JP7540712B2 - Flexible container bag stand - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stand for flexible container bags that is used when pouring contents into the openings of multiple flexible container bags at once.

An invention relating to a transport vehicle with a function to assist in the insertion of flexible container bags (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "FIBC bags") has been known for some time (Patent Document 1 below). This transport vehicle is equipped with a FIBC bag support device on the loading platform. This FIBC bag support device arranges multiple FIBC bags detachably side-by-side on the loading platform and supports the bag opening in an open position, allowing items to be inserted through the opening (Patent Document 1, claim 1, paragraph 0006).

The above-mentioned conventional FIBC bag support device can support the FIBC bags so that the FIBC bags containing the inserted materials can be lifted one by one from the loading platform. This allows the FIBC bags to be lifted one by one from the loading platform and unloaded at the destination (Patent Document 1, paragraph 0007). More specifically, the FIBC bag is lifted by attaching a rope suspended from a hook of a crane or the like to the lifting belt of the FIBC bag. When lifting of the FIBC bag begins, the hook ring of the FIBC bag comes off the hook of the FIBC bag support device (Patent Document 1, paragraph 0036).

An invention relating to a stand that can hold a FIBC bag in a self-supporting state is also known (Patent Document 2 below). This conventional stand comprises a pair of lift guides, a pair of U-shaped main frames, multiple connecting pipes, a support member, a pair of subframes, a lock assembly, a locking portion, and a hanging bracket (Patent Document 2, claim 1, paragraph 0005). The hanging bracket is U-shaped and can be inserted into the belt of the FIBC bag to be locked (Patent Document 2, paragraph 0019). The FIBC bag is attached to the stand and the contents are poured in (Patent Document 2, paragraph 0024).

The FIBC bag is equipped with a hanging belt having a loop, and when the FIBC bag is full, the hook of the lifting machine is hooked onto the loop to lift up only the FIBC bag and collect it (Patent Document 2, paragraphs 0020 and 0026).

JP 2015-145164 A JP 2004-155457 A

The above-mentioned conventional FIBC bag support requires the FIBC bag to be hoisted by a crane or the like in order to remove the hooking ring of the FIBC bag with contents placed inside from the hook of the FIBC bag support. Similarly, the above-mentioned conventional stand requires the FIBC bag to be hoisted by a crane or the like in order to remove the hanging fitting from the belt of the FIBC bag with contents placed inside.

The present invention provides a stand for flexible container bags that can easily remove multiple adjacently arranged flexible container bags after simultaneously pouring the contents into the openings of the bags.

One aspect of the present invention is a flexible container bag stand that supports multiple flexible container bags adjacent to each other in an arrangement direction with the opening of the flexible container bag opened in a rectangular shape, and includes at least four support pillars that are arranged to surround the multiple flexible container bags at both ends of the arrangement direction, at the front and rear of the multiple flexible container bags in a depth direction that intersects with the arrangement direction, at least two side bars that are arranged on both sides of the multiple flexible container bags in the depth direction and extend in the arrangement direction, multiple protrusions provided on each of the side bars, and at least four clamps that are attached to each of the support pillars and support the two side bars, and each of the At least two of the clamps supporting the side bars have a fastening mechanism that can switch between a fastened state in which rotation of each of the side bars around its axis is restricted and a released state in which rotation of each of the side bars around its axis is permitted, and in the fastened state, each of the side bars is fixed in a state in which each of the protrusions faces horizontally or upward from the horizontal and can support the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags by hanging them, and in the released state, each of the protrusions rotates to a state in which they face downward from the horizontal and can release support for the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, one clamp is attached to each of the pillars arranged to surround the multiple FIBC bags lined up in a row along the arrangement direction. Then, in the depth direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the multiple FIBC bags, one side bar extending in the arrangement direction is supported on the front side of the multiple FIBC bags by two clamps attached to two pillars arranged on the front side of the multiple FIBC bags. In addition, in the depth direction, another side bar extending in the arrangement direction is supported on the rear side of the multiple FIBC bags by two clamps attached to two pillars arranged on the rear side of the multiple FIBC bags. Of the four pillars, the two pillars lined up in the depth direction at one end of the arrangement direction of the multiple FIBC bags and the two pillars lined up in the depth direction at the other end of the arrangement direction may each be connected by a connecting bar extending in the depth direction.

Furthermore, with each protrusion of each side bar facing horizontally or upwardly from the horizontal, the fastening mechanisms of at least two clamps supporting each side bar are switched to a fastening state. This fixes the two side bars and allows each protrusion to support the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag by suspending them. In this state, of the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag, the two corners on the front side in the depth direction are suspended and supported by the two protrusions of the front side bar in the depth direction. Also, of the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag, the two corners on the rear side in the depth direction are suspended and supported by the two protrusions of the rear side bar in the depth direction. This allows the FIBC bag stand to support multiple FIBC bags adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction with the opening of each FIBC bag open in a rectangular shape.

