Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D88/00—Large containers
  • B65D88/16—Large containers flexible
  • B65D88/1612—Flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC]
  • B65D88/1675—Lifting fittings
  • B65D88/1681—Flexible, e.g. loops, or reinforcements therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
  • B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
  • A44B18/00—Fasteners of the touch-and-close type; Making such fasteners
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D29/00—Sacks or like containers made of fabrics; Flexible containers of open-work, e.g. net-like construction
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D88/00—Large containers
  • B65D88/54—Large containers characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying
  • B65D88/56—Large containers characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying by tilting
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
  • B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
  • B65F1/0006—Flexible refuse receptables, e.g. bags, sacks

Definitions

• a flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC), jumbo, bulk bag, super sack, big bag, or ton bag is an industrial container made of flexible fabric that is designed for storing and transporting dry, flowable products, such as sand, fertilizer, and granules of plastic.
• Transporting and loading is done by lifting the FIBC from the loop portions. Bags are normally made with either one, two or four lifting loop portions. Emptying is made easy by a special opening in the bottom such as a discharge spout, of which there are several options, or by simply cutting it open.
• FIBC FIBC
• FIBC FIBC-i.e. circular, u-panel, four-panel, baffle, two lift loop portions, four lift loop portions, cross corner lift loop portions.
• the present invention is applicable to all know types.
• JP2008302958A provides a container bag that can be safely opened, having a foldable discharge cylinder at the bottom, members to open and close the discharge cylinder.
• the invention solves the problem that the FIBC according to the invention can be reused many times as all to do is put the straps together with the FIBC after use by pressing the hook and loop fasteners together between the two parts.
• the present invention concerns a Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container, FIBC, comprising: a bag body with a bag base and at least one sidewall, a plurality straps each including a loop portion and an attachment portion, attached to the FIBC, whereof at of least one of the plurality straps includes a releasable portion between the loop portion and the attachment portion.
• a release assembly releasably holds at least one of the plurality of straps at a portion adjacent the loop portion, at least to a sidewall upper part.
• the attachment portion is secured to the bag body at a location on or adjacent the bag base.
• the attachment portion may be secured to the bag body between a bottom edge of the at least one sidewall and the bag base.
• the first part and the second part of the release assembly may have equal lengths, and the second part may extend a total height of the sidewall, and wherein the attachment portion as permanently fixed to the base of the bag body in an area between a centre of the bag base and the bottom of the at least one sidewall.
• release assembly may be a hook and loop fastener.
• the fastener assembly may be one of a magnetic fastener, where one part (+/-) is permanently fixed to the sidewall and optionally to the base, and the respective other part (7+) is permanently fixed to the strap, or a zip fastener.
• the FIBC may be a four-panel FIBC.
• the straps and the corresponding releasable fasteners may be located along the edges of the four panels a four-panel FIBC.
• the straps and the corresponding releasable fasteners may be located along edges of the panels and may extend from the bag base at a distance from an edge of the panels in a range between 5 and 20% of the width of the panel.
• the FIBC may be a circular-type FIBC, or a u-panel FBIC, comprising at least two loop portions where at least one is attached to a detachable strap.
• the FIBC may include at least one of a discharge spout and a top skirt.
• the FIBC may include at least one of: three straps whereof one with a releasable portion, three straps whereof two with a releasable portion, three straps whereof all with a releasable portion, four straps whereof two with a releasable portion and four straps whereof all with a releasable portion.
• the release assembly may include a first part releasably secured to a second part, wherein the first part is secured to the releasable portion of the strap, and the second part is secured to the bag body.
• the invention concerns a method for discharging a FIBC with an FIBC as described above comprising the steps of lifting up the FIBC by all loop portions a height, releasing at least one of the loop portions to trigger the release assembly, and thereby turning the bag around and discharging the content.
• Figure 1 schematically shows a state-of-the-art FIBC.
• Figure 2 schematically shows a preferred embodiment of a FIBC according to the invention.
• Figure 3 schematically shows a preferred embodiment of a FIBC according to the invention.
• Figure 4 schematically shows a preferred embodiment of a FIBC according to the invention.
• Figure 5 schematically shows the steps of the preferred method for emptying the FIBC according to the invention.
• Figure 6 is a schematic representation in perspective view of a FIBC in an alternative embodiment of the invention with a circular layout.
• Figure 7 is a schematic representation in perspective view of a FIBC in an alternative embodiment of the invention with a release assembly surrounding the straps.
• FIBC 01 is the flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC), made of flexible fabric that is designed for storing and transporting.
• the bag base 02 is the bag base. Emptying is normally made easy by a special opening in the bag base 02, such as a discharge spout 06, or by simply cutting it open.
