Flexitank Design
AssigneePacTec, Inc.
InventorsDerrel Thomas, Michael Schilling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexitank including a bladder and a series of straps positioned across the top of the bladder. The straps may be directly attached to the side or bottom of the flexitank, or may be encircling straps.
Claims20
A flexible transport bladder container comprising an first bladder of flexible water proof polymeric material and an enclosing shell of non-woven flexible polymeric material, said transport bladder container having two side portions, two end portions, and a top and a bottom portion, said enclosing shell forming an interior and said first bladder positioned in said interior, a valve sleeve extending through said first bladder and said enclosing shell, said enclosing shell having a seam on each side portion defining an edge seam and a tab portion on each of said side portions formed from said non-woven flexible polymeric material, said tab portion extending away from said interior and said edge seam;
- and a plurality of straps having a first end and a second end, said first end attached to said tab portion on one side of said transport bladder container, said second end attached to said tab portion on the other side of said transport bladder container, said straps extending across said top portion of said enclosing shell and spaced apart on said top portion, but not otherwise directly attached to said top portion or said side portion of said enclosing shell.
A flexible transport bladder container comprising an first bladder of water proof polymeric material and an enclosing shell of non-woven flexible polymeric material, said enclosing shell having an exterior, a top portion and a bottom portion defining an interior therebetween, said inner bladder positioned in the interior of said enclosing shell, a valve sleeve extending through said inner and outer enclosing shell;
- and a plurality of straps, each of said straps crossing said top portion and a portion of said bottom portion of said enclosing shell, but not directly attached to said top portion of said enclosing shell.
A method of transporting a flowable material in the combination of a flexible transport bladder container and an intermodal shipping container, where said intermodal shipping container has a bottom wall, sidewalls extending therefrom, and a top wall, defining a container interior, where said flexible transport bladder container comprising an first bladder of polymeric material and an enclosing shell of non-woven flexible polymeric material, said first bladder defining an interior with a flowable material positioned therein, said enclosing shell having an exterior, a top portion and a bottom portion defining an interior therebetween, said first bladder positioned in the interior of said enclosing shell;
- a valve sleeve extending through said first bladder and enclosing shell and a valve sealingly coupled to said valve sleeve;
- a plurality of straps, each of said straps crossing said top portion of said flexible transport bladder container, said method comprising the steps of transporting said intermodal shipping container with said flexible transport container in said container interior, with flowable material in said first bladder interior, wherein each of said straps is not directly attached to said top portion of said enclosing shell and not attached to said intermodal shipping container walls during transport.
The method of claim 18 wherein each of said straps are releasing coupled to said enclosing shell with a releasable fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.