GB2462335A

GB2462335A - Retroreflective flexible intermediate bulk container

Info

Publication number: GB2462335A
Application number: GB0903508A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Ainscough; Eric Mclennan; John Whitehead; Trevor Bland
Original assignee: Levy Brothers & Knowles Ltd; SMARTLIFT BULK PACKAGING Ltd
Current assignee: ERIC MCLENNAN; JOHN WHITEHEAD; SIMON AINSCOUGH; TREVOR BLAND
Priority date: 2009-02-28
Filing date: 2009-02-28
Publication date: 2010-02-10
Also published as: GB0903508D0

Abstract

A flexible container in the form of a bulk bag or a sack is provided that comprises, or is associated with, a reflective material. The flexible container is desirably formed of woven material and the reflective material is preferably a minor proportion of the container, e.g. just one warp or weft thread, or just a few or such threads. The reflective material may be a retroreflective material. The container preferably takes the form of a flexible intermediate bulk container or FIBC, used for holding building or construction materials, e.g. sand, etc. The container may be made of a woven material and the reflective material may comprise one or more of the warp or weft threads. The flexible container may comprise a plurality of handles or sleeves to facilitate tunnel lifting.

Description

Flexible Containers The present invention relates to flexible containers, including bags, sacks and the like. It relates especially, but not necessarily exclusively, to woven flexible containers.

Large, flexible, resilient bags for storing or transporting building materials, chemicals, human or animal foodstuffs, recyclable materials, and the like have been known for many years.

They are commonly known in the art as "bulk bags". They are generally relatively simple and lightweight in design, but can be used to transport heavy loads.

A common form of flexible container is known as an FIBC (a flexible intermediate bulk container). This term is well known in the art of storage and transportation of bulk materials.

FIBCs are generally made from a resilient woven material.

Normally they are formed from woven polypropylene. Less commonly other woven materials can be used. For example, other man-made polymeric materials may be used. These include polyethylene, for example.

The synthetic polymer may be used in high density, low density (or even intermediate density) form. It may be produced in a clear form or may be coloured. For example, masterbatch colouring may be added.

As an alternative to using synthetic woven materials, natural materials may be used, although this is less preferred. Such materials include jute, for example (which is commonly used in sacking).

In some cases the container may comprise a plurality of panels that are joined together. In other cases it may be in the form of a simple sack and not have distinct panels.

Preferred containers are FIBCs.

FIBCs have been known in the art since about the 1950s.They have been extensively used worldwide for the handling of bulk materials since at least the 1970's. Indeed many millions of FIBCs are used every year in the UK alone.

Other names often used in the trade for FIBCs include "big bags", "dumpy bags", "tote sacks", "lifting bags", "bulk bags" etc. Sometimes they are simply described by their application -e.g. garden-waste bags or sacks etc. Various designs are known and many of these are available from Smartlift Bulk Packaging Ltd, of Kings Lynn in the UK. They are discussed for example on the following website: www.smartliftbulkpackaging.co.uk.

Individual designs can vary, but typically an FIBC comprises a base and a plurality of sides that are joined together by resilient seams. Examples of the construction of a known FIBC are given later on in Examples I and 2.

The FIBC preferably has handles known as "lifting ioops". Normally there is one loop in each corner, although other arrangements and numbers of loops are possible. The loops are useful in allowing the tines of a forklift truck to pass through and the bag to then easily be lifted and transported by the truck. A hook of a crane or another grappling device can alternatively be passed through said loops. Thus they can facilitate lifting by a wide range of different machinery.

In some cases sleeves may be provided at the sides of the bag. These can be used to receive tines of a forklift truck. The sleeves form tunnels through which the tines pass. Thus such bags are often known in the art as "tunnel lift bags". Sleeves can be provided in addition to, or as an alternative to, loops.

In one embodiment the sleeves are simply formed of fabric. In another embodiment internal reinforcing structures are provided to maintain the sleeves in an open position.

