Large bulk liquid squeeze bag

• US 5,690,253 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Scholle Custom Packaging Incorporated (Scholle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Custom Packaging Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: LaFleur, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/705,419
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 222/102, 222/183, 222/181.2, 222/105, 222/107, 383/117, 383/119, 383/24
• US Class Current: 222/102
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/1618 double-walled or with linings
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/226 for flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC]

Abstract

A flexible and collapsible bulk bag having an upright orientation in use with top and bottom end access openings to the exterior of the bag through which a flexible and collapsible liner is received in the bag, the liner also having top and bottom access openings through which the bulk contents are respectively entered and discharged. When the bag is expanded and filled it has a pair of spaced apart and generally conical ends formed by four triangular portions interconnected by four generally rectangular side walls, with the ends convergently tapering toward their associated access opening. The bag when empty can be collapsed into a compact, flat configuration having a pair of overlying front and rear panels with a pair of folded gusseted side panels received therebetween. Alternatively the liner has a rigid discharge outlet spout and a protective exterior flap spans beneath the spout outlet closure to serve as an openable, flexible protective barrier for the same. When the bag is full and ready to be discharged, the bag and liner are suspended vertically by hoisting from the bag hanger straps. A pair of squeeze nip rollers may then be applied across the front and rear panels and then pulled downwardly therealong to thereby squeeze any remaining contents out the liner discharge opening. When the discharge outlets of the liner and bag are made of flexible and compressible material, the nip roller squeegee stroke continues therealong the material of these outlets to also empty any contents remaining therein.

Claims

1. In combination with a flexible and collapsible bulk bag having an upright orientation in use with a side wall, top and bottom ends and top and bottom end openings to the exterior of the bag through which contents are respectively entered and discharged, a flexible and collapsible liner received in said bag generally complementary thereto and having a side wall, top and bottom ends and top and bottom openings through which the contents are respectively entered and discharged, said bag comprising a tubular blank of reinforced flexible woven material, the blank having a circumferentially continuous central portion and four isosceles triangular portions adjacent each end constructed and arranged such that said bag when expanded has a generally cubical configuration with a pair of generally rectangular side wall panels connected by a pair of gusseted side panels and such that when the bag is empty it can be collapsed and folded into a generally flat configuration, and wherein each of the triangular portions extend from the blank central portion toward an apex of the triangular portion, connector means connecting together adjacent triangular portions adjacent their edges along lines of connection extending from at least closely adjacent the central portion toward their associated apexes at least half of the distance therebetween, and the lines of connection associated with the triangular portions adjacent the associated end of the central portion terminating short of their apexes so as to at least in part define an access opening therethrough adjacent the center of the associated end defined by such triangular portions when such bag is expanded such that when filled such bag has a pair of spaced apart and generally conical ends interconnected by four generally rectangular side walls with the ends convergently tapering toward their associated access opening, and wherein said bag end triangular portions when the bag is empty can be collapsed into a compact configuration having a pair of overlying front and rear panels with a pair of folded gusseted side panels received therebetween with the fold line between adjacent gusseted panels extending between substantially the apexes of their associated opposed triangular portions and the fold lines lying closely adjacent each other;

the improvement in combination therewith comprising laterally spaced apart first and second U-shaped hanger straps formed at the top end of said bag and together flanking said bag and liner top openings, each said hanger strap comprising a first two-ply extension formed from a portion of said front panel triangular portion and a portion of the side panel triangular portion connected thereto and extending upwardly beyond the bag top access opening from said connector means joining said front and side panel triangular portions and terminating at a free end edge, and a second two-ply extension formed from a portion of said rear panel triangular portion and a portion of the side panel triangular portion connected thereto and likewise extending upwardly beyond the bag top access opening from said connector means joining said rear and side panel triangular portions and terminating at a free end edge, said first and second two ply extensions having mutually overlapped portions permanently interconnected to thereby form a U-shaped hanger loop configuration having a four-ply thickness where said extensions mutually overlap, and wherein the apices of said straps are coaxially aligned and spaced beyond said top bag and liner access openings when the same are closed.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each ply of each of said hanger straps have a free inner edge flanking the associated side of said bag and,