In this way, the FIBC bag stand supports multiple FIBC bags adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction, and the contents are poured into the openings of the multiple FIBC bags all at once. As the weight of the contents poured into each FIBC bag increases, the downward force acting on the multiple protrusions via the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag increases. However, because the fastening mechanisms of the clamps supporting each side bar are in a fastened state, rotation of the side bars around their axes is restricted, and the four corners of the opening of the FIBC bag are maintained in a state in which they are suspended and supported by the multiple protrusions. Once the pouring of contents into the multiple FIBC bags has been completed, the fastening mechanisms of the clamps supporting each side bar are switched from a fastened state to a released state.

Then, each side bar is supported by the clamps that support each side bar so that it can rotate around its axis. As a result, the downward force acting on the protrusions of each side bar causes the protrusions to rotate downward from the horizontal direction, allowing the support of the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag to be released. This releases the four corners of the opening of each FIBC bag from the support of the protrusions, making it possible to move each FIBC bag in the horizontal direction, including the depth direction and the arrangement direction, or in a direction along the horizontal direction, for example, by a forklift. Therefore, according to the above-mentioned aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a flexible container bag stand that can easily remove multiple FIBC bags after pouring contents into the openings of multiple adjacent FIBC bags at once.

The flexible container bag stand may further include a connector that is connected to each corner of the opening of each of the flexible container bags and engages with each of the protrusions in the fastened state. With this configuration, each connector can be connected to each of the four corners of the opening of each of the FIBC bags. Furthermore, each connector can be engaged with each protrusion of each of the side bars supported by the clamp in the fastened state of the fastening mechanism. This allows the four corners of the opening of the multiple FIBC bags to be suspended and supported by the multiple protrusions of the two side bars via the multiple connectors. In addition, by switching the fastening mechanism of the clamp supporting each side bar to a release state, each side bar rotates due to the downward force acting on the multiple protrusions via the multiple connectors, so that each protrusion faces downward, and the engagement between each connector and each protrusion is released. This releases each corner of the opening of each FIBC bag connected to each connector from the hanging support provided by each protrusion, making it possible to move each FIBC bag horizontally or in a direction along the horizontal direction.

In the flexible container bag stand, the connector may be provided in an openable and closable ring shape that is passed through a ring belt attached to each corner of the opening of each of the flexible container bags and hooked onto each of the protrusions. With this configuration, the connector can be connected to each of the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags by opening the ring connector, passing it through the ring belt of the flexible container bag, and closing the ring connector. Furthermore, by hooking the ring connectors connected to each of the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags to each of the protrusions of each of the side bars supported by the clamp with the fastening mechanism in the fastened state, each of the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags can be supported by hanging them from each of the protrusions. Therefore, it is easy to support the four corners of the opening of multiple flexible container bags by hanging them from multiple protrusions via multiple connectors.

In the flexible container bag stand, each of the side bars may have a length corresponding to the dimensions of two adjacent flexible container bags in the arrangement direction. With this configuration, one FIBC bag stand can support two FIBC bags adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction with the openings of each FIBC bag open in a rectangular shape. In addition, the length of each side bar can be prevented from becoming too long, making it easier to transport the FIBC bag stand.

In the flexible container bag stand, the protrusions may be provided at both ends and at the middle of each of the side bars in the arrangement direction. With this configuration, of the two FIBC bags arranged in the arrangement direction, one FIBC bag is supported by being suspended at two corners of one end of the rectangular opening in the arrangement direction by two protrusions at one end of the two side bars in the arrangement direction. Also, of the four corners of the rectangular opening of the one FIBC bag, two corners of the other end of the rectangular opening in the arrangement direction are suspended and supported by two protrusions at the middle of the two side bars in the arrangement direction. Furthermore, of the two FIBC bags arranged in the arrangement direction, the other FIBC bag is supported by being suspended at two corners of one end of the rectangular opening in the arrangement direction by two protrusions at the middle of the two side bars in the arrangement direction. In addition, the other FIBC bag has two corners at the other end in the arrangement direction out of the four corners of the rectangular opening, which is suspended and supported by two protrusions at the other ends of the two side bars in the arrangement direction. In other words, two adjacent corners of the rectangular opening of the two FIBC bags lined up in the arrangement direction are suspended and supported by one protrusion in the middle of each side bar. This makes it possible to reduce the gap between the openings of the two FIBC bags.

In the flexible container bag stand, each of the side bars may be a metal pipe having a circular cross-sectional shape. This configuration provides the necessary strength and durability to the side bars, while also allowing the side bars to be made lighter. Furthermore, because the side bars have a circular cross-sectional shape, when the clamp fastening mechanism is switched from a fastened state to a released state, the side bars supported by the clamps to be rotatable around their axes can be smoothly rotated.

In the flexible container bag stand, at least one of the side bars may be removably supported by the clamp. With this configuration, at least one of the side bars can be removed from the clamp after the clamp fastening mechanism is released and support for the four corners of the opening of the multiple FIBC bags by the multiple protrusions of the two side bars is released. This opens up at least one of the depth directions of the multiple FIBC bags, making it possible to move each FIBC bag in the depth direction, for example, by a forklift.