This eliminates the need to manually hold the sleeves open whilst tines are inserted. It can therefore save time, reduce costs and provides a safer working environment. An illustrative example of a system for holding sleeves open is the Looplifter� positioning system, which is disclosed in UK patent number 2396146.

Many other possibilities for FIBCs and sacks for bulk materials exist. For example, one or more of the following may be included: filling spouts, discharge spouts, baffles, inserts, internal reinforcements, vents, closure means, etc. FIBCs are used in a wide range of industries. Indeed the number of applications for such containers is growing all of the time.

Non-limiting examples of the uses of FIBCs and of sacks for bulk materials are set out below.

Here some of the modifications that are common in certain industries are also described. It should be noted that the modifications discussed are generally not limited in their application to the particular industries and may often be applied across a wide variety of industries. Similarly, dimensions, load capacities, volumes are also non-limiting.

The construction industry FJBCs are typically used here to contain and transport sand, other aggregates, ballast, stone, other building materials, top-soil and general building waste.

Typically the bags used are designed to hold up to 1000 kg of product but can be up to 2000 kg, or even more, depending upon the product and the bag structure.

This is probably the industrial sector that is the largest user of FIBCs. Indeed several million bags per year are used in this sector in the UK alone. The bag itself is generally a basic bag with four sides, an open top and flat base.

Lifting loops (typically one at each corner) and/or tunnels sleeves (at opposite sides) may be provided.

Dimensions vary, but by way of example, a typical FIBC used in the UK construction industry has dimensions 90 cm by 90 cm by 90 cm.

Agriculture A variety of bags are also used in this sector They can be used for example for seed, fertiliser, animal food, soil, peat, silage, straw, etc. A typical example is a 500 kg single loop bag used for seed or fertilizer.

However, larger or smaller bags are of course possible.

Indeed very large bags that can measure 200 cm high or even higher are sometimes used for animal feed. Typically these bags will have a filling spout on the top so they can be filled on a hopper (funnel). Another spout may be provided at or close to the base so the product iiiside can be discharged safely. The spouts can be made from woven polypropylene, for example.

In some cases inner baffles may be provided for increased stability. Such bags are for example obtainable from Smartlift Bulk Packaging Ltd under the designation of"Q bags" or "Q baffle bags".

Chemical andfood industries Here higher specification bags are often used than in other industries.

For example, FIBCs may be provided with an inner liner (e.g. a polythene liner) or a coated fabric. This can be done to make them sift-proof, given that fine powders or granular material such as rice, sugar and milk powder are often stored and transported in them.

Such bags are typically made to order for clients as each end user will have their own individual requirements as to how the bags should be made, filled, emptied or handles.

They are often produced in special "clean room conditions" to minimise the risk of contamination. Thus they can be made in a form that is substantially free of loose fibres or foreign bodies.

Recycling/waste material Both large and small containers are often used to store and transport waste. Much waste is used for recycling.

Often small waste sacks or bags are provided for the general public. These are often left outside properties / households. For example they may be left on pavements, grass verges, or driveways for collection by local authorities or collection agencies.

Much larger bags or sacks are often used by recycling companies. For example plastics, glass or other recyclable materials are often ground down to small pieces for subsequent processing. They can be stored and stored and transported in large FIBCs.

These bags are can typically range from 100 cm high to over 2 metres high and often hold up to 2000 kg.

Storage of logs or other products requiring ventilation Ventilated bulk bags are known and are available from Smartlift Bulk Packaging Ltd. Typically they are manufactured with 4-sides of ventilated woven polypropylene and a ventilated base. This permits a high degree of air flow through the bulk bag They are ideal for products requiring a high degree of air flow so as to minimise damp/rot/mould problems.

Such bags are commonly used for the low cost handling, storing and drying of logs. (They were first used in the potato industry but have since been adapted to suit different uses.) Small containers It is known to use smaller woven bags for use in all of the above industries (e.g. to store or transport small quantities of bulk materials).

Typically (although not exclusively) these are provided in the form of sacks, suitable for products weighing from 10 to 40 kg.

They are normally manufactured from the woven materials as mentioned earlier.

