U.S. patent application number 11/197113 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-09 for collapsible bulk material container.
Invention is credited to Michael R. Jones, Robert J. Jones.
Application Number | 20060027638 11/197113 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35756460 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060027638 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jones; Robert J. ; et
al. |
February 9, 2006 |
Collapsible bulk material container
Abstract
A container assembly for bulk materials and a kit for assembling
same are disclosed. A forming member having a plurality of
sidewalls defines an internal cavity for receiving bulk materials.
The sidewalls are arranged relative to one another and are locked
into position so as to define a geometric volume of predetermined
shape, by means of a locking assembly. The locking assembly can be
integrally attached to or can be separable from the sidewalls, and
can form a bottom of the container assembly. A tubular sleeve of
continuous material is sized to snugly engage and overlie
substantially the entire outer surface area of the sidewalls. The
sleeve provides the containment strength, while the forming member
provides structural shape and stability to the container assembly.
Additional layers of corrugated material or woven polypropylene
material or their combination may be used as inserts engaging the
inner peripheral sidewall areas of the forming member to provide
additional strength to the container assembly. The forming member
sidewalls may be freely slidable relative to one another or may be
slidably affixed to one another by releasable glue.
Inventors: |
Jones; Robert J.; (Savage,
MN) ; Jones; Michael R.; (Apple Valley, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Attention of Charles E. Golla;MERCHANT & GOULD P.C.
P.O. Box 2903
Minneapolis
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Family ID: |
35756460 |
Appl. No.: |
11/197113 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10217638 |
Aug 12, 2002 |
6932266 |
|
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11197113 |
Aug 3, 2005 |
|
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09351389 |
Jul 13, 1999 |
6431435 |
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10217638 |
Aug 12, 2002 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
229/117.35 ;
229/109; 229/122.33; 229/157 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/029 20130101;
B65D 77/061 20130101; B65D 77/062 20130101; B65D 5/42 20130101;
B65D 5/10 20130101; B65D 5/445 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/117.35 ;
229/109; 229/122.33; 229/157 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/10 20060101
B65D005/10; B65D 5/56 20060101 B65D005/56 |
Claims
1-46. (canceled)
47. A container for bulk materials comprising: (a) a forming
member, comprising: (i) a plurality of sidewalls extending between
first and second edges and interconnected to cooperatively form an
outer surface and to encircle an internal cavity for receiving bulk
materials; and (ii) a locking assembly cooperatively engaging the
sidewalls to initially define and fix predetermined relative
positions thereamong; and (b) a sleeve with opposed open ends, the
sleeve made of continuous, woven material sized to snugly engage
and to overlie substantially the entire said outer surface of said
sidewalls between said first and second edges.
48. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said forming
member comprises a single piece of material.
49. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said sidewalls
comprise corrugated material.
50. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said locking
assembly engages said sidewalls along said lower edges.
51. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said sleeve can
be operatively positioned overlying said forming member by sliding
the sleeve over the sidewalls, from either said first or second
edges.
52. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said sleeve
comprises polypropylene material.
53. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein at least two of
said sidewalls include foldable tabs alongside said upper edges of
said sidewalls of said forming member for enhancing stacking of
containers upon each other.
54. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein at least two of
said sidewalls are configured to slidably engage one another to
provide for limited relative movement thereof.
55. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein at least two of
said sidewalls are glued to each other.
56. The container as recited in claim 55, wherein said glue is of a
releasable type that allows said glued walls to slidably move
relative to one another when subjected to predetermined sheet
forces.
57. The container as recited in claim 47, wherein said locking
assembly forms a bottom of the forming member and extends across
the internal cavity.
58. A rigid container for bulk materials comprising: (a) a forming
member defining an outer side surface and encircling an internal
cavity for receiving bulk materials which exert outward radial
forces on the side surface; and (b) a flexible sleeve with opposed
open ends and made of continuous, woven material, the sleeve
configured to engage substantially the entire outer side surface of
the forming member; (c) wherein the sleeve is configured to support
a majority of the radial forces exerted by bulk materials contained
within the container and wherein, as compared to that provided by
the sleeve, the forming member is configured to provide a majority
of the rigidity of the container.
59. The container recited in claim 58, wherein the forming member
comprises a plurality of sidewalls extending between upper and
lower edges and interconnected to cooperatively form the outer side
surface and encircle the internal cavity.
60. The container recited in claim 59, wherein the sidewalls are
configured to slidably engage one another to provide for limited
relative movement thereof.
61. The container recited in claim 59, wherein at least two of said
sidewalls are glued to each other.
62. The container recited in claim 61, wherein said glue is of a
releasable type that allows said glued sidewalls to slidably move
relative to one another when subjected to predetermined sheer
forces.
Description
[0001] This is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/351,389, filed Jul. 13, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to shipping and storage
containers, and more particularly to a container for bulk, liquid
and granular materials, which is collapsible and/or reusable or
recyclable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Effective, reliable, safe and economical packaging of bulk
products for handling, transport and storage has been a concern for
many years. Bulk products requiring such packaging vary widely from
semi-solids such as meat and other such food items; to granular
materials such as beans, peas, grains, rice, salt, flour, sugar,
dry chemicals, dry cementious products, animal feeds, fertilizers,
etc.; to liquid materials such as syrups, milk, juices, glues,
inks, resins, paints, chemicals, and the like. Since such materials
have a tendency to move or flow, containment of them for shipment,
handling and storage raises many challenges. It is desirable to
package such materials in containers that can be readily
transported by truck, rail or ship and that can be easily handled
during transport and at a final destination such as at a processing
facility by readily available equipment such as fork lifts, cranes
and the like. The flowable nature of such products presents unique
packaging issues for the container. Movement or shifting of the
materials during transport can cause deformation of the container
that can result in load shifting and instability and bursting
containers, often with enough force to damage or destroy the
container. The result is loss or damage to the container contents
and undue cleanup and environmental concerns. The containers must
even be more stable if stacked on top of each other.
[0004] The packaging industry has, to date, generally used two
primary containment approaches: (1) corrugated bulk box containers
(both plastic and paper); and (2) large bulk bags of woven fabric
generally referred to as flexible intermediate bulk containers
(FIBCs). Both approaches use various configurations of liners,
typically made of polyethylene or polypropylene, that fit within
the corrugated bulk box or within the FIBC for preventing
contamination of the product being shipped and, in the case of a
liquid product, to contain the liquid. Both packaging approaches
use containers typically configured to be supported by and carried
on pallets.
[0005] Utilizing the corrugated bulk box approach, the container
strength needed to handle the wide variety of weight and product
consistency requirements is addressed by using different strength
grades of corrugated board materials and/or by increasing the wall
thickness of the boxes by gluing corrugated sheets together or by
inserting a corrugated sleeve into the box. Another approach for
strengthening the box container is to wrap a number of plastic or
steel straps around the outside periphery of the box. Both
techniques suffer shortcomings. The price of the bulk box
significantly increases with increased wall thickness and/or higher
quality corrugated materials. If the box board wall strength and/or
thickness is reduced in order to cut costs, and a number of
external support straps or bands are used, product pressure against
the thinner box walls generally causes the box to bulge outwardly
between the straps, resulting in a container having marginal safety
factor and leading to numerous costly box failures in shipment.
