Net-based baffles for flexible intermediate bulk containers

Abstract

A flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) for transferring various type of materials, including industry-based granule materials, fine materials like sugar, flour, comprising baffles sewed to edge region of the FIBCs for preventing bulging formation on lateral surfaces thereof so defining an essential volume and subsidiary volume in the FIBC and said baffles having holes for promoting material transfer between the essential volume and subsidiary volume the development comprising said baffle (3) formed as a net structure having plurality of filaments (4), plurality of net passages (10) between these filaments (4) and connection elements (8) the filaments (4) are attached thereon.

Description

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention relates to flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC) utilized for material transfer, particularly relates to net-based baffles for minimizing the space occupied by the FIBCs in the container while transferring thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC) are extensively used for various bulk materials including industry-based granule, powder materials, food grade materials like sugar, flour, etc and even for quasi-fluid materials. Once the FIBCs are packed, they are accommodated into containers, trucks etc. for transferring thereof to another location.

[0006] Perhaps, one the most important aspects that is regarded as far as transferring the FIBCs are concerned is to achieve maximum amount of material transfer while minimizing the transfer sequence. This is the optimization problem leading the practitioners to minimize the space or volume occupied by the FIBCs in the container.

[0007] As a part of underlying physical effects, when bulk material, most of the time fine material, is introduced into an FIBC, it is tended (inclined) to move towards empty space or volume. It is interesting to note that, since edges of the FIBC are not available to promote such a tendency of bulk material movement, because of the physical restriction, the bulk material moves towards the lateral sides of the FIBC leading lateral bulged surfaces of the FIBC. Consequently, when the FIBCs are accommodated next to each other, simply some idle spaces are originated in the region of top and bottom corners of the FIBCs due to contact of the bulging surfaces of different FIBCs. However, these idle spaces occupy some considerable amount of volume, which is not filled by the material to be intended to transfer, in the container.

[0008] As a solution serving to overcome the above-mentioned problem in this technical field, numerous proposals have been made. Probably the most efficient proposals are focusing on sewing baffles to the edges of FIBCs diagonally. By doing so, movement tendency of bulk material towards the lateral sides of the FIBCs is decreased and potential bulging formation of the lateral sides is prevented.

[0009] The baffles accompanied with these solutions have hole-shaped formation and are sewed from the top region to the bottom region of the four edges of the FIBCs diagonally. The idea underlying the formation of these holes is to provide material penetration between the baffles and the edges in addition to essential part of the FIBCs.

[0010] It is acknowledged that the above-referenced solution put forwards sound advantages with respect to the deficiencies in the relevant technical field, however, another problems arise due to the physical nature of this solution such as interference of the baffle material to the bulk material carried due to spots of the holes. For instance, since the baffle is not a continuous part i.e. comprising holes, spots of the holes are likely to interfere with the bulk material. On the other hand, the present baffles are not able to be sewed through the edges i.e. from top to bottom, because of the idea that filling the space between the baffle and the edges of the FIBCs. In other words, in order to utilize the space between the sewed baffle and the edge, so providing bulk material transfer between the essential part and the space between the baffle and the edge, the baffle cannot be sewed through the edges i.e. through the top and bottom limits of the edges. As a consequence of this practice, the top and the bottom regions of the FIBCs become bulging driving indirectly volume loss in the container.

[0011] Another disadvantage accompanied with the state of the art is referred to structural deficiency in terms of functionality of the baffles. In fact for contributing the bulk material penetration through the holes of the baffles to the space between the baffle and the edge, a propeller is provided to promote uniform distribution of the bulk material in the FIBC. However, utilization of such a propeller induces many resources including labor, time.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide substantially rectangular prism formation of the FIBCs so that the volume occupied thereof is minimized in the container.

[0013] The baffles in the scope of the present invention are sewed diagonally to the edges of the FIBCs through the top and bottom limits of the edges. Once the baffles are sewed to the edges, there become two volumetric regions in the FIBC; one of these volumetric regions is referred to essential part in which most of the bulk material is held and the other volumetric region is referred as subsidiary part formed between the baffle and the edge of the FIBC.

[0014] The development introduced by the present invention is based upon net-based baffles promoting bulk material transition between the essential and subsidiary volumetric parts and simultaneously providing reducing movement tendency of bulk material towards the lateral surfaces of the FIBCs.

[0015] The net-based baffle in the scope of the present invention may be in a conventional fishing net or alternatively various net patterns. The most significant technical feature proposed by this embodiment is that the plurality of passages and filaments providing structural integrity of the net.

