Cargo containers are used to carry bulk cargo such as dry bulk chemicals, powdered and pelletized resins, flour, coffee, grains and the like. When cargo containers are used to carry bulk cargo, the container must be kept clean or be cleaned after each load of cargo is emptied from the container, so that the container can be subsequently used with another load of cargo. Moreover, the cargo must be protected from contamination and from undesirable exposure to natural elements.
Removable liners typically are used to line interior walls or surfaces of the cargo containers in order to carry the bulk cargo without sullying the container and contaminating the cargo. Such a liner protects the cargo during shipment or storage from rain, debris, and the like. After the cargo is delivered, the liner can be removed so that the container is again useable without significant cleaning to carry another load of cargo.
The conventional liner is extremely susceptible to tears or ruptures under certain conditions. For example, the cargo container is often emptied of its cargo by opening its rear door and raising its front end to tilt and slide the cargo through the rear door of the cargo container. This sliding action places great stress on various points of the conventional liner. This stress can cause the liner to rupture, which results in spillage and contamination of the cargo. Additionally, the shifting cargo can cause the liner itself to slide through the rear door of the container and rupture over an edge of the cargo container or upon impact with the ground.
Mechanical braces have been used in an attempt to remedy the deficiencies of the conventional liner. These braces are attached to or near the liner at the rear door area of the cargo container to hold the liner in the container as the cargo is unloaded. However, the braces are cumbersome, bulky and can interfere with unloading the cargo. The braces ironically can damage the liner they are intended to protect as the discharging cargo presses the liner against the braces.
A liner for a cargo container that is resistant to forces imparted by the cargo or its movement, which will not tear at stress points and not contaminate the cargo, is needed in the industry.