Industrial bag lift loop assembly

Abstract

A lifting assembly and method for a flexible bag includes one or more lift members, wherein each lift member is coupled to a layer of material, e.g., a fabric layer. The fabric layer can be coupled to a flexible bag wherein the fabric layer is an intermediate layer between the lift member and the flexible bag. The fabric layer can be heat fused or otherwise coupled to a bag without stitching or sewing, which eliminates the creation of sew or stitch holes that breach a containment area of the bag and which can weaken the bag fabric. The one or more lift members, however, can be sewn or stitched to one or more intermediate layers.

1 - 77 . (canceled) 
     
     
         78 . A flexible woven fabric bulk bag of the type that can hold 500 to 5,000 pounds of bulk material, the bag comprising:
 a body including a side wall having a body fabric surface; and   a lift loop assembly comprising a lift loop sewn to a fabric patch at a sewn connection, the patch having a patch fabric surface;   wherein the patch fabric surface is heat sealed to the body fabric surface such that the patch is an intermediate layer between the lift loop and the side wall of the body, and wherein a heat seal coupler directly bonds the body fabric surface to the patch fabric surface at a heat seal bond; and   wherein the heat seal bond extends above the sewn connection and between the sewn connection and an upper portion of the patch to a location that is at least 1 inch above the sewn connection to protect the heat seal bond from being put into a peel position.   
     
     
         79 . The flexible bag of  claim 78  wherein dimensions of the patch that is coupled to the side wall determines an amount of weight that the lift loop assembly can hold. 
     
     
         80 . The flexible bag of  claim 78  wherein the lift loop assembly is adapted so that if the heat seal coupler fails or releases from the bag, a containment area of the bag will not be torn or punctured or otherwise exposed. 
     
     
         81 . The flexible bag of  claim 78  wherein the patch is polypropylene woven fabric and the bag is made of polypropylene woven fabric. 
     
     
         82 . The flexible bag of  claim 78  wherein the patch is polyethylene woven fabric and the bag is made of polyethylene woven fabric. 
     
     
         83 . A lift member assembly on a flexible bulk bag made of woven fabric that has a bag fabric surface, the bag of the type that can hold 500 to 5000 pounds, the lift member assembly comprising:
 a lift member coupled with a coupler to a woven fabric layer that has a fabric layer surface;   wherein the fabric layer surface is coupled to the bag fabric surface without stitching, sewing or puncturing the bag fabric surface;   wherein the fabric layer is an intermediate layer between the lift member and the flexible bag;   wherein a heat seal bond formed by a heat seal coupler directly connects the bag fabric surface to the fabric layer surface; and   wherein the heat seal bond extends a distance above the coupler and between the coupler and an upper portion of the fabric layer such that the heat seal bond above the coupler protects the heat seal bond from being put into a peel position if the bag is picked up by the lift member when at least a portion of the lift member is pulled in a direction away from the bag fabric surface.   
     
     
         84 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the lift member is coupled to the fabric layer by sewing. 
     
     
         85 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the heat seal coupler includes a first heat sealing coating on the fabric layer surface and a second heat sealing coating on the bag fabric surface, and wherein the fabric layer is coupled to the flexible bag by positioning the first heat sealing coating of the fabric layer so that it is in contact with the second heat sealing coating on the flexible bag, and applying heat and pressure to form the heat seal bond. 
     
     
         86 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the lift member is coupled to the intermediate layer at least 1 inch below an upper edge of the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         87 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the assembly is adapted so that if the heat seal coupler fails or releases from the bag, a containment area of the bag will not be torn or punctured or otherwise exposed. 
     
