GB2207110A

GB2207110A - Containers for fluids such as herbicide

Info

Publication number: GB2207110A
Application number: GB08717048A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Charles Gill
Original assignee: Nomix Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nomix Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1987-07-20
Filing date: 1987-07-20
Publication date: 1989-01-25
Also published as: GB8809307D0; KR890001427A; GB2207032B; ZA885175B; GB8717048D0; GB2207032A; KR910004342B1

Abstract

Herbicide is packaged in a plastics container 28 which comprises a rigid wall component (38), and a flexible wall component 40 which collapses inwardly in order to reduce the volume of the container as herbicide is withdrawn. A rigid cover 41 preferably covers the flexible component, the cover having a vent hole 49 and being welded to an outer peripheral wall 32 of a rim of the rigid component 41 while the flexible component 40 is welded to an inner peripheral wall 48. The container is removably mounted in the handset of a lance for distributing the herbicide, a connector outlet element 52 on the rigid component engaging with an end fitting 54 of a tube 10 leading to a distributing head having a spinning disc and motor. A former with heating element may be used to seal the components together (Figures 6 and 7) such that initially the flexible component is applied against the internal surface of the rigid wall component. The container may comprise an annular rigid wall portion with two flexible wall portions. <IMAGE>

Description

4 i 1 3 2207110 PACKAGING FLUIDS SUCH AS HMBICIDE This invention relates

to the packaging of fluids such as herbicides.

There exist hand-held lances for delivering herbicide which comprise a handset and a delivery head which is connected to the handset by a tubular support. The handset is held by the operator, and the tubular support enables him to ppsition the delivery head just above the ground to be treated.

it is conventional for the herbicide to be supplied to the lance from a container which may be supported over the shoulder of the operator or carried in a back-pack. One form of known container is a collapsible bag, for example of plastics material, which is accommodated in a rigid casing, such as a cardboard box. Such containers are similar to those which are sometimes used for packaging wine. This. however. is a relatively expensive form of packaging, since it is necessary not only to form and fill the bags, but also to form the cardboard boxes and then to insert the filled bags into the boxes.

Handheld lances of the type described above have so far been designed with professional users in mind. By irprofessional users" is meant local authorities and similar undertakings who need to treat relatively iarge areas of ground. It is appropriate for such users to purchase the herbicide in relatively large quantities. for example in packages containing three litres. It would not make sense, however, for most domestic users to purchase herbicide in such large quantities when much smaller quantities. for example less than 0.5 litresi would be sufficient to treat the average-sized private garden.

The present invention stems from the desire to rationalise the packaging of herbicides and other fluids in containers which collapse as fluid flows from 1 1 Y' k_ them, and to produce an economical and convenient form of herbicide package for relatively small quantities of herbicide.

According to one aspect of the present invention# there is provided a container for fluid, the container comprising an enclosure defined by a rigid wall portion and a flexible wall portion which is connected to the rigid wall portion in a fluid-tight manner. the flexible wall portion being collapsible inwardly of the enclosure in order to reduce the volume of the enclosure as fluid is withdrawn from the container.

The rigid wall portion may comprise a casing having an open face across which the flexible wall portion extends. Alternatively, the rigid wall portion may surround the enclosure but have two oppositely disposed open faces. there being a flexible wall portion extending across each of the open faces.

The container is preferably provided with an outlet fitting to enable fluid to flow from the container. and this outlet fitting may conveniently be provided in the rigid Wall portion. The rigid wall porion may comprise a series of rigid elements which are deflectable with respect to each other in the manner of a bellows. 25 Preferably. the flexible wall portion is of sufficient size and flexibility to be able to lie over substantially the entire internal surface of the rigid wall portion, so as to reduce the volume of the - enclosure substantially to nothing.

The rigid and flexible wall portions may be made from compatible plastics materials, and may be secured to one another by welding.

A rigid member may be secured to the rigid wall portion to extend over the flexible wall portion on the side away from the enclosure..

