JP2008501584A - Flowable bulk material container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flowable bulk material container (10), said container (10) comprising a container part (12), said container part (12) being made of flexible sheet material, A bottom wall (14), two pairs of side walls (18) and two pairs of side walls (20) spaced substantially in parallel, and a top wall (16) are defined. The upper wall is formed by bending the side wall extension (22), so that the end piece (24) of the extension is centered between the side wall pairs and one of the side wall pairs. Projects from the top wall in parallel with the pair. The container has either a pair of strap elements (30) or a pair of strap elements (32) attached to the end piece, or a pair of strap elements (30) and a pair of strap elements (32), The form is a form in which a pair of strap elements form a pair of loops that can be engaged by a fork of a forklift for lifting and displacing the container.

Description

  The present invention relates to a flowable bulk material container.

  In particular, the present invention relates to a flowable bulk material container provided for containing flowable bulk materials such as liquids, particulate materials and the like. The specific known form of flowable bulk material container envisioned herein generally refers to a flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) in the industry, hereinafter referred to as a flowable bulk material container. , Interpreted as a type of container known as FIBC.

  The flowable bulk material container envisioned herein includes a container portion woven from a flexible sheet material, typically a synthetic plastic material, the container portion being adapted for a particular application. Optionally, a plurality of layered configurations are included to give the bag the necessary properties, such as water resistance. The container part is composed of one or more sheet material pieces, and the sheet material pieces are filled in the container part and the contents are supplied to the container part to form a substantially rectangular or rectangular hexahedron. The container portion thus forms, in a filled form, two pairs of side walls that are spaced substantially parallel and extend between the top wall and the bottom wall in a filled configuration. Are defined. It is clear that the flowable bulk material container is in this form, so that once the flowable bulk material is filled, the container parts can be stacked together for storage and transport. Either or both of the top and bottom walls of the container portion are optionally associated with a configuration of openings to facilitate filling and / or discharging the flowable material from the container portion. May be.

  Hereinafter, reference to a flowable bulk material container is taken to refer to the above general type of container, which is also a type commonly known as FIBC, where the container portion is substantially square or Being a rectangular body, the specific structure of such a container can vary greatly.

  The known flowable bulk material container envisaged in this document is further suspended in another form, in particular by sewing strap elements to the container part at the corner area of the container part or across the corners. A lifting loop is provided, which is engaged by the two forks of the forklift so that the container can be lifted and displaced.

  It is well known that in the above configuration of the lifting loop defined by the strap element, great care must be taken when passing the fork of the forklift, so that the loop is properly placed on the fork. And the material defining the loop, ie the strap element, is guaranteed not to be “cut” by the edge of the fork. Improper placement of the lifting loop on the fork will result in a “peel” force between the strap-forming strap elements and the container portion of the flowable bulk material container, as well as tension. Of course, the peel force is dangerous as long as these forces cause the strap elements defining the loop to be “pulled” from the container portion. Thus, lifting a fluid bulk material container with a forklift is very labor intensive, especially because the forklift operator needs help placing a container lifting loop on the fork of his forklift .

  The object of the present invention is therefore the construction of a lifting loop which can be engaged with a fork of a forklift in a manner with relatively little effort and in particular in a manner unrelated to the problems indicated above with respect to known fluid bulk material containers Providing a flowable bulk material container.

According to the present invention, a flowable bulk material container comprising:
In a container portion that defines a bottom wall, two pairs of substantially parallel spaced apart sidewalls, and a top wall, in a form that is made of flexible sheet material and is filled and functional. The upper wall is defined by an extension piece of material, the extension piece being formed by a side wall extension that extends beyond the operational upper end of each side wall; Displace the end pieces of one side wall extension of each side wall extension of one pair of the pair together, bending the end pieces of each side wall extension of the other side wall pair between them. Are folded to form an upper wall, so that the extension piece is in the middle between the pair of side walls of the container part where the end pieces of the side wall extension are displaced together with the pair of side walls of the container part. In parallel, project all end pieces from the top wall to form the top wall. , And the container section,
At least one pair of strap elements, attached to the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece, the arrangement comprising one end piece of each side wall extension that is displaced together and the other side wall Each adjacent end piece of the extension is attached to each other by the end of the strap element, so that one pair of two strap elements is configured to define opposing lifting loops. The loop extends from the end piece and allows for simultaneous engagement by a fork of a forklift; and at least one pair of strap elements;
A container is provided.

  One particular embodiment of the container of the present invention includes a pair of strap elements, for which the lifting loop defined by the strap elements is opposed to the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together. Each end of each strap element is connected to one end piece of the end piece of the side wall extension and the other two side wall extensions adjacent to each other. Fixed to one of the end piece portions.