Usually they are formed as a complete sack rather than as panels of fabric that need to be joined together. They generally do not include handles. If desired, closure means (e.g. a draw-string or tie) may be provided.

In addition to the uses discussed earlier, they can also be used to provide sandbags, e.g. for flood defence purposes, military purposes, etc. Again, polypropylene is the material often used. However other synthetic or even natural woven-materials (e.g. jute) can be used as an alternative.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that a wide variety of flexible containers in the form of bulk bags or sacks for bulk products are known.

The present inventors have appreciated that bulk bags can be modified in a manner that has not been considered in the art before.

According to the present invention there is provided a flexible container in the form of a bulk bag or a sack that comprises, or is associated with, a reflective material.

Preferably the flexible container comprises, or is associated with, only a relatively minor proportion of reflective material.

For example less than 25%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.5% or even less than 0.1 % of the total material may be reflective material.

It has been surprisingly found that, even if a very small proportion of reflective material is present, the flexible container can be easily seen under low light conditions by passing or oncoming vehicles even at significant distances. Thus the likelihood of accidental collisions with the flexible container can be significantly reduced.

The flexible container is desirably formed of woven material and the reflective material desirably comprises one or more warp threads or one or more weft threads.

Other alternatives are however possible. For example the reflective material may be in the form of stitching, braiding, tape, fabric, rope, embroidery, or adhesive material.

The material is desirably retro-reflective material. Such material is well known. It has the ability to reflect light directly back to a light source. There are two main types of retro-reflectivity. One is based upon the cube corner prism and the other is the glass bead principal. Both are illustrated in Figure 1.

Such materials can be provided as small particles and used to coat or impregnate substrate materials. Thus retro-reflective threads, tapes, etc., can be provided.

Such materials are known in the art and are available from companies such as 3M Corporation.

These include for example Scotchlite�, which is available from 3M in a wide variety of forms, including tapes, trims, fabrics, films, etc. 3M also provides various reflective inks that can be applied to fabrics. These are known as the 8000 series and can be used for example for screen printing onto fabrics.

Reflective materials also include reflective yarns available from the Kyang Yhe Company of Taiwan.

Such yarns are available under the product designations given below. They provide a high degree of reflectivity and utilise glass beads on the yarn.

KY-027H-0.27(D) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 0.275 mm / length/cone: 2,000 m.] KY-037H-0.37(D) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 0.37 mm / length/cone: 1,500 m.J KY-050H-0.50(D) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect I width of yarn: 0.50 mm / length/cone: 1,000 m.J KY-100H-l.00(S) [Characteristics: single sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 1.00 mm I length/cone: 1,000 m.] KY-100H-L00(D) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 1.00mm / length/cone: 600 m.] KY-150H-I.50(S) [Characteristics: single sided reflective effect/width of yarn: 1.50mm! length/cone: 800 m.} KY-200H-2.00(S) [Characteristics: single sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 2.00 mm / length/cone: 600 m.] KY-200H-2.00(D) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect / width of yarn: 2.00 mm / length/cone: 300 m.] KY-300H-3.00(S) [Characteristics: double sided reflective effect reflective effect: single side / width of yarn: 3.0 0mm / length/cone: 300 m.] The yarns with double sided reflective effect are preferred Many other materials alternatives are of course available for providing retro-reflectivity.

Indeed retro-reflective material is well known. It is commonly used on clothing of workers who work at night, at dawn or at dusk, so as to protect said workers (e.g. on workers who work on motorways at night so as to minimise disruption to traffic). It is also sometimes found on rucksacks. In both instances it is used to protect people who may be moving around under poorly lit conditions.

A still further example of a use of reflective material is on pet leash so as to protect the owner and the pet when the pet is taken for a walk under conditions of low visibility. This is described in WO 2006/022782. Here an omni-directional reflective leash is disclosed.

However all of the above examples however are in completely different technical fields from the present invention. They are used to protect individuals when walking or working under low light conditions or to protect pets and their owners when walking.