Another aspect of the present invention provides a i f i i -1 i 1 i 1 1 1 1 j 1 method of manufacturing a container for fluids, in which a flexible wall component is applied against an internal surface of a rigid wall component so that the wall components define an enclosure of relatively small volume. the components then being secured to one another at a peripheral region in a fluid-tight manner# the flexible component being deflectable away from the internal surface of the rigid.wall component so as to increase the volume of the enclosure.

Upon filling of the containerr for example through an opening provided in the rigid component. the flexible component moves away from the internal surface of the rigid component to increase the volume of the enclosure. Similarly, as fluid flows out of the containery the flexible component moves back towards the inner surface of the rigid component.

Preferably. the fluid-tight connection between the flexible component and the rigid component is achieved by welding, both components being made from plastics material. Heating means. for performing the welding operation, may be attached to a former which engages the flexible component to press it towards the inner surface of the rigid component. The former preferably has a shape corresponding closely to the internal configuration of the rigid component.

The container is preferably adapted for releasable connection to equipment for distributing the contents of the container. In a preferred embodiment, this equipment comprises a hand-held lance for delivering herbicider the lance having a handset provided with a recess for receiving the conainer. A liquid supply duct extends from a position adjacent the recess to a delivery head of the lance, so that an outlet fitting of the container, when the container Is inserted into the recess# engages the supply duct in order to allow liquid in the container to flow to the delivery head.

In another embodiment, the container may be attached to the delivery headr instead of to the handset.

For a better understanding of the present invention. and to show how it may be carried into effecty reference will now he made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. in which:

Figure 1 shows a lance for delivering herbicide; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a handset of the lance of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the underneath of the handset shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the handset of Figures 2 and 3,-with some parts omitted; Figure 5 is an underneath view of a herbicide container provided in the handset shown in Figures 2 to 4; and Figures 6 to 9 represent four different stages during the manufacture and filling of the container shown in Figure 5. 20 The lance shown in Figure 1 comprises a handset 2 from which extends a rigid support member in the form of a tube 4. The tube 4 carries a delivery head 6 which accommodates an electric motor (not shown) for driving a distribution element 8 in the form of a spinning disc.

A tube 10 (Figure 4) extends from the handset 2 through the tube 4 to the delivery head 6. The handset 2 is provided with a valve (not shown) which can be operated by means of a trigger 12. A battery providing the source of power for the motor in the head 6 is accommodated in the handset 21 for example in a compartment 14 at the forward end of the handset, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. The voltage applied to the motor in the head 6 can be controlled, in order to control the speed of the disc 8, by means of a control knob 16.

i i i 1 i i i i 1 The handset 2 comprises a moulding 18 to which is connected a handle member 20. The forward end of the moulding 18 is closed by a panel 22 to define the compartment 14. The rearward part of the moulding 18 defines a recess 24. which is separated from the compartment 14 by a partition 26. The recess 24 accommodates a container 28 which contains the herbicide to be fed to the delivery head 6 through the tube 10. The container 28 is retained in the recess 24 by two lugs 30 which engage the forward edge region of the container 28. At the other end of the container 28. there is a catch 36 which engages the rear edge of the container 28.

The container 28 comprises a rigid wall component 38. a flexible wall component 40 and a cover panel 41. The rigid wall component 38 may. for example. be a plastics moulding. It is substantiallyIn the form of a box with one open face. this open face being covered by the flexible wall component 40 and the panel 41.

Thus. in the orientation shown in Figure 4. the component 38 has an upper wall 42, an inclined front wall 44, a rear wall 46 and two side walls. A peripheral rim 48 surrounds the open face of the moulding 38 at a position displaced inwardly slightly from the outer periphery 32 of the moulding 38. The flexible wall component 40. made from plastics sheet material. is welded to the peripheral rim 48r in a manner which will be described in greater detail later in this description.

The inclined wall 44 of the rigid component 38 is provided with a spigot 50 which provides communication between the irside and the outside of the container 28.

