JP3218025U - Foldable container - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved foldable intermediate bulk container that is easy to fold but is strong enough to contain material and prevent leakage.
The present invention provides a foldable intermediate bulk container 5 which is disposed between (a) an upper part 10, (b) a lower part 15, and (c) an upper part 10 and a lower part 15. A flexible intermediate portion 20, wherein the intermediate portion 20 is ridged to allow substantially vertical expansion or folding of the container 5 under the action of a substantially vertical force on the container 5. A plurality of horizontal fold lines that provide accordion-shaped pleats that form a trough and a trough.
[Selection] Figure 1A

Description

  The present invention relates to a container for transporting or storing materials. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a collapsible container for transporting or storing fluid. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an intermediate bulk container that is foldable from a deployed effective position to a folded storage position.

  Intermediate bulk containers ship and store liquids such as chemicals, beverages or foods, or fluidly deformable objects such as grains, feed, chemicals in powder form, and minerals in powder form Used for. Recent designs for rigid intermediate bulk containers are typically rectangular in shape. It is desirable to be able to move bulk containers using forklifts and to stack bulk containers to maximize the use of storage and shipping space. To perform this function, many types of bulk containers have a pallet-type foundation that is compatible with standard forklift claws. Rigid bulk containers pose a wasteful space problem when storing or shipping containers when empty.

  The problem of wasted space has been addressed by the development of flexible bag-type bulk containers that are well known in the art. An example is a flexible bag container having a large bulk bag, generally rectangular, formed from a woven tubular blank. Such flexible bag containers are used for shipping and storage of dry materials and are desirable for applications when storing and shipping liquid materials or fluidly deformable materials in powder form. However, such flexible bag containers cannot be used for shipping or storage of liquid materials or fluidly deformable materials in powder form unless a support structure is provided. Flexible bag containers may be used in combination with "tamper-evidence" seals that are sterilized and attached to the inlet and outlet fittings, for example, when used for food entry.

  It is often desirable to reinforce a container by attaching it to a rigid frame in order to stack the flexible bag containers and to ensure the stability of the flexible bag containers when shipping full. . This is particularly important for the storage and shipping of liquid materials. It is also desirable that the rigid frame can be folded for transport or storage when the container is empty. A foldable rigid frame for this purpose is disclosed. Similarly, a foldable rigid frame for holding a flexible bag container is commercially available.

  The aforementioned foldable rigid frame, when used in combination with a flexible bag container, is not configured to fold until the flexible bag is empty. This means that if the rigid frame can be gradually folded, the weight of the rigid frame components placed on the flexible bag acts to provide a downward force on the flexible bag, thereby softening This is disadvantageous because it helps to empty the contents of the bag.

  Also, a foldable rigid frame requires manual separation of the frame components to fold, usually by two people, which raises the possibility of losing the frame components. . The available foldable rigid frame can also not be filled with the container held by it without first assembling.

  As such, there is a need for an improved foldable intermediate bulk container that is easy to fold but is strong enough to contain material and prevent leakage.

  The foregoing does not admit common general knowledge in Australia or other countries.

  In a first aspect, the present invention provides a foldable intermediate bulk container, which is a flexible flexible material disposed between (a) an upper part, (b) a lower part, and (c) an upper part and a lower part. An intermediate portion, the intermediate portion forming a crest and a trough to allow the container to expand or fold substantially vertically under the action of a substantially vertical force on the container. With a plurality of horizontal fold lines that provide accordion-like pleats.

  In a second aspect, the present invention comprises (a) an upper portion, (b) a lower portion, and (c) a flexible portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion, the flexible portion being substantially relative to the container. A collapsible intermediate bulk container is provided that is configured to allow substantially vertical deployment and / or folding of the container under the action of a vertical force.

  As used herein, the term “material” includes, by way of example, fluids and fluidly deformable objects including gels.

  The flexible portion of the container may be formed with a plurality of fold lines that allow the container to be deployed in a substantially vertical direction and / or folded under the action of a substantially vertical force on the container.

