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] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10 / 134,664, filed Apr. 29, 2002.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 ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] An 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. This is achieved by utilizing diagonally situated baffles which provide sufficient structural integrity to substantially eliminate bulging of the container sides and, at the same time, permit maximum bulk material transmission across the plane of the baffle to promote even filling of the central space and side spaces defined by the baffles and the container walls.

[0015] Forming the baffles of the present invention of knitted filaments provides the necessary strength and promotes maximum material flow between the spaces which they define by reducing the surface area of the baffle to a minimum. The filaments, that is, a single thread or a thin flexible thread-like material, form the baffles which 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, two volumetric regions or spaces are defined 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.

[0017] 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.

[0019] 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.

Problems solved by technology

This is the optimization problem leading the practitioners to minimize the space or volume occupied by the FIBCs in the container.

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.

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.

As a consequence of this practice, the top and the bottom regions of the FIBCs become bulging driving indirectly volume loss in the container.

Another disadvantage accompanied with the state of the art is referred to structural deficiency in terms of functionality of the baffles.

However, utilization of such a propeller induces many resources including labor, time.

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