[0006] The FIBCs utilize various fabrics (such as woven
polypropylene and PVC coated fabrics) and various fabric weights
and sewing methods, depending on the necessary strength of the bag
and its desired factor of safety. Such bags vary in size to
generally hold from 5 to 120 cubic feet of material and up to about
5,000 pounds of product. They generally can be designed with
various shaped tops suitable for filling, can have a solid bottom
or a sewn-in discharge spout configuration, and have lifting
handles. For dry or fluidized products that require a more rigid
bag for stability, solid support inserts may be placed inside the
bag, and between the outer bag surface and a liner (if one is used)
to provide the bag's sidewalls with more rigidity. Because of the
cost of the manufacturing sewing operations and the cost of the
rigidity enhancing inserts used in the FIBCs, they typically result
in a more expensive container than their corrugated box with
strapping counterparts. If used without significant rigidity
supports to store liquid materials, the FIBC bag will act like a
large water balloon; thereby making the FIBCs more practical for
use in shipping and storing dry bulk products instead of liquid or
semi-liquid materials. Further, the inserts that are typically
placed within the FIBCs to provide sidewall rigidity are typically
joined/hinged at their corners to fold down flat when not in use,
and do not have bottoms. Without rigid bottoms, the inserts are
susceptible to significant deformation from their intended
footprint configuration during loading of the FIBC, resulting in a
misshaped containment system that is unstable before and during
shipment. To address this problem, collapsible metal grid cages
have been configured to externally support the FIBC, further adding
to the cost and use inflexibility of such systems for containing
liquids or semi-liquid materials.
[0007] The present invention addresses the problems and
shortcomings of both the prior corrugated box and the FIBC
containment systems. The present invention combines the strength of
woven polypropylene materials used in the FIBC technology with
unique configurations of forming members and inserts using
corrugated box technology, to create a very strong container that
is easy to set up, generally maintains its shape for stacking,
which is significantly more cost effective, and which is safer and
more reliable than heretofore known packaging methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This invention uses existing industry accepted packaging
materials to form a unique bulk container system that is
universally applicable to the packaging of solid, semi-solid,
granular or liquid materials. The bulk container system of this
invention combines the advantageous features of known packaging
techniques in a unique manner without suffering their respective
shortcomings. A forming member of relatively inexpensive
lightweight corrugated material is used to define an internal
geometric volumetric shape of the container in a manner that
provides shape to the container and structural support for enabling
stacking of loaded/filled containers. The forming member is
collapsible for storage and transport and is easily erected by
folding to an operable box-like configuration. The forming member
has a unique bottom design that when assembled, squares-up and
locks the forming member sidewalls in predetermined positions to
define a desired geometric volume. The forming member is designed
to be placed on and carried by a pallet.
[0009] An outer tubular sleeve, that can be configured without
stitching or seams, is sized to surround and snugly engage the
entire outer peripheral sidewall areas of the forming member, and
assumes the defined geometric shape of the outer surface of the
forming member. The sleeve, preferably of woven polypropylene
material, provides the necessary strength for containing the bulk
material within the forming member, while the forming member
provides the desired rigidity and shape to the system. Additional
layers of the woven polypropylene may be used around the forming
member to provide additional strength. The forming member and the
outer sleeve(s), together, form a stable, multi-purpose and
universal container system configuration that is less expensive
than either corrugated or FIBC known container configurations. As
an option, additional layers of corrugated material or woven
polypropylene material or their combination may be used as inserts
engaging the inner peripheral sidewall areas of the forming member
to provide additional strength. All the forming member, sleeve, and
insert components of the container system can be collapsed for
reuse depending on the particular use application and sanitation
requirements, and are completely recyclable. A standard bag/liner
can be and typically is placed within the forming member or within
the insert to protect the contents from contamination or the
environment and/or to retain liquids.
[0010] The forming member, the outer sleeve, and the inserts can be
configured to any desired shape, as dictated by the intended use of
the container system. The size of the container and the weight of
its contents will dictate the strength of the outer sleeve or the
inner insert, if of woven polypropylene material, which will be of
a food grade fabric for food containment applications. The
invention also includes forming member and inner insert
configurations that allow relative movement between cooperating
portions thereof, such that the forming member or the insert can
expand and contract with the contained contents of the system.
Another feature of the invention is a forming member or inner
insert design that maintains a given footprint configuration of the
container, but which allows the upper portion of the container to
reconfigure along predetermined expansion lines to reduce stress
across the forming member or insert sidewalls.
[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided
a container for bulk materials comprising: (a) a forming member
comprising a plurality of sidewalls extending between upper and
lower edges and interconnected to cooperatively form an outer
surface and to encircle an internal cavity for receiving bulk
materials; and a locking assembly cooperatively engaging the
sidewalls to define and fix predetermined relative positions there
among; and (b) a sleeve of continuous, woven material sized to
snugly engage and to overlie substantially the entire said outer
surface of said sidewalls between said upper and lower edges,
wherein said sleeve is configured with a fold extending from the
lower edges of the sidewalls towards said internal cavity.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the forming member
comprises a single piece of material and may have sidewalls of
corrugated construction and may be collapsible when said locking
assembly is not operable to fix the positions of said sidewalls.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the sleeve can
be operatively positioned overlying said forming member by sliding
the sleeve over the sidewalls, from either their said upper or
lower edges. According to yet a further aspect of the invention the
sleeve is tubular in shape and of substantially the same
cross-sectional dimension across its entire length and may be of
polypropylene material. According to yet a further aspect of the
invention the sleeve is further folded back upon itself adjacent
said lower edge of the sidewalls to provide additional strength to
the sleeve adjacent the lower edge. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention the sidewalls include foldable tabs
alongside some of said upper edges of said sidewalls to enhance
stacking and are configured to slidably engage one another to
provide for limited relative movement thereof. According to yet a
further aspect of the invention at least two of said sidewalls may
be glued to each other, either by use of a releasable glue allowing
relative sliding movement between the sidewalls under sufficient
sheer forces, or by conventional glue techniques. According to yet
a further aspect of the invention, the container may include a
liner of impervious material, sized, and configured for placement
within the internal cavity, and the container may have forming
member sidewalls wherein the lower edges are configured to be
supported by a pallet.
[0012] According to yet a further aspect of the invention there is
provided a kit for a bulk material container, comprising: (a) a
forming member comprising a plurality of sidewalls extending
between first and second edges and interconnectable to
cooperatively form an outer surface and to encircle an internal
cavity for receiving bulk materials, and a locking assembly
configured to cooperatively engage the sidewalls to define and fix
predetermined relative positions there among; and (b) a sleeve of
continuous material sized to snugly engage and to overlie
substantially the entire said outer surface of said sidewalls.
[0013] According to yet a further aspect of the invention there is
provided a container for bulk materials comprising (a) a forming
member, comprising a plurality of sidewalls extending between upper
and lower edges and interconnected to cooperatively form an outer
surface and to encircle an internal cavity for receiving bulk
materials, and a locking assembly cooperatively engaging the
sidewalls to define and fix predetermined relative positions there
among; (b) a sleeve of continuous material sized to snugly slidably
engage and to overlie substantially the entire said outer surface
of said sidewalls between said upper and lower edges, wherein said
sleeve is configured to retain the upright shape of said forming
member outer surface as bulk materials are loaded into said
internal cavity; and (c) an insert member sized and configured for
placement within said internal cavity.
[0014] According to yet a further aspect of the invention the
insert member comprises corrugated material. According to yet a
further aspect of the invention the insert member comprises a
plurality of sidewalls extending between upper and lower edges and
slidably interconnected to cooperatively encircle an internal
cavity for receiving bulk materials. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention the insert member comprises a locking
assembly cooperatively engaging the sidewalls to define and fix
predetermined positions of the sidewalls relative to one another,
while permitting limited movement of said sidewalls relative to
each other and to the locking assembly. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention the insert member is collapsible when the
locking assembly is not operable to fix the positions of said
sidewalls. According to yet a further aspect of the invention there
is provided the locking assembly that engages said sidewalls along
said lower edges and may form a bottom of the insert member and
extending across the internal cavity. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention the insert member comprises continuous,
woven material. According to yet a further aspect of the invention
the insert member is slidably disposed relative to said forming
member. According to yet a further aspect of the invention the
insert member is tubular in shape and of substantially the same
cross-sectional dimension across its entire length and may comprise
polypropylene material.