  The present invention comprises (a) an upper portion, (b) a lower portion, and (c) a flexible intermediate portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion, the intermediate portion being a substantially vertical force on the container. A plurality of horizontal fold lines that provide accordion-like pleats forming ridges and valleys to allow substantially vertical deployment and / or folding of the container under the action of A foldable intermediate bulk container is also provided. Further, the container may be resiliently biased to move from the folded position to the deployed position. Elastic bias can be provided through the orientation of the accordion pleats, the material properties of the pleats, or a combination of both.

  By “intermediate bulk container” to include any reusable industrial container designed for the transport and storage of bulk liquids and particulate substances (eg chemicals, food ingredients, solvents, drugs, etc.) Is meant to.

  In embodiments of the present invention, the collapsible intermediate bulk container may be capable of containing harmful chemicals. The container may be confined to the outer skin or exoskeleton frame and then be stackable. The container can also be mounted on a pallet that is designed to be moved using a forklift or hand lift. Typically, containers can range in size from 275 US gallons (1000 liters) or 330 US gallons (1250 liters) and can contain up to 1.8 tons of fluid depending on the density of the fluid. The container itself can be approximately 25 kg when empty.

  In one embodiment, the container of the present invention can be hollow with a confined internal volume or cavity and can be made from a seamless material. As such, by being a hollow container, the container typically has four walls and an integrally formed upper and lower part. Thus, in addition to the top and bottom, the container may have a front, a rear, and two sides, a left and a right.

  In further embodiments, the upper and lower portions may be substantially more rigid than the middle portion. Stiffness can be provided through different thicknesses of various components. For example, the middle part can be 0.8 mm and the upper and lower parts can be 3 mm or more. In this configuration, the container can be made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), or rubber. The material may be a reinforced polymer, such as using reinforced nylon to assist in the puncture strength and / or elasticity of the middle section.

  The container can be formed using blow molding techniques. In the case of a reinforced polymer, the material can be coextruded prior to blow molding. In a further embodiment, the introduction of reinforcement can be during blow molding, such as in a sandwich structure where the reinforcement is positioned between the outer or inner layers of polymer.

  In the present invention, the middle part of the container can be expanded and folded in the vertical direction under the action of a vertical pulling force or a vertical compressive force on the container along the central axis. possible.

  Alternatively, the pleats can be configured to apply an elastic bias from the folded position to the deployed position. In this embodiment, the container is returned to its original shape, but may be so in a compressed position. To overcome the elastic bias, the container may be clamped with a strap. The upper and lower portions may be provided with protrusions that are interengageable to hold the container in a folded position during transport, thereby eliminating the need to tighten the strap.

  It will be appreciated that accordion-like pleats can provide a foldable feature of a container without affecting the container's ability to support a material, such as a fluid contained therein.

  As described above, the accordion-like pleat can be formed from a fold line that surrounds the periphery of the intermediate portion. “Ambient” includes any linear distance around the outer periphery of the middle portion of the container. The intermediate portion and thus the container can be of any shape (eg, rectangular, circular, etc.).

  The accordion pleats can be in any suitable form.

  In one form, the accordion-like pleat may be a spring configuration in which the structure and / or material forming the pleat is selected such that the applied force is required to maintain the pleat in the folded position. .

  In another form, the accordion-like pleat can be configured such that the structure and / or material forming the pleat has a position where the pleat is folded and fully deployed without requiring an applied downward force. A self-supporting configuration that is selected to be able to hold any selected position in between. The pleats maintain the position of the pleats until a force is exerted to unfold or fold the container vertically. In this form, the pleats may be expressed as “buckled” pleats.

  In the second form, the height of the container was fully deployed in a fully folded position without using external fastening means such as straps, ropes or cables to compress and hold the container. It can be adjusted between the positions and positioned in a fully folded position, a fully deployed position, and any intermediate position between them.

  Furthermore, the 2nd form can make discharge | emission of the contents of a container easy. In this respect, the pleats are continuously folded via an applied force, causing the container to fold in a series of discrete steps corresponding to the height of each pleat. This configuration is advantageous because it is not necessary to apply a continuous force over a period of time to expel the contents of the container.

