Tote bins
AssigneeSouthcorp Australia Pty. Ltd.
InventorIan Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tote bin liner has a transfer spigot (2) through which product may be introduced into or emptied from the liner. The transfer spigot has a membrane (6) which seals the interior of the liner. The membrane is sealed to the spigot on an outer face (11) of the spigot which is configured so that the membrane will be clamped in position during piercing of the membrane by a cutter. The invention extends to a cutter assembly for use with a tote bin liner. The cutter assembly (40) may be adapted to be moved past a valve closure member (22) for the valve (20), the assembly furthermore including an arrangement (78) for sterilising the interior of the valve and the outer face of the membrane, and an actuator (43) for moving the cutter in order to pierce the membrane.
Claims23
A tote bin liner having a liner wall to form a container, said liner wall including a transfer spigot which provides a passage from inside said liner to a tote bin outlet, said transfer spigot adapted to have a valve mounted thereto to provide a controlled outlet from the tote bin outlet, the transfer spigot comprising:
- a tubular body which defines said passage, the tubular body having an opening on the distal end therethrough;
- an annular surface located around the opening;
- a rupturable membrane sealed to said annular surface by a continuous seal around said opening, said continuous seal being located on said annular surface;
- the tubular body being shaped and configured such that when in use and said valve is mounted to the body, a seal on the valve will clamp the membrane against the annular surface.
A tote bin liner according to either preceding claim wherein the annular surface has a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion and said continuous seal is located on said radially outer portion whilst the radially inner portion is adapted to have a seal of a valve which is in engagement with the tubular body seal therewith.
A tote bin liner according, to any preceding claim wherein the tubular body has an outwardly directed flange on the distal end thereof and the annular surface is provided on said flange.
A cutter assembly to cut a membrane which seals a transfer spigot on a container, said cutter assembly having:
- a valve including a valve body adapted to engage with said spigot, the valve body including a valve closure member, adapted to be moved between open and closed position to open and close the valve;
- at least one elongate cutter which terminates in a cutting tip, said cutting tip being adapted to rupture or slit said membrane;
- actuation means for providing axial movement to said cutter within said valve body;
- and
- said actuation means and/or said elongate cutter body being adapted to move said cutter body to cut a membrane independently of the operation of the valve closure member.
An assembly for cutting a membrane which seals a transfer port into a container, said assembly comprising a tubular housing, a cutter axially slidable within the tubular housing, and actuation means for urging the cutter out of one end of the tubular housing to enable the cutter to pierce or rupture a membrane on a transfer port to which the assembly is mounted in use.
A method of sterilising an impervious rupturable membrane attached to a tote bin spigot on a liner and subsequently filling or emptying said liner, said impervious rupturable membrane closing a passage which connects the exterior of said liner to the interior of said liner, said method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a valve having a flow passage therethrough and a valve closure member mounted within the passage moveable between open and closed positions, the valve closure member being spaced away from the membrane;
- passing a sterilising medium into at least the space between said membrane and the valve closure member to sterilise the outside surface of said membrane and that part of the internal flow passage within said valve between said membrane and the valve closure member;
- piercing said membrane with a cutter which passes along the flow passage past the valve closure member when the valve closure member is in the open position.
A method according to claim IS wherein the valve closure member is in an open position at the start of and for the duration of the sterilisation step.
A tote bin liner having a liner wall to form a container, said liner wall including a transfer spigot which provides a passage from inside said liner to the outside thereof, said transfer spigot comprising:
- a tubular body which defines said passage, the tubular body having an opening on the distal end thereof;
- an annular surface located around the opening said annular surface providing a sealing surface adapted to engage a seal on a surface of a valve body when said valve body is assembled therewith;
- a rupturable membrane sealed to said annular surface by a continuous seal around said opening, said continuous seal being located on said annular surface.
A tote bin liner being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
A cutter assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.