[0015] According to yet a further aspect of the invention the
sleeve comprises woven material. According to yet a further aspect
of the invention the sleeve can be operatively positioned overlying
said forming member by sliding the sleeve over the sidewalls, from
either their said upper or lower edges. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention the sleeve is tubular in shape and of
substantially the same cross-sectional dimension across its entire
length and may comprise polypropylene material. According to yet a
further aspect of the invention the sleeve is configured with a
fold extending upward from the lower edges of the sidewalls to
provide multiple strength resistance to forces directed outwardly
from the internal cavity. According to yet a further aspect of the
invention, the sleeve is configured with a fold extending from the
lower edges of the sidewalls towards said internal cavity to
provide strength resistance to forces directed outwardly and
downwardly from the internal cavity adjacent the lower edges of
said sidewalls. According to yet a further aspect of the invention,
the sleeve is further folded back upon itself adjacent said lower
edge of the sidewalls to provide additional strength to said sleeve
adjacent the lower edge. According to yet a further aspect of the
invention the container may include a liner of impervious material,
sized and configured for placement within said insert.
[0016] According to yet a further aspect of the invention there is
provided a kit for a bulk material container, further comprising an
insert member sized and configured for placement within said
internal cavity.
[0017] According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of configuring a container for bulk materials,
comprising the steps of: (a) providing a forming member of the type
having a plurality of sidewalls extending between first and second
edges; (b) arranging said sidewalls in a closed manner such that
they collectively define an internal cavity longitudinally
extending between planes defined by the first and second edges; (c)
providing a locking assembly; (d) engaging the locking assembly
with the sidewalls to fix the geometric shape of the internal
cavity defined thereby; (e) providing a circumferentially
continuous length of tubular sleeve material; and (f) snugly
engaging the tubular sleeve around the outer periphery of the
sidewalls such that the sleeve engages substantially the entire
outer surface area of said sidewalls. According to yet a further
aspect of the invention, the forming member sidewalls are provided
with a releasable glue that allows for relative sliding movement of
said sidewalls under appropriate loading force conditions.
[0018] These and other features of the invention will become
apparent upon a more detailed description of preferred embodiment
of the invention as described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0019] Referring to the Drawing, wherein like numerals represent
like parts throughout the several views:
[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bulk material
container assembly containing a forming member, an outer sleeve
member and an optional bag/liner of impervious material;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container assembly of
FIG. 1, illustrated as it would appear assembled;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a sectional view generally taken along the Line
3-3 of FIG. 2;
[0023] FIG. 4A is a view illustrating on a planar sheet the cut and
fold pattern of a first embodiment of a corrugated forming member
portion of the container assembly of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIGS. 4B-4D illustrate bottom perspective views of the
corrugated forming member of FIG. 4A, showing progressive stages of
folding of its various segments to derive an operative closed
bottom configuration of the first embodiment forming member;
[0025] FIG. 5A is a view illustrating on a planar sheet the cut and
fold patterns of a second embodiment of a corrugated forming member
portion of the container assembly of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIGS. 5B-5D illustrate bottom perspective views of the
corrugated forming member of FIG. 5A showing progressive stages of
folding of its various segments to derive an operative closed
bottom configuration of the second embodiment forming member;
[0027] FIG. 6A is a view illustrating on a planar sheet the cut and
fold pattern of a third embodiment of a corrugating forming member
portion of the container assembly of FIG. 1;
[0028] FIGS. 6B-6D illustrate bottom perspective views of the
corrugating forming member of FIG. 6A showing progressive stages of
folding of its various segments, to derive an operative closed
bottom configuration of the third embodiment forming member;
[0029] FIG. 6E is a partial top perspective view of an inside upper
corner of the third embodiment of the corrugating forming member of
FIGS. 6A-6D, illustrating how the corner changes shape along the
upper predetermined score lines as pressure is applied to the inner
sidewalls of the forming member; and
[0030] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a
plurality of the bulk material containers of the present invention
cooperatively positioned on a pallet;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view illustrating how the
outer sleeve member may be folded under the forming member and
tucked into the gaps formed at the bottom of the forming member
when it is fully assembled;
[0032] FIG. 9 is a sectional view generally taken along the Line
9-9 of FIG. 8;
[0033] FIG. 10 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 9
illustrating a first method of folding the sleeve material against
itself before folding the sleeve under the forming member;
[0034] FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 9
illustrating a second method of folding the sleeve material against
itself before folding the sleeve under the forming member;
[0035] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a bulk material
container assembly containing an outer sleeve, a forming member,
and a one-piece insert;
[0036] FIG. 13 is a view illustrating on a planar sheet the cut and
fold pattern of a first embodiment of a corrugated one-piece insert
portion of the container assembly of FIG. 12;
[0037] FIG. 14 is a view illustrating on a planar sheet the cut and
fold pattern of a second embodiment of a corrugated one-piece
insert portion of the container assembly of FIG. 12;
[0038] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a
one-piece insert constructed of woven polypropylene material;
[0039] FIG. 16 is a top view of an assembled bulk material
container assembly of the type illustrated in FIG. 12, containing
an outer sleeve, a forming member, and a one-piece insert
constructed of corrugated material, where the insert is sized
slightly smaller in circumference than the forming member to fit
snugly into the forming member;
[0040] FIG. 17 is a top view of an assembled bulk material
container assembly of the type illustrated in FIG. 12, containing
an outer sleeve, a forming member, and a one-piece insert
constructed of corrugated material, where the insert, having a
substantially smaller circumference than the forming member, is
placed in an offset fashion;
[0041] FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a bulk material
container assembly containing an outer sleeve, a forming member,
and a two-piece insert, where the outer piece of the two-piece
insert is constructed of woven polypropylene material and the inner
piece is constructed of corrugated material;
[0042] FIG. 19 is a top view of a bulk material container assembly
containing an outer sleeve, a forming member, and a two-piece
insert, where both of the insert pieces are constructed of
corrugated material and are placed in an offset fashion relative to
each other; and
[0043] FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a bulk material
container assembly containing an outer sleeve, a forming member,
and a three-piece insert, where the outermost piece of the
three-piece insert is constructed of corrugated material, the
middle piece is of woven polypropylene material, and the innermost
piece is constructed of corrugated material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0044] A preferred embodiment of a container system incorporating
the principles of this invention is generally illustrated at 10 in
FIGS. 1 and 2. The two basic components of the container system are
a forming member, generally indicated at 12 and an outer support
sleeve member 14. The forming member 12 provides defined geometric
shape and structure to the container system while the sleeve member
14 is sized to cooperatively and snugly engage and
circumferentially surround substantially the entire sidewall
portions of the forming member 12, as hereinafter discussed in more
detail. An optional bag/liner, well-known in the art generally
indicated at 16 can be and generally is placed within the forming
member 12, to protect the container contents from contamination
and/or to retain liquid contents.
