim 15, the stand being formed in two parts that are connectable together.

17. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 14 to 16, including a tank positioned within the stand.

18. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 14 to 17 when dependent on claim 13, the support surface being generally square or rectangular and having a central opening within which the tank is positioned.

19. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 14 to 18 when dependent on claim 13, the standing being removable from the bund enclosure.

20. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the access openings having a lower edge and the support surface being positioned above the lower edge.

21. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 20, the roof being curved to be convex when viewed from outside.

22. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 21, the swing doors being connected to the first wall by hinges to swing about a generally vertical axis.

23. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 22, the swing doors being lockable against opening in the closed position.

24. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 23, including a cabinet attached to a wall of the four walls, the cabinet housing equipment for fluid communication with an IBC enclosed within the bund enclosure.

25. A bund enclosure according to claim 24, the equipment being dosing equipment.

26. A bund enclosure according to claim 24 or 25, the cabinet having a swing door to close the cabinet.

27. A bund enclosure according to claim 24 or 25, the cabinet having a pair of swing doors that swing in opposite directions to close the cabinet.

28. A bund enclosure according to claim 26 or 27, the swing doors being connected to the wall by hinges to swing about a generally vertical axis.

29. A bund enclosure according to claim 28, the hinges being plastic where they are exposed to the interior of the bund enclosure.

30. A bund enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 29, the swing door or swing doors being operable to swing through an angle of about 1200 or more from the closed position.