JP2002543010A - Apparatus and method used for liquid and particulate transport - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for transporting fluid or particulate matter in a container (40) comprises an outer body (20) installable in use within the container (40) and a liner (10) fittable within the outer body (20). The liner (10) is provided with a valve (11) for loading and unloading the fluid or particulate matter and the outer body (20) is provided with one or more expandable chambers (21) for reducing the volume of internal void space between the outer body (20) and the liner (10). Inflation of the chambers (21) reduces the volume of internal void space between the outer body (20) and the liner (10) to prevent excessive dynamic forces from being set up within the container (40).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method used for transporting liquids or particulates by containers such as transport containers, tankers, trailers, rigid freight vehicles and the like. In particular, and not exclusively, the apparatus and method described above can be used for liquid or particulate transport in ISO containers.

[0002] It is known to transport liquids and particles to tankers. Cargo is often transported in one direction only. At other times, different liquids or particulate matter may need to be transported in a continuous process. As a result, the tankers have either been less effectively utilized or had to be cleaned after each stroke to reduce the effective use of the tankers and prevent cargo contamination. A major problem with transporting liquids or particulate matter is that the movement of liquids during transport creates large dynamic forces in tankers and containers.

US Pat. No. 5,824,995 seeks to solve this problem using a container holding device in the transport of liquid material or particulate matter into a container. The device has a liner that can be removably secured within the container and defines the container to the volume of the contained liquid or particulate matter. The liner includes an end wall facing the base and opposing side walls extending upward from the base. An adjustable strap is provided that can change the volume of the liner with a change in size relative to the change in density of the liquid being transported. The liner needs to be completely filled so that the liquid does not move dynamically to prevent it from receiving the dynamic forces generated in the container.

[0004] There are many problems with this type of device. An adjustable strap can only adjust the volume in the liner to a limited size. As a result, the liner needs to be filled completely enough with liquids or particulates to prevent the dynamic forces generated during transport. Thus, the liner cannot prevent the dynamic forces to be received in relatively large containers, such as for half-full cargo, and is not suitable for transporting small volumes of liquid. Another problem is that the operation of the adjustable strap is inconvenient and requires a manual that can be referenced to achieve. As a result, use of the device is inefficient and wastes labor.

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided an outer body for use in a container, and a liner which can be intimately contacted in the outer body, wherein the liner comprises a valve for filling or removing liquid or particulate matter. An apparatus for transporting liquid or particulate matter in a container, wherein the outer body comprises one or more inflatable chambers for reducing a volume in a dead space between the outer body and the liner. provide. The outer body includes opposing base and top walls, opposing side walls, and opposing end walls, the liner is installable, and the opening is closed in use by a removable cover. Can be.

[0006] Preferably, said one or more inflatable chambers are located on top of said outer body such that said liner is above the position of said liner when secured in said outer body. .

[0007] Preferably, said outer body comprises an inflatable chamber extending along an upper edge of said respective opposing side wall.

[0008] The attachable cover may include an inflatable chamber.

Preferably, the at least one inflatable chamber is an airbag provided with a valve for inflating by means of a pump.

[0010] In a first embodiment, at least one of the air chambers comprises a pressure relief valve.

The outer body is composed of polyvinyl chloride or a blend of polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane. The liner is polyethylene or a similar material.
Preferably, the liner comprises a wetting and / or oxygen barrier layer.

[0012] In another embodiment, the device further comprises one or more inflatable chambers positionable between the outer body and the container.

[0013] The present invention also includes the steps of disposing an outer body within the container, securing a liner within the outer body, filling the liner with the fluid or particles through a valve into the liner, Inflating the one or more inflatable chambers to reduce the interior volume of the dead space between the outer body and the liner. .

Preferably, said dead space is reduced to substantially zero.

Preferably, said expandable chamber is expanded by compressed air.

[0016] In another embodiment, the method further comprises disposing one or more inflatable chambers between the outer body and the container.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is only used as an example.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a liner 10 for containing a liquid or particulate matter to be mailed, and an outer body 20 surrounding the liner 10. The apparatus 1 is provided in a container 40 such as an ISO container as shown in FIG.

The liner 10 is a substantially parallelepiped having a base 12, an upper wall 15, opposing end walls 13, and opposing side walls 14. The liner 10 is made of polyethylene or similar material that is flexible and impermeable to the liquid being transported. Also, the liner 10 may have an oxygen and / or wetting barrier on either its inner or outer surface.

The different liners 10 determine the maximum volume of liquid or particulate matter that needs to be transported and the device 1
It can be used according to the volume of the container inside. The maximum volume of the liner 10 is
Typically 1000 liters to 27000 liters. (As described below,
According to the present invention, it is not necessary to adjust the size of the maximum volume of the liner 10 to the liquid or particulate matter being transported. )

The valve 11 is provided in the liner 10 for filling and taking out a liquid or particulate matter into or out of the liner 10. In one embodiment, the valve 1
1 is mounted on the upper part 15 of the liner 10 as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the valve 11 may be provided at one of the upper, middle and lower portions of the end wall 13 to facilitate communication when the end door 41 of the container is opened.