line access openings and being formed by a slit line in the upper end of the blank through said first and second two-ply extensions of an associated hanger strap when the blank is folded flat.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said bag has a saddle strap reinforcement comprising first and second U-shaped end straps overlaid on said first and second hanger straps along said free inner edges thereof and extending to longitudinally opposite free ends located in the front and rear bag panels below said connector means, first and second cross straps extending between and joined to at their opposite ends to said U-shaped end straps and located adjacent and below said bag top access opening and first and second center straps joined at their upper ends respectively to said first and second cross straps and extending downwardly therefrom on said front and rear panels, all of said straps of said saddle strap reinforcement being permanently joined to the respectively adjacent surfaces of said bag overlaid by said straps.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 which also comprises a tubular fill spout which is circumferentially continuous and a separate piece of flexible material, said spout being disposed in such top central access opening with an end portion of each triangular portion defining such central access opening overlapping said spout, and connector means connecting said tubular spout to said triangular portion at least substantially around the periphery of said spout, said fill spout being extendable between and beyond said hanger straps.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 which also comprises said bag having a discharge spout at least in part defining said discharge opening of said bag, said liner having a discharge spout defining at least in part said discharge opening of said liner and being extendable into said discharge spout of said bag.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein at the bottom end of said blank each line of connection of adjacent sides of adjacent triangular portions extends substantially to their apices but stops short thereof to provide an open end at the bottom of said bag and leaving at the triangular apex four flaps extending downwardly, one from each of said triangular portions,

and further including a reinforcement said girdle having a horizontal strap belt encircling said triangular portions and affixed thereto at the junction of said lines of connections with said apex flaps,

said girdle having four belt loop straps each connected to said belt at one end and centered on each associated flap and extended downwardly past the lower end of the flap and then upwardly along the interior side of the flap to a connection at its other end to the flap and belt, each said belt thus forming at its lower end a loop having its apex spaced below the lower edge of the associated flap, and a tie cord strong serially through the belt loops below the lower edges of said flaps and operable upon tightening to draw the lower ends of the belt loops together to thereby close the associated flaps across the bag bottom discharge opening.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said girdle also comprises a generally triangular reinforcement petal for each of said belt straps, each said petal having its base edge joined to said belt and being dependent therefrom with its apex centered on the associated belt strap to form a reinforcement gusset for said belt strap and overlying the associated closure apex flap of said bag and being permanently affixed thereto.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 which also comprises a flap of flexible material constructed and arranged to removably overlie the bottom central opening of the bag in which said bag discharge spout is disposed and at least in part to overlie at least a portion of at least one of the triangular portions at the bottom of the bag on the interior side thereof, and connector means connecting said flexible closure flap to said one triangular portion such that said closure flap interiorly overlies the triangular portion flaps when said girdle is drawn closed by tightening said tie cord.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said liner has a pair of generally rectangular side panels and a pair of interconnecting gusseted panels complementary to their corresponding bag panels and is constructed and arranged when expanded to have a generally cubical configuration and when empty can be folded into a generally flat configuration;

a plurality of connectors between said liner and bag and each connecting said liner to said bag, said connectors being spaced apart and each located adjacent a side wall portion of said bag and adjacent the bottom end of said bag and liner having the discharge openings therethrough, and all of said connectors being connected to said liner such that said liner is not withdrawn from said bag and can collapse upon itself during discharge of the contents thereof independently of and without being substantially restricted by said bag from collapsing, whereby the contents of said bag and liner are discharged through said openings without the liner being withdrawn from said bottom bag by such discharge, and wherein said bag and liner and associated fill and discharge spouts and girdle are all constructed of flexible material and are respectively compressible together by running a pair of squeeze nip rollers the entire length of said bag and spouts with the bag suspended by said hanger straps.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said connectors comprises a tab having a first portion adhered to said liner and a second portion extending therefrom through a line of connection between an adjacent pair of said triangular portions and being connected thereto in the formation of a seam defining said line of connection.

11. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said liner has a rigid discharge outlet spout with an annular external flange joined and sealed liquid tight to the material of said liner defining the bottom end of the liner, said spout having an outlet end protruding downwardly through the discharge opening of said bag and having a removable closure plug at the lower end of said spout,

said bag having a protective exterior flap permanently joined at one end to one of the triangular portions at the bottom end of said bag and extending across and beneath said spout closure and having a free end removably attached by hook and loop means to another triangular portion of said bag such that said flap spans beneath said spout outlet closure to serve as an openable, flexible protective barrier for the same.

12. A method of discharging sticky, viscous material from a flexible and collapsible bulk bag comprising the steps of:

a) providing a flexible and collapsible bulk bag having an upright orientation in use with a side wall, top and bottom ends and top and bottom end openings to the exterior of the bag through which contents are respectively entered and discharged, a flexible and collapsible liner received in said bag generally complementary thereto and having a side wall, top and bottom ends and top and bottom openings through which the contents are respectively entered and discharged, said bag comprising a tubular blank of reinforced flexible woven material, the blank having a circumferentially continuous central portion and four isosceles triangular portions adjacent each end constructed and arranged such that said bag when expanded has a generally cubical configuration with a pair of generally rectangular side wall panels connected by a pair of gusseted side panels and such that when the bag is empty it can be collapsed and folded into a generally flat configuration, and wherein each of the triangular portions extend from the blank central portion toward an apex of the triangular portion, connector means connecting together adjacent triangular portions adjacent their edges along lines of connection extending from at least closely adjacent the central portion toward their associated apexes at least half of the distance therebetween, and the lines of connection associated with the triangular portions adjacent the associated end of the central portion terminating short of their apexes so as to at least in partly define an access opening therethrough adjacent the center of the associated end defined by such triangular portions when such bag is expanded such that when filled such bag has a pair of spaced apart and generally conical ends interconnected by four generally rectangular side walls with the ends convergently tapering toward their associated access opening, and wherein said bag end triangular portions when the bag is empty can be collapsed into a compact configuration having a pair of overlying front and rear panels with a pair of folded gusseted side panels received therebetween with the fold line between adjacent gusseted panels extending between substantially the apexes of their associated opposed triangular portions and the fold lines lying closely adjacent each other;

said bag further comprising laterally spaced apart first and second U-shaped hanger straps formed at the top end of said bag and together flanking said bag and liner top openings, each said hanger strap comprising a first two-ply extension formed from a portion of said front panel triangular portion and a portion of the side panel triangular portion connected thereto and extending upwardly beyond the bag top access opening from said connector means joining said front and side panel triangular portions and terminating at a free end edge, and a second two-ply extension formed from a portion of said rear panel triangular portion and a portion of the side panel triangular portion connected thereto and likewise extending upwardly beyond the bag top access opening from said connector means joining said rear and side panel triangular portions and terminating at a free end edge, said first and second two ply extensions having mutually overlapped portions permanently interconnected to thereby form a U-shaped hanger loop configuration having a four-ply thickness where said extensions mutually overlap, and wherein the apices of said straps are coaxially aligned and spaced beyond said top bag and liner access openings when the same are closed;

b) suspending said bag and liner vertically by hoisting the same with a hoisting implement having a pair of coaxially spaced lift arms and inserted one under each of said hanger strap loops;

c) applying a pair of squeeze nip rollers oriented to span one across each of the front and rear panels of said bag exteriorly thereof beginning adjacent the upper end of said bag while so suspended;

d) applying squeeze pressure to force the nip rollers toward one another into squeezing relation with said bag to force said front and rear panels toward one another while pulling said nip rollers downwardly along said front and rear panels to thereby squeeze any contents remaining in the bag downwardly in advance of the roller pressure to force the same out the discharge opening of the liner and bag.

13. The method said forth in claim 12 wherein in step (a) said bag is constructed and arranged such that the discharge outlets of said liner and said bag are made of flexible and compressible material, wherein in step (d) said squeeze rollers are drawn downwardly through a squeegee stroke which continues along the material of the discharge outlets of said bag and liner to empty any contents remaining therein out of the liner and bag by roller squeegee action.