[0016] The requirement preventing a bulging formation of the FIBCs is that having a hexagon or octagon geometrical formation when viewed the FIBC from the top rather than having quadrangle once the baffles are sewed to the FIBCs, whereby bulk material movement tendency towards the lateral surfaces is reduced. In addition to this effect, the net-based baffles contribute to bulk material transition between the essential and subsidiary volumetric parts by means of the net structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a FIBC with net-based baffles sewed to the edges thereof.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a FIBC with net-based baffles.

[0020] FIG. 3a illustrates two column net-based baffles.

[0021] FIG. 3b illustrates four column net-based baffles.

[0022] FIG. 4a illustrates net-based baffle with triangle structure.

[0023] FIG. 4b illustrates net-based baffle with diagonal structure.

[0024] FIG. 4c illustrates net-based baffle with hexagonal structure.

[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates net-based baffle with quadrangle structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] In FIG. 1, net-based baffles and the location thereof in the FIBC are illustrated. Conventionally, a FIBC, flexible intermediate bulk container (1) is a means for transferring materials and having a rectangular prism geometry carried by holders (2). The baffles (3) are sewed to the connection edges (9) of the FIBC (1) diagonally so as to obtain a relatively rounded geometry in the essential volume (11) of the FIBC, i.e. independent of sharp geometry due to edges. The lateral surfaces (7) are attached to each other by connection edges (9) so that the FIBC (1) is formed.

[0027] Net-based baffles (3) comprise preferably two connection elements (8) i.e. one connection element is placed alongside the other, and net filaments (4). One of the connection elements (8), the outer one, is sewed to the lateral surface (7) and the inner one is embodied for connecting the net filaments (4) thereto. As an alternative structure, the connection elements (8) of different baffles (3) may be sewed as one on the top of the other to the lateral surfaces (7).

[0028] As it is proposed, the net-based baffles (3) comprise plurality of net passages (10) providing bulk material transition between the essential volume (11) and the subsidiary volume (12). Furthermore, the net-based baffles (3) are sewed through the top limit (5) and bottom limit (6) of the FIBC (1). Whereby, potential bulging formation in the top and bottom regions is prevented.

[0029] In FIG. 2, top view of a FIBC with sewed net-based baffles (3) is illustrated. As seen in the figure, the essential volume (11) gains a rounded and compact geometry. In other words, once the net-based baffles (3) are sewed to the edges, the essential volume (11) become more rounded shape by hexagon or octagon geometries with respect to an essential part lacking baffles.

[0030] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is based upon an octagonal geometry when viewed from the top, however it may be possible to have a FIBC structure based upon a hexagonal geometry when baffles (3) are connected on a lateral surface (7).

[0031] In FIG. 3a, an alternative baffle (3) with double column is illustrated. As seen in the figure, there is an intermediate connection (13) between the columns. Similarly, various embodiments can be derived as seen in FIG. 3b showing an baffle (3) with quartet columns. The number of columns and intermediate connections (13) can be enhanced optionally. For baffles (3) having plurality of columns, the net filaments (4) are fixed from one end to the connection elements (8) and connected to intermediate connections (13) from the other ends.

[0032] In FIG. 4a, an alternative structure having triangle shaped net passages (10) is illustrated. As mentioned above, similarly, the number of columns can be increased optionally.

[0033] Similarly, in FIG. 4b, an alternative structure having diagonal shaped net passages (10) is illustrated.

[0034] FIG. 4c illustrates net passages (10) having hexagonal shaped formation.

[0035] In FIG. 5, quadrangle shaped net passages (10) are shown.

Claims

1. A flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) for transferring various type of materials, including industry-based granule materials, fine materials like sugar, flour, comprising baffles sewed to edge region of the FIBCs for preventing bulging formation on lateral surfaces thereof so defining an essential volume and subsidiary volume in the FIBC and said baffles having holes for promoting material transfer between the essential volume and subsidiary volume the development comprising said baffle (3) is formed as a net structure having plurality of filaments (4), plurality of net passages (10) between these filaments (4) and connection elements (8) the filaments (4) are attached thereon.

2. A net-based baffle according to claim 1, wherein one or plurality of intermediate connections (13) the filaments (4) are attached thereto are provided so forming columns.

3. A net-based baffle according to preceding claims, wherein said net passages (10) comprise polygon formation preferably quadrangle, triangle, hexagon, diagonal shaped geometric formations.

4. A net-based baffle according to preceding claims, wherein said baffles (3) are sewed from top limit (5) through bottom (6) limit of the FIBC (1) to connection edges (9) thereof.

5. A net-based baffle according to preceding claims, wherein the connection elements (8) comprise an outer element fixed to said lateral surfaces (7) and an inner element attached to said filaments (4).

6. A net-based baffle according to preceding claims, wherein said connection elements (8) of different baffles (3) are sewed as one on the top of the other to said lateral surfaces (7).