WO2021252367A1

WO2021252367A1 - Shipping containers, and methods of using the same

Info

Publication number: WO2021252367A1
Application number: PCT/US2021/036199
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonathan AMSLER; David CLAUSON
Original assignee: Coffeeseed Capital, Llc
Priority date: 2020-06-09
Filing date: 2021-06-07
Publication date: 2021-12-16

Abstract

A container for the shipping of a commodity, the container having a body defining an inner volume for holding the commodity, and having a bulk opening for accessing the inner volume with a resealable closure for selectively opening and closing the bulk inlet. A sampling port is formed in the body to provide access to the inner volume via a sapling instrument or the removal of a quantity of the commodity; and a pressure-relief port is formed in the body to provide a fluid flow path for the removal of excess fluid from the inner volume to depressurize the inner volume of the bag. The container is preferably provided in the form of a bag, with each of the bulk inlet, sampling port and pressure-relief port having airtight closures for securing the inner volume in an airtight condition.

Description

SHIPPING CONTAINERS, AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the shipping and transportation of commodities, and in particular a container for shipping and transporting commodities and a method of using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Coffee, and in particular unroasted coffee beans (i.e., green coffee beans), is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. As a major traded commodity, there is great importance in maintaining the quality of the coffee bean during shipping and transportation.

Coffee beans are in fact seeds from cherries of the coffee tree. Following harvest, the coffee cherries are processed to remove the seeds, and the seeds are then milled (or otherwise sorted) to remove defective and undesirable seeds, and to grade the remaining seeds by one or more quality criteria. Seeds retained after such milling are commonly referred to as green coffee beans, which are then loaded into packaging for storage and shipment. Green coffee beans are subsequently roasted to promote unique aromas and flavors, and the roasted coffee beans are then grinded to produce coffee grinds for use in brewing coffee.

Not all coffee beans are created equal. The aroma and flavor of a green coffee bean can vary from one region to another, and further based on the conditions under which the beans were harvested. In addition, the quality of a coffee bean can be negatively impacted during shipping and transportation, for example, based on environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels which can alter the chemistry of the beans, resulting in significant changes to the aroma and flavor profile.

It is a common practice in the art to sample and test a shipment of coffee beans to ensure that they are in fact of the type and grade purchased, and that they were not degraded during shipping and transportation. This practice is commonly referred to as cupping. Generally, cupping is performed by removing a small quantity of green coffee beans directly from a shipping package and making a visual inspection thereof, followed by roasting and grinding of the beans, and subsequent brewing of coffee which is then sampled for aroma and flavor.

While cupping (i.e., sampling) of green coffee beans is an important quality assurance practice, it does present certain complications. For example, green coffee beans are normally shipped in traditional packaging, often in the form of a jute or burlap sack, that does not provide any protection against tampering, either prior or subsequent to the cupping. Conventional packaging is also lacking in that it is not easily resealed following cupping, which may lead to negative environmental influences (e.g., introduction of excess oxygen or moisture) to the remaining coffee beans in a sampled package.

Accordingly, there remains a need for a shipping container that can provide a suitable environment for safely transporting commodities such as coffee beans, while protecting against undesirable environmental variables that could harm the commodity, while also permitting access to the contained commodity for sampling without compromising the protections provided by the container. It is preferable that such a container also be reusable and/or recyclable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container for the shipping of a commodity is provided, for example in the form of a bag, the container having a body defining an inner volume for holding the commodity, the body having a bulk opening for accessing the inner volume, the bulk opening having a resealable closure for selectively securing and accessing the inner volume of the body. The resealable closure of the bulk opening is an airtight closure that may be provided in the form of a zipper, a pressure seal, and the like.

A sampling port is formed in the body to provide access to the inner volume defined by the body from an outside of the container for the removal of a quantity of the commodity from the inner volume via a sampling instrument dimensioned for insertion through the sampling port. The sampling port has a self-sealing closure adapted to opening upon insertion of the sampling instrument into the sampling port, and is further adapted to self-seal upon withdrawal of the sampling instrument from the sampling port to then secure the inner volume. The self-sealing closure is an airtight closure that may be provided in the form of a flap valve.

