EP0026287A1

EP0026287A1 - Flexible container for transport and storage of bulk goods

Info

Publication number: EP0026287A1
Application number: EP80104362A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gösta Eklund
Original assignee: W Rosenlew Oy AB
Current assignee: W Rosenlew Oy AB
Priority date: 1979-09-28
Filing date: 1980-07-23
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: FI57381C; NO802854L; DK330680A; DK157991C; DK157991B; FI57381B

Abstract

The invention concerns a flexible container (10) for transport and storage of bulk goods and comprises a jacket (11 a), a bottom (12) and a filling aperture (13) and said container (10) having been provided with lifting loops (14a,b, 15a,b), respectively for lifting the container, said lifting loops of the container have been formed of flap-like parts (14a,b, 15a,b) which are direct extensions of the upper part of the jacket (11 a) of the container, and that said flap-like parts have been mutually connected by connecting seams (16,17) in such manner that said connecting seams have been disposed to run at a substantial distance from the central area of said lifting loops. This container can be formed of a hose-like blank so that the lifting loops of the flexible container will reliably withstand all those major stresses which may act on the lifting loops in conditions of actual practice.

Description

The present invention concerns a fLexibLe container for transport and storage, comprising a jacket, a bottom and a filling aperture and provided with Lifting Loops to the purpose of Lifting the container.
Containers of this kind, or Large-size bags, are used for transporting and storing bulk goods, and the quantity of bulk goods is usually from a few hundred kilograms up to several tons. Such Large-size bags have been made in that a piece of material has been folded double and the doubLe-foLded piece of material has been joined with a seam in its upper part, which at the same time constitutes the Lifting Loop or loops of the Large-size bag. Since in such Large-size bags the seam is Located exactly wnere the greatest stresses are imposed when the bag is being Lifted with a Lifting hook for instance, a Large-size bag of this type is disposed to fail along the seam in the Lifting Loops.
The fLexibLe container, or Large-size bag, may also according to teachings of prior art be made of a hose-Like blank of which the upper part, and naturaLLy the Lower p₃rt as well, consists of intact, continuous materiaL. A large-size bag of this kind requires vertical seams, whereby owing to this circumstance the design is poor as regards strength. A problem solution of this type has been disclosed e.g. in the Finnish patent application No. 771681. In order that it might be possible of such a hose-Like bLank, with intact upper end, to make also exceedingly Large Large-size bags, such a hose-Like blank must also have an exceedingly Large diameter. But with modern machines by which for instance woven poLypropyLene fabric is made no diameter size over a given Limiting diameter can be produced. Therefore this is a distinct Limitation on the manufaturing of a Large-size bag from such a hose-Like blank.
The object of the invention is to provide a flexible container which can be formed of a hose-Like blank so that the Lifting Loops of the fLexibLe container wiLL reLiabLy withstand aLL those major stresses which may act on the Lifting Loops in conditions of actual practice.
The object of the invention is attained with a fLexibLe container which is mainly characterized in that the Lifting Loops of the container have been formed of fLap-Like parts which are direct extensions of the upper part of the container jacket and that said fLap-Like parts have been interconnected by connecting seams in such manner that said connecting seams have been disposed to run at a substantial distance from the central area of said Lifting Loops. The other characteristic features of the container of the invention are presented in claims 2 through 4.
The invention is described in detail with reference being made to certain advantageous embodiments presented in the figures of the attached drawing, but to which the invention is not meant to be exclusively confined.

Fig. 1 presents in elevational view, the blank having the shape of a cut-off hose.
Fig. 2 shows the blank of Fig. 1 in axonometric view.
Fig. 3 shows, in axonometric view, the flexible container made from the bLank of Figs 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 presents, in axonometric view, another embodiment of the Lifting Loop design of the invention.