In contrast, bulk bags and sacks for bulk materials are generally left stationary for long periods of time in depots, building sites, external environments etc. They are not worn or used to provide protection for individuals when walking or for pets.

A further point to note is that the field of flexible bulk containers is extremely cost-sensitive.

Without being bound by theory, it is possible that prior to the present invention there was no serious consideration of making such flexible containers reflective because of the presumed prohibitive cost of doing this in an effective manner.

Whatever the reason, it is important to appreciate that, although bulk bags and sacks for bulk materials have been known since the 1950s and although retro-reflective materials have been known for several decades, there has been no suggestion in the art of providing bulk bags or sacks for bulk materials with reflectivity.

Given the widespread and extensive use of bulk bags across the world over this period, this is an important indicator of non-obviousness.

Furthermore, bulk bags containing building materials are often stored at designated secure locations at builders' merchants and can normally be easily seen when a builders' merchant is open for business. Again, prior to the present invention, there has been no consideration of providing reflectivity to such bags, despite extensive trade in and use of such bags.

As indicated earlier, it is preferred that a flexible container of the present invention is a woven bulk bag or a woven sack for bulk materials.

Preferably it is substantially formed of synthetic polymer, such as polypropylene.

Thus it is preferred that at least 75%, at least 80%, orat least 90% of the bag or sack is formed of such a polymer. More preferably the percentage is at least 95% or at least 99%.

It is important to appreciate that a sack of the present invention is not a rucksack. It has no straps that are designed to conform with the shoulders of an individual. Indeed it is intended to be used for an entirely different purpose than that of storing and transporting bulk materials. Furthermore, when in use, many sacks of the present invention will be too heavy to be carried by an individual.

Another distinguishing feature is that sacks of the present invention will not normally used to carry personal items (unlike a rucksack).

Thus the term "sack" as used herein is used in a manner that specifically excludes rucksacks and the like.

Indeed it is also preferred that the present invention excludes shopping bags and personal luggage generally. These are generally sold through different channels of trade than bulk bags and sacks for bulk materials and have different functions.

Whether it is in the form of a bulk bag or a sack, it is preferred that a flexible container of the present invention is a container for one or more of the following materials: a) bulk material for use in building or construction; b) waste material; c) material for recycling; d) chemicals; e) foods, foodstuffs or food ingredients; 0 logs or other items requiring ventilation; g) sand.

A flexible container containing one or more of said materials is within the scope of the present invention.

Also within the scope of the invention is a method comprising one or more of the following: a) placing said material into the flexible container; b) storing said material in said flexible container; c) transporting said material in said flexible container; d) removing said material from said flexible container.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that bulk flexible containers and sacks for bulk materials are often used to contain and transport large weights of material. Often these are heavier than can be easily transported manually. Thus lifting devices or machines are often used (e.g. fork lifts, cranes, diggers, lorry loading and unloading systems, etc.) Preferably the flexible container is designed so that it can be used to contain and transport at least kg, at least 50 kg, or at least 100 kg of material More preferably it is designed so that it can be used to contain and transport at least 250 kg or at least 500 kg of material.

Most preferably it is designed so that it can be used to contain and transport at least 1000 kg of material.

The capacity of a flexible container of the present invention is preferably much higher than that of a typical shopping bag or rucksack.

Preferably the capacity is at least 0.25 cubic metres. More preferably the capacity is at least 0.50 cubic metres. Most preferably the capacity is at least I cubic metre. Indeed some bulk bags and sacks for bulk materials are designed to carry several cubic metres of contents.

In one embodiment of the present invention the flexible container is formed of a plurality of panels that provide a plurality of sides for the bag; whereby reflective material is present at one or more (e.g. all) sides of the bag.

Alternatively, or additionally, reflective material may be present in one or more (e.g. all) seams.

The flexible container may have one or more handles. If handles are provided, preferably at least two handles are present. In some cases more handles may be present. For example a four sided flexible container may often have four handles to aid in providing easy access for lifting by lifting machinery.