A pressure-relief port formed in the body, the pressure-relief port providing a fluid flow path for the removal of a fluid from the inner volume defined by the body to an outside of the container. The pressure-relief port has a one-way valve adapted to open upon the occurrence of a threshold pressure within the inner volume of the container, so as to release excess fluid from the inner volume and thereby depressurize the inner volume. The one-way valve is an airtight valve that may be provided in the form of a check valve. The pressure-relief port may also be configured to engage with a vacuum device for the generation of a vacuum force at an outside of the valve to thereby open the one-way valve for removal of excess fluid and depressurization of the inner volume. The container, in the form of a bag, may be formed with the body made of a polymer plastic or silicone, and with handles provided at one or both sides of the body that are formed of the same or a different material. In use, a commodity is placed in the inner volume of the container, and the inner volume is subsequently depressurized to remove excess fluids therefrom to an atmosphere outside the container. The inner volume may be depressurized by an active application of a compressive force to the body; by an active application of a vacuum force to the pressure-relief port; or by a passive occurrence of a threshold pressure within the inner volume of the container that cause the one-way valve to open.

Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention; are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification; illustrate embodiments of the invention; and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention can be ascertained from the following detailed description that is provided in connection with the drawings described below:

FIG. 1 shows one example of a container according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following disclosure discusses the present invention with reference to the examples shown in the accompanying drawings, though does not limit the invention to those examples.

The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language ( e.g ., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential or otherwise critical to the practice of the invention. Unless made clear in context,

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless indicated otherwise by context, the term “or” is to be understood as an inclusive “or.” Terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. when used to describe multiple devices or elements, are so used only to convey the relative actions, positioning and/or functions of the separate devices, and do not necessitate either a specific order for such devices or elements, or any specific quantity or ranking of such devices or elements.

It will be understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, unless indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Unless indicated otherwise, or clearly contradicted by context, methods described herein can be performed with the individual steps executed in any suitable order, including: the precise order disclosed, without any intermediate steps or with one or more further steps interposed between the disclosed steps; with the disclosed steps performed in an order other than the exact order disclosed; with one or more steps performed simultaneously; and with one or more disclosed steps omitted.

The present invention is inclusive of a reusable, resealable and recyclable container for the shipping of commodities, including food products. Though the following description addresses examples of the invention in use with coffee beans, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable for use with any other commodities, both liquid and solid.

FIG. 1 shows one example of a container 1 according to the present invention, in the form of a bag 1. The bag 1 may be made of any suitable material for containing a given commodity therein, though is preferably made of a reusable and recyclable material such a polymer plastic. The bag may also be provided in a wide range of sizes and volumes, including examples adapted to carry loads up to 1,000 lbs.

The bag 1 includes a body 2 defining an inner volume that is accessible through a bulk inlet 3 at one end of the body 2. An airtight resealable closure 4 is provided at the bulk inlet 3 to enable selective closing and opening of the inlet 3. Examples of suitable resealable closures include, though are not limited to: zippers; pressure-type seals (such as Ziploc® type seals); and the like. Preferably, the resealable closure 4 comprises a lock or other seal that prevents unauthorized access to the inner volume of the bag 1, and which will provide a visual indication of any tampering to the contents of the bag 1. The body 2 may also include one or more handles 5 (e.g., one on each side of the body 2) to facilitate lifting and carrying of the bag 1, the handles 5 optionally being made of the same or a different material than the remainder of the body 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the bag 1 includes an airtight sampling port 6 that is suitably sized and dimensioned for the insertion of a sampling instrument (e.g., a probe, gauge or siphon) for removal of a quantity of the contents from the inner volume of the bag 1. The sampling port 6 is provided with a self-sealing closure 7 that is adapted for selective opening upon insertion of a sampling instrument, and automatic resealing upon withdrawal of the sampling instrument. Examples of suitable self-sealing closures include, though are not limited to: a flap valve; and the like. The sampling port 6 will be adapted to the size and shape of a probe that is typically used for sampling the given commodity to be stored in the bag 1. For example, a common coffee bean probe is typically 1 ½” in diameter by 15” long.

The Example in FIG. 1 also includes at least one airtight pressure-relief port 8 that is provided with a one-way valve 9 adapted for the removal of excess fluids (e.g., gases or liquids) from the inner volume of the bag 1 to an outside atmosphere. The one-way valve 9 may be adapted to open upon occurrence of a threshold pressure that is determined in advance to correspond with a predetermined pressure that should not be exceeded within the inner volume of the bag 1 based on the contents to be held therein. The one-way valve may also be adapted to open upon application of a vacuum force to an outside of the valve. In operation, the bag 1 may be filled with a given commodity and excess fluids may then be removed from the inner volume of the bag 1, either by applying a pressure to the body 2 of the bag 1 sufficient to generate a pressure within the inner volume that exceeds the threshold pressure or by applying a vacuum force to an outside of the one way valve 9, thereby sealing the contents in a reduced pressure atmosphere within the inner volume of the bag 1. Thereafter, if a pressure within the inner volume increases to exceed the threshold pressure, then the one-way valve 9 will open to release excess fluid, thereby reducing the pressure in the inner volume. Examples of suitable one-way valves include, though are not limited to: a ball check valve; a diaphragm check valve; a duckbill valve; and the like.