[0045] The forming member 12 is preferably configured of a
relatively light-weight corrugated material which can be either of
cellulose or plastic construction. When collapsed, the forming
member 12 can be configured as a single planar sheet, or, depending
upon the particular construction, folded over on itself in a
collapsed manner. When erected in operative manner, the forming
member 12 includes a bottom construction that provides a
predetermined two-dimensional geometric configuration to the bottom
of the forming member. The sidewalls 12b of the forming member
extend upwardly and generally perpendicular to the plane of the
bottom 12a and collectively define with the bottom an internal
geometric volume that represents the storage portion of the
container system. The forming member 12 is configured to lie upon
and be carried by a pallet of a type well-known in the shipping
industry. Depending upon the size of the forming member, one or
more of such forming members may lie on the same pallet. The
thickness and strength of the corrugated material of the forming
member 12 is a matter of engineering design and will vary depending
on the shape and size of the container and upon the type and weight
of the materials to be contained thereby. However, the thickness
and strength thereof can be significantly reduced as compared to
standard corrugated containers, since the wall portions of the
forming member do not have to provide the containment strength of
the container system. Their function is to simply provide
structural shape to the outer wall areas of the container, so as to
provide a measure of rigidity and stability to the container
system. The height, size, shape and dimensions of the forming
member can also vary, as desired or dictated by the use to which
the container system will be put. When used to replace FIBC
containers, the forming member could be sized to accommodate a
typical pallet grid unit which would enable shippers and users of
the container system to handle the system with existing in-plant
equipment such as fork lifts, overhead cranes or jib cranes. As
with prior containers, the container system of this invention can
be tailored in size and shape to fit each customer's needs. For
example, the container systems could be configured to accommodate
packaging needs as small as five cubic feet for handling high bulk
density weight products or could be configured to handle much
larger sizes up to, for example, 120 cubic feet.
[0046] While a preferred construction of the forming member is one
in which the entire forming member is configured from a single
planar sheet or blank of corrugated material, the invention does
not require a one-piece construction. For example, the sidewall 12b
portions of the forming member could be formed from a single sheet
of material; whereas the bottom 12a could be formed from a second,
separable piece of material. The important aspect of the forming
member 12 is that it contain a bottom or similar structure that
gives initial predetermined fixed geometric definition to the
sidewall portions of the forming member, and particularly to the
lower base portions thereof. It is preferable that the bottom
portion 12b of the forming member be secured to the sidewalls 12a
in a manner that will prevent the sidewalls from riding or sliding
upward, away from the bottom of the forming member during filling
of the container. Further, while the preferred embodiment will be
described with respect to forming members that are constructed from
the same corrugated material, the invention does not require the
same material to be used for both the sidewall 12b and bottom or
shape defining portions 12a of the forming member.
[0047] The cellulose corrugated material used in a preferred
embodiment of the invention for the forming member 12 may be
obtained from any corrugated material supplier such as from Menasha
Corp. of Lakeville, Minn. or from the Packaging Corporation of
America. Plastic corrugated materials could also be obtained from
any number of different suppliers such as Menasha Corp. or Liberty
Carton of St. Louis Park, Minn. As mentioned above, the weight and
strength of the corrugated material depends on the application to
which the container system will be put, and the method of use of
the container. In general, this invention allows use of a
relatively inexpensive material, since the primary containment
strength of the container system will not depend on the strength of
the forming member material, but rather on the strength of the
outer sleeve 14. For example, for smaller containers a single
weight 175 lb. C flute material might be adequate; whereas for even
larger containers that might hold up to 2,000 pounds of material, a
relatively low weight corrugation in the 200 lb to 275 lb. C flute
material range may suffice. In contrast, for the same application,
a prior art total cardboard corrugation construction may require
several layers of double wall 400 lb to 500 lb weight materials to
achieve the same purpose. Often, the prior art corrugated materials
also would require the insertion of filament tape between the
flutes to provide additional support and/or cross fluted
configurations and gluing of the respective corrugated layers to
one another to form a strengthened laminated configuration.
[0048] A first embodiment of the forming member, constructed from
corrugated cellulose (cardboard) material, is illustrated at 20 in
FIGS. 4A-4D. In the preferred embodiment, the forming member 20 is
configured from a single piece of corrugated material that is
scored and patterned for folding, as illustrated in FIG. 4A.
Referring thereto, the forming member 20 has eight sidewall
portions 20a-20h consecutively connected and defined by intervening
fold lines 21a-21h respectively, which eventually define the eight
"corners" of the forming member. A connecting wall member 22 is
contiguous with sidewall 20a and extends outwardly from fold line
21a. Connector wall 22 has a pair of arcuate tabs 22a cut into the
wall and projecting back from the side edge 25a back to fold lines
22b. The forming member 20 also has an upper edge 23, a lower edge
fold line 24 and oppositely disposed side edges 25a and 25b. Each
of the sidewalls 20a-20h has a tab 26 projecting upwardly therefrom
that folds along the upper edge 23 of the forming member. The ends
of the tabs 26 are cut at a taper from the respective fold lines
21a-21h and the end 25b so as to minimize interference with one
another when folded in toward the center of the structure.
[0049] The forming member 20 also has a plurality of downwardly
depending tab portions 27a-27h which collectively define the bottom
28 of the forming member 20, as hereinafter described. End wall 20h
includes a pair of vertically aligned slots S1 and S2 for
cooperatively receiving the arcuate tabs 22a of the connector wall
22. Bottom tab 27g also has an extended key member, generally
designated at T. Bottom tab 27h has a horizontal slot S3
cooperatively sized for accepting the extended key member T of
bottom tab 27g.
[0050] The forming member patterned blank material of FIG. 4A is
progressively folded as illustrated in FIGS. 4B-4D, until a
box-like octagonal receptacle is configured, with bottom 28 is
defined, as illustrated in FIG. 4D. To form the box-like receptacle
configuration, the material illustrated in the FIG. 4A pattern is
folded along the wall fold lines 21 so that the side edges 25a and
25b move toward one another (illustrated by "X"), and until the
side edge 25a engages the slots S1 and S2 of sidewall 20h such that
the arcuate tab members 22a are slidably received within the slots
S1 and S2. The upper tabs 26 are folded inward, along the upper
edge 23. In this position, the connecting wall 22 overlies the end
sidewall 20h and is connected thereto by means of the tabs 22a and
slots S1 and S2 combination. At this stage, the forming member 20
would appear as illustrated in FIG. 4B. At this point, the
structure is still foldable upon itself and can be folded into a
collapsed position, since the bottom 28 has not yet been
formed.
[0051] The bottom 28 of the forming member 20 is defined by folding
in the lower tab extensions 27, toward the center of the enclosed
cavity defined by the connected sidewalls 20. The angled tabs 27a,
27b, 27c and 27d are folded in first, followed by tabs 27e and 27f,
and finally by tabs 27g and 27h. The distal key end (T) of bottom
tab 27g is received by and retained within the slot S3 of tab 27h,
in interlocking manner, to complete and hold the bottom assembly 28
in place, as illustrated in FIG. 4D. Such bottom configuration 28
not only defines but locks in the positions of the sidewalls. The
inner sidewalls and bottom portions of the assembled forming member
20 collectively define an internal geometric solid shaped cavity as
established and maintained by the outer peripheral edge shape or
"footprint" of the plane of the bottom 28. According to a preferred
configuration of the FIG. 4 structure, each of the sidewalls is
17.875 inches wide, providing a diameter footprint of 43.times.43
inches and a circumference of 143 inches. According to the
preferred embodiment, the height of the container from the bottom
edge 24 to the upper edge 23 is 44 inches.
[0052] It will be noted that in this illustrated embodiment of a
forming member, the tab members 22a are slidable within the slots
S1 and S2. Such sliding construction provides for limited relative
movement of the sidewall configuration to accommodate expansion and
contraction of the material being contained by the container
assembly. Such movement prevents rupturing of the forming member
within the outer sleeve that might otherwise occur if the forming
member ends were fixedly glued together. Also, such expansion
feature accommodates any tolerance differences between the
circumferences of the outer surface of the forming member and the
inner surface of the tubular sleeve.
