U.S. patent application number 12/545733 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-24 for bulk cargo bag including an inner container body with reinforcing folds.
Invention is credited to Chih-Hung Lin.
Application Number | 20110044564 12/545733 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43605435 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110044564 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Chih-Hung |
February 24, 2011 |
BULK CARGO BAG INCLUDING AN INNER CONTAINER BODY WITH REINFORCING
FOLDS
Abstract
A bulk cargo bag includes: an outer container body having an
outer surrounding wall; and an inner container body having an inner
bottom wall, and an inner surrounding wall extending upwardly from
the inner bottom wall. The inner surrounding wall has a plurality
of spaced apart reinforcing folds, and a plurality of fixing
members. Each of the reinforcing folds has an outwardly bent
portion, and a folded back portion. Each of the fixing members
fixes the outwardly bent portion and the folded back portion of one
of the reinforcing folds to the outer surrounding wall.
Inventors: |
Lin; Chih-Hung; (Taichung
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOLLAND & HART, LLP
P.O BOX 8749
DENVER
CO
80201
US
|
Family ID: |
43605435 |
Appl. No.: |
12/545733 |
Filed: |
August 21, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/37 ;
383/119 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/1631 20130101;
B65D 88/1618 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/37 ;
383/119 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/00 20060101
B65D030/00; B65D 33/02 20060101 B65D033/02 |
Claims
1. A bulk cargo bag comprising: an outer container body having an
outer surrounding wall; and an inner container body disposed within
said outer container body and having an inner bottom wall, and an
inner surrounding wall extending upwardly from said inner bottom
wall, said inner surrounding wall having a plurality of spaced
apart reinforcing folds that extend in a top-to-bottom direction
and that project outwardly from an outer surface of said inner
surrounding wall, and a plurality of fixing members, each of said
reinforcing folds having an outwardly bent portion, and a folded
back portion, each of said fixing members fixing said outwardly
bent portion and said folded back portion of one of said
reinforcing folds to said outer surrounding wall.
2. The bulk cargo bag of claim 1, wherein said outer surrounding
wall has a plurality of spaced apart couplers, each of said fixing
members fixing said outwardly bent portion and said folded back
portion of one of said reinforcing folds to one of said
couplers.
3. The bulk cargo bag of claim 2, wherein each of said couplers is
formed as a U-shaped fold that projects outwardly from said outer
surrounding wall, each of said reinforcing folds being inserted
into said U-shaped fold of one of said couplers, each of said
fixing members being a stitch line extending in the top-to-bottom
direction and through one of said reinforcing folds and one of said
U-shaped folds.
4. The bulk cargo bag of claim 3, wherein said inner container body
further has a plurality of hot press fluid-seals each of which
seals said outwardly bent portion and said folded back portion of
one of said reinforcing folds and extends in the top-to-bottom
direction.
5. The bulk cargo bag of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of
retention plates disposed within said inner container body, said
inner container body having a plurality of corners, each of said
retention plates having two opposite ends secured to said inner
surrounding wall respectively on two sides of one of said
corners.
6. The bulk cargo bag of claim 5, wherein said opposite ends of
each of said retention plates are inserted respectively into two of
said reinforcing folds and are hot pressed together with said
outwardly bent portions and said folded back portions of said
reinforcing folds to form two of said hot press fluid-seals.
7. The bulk cargo bag of claim 6, wherein each of said fixing
members is disposed outwardly of one of said hot press fluid-seals,
and further extends through a respective one of said opposite ends
of said retention plates.
8. The bulk cargo bag of claim 5, wherein each of said fixing
members extends through one of said hot press fluid-seals.
9. The bulk cargo bag of claim 5, wherein each of said opposite
ends of each of said retention plates is hot pressed to an inner
surface of said inner surrounding wall.
10. The bulk cargo bag of claim 3, further comprising a plurality
of embracing pieces each of which covers one of said reinforcing
folds within a respective one of said U-shaped folds.
11. The bulk cargo bag of claim 3, wherein each of said reinforcing
folds further has two opposite hot-pressed ends that respectively
extend from said outwardly bent portion and said folded back
portion and that are hot pressed to said outer surface of said
inner surrounding wall.
12. The bulk cargo bag of claim 11, further comprising a plurality
of retention plates disposed within said inner container body, each
of said retention plates having two opposite ends which are hot
pressed to an inner surface of said inner surrounding wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a bulk cargo bag, more
particularly to a bulk cargo bag including an inner container body
with a plurality of reinforcing folds.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional bulk cargo bag 10
includes an outer container body 11, an inner container body 12,
and four retention plates 13. The outer container body 11 defines
an inner space for receiving the inner container body 12 therein.
