GB2523728A

GB2523728A - Flexible-walled container

Info

Publication number: GB2523728A
Application number: GB1322612.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Ellioth; Alan Dibb
Original assignee: Weir & Carmichael Ltd
Current assignee: Weir & Carmichael Ltd
Priority date: 2013-12-19
Filing date: 2013-12-19
Publication date: 2015-09-09
Also published as: GB201322612D0

Abstract

A flexible-walled container 10 has two opposed side walls 14 having opposed elongate edges 20, 22, and an opening 23 between the opposed elongate edges. Each elongate edge is provided with a component of a fastener 24, 26 which can interact with a corresponding opposite component on the other elongate edge. These fasteners are releasable contact fasteners 24, 26 such as such hook and loop type fastener. Each elongate edge also has a grip means such as a handle 32, which helps to facilitate separation of the contact fasteners thereby separating the edges allowing the container to be opened. The components of the fasteners can extend along the whole of the elongate edges or contain a plurality of space-apart components (figure 5). The fasteners maybe hook and loop or magnetic type fasteners. The container may also comprise additional grip means provided at each end of the elongate edges 30.

Description

DESCRIPTION

FLEXIBLE-WALLED CONTAINER

The present invention relates to flexible-wafted containers.

Flexible-walled containers formed from sheets of woven plastic material stitched together are known. Such containers are commonly provided with one or more flexible webbing handles which are stitched to the walls or edge of the container. Such containers can have a large volume and can be emptied and reused numerous times.

Increasingly, such containers are used for receipt of household waste for subsequent collecbon and disposal It Is important that any containers used for household waste should be capable of being closed when desired, partlculariy because the waste may not be collected for a number of weeks and it is important that vermin and other pests are unable to access the contents of the container.

In accordance with the present Invention, a flexible-walled container comprises two opposed side walls having opposed elongate edges, and a container opening defined between the opposed elongate edges, the elongate edges each being provided with one component of a releasable contact fastener, the opposed side walls each further compilsing grip or handle means for facilitatIng separation of the components of the contact fastener, thereby separating the opposed edges to open the container opening.

In this specification, the term "releasable contact fastener" is intended to mean any fastener comprising two components which are secured to one another on contact.

The use of a releasable contact fastener allows reliable dosing of the container opening and the grip means allows the opening to opened easily when required.

Freferaby, the components of the reeasaMe contact fastener are &ongate, and preferaby they extend a!ong the whoe ength of the &ongate edges.

Alternativey. the container may con riSC S pluraflty of spacedapart reeasabe contact fasteners components.

The grip means for faciUtating separation of the corn ponents of the contact fastener may comprise handie means, for exampe a looped handie.

Preferably, the handle means is fiexibe.

The fexibewaUed container may comprise further grip means provided at each end of the &ongate edges of the side waUs.

The-further grip means may ccmpnse handle means, for example, a looped handle, In a preferred enihodiment, the further grip means is flexible.

n a preferred embodiment, the releasable contact fastener comprises a hook and loop fastener.

Alternatively. or in addition, the releasable contact fastener comprises a maqnetic fastener By way of example only, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of flexibie'waDed container in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view of portion A of flg. 1 f.o a larger scale; Figs. 3a and 3b are perspective views of the container of Fig. 1 showing how the container is dosed and opened; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of fiexibie-waed container in accordance with the present invention; and Fh. 5 is a perspective view of a thfrd embodiment of fexible**walled container in accordance with the oresent invention.

FIgs. 1 to 3llkistrate a first emhodftnent of flexibiewalled contaftier 10.

The container comprises a rectangular base waD 12, two identical rectangular opposed side waDs 14 and two identical tilangular end walh 16, all formed from flexible woven polypropylene sheet materiaL The adjacent edges of the walls are attached to each other by rows of stitchino 1$, in a conventional manner, As shown in the Figures, when the container 10 is expanded t forms a generally wedgeshaped enclosure, with the side walls 14 indllned towards each other. The upper edges 20, 22 of the two side waDs 14 are not permanently secured to one another by stitching or the like hut may he separated from one another to form an opening or aperture 23 which allows access to the interior of the container. However, one cornoonent 24. 26 of a strip of hook and loop fastener (e.g. Velcro®) is stitched to the inner face of each of the side walls 14, immediately adjacent the respective upper edge 20, 22 of the side walls 14.