[0053] Although the preferred embodiment of the forming member
includes a sidewall construction wherein the sidewalls are slidably
expandable as above-described, the sidewalls may be fixedly secured
for no movement relative to one another. For example, the
connecting wall 22 can be glued in standard fashion to the end
sidewall 20h to provide for further structural integrity and
rigidity, especially for stacking purposes. In such embodiment,
even if the forming member were to subsequently rupture, since the
outer sleeve 14 will continue to withstand the loading pressure,
the containment system would still serve its purpose. Gluing of the
corrugated forming member sidewalls is always an option whenever
there is an accompanying outer sleeve member constructed of woven
polypropylene material surrounding the forming member. Gluing of
the forming member sidewalls may be attractive to some container
manufacturers since the material blank member from which the
forming member is configured can be made from less material than
might otherwise be used if an expandable slot/tab configuration is
used to accommodate a slidable sidewall configuration such as
described with respect to FIG. 4. Gluing would also eliminate the
need for a container manufacturing step of assembling the forming
member (such as described in FIGS. 4B-4D) before use thereof in the
container system. Gluing of the forming member may also provide
additional rigidity to the containment system structure when an
insert (hereinafter described in more detail) is used in
combination with the forming member and an outer sleeve. Gluing,
although not necessary, provides more rigidity for stacking
purposes. Traditional gluing of the forming member sidewalls,
although reducing the accommodation of expansion or contraction of
the material being contained by the corrugated member, does not
defeat the purpose of the invention since all the container loading
pressure is still absorbed by the surrounding sleeve member in case
of rupturing of the corrugated member.
[0054] Another embodiment of a forming member construction that
accommodates both the desire for use of a smaller blank of forming
member material and the advantages of slidably movable sidewalls is
to configure the forming member in the same manner as one would
when permanently gluing the sidewalls to one another, but to use a
glue that is "releasable" in nature when subjected to a
predetermined sheer force that is less than the sheer rupture
parameter of the material to which the glue is applied. With the
use of such releasable glue, the glue would have enough bonding
strength to affix the sidewalls together for handling and
transportation purposes, as though the forming member sidewalls
were permanently glued to one another. However, the releasable glue
would be applied in a manner and selected for properties such that
as the container is being filled and pressure is being applied by
the load to the forming member sidewalls, the glue in the sidewall
joint will release the sidewalls at the joint from one another,
enabling the sidewalls at the joint to move/slide in expansion
manner relative to one another, before the load pressure applied to
the sidewalls is large enough to cause the sidewall material to
rupture. When the expansion force that provides the release sheer
forces on the glue has subsided, the releasable glue will once
again form a bond between the sidewalls at the "glued" joint.
Therefore, this configuration provides the advantages of both an
expandable, slidable forming member that also acts as a glued
structure when harmful expansion forces are not present. Those
skilled in the art can select the proper glue and application
techniques for accomplishing the described configuration.
Releasable glues that have been found to be acceptable for these
purposes are sold by H.B. Fuller Company under its PD0661 and
AP6903 labels. Such glue can be applied by standard glue
application techniques such as by extrusion or spraying.
Alternatively, hot melt glue applications could be used that would
provide the aforementioned desired glued joint slip/release
properties. By using such slip/release glued sidewall joint
technique, it has been found that a sidewall overlap of from 4 to 5
inches at the glue joint is adequate to provide the desired slip
joint tolerance and forming member rigidity parameters, which is
generally less than the amount of forming member overlap material
required to form a non-glued slip joint.
[0055] A second octagonal embodiment of a forming member 20' is
illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5D. The general function and folding
pattern of the corrugated sheet defining the forming member 20' is
basically the same as that of the forming member 20 with the
following changes: (1) the uniform width dimension of the sidewalls
has been changed to an irregular width pattern; (2) the upper
individual tabs 26 of the forming member 20 have been replaced by a
pair of elongate tabs 26' having fold score marks 26a replacing the
notched cuts of the forming member 20 pattern; and (3) the slot S3
of bottom tab 27h has been deleted in bottom tab 27h' of the second
forming member, and the lower edge of bottom 27g' has been
reconfigured to include three tabs T1, T2 and T3, separated by a
pair of notches. When assembled as illustrated in FIG. 5D, the
second embodiment forming member 20' provides a more elongated
octagonal structure than the regular rectangular structure of the
FIG. 4 forming member.
[0056] A third embodiment of a forming member is illustrated
generally at 30 in FIGS. 6A-6E. Referring thereto, the third
embodiment of the forming member is a four sided container when
assembled, with its four primary sidewalls represented by the
panels 31a-31d. The corners of the sidewalls 31a-31d are defined by
the vertical fold lines 32a-32d. The forming member includes a
connector wall extension 33 having an upper arcuate connecting tab
33a and a lower connecting tab 33b, both terminating at a first
edge 34a of the forming member. The opposite vertical edge of the
forming member 34b defines one edge of the sidewall 31d. The upper
edge of the forming member is designated at 35, and the lower edge
of the sidewalls is defined by the first horizontal fold line 36.
The forming member includes two additional horizontal fold lines 37
and 38 extending the full width of the pattern. The vertical
distance between the fold lines 36 and 37 is the same as that
between fold lines 37 and 38. A first horizontal panel 39 is
defined and extends the entire width of the pattern between the
horizontal fold lines 36 and 37. A second horizontal panel 40 is
defined and extends the entire width of the pattern between the
horizontal fold lines 37 and 38. The panel 40 includes a
cantilevered extension or tab 40a (illustrated at the left side of
FIG. 6A.) The forming member 30 further includes four downwardly
extending bottom panel members 41a-41d respectively located below
the sidewall panel portions 31a-31d. A plurality of horizontal
cuts, generally designated at C1-C5 are formed approximately one
fourth of the way up the sidewall panels and intersecting the
vertical fold lines 32a-32d and extending through the oppositely
disposed edges 34a and 34b.
[0057] This embodiment of the forming member includes a stress
relief feature associated with each of the corners 32a-32d of the
forming member. As the container assembly is filled, causing
pressure to be applied to the sidewalls 31a-31d of the forming
member, there is a natural tendency for the upper portion of the
forming member to deform to a circular cross-sectional
configuration. Such deformation tendency places stress on the
forming member sidewalls that is greater in a rectangular container
configuration where the corners between sidewalls are at 90.degree.
angles. In order to relieve such stress, and to allow for
controlled sidewall deformation, the sidewalls are vertically
scored adjacent and on either side of the corners 32a-32d, as
indicated by the dashed score lines 50a-50d in FIG. 6A. Each of the
score line pairs vertically extends on either side of a respective
corner, in parallel manner, from the upper edge 35 and downwardly
to the edges of the cuts C1-C5. It will be noted that the score
line pair 50a is partially on sidewall 31a and partially on 31d,
since these two sidewalls will be contiguous to one another in the
assembled structure. Each pair of the stress relief score lines
converge toward one another, in V-shaped manner, slightly below the
cuts C1-C5 and meet at the fold line 36 that will represent the
bottom of the respective sidewalls. As illustrated in more detail
in FIG. 6E, the cuts C1-C5 allow the portions of the sidewalls
above the cuts to outwardly deform to a greater extent than that
portion of the sidewalls located below the cuts, without placing
undue stress to the lower corners of the forming member. FIG. 6E
has been illustrated with respect to corner 32b and is a view taken
from the inside of the forming member corner. The resultant
deformation of the forming member 30 allowed during loading of the
container, effectively changes the cross-sectional shape of the
forming member from a rectangular configuration to a nearly
circular twelve-sided configuration.