• top area 04 is the top area of the FIBC. Charging is normally done via the top area 04, usually provided with top shirt 07.
• 05 are the loop portions. Transporting and loading is done by lifting the FIBC from the loop portions 05.
• the loop portions are attached to the sidewalls 03 with straps 08. Normally the straps extend to the top edge of the FIBC and form the loop portions. The straps are sewn to the edges of the state-of-the-art FIBC.
• FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of an FIBC 1 according to the invention.
• Straps 08 each with a releasable portion 15 is detachably attached on the sidewall 03 with a hook and loop fasteners 10a, 10b forming a release assembly, where a second part is permanently fixed to the sidewall, and a respective first part is permanently fixed to the strap 08.
• Figure 2 also exemplifies the embodiment where the straps 08 are permanently fixed with their lower ends forming an attachment portion 14 of the strap 08, to a lower edge 11 of the FIBC at the bag base 02.
• the straps are permanently fixed at their lower ends to a lower edge 11 of the FIBC but are going further round the bag (via the base 02) and might be permanently fixed to the base 02 as well.
• the straps 08 form a loop 05 at the strap end.
• the straps are normally sewn (placed) to the edges.
• the present invention also works with this configuration - straps sewn (placed) to the edges.
• the straps are placed lateral to the edges.
• the embodiments are performed in such a way that two of the four loop portions/straps are conducted on one sidewall and the other two loop portions/straps are conducted on the opposite sidewall.
• the loop portions/straps are conducted lateral with approximately the same distance from the edges 11.
• Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of an FIBC according to the invention.
• each strap includes a loop portion 05 at each end, a releasable portion 15 adjacent each loop portion 05, and a strap attachment portion 14 at the middle.
• a bottom portion without a releasable portion may be provided between the releasable portion 15 and the attachment portion 14 both on the embodiment with a one-piece strap and the embodiment with a two piece strap.
• the FIBC 01 is equipped with hook and loop fasteners 10, extending along the height 09 of the sidewall of the container 01, and is lifted on all the straps 08 until it is to be emptied by releasing parts of the straps from the lifting equipment so that the fastener mechanism 10 is triggered on the unreleased straps and the bag is turned around and emptied of its contents.
• hook and loop fasteners 10 extending along the height 09 of the sidewall of the container 01, and is lifted on all the straps 08 until it is to be emptied by releasing parts of the straps from the lifting equipment so that the fastener mechanism 10 is triggered on the unreleased straps and the bag is turned around and emptied of its contents.
• quick release hooks are preferably used to release parts of the straps from the lifting equipment.
• the FIBC is lifted on two of the hooks/straps 08 - at least these two straps are i) performed with detachable fasteners 10 according to the first aspect of the invention, ii) adjacent to each other, iii) preferably on one side (A or B) of the container.
• the fasteners, the hooks and loops respectively, will separate from each other by the weight of the load.
• the strap then detaches from the respective wall and the container will turn 180 degrees and empty.
• the container can be emptied both when they are standing on the ground, as described before, or when they are hanging in the air. Selected lifting equipment and the functionality of this equipment determine how the emptying itself will take place. This is described below with some examples of lifting equipment that already exists today or that can easily be supplemented and further developed from a professional in the art.
• the container with, for example, 4 straps is driven by the truck or tractor, which has the straps/hooks attached to the fork with two straps on each fork, preferably where one of the respective two straps at one fork is attached to one side (for example A) of the container and the other strap is attached to the opposite side (in the example, B) of the container, and both straps are close to one (the same) side (for example side C) of the container.
• the container is placed on the ground and the truck/tractor backs up so that only the two straps (one on each fork) at the back (for example side A) are left on the fork- step a.
• the tower on the fork is raised and the fasteners on the remaining straps are loosened, step b, by the weight of the load so that the bag turns 180 degrees, step c, and is emptied. This is schematically shown in figure 5.
• FIGS. 2-5 show an embodiment forming a cube with four discrete panels forming sides A, B, C, D and a bottom with a bottom panel.
• the application is similarly applicable all types of FIBC 's including circular-type FIBC 's and u-panel FBIC 's.
• FIBC's with another number of loops such as three loops and five loops.
• the term at "least one sidewall" is used to cover all such embodiments as a circular-type FIBC could be interpreted to include only one sidewall.
• the FIBC with, for example, 4 straps are driven by the truck/tractor, which has the straps attached to the fork with one strap (the straps from side A according to the figures) on each fork.
• the two other straps (the straps from side B according to the figures) are attached to an additional strap, or similar, which is tied together to a ring which is pulled through the two straps and attached to the fork instead.
• the FIBC is raised high, and the additional strap is cut so that the two front straps 08 are loosened by the weight of the load and the FIBC is emptied of its contents when the fastener loosens on the two remaining straps - step b.
