Patent EA-003793-B1 (EA)
Title: Method and apparatus for shipping bulk materials
IPC: B65D77/06
Filed: 2001-02-16
Abstract: 1. A method for shipping a pumpable material in a container having a bladder in the interior of said container, comprising: pumping at a first geographical location, said pumpable material having a first temperature into said bladder; cooling said pumpable material to a second temperature, reduced from said first temperature, by pumping water having a third temperature; reduced from said first temperature, through at least one heat exchanger pad positioned on the exterior of said bladder; shipping said container having said pumpable materials therein from said first geographical location to a second geographical location; heating said pumpable material by pumping either hot water or steam through said at least one heat exchanger; and pumping said pumpable material out of said bladder. 2. The method according to Claim 1, wherein said pumpable material comprises chocolate. 3. A container for shipping materials, comprising: an inner sleeve comprised of first and second sheets each comprised of five panels, the last panel of said first sheet overlapping the first panel of said second sheet and being heatwelded thereto and the first panel of said first sheet overlapping the last panel of said second sheet and being heat-welded thereto; an outer sleeve comprised of first and second sheets each comprised of five panels, the last panel of said first sheet overlapping the first panel of said second sheet and being heat-welded thereto, and the first panel of said first sheet overlapping the last panel of said second sheet and being heat-welded thereto, said inner and outer sleeves thus being configured as hexagonal sleeves, with the inner sleeve being snapped into place within the interior of the outer sleeve, and being oriented to have four triple wall sections, with the center point of each of the four sections being every 90 degree around the periphery of the inner and outer sleeve combined configuration; an hexagonal-shaped top member sized to fit over the top of the inner and outer sleeve configuration; and an hexagonal-shaped bottom member sized to fit within the bottom of the inner and outer sleeve configuration. 4. The container according to Claim 3, wherein said inner sleeve, said outer sleeve, said top member and said bottom member are each comprised of extruded, twin-walled fluted plastic based upon a polypropylene copolymer. 5. The container according to Claim 4, including in addition thereto, a flexible bladder located within the interior of the inner sleeve. 6. The container according to Claim 5, including in addition thereto, at least one heat exchange pad located between the inner sleeve and the flexible bladder. 7. The container according to Claim 5, including in addition thereto, a first fill port in the top member and a second fill port in the flexible bladder. 8. The container according to Claim 5, including in addition thereto, a first discharge port in the lower portion of the outer sleeve, a second discharge port in the lower portion of the inner sleeve, and a third discharge port in the lower portion of the flexible bladder, and the first, second and third discharge ports are aligned for facilitating the pumping of the shipped materials out of the container.