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US 9,567,157 B2Granted
Systems and methods for packaging and transporting bulk materials
AssigneeIntermodal Sciences, LLC
InventorsErik D. Scudder, Shonagh Eva Adelman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible container includes a container body and a flexible cover. The container body defines an interior volume and includes a side wall that defines an opening. The opening is configured to receive a bulk material therethrough such that the bulk material can be disposed within an interior volume of the container body. The flexible cover can be coupled to the side wall about the opening. The cover is configured to fluidically isolate the interior volume from a volume substantially outside of the flexible container.
Claims33
An apparatus, comprising:
- a container body configured to be disposed within a rigid shipping container, the container body having a horizontal midplane with a first portion disposed on a first side of the horizontal midpiane and a second portion disposed on a second side of the horizontal midplane, the first portion constructed from a first flexible material having a first stiffness, the second portion constructed from a second flexible material having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness, the first portion being coupled to the second portion substantially at the horizontal midplane, the container body including a side wall defining an opening along the second portion of the container body, the container body defining an interior volume configured to contain a bulk material disposed therein via the opening when the container body is in an expanded configuration;
- and
- a cover configured to be coupled to the side wall of the container body about the opening to fluidically isolate the interior volume from a volume outside of the container body, the cover constructed from a flexible material,
- the container body configured to be evacuated when the bulk material is disposed in the interior volume to place the container body and the cover in a collapsed configuration, the container body configured to transition the bulk material from a flowable state to a non-flowable state when placed in the collapsed configuration.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a flexible container having a horizontal midplane with a first portion disposed on a first side of the horizontal midplane and a second portion disposed on a second side of the horizontal midplane, the first portion constructed from a first material, the second portion constructed from a second material, the flexible container including a side wall, the side wall defining an opening along the second portion of the container body,
- the flexible container defining an interior volume configured to contain a bulk material, the flexible container configured to be placed in an expanded configuration when the bulk material is being conveyed into the interior volume via the opening, the flexible container configured to be placed in a collapsed configuration via reducing a pressure within the interior volume when the bulk material is disposed within the interior volume, the first portion of the flexible container configured to deform a first amount when the flexible container is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, the second portion of the flexible container configured to deform a second amount when the flexible container is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, the second amount being greater than the first amount, the flexible container limiting movement of the bulk material within the flexible container when in the collapsed configuration such that the bulk material forms a solid mass.
A method, comprising:
- conveying a bulk material into an interior volume of a flexible container via an opening defined by a side wall of the flexible container, the flexible container defining a horizontal midplane and having a first portion disposed on a first side of the horizontal midplane and a second portion disposed on a second side of the horizontal midplane, the first portion having a first stiffness, the second portion having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness, the side wall defining the opening along the second portion;
- coupling a cover to the side wall and about the opening to fluidically isolate the interior volume from a volume outside of the flexible container;
- and
- reducing a pressure within the interior volume after the coupling to move the flexible container into a collapsed configuration, the first portion of the flexible container configured to deform a first amount when the flexible container is moved to the collapsed configuration, the second portion of the flexible container configured to deform a second amount when the flexible container is moved to the collapsed configuration, the second amount greater than the first amount, the flexible container limiting movement of the bulk material within the interior volume to transition the bulk material from a flowable state to a non-flowable state when the flexible container is in the collapsed configuration.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.