EP2423130A1 - Container with fire extinguisher and kit therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (1) comprises an interior compartment (7) closable against incoming of air from outside and bordered by a wall (14), and an operating position of the wall, in which the inner compartment has a volume. Another operating position of the wall is provided with inner compartment having a volume reduced against the former volume. A check-valve member blocks a flow of fluid from outside into the inner compartment. An operation position changing member (15) is provided for automatic conversion of former operating position into latter operating position in case of fire. An independent claim is also included for a retrofit kit for converting conventional container into container with a flexible wall.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a container, which is used in particular for receiving, for storing, for storage and / or transport of a good as at least one object or a liquid. For example, it is a container for transport by land, water and / or air. It is possible that this is an air freight container or storage container.

STATE OF THE ART

If the contents of the container and / or the container itself burn in a container, this will result in material damage as the contents of the container may become unusable as a result. Furthermore, there is a risk that a fire in the container adversely affects the environment, in particular by spreading the fire or by creating a heat source, which can be caused by consequential damage. Finally, the smoke can also lead to smoke or damage to health or damage to a suffocation.

The company VRR Air Cargo Equipment has developed on behalf of the Spanish Air Force an air cargo container, in which the interior is limited by a rigid metallic housing. On the outside of the housing extinguishers are fixed, which in case of fire, a extinguishing agent in the container injected (see http://www.vrr-aviation.com/products/military/aay-container-fire-containment-container-(fcc )).

DE-OS 1 786 205 discloses an air cargo container consisting of a flat bottom plate and a flexible, heat insulating, air mattress inflatable wall. This wall can be folded in unladen condition of the container, so that the container occupies a small space, which exceeds the volume of the bottom plate at most slightly. If the container to be loaded, the walls are erected by blowing compressed gas into the air mattress-like walls. The container may have a loading opening which can be closed with a zipper. An upper curvature of the wall may be adapted to the curvature of a cargo hold of the aircraft, and the floor panel may have attachment means to anchor it to the cargo hold of the aircraft. Further support means may be provided, such as a support in the form of a metal or plastic tube which can be inserted between the base plate and the ceiling wall, in particular near a feed opening. The wall may be formed gas-impermeable, for example with a rubberized fabric. In the wall hose-like sections may be provided, which may be filled with a gas or a gas mixture. The document also mentions that such a hose can be filled with nitrogen, which should suffocate a possibly occurring fire in a momentous plane crash.

DE 26 56 639 A1 discloses a collapsible container for liquid or solid cargo with a bag or hose-like wall, which can be clamped by a flexible, folding or extendable support structure between a bottom and a cover plate. Proposed here is to provide the support structure with a resistance to fire or with self-extinguishing properties in the presence of fire and with a high temperature resistance.

DE 103 18 975 B3 discloses a method for controlling a fire occurring in a closed space of an aircraft, in particular in an overhead luggage rack in the passenger area or in a container in the cargo hold of the aircraft. While the space protected by the fire-fighting method is intended to be hermetically sealed so that a fire emanating from it quickly stifles, unwanted leaks in these spaces result in smoke from the rooms leaking through the leaks and fire favoring supply of air or oxygen takes place. The document proposes, in the vicinity of expected leakage points, a heat-frothing and volume-increasing refractory Provide material. If there is a fire, the material foams up, whereby an automated sealing of unwanted leaks occurs and the supply of air or oxygen through the leak point is reduced or prevented.