Some flexible container may have additional features. For example, sleeves may be provided to assist in tunnel lifting.

Alternatively some flexible containers may simply be in the form of sacks without sleeves or handles. Again it is preferred that large sacks are used. However, as discussed later, small sacks for bulk materials (e.g. sandbags) are within the scope of the present invention.

The reflective material can be incorporated into a bag or sack by any desired method.

Preferably this is done by incorporating the material into or onto fabric that is subsequently used to make a bag or sack.

This can, for example, be done as part of a weaving, patching, embroidering, seaming, stapling, pinning or sewing process. Alternatively adhesive may be used to attach a reflective material onto a fabric (e.g. adhesive reflective tape may be used). ifl a further alternative mechanical means such as staples, pins, ties, etc may be used for attachment.

It is also possible to provide a liquid comprising reflective particles (e.g. an ink) and to apply this to a fabric or a part thereof (e.g. by using a roller, brush, stamp, press or spray). Following curing, the reflective particles will be fixed in position on the fabric. As discussed earlier, 3M Corporation provides various reflective inks that can be used.

Desirably, however, the reflective material is incorporated by using it to provide one or a few warp or weft threads in woven material, as discussed earlier.

The term "a few" I used herein to mean fewer than 200 or fewer than 100.

More preferably it is fewer than 75 or fewer than 50.

Most preferably it is fewer than 40, fewer than 30, preferably fewer than 20, fewer than 10 or fewer than 5.

For example one or more such threads may be provided per side panel of a multi-panelled flexible container. The side panels may subsequently be joined together via seams and may also be similarly joined to a base panel.

If the flexible container is in the form of a sack then the one or few threads preferably run either around the sack or from top to bottom so that they can be seen from all angles. (In some embodiments both options may be provided.) If reflective thread is used then thick thread can be used so as to maximize visibility. However even relatively thin threads can be used and still provide good visibility. Indeed, in practice, the same thickness will often be used as normally used for non-reflective threads.

Preferably the reflective thread is a yarn that is at least 0.5 mm thick. More preferably it is at least 1 mm, at least 1.5mm or at least 2mm thick.

(The term "thread" is used herein a broad sense to include yarn, filaments, threads, etc. It therefore includes material used in weaving, stitching, sewing, knitting, embroidering, knitting, etc.) There are of course other possibilities. For example reflective material may be used in, or as part of, handles or sleeves of an FIBC. This could be in the form of one or more reflective threads, as discussed above. Alternatively, if desired, handles could be provided using the same or similar material to that described in WO 2006/022782 for an omni-directional reflective leash. Many other alternatives are possible.

It is also important also to note that it is not essential to incorporate the reflective material at an initial stage of production. A formed bag or sack may be provided and the reflective material can be added later.

This can be added by using one of the many of the techniques discussed above, but applying them at a later stage. For example, reflective threads may be stitched into the bag a reflective ink may be used for printing onto the bag, or adhesive reflective material may be stuck onto the sack.

Indeed existing bulk bags or sacks for bulk materials may be modified in this way so as to provide improved visibility.

Thus the bulk bag or sacks need not comprise reflective material initially, but can be associated with such material later on.

Thus there are many possibilities that are within the scope of the present invention.

The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying non-limiting drawings; wherein Figure 1 shows examples of how retro-reflective materials work to reflect back light towards a light source.

Figure 2 is a basic flowchart illustrating a typical FIBC production process Figure 3 illustrates extrusion from polypropylene raw material to a thin film and then slitting down to the thin polypropylene tapes used to make the fabric and webbing.

Figure 4 shows bobbins loaded and threaded through a weaving machine where material is formed into fabric and then onto rolls.

Figure 5 shows rolls of fabric being put through a cutting machine so that a desired size of fabric sheet for making an FIBC is produced.

Figure 6 illustrates stitching and forming of an FIBC.