Preferably, the pressure-relief port 8 further includes a filter adapted to permit the passage of excess fluids while preventing the passage of the contents that are to be kept within the inner volume of the bag 1. For example, in a bag 1 configured for holding coffee beans or other seeds, the pressure-relief port 8 may be provided with a screen type filter having suitably mesh grade for permitting the passage of fluids (such as oxygen) therethrough while preventing passage of the coffee seeds therethrough. The pressure-relief port 8 may also include a ferrule around an outer periphery thereof that is adapted for mating engagement with an end of a vacuum device, for facilitating an air-tight connection between the one-way valve 9 and such vacuum device.

The bag 1 may also include a moisture indicator 10 having a number of display regions 11 that are each adapted to indicate whether a moisture within the inner space of the bag 1 has reached or passed a respective predetermined moisture threshold. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the moisture indicator 10 may have a plurality of display regions 11 (e.g., six regions) each adapted to respond to a different predetermined moisture threshold within the inner space, with each successive display region 11 adapted to respond to a successively larger moisture threshold. As a moisture threshold within the inner space increases to reach or pass each predetermined moisture threshold, the corresponding display regions 11 will display an indicator (e.g., a change in color, symbol, etc.) to convey to a user that the moisture in the inner space has reached the corresponding predetermined threshold for each display region 11 that has responded accordingly. For example, if a moisture in the bag 1 were to reach or pass a third predetermined moisture threshold, then the three bottom-most display regions 11 may change from a neutral state (e.g., a green color) to a triggered state (e.g., a red color) to indicate that each of the three lower predetermined moisture thresholds was reached or passed, while the top-most display regions 11 would remain in the neutral state (e.g., green color) to convey that the moisture in the bag has not reached or passed any of the three higher predetermined moisture thresholds. Though the example in FIG. 1 shows a moisture indicator 10 with six display regions 11, the moisture indicator 10 may have any number of display regions, including a single display region for indicating whether a moisture in the inner space has reached or passed a single predetermined moisture threshold.

Preferably, the moisture indicator 10 is formed on a wall of the body 2 of the bag 1, and visible therethrough, such that a user may read the moisture indicator from outside the bag 1. For example, the body 2 may be formed of a translucent material and the moisture indicator may simply be adhered to an inner surface of a wall of the body 2 with an adhesive. If the body 2 is made predominantly of an opaque material, then a wall of the body 2 may be made with a translucent window, with the moisture indicator adhered to an inner surface of the window. Alternatively, when the moisture indicator 10 is needed for viewing only upon opening the bag 1, then the moisture indicator may simply be held within the inner space of the bag 1, without being formed onto a wall of the bag body 2. The moisture indicator itself may be provided in any suitable form, including though not limited to a paper test strip; an electronic system-on-chip, etc.

The bag 1 may further include a tracking module 12 configured to collect and store environmental data during transit of the bag 1, and to record the collected data with a time stamp from an internal timer or clock. For example, the tracking module 12 may intermittently record environmental data such as, though not limited to, moisture levels and temperature levels, with measurements made repeatedly on a recurring schedule (e.g., every 15 minutes to every 2 hours) and each recorded with a time stamp reflecting when each measurement was taken. The tracking module 12 may also have a wireless transmitter (e.g., Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) for transmitting the recorded data to a user via an external processing unit, such as a handheld device with an output unit such as a display screen or speaker. As shown in FIG. 1, the tracking module 12 may be embedded into a wall of the bag body 2, for example, by stitching or within a pocket space formed by two heat sealed layers. Alternatively, the tracking module 12 may simply be held within the inner space of the bag 1, without being embedded into a wall of the bag body 2.

In some embodiments, the moisture indicator 10 may be an integral component of the tracking module 12, for example, with the display regions 11 formed as visual displays on a system- on-chip and the measuring and recording components of the tracking module 12 provided on another portion of the system-on-chip.

In use, a first sending entity (e.g., a coffee bean harvesting and milling entity) fills a container such as the bag 1 with a given commodity (e.g., coffee beans or seeds) through the bulk inlet 3, and then seals the bag 1 airtight with use of the resealable closure 4. Preferably, the resealable closure 4 has a lock or seal that is accessible only by an intended end-recipient of the bag 1 and the commodity therein (e.g., a coffee bean roaster).

