A METHOD FOR TRANSPORT/HANDLING OF GOODS THAT IS FLOWABLE INTO AND OUT FROM, RESPECTIVELY, A TANK

Abstract: A method for eliminating tank cleaning when transporting liquid goods, powder type goods or similar that is flowable into and out from, respectively, a tank. A tube shaped, end sealed flexible inner container (12) having an excess of volume relative the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank (10), is inserted, by assistance of pressurized air, into the tank through a randomly placed dome cover (11). A pipe connection piece is attached to the inner container and a hole is formed therein at the region of the pipe connection piece and thereafter the tank is supplied with goods through said pipe connection piece and hole.

Description: Title of the invention " A METHOD FOR TRANSPORT / HANDLING OF GOODS THAT IS FLOWABLE INTO AND OUT FROM, RESPECTIVELY, A TANK . " Field of the invention The present invention relates to a method to be used in containers or similar equipment and especially a method for transport/storage containers. The problem behind the invention is to eliminate at an optimum tank cleaning after a certain tank has been used for transport/storage of a specific product which is not allowed to contaminate another product to be used later on in the tank. Background of the invention It is well known to use a disposable flexible inner container in a rigid outer container for a handling system requiring no separate cleaning of the outer container. Such a system is shown for instance in German AS 2 214 990. However, the known system requires a premade special flexible inner container having " a filling opening in a pre¬ determined position. This is not acceptable as tanks/con¬ tainers of the actual type have very varying construction and have dome covers in completely different positions from tank type to tank type. Neither does the known system pro¬ vide filling/emptying facilities that are compatible with existing auxiliary systems. The object of the invention, therefore, is to elimina¬ te the shortcomings and offer a more advantageous and user oriented alternative than the known ones and one which normally does not require alteration of existing equipment for loading and unloading, respectively. Summary of the invention The invention provides a method for the transport/hand¬ ling of goods of liquid type or powder type or similar that is pourable into and out from, respectively, a container/ tank. The method comprises the steps of inserting, by assistance of pressurized air, a tube shaped, end- sealed flexible inner container, having an excess of volume rela¬ tive the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank, into the tank through an arbitrarily placed opening in the tank, for instance a dome cover, attaching a pipe connection piece to the inner container, forming a hole in the inner container at the region of the connection piece, and supplying/removing said goods to/from the container through said connection piece and hole. In a preferred embodiment the connection piece is attached first onto the inner container and the hole is formed thereafter. Alternatively, a hole may be formed first and the con¬ nection piece attached thereafter. Suitably, the connection piece is attached adhesively to the inner container via a flange. In one embodiment, the connection piece and the flange for instance are injection moulded of plastics and formed as an integral unit. Usually, a venting opening is required when operating the combined container system, and for this reason a further connection piece is applied onto the inner contai¬ ner and a hole is made for providing a venting opening. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 schematically shows a tank having a flexible inner container and connection/venting pieces, Figure 2 shows in an end view the flexible inner container in an expanded state relative the inner cross section of the tank, Figure 3 shows the elements of the pipe arrangement of the filling/pouring connection piece, and Figure 4 shows the elements of the venting connection iece. Description of a preferred embodiment The reference numeral 10 in Figure 1 indicates a tank, for instance a transport tank on a vehicle, having a dome cover 11 for allowing access to the interior of the tank. In this tank a flexible inner container 12 for instance of polyethylene, preferably of a thickness within the range 0,1 to 0,5 mm, is insertable and has a maximum expanded OMPI , size at least corresponding to the volume of the tank 10. The tank 10 may of course also represent a tank section of a tank having several such sections, meaning that the term tank in the specification as well as in the claim does in¬ clude also this possibility. By broken lines in Figure 2 there has been shown the cross section of the tank relative the maximum cross section of the flexible container. Of course, what has been shown in Figure 2 cannot occur in practice as the rigid wall of the tank prevents expansion in excess of the limit defined by the tank volume. An ex¬ cess of "volume" of the inner container is of course suit¬ able, i.a. from a strength point of view. Preferably, the inner container is seamless in the longitudinal direction thereof, meaning that it is manufac¬ tured from an extrusion blown film of a suitable diameter and sealed at both ends thereof. In Figure 3 there is shown a connection piece compris¬ ing an attachment plate 13 and a pipe 14 forming a filling pipe and a pur ng pipe. A corresponding arrangement 13', 14' forms a venting pipe. The attachment of the connection p-ieces, which may be injection moulded of plastics as an integral unit or as separate weldable parts, may be accomplished by welding to the inner container, but preferably is obtained by a double adhesive tape disc 15, 15'. As shown by the arrows 16, 16' the disc is fixed adhesively onto the flange 13, 13'. The protective film on the other side of the tape is to be removed when the connection piece (pieces) are applied onto the inner container 10. The inner container is pushed down in the tank 10 through the dome cover, such that the container well covers the interior of the tank. This insertion possibly may be supported by pressurized air. In such a case the air orfice is inserted through the inner container at a region approximately corresponding to the position of the actual dome cover. When the inner container has been put in place, the --_ ΘMPI concection piece 14 (possibly both connection pieces 14, 14') is attached to the inner container at the region of the dome cover (or possibly dome covers) by insertion through said cover. Thereafter the wall of the container 10 is penetrated by using scissors or knife. The reverse operation for forming a hole is possible. Although, the invention has been described in connec¬ tion with a specific embodiment of connection pieces, tank and inner container, it is realized that the inventive idea as defined in the corresponding claims is applicable also in other environments. OMPI