  The fold lines can be equally spaced apart. Preferably, the distance between the fold lines is between about 30 mm and about 80 mm. Preferably, the distance between the fold lines is between about 50 mm and about 80 mm. Even more preferably, the distance between the fold lines is about 70 mm. Even more preferably, the distance between the fold lines is 71.5 mm.

  The middle wall may be approximately between 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm thick. Preferably, the middle wall is approximately between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm thick.

  The container can be made from any molding process to form a seamless container in which all its parts are integrally formed. In this way, in one embodiment, the walls of the container (including its upper and lower parts) can be the same thickness. Thus, in one embodiment, the container may be formed from a single sheet of material.

  Alternatively, the middle wall may be thinner than the upper and lower walls, making the middle section more flexible. Thus, it can also be appreciated that the upper, lower, and middle portions can be formed from different materials.

  In one embodiment, the height of the container in the deployed configuration can be about 1015 mm and the height of the container in the folded configuration can be about 450 mm. Preferably, the internal volume or void of the container is reduced by about 40% to 70% when the container is folded. More preferably, the internal volume of the container is reduced by about 55% when the container is folded.

  The container can be made of any thermoplastic elastomer material or any material that includes a thermoplastic elastomer. Preferably, the material is any selected from the group comprising high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and nylon.

  The upper portion may include an inlet that may be selectively sealable and the lower portion may include an outlet that may be selectively openable. For this purpose, the inlet may be provided with a cap such as a screw-type cap, and the outlet may be a stopper. The inlet and outlet can be placed in any suitable location at the top and bottom, respectively. In embodiments of the present invention, the inlet and outlet are positioned so that the distance between them is kept to a minimum. Thereby, both the inlet and the outlet can be positioned on the same side of the container. In one embodiment, the same side is the front side of the container. Thus, the inlet and outlet can be positioned adjacent on the front side of the container. Preferably, the inlet and outlet are positioned along the front surface of the container. More preferably, the inlet and outlet may be positioned along substantially the same axis. In one embodiment, the inlet and outlet may be aligned between or about the middle of the upper and lower parts, respectively.

  The outlet may comprise a valve, a cock, or a faucet. In one embodiment, the outlet comprises a ball valve or is a ball valve.

  The outlet may be sealed to minimize leakage during transport, for example by securing a cover or membrane over the outlet. The sealed outlet may be unsealed by the user for later use.

  In one embodiment, the container may further comprise a flexible bag, liner, or liner bag disposed within the interior volume or cavity of the container and containing the material, the flexible bag comprising the container inlet and An inlet and an outlet are provided, each in fluid communication with the outlet. The flexible bag can be made from any material suitable for containing harmful fluids. For example, a flexible bag can contain a Grade 3 fluid. The flexible bag may be impermeable to water.

  Minimizing the distance between the container inlet and outlet facilitates the connection of the flexible bag inlet and outlet to the container inlet and outlet. More specifically, positioning the inlets and outlets as described above minimizes the operations required to connect to the respective inlets and outlets.

  The flexible bag inlet and / or outlet may be provided with a seal to reduce material leakage. Preferably, each of the inlet and outlet comprises at least one O-ring to reduce material leakage from the flexible bag.

  The container inlet and / or outlet may be provided with a seal to provide secondary containment of the material within the container when the flexible bag is pierced and material leaks into the container.

  The flexible bag may include a siphon to minimize the presence of material remaining in the flexible bag after draining. Preferably, the siphon inlet is positioned at the lowest location of the flexible bag to increase the amount of material removed from the container.

  The flexible bag may include a cap for receiving the siphon to reduce physical damage to the bag by the siphon, eg, due to wear.

  A flexible bag may be attached to the inner surface of the container so that the bag can be deployed and compressed with the container. This improves filling and draining material from the flexible bag by minimizing dead space in the bag. Thereby, the contents of the flexible bag can be discharged without folding the bag. In one embodiment, the flexible bag may comprise a hook that is attachable to an annulus or annulus positioned on the inner surface of the container.

