Inlet port for a container made of geotextiles

Abstract

A geotextile container ( 12 ) having strengthened port sleeve attachments. The integrity of the port sleeve of this invention is strengthened by incorporating an inlet port ( 10 ), having a port patch and a port sleeve, into a geotextile container ( 12 ). The inlet port is preferably made of a pliable material which renders attachment of the inlet port to the geotextile container easier and results in tighter, stronger seams between the inlet port and the geotextile container. With its stronger material and the resulting tighter seams, the inlet port and port patch are better able to withstand stresses and seams are less likely to rupture, thereby enhancing the integrity of the geotextile container.

1 . A flexible container formed of a textile fabric and having at least one inlet port comprising a port sleeve through which material is fed into the container and a port patch for attaching the port sleeve to the container.  
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the container is formed of a liquid permeable textile fabric.  
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet port comprises a textile fabric different from the textile fabric of the container.  
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the textile fabric of the inlet port comprises polyester.  
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the port sleeve and the port patch are integrally-formed from a single piece of textile fabric.  
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the textile fabric of the port sleeve and port patch comprises polyester.  
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the port sleeve and port patch are not integrally-formed from a single piece of textile fabric.  
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the port sleeve and the port patch each comprises a textile fabric, wherein the textile fabric of the port sleeve is different from the textile fabric of the port patch.  
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the textile fabric of at least one of the port sleeve or the port patch comprises polyester.  
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the port patch is attached to the port sleeve by at least one of sewing, heat seaming, welding, or gluing the port patch and the port sleeve together.  
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises more than one inlet port.  
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises multiple panels of the textile fabric secured together to form the container, wherein the port patch is attached to at least one of the panels.  
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the port patch is attached to at least one of the panels by at least one of sewing, heat seaming, or gluing the port patch to the at least one panel.  
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a geotextile container comprising: 
 a. providing an inlet port comprising a port patch and a port sleeve;    b. providing multiple panels of textile fabric;    c. attaching the port patch to at least one of the panels;    d. securing the multiple panels together to form the container.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the inlet port comprises a textile fabric different from the textile fabric of the multiple panels.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the textile fabric of the inlet port comprises polyester.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the port patch and the port sleeve are integrally-formed from a single piece of textile fabric.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the port patch and the port sleeve are not integrally-formed from a single piece of textile fabric.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the port patch and port sleeve are attached together to form the inlet port.  
     
     
         20 . A flexible container comprising: 
 a. multiple panels of a liquid permeable textile fabric, wherein the panels are secured together to form the container; and    b. at least one inlet port comprising a port sleeve through which material is fed into the container and a port patch for attaching the port sleeve to the container, wherein the port patch is attached to at least one of the panels and wherein the inlet port is formed from a textile fabric different from the textile fabric of the container.