GB2107443A - Container ventilation - Google Patents

Abstract

A wall, especially for a transport container or van body has inner and outer surfaces spaced by the thickness of the wall. The thickness may be by reason of corrugation of sheet material, e.g. steel, or by provision of plane sheet, e.g. aluminium, on spaced uprights, or by use of a laminar 1, 2, 3 such as "G.R.P." or "F.R.P.". A ventilator structure is included within the thickness of the wall so as not to present any projection beyond the inner and outer surfaces. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container ventilation This invention relates to enclosures having walls made of laminate material, and whilst it is in no way restricted to such use the invention is of especial advantage in the construction of the bodywork of standard containers, as used for the bulk transport of goods, and so-called box vans and like vehicles.

Where comparatively large spans of wall area are needed, and are possibly subjected to considerable forces during use, it is of advantage if the provision of reinforcement for the wall span can be avoided, for example by making the wall of an inherently tough but relatively lightweight material capable of being readily worked to a required shape but nevertheless able to resist forces and blows which may be exerted on it during a normal working life, say during loading and unloading of a container, and during transportation.

Such material may be, for example, corrugated steel sheet, or plane aluminium sheet carried on uprights.

Another material which has been found in practice to fulfill these requirements very ably is a liminate of plywood with a layer of glass-fibre at each major surface. This material is well known in the art as Glass-fibre reinforced plywood, or"G.R.P." or "F.R.P." for short.

Some such containers, vans and the like need provision for ventilation, especially in the case of use for transporting hygroscopic loads, and it is of advantage if the ventilation can be adjustable, available at more than one point of the container or van, and perhaps also forced.

It is inherently desirable that any means provided on such wall material shall not give rise to any projection at either the inside surface or the outside surface of the wall. Projections on the inside surface may interface with the goods to be carried, and projections on the outside surface may interfere with stacking, and may risk getting sheared off during handling.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an improved wall, say for a good container or a van body or the like, which includes provision for ventilation in such a manner that there is no projection at the interior or the exterior, and optionally the degree of ventilation can be variable andlor powered.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a wall for a container, a van or the like has inner and outer surfaces spaced transversely by the thickness of the wall, and a ventilator structure included within the thickness of the wall so as not to present any projection beyond the inner and outer surfaces.

The wall may comprise for example corrugated sheeting with the ventilator structure positioned within a corrugation, or a plane sheet carried on uprights, the ventilator structure being positioned on the sheet between adjacent uprights.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a wall for a container, van or the like is composed of a laminate material having an internal layer of a first stiff but resilient material, and covering layers of a second protective material applied to and secured on the external and internal faces of the first layer, the ventilator structure being provided by the wall having the internal layer removed to an extent to provide a path of communication between its internal and external faces, and the covering layers being apertured at positions corresponding to that path of communications.With such an arrangement, provided that the area of removal of the internal layer, and the area of aperturing of the covering layers, is relatively small compared with the overall area of the wall, the reduction of impact or breaking strength of the wall will be reduced to only an extent which may be calculated for and neglected in practice.

The internal and external cover layers are merely apertured, so that no projection is formed on their surface, and the wall has the appearance of a non-ventilated wall except for the provision of the aperturing of the cover layers.

The invention is especially applicable to G.R.P.

material, in which the internal layer is a multiple resin-bonded wood ply, and the covering layers are of glass-reinforced resin.

In a convenient method of providing the aperturing and the path of communication, the cover layers are cut to reveal the inner layer, and the latter is then cut away completely over a desired small area. Then further cover layer material is brought into use to complete the continuity of the cover layers, with suitable joints being made with bonding materials.

The ventilator means, e.g. the aperturing and the internal path of communication, may be applied at more than one position in a same wall.

The aperturing of the sheeting or cover layers is preferably less in total area than the cross-section of the removed portion of the internal layer. By way of example, the aperturing of the sheeting or inner and/outer covering layer may consist of small holes arranged in any convenient pattern, and advantageously the aperturing of one cover layer is offset, along the plane of the wall, relative to the aperturing of the other cover layer.

The ventilator structure may include means for the assistance and/or control of the flow of air through the ventilator. By way of example there may be included, e.g. within the thickness of the internal layer, a bladed fan or the like which may rotate from the effect of passage of air through the ventilator, or may itself be power driven. The fan preferably rotates in a plane substantially parallel to the wall by use of a suitably "flat" electric motor, the fan and its motor may both be incorporated within the thickness of the cut-out in the internal layer, or again the fan may be provided with means for coupling it to an external drive means, for example a power unit which may be temporarily attached to an internal or external surface of the wall, or a shaft or cable drive from a remote power unit. The fan may be carried by bearing means on one or both cover layers.

In the second aspect, in order to compensate for possible loss of strength of the wall, as a result of removal of part of the internal layer and aperturing of the cover layers, there may be provided reinforce ment means positioned between the two cover layers. In a simple form, the reinforcement is a rigid shell, say of steel, inserted on the hollowed out portion of the internal layer and fitting between the cover layers. Preferably the reinforcement is bonded to the cover layers. The reinforcement is itself constructed to provide a path of communication between the aperturing of the respective cover layers. In another form, the reinforcement not only occupies the space created in the internal layer, but also has external cover layers which join to and lie flush with the cover layers of the remainder of the wall.