  A section of the flexible bag may be on a structure, such as a cage or frame positioned outside the container, for example, to support the flexible bag and to facilitate filling and / or discharging material from the flexible bag. It may be attached. The flexible bag may be provided with a coupler such as a hook, a ring, a ring, a clip, etc., for coupling to the structure. For example, the flexible bag may comprise a clip that can attach the flexible bag area to a cage positioned outside the container. The area of the bag may unfold from an inlet attached to the cage. This prevents the bag from being folded during the filling and draining process, which further minimizes the time it takes to fill the container during the filling process and reduces the residual material in the container during the draining process. Minimize.

  The container may have maintenance means for maintaining the container when the container is folded.

  The unfolded configuration and the foldable configuration may be accomplished manually. Preferably, the upper part comprises at least one engaging portion so that a user can engage the container to provide a vertical force for deploying or folding the container. More preferably, the engagement means comprises at least one slot for allowing the insertion of at least one bar, which can provide the user with a vertical force for deploying or folding the container. Like that.

  A “slot” is to allow attachment, engagement, or insertion of a rod that can allow a user to pull up or down to provide the vertical force required to deploy or fold the container Of any groove, incision, or indentation.

  In one embodiment, the engagement means can accommodate a strap for applying a vertical force to the container.

  The lower part may further comprise at least one holding means for holding the lower part of the container on the ground while the container is deployed from the folded position to the deployed position. In one embodiment, the holding means inserts a user's foot to apply a downward force on the lower part to hold the lower part on the ground when a vertical force is applied to deploy the container. There may be at least one slot at the bottom adapted to allow Preferably the container comprises two slots. Alternatively, the holding means may be any means for holding the container on the surface on which the container stands or sits.

  Alternatively, the container may be deployed by other means. For example, air may be blown into the folded container using a blower to deploy the container. The air blown into the container can be of any suitable pressure necessary to allow such deployment.

  In another embodiment, the lower portion may further comprise at least two positioning slots for receiving forklift tabs to facilitate lifting and stacking of the containers. Suitably, the positioning slot is positioned to extend inwardly from the lower sidewall opposite the container outlet. This configuration minimizes the possibility that the forklift will damage the outlet.

  The lower portion may comprise a substantially flat bottom for placement on a flat surface. Alternatively, the lower portion may have a complementary contour to the upper portion to facilitate stacking of similar containers. For example, the top of a container may have outwardly projecting contours that are acceptable when stacked on top of each other due to the recessed contours of the bottom of similar containers.

  The lower part may be reinforced to increase rigidity. For example, the lower part may be provided with ribs to increase the rigidity of the container. Preferably, the container comprises a concave rib positioned on the lower foundation to reinforce the container.

  The lower portion may have an internal contour that facilitates the flow of material towards the area in the container to facilitate the discharge of the material. Preferably, the region is located at or around the outlet. The internal contour may comprise convex ribs to facilitate the flow of material towards the outlet.

  Residual material drainage may be effected by inserting an inflatable balloon into the container such that the balloon is positioned between the lower inner surface and the flexible bag. This configuration displaces the material in the container by inflating the balloon during use. Suitably, the balloon is positioned to flow material toward the outlet when inflated.

  The container can be substantially rectangular in shape with rounded corners.

  In one embodiment, the container may be enclosed in a metal frame when in a deployed configuration. Such a metal frame is sometimes referred to as a metal cage and may be removable from the container. Preferably, the metal frame provides support to the container. Alternatively, the container can be encased or confined within any suitable outer structure.

  The present invention also provides a packaging system comprising the aforementioned intermediate bulk container.

  In order that the present invention may be fully understood and facilitated in practice, embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, the description of which refers to the accompanying figures.

1 is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1B is a front view of the container of FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. It is a perspective view of the container by other one Embodiment of this invention. 3B is a front view of the container of FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 4 is a side view in cross section of an accordion pleat of the container of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B having accordion pleats in a self-supporting configuration. FIG. 2 is a side view in cross section of an accordion pleat of the container of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B having an accordion pleat in a spring configuration. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the container of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B. FIG. 4 is a side view in cross section of the container of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a number of similar containers according to the present invention stacked by a forklift. FIG. 6 is a side view in cross section of a siphon coupling a flexible bag to the outlet of a container according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view of a container according to a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a container according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view of a container according to a still further embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to the figures, the present invention is illustrated in two configurations: the expanded configuration shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A, and FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4B. The present invention relates to an intermediate bulk container 5 that can have a folded configuration.