  A particular second embodiment of the container of the present invention has two pairs of strap elements, for which the free ends of each strap element are two ends of a side wall extension that are displaced together. Secured to one end piece of the piece and a similar end piece portion of the other adjacent sidewall extension.

  For the latter embodiment of the container of the present invention, each pair of strap elements places two pairs of opposing lifting loops equally spaced from the center of the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together. And defining a pair of opposing lifting loops. Furthermore, the end of each strap element attached to the end piece of the side wall extension can be arranged on top of each other or adjacent to each other. Still further, the corner regions of the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together and the adjacent end piece portions of the other side wall extension are folded and the end of each strap element attached to them is Located in the folded part. Thereby, the area between the strap element and the side wall of the container part of the container is effectively blocked while also enhancing the strength quality of the container.

  Further in accordance with the present invention, it is envisioned that the end of the strap element may be attached to the strap element by any alternative means or process, for example, using an adhesive, heat bonding, etc. It can be attached to the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece of the container part. Furthermore, the end of the strap element attached to the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece of the container portion is filled with the container portion, and the lifting loop engaged with the fork of the forklift is strapped. It can be arranged vertically on the entire bottom wall of the container part in a form defined by the elements.

  For the above two embodiments of the present invention, in the configuration in which each pair of lifting loops is pulled apart from each other, the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece causes the filling and discharging of the material. An opening for the container can be formed, and a container part is completed. Especially for containers that contain two pairs of strap elements, if the strap elements forming a pair of lifting loops are placed near each end of the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together, they are displaced together. Each end piece of each side wall extension and each adjacent end piece of the other side wall extension are spaced from the center of the container so as to define an opening in the central region of the top wall of the container. Can be sutured into place. The side wall extension of the region where the end pieces are sewn can be contoured so that an opening is defined in the center to form an inverted funnel shape.

  The opening defined in the top wall of the container of the present invention may include a closing mechanism for closing the opening.

  Still further, each pair of strap elements of the container of the present invention may be associated with a binding element for releasably binding a defined opposing lifting loop. Thus, engagement of the lifting loop defined by each pair of strap elements by the fork of the forklift can be facilitated.

  It should also be understood that the container of the present invention may be associated with any alternative filling means that is either on the top or bottom side or somewhere that works.

  The effective length of the strap element and in particular the effective length of the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension of the container part of the container to which the strap element is fixed can also vary considerably, and this effective length Is determined by the strength requirements of the associated container. Still further, it is clear that the length of the strap element ensures that it is advantageous to allow the fork of the forklift to engage the lifting loop defined by the strap element. Further, the precise mode of attaching the strap element is that the lifting loop is tensioned in relation to its form relative to the container portion of the container while the container is lifted by engaging the defined lifting loop and forklift. Only then will the container be in the form described above.

  Within the scope of the principles described above, the precise form of the flowable bulk material container of the present invention can vary greatly, and the present invention also includes a flowable bulk material container that still incorporates the principles described above. It will be appreciated that such changes will occur. Still further, the flowable bulk material container of the present invention can be associated with known flowable bulk material containers and in particular with any feature commonly associated with such containers commonly referred to as FIBC.

  The features of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to two examples of flowable bulk material containers shown in the accompanying schematic drawings.

  1 to 4 of the drawings, a first embodiment of a flowable bulk material container, in particular a container of the type known as FIBC, is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The container 10 is shown in a filled form and in this respect it should be understood that: That is, since the container is made of a synthetic plastic sheet material of the type commonly used for FIBC, for example, a woven polypropylene material, the container 10 is actually not sharp as shown, or has a flat wall as shown. Rather, sharp corners and flat walls are shown in this way for illustration only.

  The container 10 includes a container part 12, and when the container part 12 is in a filled form as shown here, the fluid bulk material is filled and combined with the bulk material to form a hexahedron. Thus, the container portion defines a bottom wall 14, a top wall 16, a first pair of side walls 18 that face each other substantially in parallel, and a second pair of side walls 20 that face each other substantially in parallel. .

  The structure of the container part is the same as the structure of the container part of FIBC which is known but can be greatly changed except for the structure of the upper wall 16 of the container part 12. Although the container part 12 shown here can also be formed by appropriately sewing a plurality of material pieces, it is particularly suitably formed from a single piece of material. It is envisioned that the container portion 12 may be multi-layered to provide the container with a particular strength quality and other characteristics. Thus, the overall configuration of the container portion 12 of the container 10 will not be described in further detail herein.

