Composite container for liquids

Abstract

A bulk bag for receiving, storing, transporting, and discharging liquids comprising four double layer side walls connected end to end to define four corners, four sleeves located at the four corners of the side walls, stiffener panels received between the double layers of the side walls, and stiffener rods received in the sleeves. The bulk bag may be provided with double layer baffles extending across the interior corners of the bulk bag and stiffeners received between the double layers of the baffles. The bulk bag may be provided with double layer dividers which extend across the interior of the bulk bag from the midpoints of the side walls and having stiffener panels therein.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A bulk bag for receiving, storing, transporting, and discharging liquids comprising: 
 four double layer side walls connected end to end to define four corners;    four sleeves each located at one of the corners between adjacent double layer side walls;    at least four stiffener panels each positioned between the layers comprising one of the side walls; and    at least four stiffener rods each received in one of the sleeves.    
     
     
         2 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    wherein opposed side walls each receive two stiffener panels thereby allowing the bulk bag to be folded for transportation and storage prior to its ultimate utilization.  
     
     
         3 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    further including a double layer top wall and a stiffener panel received between the layers comprising the top wall.  
     
     
         4 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    further including four double layer baffles each extending diagonally across one of the interior corners of the bulk bag and at least four stiffeners each received between the double layers comprising one of the baffles.  
     
     
         5 . The bulk bag according to    claim 4    wherein each of the baffles receives two stiffener panels so that the baffles are foldable inwardly to facilitate folding of the bulk bag for storage and transportation prior to its ultimate utilization.  
     
     
         6 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    wherein opposed side walls comprising the bulk bag receive two stiffener panels adjacent the end thereof and two stiffener panels in the mid-region thereof to facilitate folding of the bulk bag for storage and transportation prior to its ultimate utilization.  
     
     
         7 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    wherein opposed side walls each receive two stiffener panels adjacent the ends thereof and a single stiffener in the mid-region thereof to prevent folding of the bulk bag and thereby facilitating emptying of the bulk bag from the top thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    further including additional sleeves located in the mid-regions of the four side walls and additional stiffener rods received in each of the additional sleeves to further facilitate the stacking of the bulk bag.  
     
     
         9 . The bulk bag according to    claim 1    further including double layer dividers extending across the interior of the bulk bag from the midpoints of opposed side walls for dividing the bulk bag into four quadrants, each of the dividers receiving at least one stiffener panel therein.  
     
     
         10 . The bulk bag according to    claim 9    wherein each of the dividers receives multiple stiffener panels to facilitate folding of the bulk bag for storage and transportation prior to its ultimate utilization.