[0058] The forming member patterned blank material of FIG. 6A is
progressively folded as illustrated in FIGS. 6B-6D, until a
box-like rectangular receptacle is configured with bottom 45 as
defined, as illustrated in 6D. To form the box-like receptacle
configuration, the pattern material illustrated in FIG. 6A is first
folded along the fold line 36 such that the horizontal panel 39 and
40 and the lower bottom panels 41 are folded outwardly at an angle
of 180.degree. about the fold line 36 and lie in engagement with
the sidewall members 31. Next, the pattern is folded along the
horizontal fold line 37, such that the bottom tab panels 41 are
again disposed in a downwardly depending position and the "inner"
surfaces of horizontal panel portions 39 and 40 cooperatively
engage one another. The horizontal panels 39 and 40 define a
circumferentially extending strengthening band of material around
the lower portion of the container, as illustrated in FIGS. 6B-6D.
The left most end of the folded panels 39 and 40 (as configured in
FIG. 6A) defines a receptor pocket for receiving the tab 40a of
panel 40. The pattern is then folded along the corner fold lines
32a-32d to define a box-like internal cavity as illustrated in FIG.
6B such that side edges 34a and 34b move toward one another, and
until the side edge 34a engages the slot S4 and the side edge 34b.
At this position, the tab 40a will be slidably received by the
pocket formed between panel members 39 and 40, the lower connecting
tab 33b will slide behind the sidewall 31d, and the upper arcuate
tab 33a will be slidably received by the slot S4. Further movement
of the panels will form the configuration illustrated in FIG. 6C.
At this stage, the forming member 30 is still foldable on itself,
and can be folded into a collapsed position, since the bottom 45
has not yet been formed.
[0059] The bottom 45 of the forming member 30 is defined by folding
in the lower panel extensions 41 toward the center of the enclosed
cavity defined by the connected sidewalls 31. As illustrated in
FIGS. 6C and 6D, the lower panels 41b and 41d are folded in first,
followed by lower panels 41a and 41c. Such bottom configuration 45
defines and locks in the positions of the sidewalls and
collectively defines an internal geometric solid shaped cavity
having an initial rectangular or square cross-sectional shape. As
described above, as bulk material is added to the internal cavity
of the forming member, the resultant pressure applied by the bulk
material to the sidewalls of the forming member will cause the
sidewalls to deform along the score lines 50 adjacent the corners
32 to provide stress relief to the container assembly, while
retaining the underlying stability of the container assembly that
is provided by the forming member.
[0060] While several configurations of forming member have been
described with respect to specific preferred embodiments of the
invention, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that
many other configurations of such forming members can be designed
within the scope of this invention. Further, while specific
corrugated materials have been described for use in association
with constructing the forming members, those skilled in the art
will readily recognize that other materials can be employed.
[0061] The outer containment sleeve 14 is preferably constructed of
the same types of materials, well-known in the art, that are used
for making flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs). The
sleeve is preferably configured from a flexible woven fiber
material, preferably woven polyethylene material which are known
for their strength and light weight. Such fabrics come in various
weights, which would be selected in accordance with the necessary
strength and safety factors required by the container. As with
fabrics used in the FIBC industry, the sleeve material could be
coated, as for example with polyethylene, or remain breathable,
could be treated for ultra violet retardation, could be configured
for weather resistance, or could, for example, be of a fabric that
complies with the Food and Drug Administration criteria for foods,
pharmaceuticals and edibles, and the like. Those skilled in the art
will readily recognize these and other options for appropriate
materials that could be used for the containment sleeve. The sleeve
provides the containment strength of the container system, and must
be of a strength suitable for supporting the forces applied by the
contained material against the inner surfaces of the forming member
sidewalls 12b. The sleeve is preferably of tubular and seamless
construction, requiring no sewing or stitching. For assembly
purposes, the sleeve material could simply be cut to a desired
length by a sheer or laser or by a hot knife technique that also
conditions the woven material to prevent unraveling thereof. The
sleeve 14 is sized to snugly engage and cover virtually the entire
outer peripheral surface area of sidewalls. The sleeve 14 extends
from the upper edges of the sidewalls 12b of the forming member to
their lower edges.
[0062] In one embodiment of the outer sleeve, as illustrated in
FIGS. 1,2, and 3 the length or height of the sleeve 14 is cut
longer than the vertical height of the sidewall portions of the
forming member 12, such that the lower portion of the sleeve 14 can
be folded back upon itself (as illustrated at 15 in FIGS. 1,2, and
3) and extends upwards along the lower portions of the sidewalls to
provide additional strength along the surface area portions of the
sidewalls, where the pressure caused by weight of the contained
material is the greatest. While it can extend along the entire
height of the sidewalls, the folded over sleeve portion 15
preferably extends from about 20% to 50% of the height of the
sidewalls 12b, and more preferably from about 20% to 30% of the
height of the sidewalls.
[0063] In another embodiment of the outer sleeve, the sleeve 14
extends past the lower edges 17 of the sidewalls 12b of the forming
member and is folded along the lower edges 17 of the sidewalls 12b
towards the internal cavity formed by the forming member (as
illustrated at 19 in FIGS. 8 and 9). Once folded, the folded
portion 19 of the sleeve may be tucked into the gaps formed at the
bottom of the forming member when it is fully assembled (as
illustrated at 19a). Liquids and semi-liquids, such as meat, have a
high tendency to flow during shipment. Such movement increases the
pressure against the sidewalls of the forming member that the flow
and movement are directed against. Tucking the sleeve under the
forming member in this manner counteracts the increased pressure
and provides extra strength to the container system. It also
provides stability to the sleeve member and prevents unwanted
movement of the sleeve member, such as rising up of the sleeve
along the sidewalls 12b. The weight of the container content when
loaded into it holds the tucked sleeve member 19a in place during
shipment. Since the sleeve 14 does not have a closed bottom as is
the case with an FIBC, significant manufacturing costs are saved as
compared to the FIBC manufacturing process, by eliminating all
stitching and sewing operations.
[0064] In yet another embodiment of the outer sleeve 14', as
illustrated in FIG. 10, the length or height of the sleeve 14' may
be cut longer than the vertical height of the sidewall portions 12b
of the forming member 12, such that the lower portion of the sleeve
can be folded back upon itself (as illustrated at 15') after being
folded along the lower edges 17 of the sidewalls 12b towards the
center of the bottom 12a of the forming member 12 (as illustrated
at 19'). The sleeve portion remaining past the lower edges 17 of
the sidewalls 12b is tucked into the gaps formed at the bottom of
the forming member when it is fully assembled, as mentioned above,
to provide strength, stability and prevent unwanted movement (as
illustrated at 19a'). The folded up sleeve portion 15' preferably
extends from about 20% to 50% of the height of the sidewalls 12b,
and more preferably from about 20% to 30% of the height of the
sidewalls. This configuration provides a double layer of sleeve
material that extends upwards along the lower portions of the
sidewalls to provide additional strength to the surfaces of the
sidewalls.
