EP2546169A1

EP2546169A1 - Adjustable sea container

Info

Publication number: EP2546169A1
Application number: EP11752904A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pablo MARTELO MUÑOZ
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-12
Filing date: 2011-03-14
Publication date: 2013-01-16
Also published as: ES2376562A1; WO2011110725A1; ES2376562B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustable sea container provided with means for modifying its dimensions such that the columns (5) of the frame and side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) can be extended from a standard container to a double height or high-cube container; and both the lid (4) and the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) can be opened indistinctly by means of a pivoting articulated attachment (11) with the upper enclosure (2a) on the corresponding edges. The columns (5) comprise two telescopic sections (5a, 5b), a securing means for fixing them in position and an internal hydraulic piston (10). The side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) comprise telescopic sections (6a/7a/8a, 6b/7b/8b), with hydraulic pistons (10) being provided inside the sides (6) and second hydraulic cylinders (16) in correspondence with the articulated attachments (11) which optionally operate the vertical extension of the sections (6a, 6b) forming the side walls (6).

Description

Object of the Invention

As expressed by the title of the present specification, the invention relates to an adjustable sea container, granting several advantages to the function for which it is intended which will be described in detail below, such advantages involving a notable improvement over the current state of the art in the field of application.
More particularly, the object of the invention focuses on a container of the type with standard dimensions essentially used for the sea cargo transport, which allows adjusting to land vehicles with the particularity of having an innovative structural construction which advantageously allows adjusting its dimensions to turn it into a double height container (the type known as "high-cube"), in addition to being able to open it indistinctly by any of its sides and by its upper part or roof, facilitating content loading and unloading tasks, in turn making it a suitably adjustable container for also being applied as a modular construction element for more or less provisional and/or itinerant facilities, such as construction sheds, fair stands, field hospitals, homes, schools, etc.

Field of Application of the Invention

The field of application of the present invention is within the technical sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of sea containers for transporting cargo.

Background of the Invention

Today there are several types of sea land containers in which the opening areas vary depending on the type of load to be transported. So there are containers which simply have a system for opening their back door, and are the most widely used worldwide, referred to as standard or Dry Van containers.
The problem with this type of container is that it can only be loaded from the back part of the container, and they are primarily designed for materials with dimensions that are determined by the pallets on which they are incorporated.
This type of container must be loaded manually, and in most facilities there has to be an expensive infrastructure created specifically to help access them.
Such containers further have many difficulties when loading elements with a certain weight or a certain length, causing a considerable increase in the loading operation and subsequent unloading operation at the destination.
There are also containers referred to as open top containers, their main feature being the opening of the upper part or roof to enable loading materials which stand out because of their length, weight or the combination of both.
These open top containers have a canvas in the upper part to prevent water from leaking in during transport, which proves that their leak-tightness cannot be assured, this being a circumstance that could endanger the integrity of the material to be transported because possible leaks can deteriorate the transported material, which could also increase costs as a result of wrapping the cargo.
There are also platform type containers referred to as flat rack containers consisting of a container which is lacking its two longest side walls and its upper part, being intended for products which, given their type, can only be loaded through the sides, the cargo being exposed to the elements during transport with the subsequent risk of deterioration or theft.
Finally, there is another type of sea containers referred to as high-cube or high capacity containers with the main feature being a greater height and, accordingly, a greater loading capacity with respect to those previously mentioned, each of the aforementioned versions having a version with this larger volume and therefore larger loading capacity feature.
It must further be mentioned that the use of such containers for making short-term or temporary modular construction elements, which lack versatility due to the scarce or zero flexibility or adjustability which conventional containers are built with, is known.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide the market with a container combining the advantages of each container variant and at the same time prevent the drawbacks of each of them by means of developing a new type of adjustable container, i.e., a container which can be opened indistinctly through any of its side or upper faces and which loading capacity can further be increased, being turned into a high-cube type container when needed.
On the other hand, as a reference to the current state of the art it should be pointed out that there are different types of containers in which more than the front and back doors open, among which those described in the following documents, for example, must be mentioned:
PCT patent application W02006020927 relates to a collapsible container and therefore consists of a container the walls of which are articulated in order to collapse it, not to help in loading through any of its faces.
French patent application FR-2837806 describes a container with a roof opening like an accordion basically by means of collapsing two or more sections thereof.
PCT international patent application W00183328 relates to a freight container that only allows opening the upper face and a side linked to it by means of the pivoting of both from a single pivot shaft, so it is rather impractical.
German patent application DE-1930653 relates to a container in which three adjacent faces can be opened together by means of a single pivot shaft.
However, none of the described containers or none of those containers known by the applicant has technical, structural and constitutional features similar to those incorporated in the container herein proposed and the characterizing details of which are included in the final claims attached to the present specification.

