EA040449B1 - FOLDABLE INTERMODAL CONTAINER - Google Patents

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a collapsible intermodal container for use in the transport or transport of goods.

State of the art

Intermodal containers, also known as standard ISO containers or sea freight containers, are used to store a wide range of goods for transportation. In general, an intermodal container is a rectangular steel box with doors on both ends to provide access to the interior space in which goods are stored. In addition, the intermodal container includes molded reinforcement at each corner to engage with twistlocks and/or bridge clamps to lock the intermodal container in place or to engage with other intermodal containers when stacked together.

In international trade, there is usually a trade imbalance between the exporting country and the importing country. Typically, intermodal containers are loaded with goods in the exporting country and then transported to the importing country. However, once the intermodal containers arrive at the importing country and the goods are unloaded, the intermodal containers are transported back to the exporting country in an empty state to be reused due to trade imbalances. The transport of empty intermodal containers is highly inefficient and involves significant costs, especially in terms of fuel, handling and storage. In certain circumstances, it may be more cost effective to simply store and/or discard empty intermodal containers in the importing country rather than transport them back for reuse.

In addition, similar imbalances and, therefore, similar disadvantages can occur in internal logistics activities. For example, the transportation of empty intermodal containers to the manufacturer for loading the goods before export.

The task of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or improve one or more of the above drawbacks, or at least provide a useful alternative.

Disclosure of the essence of the invention

Disclosed herein is a collapsible intermodal container comprising first and second opposing sidewalls, wherein the first sidewall extends substantially parallel to the second sidewall and each of the first and second sidewalls has a lower end portion and an upper end portion;

an upper wall pivotally connected to the upper end portion of the first side wall; and a bottom wall hinged to the bottom end of the second side wall, the foldable intermodal container being reconfigurable between a mounted configuration in which the top wall extends from the top end of the first side wall to the top end of the second side wall, and the bottom wall extends from the lower end of the second side wall to the lower end of the first side wall, so that the first and second side walls are located at a first distance from each other to form an internal space for storing goods; and a folded configuration in which the top wall extends downward from the top end portion of the first side wall and the bottom wall extends upward from the bottom end portion of the second side wall such that the first and second side walls are spaced apart from each other by a second distance that is less than the first distance. .

When converting the collapsible intermodal container from a mounted configuration to a folded configuration, the top wall can be rotated, eg by a hinge connection, towards the first side wall, and the bottom wall can be rotated, for example by a hinge connection, towards the second side wall.

In the folded configuration, the top wall may substantially abut and extend substantially parallel to the bottom wall.

In a mounted configuration, the top wall and bottom wall may be spaced apart and the top wall may extend substantially parallel to the bottom wall.

The collapsible intermodal container may further comprise an upper connector, the first end of which is hinged to the upper end of the second side wall, and the second end of which is hinged to the top wall, and may further comprise a lower connector, the first end of which is hinged to the lower end. the first side wall, and the second end of which is pivotally connected to the bottom wall.

When converting the collapsible intermodal container from a mounted configuration to a folded configuration, the upper connecting member may pivot towards the second side wall and the lower rigid member may pivot toward the first side wall.

The collapsible intermodal container may further comprise a plurality of said upper connectors and said lower connectors.

The collapsible intermodal container may further comprise an end assembly for closing the end of the container in the mounted configuration and, if necessary, for providing access to the interior, for example through one or more doors provided in the end assembly, the end assembly being pivotally connected to one of the first and second side walls. so as to be pivotable between a closed position in which the end assembly extends substantially perpendicular to said one of the first and second side walls, and an open position in which the end assembly extends substantially parallel to said one of the first and second side walls and rests against her.

In the mounted configuration, the end assembly in the closed position may be configured to engage with the other of the first and second sidewalls to lock the collapsible intermodal container in the mounted configuration. Each of the first and second side walls may contain a pair of interaction elements, and the end assembly may contain a peripheral rigid frame defining four openings for the corresponding reception of the interaction elements, so that movement between the first and second side walls is essentially limited, and the first and second side walls essentially supported by a peripheral rigid frame. The end assembly may further comprise four cast corners for engagement with twist locks, each cast corner being located on a respective corner of the peripheral rigid frame. The interaction members may suitably abut the cast corners when they are in the holes of the peripheral rigid frame.

The collapsible intermodal container preferably comprises two of said end assemblies, at least one of which has one or more doors for accessing the inside of the container in a mounted configuration. An end assembly of a collapsible intermodal container having one or more doors is also referred to herein as a door assembly. One or more doors (eg, preferably two doors) of the end assembly or door assembly are typically supported in the peripheral rigid frame of the end assembly. An end assembly of a collapsible intermodal container having no door preferably comprises an end wall supported in a peripheral rigid frame.

The first distance may range from 201 to 226 cm. The first distance may be about 221 cm.

The second distance may be in the range of 23 to 98 cm. The second distance may be about 33 cm.