The liner 10 may be provided as a pressure relief valve (not shown) connected to a manual drain tap by tubular means. The pressure relief valve prevents dangerous pressure build-up in liner 10 depending on the nature of the liquid being transported.

The outer body 20 is also generally parallelepiped with a base wall 31, opposing end walls 32, and opposing side walls 33.

The outer body 20 is made of a material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a blend of PVC and polyurethane or similar material.

The upper horizontal wall 35 of the outer body 20 facing the base 31 has a plurality of inflatable air chambers 21. The air chamber is formed integrally with the material of the side wall 33. Said air chamber 21 comprises one or more balloons which are replaceable or removable in the lining. The balloon is effectively used to easily and quickly repair an air leak in the air chamber 21.

As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 34 is provided between the air chambers 21 closed by the cover 23. One edge of the cover 23 is attached by sewing to one of the air chambers. The other end of the cover 23 can be attached to the remaining air chamber 21 by fastener means 22. In one embodiment, the fastener means 22 is a zip fastener. In another embodiment, the fastener means 22 comprises a hoop attached to the material of the air chamber 21 and an eyelet formed in the material of the cover 23. One or more cords are used to close the opening 34 through the hook and eyelet shapes.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the upper horizontal wall extends substantially along the entire length of the side wall 33, and one air chamber 21 has two air chambers extending along one of the end walls 32. It has a chamber 21. The cover 23 further comprises an air chamber 35 extending in its length direction. When the cover 23 is closed, the air chamber 21 is integrated with the side wall 33 and the air chamber 35 in the cover 23 that substantially covers the entire upper horizontal wall of the outer body 20. The presence of the cover 23 makes the device 1 more integral when the upper wall 15 of the liner 10 is closed and protected. The cover 23 may be designed to cover the valve 11 when closed, or to provide an opening through the valve to facilitate communication when the cover 23 is closed.

The outer body 20 may include a series of hooks attached to its outer surface along each side wall.

Each of the air chambers 21 and 35 has an expansion valve 28.

If the properties of the load require further strengthening of the device 1, the air chambers 28, 35 and / or the outer body may be provided with reinforcing straps 27, 30 made of polypropylene and / or nylon. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface of the outer body 20 may be provided with a series of support hooks 24 integrally attached along respective side walls 33.

As shown in FIG. 4, in use, the outer body 20 is placed in a container 40 such as, for example, an ISO container. The outer body 20 is fixed in position by being supported by a resilient support card 25. The support card 25 has one end attached to the support hook 24 of the outer body 20 and the other end attached to an appropriate fastener in the container 40.

When the fastener means 22 is opened, the cover 23 of the outer body 20 is rewound as shown in FIG. 3, and can be communicated with the inside of the outer body 20. The liner 10 is then placed into the outer body 20.

The liquid or particulate matter is then drawn from valve 11 by known means. Once the filling is completed, the cover 23 of the outer body 20 is rewound to its original position and the fastener means 22 is closed. Depending on the size of the liquid or particulate matter encased in the liner 10 and the outer body 20, the device 1 creates a dead space between the liner 10 and the outer body 20. The air chambers 21, 35 are
Inflate using an expansion valve to reduce the wasted space. The air chambers 21, 35 expand with a pressure in the range of 1 to 50 psi gauge. Thereby, the precursor air chambers 21 and 35 expand, eliminating the large volume between the liner 10 and the outer body 20. Preferably, said dead space is reduced to substantially zero. The air chamber 21 is inflated by any suitable gas, gas-liquid mixture, or liquid. Preferably, the air chambers 21, 35 are inflated by air. Inflation may be performed by a manual operation or, preferably, by using one or more automatic pumps. If the device 1 is used in a trailer truck, it can preferably be expanded by the supply of compressed air from a motor vehicle.

The air chambers 21 and 35 exert a predetermined pressure or more on the liner 10 to apply an impact force to the liquid or the particles contained in the liner, thereby generally increasing the rigidity of the device 1.

Thereafter, the device 1 is transported to the destination. Since pressure acts on the liner 10 by the air chambers 21 and 35 and there is no gap between the liner 10 and the outer body 20, it is possible to prevent generation of a dynamic force acting inside the container 40.

To remove the liquid or particulate matter, the fastener means 22 is opened, if necessary, and the cover 23 is rewound to expose the valve 11 of the liner 10. The liquid or particulate matter is then unloaded by known means. If the cover 23 has an opening for the valve 11, the liner 10 can be removed without first opening the fastener means 22.