DE 103 58 978 A1 discloses a fire protection element, which should be compacted compactly in a storage condition. If there is a fire, the fire protection element should be thrown into the fire, where it should unfold automatically and form a fire blanket. Such formed, automatically expanding fire blanket should be used for fires in the home, in the home, in buildings, in motor vehicles, in the forest, in chemistry, burning oil, burning electronic components and smoldering fires. To realize the automatic expansion of the space-saving compacted storage condition of the fire blanket, the document proposes to equip the fire protection element with an expander whose expansion is started by means of a trigger. The trigger is activated manually during ejection, by the impact of the fire protection element, directly by the heat effect of the fire, automatically by a distance fuze, by radio or by a temperature, radiation or smoke sensor. The energy of the expander results from an elastic bias, a pressure energy from pyrotechnic gas generators, from compressed gas cartridges, the throw energy, centrifugal forces or an Archimedean buoyancy. For use in fire classes A, B and C, it is proposed to moisten the fire blankets already in a storage condition, to equip them with internal water bags or to soak them externally immediately before use. It is also possible that the fire blanket is made of an electrically non-conductive material such as ceramic or plastic, whereby a surface coating can be used to influence a radiation behavior. In addition to the automatically activated expansion by the interaction of the trigger with the expander, a weight-related, automatic adaptation of the fire blanket to a contour of the fire can be done, to which the expander can lose its inherent rigidity due to the action of heat or automatically after the expansion. Alternatively, it is possible that the expander additionally stiffened after the unfolding, to form with the fire blanket a self-supporting wall, with which a flame front stopped or distracted, limited to a fire or an object to be protected is to be included. In order to remove combustion air in fires in enclosed spaces and to deduct the explosive mixture at the risk of gas and dust explosions is also proposed to form the expanded fire protection elements as a hollow body. Necessary openings are analogous to the Davy miner's lamp through a net or secured by check valves against Durchzünden. By means of the hollow body of the effective convection cross-section to be reduced, while the flow resistance is to be increased and the air supply to the fire site to be made difficult. According to one embodiment, the fire protection element has a fire blanket, which is clamped over a frame-like steel strip. In the space-saving compacted form of storage, the fire blanket and steel strip are rolled up and secured by a flammable strip in the form of the roll. If the fire blanket thrown as such a role in a fire, the flammable tape dissolves, so that the expansion of the steel strip automatically spans the fire blanket. Further embodiments relate in particular to a plurality of fire protection elements coupled to one another and to a self-unfolding umbrella-type fire protection element. Other fire protection elements are clamped by the expander in case of fire in a voluminous form, wherein in the clamped volume of oxygen is to be sucked out of the combustion chamber. This can form a cuboid or spherical shape. Also, a hood-like, selbstentfaltende fire blanket is proposed, which can be placed on a helicopter over a fire.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has for its object to propose a container, which offers alternative or improved possibilities for fighting a fire in an interior of the container. In particular, the container should be simple and inexpensive to produce while high effectiveness of fire fighting.

SOLUTION

The object of the invention is achieved with a container having the features of independent claim 1. Further embodiments of the container according to the invention will become apparent according to the dependent claims 2 to 8. Another solution of the problem underlying the invention is given by a retrofit kit for a container according to the independent claim. 9

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based on the recognition that the emergence and maintenance of a fire in a container on the one hand requires, for example, a liquid or solid kiln and on the other hand, an oxidizing agent. The kiln can hereby be formed by the container itself, but this can be ruled out by a suitable choice of material. Furthermore, the firing material can be formed by the material to be stored, stored, stored or transported in the container. On the other hand, the oxidizing agent effective in the case of a fire is usually a fluid present in the interior of the container, in particular oxygen, of air arranged in the interior.

According to DE 103 18 975 B3 If a Nachfuhr an oxidant through leakage points of the container can be prevented to cause suffocation of the fire when the present in the interior of the container oxidant is consumed. This document thus takes a minimum amount of fire into account, which depends on how quickly a leak is closed, but above all how much oxygen or air is contained in the container. If the container is completely filled with a good for this embodiment known from the prior art, the small amount of oxygen is consumed relatively quickly, so that under certain circumstances a fire can not arise at all or quickly extinguishes. However, if the container is only partially filled, the air contained in the free space is sufficient to provide enough oxygen that a fire of sufficient size can develop.

Based on the above-explained knowledge, the invention turns away from the prejudice that a volume of an oxidant disposed in an interior of a container, and thus a potential for the extent of a fire being formed, must be accepted as fixed for the emergence of a fire.

