Patent Publication Number: US-7591370-B1

Title: Pot belly bag with a pair of sleeves

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent application 60/619,853, filed on Oct. 18, 2004, which is incorporated by reference herein. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable 
   REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
   Not applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The apparatus of the present invention relates to fabric bulk bags and more particularly into an improved bulk bag having a floor portion which includes a pair of spaced apart pockets for receiving a rigid member to define a channel through which tines of a forklift may enter. This application incorporates by reference the application entitled “Improved Bulk Bag With Support System” by the same inventor, filed on Dec. 5, 2002 bearing Ser. No. 10/310,476. 
   2. General Background and Description of the Invention 
   While incorporating the patent application as referenced above, in his efforts to improve his bulk bag, applicant ran several tests on bags and became enthused by the results. This bag that applicant became aware of was constructed which concentrated on a plastic channel design and how to hold that channel into place. The bag design that applicant witnessed showed good promise in this direction but needed several design changes to eliminate weak points and allow for consistent bag manufacturing. Further, the bag design witnessed by applicant called for puncturing the bag in order to anchor the channel. Applicant believed this caused product leakage and was unacceptable to most in the commercial market. The above-referenced bag design was disclosed in International application entitled “Bulk Bag” by inventors Von Merveldt, et al., filed on Feb. 6, 2004 bearing International Filing No. PCT/IB2004/000297.  FIG. 1  in this application illustrates one of the bags made from that design, entitled “Prior Art.” 
   Additionally, applicant is aware of the Liftsystems patent that requires an elastic material to hold the tubes in place as well as several design channels which address the pressure that the channel must withstand. The basic form of the bag design that was witnessed by applicant will not require elastic to hold the channels in place. 
   However, the tube described in that bag fails to take into account the tremendous pressures that are applied against them whenever the bag is suspended by its loops. The Liftsystems patent, on the other hand, described a much more robust channel. 
   Patents and published applications will be cited in an Information Disclosure Statement submitted by applicant. 
   Applicant began concentrating on a bag design that would hold the channels in the correct place and restrict the bottom of the bag from sagging downward. That bag design is the subject of the present invention. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   What is provided is a pot belly bag, having a bag portion having four walls, a top portion, a floor portion; a portion extending outwardly and downwardly from the floor portion, which defines the pot belly portion; a pair of channels formed along either sidewall of the pot belly portion with the channel sleeves tied to the pot belly portion of the bag so that a free flowing product which may attempt to push the sidewalls of the pot belly outward contacts the channels in an attempt to outwardly displace the channels, but as the channels begin to move outwardly, the outer sleeves tied to the pot belly which restrict outer movement and spreads the forces out along its entire length to configure a bag which rests securely on a flat surface and can support other filled bags on top. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an overall view of a prior art bag design; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an isolated view of a channel of a prior art bag being deformed from force; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a depiction of the pot belly portion of the bag and channels of an empty bag; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a depiction of the pot belly portion and channels of the bag as displaced when filled with material; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a top view of the displacement of the bag when filled; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of an unfilled bulk bag in a rectangular shape; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of a filled bulk bag in a circular shape; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a partial isolated view of the channels in a prior art bag; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a view of the channels of the present invention when the bag is filled; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an exploded view of the bulk bag portion and the lower end unit of the present invention secured to one another; 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an additional view as illustrated in  FIG. 10 ; 
       FIGS. 12 and 14  illustrate views of the bulk bag of the present invention lifted by a forklift; 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a pair of filled bulk bags stacked upon one another of the present invention; 
       FIG. 15  illustrates an alternate means for holding the channels in position with the pot belly portion. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As stated earlier,  FIG. 1  disclosed a bag  10  known in the prior art which utilizes a pot belly portion  12 , with a pair of channels  14  positioned within a sleeve  13 , along either side wall  15  of the pot belly portion  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , there is a close-up of one of the channels  14 , of the bag in  FIG. 1 , showing the bag pressure deforming the channels  14 , which makes the bag unstable and difficult to insert a tyne of a forklift into the channel  14 . 