As shown in Figure 4, this spigot engages an end fitting 52 of the tube 1Or in order to connect the interior of the container 28 with the tube 10. The end fitting 52 is secured to the partition 26.

C_ The rigid cover panel 41 is secured to the component 38 by welding it to the outer periphery 32. The panel 41 has a small hole 49 to allow air to enter between the panel 41 and the flexible component 40 so 5 that the flexible component 40 can move freely.

By way of example. the container 28r when full. may contain 400m1 of herbicide, which. with modern herbicides, is an adequate quantity for most domestic gardening purposes.

For use# the container 28 is loaded into the recess 24 so that the spigot 52 enters the end fitting 54. The hole 49 may initially be closedi for example by adhesive tape or the like# which must be removed before use. The lance is intended to be used with the support tube 4 sloping downwar dly from the handset 2 to the delivery head 6r and so herbicide will flow under gravity from the container 28 to the delivery head 6. The spinning disc 8 is rotated by the electric motor in the delivery head 6, under the control of the voltage regulator 16. and the herbicide. upon reaching the disc 8. is distributed by the disc 8 in the form of droplets. The flow of fluid through the tube 10 is controlled by means of the trigger 12.

As liquid flows from the container 28, the flexible wall component 40 deflects inwardly of the container 28 in order to reduce the volume of the enclosure defined between the rigid component 38 and the flexible component 40. At the same time, air flows through the hole 49 to occupy the free space 51 (Figure 4) left between the flexible component 40 and the panel 41. This avoids the need to provide venting means in the container 28 which will permit air.to enter the enclosure without leakage through the venting means. When the container 28 is empty, the flexible wall component 40 will be substantially in contact with the entire inner surface of the rigid wall component 38.

I i i 1 i i i i 1 The inclined orientation of the front wall 44 assists in directing the last few millilitres of the fluid to the spigot 52. When the container 28 is completely empty. it is a simple matter to remove it from the recess 24 and replace it by a full container. It will be appreciated that the containers 28 are not intended to be suitable for refilling by the user. but instead the containers 28 are intended to be replaced in the manner of a cartridgep in order to reduce the risk of operator contact with the herbicide or other fluid within the container 28.

Similarly, if the same lance is to be used for different forms of plant treatment, It is a simple matter to replace a container 28 of one fluid. for example a herbicide for killing weeds on paved areas, by a second container 28 containing another fluid. for example a formulation for treating lawns. Of course. it would normally be necessary to pass a cleaning fluid through the lance in order to remove all traces of the original herbicide and such a cleaning fluid may also be packaged in a similar container 28.

Figures 6 to 9 represent the manufacture and filling of the container 28. Figure 6 shows the rigid wall component 38. including the spigot 52. along with a separate sheet 40A destined to form the flexiblewall component 40. A former 56 is movable in the direction of the arrow A into and out of the rigid wall component 38. The sheet 40A is disposed between the component 38 and the former 56 and. as the former 56 moves towards the component 38. the sheet 40A is pressed substantially into contact with the internal surface of the component 38. as shown in Figure 7.

The former 56 is provided with an electric heating element 58 which extends around the former 56 and, when the former 56 is in the position shown in Figure 7, the sheet 40A is clamped firmly between the heating element 58 and dr the peripheral wall 48. The heating element softens the plastics material of the sheet 40A and the wall 48, so causing the sheet 40A to become welded to the rigid component 38p as shown at 60 in Figures 7 to 9. For added security, more than one peripheral wall 48 may be providedp so as to provide a corresponding number of concentric welds 60.

When the former 56 is withdrawn from the rigid wall component 38# the flexible wall component 40 remains in the collapsed condition as shown in Figure 8. The panel 41 is then placed in position and welded to the outer periphery 32 of the component 38. Subsequent filling of the container. as shown in Figure 9. causes the flexible wall 40 to be moved away from the internal surface of the rigid component 38, displacing air through the hole 49. It will be appreciated that, in order to conform to the inner surface of the rigid component 38 when the container is empty. the area of the flexible wall component 40 will be greater than the area bounded by the weld 60, and consequently the flexible wall component 40y although shown substantially flat in Figure 9, may well be folded or otherwise crumpled when the container 28 is full.