In the embodiment of Figs 1-3, the fLexibLe container has been made of a hose-Like blank 11 which is open at its upper as well as Lower end. On the upper eno of the blank 11, suostantiaLLy in the centre, a cut has been made for the filling aperture 13. Furthermore on the upper end of the blank 11 the cuts 1d have been made which define the fLap- Like parts 14a,14b,15a,15b. On the Lower part of the oLank 11 moreover the cuts 19 have been made, which define the flap- like parts 20,21,22,23.
From the blank of Figs 1 and 2, a fLexibLe container as shown in Fig. 3 is made, having a jacket 11a, a bottom 12, a substantiaLLy central fiLLing aperture 13 and Lifting loops 14a,15a and 14b,15b. The bottom 12 of the container can be made in a manner known in itself in the art, by connecting the flap-like part 20 by a connecting seam to the fLap-Like part 23 and simiLarLy, the fLap-Like part 21 by a connecting seam to the fLap-Like part 22.
According to the fundamental teaching of the invention, the Lifting Loops 14a,15a and 14b,15b, respectively, are formed as follows. The fLap- Like parts 14a and 15a are folded to overlap, and substantially the Lower margin of the fLap-Like part 14a is connected with substantiaLLy the upper margin of the fLap-Like part 15a by the connecting seam 16. Hereafter, the flap- like parts 14b and 15b are folded to overlap and substantially the Lower margin of the fLap-Like part 15b is connected with substantiaLLy the upper margin of the fLap-Like part 14b by the connecting seam 17. Hereby on the Lifting Loops 14a,15a and 14b,15b, respectiveLy, the connecting seams 16 and 17, respectively, are Located on opposite sides of the Lifting Loops. NaturaLLy, the flap- like parts 14b and 15b may for instance be joined with each other so that substantiaLLy the Lower margin of the flap-like part 14b is connected by the connecting seam 17 substantiaLLy to the upper margin of the fLap-Like part 15b. Hereby the connecting seams 16 and 17 come to Lie on one side of the Lifting Loops.
It is possible, if desired, to connect substantiaLLy the upper margin of the flap-like part 14a with substantiaLLy the Lower margin of the flap-like part 15a by another connecting seam 16 and simiLarLy, to connect the flap- like parts 14b and 15b with each other in equivalent manner. In that case both Lifting Loops 14a,15a and 14b,15b, respectively, have two connecting seams 16 and 17, respectively, Located on opposite sides and which are Located at a substantial distance from the central area of the Lifting Loops.
In Fig. 4 an embodiment has been depicted which presents only one flexible Lifting loop structure 44,45 having the same width as the container. A Lifting Loop stru:ture of this kind is particuLarLy appropriate for a flexible containe having no substantially central filling aperture and which is instead filled from the side 43. In this embodiment, too, the fLap- Like parts 44 and 45 are direct eLongated extensions.of the upper part of the hose-Like blank. The fLap- Like parts 44 and 45 have been folded to overLap, and substantiaLLy the Lower margin of the fLap-Like part 44 has been connected to subtantiaLLy the upper margin of the flap-like part 45 by the connecting seam 46. If desired, the upper margin of the flaP-like part 44 may be connected by the connecting seam 47 substantially to the Lower margin of the fLap-Like part 45, whereby the Lifting Loop structure 44,45 wiLL have connecting seams 46,47 Located on opposite sides of the Lifting Loop structure 44,45 and at a substantial distance from the central area of the Lifting Loop structure 44,45.
In the foregoing only a few advantageous embodiments of the invention have been presented, and it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that they may be modified in numerous different ways within the scope of the inventive idea set forth in the claims following below.

Claims

1. FLexibLe container for transport and storage of bulk goods, said container (10) comprising a jacket (11a), a bottom (12) and a filling aperture (13; 43, respectiveLy), and said container (10) having been provided with Lifting Loops (14a,15a,14b,15b; 44,45, respectiveLy) for Lifting the .container (10), characterized in that the Lifting Loops of the container (10) have been formed of flap-like parts (14a,15a,14b,15b; 44,45, respectiveLy) which are direct extensions of the upper part of the jacket of the container (10), and that said fLap-Like parts have been mutuaLLy connected by connecting seams (16,17; 46,47, respectiveLy) in such manner that said connecting seams have been disposed to run at a substantial distance from the central area of said Lifting Loops.

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that said fLap-Like part (14a,15a; 14b,15b; 44,45, respectiveLy) have been disposed to overlap mutually, and that the Lower margin of one fLap-Like part (14a; 14b; 44, respectively) has been connected by a connecting seam (16; 17; 46, respectively) to the upper margin of the other fLap-Like part (15a; 15b; 45, respectively).

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper margin of the first-mentioned fLap-Like parts (14a; 14b; 44, respectiveLy) has moreover by a connecting seam (16; 17; 47, respectiveLy) been connected to the Lower margin of the second-mentioned other fLap-Like parts (15a; 15b; 45, respectively).

4. Container according to claim 1, wherein the container (1U) has been provided with a substantially central filling aperture (13), characterized in that the fLap-Like parts (14a,15a; 14b,15b, respectively) have been folded to overlap, and that the Lower margin of one fLap-Like part (14a; 15b, respectively) has been connected by a connecting seam (16; 17, respectively) to the upper margin of the other fLap-Like part (15a; 14b, respectively) in such manner that the connecting seams (16; 17, respectiveLy) Lie on opposite sides of the Lifting Loops (14a, 15a; 14_b,15b, respectively).