Figure 7 shows a number of different options available on a standard type FIBC Figure 8 shows how reflective fabric is produced on a circular weaving machine. The same methodology can be used to produce reflective webbing handles Figure 9 shows how the reflective material is incorporated into either 1) Standard FIBC with 4 corner lifting loops, the reflective material is weaved into the 4 corner loops/handles 2) Garden Waste Sack with the reflective weaved into the fabric, 3) Twin Lift Seed Bag with the reflective material weaved into the fabric. 4) Shows how the reflective material looks close up in either the fabric or the webbing handles Figure 10 shows an FIBC with 50mm reflective ribbon as used for reflective jackets stitched to the main body of an already completed FIBC.

Figure 11 shows the maximum distances that various existing FIBCS can be seen from a vehicle with headlights under dark conditions, compared with an equivalent FIBC of the present invention.

Example 1

Construction of a known FIBC with lifting loops A known F[BC having lifting loops can be formed via a process that includes the stages set out below: I) The raw material predominantly used to produce a Woven FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container) is polypropylene in pellet form. This is loaded into a hopper (Figure 3 #1) and is melted through the barrel zone (Figure 3 #2) and extruded into a thin film through a 1-Die (Figure 3 # 3). It is then slit into smaller tapes of smaller width and stretched (Figure 3 #4) through a hot air oven and finally the tapes are individually wound as bobbins (Figure 3 #5) ready to be woven into fabric. The same process is used to produce the webbing and the stitching thread.

2) The bobbins (Figure 4 #1) produced through the extrusion process (Figure 3) are threaded through the fabric weaving machine (Figure 4 #2) and woven together to form the fabric (Figure 4 #3) and is wound onto large rolls of fabric (Figure 4 #4) ready for cutting. The same process is used to form the webbing handles of the FIBC.

3) The large rolls of fabric (Figure 5 #1) are placed through two tension units (Figure 5 #2) on the cutting machine. If the bags are to have a discharge spout in the base etc then a centre punching unit (Figure 5 #3) cuts out the required size of hole (usually 35cm diameter). Finally the fabric is cut (Figure 5 #4) to the required size to produce the bag and fed out in panel form ready for the final stage which is formation of the FIBC for example a garden-waste bag and twin loop seed bag.

4) The final stage is to stitch together the various cut fabric panels (Figure 6) of the FIBC along with the cut webbing handles to form the main FIBC with the 4 corner lifting loops (Figure 7 #4). At this stage other items are incorporated into the F1BC if the specification requires it. Some of the other options are discharge spouts (Figure 7 #1), filling spouts (Figure 7 #2), skirt tops (Figure 7 #3) and tunnel side sleaves.

The same process as above is also used to produce garden waste sacks, twin loop seed bags and other types of woven polypropylene sacks, bags or containers.

The completed FIBC is quality checked, folded and baled ready for shipment to the customer.

The basic process for producing a woven FIBC from start to finish can also be seen in Figure 2

Example 2

Typical uses of known FIBCs When the bags are unpacked by a customer they can be filled in various ways depending on the specification of the bags which they have requested. These are usually as follows: 1) Gravel and Sand products The bag corner loops are hooked over the tines of the forklift and the gravel/sand is loaded into the bag through a hopper directly into the open top bag. The bag is usually cut open at the base of the bag to empty the product from it 2) Chemicals and Food Products Usually the FIBC is hooked onto a frame underneath a hopper by the corner loops. A filling spout on the FIBC (Figure 7 #2) is attached around a chute on the filling apparatus and the product is loaded into the bag through the hopper and filling spout of the FIBC.

Usually a discharge spout (Figure 7 #1) will be used to empty the product out of the bag.

3) Recycled products Various filling methods are used to fill bags within this sector, sometimes this is a mix between both of the above. Many bags within this sector may use a Skirt top (Figure 7 #3) to seal the bag shut when filled. Emptying the bags is done by either providing a discharge spout or by cutting open the base of the bag.

Example 3

Construction of a known sack for bulk materials This is done in a generally similar manner to that set out in Example 1, but with the following minor modifications: When the fabric is placed through the cutting unit (Figure 5) it is cut to the length required to produce a woven sack.