Description of the Invention

The adjustable sea container proposed by the present invention is configured as a notable novelty within its field of application because the objectives previously indicated as being ideal are fully and specifically achieved through its implementation.
More specifically, the invention proposes a container of the type known as a sea land container, formed by a metal prismatic body with standard dimensions, and with the particularity of incorporating an electro-hydraulic system which allows opening any of its side faces as well as the upper face, furthermore preparing it so that its height can be increased to that of a high-cube container, such that it has adjustability for being converted into any of the conventional container variants described in the preceding section, said conversion being done quickly and safely because it incorporates several safety systems to assure the correct operation thereof.
The conversion and the systems for opening the proposed container can advantageously be implemented during loading, which prevents having to transport it on land as a high-cube when the container is empty, thereby reducing wind resistance due to the smaller exposed surface, and favoring the increased aerodynamics of the vehicle, with the subsequent fuel saving.
The incorporation of an encoded safety control system for opening the proposed container at the destination is further contemplated, such that said opening can only be done by entering a code which the sender will give to the cargo receiver, thereby assuring that it cannot be handled by third parties or unauthorized persons.
The possibility of incorporating a GPS tracking system in the container which allows the sender to know in real time the exact position of his/her container, as well as certain parameters such as the arrival date, opening time, etc., is likewise and optionally contemplated.
It must finally be mentioned that in addition to the conventional cargo transport application of the proposed container and as a result of the described very adjustable structural configuration that it has, the proposed container is advantageously suitable for being applied, either initially or once recycled after its service life, as a modular construction element for more or less provisional and/or itinerant facilities, such as construction sheds, fair stands, field hospitals, homes, schools, etc.
The described adjustable sea container therefore represents an innovative structure having structural and constitutional features that were unknown until now for such purpose, and this combined with its practical usefulness give it sufficient grounds to obtain the exclusive right that is sought.
Given the morphology and the technical features of opening the walls and dimensional change, said container is an ideal element for being reused in other applications that are not merely cargo transport, such as adjustability for building premises at one or several heights by means of grouping such containers together, for example homes, showrooms, etc. can be made, these applications being obtained by grouping such containers together, forming modular type configurations that can adopt many forms.
Grouping such containers allows obtaining continuous spaces between containers at the same or at different heights through opening its side and/or upper walls.

Description of the Drawings

To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to the present specification as an integral part thereof in which the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