The device 1 is used today for transporting other loads on the next leg of the container. If transported, further movement or a new liner 10
The same liner 10 can be used without using. If a different liquid or particulate matter is to be transported, then use a new liner 10 or clean the current liner 10 after removal from the outer body 20 and install it in the outer body 20. As a result, the time required to transport the next load is reduced.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the device 1 further comprises an additional air chamber 50 in the form of an inflatable bag, which comprises a cover 23 of the outer body 20. May be provided on the outer surface of the side wall 33, or may be provided on the outer surface of the side wall 33. The airbag 50 is always attached to the outer body 20 or may be detachably attached by a strap, hook, or similar means. The airbag 50 is made of the same material as the outer body 20.

In this embodiment of the invention, it is used to transport liquids and particulates in large or less used shaped containers, such as rail flight containers. Rail flight containers are typically higher than ISO containers for road transport. As shown in FIG. 5, the additional airbags 50 are located only at either end of the flight container, or are located in equal space along the length of the flight container.

The airbag 50 inflates at a safe initial pressure in the range of 2 to 50 psi.

When the apparatus 1 is transported using a container that is sufficiently larger than the outer body 20, the airbag 50 is used by being attached to a side wall of the outer body 20.

Alternatively, outer body 20 may include a support frame made of metal plastic, carbon fiber, or aluminum. The support frame is used within the container 40 to aid in the installation of the outer body 20. The support frame may be foldable when the device 1 is not used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cover used in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 during preparation for filling;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 secured within an ISO container.

FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Procedural Amendment] Submission of translation of Article 34 Amendment

[Submission date] April 12, 2001 (2001.4.12)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Contents of correction]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0005

[Correction method] Change

[Contents of correction]

In accordance with the present invention, an outer body defining an inner volume for use in a container is provided, and a liner that is intimate within the outer body, wherein the liner fills or removes liquid or particulate matter. A valve for reducing the volume in a dead space between the outer body and the liner.
An apparatus for transporting liquid or particulate matter in a container, comprising an inflatable chamber or more. The outer body includes opposing base and top walls, opposing side walls, and opposing end walls, wherein the liner is installable.
The opening can be closed in use by a removable cover.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0013

[Correction method] Change

[Contents of correction]

The present invention also includes the steps of disposing an outer body defining an inner volume within the container, securing a liner within the outer body, and passing the fluid or particles through the valve to the liner. Filling the container and inflating the one or more inflatable chambers near the inner volume to reduce the inner volume of the dead space between the outer body and the liner. Methods for transporting fluid and particle pairs are provided.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR , HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA , ZW

Claims (16)

[Claims] An outer body (20) installed and used in a container (40).
) And a liner (10) that can be intimately contacted in the outer body (20), the liner (10) being a valve (1) for filling or taking out liquid or particulate matter
1) wherein said outer body (20) comprises one or more inflatable chambers (21, 35) for reducing the volume in a dead space between said outer body (20) and said liner (10). ), For transporting liquid or particulate matter in a container (40). 2. The outer body (20) comprises opposing base and upper walls, opposing side walls (33), and opposing end walls (34), wherein the liner (10) is Device (1) according to claim 1, which is installable and said opening (34) can be closed in use by a removable cover (23).
. 3. The one or more inflatable chambers (21, 35).
Is disposed on top of the outer body (20) such that the liner (10) is above the position of the liner (10) when secured within the outer body (20). Or the apparatus (1) according to 2. 4. The outer body (20) includes a respective one of the opposed side walls (20).
Device (1) according to claim 3, comprising an inflatable chamber (21) extending along the upper edge of the (33). 5. The inflatable chamber (21) according to claim 3, wherein the outer body (20) comprises an inflatable chamber (21) extending along at least one upper edge of the opposing end wall (32). Apparatus (1). 6. The device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said attachable cover (23) comprises an inflatable chamber (35). 7. The at least one inflatable chamber (21, 35).
Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, which is an airbag with a valve (28) for inflating by pump means. 8. The device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one air chamber (21, 35) comprises a pressure relief valve. 9. Apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said outer body (20) is comprised of polyvinyl chloride or a blend of polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane. 10. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said liner (10) is polyethylene. 11. The device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said liner (10) comprises a wetting and / or oxygen barrier layer. 12. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more inflatable chambers (50) positionable between the outer body (20) and the container (40). The described device (1). 13. A step of disposing an outer body (20) in the container (40), fixing a liner (10) in the outer body (20), and attaching the liner (10) to the liner (10). 10) filling said fluid or particles through a valve (11) and inflating said one or more inflatable chambers (21, 35) to form said outer body (20) and said liner (10).
Reducing the interior volume of the dead space between the container (4)
Method for transporting fluids and particulates within 0). 14. The system of claim 1, wherein said dead space is reduced to substantially zero.
3. The method according to 3. 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the inflatable chamber is inflated by compressed air. 16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of positioning one or more inflatable chambers (50) between the outer body (20) and the container (10). The described method.