Container liners

Abstract

 There is herein described container liners used for the transport of compactable, cohesive powders. More particularly, there is described container liners capable of preventing tainting of foodstuffs by chemicals used to treat the floors of containers.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to container liners used for the transport of compactable, cohesive powders. More particularly, the present invention relates to container liners capable of preventing tainting of foodstuffs by chemicals used to treat and clean cargo containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Products such as sugar when loaded into lined containers, and subjected to hot summer heat, can be infiltrated by chlorophenols and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which then cause tainting. Cargo containers may have been cleaned with the chlorophenols and VOCs. Recent research such as from The Australian Food and Grocery Council has shown that only very small amounts of VOCs are required to spoil and contaminate a full load of product within a liner.

[0003] Previous methods to protect the product within the liner have related to placing foil laminate on the container floor to form a barrier and prevent contaminating compounds such as VOCs from leaving the wooden floor and penetrating the product. However, this is a time consuming procedure and is difficult to ensure that a full and continuous barrier is formed across the bottom surface of the container liner.

[0004] It is an object of at least one aspect of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one or more of the aforementioned problems.

[0005] It is a further object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide an improved container liner capable of preventing tainting of foodstuffs by chemicals used to clean (e.g. the floors) of containers.

[0006] It is a further object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide a method of preventing tainting of foodstuffs contained in a container liner by chemicals used to clean (e.g. the floors) of containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a container liner comprising:

a bottom face;

wherein an impervious layer is attached to or forms the bottom surface of the container liner.

[0008] The present invention therefore relates to the provision of an impervious layer attached to the bottom surface of a container liner.

[0009] Typically, the container liner may comprise any number (e.g. four) sides and, for example, a front and rear face. The container may also comprise a top and bottom face.

[0010] The container liner may be made from any suitable flexible material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable polymeric material. The material may be woven or non-woven.

[0011] On a lower surface such as the bottom face of the container liner there is an impervious layer which is intended to prevent any chlorophenols and/or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which may cause tainting to a transported product contained within the container liner. The chlorophenols and/or VOCs may have been used to clean the inside of the container liner. Preferably, the impervious layer forms a continuous barrier across the lower surface (e.g. bottom face) of the container liner.

[0012] The impervious layer may be made from any suitable flexible material that is capable of being impervious to chlorophenols and/or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Typically, the impervious layer may be made from a metal or alloy sheet/foil which may be in the form of a laminate.

[0013] The impervious layer may be attached to a lower surface such as the bottom face of the container liner using any suitable attachments means which may be mechanical and/or adhesive means. For example, the impervious layer may be glued to the bottom surface of the container liner.

[0014] A container liner according to the present invention may therefore be used in a cargo container such as in the shipping industry safe in the knowledge that the contents (e.g. powder or granular foodstuff material such as sugar) contained in the container liner will not become contaminated from harmful chemicals on the floor of a cargo container such as chlorophenols and/or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preventing contamination of the contents of a container liner by:

attaching an impervious layer to a bottom face of the container liner;

wherein the impervious layer prevents any contaminants from reaching the contents of the container liner.

[0016] The container liner may be as defined in the first aspect.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided use of an impervious layer on a lower surface or a bottom surface of a container liner to prevent contaminants from contacting and/or penetrating into contents in the container liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a representation of a container liner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0019] Generally speaking, the present invention resides in the provision of an impervious layer on the bottom surface of a container liner.

[0020] Figure 1 is a representation of a container liner generally designated 10 according to the present invention. The container liner 10 comprises a front and rear face 12, 14, sides 16, 20 and a top and bottom face 18, 22. The container liner 10 is made from any suitable flexible material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable polymeric material.

[0021] On the bottom face 22 of the container liner 10 there is an aluminium foil laminate floor section 24. The aluminium foil laminate floor section 24 is impervious to any chlorophenols and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which may cause tainting to a transported product contained within the container liner 10. The aluminium foil laminate floor section 24 is continuous across the bottom face 22 of the container liner 10. The aluminium foil laminate floor section 24 is adhered using adhesive to the bottom face 22. By providing the aluminium foil laminate only on the bottom surface 22 also reduces the cost of having the entire container liner made from aluminium foil. A separate floor section to the container liner can also be difficult to implement on a day-to-day basis.

[0022] In use, any residual amounts of chlorophenols and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which have been used to clean a container and remaining in the container are prevented from entering and penetrating into the contents of the container liner which can be any powder or granular foodstuff material such as sugar.

[0023] Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that departures from the described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, any suitable type of metal or alloy sheet can be used on the bottom face of the container liner. The metal or alloy sheet can also be adhered to the bottom face of the container liner using any suitable attachment means.

Claims

1. A container liner comprising:

a bottom face;

wherein an impervious layer is attached to or forms the bottom surface of the container liner.

2. A container liner according to claim 1, wherein the impervious layer is capable of preventing any chlorophenols and/or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which may cause tainting to a transported product contained within the container liner.

3. A container liner according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the impervious layer extends fully across the bottom surface of the container liner.

4. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the container liner is made from any suitable flexible material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable polymeric material.

5. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the impervious layer forms a continuous barrier across the lower surface (e.g. bottom face) of the container liner.

6. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the impervious layer is made from a metal or alloy sheet/foil.

7. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the impervious layer is made from an aluminium laminate foil.

8. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the impervious layer is attached to a lower surface such as the bottom face of the container liner using any suitable mechanical and/or adhesive attachments means.

9. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the impervious layer is glued to the bottom surface of the container liner.

10. A container liner according to any preceding claim, wherein the container liner is used in combination with a cargo container.

11. A method of preventing contamination of the contents of a container liner by:

attaching an impervious layer to a bottom face of the container liner;

wherein the impervious layer prevents any contaminants from reaching the contents of the container liner.

12. A method of preventing contamination of the contents of a container liner according to claim 11 wherein the container liner is as defined in any of claims 1 to 10.

13. Use of an impervious layer on a lower surface or a bottom surface of a container liner according to any of claims 1 to 10 to prevent contaminants from contacting and penetrating into contents in the container liner.

14. A container liner as hereinbefore as described and/or as shown in Figure 1.

Drawing