The flexible container bag stand further includes an auxiliary loading tool used when loading contents into a plurality of the flexible container bags at once, and the auxiliary loading tool may include a center bar that is placed above the gap between the two openings of the two adjacent flexible container bags and extends along the depth direction, and flaps that are attached to the center bar and hang down on the inside of the two adjacent openings. With this configuration, the center bar is placed above the gap between the two rectangular openings of the two adjacent FIBC bags. The flaps attached to the center bar hang down on the inside of the two adjacent rectangular openings from both sides in the width direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the center bar. In this state, the contents of the FIBC bags are loaded from above into the two adjacent openings of the two adjacent FIBC bags at once. Then, the flow of contents falling toward the gap between the two adjacent openings is separated into two parts in the width direction of the center bar by the center bar placed above the gap. One of the flows of contents separated into two flows slides down along a flap that hangs down from one side of the center bar in the width direction to the inside of one of the two adjacent openings, and is deposited into one of the FIBC bags with that one opening. The other of the flows of contents separated into two flows slides down along a flap that hangs down from the other side of the center bar in the width direction to the inside of the other of the two adjacent openings, and is deposited into the other FIBC bag with the other opening. This makes it possible to prevent the contents from spilling out between the openings of adjacent FIBC bags.

According to each of the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a stand for flexible container bags that can easily remove multiple adjacently arranged flexi-container bags after simultaneously pouring the contents into the openings of the bags.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a flexible container bag stand of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a clamp of the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector of the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a side view of the side bars, prongs, and connectors of the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insertion aid of the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a flexible container bag supported by the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a flexible container bag is supported by the stand of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insertion aid that can be added to the stand of FIG. 1 . 9 is a perspective view of the stand of FIG. 1 to which the insertion aid of FIG. 8 is added; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a state in which a flexible container bag is supported by the stand of FIGS.

Below, an embodiment of a stand for flexible container bags according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the stand for flexible container bags may be simply referred to as a "stand." Flexible container bags may also be abbreviated to "flexcon bags."

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a flexible container bag stand of the present invention. Details will be described later, but the stand 10 of this embodiment supports multiple flexi-con bags 30 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D1 with the opening 31 of each flexi-con bag 30 opened in a rectangular shape when contents are poured into the multiple flexi-con bags 30 (see Figure 7).

The stand 10, for example, comprises at least four support posts 11, at least two side bars 12, a plurality of protrusions 13, and at least four clamps 14. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the stand 10 comprises a plurality of connectors 15 and at least two connector bars 16. Furthermore, the stand 10 may comprise an insertion aid 20. Each part of the stand 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

The four pillars 11 are arranged at both ends of the arrangement direction D1 of the FIBC bags 30, in front of and behind the depth direction D2 that intersects with the arrangement direction D1, so as to surround the multiple FIBC bags 30. Note that the arrangement direction D1 and the depth direction D2 are, for example, directions that are perpendicular to each other, and are horizontal directions or directions along the horizontal direction. The stand 10 may also have, for example, five or more pillars 11.

The upper part of the support pillar 11 is made of, for example, a metal pipe having a circular cross-sectional shape. The lower part of the support pillar 11 is made of, for example, a metal pipe having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The material of the support pillar 11 can be, for example, a metal such as stainless steel or zinc-plated general structural carbon steel. The upper and lower parts of the support pillar 11 are connected by, for example, welding.

For example, a base is provided at the lower end of the support 11. The base of the support 11 is provided, for example, so as to protrude from the side surface of the lower end of the support 11 in at least one of the arrangement direction D1 and the depth direction D2. Note that the support 11 may be made of the same pipe with the same cross-sectional shape from the top to the bottom.

The side bars 12 are arranged on both sides of the multiple FIBC bags 30 in the depth direction D2 and extend in the arrangement direction D1. The stand 10 may include three or more side bars 12. For example, the side bars 12 shown in FIG. 1 may be divided to match the dimensions of the FIBC bags 30 in the arrangement direction D1. Each side bar 12 is, for example, a metal pipe with a circular cross-sectional shape. The side bars 12 may be made of metal such as stainless steel or galvanized general structural carbon steel.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, each side bar 12 has a length corresponding to the dimensions of two adjacent FIBC bags 30 in the arrangement direction D1 among the multiple FIBC bags 30. Note that each side bar 12 may have a length corresponding to the dimensions of three or more adjacent FIBC bags 30 in the arrangement direction D1 among the multiple FIBC bags 30.

A number of protrusions 13 are provided on each of the two side bars 12. For example, one protrusion 13 is provided on each end and one protrusion in the middle of each side bar 12 in the arrangement direction D1. That is, for example, three protrusions 13 are provided on each side bar 12, for a total of six protrusions 13 on the two side bars 12.

The protrusions 13 protrude in the radial direction of the side bar 12, for example, from the outer peripheral surface of the side bar 12, which has a circular cross-sectional shape. Each protrusion 13 has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The multiple protrusions 13 spaced apart in the axial direction of each side bar 12 protrude at the same angle relative to each side bar 12.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one clamp 14 of the stand 10 of Figure 1. Four clamps 14 are attached to each of the four columns 11 to support two side bars 12. The clamps 14 have, for example, a first support portion 141, a second support portion 142, and a fastening mechanism 143.