[0065] In yet another embodiment of the outer sleeve 14'', as
illustrated in FIG. 11, the lower portion of the sleeve can be
folded back upon itself first (as illustrated at 15'') and then
folded back down upon itself and folded at the lower edges 17 of
the sidewalls 12b towards the center of the bottom of the forming
member (as illustrated at 19''). Once folded, the folded portion
19'' of the sleeve may be tucked into the gaps formed at the bottom
of the forming member when it is fully assembled, as mentioned
above, to provide strength, stability to the sleeve member and
prevent unwanted movement (as illustrated at 19a''). The folded up
sleeve portion 15'' preferably extends from about 20% to 50% of the
height of the sidewalls 12b, and more preferably from about 20% to
30% of the height of the sidewalls. This configuration provides a
triple layer of sleeve material that extends upwards along the
lower portions of the sidewalls to provide additional strength
along the bottom surface area portions of the sidewalls, where the
pressure caused by weight of the contained material is the
greatest.
[0066] Those skilled in the art can envision yet other methods for
selectively increasing the strength of the outer sleeve by using
folding techniques. Alternatively and/or additionally, extra layers
of outer sleeve 14 may be used around the forming member 12 to
provide additional strength. Each layer may be non-folded or folded
according to any of the embodiments discussed above depending upon
the intended use of the container system and the additional
strength needed.
[0067] The woven tubular material forming the outer sleeve 14 can
be readily purchased from any supplier of FIBCs such as from B.A.G.
Corp. of Dallas, Tex. or from other distributors or suppliers such
as Tech Packaging Group of Joplin, Mo. or National Paperboard
Group, Inc. of Burnsville, Minn. The woven polypropylene tubular
sleeve material is typically graded by weight. A preferred weight
of material that is acceptable for most applications is a 5.2 oz.
weight. The liner bags 16 can be purchased generally from the same
suppliers that supply the FIBCs.
[0068] Lighter weight materials can be used for the outer sleeve of
this invention as compared with FIBC applications, since the sleeve
only needs to support horizontally applied containment forces. It
should be noted that the maximum bulk material handling weight
specifications for materials used in constructing FIBCs do not
generally apply to this invention, since the weakest feature of
FIBC construction relates to the stitching used in the FIBC bag
construction. Generally, the stitching of a FIBC will fail long
before the woven fabric. Since there is no stitching required for
the sleeve of the present invention, this invention takes full
advantage of the base strength of the woven material, enabling the
use of relatively lighter weight materials for containing
relatively heavy parcels of contained materials. Further, due to
its woven construction, small holes or the like that may be
imparted to the sleeve fabric during use will generally not result
in catastrophic failure or unraveling or rupture of the sleeve that
would reduce its containment strength as used in this invention.
Also, if the woven polypropylene sleeve material is coated with
polyethylene, the unraveling of the polypropylene material is
generally prevented by the coating.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 12, an inner insert 62 may be used to
provide additional strength to the containment system. Inner insert
62 may be comprised of one, two, three or more pieces, depending
upon the intended use of the container system and the additional
strength needed. When operatively configured within the container
system, the insert engages the inner peripheral sidewall areas 12b
of the forming member to provide additional strength. The insert 62
is sized to fit within the internal cavity defined by the forming
member. The difference in the circumference of the insert 62 and
the circumference of the forming member 12 allows the volume of the
loaded material to expand within the container system without
splitting or bursting the sidewalls 12b of the forming member 12.
Use of an insert 62, may permit the forming member 12 to be glued
if desired, to provide more rigidity. In a one-piece insert (as
illustrated at 62 in FIGS. 12, 15, and 17, the insert can be
configured of a relatively lightweight corrugated material (as
illustrated at 62 in FIGS. 12 and 17), such as the material used
for the forming member 12, or it can be constructed of the same
type of materials that are used for the outer sleeve 14 (as
illustrated at 62 in FIG. 15). Also, the thickness and strength of
the corrugated materials used for the forming member 12 may be
significantly reduced as a result of the insert 62 providing the
additional strength. The insert 62 is an important feature of the
invention that adds an additional expansion feature, enables the
forming member 12 to be glued for increased rigidity for stacking,
and adds overall strength and rigidity to the overall container
system. The insert itself, however, generally does not have glued
sidewall joints.
[0070] A first embodiment of a one-piece insert, constructed from
corrugated cellulose (cardboard) material, is illustrated at 64 in
FIG. 13. In this embodiment, the one-piece insert 64 is configured
from a single piece of corrugated material that is scored and
patterned for folding, as illustrated in FIG. 13. Referring
thereto, the insert 64 has nine sidewall portions 64a-64i
consecutively connected and defined by intervening fold lines
65a-65h respectively, which collectively define the eight "corners"
of an octagonally shaped configuration formed by the insert. The
insert patterned blank material of FIG. 13 is folded along the
scored lines 65a-65h until an octagonal tubular insert is
configured. Sidewall 64a will overlap sidewall 64i, resulting in an
eight-faced insert. To form the octagonal insert, the material
illustrated in the FIG. 13 pattern is folded along the scored lines
65a-65h so that side edges 66a and 66b move toward one another and
until the sidewall 64a overlays sidewall 64i. At this stage, the
one-piece insert would appear as illustrated at 62 in FIG. 12. At
this point, the structure is still foldable upon itself and can be
folded into a collapsed position. Sidewall 64a would be freely
slidable over sidewall 64i in this embodiment. The insert would
mainly be providing the container system with a second layer of
corrugated material for extra strength and rigidity for stacking
purposes.
[0071] A second embodiment of the one-piece insert, constructed
from corrugated cellulose (cardboard) material, is illustrated at
64' in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, the one-piece insert is
configured from a single piece of corrugated material that is
scored and patterned for folding, as illustrated in FIG. 14.
Referring thereto, the insert 64' has ten sidewall portions
64a'-64j consecutively connected and defined by intervening fold
lines 65a'-65j respectively, which eventually define the eight
"corners" of the insert. The insert patterned blank material of
FIG. 14 is folded along the scored lines 65a'-65j until an
octagonal tubular insert is configured. To form the octagonal
insert, the material illustrated in the FIG. 14 pattern is folded
along the scored lines 65a'-65j so that side edges 66a' and 66b'
move toward one another. Tab member 67, when the material is
folded, will remain on the inner side of the formed octagonal
tubular insert. Tab member 67 is slidably received within slot 68.
In this position, the sidewall 64i' overlies sidewall 64a' and
sidewall 64j overlies sidewall 64b'. At this stage, the one-piece
insert would appear as illustrated at 62 in FIG. 12. At this point,
the structure is still foldable upon itself and can be folded into
a collapsed position. It will be noted that the tab member 67 is
slidably within the slot 68. Such sliding construction provides for
limited relative movement of the sidewall configuration to
accommodate expansion and contraction of the material being
contained by the container assembly.
[0072] The inserts 64 and 64' described above did not have any
"bottoms". However, a third embodiment of the one-piece insert,
constructed from corrugated cellulose (cardboard) material, which
does have a bottom structure, is illustrated at 20 in FIG. 4A. In
this configuration, the embodiment of the forming member,
previously described and illustrated at 20 in FIGS. 4A-4D, is used
as the one-piece insert, which is placed within an outer forming
member 12. When so used, the insert is sized smaller than the outer
forming member in order to fit within the forming member 12. This
embodiment is configured and folded according to the directions
given above for the embodiment of the forming member illustrated at
20 in FIGS. 4A-4D.
[0073] The one-piece insert configurations described above are by
no means exhaustive of the configurations that are possible.
Depending upon the forming member configuration utilized, the
insert should be accordingly shaped and configured to fit within
the forming member. While several configurations of the one-piece
insert have been described with respect to specified preferred
embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will readily
recognize that many other configurations of such inserts can be
designed within the scope of the invention. Further, while specific
corrugated materials have been described for use in association
with constructing the forming members, those skilled in the art
will readily recognize that other materials can be employed.
