Flexible container and reinforcing insert therefor
AssigneeHelios Container Systems, Inc.
InventorMamoru Uda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container is provided having a wall bounding a material storage space for a bulk supply of material and an opening through which bulk material can be introduced into the storage space from externally thereof. The wall is formed at least partially from a flexible material that can be reconfigured to vary the configuration of the storage space. A reinforcing insert and a structure cooperating between the reinforcing insert and the container for removably maintaining the flexible container wall in an operative position is provided wherein the reinforcing insert maintains the flexible material in a first predetermined shape to facilitate the introduction of bulk material into the material space.
Claims26
In combination:
- a) a container having a wall bounding a material storage space for a bulk supply of material and an opening through which bulk material can be introduced to the storage space from externally thereof,
- said wall being formed at least partially from a flexible material that can be reconfigured to vary the configuration of the material storage space;
- b) a reinforcing insert having an endless wall comprising first and second wall parts that are joined to each other along a fold line, said wall parts being repositionable relative to each other by folding at the fold line to place the endless wall selectively in a collapsed state and an expanded state;
- and
- c) means cooperating between the reinforcing insert and container for maintaining the reinforcing insert in an operative position,
- wherein the reinforcing insert comprises a flexible material, a stiffener, and means cooperating between the flexible material and stiffener for maintaining a part of the flexible material on the reinforcing insert in a second predetermined shape,
- wherein the container has a top and bottom, the opening is at the top of the container and the stiffener is ring-shaped and extends around an axis that is transverse to a line forming the central axis of the container with the reinforcing insert in the operative position,
- wherein with the reinforcing insert in the operative position and in the second predetermined shape, the reinforcing insert maintains the flexible material in a first predetermined shape to facilitate the introduction of bulk material into the material storage space through the container opening.
A reinforcing insert for use with a collapsible container having a flexible wall bounding an interior storage space and an opening through which bulk material can be introduced to the storage space, the reinforcing insert comprising:
- a plurality of wall parts;
- and
- means cooperating between the plurality of wall parts for allowing the plurality of wall parts to be placed selectively in a) an expanded state wherein the wall parts bound a space within which bulk material can be placed and b) a collapsed state wherein the wall parts occupy less space than the wall parts occupy with the wall parts in the expanded state,
- said plurality of wall parts in the expanded state having a top and bottom, and a top opening,
- said plurality of wall parts being foldable relative to each other in a predetermined fashion to change the wall parts between the expanded and collapsed states,
- at least one of the wall parts comprising a deformable shape-retentive stiffening element that is deformable from a first state downwardly under a predetermined force applied at the top of the at least one wall part to a second state and re-assumes the first state with the predetermined force removed.
A method of defining a container into which a supply of bulk material can be introduced, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a container having a flexible wall bonding a storage space for a bulk supply of material and a top opening through which bulk material can be introduced to the storage space from externally thereof;
- reconfiguring the flexible container wall so that the flexible container wall has a first predetermined shape;
- providing a separate reinforcing insert having a wall with wall parts that can be folded relative to each other so that the reinforcing insert can be placed selectively in a) an expanded state wherein the wall parts bound a space within which bulk material can be placed and b) a collapsed state wherein the wall parts occupy less space than the wall parts occupy with the wall parts in the expanded state and a flexible reinforcing element in a part of the endless wall that is deformable downwardly to allow the part of the endless wall to deform downwardly under a predetermined downward force applied thereto and reassume an undeformed state with the predetermined downward force removed;
- and
- placing the reinforcing insert in the material storage space in the container at least partially in the collapsed state by folding the wall parts in a predetermined manner relative to each other and after placing the reinforcing insert in the material storage space placing the reinforcing insert in its expanded state so that the reinforcing insert and container cooperate to at least one of a) maintain the container wall in the first predetermined shape and b) maintain the container opening in an enlarged state.
A reinforcing insert for use with a collapsible container having a flexible wall bounding an interior storage space and an opening through which bulk material can be introduced to the storage space, the reinforcing insert comprising:
- a plurality of wall parts;
- and
- means cooperating between the plurality of wall parts for allowing the plurality of wall parts to be placed selectively in a) an expanded state wherein the wall parts bound a space within which bulk material can be placed and b) a collapsed state wherein the wall parts occupy less space than the wall parts occupy with the wall parts in the expanded state,
- said plurality of wall parts in the expanded state having a top and bottom, and a top opening,
- at least one of the wall parts comprising a deformable shape-retentive stiffening element that is deformable from a first state downwardly under a predetermined force applied at the top of the at least one wall part to a second state and re-assumes the first state with predetermined force removed,
- said shape-retentive stiffening element extending less than fully around the top opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.