According to the invention, the container is formed with an interior which is bounded by a wall. The interior space is largely lockable against entry of air from the outside, and "substantially lockable" is also intended to include an air exchange rate which is insufficient for a supply of air from outside to the interior to an extent sufficient to support a fire or uphold.

• In der ersten Betriebsstellung, welche mit dem nicht brennenden Normalzustand des Containers korreliert, besitzt der von der Wandung begrenzte Innenraum ein Volumen V_l1. Sind in dem Innenraum Güter oder Gegenstände mit einem Volumen V_G angeordnet, verbleibt in dem Innenraum ein Restvolumen für ein Fluid wie Luft mit einem Fluidvolumen V_F1, wobei V_F1 = V_l1 - V_G gilt.
• Hingegen ist in der zweiten Betriebsstellung der Wandung das Volumen des von der Wandung begrenzten Innenraums gegenüber dem Volumen V_l1 in der ersten Betriebsstellung verringert auf ein Volumen V_l2 < V_l1. Bei Annahme unveränderten Volumens V_G verbleibt zwischen Wandung und Gütern oder Gegenständen ein verringertes Fluidvolumen V_F2. Dies hat zur Folge, dass in der zweiten Betriebsstellung für ein Feuer lediglich ein entsprechend reduziertes Volumen des Oxidationsmittels zur Verfügung steht.

For the container according to the invention, the volume of the interior is not constant. Rather, the wall bounding the interior has a first operating position and a second operating position:

• In the first operating position, which correlates with the non-burning normal state of the container, the wall bounded by the interior space has a volume V _l1 . If goods or objects with a volume V _G are arranged in the interior space, a residual volume for a fluid, such as air, with a fluid volume V _F1 remains in the interior, where V _F1 = V _l1 -V _G.
• On the other hand, in the second operating position of the wall, the volume of the inner space bounded by the wall relative to the volume V _l1 in the first operating position is reduced to a volume V _l2 <V _l1 . Assuming unchanged volume V _G remains between wall and goods or objects a reduced fluid volume V _F2 . This has the consequence that only a correspondingly reduced volume of the oxidizing agent is available in the second operating position for a fire.

• Erfindungsgemäß ist ein Rückschlagventilelement vorgesehen. Das Rückschlagventilelement ist derart in den Container integriert, dass dieses eine Strömung von Fluid von außen in den Innenraum sperrt, während eine Strömung von Fluid aus dem Innenraum nach außen ermöglicht ist.

The change from the first operating position to the second operating position is realized as follows:

• According to the invention, a check valve element is provided. The check valve element is integrated in the container such that it blocks a flow of fluid from the outside into the interior, while a flow of fluid from the interior is made possible to the outside.

The container according to the invention also has a Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan. This automatically transfers the wall from the first operating position to the second operating position in the event of a fire, so that this causes the reduction of the fluid volume from V _F1 to V _F2 . This is done by pushing out the combustion-promoting fluid, ie the difference volume V _D = V _F1 - V _F2 , from the interior via the check valve element to the outside.

According to the invention, by reducing the combustion-promoting fluid in the interior of the container, the formation of fire and the development of fire can be significantly inhibited. It is advantageous that the measures according to the invention may not require the use of an extinguishing agent, which could reduce the value of the goods in the container or render them unusable and / or make it impossible to reuse the container (it being entirely conceivable that in addition to the measures according to the invention further measures such as the use of an extinguishing agent or other of the measures mentioned above takes place).

The second operating position of the wall is in particular taken automatically when a fire is created in the container or its size exceeds a minimum level or a minimum duration. In the indices used, the first index "I" stands for "interior" and "F" for "fluid", ie in particular the air, while the second index "1" indicates the first operating position, ie the normal case without fire, and the index "2" indicates the second operating position for the occurrence of a fire.

The variability of the wall from the first operating position to the second operating position via the operating position change member may be arbitrary. To mention just one possible example herein, the operating position changing member may include a sensor for detecting a developing fire, for example, based on smoke generation and / or heat generation, an actuator automatically operated in the case of detecting a fire by said sensor, and one for reducing Having the volume of the interior movable wall.