   Applicant has found that free flowing product will always try to form a natural cylinder inside of any constraint. This is the issue that must be overcome in the new and improved bag which applicant calls his pot belly bag. Even though the shape between the channels is rectangular when made, the natural forces of the free flowing product will try to reshape the rectangle into a circle. This pressure disposes the channel outward from the intended position. As seen in  FIG. 3 , there is depicted a front view of the pot belly bag  10 - and the channels  14  while the bag is unfilled. As seen in  FIG. 4 , after filling, the pot belly portion  12  rounds out and displaces the channel  14  as seen by the arrows.  FIG. 5  illustrates a top view of this displacement illustrated in side view in  FIG. 4  which shows the original shape of the tray or pot belly  12  (the rectangular portion), and the displacement which has occurred to form the oval  17  illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
   It should be noted that a standard bulk bag  10  starts out as a 36″×36″ bag made in a square configuration  18  as shown in  FIG. 6 . However, the flexible fabric transforms from a square to a circle  19  that is approximately 45″ in diameter as a result of the natural forces of gravity and free flowing product, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
   The bag which was witnessed by applicant, had envisioned putting two sleeves inside the bag and product area forming a space for the channels. This method is difficult to achieve and wasteful of materials. Further, it provides for the bag body fabric to be unbroken between the bag and the pot belly portion. The result of this design is a stress point at the upper inside corners of the channel. In  FIG. 8 , one can see how close to the corners the stress lines come and this can lead to bag failures at these stress corners. 
   Reference is now made to  FIGS. 9 through 14 , where there is illustrated the improved bag  30  of the present invention. As seen in the figures, applicant is configuring the channel sleeves  13  and the pot belly portion  12 , as seen in  FIGS. 9 through 11 , as a separate unit  40 , that is simply added to the bottom of the bag  30  through stitching of the separate unit  40  to the four walls  32  of the bag  30 , along perimeter line  34 , to complete the bag construction. This does several things. It simplifies production issues, eliminates fabric waste and it provides additional support in the weak areas just previously mentioned. 
   Applicant intends that this construction as seen in the figures, coupled with a channel  14  that is engineered for the stresses as a complete package, solves the problems encountered in the past. By tying the channel sleeves  13  to the pot belly portion  12  of the bag  30 , as seen in  FIGS. 9 through 11 , the two sleeves  13  and the pot belly  12 , with the floor portion  35 , are forced to work together as a united unit  40  to overcome the various natural stresses discussed earlier. As the free flowing product attempts to push the side walls  15  of the pot belly outward  12 , it contacts the plastic channel  14  and attempts to outwardly displace it. As the channel  14  begins to move outwardly, it immediately encounters the outer sleeve  13  which is tied to the pot belly. The outer sleeve  13  then restricts the movement and in the process spreads these forces out along its entire length. 
   As a substitute for the sleeves  13 , applicant has provided an alternative means for preventing the bag from bulging and deforming the channels  14 , as seen in  FIG. 15 . There would be provided a series of straps  60  extending from the pot belly portion  12 , over the channels  14  and secured to the side wall of the bag  30 . The straps  60 , as seen in  FIG. 15 , would replace the sleeves  13 , and would hold the channels  14  in place. Should the pot belly portion  12  tend to bulge outward, the straps would prevent this from occurring, and the channels  14  would not be deformed. It is foreseen that the channels may include a means for preventing the channels from sliding out of the straps when a forklift tine makes contact, such as protrusions or adhesion material. 
   With applicant&#39;s new design, elastic will not be needed to maintain the position of the channels. Once the bag is filled, the outward force of the product applies great pressure to the channels and holds them in place for most applications. However, applicant believes that perhaps the addition of small protrusions from the channels will increase the hold between the channels and the sleeves and prevent the channels from being ejected in even very severe applications. As illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the new and improved pot belly bag of the present invention is suspended by a forklift  50 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the pot belly bag  30  of the present invention indicates two of the pot belly bags  30  filled with materials stacked showing the openings which are created by the channels  14  which can be easily accessed by tines of a forklift  50 . There should be noted how straight these bags  30  stack upon one another without the use of pallets or the like and how the bag bottom  21  and sides  19  maintain their integrity as was discussed earlier. 
   All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. 
   
     
       
         
             
          
             
                 
             
             
               PARTS LIST 
             
          
         
         
             
             
          
             
               Part Number 
               Description 
             
             
                 
             
             
               10 
               prior art bag 
             
             
               12 
               pot belly portion 
             
             
               13 
               sleeve 
             
             
               14 
               channels 
             
             
               15 
               sidewalls 
             
             
               17 
               oval 
             
             
               18 
               square 
             
             
               30 
               improved bag 
             
             
               40 
               unit 
             
             
               32 
               walls 
             
             
               34 
               perimeter line 
             
             
               35 
               floor portion 
             
             
               50 
               forklift 
             
             
               60 
               straps 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.