Each component 24. 26 of the hook and oop fastener extends along the entire edge 20, 22 of the respective side wall 14. The hook and loop fastener components 24, 26, when engaged with each other, releasably close the oPening 23 as will be explained.

As best seen in Figs. I and 2. two identical looped handles 26 are secured to the container by stitching at each end of the upper edges 20, .22 of the side wails 14. Each coped handie 26 is formed from an &ongate strip 30 of convenfional polypropylene webbing which is folded back on itself so that its two ends overlap and are stitched in place between the opposed uppermost corners of the side wails 14. The handles 26 are secured to that their longitudinal axes extend generally parallel to the base wall 1$.

Two further identical handles 32 are provided, each on the exterior face of a respective one of the side waUs 14, immediately adjacent to, and at the mi& point of, the respective upper edge 20, 22. Each handle 32. is fanned from an elongate strip 34 of conventional woven polypropylene webbing which is stitched at its ends at spacedapart locations to the respective side waU 14 by means of a flag stitch 36. The spacing of the sUtching locations is shorter than the length of the strip $4. so that the webbing forms the coped handles 32.

At best seen in Fig. 3, by puing the two handles 28 coated at the upper corners of the side waDs 14 in opposite, outward directions (shown by the arrows Fig. 3a). the upper edges 20, 22 and the hook and loop fastener components 24, 26 attached adjacent thereto are drawn towards each other and on contact oF the hook and 1oop fastener components 24, 26 the upper edges 20, 22 of the side waDs are secured together, thereby dosing the aperture 23 of the container 10.

n order to disengage the hook and loop fastener components 24: 26 and thereby open the aperture 23to the container 10, the two other handles 3.2. on the side waUs 14, are puDed outwards in opposite directions (shown by the arrows in Fig. 3b). The ciosing and opening of the aperture 23 of the container may be repeated as required.

The second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 4, it identical in aD respects to the first embodiment, except that the handles 28 at the upper corners of the side wails 14 have been omitted. in this embodiment, in order to dose the opening 2.3 of the container the upper corners of the side walls.

are gripped and puDed outwardly in opposite directions (shown by the arrows in Fig. 4).

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 5. The construction of the third embodiment is very simfiar to that of the first embodiment and the same reference numerals have been used to denote the same features The only difference from the first embodiment is that whereas the hook and loop fastener components 24, 28 of the first embodiment extend along the whole length of the upper edges 20, 22 of the side wails 14, in the third embodiment a plurality of spaced-apart hook and loop fastener components 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d are used instead, each being stitched in place immediately adjacent the respective upper edge 20, 22 as in the first embodiment.

The invention Is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments.

For.OXample, the boped handles 28,32 may be replaced with a strip or tab or other formation which can be gripped.

Moreover, the hook and loop fastener or fasteners 24, 26, 24a4, 26d may be replaced with a different fastener having components which are releasably secured together on contact For example, a magnetic fastener may be provided. This may, for example, be in the form of flexible magnetic strips of opposite polarity secured adjacent to the upper edges 20,22 of the side wails 14 In place of the elongate hook and loop fastener components 24, 28 of Fig. 1.

Alternatively, or in addition, a plurality of spaced-apart magnets may be secured adjacent to the upper edges 20, 22 of the side walls 14 In place of the spaced-apart hook and loop fastener components 24a-d, 26a-d of Fig. 4. Other "contact' fasteners may also be under instead of, or in addition to, those described.

Furthermore, the various components of the container need not (or need not ad) be stitched together. Other means of securing the components together e.g., adhesive, may be used instead of. or in addition to, stitching. P. r' -