In a further embodiment of the invention, however, the wall bounding the interior is formed with a flexible, not inherently rigid wall material. The flexible, non-rigid wall material allows the change from the first operating position of the wall to the second operating position of the wall.

Furthermore, a holding device is provided for this embodiment. The holding device holds the wall in the first operating position. This can be done in any way. To mention just a few examples hereof, the container may have a kind of support frame or an outer housing, by means of which the flexible, non-rigid wall is held in the first operating position. The wall material can be glued to this support framework, attached or otherwise held. Furthermore, the wall material can be held in the first operating position with holding devices in the form of tensioning devices or deployment devices, in particular in the manner of tent poles.

In the event of a fire, the holding action of the holding device can then be canceled or at least reduced via the operating position changing element. This makes it possible that the flexible, non-rigid wall takes the second operating position.

For the cancellation or reduction of the holding effect of the holding device, there are also many possibilities. For example only, it is mentioned here that the effect of the holding device is canceled or reduced via a sensor detecting the fire with an associated actuator. For a simple embodiment, the holding device may lose its retaining action by developing smoke or heat, in particular by the smoke or heat reducing or eliminating a sticking action or weakening the tensioning or unfolding device by the heat or smoke.

The energy for effecting the change in operating position from the first operating position to the second operating position may be provided by any power source and any release mechanism or actuator. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, however, the operating position change member is formed with an elastic deformation element, which at least partially provides the energy for changing the operating position. The elastic bias of the deformation element is greater when the wall is in the first operating position, as if the wall is in the second operating position. About a relaxation of the elastic deformation element, the wall is transferred from the first operating position to the second operating position, whereby the elastic deformation element is also responsible (at least partially) for pushing out the fluid disposed in the interior through the check valve element to the outside. The elastic deformation element may be any discrete or continuous deformation element, for example a spring element. This can be constantly effective, wherein the relaxation of the elastic deformation element in the first operating position can be prevented by the holding device and is made possible when the holding action of the holding device is canceled or reduced. In a particular embodiment of the invention, however, the bias of the elastic deformation element only come into effect when a Fire has developed. To give an example of such an embodiment, a thermoplastic deformation element can be used, in which stresses are frozen, which are released when a threshold value of a temperature in the interior of the container is exceeded.

Alternatively or cumulatively, the transfer of the wall from the first operating position into the second operating position can be brought about, at least in part, via the dead weight of the wall material, which then also causes the expulsion of the fluid through the check valve element. For example, in the first operating position, the flexible wall may be kept at a distance above a bottom of the container and the goods in the container. To bring about the second operating position, the flexible wall material drops from above onto the bottom plate of the container and the goods, which can also be comparable to the laying of a fire blanket from above. The weight of the wall material causes the wall material fits tightly to the burning goods and little or no oxidant between wall material and the goods remains because it is removed with the sinking of the wall material from the interior of the container through the check valve element. It is understood that additional weights can also be used for the above-described lowering of the wall material.

Basically, the housing, wall and floor construction for the container according to the invention is arbitrary. For example, find a fire-resistant pallet use as a base plate, as this in DE 602 16 873 B2 is described or it can be a structure of the container according to the input-listed documents. In a particular embodiment of the invention, however, the interior is bounded by a wall material formed by a tent-like tarpaulin. This is spanned by a holder formed by tent-like frames holding device for specifying the volume in the first operating position. This is a particularly simple and inexpensive design, which also allows a space-saving transport of the container when no goods are to be transported in this. For this embodiment, some or all design features of a tent-like constructed cargo container can be used in addition to the above-mentioned inventive measures, as in the non-prepublished patent application DE 10 2009 046 409.3-22 the applicant are described.

It is advantageous if a non-flammable or a flame-retardant material is used for the wall material. In practice, a flexible, not intrinsically rigid wall material has proven to be particularly suitable, which is formed with a flame retardant textile or polymer material.