Optionally, after filling, the sending entity may depressurize the inner volume of the bag 1 by expelling excess fluids (e.g., oxygen) therefrom through the pressure-relief port 8. This may be achieved by applying a compressive force to the body 2 of the bag 1, so as to create a pressure within the inner volume that exceeds a threshold pressure of the one-way valve 9 of the pressure- relief port 8, thereby causing the one-way valve 9 to open and release excess fluid through the pressure-relief port 8 to an atmosphere outside the bag 1. Alternatively, the inner volume of the bag 1 may be depressurized by applying a vacuum force to an outside of the one-way valve 9 (e.g., via a vacuum device), thereby causing the one-way valve 9 to open and release excess fluid through the pressure-relief port 8.

Once filled and sealed, and optionally depressurized, the bag 1 is then transported to the intended end-recipient. During transportation the pressure-relief port 8 will passively maintain a depressurized state of the inner volume of the bag 1 by opening to release excess fluid in the event that a pressure within the inner volume exceeds the threshold pressure. Optionally, a sampling entity (e.g., a coffee cupping entity) may access the commodity in the bag 1 for testing prior to reception of the bag 1 by the intended end-recipient. Such sampling is performed by inserting a sampling instrument through the sampling port 6, via the self-sealing closure 7, to remove a quantity of the commodity. Once the sampling instalment is withdrawn from the sampling port 6 the self-sealing closure 7 will automatically reseal, thereby reestablishing an airtight containment of the commodity within the bag 1.

Once the bag 1 is received by the intended end-recipient, a user may open the resealable closure 4 to gain access to the commodity through the bulk inlet 3, and may empty the commodity from the bag 1. Thereafter, the bag 1 may be cleaned and re-used, either by returning to the first sending entity for the shipping of further quantities of the first commodity, or by the end-recipient making use of the bag 1 for shipping of another commodity.

Although the present invention is described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the foregoing disclosure addresses exemplary embodiments only; that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; and that the scope of the invention may encompass additional embodiments embracing various changes and modifications relative to the examples disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereto. The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein, but is instead characterized by the appended claims, which in no way limit the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A container for the shipping of a commodity, comprising: a body defining an inner volume for holding the commodity, the body having a bulk opening for accessing the inner volume, the bulk opening having a resealable closure for selectively securing and accessing the inner volume of the body; a sampling port formed in the body, the sampling port providing access to the inner volume defined by the body from an outside of the container for the removal of a quantity of the commodity from the inner volume; and a pressure-relief port formed in the body, the pressure-relief port providing a fluid flow path for the removal of a fluid from the inner volume defined by the body to an outside of the container.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the resealable closure of the bulk opening is an airtight closure.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the resealable closure of the bulk opening is one of: a zipper; and a pressure seal.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sampling port comprises a self-sealing closure adapted to opening upon insertion of a sampling instrument into the sampling port to grant access to the inner volume via the sampling instrument, and is further adapted to self-seal upon withdrawal of the sampling instrument from the sampling port to then secure the inner volume.

5. The container according to claim 4, wherein the self-sealing closure is an airtight closure.

6. The container according to claim 4, wherein the self-sealing closure is a flap valve.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-relief port comprises a one-way valve adapted to open upon the occurrence of a threshold pressure within the inner volume of the container, so as to release excess fluid from the inner volume and thereby depressurize the inner volume.

8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the one-way valve is an airtight valve.

9. The container according to claim 7, wherein the one-way valve is a check valve.

10. The container according to claim 7, wherein the pressure-relief port is configured to engage with a vacuum device of the generation of a vacuum force to open the one-way valve for removal of excess fluid and depressurization of the inner volume.

11. The container according to claim 4, wherein the pressure-relief port comprises a one-way valve adapted to open upon the occurrence of a threshold pressure within the inner volume of the container, so as to release excess fluid from the inner volume and thereby depressurize the inner volume.

12. A method of making the container of claim 1, comprising: forming the body with the sampling port and the pressure-relief port therein.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein: the body is formed of a polymer plastic.

14. A method of using the container of claim 1, comprising: placing a commodity in the inner volume of the container; and depressurizing the inner volume defined by the body.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the inner volume defined by the body is depressurized by applying a compressive force to the body to thereby remove excess fluid from the inner volume through the pressure-relief port.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the inner volume defined by the body is depressurized by applying a vacuum force to the pressure-relief port to thereby withdraw excess fluid through the pressure-relief port.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pressure-relief port comprises a one-way valve adapted to open upon the occurrence of a threshold pressure within the inner volume of the container, and the inner volume defined by the body is passively depressurized by the one-way valve opening upon occurrence of a pressure in excess of a predetermined pressure to thereby remove excess fluid from the inner volume through the pressure-relief port.