  In one embodiment, the container 5 has an upper portion 10, a lower portion 15, and an intermediate portion 20 that can be made from a flexible material. The container 5 can be hollow with a confined internal volume or cavity and can be made from the same flexible material that is seamless or from different materials. The confined internal volume or void is defined by the upper part 10, the lower part 15 and the intermediate part 20 of the container 5.

  The intermediate portion 20 further comprises a plurality of horizontal fold lines 25 that surround the periphery of the intermediate portion 20, and the fold lines 25 are substantially in the container 5 under the action of a substantially vertical force on the container. In order to allow vertical expansion or folding, the accordion-shaped pleat 30 that forms the crest 35 and the trough 40 is provided. The intermediate part 20 can expand and fold the container in the vertical direction under the action of the pulling force A and the compressive force B in the vertical direction on the container along the central axis.

  The fold lines 25 can be equally spaced apart. In one embodiment, the distance between the fold lines is 71.5 mm. The wall of the container can be between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm in thickness. These values are important because the walls must be thin enough to ensure the flexibility (ie movement) of the intermediate section 20 while providing strength to the container 5 to accommodate the material.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, the accordion-like pleat 30 is fully unfolded from the folded position without the pleat requiring an applied downward force. It is a self-supporting configuration (see FIG. 5A) that can hold any selected position between the two positions. In this embodiment, each pleat has an asymmetric structure comprising a first end with a bulbous tip 28 and a second end with a non-bulb-like tip 29. The lowermost pleat is positioned above the upward area 31 of the lower portion 15, while the uppermost pleat is positioned below the upper upward area 32. Each pleat structure can bend and buckle each pleat as it is compressed to retain its folded position. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the pleats buckle in a convex shape. This allows the height of the container 5 to be adjusted and maintained without the use of external fastening means such as a strap.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, the accordion pleat 30 is in a spring configuration (see FIG. 5B) that biases the container toward the deployed position. Then, the compressed container needs to be held in place by fastening means such as a strap when adjusting the height of the container. In this embodiment, each pleat has a symmetrical structure with a first end and a second end with a bulbous tip 28. The lowermost pleat is positioned above the downward area 31 of the lower part 15. The uppermost pleat is positioned below the upper upward area 32. When compressed, each pleat maintains a substantially horizontal profile without bending or buckling. When the compressive force is removed, the pleats 30 deploy and return to their deployed position.

  In one embodiment, the height of the container 5 in the deployed configuration can be 1015 mm, and the height of the container in the folded configuration can be 450 mm. In this way, the internal volume or void of the container 5 can be reduced by about 55% when the container 5 is folded. This allows more empty containers to be packaged and transported, thus saving transportation costs.

  In one embodiment, the container 5 is made from a single sheet of seamless material. Any suitable method of manufacturing the container 5 can be considered. For example, methods such as rotational molding or blow molding can be performed. Any thermoplastic elastomer, such as high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, or nylon, is used to form the container 5.

  The container 5 further comprises an inlet 45 and an outlet 50 that can be placed at any suitable location in the container 5. Nevertheless, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inlet 45 and outlet 50 are placed in the upper portion 10 and the lower portion 15 of the container 5, respectively. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B show that the inlet 45 is located at a central location in the upper part 10 of the container 5. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B show a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the inlet 45 is located adjacent to the front side 55 of the container and on the same side or plane / axis as the outlet 50. FIG. . The advantage of this configuration is that it allows easy installation of a flexible bag, liner or liner bag in the internal volume or cavity of the container 5. This will be described in detail later.

  The inlet 45 can comprise any suitable cap or lid and the outlet 50 can comprise any suitable cock, such as a ball valve.

  In one embodiment, a flexible bag (not shown) may be placed or placed in the internal volume or cavity of the container 5. The flexible bag can be made from any suitable material for containing materials that need to be transported and / or stored in the container 5. The advantage of such a bag is that it allows reuse of the container 5 and prevention of leakage. In this way, it is preferred that the inlet 45 and outlet 50 be as close as possible to each other in order to allow easy installation of a flexible bag in a folded configuration.

