US20090127296A1

US20090127296A1 - Bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20090127296A1
Application number: US11/985,316
Authority: US
Inventors: Joshua B. Parker; Brandi J. Hurlburt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-15
Filing date: 2007-11-15
Publication date: 2009-05-21

Abstract

A bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus made up of a plurality of pieces of durable, flexible food grade woven fabric material sewn together into the form of a trapezoid and containing upper and lower pocket portions, each holding a piece of rubberlike elastic material and amenable to being shut around the base of a bulk bag containing coffee beans or granules hung above a receiver hopper device and the outer brim of a hopper device via hook and fastener material affixed to near the lateral edges of the apparatus.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO PRIOR OR PARENT APPLICATIONS

There are no prior or parent applications to which the invention relates.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

There is no federally sponsored research and development to which the invention relates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to those devices serving to minimize spillage and/or contamination from without of food materials emptied from a bulk bag into a funnel hopper device.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The herein submitted Information Disclosure Statement reflects art that however does not anticipate the invention.

A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. A Brief Description of the Invention

The invention is made up a durable, flexible food grade fabric material such as for example, woven polypropylene material. A plurality of pieces of the fabric are affixed, for example, sewn together after first cutting them at a plurality of biases near upper portions of lateral edges thereof so as to result in one piece of fabric in the shape of a trapezoid and such that when the lateral edges thereof are positioned in apposition with one another, the lower edging of the combined pieces is of a diameter greater than that of upper edging thereof. The upper portion of the combined pieces is folded downwardly and sewn together with the fabric located a few inches below the upper edging and in a line within the fabric parallel with the lie of the upper edging. The same thing is done with respect to the lower edging of the fabric. An elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material is then inserted into the first sleeve created as noted above as respects the upper edging. A second elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material is thereafter inserted into the second sleeve so created as noted above as respects the lower edging. Each sleeve is then laterally sewn shut at near each end thereof to thereby create one upper closed pocket and one lower closed pocket, both holding an elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material. Sewing is then done at the lateral edges of the combined fabric to thereby create a pair of empty pocket spaces each adjacent to both the upper closed pocket and lower closed pocket. A first piece of hook and fastener material is then affixed by, for instance, sewing, to the outer walling of the combined fabric near one of the lateral edges thereof, and a second piece of hook and fastener material is thereafter affixed to the inner walling of the combined fabric near the other one of the lateral edges thereof. The invention in an intact state is then ready to be fitted to and about the bottom portion of a bulk bag full of, for example, coffee beans positioned above a hopper device serving to receive the beans from the bag once opened into a spout and also fitted as well to and about the upper rim of the funnel hopper and then closed via the hook and fastener material or perhaps via a plurality of male and female snaps fitted similarly thereto about the bulk bag-hopper system as the beans are falling from the bag into the hopper.

2. Objects of the Invention

Coffee beans and again also coffee granules contained within large bulk bags are transferred from the bags positioned above receiver hopper units into the hopper units once the bags are opened from below. Oftentimes during the course of such transference, there occurs not a small amount of spillage of the beans over the upper outer rim of the hopper unit, the centrally located receiving hole of which is notably smaller in diameter than the diameter of the outer rim of the hopper unit, the upper receiving area of which is typically in the shape of a funnel or an inverted cone. Also, such a transference undertaking serves to invariably invite possible contamination of the beans or granules as they are being received by the hopper in anticipation of an ultimate packaging of the same for consumer use. However, resort to utilization of the invention as noted above, operates to completely obviate any propensity for any such spillage or contamination. The invention thus serves most notably the goal of economically preparing a food product such as coffee in as pure a state as possible for purposes of ultimate consumption of the same. In this respect, the invention being indeed new and unique is also unquestionably useful.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1. FIG. 1 is a plan view of some of the plurality of cut pieces of fabric utilized to form the composite whole body of the invention.

2. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the plurality of cut pieces shown in FIG. 1 but now sewn together to form the composite whole body of the invention.

3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of upper and lower edging of the composite folded over and sewn together to form upper and lower sleeves therein.

4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the pieces of rubberlike elastic material fittable into each pocket portion of the invention.

5. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention with pockets each containing a piece of rubberlike elastic material.

6. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention in a nearly closed state.

7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention in a nearly closed state.

8. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of coffee beans spilling from a bulk bag into a hopper device.