The first support part 141 is provided so as to be openable and closable by, for example, a hinge pin 141a, and is attached to the upper part of the support column 11. The second support part 142 is provided so as to be openable and closable by a hinge pin 142a, similar to the first support part 141, and supports the side bar 12. The first support part 141 and the second support part 142 are connected together, for example, while rotated at an angle of 90° from each other, to form an integrated unit.

The fastening mechanism 143 is provided, for example, on each of the first support portion 141 and the second support portion 142. The fastening mechanism 143 is provided, for example, on the openable/closable end portion of the first support portion 141 and the second support portion 142 opposite to the hinge pins 141a and 142a for opening and closing the first support portion 141 and the second support portion 142. The fastening mechanism 143 has, for example, a hinge pin 143a provided on the openable/closable end portion of the first support portion 141 and the second support portion 142, a bolt 143b provided so as to be swingable via the hinge pin 143a, and a nut 143c screwed onto the bolt 143b.

Of the openable ends of the first support part 141 and the second support part 142, the end opposite the end where the hinge pin 143a of the fastening mechanism 143 is provided has notches 141b, 142b for engaging the bolt 143b. To attach the clamp 14 to the top of the support 11, first open the first support part 141, sandwich the top of the support 11 between the first support parts 141, and close the first support part 141. Next, engage the bolt 143b of the fastening mechanism 143 of the first support part 141 with the notch 141b of the first support part 141, and fasten the nut 143c. This attaches the clamp 14 to the top of the support 11.

To support the side bar 12 with the clamp 14, first, the second support parts 142 are opened, the side bar 12 is sandwiched between the second support parts 142, and the second support parts 142 are closed. Next, the bolt 143b of the fastening mechanism 143 of the second support part 142 is engaged with the notch 142b of the second support part 142, and the nut 143c is fastened. This causes the side bar 12 to be supported by the clamp 14.

Here, the fastening mechanism 143 provided on the second support portion 142 of the clamp 14 has a configuration that can switch between a fastened state in which rotation of each side bar 12 around its axis is restricted, and a released state in which rotation of each side bar 12 around its axis is permitted. More specifically, the fastening mechanism 143 can be switched to a fastened state in which rotation of the side bar 12 around its axis is restricted by the second support portion 142, for example, by firmly fastening the nut 143c to the bolt 143b.

Furthermore, the fastening mechanism 143 can be switched to a released state in which rotation around the axis of the side bar 12 is permitted, for example, by loosening the nut 143c that is firmly fastened to the bolt 143b. Note that the configuration of the clamp 14 and the fastening mechanism 143 shown in FIG. 2 is one example, and the configuration of the clamp 14 and the fastening mechanism 143 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2. For example, the clamp 14 may have a buckle-type or lever-type fastening mechanism 143.

At least one of the two side bars 12 is removably supported by, for example, a clamp 14. For example, when using a clamp 14 configured as shown in FIG. 2, the nut 143c of the fastening mechanism 143 provided on the second support portion 142 of the clamp 14 is loosened, the bolt 143b is removed from the notch 142b of the second support portion 142, and the second support portion 142 is opened. This allows the side bar 12 to be removed. Note that both of the two side bars 12 may be removably supported by the clamp 14.

Figure 3 is a front view of the connector 15 of the stand 10 in Figure 1. Although details will be described later, the connector 15 is connected to each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 (see Figure 7). When the fastening mechanism 143 is in a fastened state, the connector 15 engages with each of the protrusions 13 of the multiple protrusions 13 provided on each side bar 12. The connector 15 is provided, for example, in the form of an openable and closable ring that is passed through a ring-shaped belt 32 attached to the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 and hooked onto the protrusions 13. For example, a commercially available carabiner can be used as the connector 15.

Figure 4 is a side view of the side bars 12, protrusions 13, and connectors 15 of the stand 10 in Figure 1. As described above, the fastening mechanism 143 of the clamp 14 supporting the side bars 12 is configured to be switchable between a fastened state in which rotation of the side bars 12 around their axes is restricted, and a released state in which rotation of the side bars 12 around their axes is permitted. When the stand 10 supports the FIBC bag 30, each side bar 12 is fixed in a state in which the multiple protrusions 13 face horizontally or upwardly from the horizontal in the fastened state of the fastening mechanism 143 of the clamp 14. In this state, the FIBC bag 30 can be supported by hanging the four corners of the opening 31.

More specifically, the stand 10 of this embodiment supports the FIBC bag 30 by suspending the four corners of the opening 31 from the protrusions 13 via the connectors 15. However, if the stand 10 does not have connectors 15, it is also possible to support the FIBC bag 30 by suspending the four corners of the opening 31 from the protrusions 13 via belts 32 or hanging cords attached to the four corners of the opening 31 of the FIBC bag 30.

When the loading of the contents into the FIBC bags 30 supported by the stand 10 is completed, the fastening mechanism 143 of the clamp 14 supporting the side bar 12 is switched to a released state in which the rotation of the side bar 12 around its axis is permitted. In this released state, the side bar 12 rotates to a state in which the multiple protrusions 13 face downward rather than horizontally, as shown in FIG. 4, and the support of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 can be released.