It is possible that the container is manufactured and sold with the features explained above. According to a further proposal of the invention, a retrofit kit is proposed for which a conventional container can be converted into a container according to one of the preceding claims. This retrofit kit then has a wall of a flexible and non-rigid wall material, which can be introduced to limit an interior in the conventional container. Furthermore, the retrofit kit has a check valve element of the type described above, via which fluid can be discharged from the space bounded by the flexible wall to the outside, ie in the conventional container and / or in the environment. Furthermore, the retrofit kit is equipped with a Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan of the type described above.

Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the description and the drawings. The advantages of features and of combinations of several features mentioned in the introduction to the description are merely exemplary and can come into effect alternatively or cumulatively, without the advantages having to be achieved by embodiments according to the invention. Further features are the drawings - in particular the illustrated geometries and the relative dimensions of several components to each other and their relative arrangement and operative connection - refer. The combination of features of different embodiments of the invention or of features of different claims is also possible deviating from the chosen relationships of the claims and is hereby stimulated. This also applies to those features which are shown in separate drawings or are mentioned in their description. These features can also be combined with features of different claims. Likewise, in the claims listed features for further embodiments of the invention can be omitted.

The features mentioned in the patent claims and the description are to be understood in terms of their number so that exactly this number or a greater number than the said number is present, without there being any explicit use of the adverb "at least". requirement. For example, if a wall, a check valve element, a Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan, a holding device, a deformation element o. Ä. Is mentioned, it is to be understood that exactly one such element may be present or two elements or more elements may be present.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1

zeigt in einer räumlichen Prinzipskizze einen erfindungsgemäßen Container mit darin angeordneten Gütern in einer ersten Betriebsstellung.

Fig. 2

zeigt den Container gemäß Fig. 1 in einer zweiten Betriebsstellung.

Fig. 3

zeigt schematisch einen beispielhaften herkömmlichen Container ohne vordere Wand, welcher mit einem Nachrüstsatz zu einem erfindungsgemäßen Container nachgerüstet ist, in einer ersten Betriebsstellung.

Fig. 4

zeigt den nachgerüsteten Container gemäß Fig. 3 in einer zweiten Betriebsstellung.

Fig. 5

zeigt einen Ausschnitt aus einer Wandung eines nachgerüsteten Containers gemäß Fig. 3 und 4.

In the following the invention will be further explained and described with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the figures.

Fig. 1

shows a spatial schematic diagram of a container according to the invention with goods arranged therein in a first operating position.

Fig. 2

shows the container according to Fig. 1 in a second operating position.

Fig. 3

schematically shows an exemplary conventional container without front wall, which is retrofitted with a retrofit kit to a container according to the invention, in a first operating position.

Fig. 4

shows the retrofitted container according to Fig. 3 in a second operating position.

Fig. 5

shows a section of a wall of a retrofitted container according to Fig. 3 and 4 ,

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In Fig. 1 schematically a container 1 is shown in a spatial view. This has a bottom plate 2, which is rectangular for the illustrated embodiment. At the bottom plate 2 are tent poles 3a to 3d based, which are curved under bias. The tent poles 3 stretch a tarpaulin 4 tent-like, the tent poles 3 can be passed through eyelets, loops or folds of the tarpaulin 4 or otherwise connected to this. The tarpaulin 4 is airtight or largely airtight and connected to the bottom plate 2. The tarpaulin 4 has in Fig. 1 not shown lockable Openings, which are formed for example with a zipper. Integral formed by the tarpaulin 4 or integrated into this or are coupled to this deformation elements 5, constricting means or spring elements. For the illustrated embodiment, the deformation elements 5a, 5b, 5c integrated into the tarpaulin 4 and extend radially from the highest point and the crossing point of the tent poles 3c, 3d, while other deformation elements are oriented in the equatorial direction or circumferential direction. The radial deformation elements 5 in this case extend from an edge region of the bottom plate 2 (and the tarpaulin 4) to the opposite edge region of the bottom plate 2 (and the tarpaulin 4). With the tent poles 3, a holding device 6 is formed. The holding device 6 formed with the tent poles 3 holds the container 1 in the in Fig. 1 shown first operating position in which an interior space 7 between the tarpaulin 4 and the bottom plate 2 is formed. In the interior 7 goods, goods or objects 8 are arranged. In the estate 8, it may - different from Fig. 1 - quite possibly a liquid.