The container 28 shown in the drawings has a single flexible wall component 40. the opposite wall of the container being the wall 42 of the rigid component 38. However, it would be possible for the wall 42 to be replaced by a further flexible wall component similar to the component 40, and a further panel 41. If this were so, the rigid wall component would be in the form of a ring surrounding the container 28. As with the embodiment shown in the drawings, it would still be desirable to form the container with the flexible wall components 40 in the collapsed condition by the appropriate use of formers similar to the former 1 i i 1 i i 1 4 56.

Although the container 28 is adapted for mounting in the handset 2. it would be possible for the container to be connected to the lance in other positions. For examplep an appropriately shaped container could be adapted for mounting directly on the delivery head 6.

1 j

Claims

1. A container for fluid, the container comprising an enclosure defined by a rigid wall portion and a flexible wall portion which is connected to the rigid wall portion in a fluid-tight manner. the flexible wall portion being collapsible inwardly of the enclosure in order to reduce the volume of the enclosure as fluid is withdrawn from the container.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1. in which the flexible wall portion and the rigid wall portion are interconnected by welding.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the rigid wall portion andlor the flexible wall portion are made from plastics material. 15

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a connector element is provided on the rigid wall portion for providing communication between the interior and the exterior of the enclosure. 20

5. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claimst in which a rigid cover panel is provided over the flexible wall portion on the side away from the enclosure.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, in which the cover panel has a vent hole.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the rigid wall portion defines a cavityr and in which the flexible wall portion extends across the mouth of the cavity.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, in which the mouth of the cavity is defined by a peripheral rib of the rigid wall portiont to which rib the flexible wall portion is connected.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the rigid wall portion has two oppositely disposed open faces across which respective 1 1 1 i i 1 i I I I i CI flexible wall portions extend.

10. Equipment for distributing fluidy the equipment including a container in accordance with any one of the preceding claims. 5

11. Equipment as claimed in claim 10. which comprises a handset and a delivery head which is connected to the handset by a support member. the container being carried by the handset.

12. Equipment as claimed in claim 11. in which the handset is provided with a recess in which the container is accommodated.

13. Equipment as claimed in claim 11 or 12, in which a tube extends from the handset to the delivery head, the tube being provided with an end fitting in the handset which end fitting is engaged by a connector element provided on the container.

14. Equipment as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 12. in which the handset and the container are provided with cooperating means for retaining the container with respect to the handset.

15. Equipment.as ci ' aimed in claim 10, which comprises a handset to which a delivery head is connected by a supporting member. the container being mounted on the delivery head.

16. A method of manufacturing a container for fluids, in which a flexible wall component is applied against an internal surface of a rigid wall component so that the wall components define an enclosure of relatively small volumey the components then being secured to one another at a peripheral region in a fluid-tight manner, the flexible component being deflectable away from the internal surface of the rigid wall component so as to increase the volume of the enclosure.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, in which the sheet material is maintained substantially in contact i i i i - 1 with the internal surface of the rigid wall component by means of a former which engages the sheet material and enters the rigid wall component,

18. A method as claimed in claim 17r in which the sheet material is secured to the rigid wall component by welding effected by a heating element supported by the former.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 or 18. in which the former has a configuration which conforms to the shape of the internal surface of the rigid wall component.

20. A container substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

is

21. Equipment for distributing a fluid substantially as described herein with reference to. and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

22. A method of manufacturing a container as claimed in claim 16 and substantially as described herein.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office. State House. 6671 High Holborn, 1, ondon WC1r, 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The patent Sales Branch, St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BP.5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con, 1 18-, 11 n 1 1 i i 1 1 1