As shown in FIG. 1, the two connecting bars 16 are arranged, for example, at one end and the other end of the arrangement direction D1 of the FIBC bag 30, and each connects two supports 11 arranged side by side in the depth direction D2. The connecting bars 16 can be made of, for example, a metal pipe with a circular or rectangular cross-sectional shape, similar to the supports 11. The connecting bars 16 are connected to the supports 11, for example, by welding or bolts.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the insertion aid 20 shown in Figure 1. The insertion aid 20 includes a center bar 21 and a flap 22. The center bar 21 is disposed above the gap between two openings 31 of two adjacent flexi-con bags 30 of the plurality of flexi-con bags 30, and extends along the depth direction D2. The center bar 21 has a length that extends beyond both ends of the two adjacent openings 31, for example. For example, both ends of the center bar 21 in the depth direction D2 of the stand 10, which is the longitudinal direction, protrude from the flap 22.

For example, both ends of the center bar 21 are supported by the stand 10. More specifically, both ends of the center bar 21 are passed through a connector 15 that engages with the protrusion 13 of the stand 10, and are supported by the connector 15. Note that both ends of the center bar 21 may be supported by other parts of the stand 10, such as the support 11. Also, both ends of the center bar 21 may be supported by a stand for the insertion aid 20 that is separate from the stand 10.

The center bar 21 is made of, for example, a metal. More specifically, the center bar 21 can be made of, for example, stainless steel or zinc-plated general structural carbon steel. The center bar 21 can be made of, for example, a metal rod or pipe with a circular or rectangular cross-sectional shape.

The flaps 22 are attached to the center bar 21 and hang down inside the openings 31 of the two adjacent FIBC bags 30. The flaps 22 extend from the center bar 21 in a width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the center bar 21, i.e., on both sides of the arrangement direction D1 of the FIBC bags 30. The flaps 22 are flexible enough to hang down under their own weight on both sides of the width direction of the center bar 21. More specifically, the material of the flaps 22 is the same as the material of the FIBC bags 30. The flaps 22 are attached to the center bar 21, for example, by overlapping and sewing two pieces of cloth-like material together.

In the longitudinal direction of the center bar 21, the dimensions of the flaps 22 are, for example, equal to or smaller than the dimensions of two adjacent opening edges of adjacent FIBC bags 30. In addition, the dimensions of the flaps 22 in the longitudinal direction of the center bar 21 may decrease the farther away from the center bar 21. More specifically, the shape of the flaps 22 is not limited to a rectangle, and for example, the shapes of the flaps 22 extending on both sides of the center bar 21 may each be a trapezoid or a triangle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the FIBC bag 30 supported by the stand 10 of Figure 1. The FIBC bag 30 is produced by sewing a woven fabric of chemical fibers such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The FIBC bag 30 has annular belts 32 at positions corresponding to the four corners when the opening 31 is opened in a rectangular shape. The FIBC bag 30 also has a lid 33 for closing the opening 31. The FIBC bag 30 may also have a hanging belt. The contents of the FIBC bag 30 are, for example, compost. The contents of the FIBC bag 30 may be something other than compost, such as soil and sand.

The operation of the stand 10 of this embodiment will be described below. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the stand 10 of Figure 1 supporting the FIBC bag 30.

As shown in FIG. 7, the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment supports multiple flexible container bags 30 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D1 with the opening 31 of each flexible container bag 30 opened in a rectangular shape. The stand 10 includes at least four support columns 11, at least two side bars 12, multiple protrusions 13, and at least four clamps 14. The four support columns 11 are arranged to surround the multiple FIBC bags 30 at the front and rear of the depth direction D2 that intersects with the arrangement direction D1 at both ends of the arrangement direction D1. The two side bars 12 are arranged on both sides of the multiple FIBC bags 30 in the depth direction D2 and extend in the arrangement direction D1. The multiple protrusions 13 are provided on each of the two side bars 12. The four clamps 14 are attached to the respective support columns 11 of the four support columns 11 to support the two side bars 12. At least two of the four clamps 14 supporting each side bar 12 have a fastening mechanism 143. The fastening mechanism 143 can be switched between a fastened state in which rotation of each side bar 12 around its axis is restricted and a released state in which rotation of each side bar 12 around its axis is permitted. In the fastened state, each side bar 12 is fixed in a state in which the multiple protrusions 13 face horizontally or upward from the horizontal, and can support the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 by hanging them. In the released state, each side bar 12 rotates to a state in which the multiple protrusions 13 face downward from the horizontal, and can release support for the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30.

In this manner, in the stand 10 of this embodiment, one clamp 14 is attached to each of the support posts 11 arranged to surround the multiple FIBC bags 30 lined up in a row along the arrangement direction D1. Then, in the depth direction D2 intersecting the arrangement direction D1 of the multiple FIBC bags 30, one side bar 12 extending in the arrangement direction D1 is supported on the front side of the multiple FIBC bags 30 by two clamps 14 attached to two support posts 11 arranged on the front side of the multiple FIBC bags 30. Also, in the depth direction D2, another side bar 12 extending in the arrangement direction D1 is supported on the rear side of the multiple FIBC bags 30 by two clamps 14 attached to two support posts 11 arranged on the rear side of the multiple FIBC bags 30.