Preferably, provision is made for adjusting the total exposed area of the aperturing of the or each cover layer. By way of example, there may be provided a shutter mounted on the inner face of the cover layer and slidable or rotatable so as to cover or expose a required number of small apertures in the cover layer.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, several embodiments of ventilator in accordance therewith are hereinafter particu larly described with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a transverse cross-section through a portion of a first embodiment of ventilated wall, with simple unassisted ventilation; Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section through a portion of a second embodiment of ventilated wall, with fan-assisted ventilation; Figure 3 is an elevation viewed in the direction of the arrow "A" in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation viewed in the direction of the arrow "B" in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of the exterior of a corrugated steel container wall to show fitting of the ventilator; Figure 6 is an elevation of the interior of the all of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a schematic plan view of the wall of Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is an elevation of a portion of the exterior of a corrugated aluminium container wall to show fitting of the ventilator; Figure 9 is an elevation of the interior of the wall of Figures; Figure 70 is a schematic plan view of the wall of Figures 8 and 9; Figures 11 - 14 show schematically further ways of fitting the ventilator to a wall.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a portion 1 of a wall composed of an internal layer 2 of resinbonded plywood, an inner cover layer 3 of glassreinforced resin, and an outer cover layer 4 of glass-reinforced resin. The internal layer 2 is cut away by prior removal of a portion of one or both cover layers, say by a routing tool or the like, to provide a cavity 5. The cover layers 3 and 4 are replaced and bonded again by use of bonding material at positions 6,6,6.. and along the side edges (not visible). In the inner cover layer 3 there are provided a number of small apertures 7 forming a communication between the internal space of the container and the cavity 5. In the outer layer 4 there is provided a single opening 8, offset from the apertures 7, providing a communication betwen the cavity 5 and the exterior air.The size of the apertures 7, and/or of the opening 8, and/or of a throat 9, between the cover layer 4 and the inner layer 2, may be varied to provide any required degree of free flow of air through the ventilator.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, there is shown a construction of ventilated wall in which the structure is identical but with the exception that a fan 10 is included within the cavity 5 and rotates about an axis 11, i.e. with its blades rotating in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wall. The fan 10 is carried on an axle 12 which is supported in bearings, 13, on the internal surface of the respective layers 3 and 4. Provision may be made (not shown) for the axle 12 to extend through the inner or outer cover layer, orto receive a drive shaft from an external drive unit or drive shaft or cable from a remote unit.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention baffles may optionally be provided to prevent moisture entering the outer apertures 7, and proceeding through the cavity 5, and the inner opening 8, into the container.

In a still further feature, power-driven ventilation means may be applied internally and/or externally irrespective of the nature of the wall material.

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, there is shown a ventilator 15 fitted in a wall 16 composed of corrugated steel sheet 17 secured between a top rail 18 and a bottom rail 19. The panel 17a in which the ventilator 15 is fitted is, for example, a Decal or stress panel. Another similar ventilator 15a may also be provided at the lower panel of the panel 17a.

Referring to Figures 6, the minor vent holes 20 for the ventilator can be in any desired pattern and arrangement, and the ventilator 15( or 15a) is secured to the panel 17a by, for example Huck, or Audel, or Camtainer pins 21.

As seen in Figure 7, the ventilator 15 or 15a is positioned within a corrugation 22 and thus is not visible when looking along the wall of the container.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 10, there is seen a construction wherein the wall of the container is composed of inner lining sheeting panels 23 carried on uprights or side posts 24 and a top rail 25 and bottom rail 26. The ventilators 15, 15a are mounted on a panel 23 between adjacent uprights 24.

Figure 10 shows how the ventilator lies within a recess 27 between two adjacent uprights 24, and thus isnot visible when viewed along the wall. Again, the ventilator has a pattern of vent holes 28 at the interior, and is mounted by means of Audel pins or Huck bolts 29.

Referring nowto Figures 11 to 14there are shown various ways of fitting a ventilator according to customer requirements.

Figure 11 shows a G.R.P. or F.R.P. wall 30 with internal face 31 and external face 32. The ventilator 33 is fitted by a stepped formation 34 at top and bottom, with the entry vent 35 permitting entry of air as shown by the arrow.

Figure 12 shows an arrangement wherein the ventilator 36 has upper and lower flanges 37 which embrace the G.R.P. or F.R.P. material of the wall and which are secured by Camtainer pins or the like 38.

Air enters the vent and passes through as shown by the arrow.

Figure 13 shows an aluminium wall panel 39 on which the ventilator 40 is secured by Audel pins 41 or the like.

Figure 14 shows a steel pin 42 on which the ventilator 40 is again secured byAudel pins 44 or the like.

Claims (9)

1. Awall, for a container, van or the like, having inner and outer surfaces spaced transversely by the thickness of the wall, and a ventilator structure included within the thickness of the wall so as not to present any projection beyond the inner and outer surfaces.

2. Awall, as claimed in Claim 1, comprising corrugated sheeting with the ventilator structure positioned within a corrugation.

3. Awall, as claimed in Claim 1, comprising a plane sheet carried on uprights, the ventilator structure being positioned on the sheet between adjacent uprights.

4. A wall, as claimed in Claim 1, composed of a laminate material having an internal layer of a first stiff but resilient material, and covering layers of a second protective material applied to and secured on the external and internal faces of the first layer, the ventilator structure being provided by the wall having the internal layer removed to an extent to provide a path of communication between its internal and external faces, and the covering layers being aperture at position corresponding to that path of communication.

5. A wall, as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the internal layer is a multiple resin-bonded wood ply, and the covering layers are of glass-reinforced resin.

6. A wall, as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, having ventilator means at more than one position thereon.

7. Awall, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheeting or a layer has aperturing in the form of a pattern of small holes.

8. A wall, as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the ventilator structure includes means for assistance and/or control of flow of air through the ventilator.

9. A wall, for a container, van or the like, substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1, or Figures 2 to 4, or Figures 5 to 7, or Figures8to 100rFigures 11 or120r130r140fthe accompanying drawings.