• a device with 2 hooks attached to two rails is applied to the forks of the truck or tractor, which is applied to the forks where the hooks hang at the front.
• the truck or tractor drives forward so that all 4 straps enter the fork.
• the two front straps are attached to the hooks instead of the fork.
• These two hooks (for example and preferably onload quick release hooks) can be released electronically, mechanically or manually while the load is hanging high.
• the two rear straps with the fasteners are fixed in the fork and the bag turns and empties.
• the crane is equipped with hooks that have a release mechanism where you can release the hook manually, mechanically, or electronically (for example and preferably onload quick release hooks).
• the crane has also fitted hooks that cannot be released.
• the bag is attached with, for example, 2 straps to a hook that can be released and 2 straps to a hook that cannot be released. When release occurs, two of the straps loosen and the fastener mechanism on the straps that do not loosen ensures that the bag is turned around and emptied.
• Four-panel FIBC 's include a bag body with a base, four sidewalls, and four loop portions (05), attached to the sidewalls with straps (08), and may include a discharge spout (06), and a top skirt (07), where at least one, preferably two adjacent, more preferably all four of the straps (08) extent along the total height (09) of the respective sidewall, are detachably attached on the sidewall with a hook and loop fasteners 10a, 10b, where one part (10a or 10b) is permanently fixed to the sidewall, and the respective other part (10b or 10a) is permanently fixed to the strap (08), and are permanently fixed with their lower ends to the lower edge (11) of the FIBC.
• FIBC (01) where two adjacent, optionally the two adjacent and the two opposite adjacent straps (08) extent along the total height (09) of the respective sidewall, and further down to the base (02), are detachably attached on the sidewall with a hook and loop fasteners 10a, 10b, where one part (10a or 10b) is permanently fixed to the sidewall and optionally to the base, and the respective other part (10b or 10a) is permanently fixed to the strap (08), and are permanently fixed with their lower ends to the base (02) of the FIBC, preferably in the range between the perpendicular bisector (12) of the base (02) and the edges (11).
• FIBC (01) where the straps (08) and the corresponding hook and loop fasteners (10) are placed at the edges of the bag.
• FIBC (01), where the straps (08) and the corresponding hook and loop fasteners (10) are placed lateral to the edges.
• FIBC (01) where the fastener is not a hook and loop fasteners, but a different type, such for example a magnetic fastener, where one part (+/-) is permanently fixed to the sidewall and optionally to the base, and the respective other part (7+) is permanently fixed to the strap (08), or a zip fastener.
• a magnetic fastener where one part (+/-) is permanently fixed to the sidewall and optionally to the base, and the respective other part (7+) is permanently fixed to the strap (08), or a zip fastener.
• the FIBC (01) may be a four-panel FIBC, a circular-type as shown in Fig. 6, or a u-panel type, comprising at least two loop portions (05) where at least one is attached to a detachable strap (08).
• FIG. 6 are the straps (08) with the loops (05) attached to the cylindrical sidewall (03) surrounding the circular base (02) with release assembly (13) in the form of hook and loop fasteners (10) along the cylindrical sidewall (03) and the straps (08).
• the release assembly (13) in the form of hook and loop fasteners (10) holds the straps (08) with the loops (05) attached to the cylindrical sidewall (03) including to the sidewall upper part (16).
• Fig. 7 shows a four panel FIBC (01) with four release assemblies (13) secured to the sidewall (03), two for each strap (08). Two of the four release assemblies (13) are secured to the sidewall upper part (16).
• the release assemblies (13) surrounding the straps (08) can be made as separate bands with hook and loop fasteners securing the band to itself to form a loop surrounding the straps (08). In this embodiment may the hook/loop fasteners along the straps (08) and the sidewall (03) be omitted.
• the straps (08) will be released from the sidewall (03) in two steps with the shown two release assemblies for each strap (08)
• the method for discharging a FIBC may include the steps of: a) lifting up the FIBC on all loop portions, preferably at least a height 09, b) releasing parts of the loop portions/straps to trigger the hook and loop fasteners mechanism on the unreleased straps, and thereby c) turning the bag around and discharging the content.
• the method for discharging a FIBC may include the steps of: lifting the FIBC on at least one, preferably on to adjacent loop portions/straps, and thereby, trigger the hook and loop fasteners mechanism on these straps, and thereby, turning the bag around and discharging the content.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Bag Frames (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=95695748

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2023
  • 2023-11-09 NO NO20231210A patent/NO348784B1/en unknown
• 2024
  • 2024-11-08 EP EP24875719.7A patent/EP4594213A4/de active Pending
  • 2024-11-08 WO PCT/NO2024/050244 patent/WO2025101085A1/en active Pending

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events