9. FIG. 9 depicts what is shown in FIG. 8 with the bulk bag and hopper device fitted with the first embodiment of the invention.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts in plan view, a plurality of pieces of durable, yet flexible fabric material 1. Such material is typically made up of a woven polypropylene substance that is not harmful to food products such as coffee beans or coffee granules. Such material is cut at a plurality of biases such as can be seen with resort to a viewing of FIG. 1. Such pieces are affixed together as is depicted in FIG. 2. Means 14 for such affixation could be threading material, a glue adhesive substance, tape material with sturdy adhesive backing or even a plurality of staples, though threading would be the preferred one variant of such affixation means 14. FIG. 2 depicts pieces 1 affixed together via resort to affixation means 14. FIG. 3 depicts in perspective view, upper edging 2 and lower edging 3 with each edging 2 and 3 respectively folded over and affixed to the trapezoidally shaped composite whole made up of the so affixed pieces 1 to form respectively an upper sleeve 4 and lower sleeve 6 of the invention. A first elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material 8, as exemplified by FIG. 4 is inserted into sleeve 4. A second more elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material 8 is similarly inserted into sleeve 6. Each lateral end of each sleeve 4 and 6 is closed via affixation means 14 to thereby form upper pocket 5 and lower pocket 7 each containing first elongated piece 8 and second more elongated piece 9 respectively as shown in FIG. 5. First lateral edging 10 and second lateral edging 12 of the composite whole of affixed pieces 1 are; as can be noted, with resort to FIG. 5; each respectively lateral to the then, via resort to utilization of affixation means 14, respectively, affixed and shut lateral ends of pockets 4 and 6. For vertically inclined closure means of first piece of hook and fastener material 11 is affixed to inner walling of the composite whole of affixed pieces 1 near the locus of first lateral edging 10 and a second piece of hook and fastener material 13 is affixed to outer walling of the composite whole of affixed pieces 1 near the locus of second lateral edging 12 thereof all as can be seen with resort to a viewing of FIG. 6. Similarly, for yet other closure means for a second embodiment of the invention, each of a first solitary column of female configured snap units 15 are individually affixed to inner walling of the composite whole of affixed pieces 1 near the locus of first lateral edging 10 and each of a second solitary column of male configured snap units 16 are individually affixed to outer walling of the composite whole of affixed pieces 1 near the locus of second lateral edging 12 thereof as can be noted with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a depiction of coffee beans C shown spilling from a bulk bag A suspended above a hopper device B into the hopper device B. FIG. 9 is a depiction of what is seen in FIG. 8 when upper edging 2 of the invention is fitted about and around the bottom portion of emptying bulk bag A and lower edging 2 of the invention is fitted about and around the rim of hopper device B once the invention is closed about a vertical central axis of symmetry 17 of the invention as shown in FIG. 2 and fastened together, in respect of the first embodiment of the invention, via hook and fastener pieces 11 and 13 respectively. Such closure could, once again, be accomplished as well in a similar manner, in respect of the second embodiment, with resort to snap units 15 and 16 in lieu of hook and fastener pieces 11 and 12. The spring-like elasticity of first piece 8 and first piece 9 inside pockets 5 and 7 respectively together with the inherent flexibility of each piece of fabric 1 affixed together to form the composite whole, as noted above, operate to hold the invention fast in place about the bottom of a bulk bag A and the rim of hopper device B; as coffee beans fall from bag A into the centrally located hole within funnel shaped hopper device B all with an eye towards preventing spillage of such beans C over the edge of the brim of hopper device B during transference from bulk bag A as well as preventing contamination of the supply of beans C from substances found about the stream of beans C as they would be falling from bag A into hopper device B.
In closing, respectfully submitted, with reference to the above-described features of the invention, it all is, at once readily apparent why the invention is not only new and unique but also why it is unquestionably useful.

Claims

1. A bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus, comprising:

a. a plurality of equivalently sized pieces of durable, flexible woven fabric material;

b. all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material being cut at a plurality of biases along both lower lateral sides of each;

c. each inner one of said all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material being laterally affixed by affixation means to an adjacently positioned pair of said all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material;

d. each outermost one of said all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material being laterally affixed by said affixation means to an adjacently positioned one of said all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material;

e. said all of said plurality of pieces of fabric material via said affixation means being conjoined together to form a trapezoidally shaped composite whole of said fabric material;

f. a first elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

g. a second elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material more elongated than said first elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

h. upper edging of said composite whole of said fabric material being folded over and affixed via said affixation means to itself on a line parallel to a lie of said upper edging for receipt thereby, therein of said first piece of elongated rubberlike material;

i. an upper sleeve thereby being so created, then being affixed shut via said affixation means nearly vertically, interiorly to each upper portion of first and second lateral edging of said composite whole thereby forming a closed upper pocket, therein fully containing said first elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

j. lower edging of said composite whole of fabric material being folded over and affixed via said affixation means to itself on a line parallel to a lie of said lower edging for receipt thereby, therein of said second elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

k. a lower sleeve thereby being so created, then being affixed shut via said affixation means, nearly vertically, interiorly to each lower portion of each said first and second lateral edging of said composite whole thus forming a closed lower pocket therein fully containing said second elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

l. a first piece of hook and fastener material affixed via said affixation means to inner walling of said composite whole near said first lateral edging thereof, and;

m. a second piece of hook and fastener material affixed via said affixation means to outer walling of said composite whole near said second lateral edging thereof.

2. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 1, whereby, said affixation means consists of durable threading material.

3. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 1, whereby, said affixation means consists of a glue adhesive substance.

4. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 1, whereby, said affixation means consists of a plurality of staples.

5. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 1, whereby, said affixation means consists of tape material with sturdy adhesive backing.

6. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus, comprising:

a. a. a plurality of equivalently sized pieces of durable, flexible woven fabric material;

f. a first elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

k. a lower sleeve thereby being so created, then being affixed shut via said affixation means, nearly vertically, interiorly to each lower portion of said first and second lateral edging of said composite whole thus forming a closed lower pocket therein fully containing said second elongated piece of rubberlike elastic material;

l. a first solitary column of male configured snap units affixed via said affixation means to inner walling of said composite whole near said first lateral edging thereof, and;

m. a second solitary column of female configured snap units affixed via said affixation means to outer walling of said composite whole near said second lateral edging thereof.

7. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 6, whereby, said affixation means consists of durable threading material.

8. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 6, whereby, said affixation means consists of a glue adhesive substance.

9. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 6, whereby, said affixation means consists of a plurality of staples.

10. The bulk bag to hopper shielding apparatus of claim 6, whereby, said affixation means consists of tape material with sturdy adhesive backing.