     
         88 . A flexible bulk bag that can hold 500 to 5,000 pounds of bulk material, the bag made of woven fabric and comprising:
 a side wall made of woven fabric; and   a lift assembly, the lift assembly including a lift member coupled with a coupler to an intermediate layer that is made of woven fabric;   wherein the woven fabric of the intermediate layer is coupled to the woven fabric of the side wall with a heat seal coupler at a heat seal bond; and   wherein the heat seal bond extends a distance above the coupler and between the coupler and an upper portion of the intermediate layer such that the heat seal bond above the coupler protects the heat seal bond from being put into a peel position if the flexible bulk bag is picked up by the lift member when at least a portion of the lift member is positioned in a direction away from the side wall.   
     
     
         89 . The flexible bag of  claim 88  wherein the lift member is sewn to the intermediate layer and wherein the intermediate layer is not sewn to the side wall. 
     
     
         90 . The flexible bag of  claim 88  wherein the lift assembly is coupled to the bag side wall without creating stitch holes or otherwise puncturing the bag side wall. 
     
     
         91 . The flexible bag of  claim 88  wherein the intermediate layer is coupled to the side wall with a heat seal coupler positioned between the intermediate layer and the side wall, and wherein the intermediate layer is coupled to the side wall by positioning the intermediate layer on the side wall at a desired location and applying heat to the intermediate layer to melt the heat seal coupler and form a bond that connects the intermediate layer and the side wall, the flexible bag having the following directly adjacent layers at the bond: (1) bag side wall woven fabric; (2) heat seal coupler; (3) intermediate layer woven fabric; and (4) lift member. 
     
     
         92 . The flexible bag of  claim 88  wherein the lift member is a first lift member and the intermediate layer is a first intermediate layer and wherein the lift assembly further includes a second lift member and a second intermediate layer, a third lift member and a third intermediate layer, and a fourth lift member and a fourth intermediate layer. 
     
     
         93 . The flexible bag of  claim 92  wherein the first lift member is sewn to the first intermediate layer, the second lift member is sewn to the second intermediate layer, the third lift member is sewn to the third intermediate layer, and the fourth lift member is sewn to the fourth intermediate layer, and wherein the first, second, third and fourth intermediate layers are not sewn to the side wall. 
     
     
         94 . The flexible bag of  claim 92  wherein the first, second, third and fourth intermediate layers of the lift assembly are directly coupled to the bag side wall with a heat seal coupler and without creation of stitch holes or puncturing the side wall. 
     
     
         95 . The flexible bag of  claim 92  wherein the bag is designed to be filled with contents, and the lift assembly can hold at least a weight of the contents of the bag when the bag is lifted by the lift members. 
     
     
         96 . The flexible bag of  claim 95  wherein the bag is designed to be filled with contents, and the lift assembly can hold at least two times a weight of the contents of the bag that the bag is designed to hold. 
     
     
         97 . The flexible bag of  claim 95  wherein the bag is designed to be filled with contents, and the lift assembly can hold at least three times a weight of the contents of the bag that the bag is designed to hold. 
     
     
         98 . The flexible bag of  claim 95  wherein the bag is designed to be filled with contents, and the lift assembly can hold at least four times a weight of the contents of the bag that the bag is designed to hold. 
     
     
         99 . The flexible bag of  claim 95  wherein the bag is designed to be filled with contents, and the lift assembly can hold at least five times a weight of the contents of the bag that the bag is designed to hold. 
     
     
         100 . The flexible bag of  claim 89  wherein an upper sewn connection of the lift member is at least 1 to 3 inches away from an upper edge of the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         101 . The flexible bag of  claim 93  wherein the assembly is adapted so that if the heat seal coupler fails or releases from the bag, a containment area of the bag will not be torn or punctured or otherwise exposed. 
     
     
         102 . The flexible bag of  claim 91  wherein the heat seal coupler includes a first heat sealing coating on the intermediate layer and a second heat sealing coating on the side wall, and wherein the intermediate layer is coupled to the flexible bag by positioning the first heat sealing coating of the intermediate layer so that it is in contact with the second heat sealing coating on the side wall, and applying heat and pressure to form the heat seal bond.