Claims: What we claim is. 1. A method for transport/handling of goods that is flowable into and out from, respectively, a tank, comprising the steps of: inserting, by assistance of pressurized air, into the tank through an arbitrarily placed opening in the tank, for instance a dome cover, a tube shaped, end sealed flexible inner container having an excess of volume relative the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank; attaching a pipe .connection piece to the inner container; forming a hole in the inner container at the region of the pipe connection piece; and supplying/removing said goods to/from the tank through said connection piece and hole. 2. A method as in claim 1, comprising the steps of first attaching the pipe connection piece to the inner container and thereafter forming a hole. 3. A method as in claim 1, comprising the steps of first forming a hole and thereafter attaching the pipe connection piece. 4. A method as in claim 2, comprising the step of adhesively attaching the pipe connection piece to the inner container via a flange. 5. A method as in claim 4, comprising the step of forming the pipe connection piece and the flange as an integral unit. 6. A method for transporting/handling of goods that is flowable into and out from, respectively, a tank comprising the steps of: inserting, by assistance of pressurized air, into the tank through an arbitrarily placed opening in the tank, for instance a dome cover, a tube shaped, end sealed flexible inner container having an excess of volume relative the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank; attaching a pipe connection piece to the inner container; forming a hole in the inner container at the region of the pipe connection piece; supplying/removing said goods to/from the tank through said connection piece and hole, and applying a further pipe connection piece onto the inner container and forming a hole for accomplishing a further venting opening. 7. A method for transport/handling of goods that is flowable into and out from, respectively, a tank, comprising the steps of: inserting, by assistance of pressurized air, into the tank through an arbitrarily placed opening in the tank, for instance a dome cover, a tube shaped, end sealed flexible inner container having an excess of volume relative the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank; attaching a pipe connection piece to the inner container; first forming a hole and thereafter adhesively attach¬ ing the pipe connection piece via a flange; and supplying/removing said goods to/from the tank through said connection piece and hole; 8. A method for transport/handling of goods that is flowable into and out from, respectively, a tank, comprising the steps of: inserting, by assistance of pressurized air, into the tank through an arbitrarily placed opening in the tank, for instance a dome cover, a tube shaped, end sealed flexible inner container having an excess of volume relative the tank and an expanded form corresponding to the shape of the tank; first forming a hole in the inner container; adhesively attaching a pipe connection piece to the inner container via a flange integral with the pipe connection piece; and supplying/removing said goods to/from the tank through said connection piece and hole. IPO

Inventors: BJOERKLUND BERNT, BJOERKLUND, BERNT
Applicants: CLEAN PAK AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B65D88
IPC codes: B65D90