The interior 7 has a volume V _l1 in the first operating position, while the goods 8 have a volume V _G. Between the tarpaulin 4, the bottom plate 2 and the goods 8 remains a free volume, which is filled with a fluid, preferably air, with a fluid volume V _F1 . Between the interior 7 and the surroundings 9 check valve elements 10 a, 10 b are arranged, which are integrated into the tarpaulin 4 for the illustrated embodiment. It is also possible that check valve elements 10 are integrated in the bottom plate 2. The check valve elements 10 block a flow of air from the environment 9 into the interior 7, while the check valve elements 10 allow the flow of air from the interior 7 into the environment 9.

Fig. 2 shows the container 1 in the second operating position. In this, the effect of the holding device 6 is canceled or reduced, ie the tent clips 3 no longer hold the tarpaulin 4 in the unfolded state Fig. 1 , Rather, the tarpaulin 4 has dropped to the bottom plate 2 and the goods 8 and has applied to this. In the extreme case, for which the tarpaulin 4 completely _{rests against} the bottom plate 2 and goods 8, the volume V _{l2 of} the interior 7 in the second operating position corresponds to the total volume of goods 8 V _G - in a more realistic case remains between tarpaulin 4 and goods 8 and Bottom plate 2 a residual fluid volume V _F2 , where V _l2 = V _G + V _F2 . A differential fluid volume 11 is from the interior of the container 1 with the change from the first operating position to the second operating position indicated by the check valve elements 10 in the environment 9. For this difference _volume V _D , which flows through the check valve _elements 10, V _D = V _l1 - V _l2 . It is possible that with the appearance of a fire in the container 1, the holding device 6 loses its effect. In particular, when heated or due to smoke, the tent pole 3 may lose or reduce its flexural rigidity. It is also possible that the deformation elements 5 in the first operating position according to Fig. 1 are biased so that they bring about the sinking of the tarpaulin 4 and concerns of the same to the bottom plate 2 and the goods 8. Alternatively or additionally, the tarpaulin 4 by its own weight and possibly also additional weights on the goods 8 and the bottom plate 2 fall. Furthermore, it is possible that the tent pole 3 and / or deformation elements 5 are formed with a shape memory material or are frozen here voltages or strains and with incoming smoke or exceeding a threshold temperature, the deformation elements 5 and / or the tent poles 3 strive for a shape according to the second operating position according to Fig. 2 ,

According to the invention occurs with the induction of the second operating position, a reduction of the oxidizing agent in the interior 7, which correlates with the volume of the discharged Fludis V _D , whereby the formation of a fire is inhibited and can suffocate a fire.