  In this regard, FIGS. 3A and 3B show a preferred embodiment in which the inlet 45 and outlet 50 are aligned along the vertical axis of the container and positioned at the center of the upper and lower edges, respectively. This preferred configuration minimizes the distance between the inlet 45 and the outlet 50.

  In one embodiment, a folded container having a flexible bag disposed therein is transported to any desired location where the container is later deployed together with the flexible bag therein, where the material is Can be filled.

  Although not shown in the figure, the container 5 may comprise any maintenance means for maintaining the container 5 when the container 5 is in a folded configuration.

  The vertical forces A and B can be provided by any suitable means, for example, any machine for providing mechanical forces.

  In one embodiment, the force may be applied manually. The upper portion 10 may comprise at least one engaging portion so that a user can engage the container when providing a vertical force to deploy or fold the container 5. The engaging means can be in the form of slots 60 in the upper part 10, each slot 60 allowing the insertion of one bar (not shown in the figure), whereby the end of the bar is connected to the container 5 The user may be able to provide a tensile or compressive vertical force to unfold or fold the container 5. The slot 60 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B can also accommodate a pallet strap that can be used to provide a vertical force to unfold or fold the container.

  In order to provide leverage when pulling the container 5 to deploy the container 5, the lower part 15 has a foot feature (FIGS. 1A and 1B) for holding the container 5 on the ground on which it is placed. (Not shown) may be provided. The foot feature or securing means is any optional adapted to allow insertion of the user's foot to hold the container 5 on the ground when a vertical force is applied to deploy the container 5 A slot may be provided. 3A and 3B show a container 5 with a foot feature 12 that allows the insertion of the user's foot to hold the container 5 on the ground when a vertical force is applied to deploy the container 5. Is shown.

  The container 5 can take any suitable shape. For efficient transportation and storage, the container 5 is substantially rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The upper part 10, the lower part 15 and the side part of the container 5 can be substantially flat in order to be placed on / on a flat surface.

  3A and 3B, the upper portion 10 of the container 5 is complementary to the lower profile of the lower portion 15 with several depressions 16 that can accommodate the protrusions 14 to facilitate stacking of similar containers 5. Having a contour with a number of protrusions 14.

  The recess 16 is open at the side of the container to form a positioning slot 18, which accommodates the forklift tabs to facilitate the stacking of similar containers in one direction. (See FIG. 8).

  The outer side wall of the lower part 15 is provided with concave ribs 19 that increase the rigidity of the container 5 in order to improve the mechanical strength. The contour of the foundation inside the lower part 15 comprises several convex ribs 22 to guide the material from the flexible bag towards the outlet 50 during the discharging process (see FIG. 7).

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the material collects in the region 24, which is the lowest point in the container. In order for the collected material to drain through outlet 50, siphon 26 is positioned in region 24 in the flexible bag. The siphon 26 is connected to the ball valve 34 connected to the outlet 150 using an adapter 36. The adapter 36 includes two O-rings 38 that provide secondary containment of material in the container 5. In this regard, the O-ring 38 reduces the likelihood that material leaking from the flexible bag into the container body will exit the container 5 if, for example, a hole is made in the flexible bag.

  In some embodiments, the flexible bag includes a cap 33 that is positioned in the region 24 to protect the flexible bag from damage by the siphon 26 (see FIG. 9).

  In embodiments of the present invention, the container 5 can be confined or enclosed in any suitable exoskeleton when in the deployed configuration. For example, the exoskeleton can be a metal frame (such as that shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B), and the metal frame can be removable from the container. The metal type can be the type known in the industry as “Goodpack”, which can act both as a modular integrated transport device and to provide support strength to the container.

  Preferably, the present invention provides a container that is foldable so that the volume of the container is reduced for efficient storage and transportation, but is particularly strong and robust to accommodate materials that are harmful fluids. Enables simple and quick deployment to provide a simple container.

  In a further embodiment, the container can be contoured at the top and bottom. Contouring can act to engage the corresponding container when one is placed over the other. Specifically, FIG. 10A shows the lower portion of the container 70 having a longitudinal recess 75 corresponding to the longitudinal protrusion in the upper portion.

