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US 9,555,920 B2Granted
Container
AssigneeDow AgroSciences LLC
InventorPaul Ouillette, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container is disclosed. The container includes a fillable bladder in an interior of an enclosure of the container. The container has a sump region which assists in the removal of a pumpable product from the fillable bladder.
Claims50
A container, comprising:
- an enclosure including a bottom portion, a top portion, and a plurality of sides which bound an interior of the enclosure, the enclosure including a sump region proximate the bottom portion of the enclosure, the sump region having an upper portion with an upper opening defining an upper horizontal cross-sectional area and a lower portion with a lower opening defining a lower horizontal cross-sectional area, the upper cross-sectional area greater than the lower cross-sectional area, and
- a fillable bladder positioned within the enclosure, an interior of the fillable bladder being accessible only through an opening in the enclosure proximate the top portion of the enclosure, wherein a first horizontal cross-sectional area of the fillable bladder located in the sump region of the enclosure is smaller than a second horizontal cross-sectional area of the fillable bladder, a perimeter of the first horizontal cross-sectional area of the fillable bladder is spaced apart from all of the plurality of side walls by the sump region, and the second horizontal cross-sectional area being above the first horizontal cross-sectional area and outside of the sump region of the enclosure.
A container, comprising:
- an outer enclosure having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a plurality of sides bounding an interior region, the outer enclosure further comprising:
- a first pair of cardboard flaps extending inwardly from a first opposing pair of the plurality of sides at the top portion of the outer enclosure and forming a first retention layer, the first pair of cardboard flaps cooperating to form an aperture through the first retention layer;
- and
- a second pair of cardboard flaps extending inwardly from a second opposing pair of the plurality of sides at the top portion of the outer enclosure, the second pair of opposing cardboard flaps forming a second and third retention layers respectively, each of the second and third retention layers having an aperture therethrough;
- a flexible fillable bladder received within the interior region of the enclosure and including a neck portion coupled to a bladder portion, the bladder portion being configured to house a pumpable product, the aperture through the first retention layer and the aperture through the second and third retention layers each sized to receive the neck portion of the flexible fillable bladder;
- a support internal to the outer enclosure, the support comprising a first support member defining a first edge having a first recess, and a second support member defining a second edge having a second recess, the first recess and the second recess cooperating to hold the neck portion of the flexible fillable bladder intermediate the bladder portion of the flexible fillable bladder and the top portion of the enclosure when said first and second support members are brought together along said first and second edges, respectively, the first retention laver, second retention layer and third retention layer of the outer enclosure overlapping the support;
- and
- a plurality of posts intermediate the enclosure and the flexible fillable bladder, the support supported by the plurality of posts.
5 more elements
A container, comprising:
- an outer enclosure having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a plurality of sides bounding an interior region;
- a flexible fillable bladder received within the interior region of the enclosure and including a neck portion coupled to a bladder portion, the bladder portion being configured to house a pumpable product;
- a support comprised of plywood and internal to the outer enclosure, the support comprising a first support member defining a first edge having a first recess, and a second support member defining a second edge having a second recess, the first recess and the second recess cooperating to hold the neck portion of the flexible fillable bladder intermediate the bladder portion of the flexible fillable bladder and the top portion of the enclosure when said first and second support members are brought together along said first and second edges, respectively;
- and
- a plurality of posts intermediate the enclosure and the flexible fillable bladder, the support supported by the plurality of posts.
2 more elements
A container including a bladder filled with a pumpable product and including a neck portion coupled to a bladder portion, the container comprising:
- an outer enclosure having an interior bounded by a top portion, a bottom portion, and a plurality of sides, the outer enclosure further comprising:
- a first pair of cardboard flaps extending inwardly from a first opposing pair of the plurality of sides at the top portion of the outer enclosure and forming a first retention layer, the first pair of cardboard flaps cooperating to form an aperture through the first retention layer sized to receive the neck portion of the flexible fillable bladder;
- and
- a second pair of cardboard flaps extending inwardly from a second opposing pair of the plurality of sides at the top portion of the outer enclosure, the second pair of opposing cardboard flaps forming a second and third retention layers respectively, each of the second and third retention layers having an aperture therethrough sized to receive the neck portion of the flexible fillable bladder;
- an internal sleeve having a plurality of sides and configured to receive the bladder, the sleeve being positioned within the interior of the enclosure and providing a plurality of spaces around the outer enclosure and between the plurality of sides of the enclosure and the plurality of sides of the sleeve;
- and
- a plurality of posts respectively received within the plurality of spaces.
4 more elements
A method of assembling a container, the method comprising:
- folding a plurality of sides and at least one bottom flap of a first foldable component to form an outer enclosure, comprising:
- folding a first pair of cardboard flaps inwardly from a first opposing pair of the plurality of sides at a top portion of the outer enclosure to form a first retention layer, the first pair of cardboard flaps cooperating to form an aperture through the first retention layer;
- folding a second pair of cardboard flaps inwardly from a second opposing pair of the plurality of sides at the top portion of the outer enclosure to form second and third retention layers respectively, each of the second and third retention layers having an aperture therethrough,
- folding a plurality of sides of a second foldable component to form a sleeve;
- placing the sleeve into the interior of the outer enclosure;
- folding a plurality of sides of a third foldable component into a corner post;
- placing a plurality of the corner posts into the interior of the outer enclosure and into a plurality of spaces formed between the outer enclosure and the sleeve around the periphery of the sleeve;
- attaching a coupler to a neck portion of a fillable bladder and receiving the neck portion through the respective apertures formed in the first retention layer, second retention layer and third retention layer of the outer enclosure;
- and
- placing the fillable bladder and the coupler into the outer enclosure, such that the fillable bladder is fitted within an interior of the sleeve and the coupler rests on the sleeve and the plurality of corner posts at a top portion of the outer enclosure, such that the neck portion is supported by both the sleeve and the plurality of corner posts, and the first retention layer, second retention layer and third retention layer of the outer enclosure overlap the coupler.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.