Furthermore, with the multiple protrusions 13 of the two side bars 12 facing horizontally or upwardly from the horizontal, the fastening mechanisms 143 of at least two clamps 14 supporting each side bar 12 are switched to a fastening state. As a result, the two side bars 12 are fixed and the multiple protrusions 13 are capable of supporting the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 by suspending them. In this state, of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30, the two corners on the front side in the depth direction D2 are suspended and supported by the two protrusions 13 of the side bar 12 on the front side in the depth direction D2. Also, of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30, the two corners on the rear side in the depth direction D2 are suspended and supported by the two protrusions 13 of the side bar 12 on the rear side in the depth direction D2. This allows the stand 10 to support multiple FIBC bags 30 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D1 with the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 open in a rectangular shape.

In this way, the stand 10 supports the multiple FIBC bags 30 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D1, and the contents are poured into the openings 31 of the multiple FIBC bags 30 all at once. Then, as the weight of the contents poured into each FIBC bag 30 increases, the downward force acting on the multiple protrusions 13 via the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 increases. However, because the fastening mechanisms 143 of the clamps 14 supporting each side bar 12 are in a fastened state, the rotation of the side bars 12 around their axes is restricted, and the four corners of the opening 31 of the FIBC bag 30 are maintained in a state in which they are suspended and supported by the multiple protrusions 13. When the pouring of the contents into the multiple FIBC bags 30 is completed, the fastening mechanisms 143 of the clamps 14 supporting each side bar 12 are switched from the fastened state to the released state.

Then, each side bar 12 is supported by the clamps 14 that support each side bar 12 so that it can rotate around its axis. As a result, the downward force acting on the protrusions 13 of each side bar 12 rotates the protrusions 13 downward from the horizontal direction, to a state in which the support of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 can be released. This releases the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 from the support of the openings 31, and each FIBC bag 30 can be moved in the horizontal direction or in a direction along the horizontal direction, including the arrangement direction D1 and the depth direction D2, for example, by a forklift. Therefore, according to the stand 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to easily remove the multiple FIBC bags 30 after the contents are collectively poured into the openings 31 of the multiple FIBC bags 30 arranged adjacent to each other.

In addition, the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment further includes a connector 15 that is connected to each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each flexible container bag 30 and engages with each of the multiple protrusions 13 in the fastened state.

With this configuration, each connector 15 can be connected to each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30. Furthermore, each connector 15 can be engaged with each of the protrusions 13 of each of the side bars 12 supported by the clamp 14 with the fastening mechanism 143 in the fastened state. This allows the four corners of the opening 31 of the multiple FIBC bags 30 to be suspended and supported by the multiple protrusions 13 of the two side bars 12 via the multiple connectors 15. Furthermore, by switching the fastening mechanism 143 of the clamp 14 supporting each side bar 12 to a release state, each side bar 12 rotates due to the downward force acting on the multiple protrusions 13 via the multiple connectors 15, so that the multiple protrusions 13 face downward, and the engagement between each connector 15 and each protrusion 13 is released. This releases each corner of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 connected to each connector 15 from the hanging support of each protrusion 13, making it possible to move each FIBC bag 30 horizontally or in a direction along the horizontal direction.

In addition, in the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment, the connector 15 is provided in an openable and closable ring shape that is passed through a ring-shaped belt 32 attached to the four corners of the opening 31 of each flexible container bag 30 and hooked onto the protrusion 13.

With this configuration, the annular connector 15 can be opened, passed through the annular belt 32 of the FIBC bag 30, and closed to connect the connector 15 to each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30. Furthermore, the annular connector 15 connected to each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 can be hooked to each of the protrusions 13 of each of the side bars 12 supported by the clamp 14 with the fastening mechanism 143 in the fastened state. This allows each of the four corners of the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 to be suspended and supported by each of the protrusions 13. Therefore, it is easy to support the four corners of the opening of multiple FIBC bags 30 by suspending them from multiple protrusions 13 via multiple connectors 15.

In addition, in the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment, each side bar 12 has a length corresponding to the dimension in the arrangement direction D1 of two adjacent flexible container bags 30 among the multiple flexible container bags 30.

With this configuration, one stand 10 can support two FIBC bags 30 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D1, with the opening 31 of each FIBC bag 30 open in a rectangular shape. This also prevents the length of each side bar 12 from becoming too long, making it easier to transport the stand 10.

In addition, in the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment, one protrusion 13 is provided at each end and one at the middle of each side bar 12 in the arrangement direction D1.