The outer container body 11 has four corners 110, and four hanging
straps 111 connected to the corners 110 for hanging the bulk cargo
bag 10. The inner container body 12 is made from a material having
functional properties, such as waterproofing and air proofing
properties, and has an open top end 121 for filling a bulk cargo
material.
[0005] The inner container body 12 includes a surrounding wall 123
having four corners 122. Each of the four retention plates 13 has
two opposite sides 130 respectively connected to the surrounding
wall 123 on two sides of one of the four corners 122. The retention
plates 13 are further formed with a plurality of through holes 131
for flow of the bulk cargo material toward the corners 122. When
the inner container body 12 is filled with the bulk cargo material,
the bulk cargo material and the retention plates 13 produce
counteracting forces, which prevent deformation of the inner
container body 12 so that a substantially rectangular shape of the
inner container body 12 can be maintained. However, since the
structural strength of the inner container body 12 is generally
insufficient, the outer container body 11 is required as a
protection. In addition, the inner container body 12 is likely to
break due to outward pushing forces from the bulk cargo
material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a bulk cargo bag that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks
associated with the prior art.
[0007] According to the present invention, a bulk cargo bag
comprises: an outer container body having an outer surrounding
wall; and an inner container body disposed within the outer
container body and having an inner bottom wall, and an inner
surrounding wall extending upwardly from the inner bottom wall. The
inner surrounding wall has a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing
folds that extend in a top-to-bottom direction and that project
outwardly from an outer surface of the inner surrounding wall, and
a plurality of fixing members. Each of the reinforcing folds has an
outwardly bent portion, and a folded back portion. Each of the
fixing members fixes the outwardly bent portion and the folded back
portion of one of the reinforcing folds to the outer surrounding
wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a
conventional bulk cargo bag;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a partially assembled perspective view of the
conventional bulk cargo bag;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of a bulk cargo bag according to this
invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a sectional top view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view of an
encircled portion in FIG. 6;
[0016] FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an
encircled portion (I) in FIG. 6;
[0017] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the second
preferred embodiment according to this invention;
[0018] FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the
second preferred embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the
third preferred embodiment according to this invention;
[0020] FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the
fourth preferred embodiment according to this invention; and
[0021] FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the
fifth preferred embodiment according to this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Before the present invention is described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should
be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same
reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0023] FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate a bulk cargo bag of the first
preferred embodiment according to this invention. The bulk cargo
bag includes an outer container body 20 and an inner container body
30, and a plurality of retention plates 40.
[0024] The outer container body 20 is a woven bag made of
polyethylene, and has a substantially rectangular outer surrounding
wall 21 and a base 22 that is connected to the outer surrounding
wall 21 and that cooperates with the outer surrounding wall 21 to
define a receiving space 23 therein. The outer surrounding wall 21
has four sides 213 and four corners 211. The outer surrounding wall
21 is formed with a plurality of spaced apart couplers 212 at
approximately one-third positions of the width of the four sides
213. In this embodiment, each of the couplers 212 is formed as a
U-shaped fold that projects outwardly from an outer surface of the
outer surrounding wall 21 and that extends in a top-to-bottom
direction. A reinforcement strip 60 is attached to the outer
surrounding wall 21 in proximity to the base 22 and is disposed
transversely over bottom ends of the U-shaped folds of the couplers
212. Alternatively, the outer surrounding wall 21 may be planar and
not provided with the couplers 212.
[0025] The inner container body 30 is made of a waterproof
polyethylene sheeting and is disposed within the receiving space
23. The inner container body 30 has an inner closed bottom wall
311, an open top end 312 for filling a bulk cargo material (not
shown) into the inner container body 30 therethrough, and an inner
surrounding wall 31 extending upwardly from the inner closed bottom
wall 311. The inner surrounding wall 31 is folded at intervals so
as to provide a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing folds 313
that extend in the top-to-bottom direction corresponding in
position to the couplers 212 and that project outwardly from an
outer surface 317 of the inner surrounding wall 31.
