US20080101734A1

US20080101734A1 - Sandbag

Info

Publication number: US20080101734A1
Application number: US11/590,894
Authority: US
Inventors: Yaw-Tsan Chen; Wu-Pen Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-01
Filing date: 2006-11-01
Publication date: 2008-05-01

Abstract

A sandbag has a bag, multiple adhesives and at least two filler layers. The bag is made of a water-permeable material and has an inner surface. The adhesives are mounted in the bag. The filler layers have water-absorbing polymers nebulized by a low pressure and sprayed on the adhesives evenly. The filler layers adhesive on the adhesives, so the filler layers will not move and can expand evenly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a sandbag, and more particularly to a sandbag that is decomposable and contains water-absorbing polymers to absorb water and expand rapidly.
2. Description of the Related Art
The environment in the world has been destroyed and the weather is abnormal, so many natural disasters occur frequently in the world, such as hurricane and cloudburst. At a result, hurricane and cloudburst will lead to a flood or an inundation by the sea. When water floods into houses, inhabitants will be in trouble and lose their property. Thus, the inhabitants will place sandbags as a barrier to prevent or decrease water to flood into the houses.
A conventional sandbag has a bag such as a burlap bag filled with sand or soil. When used, multiple sandbags are stacked to be a barrier to keep water from entering the houses. However, the traditional sandbag has a large dimension and a heavy weight, so it is hard to be moved and inconvenient to be stored. In addition, the sandbag can not be decomposed and will create a polluted problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sandbag that is decomposable and contains water-absorbing polymers to absorb water and expand rapidly.
To achieve the objective, the sandbag has a bag, multiple adhesives and at least two filler layers. The bag is made of a water-permeable material and has an inner surface. The adhesives are mounted in the bag. The filler layers have water-absorbing polymers nebulized by a low pressure and sprayed on the adhesives evenly.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an expansion rate of a sandbag in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is across sectional side view of a first embodiment of a sandbag in accordance with the present invention with two filler layers adhering respectively to adhesives on a decomposable paper;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side view of a second embodiment of a sandbag in accordance with the present invention with two filler layers adhering to adhesives on a bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 2, a sandbag in accordance with the present invention has a bag (11), a decomposable paper (12), multiple adhesives (13) and at least two filler layers (14).
The bag (11) is made of a water-permeable material, such as a natural fiber, for example linen, cotton, ramie, animal fiber or the like or a synthetic fiber, for example chemical-synthetic fiber, plastic fiber or the like and may be inorganic or made of carbon. The plastic fiber is polyethylene, polypropylene or the like. The bag (11) is hollow and has a chamber, an inner surface, an outer surface and a grip. The chamber is defined in the bag (11). The grip is mounted on the outer surface and allows users to carry the sandbag easily to prevent users from injuring when they transport the sandbag.
The decomposable paper (12) is mounted in the chamber in the bag (11), may be a corrugating medium and has two opposite surfaces.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the adhesives (13) are water-soluble, are mounted on the bag (11) and may be mounted on the inner surface of the bag (11) or mounted respectively on the surfaces of the decomposable paper (12). To attach the adhesives (13) onto the bag (11) or the decomposable paper (12), the adhesives (13) are nebulized at a low pressure and may be sprayed on the inner surface of the bag (11) or sprayed on the surfaces of the decomposable paper (12). The low pressure is preferred at 5 bar (3.93 torr).
Each of the at least two filler layers (14) is mounted on the adhesives (13) and comprises water-absorbing polymers that are powdered and each water-sorbing polymer includes ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer in a weight percentage from 10% to 45% and polyacrylate salt in a weight percentage from 55% to 90%. The filler layers (14) may adhere on the adhesive (13) on the bag (11) or adhere respectively to the adhesive (13) on the decomposable paper (12).
The filler layer (14) is made of the water-absorbing polymers so the filler layers (14) can be recycled to be disposed in soil after used and will assist soil in conserving water. To attach the filler layers (14) onto the adhesives (13), the filler layers (14) are nebulized at a low pressure and then are sprayed on the adhesives (13) on the decomposable paper (12) evenly and may be sprayed on the adhesives (13) evenly.
With reference to FIG. 2, a first embodiment of the sandbag has two filler layers (14) respectively sprayed on the adhesives (13) on the decomposable paper (12).
With reference to FIG. 3, a second embodiment of the sandbag further has adhesives (13) mounted on the inner surface of the bag (11) and two filler layers (14) sprayed respectively on the adhesive (13) on inner surface of the bag (11).
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the low pressure is preferred at 5 bar (3.93 torr). Because the filler layers (14) adhere to the decomposable paper (12), the filler layers (14) can not move in the bag (11). Thus, the filler layers (14) can expand evenly, can be mounted on the ground or adjacent sandbags tightly and water will not flow through the sandbags. Moreover, the filler layers (14) will not mass while contacting moisture in environment. The filler layers (14) may comprise a catalyst to accelerate the polymers to absorb water and expand.