With this configuration, of the two FIBC bags 30 arranged in the arrangement direction D1, one FIBC bag 30 is supported by hanging two corners of one end in the arrangement direction D1 of the four corners of the rectangular opening 31 by two protrusions 13 at one end of the arrangement direction D1 of the two side bars 12. Also, of the four corners of the rectangular opening 31 of the one FIBC bag 30, two corners of the other end in the arrangement direction D1 of the four corners of the rectangular opening 31 are supported by hanging two protrusions 13 at the middle of the arrangement direction D1 of the two side bars 12. Furthermore, of the two FIBC bags 30 arranged in the arrangement direction D1, the other FIBC bag 30 is supported by hanging two corners of one end in the arrangement direction D1 of the four corners of the rectangular opening 31 by two protrusions 13 at the middle of the arrangement direction D1 of the two side bars 12. In addition, the other FIBC bag 30 has two corners at the other end in the arrangement direction D1 of the four corners of the rectangular opening 31, which are suspended and supported by two protrusions 13 at the other ends of the two side bars 12 in the arrangement direction D1. In other words, the two FIBC bags 30 lined up in the arrangement direction D1 have two adjacent corners of the rectangular opening 31 suspended and supported by one protrusion 13 in the middle of each side bar 12. This makes it possible to reduce the gap between the openings 31 of the two FIBC bags 30.

In addition, in the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment, each side bar 12 is a metal pipe with a circular cross-sectional shape.

This configuration provides the necessary strength and durability to the side bar 12, while also enabling the side bar 12 to be made lighter. Furthermore, because the cross-sectional shape of the side bar 12 is circular, when the fastening mechanism 143 of the clamp 14 is switched from the fastened state to the released state, the side bar 12, which is supported by the clamp 14 so as to be rotatable around its axis, can be smoothly rotated.

In addition, in the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment, at least one of the side bars 12 of the two clamps 14 is removably supported by the clamp 14.

With this configuration, the fastening mechanism of the clamp 14 can be released, and support for the four corners of the opening 31 of the multiple FIBC bags 30 by the multiple protrusions 13 of the two side bars 12 can be released, after which at least one of the side bars 12 can be removed from the clamp 14. This opens up at least one of the multiple FIBC bags 30 in the depth direction D2, making it easy to move each FIBC bag 30 in the depth direction D2, for example, by a forklift.

The flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment further includes an insertion aid 20 that is used when inserting contents into multiple flexible container bags 30 at once. The insertion aid 20 has a center bar 21 and a flap 22. The center bar 21 is placed above the gap between the two openings 31 of two adjacent flexi-con bags 30 and extends along the depth direction D2. The flap 22 is attached to the center bar 21 and hangs down inside each of the two adjacent openings 31.

With this configuration, the center bar 21 is placed above the gap between the two rectangular openings 31 of the two adjacent FIBC bags 30. The flaps 22 attached to the center bar 21 are suspended from both sides of the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the center bar 21 to the inside of the two adjacent rectangular openings 31. In this state, the contents of the FIBC bags 30 are poured from above into the two openings 31 of the two adjacent FIBC bags 30 all at once. Then, the flow of contents falling toward the gap between the two adjacent openings 31 is separated into two flows in the width direction of the center bar 21 by the center bar 21 placed above the gap. One of the flows of contents separated into two flows slides down from one side of the width direction of the center bar 21 along the flap 22 suspended to the inside of one of the two adjacent openings 31, and is poured into one of the FIBC bags 30 having that one opening 31. The other of the two separated flows of contents slides down from the other side of the center bar 21 in the width direction along the flap 22 that hangs down to the inside of the other of the two adjacent openings 31, and is poured into the other FIBC bag 30 that has the other opening 31. This makes it possible to prevent the contents from spilling out between the openings 31 of the two adjacent FIBC bags 30.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flexible container bag stand 10 that can easily remove multiple adjacently arranged flexi-container bags 30 after pouring the contents into the openings 31 of the multiple flexi-container bags 30 at once. Note that the flexible container bag stand of the present invention is not limited to the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment. Below, a modified example of the flexible container bag stand 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an insertion aid 20A that can be added to the stand 10 of Figure 1. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the state in which the insertion aid 20A of Figure 8 has been added to the stand 10 of Figure 1. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which multiple FIBC bags 30 are supported by the stand 10 of Figure 1 and the stand 10 to which the insertion aid 20A of Figure 9 has been added.

The stand 10 of this modified example further includes an insertion aid 20A as shown in FIG. 8 in addition to the configuration of the stand 10 in the previously described embodiment. This insertion aid 20A includes, for example, a center bar 21, a flap 22, a pair of connecting parts 23, and a pair of support parts 24. The center bar 21 of the insertion aid 20A of this modified example has the same configuration as the center bar 21 of the insertion aid 20 in the previously described embodiment shown in FIG. 5, except that the cross-sectional shape is rectangular. In addition, the flap 22 of the insertion aid 20A of this modified example has the same configuration as the flap 22 of the insertion aid 20 in the previously described embodiment shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, a description of the center bar 21 and flap 22 of the insertion aid 20A will be omitted.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the pair of connecting parts 23 are fixed to the upper parts of the two pillars 11 arranged at one end of the FIBC bag 30 in the arrangement direction D1. The connecting parts 23 include, for example, an annular part 231 and a flange part 232. The annular part 231 is, for example, a ring-shaped or tubular member, and is fixed to the pillar 11 by a fastening member such as a bolt with the upper part of the pillar 11 inserted therethrough. The flange part 232 is, for example, a plate-shaped part that protrudes from the annular part 231 in the width direction of the center bar 21, i.e., in the arrangement direction D1 of the FIBC bag 30. The flange part 232 has, for example, a through hole through which the support part 24 is inserted.

