# US 2014/0154045 A1 · Flexible freight bag and method of transferring cargo using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154045 A1 - Document ID: US20140154045A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/093,236 - Filed: 2013-11-29 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Chi Mei Corporation - Applicants: Chi Mei Corporation - Inventors: Chih-Cheng LEE; Chin-Lung HUANG; Ching-Mi LIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154045A1 ## CPC - B65D 90/046: {Flexible liners, e.g. loosely positioned in the container} - B65D 88/54: characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying - Y02W 30/80: Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging (bio-packaging Y02W90/10) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A flexible freight bag includes a flexible base unit having first and second panel halves that are interconnected to form a flexible base panel, and a hanging strap assembly connected to the flexible base unit. The first and second panel halves have adjacent inner end portions that are fastened to each other to form a seam across the flexible base panel. A fastener unit is attached to the inner end portions of the first and second panel halves and is operable to be detached from at least one of the inner end portions so that the inner end portions are separable from each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flexible freight bag comprising: a flexible base unit including first and second panel halves that are interconnected to form a flexible base panel, said first and second panel halves having adjacent inner end portions that are fastened to each other to form a seam across said flexible base panel; a hanging strap assembly connected to said flexible base unit; and a fastener unit attached to said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves and being operable to be detached from at least one of said inner end portions so that said inner end portions are separable from each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fastener unit includes at least two fastener holes formed in said inner end portion of at least one of said first and second panel halves, and a fastening member threading through said fastener holes, said fastening member being removable from said fastener holes to unfasten said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein two said fastener holes are formed in said inner end portion of said second panel half, said fastening member being in the form of a cord that has a fixed section fixed to a bottom surface of said inner end portion of said first panel half and two cord sections extending from said fixed section and respectively passing through said fastener holes in said inner end portion of said second panel half and then tied into a knot, said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves being separable when said knot is untied. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein one row of said fastener holes is formed in said inner end portion of each of said first and second panel halves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastening member is in the form of a cord that threads through said fastener holes in said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves, said inner end portions being separable when said cord is pulled out from said fastener holes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastening member is in the form of a rod that threads through said fastener holes in said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves, said inner end portions being separable when said rod is pulled out from said fastener holes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastener holes extend through said flexible base panel in a direction parallel to a thickness direction of said flexible base panel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastener holes extend through said flexible base panel in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of said flexible base panel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fastener unit further includes a plurality of wear-resistant tubular sleeves respectively disposed in said fastener holes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible base panel is rectangular, and said hanging strap assembly includes four hanging straps. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said hanging straps are respectively connected to four corners of said flexible base panel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said hanging straps are respectively connected to four lateral edges of said flexible base panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible base unit further includes a plurality of reinforcing straps fixed to bottom surfaces of said first and second panel halves. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a surrounding wall which includes two surrounding wall halves, each of said surrounding wall halves extending upwardly from an outer peripheral edge of a respective one of said first and second panel halves. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The flexible freight bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves are overlapped with each other. ### Claim 16 A method of transferring cargo, comprising: lifting a flexible freight bag from a storage container using a lifting machine, the flexible freight bag being loaded with a cargo and including a flexible base unit including first and second panel halves that are interconnected to form a flexible base panel, the first and second panel halves having adjacent inner end portions that are fastened to each other to form a seam across the flexible base panel, a hanging strap assembly connected to the flexible base unit, and a fastener unit attached to the inner end portions of the first and second panel halves; transporting the flexible freight bag from the storage container to a shipping container; and detaching the fastener unit from the at least one of the inner end portions so as to separate the inner end portions and to permit falling of the cargo into the shipping container by gravity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein a worker or the machine is located at a position outside the range of the falling cargo when the step of detaching the fastener unit from the at least one of the inner end portions is performed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the fastener unit includes at least two fastener holes formed in the inner end portion of at least one of the first and second panel halves, and a fastening member threading through the fastener holes, the fastening member being in the form of a cord that has two cord sections respectively passing through the fastener holes and then tied into a knot with two free end portions extending downwardly from the knot, the length of each of the free end portions being larger than a shortest distance between the knot and a lateral edge of the flexible base panel so that a worker or the machine can be located at a position outside the range of the falling cargo when performing the step of detaching the fastener unit from the at least one of the inner end portions, said inner end portions of said first and second panel halves being separable when the knot is untied. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the fastener unit includes one row of fastener holes formed in the inner end portion each of the first and second panel halves, and a fastening member threading through the fastener holes in the inner end portions of the first and second panel halves, said inner end portions being separable when the fastening member is pulled out from the fastener holes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the fastening member has two opposite ends each attached with a pull ring.