EXAMPLES

The following examples present various experiments of the present invention. Such examples are illustrative only and are not limitation to the present invention.
1. Safety Data of the Filler Layers:


Test Items	Objective	Result

Acute Oral Toxicity Test	Rat	LD50 >5000 mg/kg
Once Skin Irritation Test	Rabbit	No Irritation
Continuous Skin Test	Rabbit	No Irritation
Eye-muco-membrane	Rabbit	No Irritation
Irritation Test
Skin Sensitivity	Woodchuck	No Irritation
Human Skin Patch Test	Adult	No Irritation
Organism Variation Test	Five Stains	Nonpoisonous

2. Expansion Rate of the Sandbag of the Present Invention:
With reference to FIG. 1, the sandbag is mounted in a water-abundant place to contact water. The sandbag expands thoroughly only in 10 minutes. Therefore, the sandbag can be expanded rapidly.
3. The Best Embodiment of a Dimension and Weight of the Sandbag of the Present Invention:


	Before absorbing water	After absorbing water

Dimension	450 × 300 × 80	430 × 280 × 110
(mm)
Weight	Below 0.5	About 14 ± 2
(kg)

4. Disposal of the Sandbag
After used, the sandbag is lain aside for three weeks to allow moisture in the sandbag to vaporize. The sandbag can be added a water-releasing agent to accelerate the release of water from the sandbag. Residue in the sandbag will not produce poisonous materials after combustion.
Because the filler layers (14) is made of water-absorbing polymers, the filler layers (14) can be recycled to be disposed in soil after used and will assist soil in conserving water. Moreover, if the bag (11) is made of the natural fiber, the bag (11) can be buried in soil and decomposed automatically. If the bag (11) is made of the synthetic fiber, the bag (11) can be recycled as deposed plastic. Thus, the sandbag will not pollute the earth.
The filler layers (14) adhesive on the adhesives (13), so the filler layers (14) will not move and can expand evenly, can be mounted on the ground or adjacent sandbags tightly. Thus, water will not flow through the sandbags. Moreover, the filler layers (14) will not mass while contact with moisture in environment.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A sandbag having

a bag made of a water-permeable material, being hollow and having a chamber defined in the bag;

at least two adhesives mounted in the bag; and

at least two filler layers comprising water-absorbing polymers, nebulized by a low pressure and then sprayed respectively on the adhesives evenly.

2. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the bag further has an inner surface;

the adhesives are mounted on the inner surface of the bag; and

two filler layers are sprayed on the adhesives on the inner surface of the bag.

3. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1 further having

a decomposable paper mounted in the chamber in the bag and having two opposite surfaces; and wherein:

the adhesives are mounted respectively on the surfaces of the decomposable paper; and

two filler layers are sprayed on the adhesives on the surfaces of the decomposable paper.

4. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein each filler layer comprises ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and polyacrylate salt.

5. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the filler layers further comprises a catalyst.

6. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adhesives are water-soluble.

7. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water permeable material of the bag is a natural fiber.

8. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water permeable material of the bag is a synthetic fiber.

9. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fiber is made of carbon.

10. The sandbag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fiber is inorganic.

11. The sandbag as claimed in claim 4, wherein each water-absorbing polymer of the filler layer comprises ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer in a weight percentage from 10% to 45% and polyacrylate salt in a weight percentage from 55% to 90%.

12. The sandbag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the natural fiber is linen.

13. The sandbag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the natural fiber is cotton.

14. The sandbag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the natural fiber is ramie.

15. The sandbag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the natural fiber is animal fiber.

16. The sandbag as claimed in claim 8, wherein the synthetic fiber is polyethylene.

17. The sandbag as claimed in claim 8, wherein the synthetic fiber is polypropylene.