System and method for free-standing storage of agricultural commodities using a hermetic lightweight sleeve
AssigneeGrainPro, Inc.
InventorsPhilippe Villers, Tom De Bruin, Shlomo Navarro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for free-standing hermetic storage of bulk, boxed or bagged commodities including the use of a thin, lightweight ultra low permeability loadable sleeve, and optionally a UV-, wind- and rodent-resistant cover on top of the sleeve. For bagged or boxed commodities, loading may be done manually or with a forklift while the sleeve and/or cover is held open. For bulk commodities, the cover is used to prevent tearing of the sleeve during loading and as such, is placed over the sleeve prior to loading of the sleeve via a pneumatic grain conveyor or similar device.
Claims13
A method of hermetically storing a multi-ton load of a commodity, the method comprising:
- providing a sleeve having a weight of between 75 and 187 gm/m2, a permeability to oxygen of less than or equal to 55 cc/m2/day and a permeability to water vapor of less than or equal to 8 g/m2/day, said sleeve having a first end, a second end, and a body extending from said first end to said second end, said first end, said second end and said body defining an inner cavity to receive a commodity, said first end comprising an opening for accessing said inner cavity;
- hanging said sleeve from a frame so as to keep said opening open for loading;
- loading at least one of a bag or a box of a commodity through said opening into said inner cavity;
- and
- hermetically sealing said first end of said sleeve.
A method of hermetically storing a multi ton bulk commodity, the method comprising:
- providing a sleeve having a weight of between 75 and 187 gm/m2, a permeability to oxygen of less than or equal to 55 cc/m2/day and a permeability to water vapor of less than or equal to 8 g/m2/day, said sleeve having a first end, a second end, and a body extending from said first end to said second end, said first end, said second end and said body defining an inner cavity for receiving of a commodity, said first end comprising an opening for accessing said inner cavity;
- keeping said opening open for loading of the commodity;
- placing an outer cover over said sleeve;
- propelling the commodity into said inner cavity while said opening is kept open and while said outer cover remains over said sleeve;
- and
- hermetically sealing said opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.