The pair of support parts 24 are each connected to the connecting parts 23 to support both ends of the center bar 21. The support parts 24 are, for example, rod-shaped members having threaded portions at their upper ends. The support parts 24 are fixed to the flange parts 232 of the connecting parts 23, for example, by inserting the threaded portions at the upper ends of the support parts 24 into the through holes of the flange parts 232 of the connecting parts 23 and fastening nuts to the threaded portions of the support parts 24. The lower ends of the support parts 24 are fixed to the ends of the center bar 21, for example, by welding. As a result, the pair of support parts 24 support both ends of the center bar 21 while being fixed to the flange parts 232 of the pair of connecting parts 23.

The stand 10 of this modified example shown in FIG. 9 and the stand 10 of the previously described embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be used side by side in the arrangement direction D1 of the FIBC bags 30. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the gap between the opening 31 of the FIBC bag 30 supported by the stand 10 in FIG. 9 and the opening 31 of the FIBC bag 30 supported by the stand 10 in FIG. 1 can be blocked by the insertion aid 20A. Furthermore, the center bar 21 and flap 22 of the insertion aid 20A added to the stand 10 of this modified example can provide the same effect as the insertion aid 20 in the stand 10 of the previously described embodiment.

Therefore, according to the stand 10 of this modified example, even when multiple stands 10 are used lined up in the arrangement direction D1 of the flexi-con bags 30, it is possible to prevent the contents from spilling out between the openings 31 of two adjacent flexi-con bags 30.

The above detailed description of an embodiment of the flexible container bag stand according to the present invention has been given using the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and any design changes that do not deviate from the gist of this disclosure are included in the present invention.

10 Stand (Stand for flexible container bags)
11 Support 12 Side bar 13 Projection 14 Clamp 143 Fastening mechanism 15 Connector 20 Insertion aid 20A Insertion aid 30 Flexible container bag
31 Opening 32 Belt D1 Arrangement direction D2 Depth direction

Claims (9)

A flexible container bag stand that supports a plurality of flexible container bags adjacent to each other in an arrangement direction with the openings of the flexible container bags opened in a rectangular shape,
four support columns arranged at both ends of the arrangement direction so as to surround the plurality of flexible container bags at the front and rear of a depth direction intersecting the arrangement direction;
two side bars disposed on both sides of the plurality of flexible container bags in the depth direction and extending in the arrangement direction;
a plurality of protrusions provided on each of the side bars;
four clamps attached to each of the posts to support two of the side bars;
The two clamps supporting each of the side bars each have a fastening mechanism that can switch between a fastened state in which rotation of each of the side bars about its axis is restricted and a released state in which rotation of each of the side bars about its axis is permitted;
A stand for flexible container bags, characterized in that in the fastened state, each of the side bars is fixed in a state in which each of the protrusions faces horizontally or upward from the horizontal so as to be able to support by hanging the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags, and in the released state, each of the protrusions rotates to a state in which each of the protrusions faces downward from the horizontal so as to be able to release support for the four corners of the opening of each of the flexible container bags. a connector engaging each of the protrusions in the fastened state ;
2. The stand for flexible container bags according to claim 1, wherein each of said connectors is connected to each corner of said opening of each of said flexible container bags. The flexible container bag stand according to claim 2, characterized in that the connector is provided in an openable and closable ring shape that is passed through a ring belt attached to each corner of the opening of each of the flexible container bags and hooked onto each of the protrusions. The flexible container bag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the side bars has a length corresponding to the dimension of two adjacent flexible container bags in the arrangement direction. The flexible container bag stand according to claim 4, characterized in that the protrusions are provided at both ends and at the middle of each of the side bars in the arrangement direction. The flexible container bag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the side bars is a metal pipe having a circular cross-sectional shape. The flexible container bag stand according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the side bars is removably supported by the clamp. The flexible container bag further includes an auxiliary tool for inserting contents into a plurality of the flexible container bags at once.
The inserting aid is
a center bar, both ends of which are supported by the side bars, and which is disposed above a gap between two of the openings of two adjacent flexible container bags and extends along the depth direction;
Flaps attached to the center bar and hanging down on the inside of each of the two adjacent openings;
2. The stand for a flexible container bag according to claim 1, further comprising: The flexible container bag further includes an auxiliary tool for inserting contents into a plurality of the flexible container bags at once.
The inserting aid is
a center bar extending along the depth direction, the center bar being supported at both ends by the two pillars arranged at the front and rear in the depth direction, and being disposed above a gap between two of the openings of two of the adjacent flexible container bags supported by each of the two flexible container bag stands arranged in the arrangement direction;
Flaps attached to the center bar and hanging down on the inside of each of the two adjacent openings;
2. The stand for a flexible container bag according to claim 1, further comprising:

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