The cut fabric is then stitched across the base to form the completed woven polypropylene sack (typically suitable for filling with 15 to 40 kg of product).

Example 4

Construction of an FIBC of the present invention with lifting loops The procedure is similar to that described in Example 1 for a standard FIBC, but with the following modifications: At the stage of production when the bobbins (Figure 8 #1) are loaded onto the fabric weaving or webbing/handle weaving machine the relevant number of reflective yarn bobbins are also loaded in a specific position (Figure 8, #2) on the machinery and put through the weaving machine (Figure 8, #3) which will produce the completed fabric/webbing (Figure 8, #4) with the reflective yarn integrated in the position where it will be viewed on the completed fabric/webbing (Figure 8, #6).

The completed reflective fabric/webbing is then wound onto rolls (Figure 8, #5 & #7) and the bags completed in the same way as within Example 1, part 3 and onwards.

Figure 9 shows how the reflective yam is integrated into the fabric and shows how it can be positioned on three different types of completed woven FIBC.

Example 5

Optional Modifications to Example 4 The positioning of the reflective yarn bobbins on the weaving machine can be adjusted so as to results in the fabric being produced with the reflective yarn either nearer the edge or the centre of the fabric/webbing, as desired.

Furthermore the number of lines of reflective yarn used can easily be adjusted. In order to produce more/fewer lines of reflective yarn in the fabric/webbing handles it is simply necessary to add more or fewer bobbins of reflective yarn onto the weaving machines.

Example 7

Conversion of a known FIBC to an FIBC of the present invention In order to convert a completed known FIBC (Figure 10, #1) into a reflective FIBC of the present invention, reflective yarn can be provided and stitched onto or around any part of the FIBC, e.g. the top hem (Figure 10, #2), side hem, webbing handle, etc. Alternatively a strip of 50mm reflective ribbon as used on high visibility jackets can be stitched to the completed bag body panels (Figure 10, #3). This can vary in length according to the size of the FIBC.

A further option is to attach a reflective disc similar to that used as bicycle reflectors. This can be attached to a completed FIBC (Figure 10, #4) by gluing or stitching to give the same effect as reflective yam being incorporated into the fabric or webbing handles. This can be positioned anywhere on the FIBC to give the same benefits as integrated reflective yarn in the fabric or webbing handles.

Example 8

Test Results An FIBC of the present invention was constructed with reflective yam integrated into the fabric and handles a test was carried out to assess its viewability under night conditions.

These tests and the results are detailed in Figure 11.

A test was conducted with a standard garden waste bag of size 45 x 45 x 60cm in green fabric with black handles (Figure 11, #2). A car headlight (Figure 11, #1) was directed at the bag and the maximum distance that the bag could be visible was noted at 30 metres (100 fi).

The same test was conducted for a yellow coloured bag of the same size (Figure 11, #3) and the maximum distance that the bag could be visible was noted at 91 metres (300ft).

The same test was finally conducted for an FIBC of the present invention of the same size (Figure 11, #4) in green fabric with reflective yarn in both of the handles and 2 strips of reflective yarn per side on each of the 4 sides. The maximum distance that the bag could be visible was noted at 213 metres (700ft).

Such a very large increase in viewability was not expected. An increase of this magnitude provides FIBCs with greatly improved properties in terms of health and safety.

In particular, the risk of accidental collision of people or vehicles with bags under conditions of low light is significantly reduced.

The approach taken by the present inventors has not been considered before in the field of bulk containers.

Indeed the fact than bulk containers and reflective yarns have (individually) been known and used extensively across the worlds for many decades, but have never been brought together over such a long period is a strong indicator of non-obviousness.