Fig. 3 shows first a conventional, rigid container 12, which is not formed in a fluid-tight manner or in which in Fig. 3 not shown openings have been introduced. The container 12 has a bottom plate 2 according to the invention inside lined with the tarpaulin 4, wherein for the illustrated embodiment, the tarpaulin 4 is airtight connected to the airtight base plate 2, for example, glued to it. If the bottom plate 2 of the conventional container 12 is not airtight, the tarpaulin 4 can also extend over the bottom plate 2. For the illustrated embodiment, the holding device 6 is formed by the fact that the tarpaulin 4 is fixed to the rigid wall of the container 12, for example by gluing, tying, clipping, hook and loop fasteners, or suspended therefrom. Inside the container 12 is bounded between the tarpaulin 4 and bottom plate 2 of the interior 7, in which the good 8 is added. For the illustrated embodiment, the deformation elements 5 are formed like a lattice or net and integrated into the tarpaulin 4. The tarpaulin 4 is also equipped here with at least one check valve element 10. With the tarpaulin 4, the check valve element 10 and the holding device between the tarpaulin 4 and the wall of the Containers 12 is a retrofit kit 13 formed by means of which according to the invention a conventional container 12 can be retrofitted. Fig. 3 shows the container 12 with retrofit kit 13 in the first operating position. If it comes in the interior 7 to a fire, the retrofit kit 13 automatically takes the second operating position, which in Fig. 4 is shown. The tarpaulin 4 drops from the top of the Good 8 and the bottom plate 2, whereby a fluid volume V _D is discharged through the check valve element 10 in the environment 9. In a particular embodiment, the conventional container 12 is airtight, so that the fluid volume V _{D is} discharged only from the interior 7 in the interior of the container 12, but not in the environment. The drawn in the figures with the reference numeral 4 tarpaulins represent only one embodiment of a flexible, inherently rigid wall 14, as this is used in the context of the present invention. A Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan 15, by means of which the transfer from the first operating position to the second operating position is performed or the effect of the holding device can be canceled or reduced, for example, be designed as a tent pole 3, which reduces or loses its strength or flexural rigidity or which exceeds a threshold value Temperature changes its shape or releases tension or strains. Alternatively or additionally, it can be in the operating position change member 15 to the deformation element 5, for example, elastic spring elements or cords or constricting means which can be biased constantly in the first operating position or only release their bias when a fire breaks out in the interior 7 of the container 1.

Fig. 5 shows a partial section of the container 1 in the first operating position according to Fig. 3 , which is equipped with the retrofit kit 13. To be seen here is a wall 16 of the conventional container 12, to which with an adhesive layer 17, the wall 14 formed by the retrofit kit 13 is adhered. The wall 14 has crosswise extending deformation elements 5, which are formed for the illustrated embodiment as a thermoplastic bands with frozen strains. A crosswise arrangement of the deformation elements 5 can be advantageous, since this can cause the flexible wall in the second operating position can stretch as closely as possible to any predetermined by the goods contour. The induced in heating stresses in the thermoplastic tapes are so large that thereby the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 17 is overcome. Preferably, with heating of the inner space 7 with a fire, the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 17 is reduced.

For the deformation elements 5 are used in particular in the production stretched and cooled in the stretched state thermoplastics are used, which have the properties to orient themselves under heat in their unstretched initial state back. In this case, shrinkage ratios of more than 3: 1, 5: 1, 8: 1 or 10: 1 can be realized. Depending on the material configuration, the threshold value of the temperature causing the shrinkage may be between 65 ° and 125 °, for example between 80 ° and 110 ° or above 90 °, but in some cases also above or below it.

In addition to a design as described above, the container 1, for example, according to an air cargo container according to the non-prepublished patent application DE 10 2009 046 409.3 be educated.

Preferably, the support linkage formed with the tent poles 3 is made of a thermoplastic which has been stretched as previously described with frozen strains. The production of such a support linkage can be done relatively easily by extrusion, which also corresponds to the production process for stretched thermoplastics. For the tarpaulin 4 or other wall 14, in particular, a textile or polymeric material is used, in which, as in Fig. 1 shown, both from the vertex of the container starting star-shaped and equatorial, ie in the circumferential direction around the container 1, deformation elements 5 are introduced from stretched thermoplastic or glued or sewn onto this. The check valve elements 10 may be designed as check valves, for example made of textile or polymeric material, or as comparable check valves.

If a fire breaks out in the container 1, when the threshold value of the shrinkage temperature of the thermoplastic is exceeded, the return orientation of the thermoplastic in the support frame, in particular the tent poles 3 and the deformation elements 5, is automatically set without additional manual intervention. As a result, the wall 14 is shirred and there is a reduction in the volume in the interior 7. When choosing the thermoplastic is important to ensure that it is as resistant as possible and temperature-resistant material. The threshold of the shrinkage temperature of the thermoplastic used is to be chosen such that it is slightly above the maximum expected during operation of the container 1 temperature.