[0074] Once configured, the one-piece insert is placed within the
forming member 12 to engage the inner peripheral sidewall areas of
the forming member. The one-piece insert is preferably sized in
order to snugly engage the inner peripheral sidewall areas of the
forming member so that, when bulk material is being poured inside
the cavity formed by the forming member, the insert does not slide
up along the inner sidewall areas 12b of the forming member 12, as
illustrated in FIG. 16. The insert 62 may also be placed in an
offset fashion within the forming member 12, where each corner of
the insert defined by the sidewalls of the insert engages each of
the inner sidewalls 12b of the forming member generally along a
vertical centerline of the forming member sidewalls, as illustrated
in FIG. 17. This offset configuration (FIG. 17), providing a tight
fit, prevents unwanted movement of the insert 62 inside the forming
member 12 that might tend to collapse the insert prior to the
container loading or filling operation. Also, offsetting the insert
62 in this manner provides additional strength to the container
assembly by distributing the stress on the sidewalls 12b of the
forming member 12 and the insert 62 instead of placing it all at
the weaker fold lines. Typically, an oversized liner 16 is used
with the container system. The upper portion of the liner is folded
over the top edges of the forming member and insert(s) and down
along the outside surfaces of the forming member sidewalls, such
that the liner material overlays and "covers" the gaps or spaces
between the insert and forming member sidewalls (see FIGS. 17 and
19), so that the material being loaded into the container does not
fall within such gaps or spaces during the loading operation. The
insert sidewalls are thus freely allowed to expand outwardly toward
and into engagement with the forming member sidewalls during the
loading operation.
[0075] In a one-piece insert, the insert can also be of the same
type of materials that are used for the outer sleeve 14. For
assembly purposes, the sleeve material could simply be cut to a
desired length by, for example, any of the techniques previously
discussed. The sleeve material one-piece insert is sized to be
placed inside the forming member to provide an additional layer of
strength. The sleeve material one-piece insert may be folded in any
of the combination of ways discussed above for the outer sleeve
member, when placed inside the forming member depending upon the
intended use and the needed strength of the containment system.
Folding the lower edge of the insert sleeve material towards the
inside, as illustrated at 69 in FIG. 15, provides the advantage of
preventing unwanted upward movement of the insert sleeve. When bulk
material is being poured into the containment system, the bulk
material weighs down the folded-in extended portions 69 of the
inner sleeve, preventing the entire sleeve from rising up along the
surfaces of the inner sidewalls 12b of the forming member 12.
[0076] The insert may also be constructed of at least two pieces,
the pieces being configured of any combination of the materials or
the shapes discussed above for the one-piece insert (as illustrated
at 62 in FIGS. 18, 19, and 20. The two-piece insert may utilize
either the relatively lightweight corrugated material, such as the
material used for the forming member 12, or it can be constructed
of the same type of materials that are used for the outer sleeve
14, or the two-piece insert may utilize a combination of the two
types of materials (as illustrated at 62 in FIG. 18). The outer
piece of the two-piece insert is sized and shaped to slidably
engage the surfaces of the inner sidewalls 12b of the forming
member 12, while the inner piece of the two-piece insert is sized
and shaped to engage the inner surface of the outer piece. Either
pieces of the two-piece insert, if of corrugated material, may be
placed in an offset fashion, as discussed above, to prevent
unwanted movement of the pieces and to increase strength by
distributing the stress on the sidewalls. A configuration showing
both of the pieces of the two-piece insert being placed in an
offset fashion relative to each other is shown in FIG. 19. In a
configuration where the outer insert piece of the two-piece insert
is of woven polypropylene (sleeve material), the outer piece may be
folded in a variety of ways as discussed above for the outer
sleeve. In a configuration, such as the one seen at 62 in FIG. 18,
the lower edge of the sleeve material of the two-piece insert being
folded under the inner corrugated piece provides the advantage of
preventing the inner corrugated piece from moving during the
loading of bulk material. This is possible because, as discussed
above, the bulk material weighs the folded-in extended portions 69
of the sleeve material down, and since the sleeve material of the
insert is sized to fit snugly around the inner corrugated piece of
the insert, the corrugated piece is also held down.
[0077] Depending on the intended use of the containment system or
the strength needed, three or more pieces can be utilized to make
up the inner insert, being configured of any of the combination of
the materials and the shapes, discussed above, of the one-piece
insert (as illustrated at 62 in FIG. 20).
[0078] The optional bag/liner, illustrated at 16 in FIGS. 1, 2, and
3, may be of any appropriate film or sheet of flexible impervious
material, preferably polyethylene or polypropylene, to protect the
contents of the container system and/or to prevent leakage of
liquids or sitting of powders out of the forming member insert.
Such liners are well-known in the art and have been used in the
past for both corrugated and FIBC packaging. The bag/liner 16 could
include a filling spout and sealing mechanism at its upper end, as
well as a discharge spout at its lower end. Such discharge spout
would operatively extend through a hole or opening (not
illustrated) in the sidewalls of the forming member and insert
member(s) as well as through the outer sleeve material, for
enabling emptying of the contents from the liner. The bag/liner 16
could also be made just thin enough to provide an impervious inner
coating or layer to the forming member 12. Often, wherein the
contents of the shipping container are pumped out of the container
during removal, the bag/liner need only be strong enough to allow
lifting of any residual product left in the bag/liner following the
pumping operation, in order to remove and reclaim the residual
materials. Similar to the sleeve material 14 used with the forming
member 12 or the insert 62, the bag/liners are flexible and
collapsible and can be recycled, making the entire container system
a collapsible and recyclable system.
[0079] In a preferred configuration of the invention as used for
carrying a 2000-lb load of liquids or semi-liquids such as meat,
the following container system parameters have been found to
provide safe and successful performance: an elongated octagonal
outer forming member of 350 lb. weight and of double-wall flute
corrugation; an outer sleeve of 5.2 oz. polycoated polypropylene
having an operative circumference of 144 inches (stretches about 1
inch) and extending beyond the lower edge of the sidewalls of the
forming member by approximately 8 inches.
[0080] In a preferred configuration of the invention as used for
carrying a 1200-1400-lb. load of semi-solids such as resin, the
following container system parameters have been found to provide
safe and successful performance: a regular octagonal outer forming
member of 350 to 500 lb. double wall corrugated material; an outer
sleeve of 5.2 oz. polycoated polypropylene having an operative
circumference of 144 inches (stretches about 1 inch) and extending
beyond the lower edge of the sidewalls of the forming member by
approximately 8 inches; and an inner sleeve insert (placed around a
corrugated insert of 275 lb. C-flute material) of 5.2 oz. coated
polypropylene having an operative circumference of 142 inches
(stretches about 1 inch).
[0081] In a preferred configuration of the invention as used for
carrying a 3000-lb. load of solids such as sugar, the following
container system parameters have been found to provide safe and
successful performance: a regular octagonal outer forming member of
500 lb. weight and of double-wall flute corrugation; an outer
folded sleeve of 5.2 oz. polycoated polypropylene having an
operative circumference of 144 inches (stretches about 1 inch) and
extending beyond the lower edge of the sidewalls of the forming
member by approximately 8 inches; and an inner sleeve insert
(placed around a corrugated insert) of 5.2 oz. coated polypropylene
having an operative circumference of 142 inches (stretches about 1
inch).
[0082] FIG. 7 illustrates the fact that the container apparatus of
the present invention can be employed in situations wherein
multiple such container assemblies are supported by a single
pallet. While the container assemblies of FIG. 7 have been
illustrated as being separated from one another, they could equally
well have been positioned so as to engage one another for forming a
more stabilized pallet block of such container assemblies.
[0083] The above specification, examples and data provide a
complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition
of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended
* * * * *