Claims

Claims 1. A flexible container in the form of a bulk bag or a sack that comprises, or is associated with, a reflective material.
2. A flexible container according to claim I that comprises only minor proportion of reflective material.
3. A flexible container according to claim 1, wherein said minor proportion is less than 10% of the material of the bag.
4. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 5%.
5. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 1%.
6. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 0.1%.
7. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is substantially formed of woven material.
8. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the reflective material comprises one or more warp threads or one or more weft threads.
9. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the reflective material is in the form of stitching, braiding, tape, fabric, rope, embroidery, or adhesive material.
10. A flexible container according to any preceding claim wherein said material is a retro-reflective material.
11. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is substantially formed of polypropylene 12. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is an FIBC 13. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is a flexible container for one or more of the following materials: a) bulk material for use in building or construction; b) waste material; c) material for recycling; d) chemicals; e) foods, foodstuffs or food ingredients; logs or other items requiring ventilation; g) sand.14. A flexible container according to claim 13 that contains said material.15. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 25 kg of material.16. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 100 kg of material 17. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 250 kg of material.18. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 500 kg of material.19. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least 0.25 cubic metres.20. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least 0.5 cubic metres.21. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least I cubic metre.22. A flexible container according to any preceding claim; wherein the flexible container is formed of a plurality of panels that provide a plurality of sides for the bag; whereby reflective material is present at one or more (e.g. all) sides of the bag.23. A flexible container according to any preceding claim wherein reflective material is present in one or more (e.g. all) seams.24. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that comprises a plurality of handles 25. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that comprises a plurality of sleeves to facilitate tunnel lifting.26. A method comprising one or more of the following steps: a) placing bulk material in a flexible container according to any preceding claim.b) storing bulk material in said container; c) transporting bulk material in said container; d) removing bulk material from said container.27. The use of a flexible container according to any preceding claim to provide improved visibility.28. A method of forming a flexible container according to any preceding claim comprising incorporating a reflective material into or onto fabric from which said flexible container is formed.29 A method of forming a flexible container according to any preceding claim comprising incorporating said reflective material into a warp or a weft thread.30. A method of forming a flexible container according to any preceding claim comprising obtaining an existing flexible container without said reflective material and adding reflective material to it.31. The invention as substantially hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanyingexamples.Amendments to the claims has been made as follows: Claims 1. A flexible container in the form of a bulk bag or a sack that comprises a reflective material; wherein the container comprises only a minor proportion of reflective material in a form of one or one or more warp threads or one or more weft threads.2. A flexible container according to claim 1, wherein said minor proportion is less than 10% of the material of the bag.3. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 5%.4. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 1%.5. A flexible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said minor proportion is less than 0.1%.6. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is substantially formed of woven material.7. A flexible container according to any preceding claim wherein said material is a retro-refiective material.8. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is substantially formed of polypropylene.9. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is an FIBC.10. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is a flexible container for one or more of the following materials: a) bulk material for use in building or construction; b) waste material; c) material for recycling; d) chemicals; :. e) foods, foodstuffs or food ingredients; : : f) logs or other items requiring ventilation; *SR. * g) sand. 11. A flexible container according to claim 10 that contains said material.
12. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 25 kg of material.*::
13. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely : * be used to contain and transport at least 100 kg of material
14. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 250 kg of material. V 2315. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that is designed so that it can safely be used to contain and transport at least 500 kg of material.16. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least 0.25 cubic metres.17. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least 0.5 cubic metres.18. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that has a capacity of at least 1 cubic metre.19. A flexible container according to any preceding claim; wherein the flexible container is formed of a plurality of panels that provide a plurality of sides for the bag; whereby reflective material is present at one or more (e.g. all) sides of the bag.20. A flexible container according to any preceding claim wherein reflective material is present in one or more (e.g. all) seams.21. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that comprises a plurality of handles 22. A flexible container according to any preceding claim that comprises a plurality of sleeves to facilitate tunnel lifting.23. A method comprising one or more of the following steps: a) placing bulk material in a flexible container according to any preceding claim.b) storing bulk material in said container; c) transporting bulk material in said container; d) removing bulk material from said container.24. The use of a flexible container according to any preceding claim to provide improved visibility.A method of forming a flexible container according to any preceding claim comprising incorporating said reflective material into a warp or a weft thread.26. The invention as substantially hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings and/or examples. * . * ISI II * I * I