  The longitudinal recess can also act to accept a claw from a forklift or other transport device. To ensure lateral movement of the stacked containers, the longitudinal recess 75 may have enlarged areas 80 and 90 for receiving corresponding enlarged protrusions at the top. Having an enlarged portion can act to resist shear forces and prevent movement along some horizontal axes. If the enlarged regions 80 and 90 are not enlarged, movement parallel to the longitudinal depression may not be sufficiently prevented.

  The depression 85 located centrally within the longitudinal depression 75 is provided with a deeper depression so that the central depression 85 is not flush with the rest of the longitudinal depression 75. This can provide a number of advantages, including strengthening the bottom and providing isolation between the enlarged regions 80,90. It can be imagined that the insertion of the claw into the longitudinal recess 75 may adhere along its length and prevent removal. With a deeper recess 85, the claw does not make surface contact along the entire length and therefore breaks possible adhesions. Still further, having a deeper recess 85 at the center position distributes the weight of the container to the claws in the lower edge region, thus separating it from the potentially weaker planar region.

  As mentioned earlier, FIGS. 11A and 11B show a container placed in a metal or rigid polymer intermodal device. Although the container may be used in a conventional intermodal device, the device 115 of FIGS. 11A and 11B is particularly adapted for use with a container according to the present invention.

  The intermodal device 115 includes a removable wall 125 to assist access to the container 95. The end wall 100 includes a panel 105 that can be selectively opened to gain access to the closure 110 of the container 95.

  The device 115 can be opened as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B to gain access to the inlet 120 of the container 95. Alternatively, a lid (not shown) may be fitted to the device to completely seal the container within the device 115.

  The device 115 further comprises a recess 130 for receiving a claw for ease of transport.

  In shipping containers, the engagement between the top and bottom of stacked containers is configured to prevent lateral movement of the containers. Figures 12A-12C illustrate a further adaptation to prevent vertical movement. Included in the upper and lower portions are openings configured to receive the bars that join the containers together, thus increasing the required applied force required to displace the containers. Effectively, the lower container 145 acts as a tether for the upper container 135. The openings at the top and bottom are positioned so that when stacking containers, the openings line up to allow the bar to pass through each opening, resulting in engagement of the stacked containers.

  12A and 12B show an embodiment in which bars 140, 150 are applied parallel to the shortest dimension, and FIG. 12C shows a configuration in which bars 155 are placed parallel to the longest dimension. .

  While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many changes or modifications in design or construction details may be made without departing from the invention.

Claims (12)

A foldable intermediate bulk container,
(A) the upper part;
(B) the lower part;
(C) comprising a flexible intermediate portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion,
The intermediate portion is an accordion-like shape that forms ridges and valleys to allow the container to expand or fold substantially vertically under the action of a substantially vertical force on the container. A collapsible intermediate bulk container comprising a plurality of horizontal fold lines that provide pleats.   The foldable intermediate bulk container of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion is configured to apply an elastic bias to move the container from a folded position to a deployed position.   A foldable intermediate bulk container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper part comprises a selectively sealable inlet.   4. A foldable intermediate bulk container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower part comprises a selectively openable outlet.   5. A foldable intermediate bulk container according to claim 4, wherein the selectively openable outlet comprises a stopper.   The upper portion and the lower portion include an opening for receiving at least one bar so that when the container is stacked, the opening is aligned with and engages the container when receiving the bar. 6. A foldable intermediate bulk container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 positioned on the surface.   The foldable intermediate bulk container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a liner placed in a cavity defined by the upper part, the lower part and the intermediate part.   (A) an upper part, (b) a lower part, and (c) a flexible part disposed between the upper part and the lower part, the flexible part being subjected to a substantially vertical force acting on the container. A collapsible intermediate bulk container formed to allow substantially vertical deployment and / or folding of the container below.   The collapsible intermediate bulk container of claim 8, further comprising a liner placed in a cavity defined by the upper portion, the lower portion, and the flexible portion.   A packaging system comprising the intermediate bulk container according to claim 1 or 8.   The packaging system of claim 10, comprising a metal box configured to receive the container.   12. A packaging system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the metal box comprises at least one selectively removable wall.