The container 1 according to the invention may be designed to be maintenance-free. Damage to a wall 14 may have only a small influence on the fire-extinguishing function due to the large number of possible deformation elements 5 or thermoplastic tapes.

According to Fig. 5 finds an adhesive layer 17 insert, which greatly reduces its adhesive force under the action of heat at a temperature in the vicinity of the threshold value of the shrinkage temperature of the deformation elements 5. The wall 14, in particular the tarpaulin 4, can be designed to be very thin, so that a container 1 with a low weight or in the case of the use of the retrofit kit 13 only a small additional weight for the conventional container 12 results. Any additional weight, however, can be saved directly elsewhere, since the use of an additional fire extinguishing system, for example in a cargo hold of an aircraft, may be unnecessary.

Both for the tent-like design of the container 1 according to Fig. 1 and 2 as well as for the retrofit solution with the retrofit kit 13 according to Fig. 3 to 5 can be present in the wall 14 openings for loading and unloading, which are formed for example with zippers, Velcro or other form-flexible compounds and are formed as airtight or with reduced air exchange rate.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Container

2

baseplate

3

tent pole

4

tarpaulin

5

flexure

6

holder

7

inner space

8th

Well

9

Surroundings

10

Check valve member

11

Fluid volume V _D

12

conventional container

13

retrofit kit

14

wall

15

Operating position-altering member

16

wall

17

adhesive layer

Claims (9)

Containers (1), in particular air freight containers or storage containers, with a) an inner space (7) which can be largely closed off from the outside and which is bounded by a wall (14), b) having a first operating position of the wall (14), in which of the wall (14) limited interior space (7) has a volume (V _l1 ), c) a second operating position of the wall (14), in which the space (7) delimited by the wall (14) has a volume (V _l2 <V _l1 ) which is reduced in the first operating position compared with the volume (V _l1 ), d) a check valve element (10), which blocks a flow of fluid from the outside into the interior space (7), but allows a flow of fluid from the interior (7) to the outside, and e) a Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan (15), by means of which in the case of a fire automatically the wall (14) from the first operating position can be converted into the second operating position, whereby combustion-promoting fluid from the interior (7) via the check valve element (10) is ejected to the outside , Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a) the inner space (7) bounding wall (14) is formed with a flexible and not inherently rigid wall material, b) a holding device (6) is provided, via which the wall (14) is held in the first operating position, and c) via the operating position change member (15) in a fire, the holding action of the holding device (6) can be canceled or reduced, which allows the wall (14) assumes the second operating position. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating position change member (15) is formed with an elastic deformation element (5) whose elastic bias is greater when the wall (14) is in the first operating position than when the wall (14) is in the second operating position, and about a relaxation of the elastic deformation element (5) in the interior (7) arranged fluid through the check valve element (10) can be pushed outwards. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (14) can be transferred by the weight of the wall material from the first operating position to the second operating position. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interior (7) is bounded by a wall material formed by a tent-like tarpaulin (tarpaulin 4), which is formed by a holding device (6) formed by tent-like frames (tent poles 3) Specification of the volume (V _l1 ) is clamped in the first operating position. Container (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that in a material of the holding device (6) and / or the elastic deformation element (5) expansions or stresses are frozen, which upon heating of the interior (7) due to a fire be released. Container (1) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the flexible and non-rigid wall material of the wall (14) is formed with a flame retardant textile or polymer material. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall material of the wall (14) has largely fluid-tight closable openings. Retrofit kit (13) for converting a conventional container (12) to a container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims with a) a wall (14) made of a flexible and not inherently rigid wall material, which can be introduced for limiting an inner space (7) in the conventional container (12), b) a check valve element (10), which blocks a flow of fluid from the outside into the space (7) delimited by the wall (14), but a flow of Fluid from the through the wall (14) limited interior space (7) allows outwards, and c) a Betriebsstellungsänderungsorgan (15), by means of which in the case of a fire automatically the wall (14) from the first operating position into the second operating position can be transferred.

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