[0026] As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the reinforcing
folds 313 has an outwardly bent portion 3130, a folded back portion
3132, and a plurality of hot press fluid-seals 35. Each of the hot
press fluid-seals 35 is formed by hot pressing the outwardly bent
portion 3130 and the folded back portion 3132 and extends in the
top-to-bottom direction to seal the outwardly bent portion 3130 and
the folded back portion 3132 of one of the reinforcing folds 313,
thereby improving structural strength of the inner container body
30 and providing waterproofing properties to the inner container
body 30. Each of the reinforcing folds 313 is inserted into the
U-shaped fold of one of the couplers 212.
[0027] The inner surrounding wall 31 further has a plurality of
fixing members 3133 each of which is disposed outwardly of one of
the hot press fluid-seals 35 and fixes the outwardly bent portion
3130 and the folded back portion 3132 of one of the reinforcing
folds 313 to one of the couplers 212. In this embodiment, each of
the fixing members 3133 is a stitch line extending in the
top-to-bottom direction and through one of the reinforcing folds
313 and one of the U-shaped folds. Therefore, each reinforcing fold
313 is sewn to the outer surrounding wall 21 through the respective
stitch line of the fixing member 3133. Since the hot press
fluid-seals 35 are provided inwardly of the stitch lines of the
fixing members 3133, they can prevent leakage that can occur at the
stitch lines. In addition, the hot press fluid-seals 35 increase
the strength of the reinforcing folds 313. The inner container body
30 can therefore be coupled stably to the outer container body
20.
[0028] Each of the retention plates 40 having a predetermined
thickness is made of polyethylene and is disposed within the inner
container body 30. The inner container body 30 has a plurality of
corners 314 aligned respectively with the corners 211 of the outer
surrounding wall 21. Each of the retention plates 40 has two
opposite ends 42 secured to the inner surrounding wall 31
respectively on two sides of one of the corners 314 and is formed
with a plurality of through holes 41 for flow of the bulk cargo
material toward the corners 314 of the inner container body 30. In
this embodiment, the opposite ends 42 of each of the retention
plates 40 are inserted respectively into two of the reinforcing
folds 313 and are hot pressed together with the outwardly bent
portions 3130 and the folded back portions 3132 of the reinforcing
folds 313 to form two of the hot press fluid-seals 35. The fixing
members 3133 extend through the respective reinforcing folds 313,
the respective U-shaped folds, and the respective ends 42 of the
retention plates 40 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8.
[0029] In use, when the bulk cargo material is filled into the
inner container body 30, a pressure exerted by the bulk cargo
material on the inner container body 30 can be transferred to the
outer container body 20 through the reinforcing folds 313 of the
inner container body 30. As such, the pressure of the bulk cargo
material inside the inner container body 30 is shared by the inner
and outer container bodies 30 and 20 so that the inner container
body 30 is not liable to break and the loading capacity of the
inner container body 30 is increased.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the second preferred embodiment
of the present invention differs from the first preferred
embodiment in that the bulk cargo bag further includes a plurality
of embracing pieces 50. Each of the embracing pieces 50 covers one
of the reinforcing folds 313 within a respective one of the
U-shaped folds of the couplers 212, and includes a first layer 501
made of polyethylene (PE) and a second layer 502 made of
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) The first layer 501, the outwardly
bent portion 3130 and the folded back portion 3132 are hot pressed
together, thereby forming the hot press fluid-seals 35 for
improving structural strength of the reinforcing folds 313. The
embracing pieces 50 further improve the structural strength of the
reinforcing folds 313.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 11, the third preferred embodiment of the
present invention differs from the first preferred embodiment in
that each reinforcing fold 313 is hot pressed almost entirely so
that the width of each hot press fluid-seal 35 is increased, and
the stitch line of each fixing member 3133 extends through one of
the hot press fluid-seals 35.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 12, the fourth preferred embodiment of the
present invention differs from the second preferred embodiment in
that each of the opposite ends 42 of each of the retention plates
40 is hot pressed to an inner surface 316 of the inner surrounding
wall 31, each reinforcing fold 313 is hot pressed almost entirely,
and each of the fixing members 3133 extends through one of the hot
press fluid-seals 35.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 13, the fifth preferred embodiment of the
present invention differs from the first preferred embodiment in
that the inner surrounding wall 31 per se is not folded, each of
the reinforcing folds 313 further has two opposite hot-pressed ends
3134 that respectively extend from the outwardly bent portion 3130
and the folded back portion 3132 and that are hot pressed to the
outer surface 317 of the inner surrounding wall 31. In addition,
each of the opposite ends 42 of each of the retention plates 40 is
hot pressed to the inner surface 316 of the inner surrounding wall
31.
[0034] With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that
various modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended
that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended
claims.
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