  The upper wall 16 of the container portion 12 of the container 10 is formed by bending a material extension piece. The extension piece 22 is formed, in particular, by extending the side walls 18 and 20 from their operational upper ends as shown. The top wall 16 in particular displaces together the pair of end pieces of the side wall extension extending from the side wall 18, with the corresponding end piece of the other pair of side wall extensions extending from the side wall 20 between them. 26 by bending (see FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings). Thereby, the extension piece 22 forms the upper wall 16 and the end pieces 24 and 26, and the end pieces 24 and 26 are formed between the pair of side walls 18 of the container portion 12 as shown in an easy-to-understand manner. Projecting from the top wall 16 in the middle between and parallel to the pair. The side wall extensions that are displaced together in the drawings are shown partially spaced from one another for the sake of simplicity. By displacing these side wall extensions together, the upper end of the container portion 12 of the container 10 is effectively closed and then folded into the upper wall 16 along with the end pieces 24 and 26 for transportation and storage. It is convenient if similar containers can be stacked on each other for purposes.

  As will be described later, in the form of the container 10 displaced by a forklift, the end pieces 24 and 26 of the extension piece 22 are formed on the bottom wall 14 and the top wall of the container 10, particularly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings. 16 extends vertically over the entire surface. The end pieces 24 and 26 of the extension piece 22 are attached to two pairs of strap elements, each pair of strap elements being indicated by the number 30 and each pair of strap elements being indicated by the number 32. Each strap element 30 and 32 has opposing ends that are attached to the extension piece, typically by stitching, in the region of the end pieces 24 and 26. More particularly, and in particular with regard to the strap element 30.1, the free end 34 of the strap element 30.1 is superimposed on the end piece 24.1 and the adjacent end piece portion of the end piece 26. , Both are sutured. Each strap element 30 and 32 is similarly attached, with each pair of strap elements attached to each end piece 24. The suture line for each strap element is shown as a dotted line.

  As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, each end piece 24 is also sewn to an adjacent end piece portion 26 from the center of the end piece 24 to a spaced location (dotted line 36). See). Thus, by displacing the end pieces 24 away from each other, an opening 38 is defined that leads to the container portion 12 so that the bulk material can be filled and discharged into the container portion 12.

  In particular, in the form of the container 10 shown in FIG. 1, by opening the opening 38 completely, the end pieces 24 and 26 of the extension piece 22 are contoured so as to have a reverse funnel shape, A closure mechanism (not shown) may be disposed therein to effectively close the opening 38 while the container 10 is being processed and transported.

  For strap elements formed from a suitable flexible material, in particular of the type used for FIBC strap elements, the straps are defined so that the loops through which each fork of the forklift can be passed are aligned. It will be appreciated that it may be convenient to manipulate each pair of elements 30 and 32. In this regard, each pair of strap elements is properly bound by a binding element (not shown) in a form in which the defined loops are aligned in a straight line to facilitate engagement by each fork of the forklift. It is also envisaged that it could be done.

  As can be seen from the drawings, the strap element piece sewn to the end piece of the extension piece 22 is substantially perpendicular to the free edge of the end piece 22, ie, the container of the container 10, when filled with bulk material. Arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall of the section. This ensures that only the tension acts on the lifting loop, in particular the end pieces 24 and 26 of the extension piece 22, during the lifting of the container with a forklift, as will be explained here.

  The mode of engagement of the loop defined by the strap elements 30 and 32 by each fork of the forklift may be significantly less labor compared to the known lifting loop engagement of that type of container. I understand. Also, the form of the lifting loop for the end pieces 24 and 26 provides only the tension acting on the end pieces, so the proof quality of the container 10 is higher compared to the known proof quality of the container. . The above applies to the actual mode of attachment of the strap element to the container part of the container and the force acting on the container part as a result of the container being suspended from the fork of the forklift.

  Container 10 also provides other forms generally associated with known FIBCs with respect to overall form, form and placement of filling and discharge openings, and type of material used to provide the container with the desired quality, etc. Can be associated with any feature.

  In particular, with respect to the placement of the strap elements 30 and 32 with respect to the end pieces 24 and 26, the free ends 34 of the strap elements are arranged to overlap each other as shown here, while being arranged adjacent to each other. It is necessary to understand that it may be. This arrangement makes it easier to align the loops defined by each pair of strap elements for engagement by each fork of a forklift in a straight line by effectively twisting each strap element. The contours of the ends of the end pieces 24 and 26 can also be changed to make the opening 38 different.

  With reference now to FIGS. 5-7 of the drawings, a second embodiment of a flowable bulk material container according to the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 50. The overall configuration of the container 50 is substantially the same as the configuration of the container 10, and similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals as described above. The container 50 has in particular only two strap elements 52 forming a single pair of strap elements, and the free ends 54 of the strap elements are here again each of the extension pieces 22 as shown here. Are fixed to one end piece 24 and an adjacent end piece 26. The end 54 of the strap element is in particular spaced equally from the intermediate working location between the opposite ends of the attached end piece 24 to form two loops directly opposite each other. These loops can preferably be engaged by a single fork of a forklift for lifting and manipulating the container. Furthermore, an opening 54 is defined by pulling the strap element apart and pulling the end piece 24 and the attached end piece 26 apart, the opening 54 filling the bulk material into the container 50, and It may be provided for discharging bulk material from the container 50. The overall configuration of the strap element 52 that forms the lifting loop of the container 50 is similar to that described above in connection with the attachment of the container 50 to the end piece 22, so that it has an equivalent advantage for the use of the container, i.e. It will be appreciated that it is associated with the equivalent advantages associated with the engagement of the lifting loop by the fork of the forklift and the quality of the strength provided by the strap elements. As shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the two strap elements 52 can again advantageously be bound by, for example, a binding element 56, so that the loop defined by the strap element is more easily facilitated by the fork of the forklift. It serves the purpose of holding the bag 50 closed while holding it in a linearly aligned configuration that can engage.