Figures 1 and 2 show respective perspective views of the adjustable sea container object of the invention, depicted, with its standard dimension, fully closed and with all its faces opened, respectively.
Figures 3 and 4 show respective schematic views of the columns and of the side walls, showing the elements that allow them to be extendible to modify the dimensions of the container.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of one of the articulated attachments which allow opening the lid and walls of the container contemplated on the edges of the upper enclosure of the frame of the container.
Figure 6 shows a detail of the joint of the articulated attachments, showing the groove provided for draining out water.
Figures 7 and 8 show respective front elevational views of the container, depicted with its side walls open, respectively, in its two possible dimensions, as a standard container and as a double height container.
Figure 9 shows another side elevational view of a container showing a coupling for enabling the joint pivoting of the upper lid and the side wall sharing its articulated attachment edge.
Figure 10 depicts the modular grouping of the containers for forming a modular practicable assembly.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the mentioned drawings and according to the reference numbers used, said drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.
As seen in said drawings, the container (1) in question consists of a prismatic body with a rectangular base configured from a structural frame defining its edges by means of two rectangular upper (2a) and lower (2b) enclosures which, incorporating the corresponding metal plates, form the base (3) and the lid (4) of the container, and four columns (5) joining the respective vertexes of said enclosures together and incorporating therebetween the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8), which are also metal.
Based on said conventional configuration, the proposed container (1) has the particularity of incorporating means for modifying its dimensions and increasing its loading capacity, for which purpose the columns (5) of the frame are telescopically extendible between two extreme positions: the minimum extension position, with standard container dimensions, and the maximum extension position, with double container height dimensions or high-cube container dimensions.
As shown in Figure 3, this is obtained as a result of the mentioned columns (5) being formed by two telescopic sections (5a, 5b) and the use of at least one securing element, such as a pin (9) or mechanical latch, fixing both positions, having an inner hydraulic piston (10) for lifting them, powered from a hydraulic system provided for such purpose inside the container, and in turn electrically powered by means of an electric connection outside it.
In parallel, to obtain the aforementioned extension of the container dimensions, the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) thereof are configured, as seen in Figure 4, in a manner similar to the columns (5), i.e., they comprise respective telescopically extendible wall sections (6a/7a/8a, 6b/7b/8b), several hydraulic pistons (10) being contemplated at least in the side walls (6), distributed therein.
Continuing with the invention, and considering Figures 2, 7, 8 and 9, it can be seen how both the lid (4) and the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) of the container are prepared so as to be able to be opened indistinctly, for which purpose said walls and lid have an articulated or pivoting attachment (11) with the upper enclosure (2a) on the edges corresponding to each of them which, as seen in Figure 5, comprises a shaft (12) fixed to the upper enclosure (2a) and multiple bushings (13) pertaining to the pivoting walls which, in the case of an edge which one of the side walls (6) shares with the lid (4), the bushings (13) pertaining to said wall (6) and the bushings (13') pertaining to the lid (4) are arranged intercalated with one another.
It must be pointed out that the incorporation of hooks or rings (14) for aiding in coupling and performing the opening mechanically is envisaged for opening the lid (4), optionally being able to open it in combination with the side wall (6) with which it shares an edge being contemplated by means of the joint pivoting of both faces of the container. To that end, the side wall (6) is raised and secured to the lid (4) by means of couplings (15) provided for such purpose, such as that shown in Figure 9, thereby allowing the joint pivoting of both faces.
On the other hand, the incorporation of second hydraulic cylinders (16) arranged in correspondence with the articulated attachments (11) thereof, fixed to both ends thereof and to the columns (5) is contemplated for opening the side walls (6).
These second pistons (16) could optionally replace the pistons (10) provided inside the walls (6) because their operation with the walls are secured, such that they cannot open, will cause the vertical extension of the sections (6a, 6b) forming them.
In any case, like the pistons (10) provided in the columns or inside the walls, these second hydraulic pistons (16) are operated by means of the same hydraulic system inside the container, in turn electrically powered by means of a connection from the outside.
It should also be pointed out that a groove (17) has been provided in the joint in the construction of the articulated attachments (11) of the lid and of the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) to aid water to drain out towards the sides of the attachments, as shown in Figure 6.
It should finally be pointed out that the use of the container as a modular construction element is contemplated, for which purpose the side walls (6) are secured in the open position by means of additional support structures (not depicted).
Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to further explain the invention so that any person skilled in the art will understand its scope and the advantages derived from it, hereby stating that within its essential nature, it can be carried out to practice in other embodiments differing in detail from that indicated by way of example and they will also be granted the protection that is awarded provided that its fundamental principle is not altered, changed or modified.
Figure 10 shows a modular assembly obtained by grouping different containers (1) together and how they can be attached to one another and even stacked to form a home, a showroom, place of leisure, etc.... In this case, attaching one or more stairway assemblies (18) to such containers for going up to the upper attached containers is envisaged.
This is simply a modular grouping of containers to form a usable space, and the potential of these containers for being reused in other applications that go beyond simple cargo transport can be seen.

Claims

Adjustable sea container, of the type consisting of a prismatic body with a rectangular base configured from a structural frame defining its edges by means of two rectangular upper (2a) and lower (2b) enclosures incorporating the base (3) and the lid (4), and four columns (5) joining their vertexes together and incorporating the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8), characterized in that it incorporates means for modifying its dimensions and increasing its loading capacity, such that the columns (5) of the frame and the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) can be extended between two extreme positions: the minimum extension position with standard container dimensions, and the maximum extension position with double container height dimensions or high-cube container dimensions, and in that both the lid (4) and the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) of the container are prepared so as to be able to be opened indistinctly for which purpose they have a pivoting articulated attachment (11) with the upper enclosure (2a) on the edges corresponding to each of them.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that the extendible columns (5) are formed by two telescopic sections (5a, 5b) and have a securing element fixing their two positions, having an inner hydraulic piston (10) for performing said extension, powered from a hydraulic system provided inside the container, electrically powered by means of an external electric connection.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 2, characterized in that the securing element fixing the columns (5) in their two positions is a pin (9) or mechanical latch.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that the side walls (6), front wall (7) and back wall (8) comprise respective telescopically extendible wall sections (6a/7a/8a, 6b/7b/8b).
Adjustable sea container according to claim 4, characterized in that to extend the walls, several hydraulic pistons (10) are contemplated, at least in the side walls (6), distributed therein.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that for opening the lid (4) the incorporation of hooks or rings (14) and/or couplings (15) securing it to the side wall (6) with which it shares an edge is envisaged so that it can be opened in combination with said wall.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that the incorporation of second hydraulic cylinders (16) arranged in correspondence with the articulated attachments (11) thereof, fixed to both ends thereof and to the columns (5), is contemplated for opening the side walls (6).
Adjustable sea container according to claims 1 and 7, characterized in that the second pistons (16) optionally operate the vertical extension of the sections (6a, 6b) forming the side walls (6).
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that additional support structures securing the side walls (6) in the open position are contemplated for using the container as a modular construction element.
Adjustable sea container according to claim 1, characterized in that grouping such containers allows, through opening their side and/or upper walls obtaining continuous spaces between containers at the same or at different heights.