  Again, the exact form of the container 50 can vary considerably with respect to the overall structure and materials used to form the container portion of the bag and the like.

  The present invention extends to all variations of bags 10 and 50 that are described herein and that incorporate the essential features of the present invention as defined and described herein.

1 is a three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of a flowable bulk material container according to the present invention. It is a top view of the container of FIG. It is a front view of the container of FIG. It is a side view of the container of FIG. It is a top view of a 2nd embodiment of a fluid bulk material container concerning the present invention. It is a front view of the container of FIG. It is a side view of the container of FIG.

Claims (15)

A flowable bulk material container,
In a container portion that defines a bottom wall, two pairs of substantially parallel spaced apart sidewalls, and a top wall, in a form that is made of flexible sheet material and is filled and functional. The upper wall is defined by an extension piece of material, the extension piece being formed by a side wall extension that extends beyond the operational upper end of each side wall; An end piece of one side wall extension of each side wall extension of one of the two pairs of side walls, and an end piece of each side wall extension of the other pair of side walls between them; While being bent, it is bent so as to form the upper wall by being displaced together, so that the extension piece is between the pair of side walls of the container part where the end pieces of the side wall extension part are displaced together. In parallel with the pair of side walls of the container part in the middle of By projecting all of the end pieces from the wall, forming the upper wall, and the container portion,
At least one pair of strap elements attached to an end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece, the configuration comprising: one end piece of each side wall extension that is displaced together; Each adjacent end piece portion of the other side wall extension is attached to each other by the end of a strap element so that the two strap elements of the pair form opposing lifting loops. At least one pair of the strap elements extending from the end piece and allowing simultaneous engagement by a fork of a forklift;
Containing a container.   A pair of strap elements, the lifting loop defined by the strap elements being disposed in the middle between the opposite ends of the end pieces of the side wall extension displaced together; Are fixed to one end piece of the end piece of the side wall extension part displaced together and one part of the end piece part of the other two side wall extension parts adjacent thereto. A container as claimed in claim 1.   Having two pairs of strap elements, the free ends of each strap element being one of the two end pieces of the side wall extension displaced together and the same end of the other side wall extension adjacent thereto The container according to claim 1 fixed to a piece part.   Each pair of strap elements defines two pairs of opposing lifting loops, with two pairs of opposing lifting loops spaced equidistantly from the center of the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together. The container according to claim 3.   The container according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the end portions of the respective strap elements attached to the end pieces of the side wall extensions are arranged to overlap each other.   5. A container according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the end of each strap element attached to the end piece of the side wall extension is arranged adjacent to each other.   Each strap element that is bent and attached to a corner area of an end piece of the side wall extension that is displaced together and a corner area of each adjacent end piece portion of the other side wall extension. The container according to claim 3, wherein an end of the container is at the bent portion.   The container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an end portion of the strap element is attached to an end piece of the side wall extension portion, and an extension piece of the container portion is formed by sewing.   The end of the strap element attached to the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece of the container part is filled with the container part, and the lifting loop engaged with the fork of the forklift The container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container is arranged perpendicularly to the entire surface of the bottom wall of the container portion in a form defined by the strap element.   In the form in which each pair of lifting loops is separated from each other, the end piece of the side wall extension that forms the extension piece can form an opening for filling and discharging the material, The container according to claim 1, wherein the container part is completed.   As long as the container includes two pairs of strap elements, the strap elements forming the pair of lifting loops are arranged near each end of the end pieces of the side wall extension that are displaced together. And the end piece of each side wall extension that is displaced together and the adjacent end piece of the other side wall extension define an opening in the central region of the top wall of the container. The container according to claim 10, which is sewn toward a location spaced from the center of the container.   The container according to claim 11, wherein the side wall extension is contoured so that the opening is defined at the center of the side wall extension in a region where the end pieces are stitched to form a reverse funnel shape. .   13. A container according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the defined opening incorporates a closing mechanism for closing the opening.   14. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein each pair of strap elements is associated with a binding element for releasably binding the defined opposing lifting loops.   A flowable bulk material container substantially as described herein with reference to and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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