Also disclosed herein is a collapsible intermodal container comprising first and second opposing sidewalls, wherein the first sidewall is coupled to a second sidewall such that the collapsible intermodal container is reconfigurable between a mounted configuration in which the first and second sidewalls are substantially parallel and spaced apart by a first distance to form an internal space for storing goods, and a folded configuration in which the first and second side walls are substantially parallel and spaced apart by a second distance that is less than the first distance; and front and rear end assemblies for closing the front and rear ends of the container and for controlling access to the interior in a mounted configuration, each of the front and rear end assemblies is pivotally connected to the first side wall and is rotatable between a closed position in which the corresponding the end assembly extends substantially perpendicularly from the first side wall, and in an open position in which the corresponding end assembly extends substantially parallel to and abuts the first side wall;

moreover, when the collapsible intermodal container is in the mounted configuration, the front and rear end nodes are configured to interact with the second side wall to secure the first side wall relative to the second side wall in the closed position, and when the collapsible intermodal container is in the folded configuration, the front and rear end assemblies nodes are made with the possibility of interaction with the first side wall and run essentially parallel to the first side wall and adjacent to it in the open position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second side wall comprises upper and lower protruding elements; and top and bottom projecting back elements. The upper and lower forward protruding elements of the second side wall are configured to interact with the front end assembly in the closed position, and the upper and lower protruding backward elements of the second side wall are configured to interact with the rear end assembly in the closed position, so that the second side wall, along at least partially supported by the front and rear end nodes.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the front and rear end nodes contains a peripheral rigid frame. The rigid frame contains the first and second side posts, each of which

- 2 040449 has upper and lower ends; four corner pieces or blocks, respectively, installed at the ends of the first and second side posts; and top and bottom crossbars. The top rail extends from a corner block attached to the top end of the first side post to a corner block attached to the top end of the second side post, and the bottom rail extends from a corner block attached to the bottom end of the first side post to a corner block attached to the bottom end of the second side bar.

Thus, when the upper and lower protruding elements of the second side wall are in engagement with the front end assembly, the upper protruding element is preferably adjacent to the corner block attached to the upper end of the second side post of the front end assembly or the upper cross member of the front end assembly, and the lower the protruding member preferably abuts a corner block attached to the lower end of the second side post of the front end assembly or the lower cross member of the front end assembly. Similarly, when the upper and lower rearward elements of the second side wall are in engagement with the rear end assembly, the upper rearward element preferably abuts a corner block attached to the upper end of the second side post of the rear end assembly or the upper cross member of the rear end assembly, and the lower the rearward projecting member preferably abuts a corner block attached to the lower end of the second side post of the rear end assembly or the lower cross member of the rear end assembly.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collapsible intermodal container comprises a top wall hinged to an upper end portion of one of the first and second side walls; and a bottom wall hinged to the bottom end portion of the other of the first and second side walls. In the mounted configuration, the top wall extends between the upper end portions of the first and second side walls, and the bottom wall extends between the lower end portions of the first and second side walls. In the folded configuration, the upper wall extends downward from the upper end part of said one of the first and second side walls with which it is pivotally connected, and the lower wall extends upward from the lower end part of the other of the first and second side walls with which it is pivotally connected. As already noted above, in the folded configuration, the top wall can be substantially adjacent to and substantially parallel to the bottom wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collapsible intermodal container further comprises at least one lifting system for use in bringing the container into a mounted configuration. Each lifting system includes an elongated, preferably flexible, linear or tensioning element such as a cable, cord, tape or chain or the like, for use in lifting the top wall into an appropriate position when bringing the container into a mounted configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the flexible line or tension member, the lifting system preferably includes a roller mechanism to support the movement of the flexible line or tension member as it is pulled or pulled, and a holding member. One end region of the linear or tension element is fixed or attached to the area of the free edge of the top wall, from which the linear or tension element then passes through or over the roller mechanism to the outside of the other side wall, to which the top wall is not hinged. A retainer is fixed or attached to the opposite end region of the line or tension element to allow the operator to hold and pull the line or tension element through or over the roller mechanism to lift the free edge region of the top wall while bringing the container into the mounted configuration. It should be noted, however, that the linear or tension member of each lift system can also be used to lower the top wall when bringing the container into a collapsed configuration.

The collapsible intermodal container desirably comprises a plurality of lift systems spaced apart along the length of the side wall.

The retaining member may be in the form of a handgrip for applying tension to the line or tension member and/or as a leg support for leg insertion to apply tension to the line or tension member.

The at least one lift system may include a guide or rail attached to the outside of the sidewall to guide the movement of the containment element when bringing the collapsible intermodal container into a mounted configuration. The lift system may further include a bracket attached to the outside of the sidewall, preferably at or near its lower end, to which a retainer may be attached or to which a retainer may be attached when the intermodal container is in a mounted configuration. This may assist in locking or holding the container in the mounted configuration; that is, by securing or attaching the retainer to the bracket when the line or tension member is in the fully extended position with the top wall raised to a substantially horizontal position.

- 3 040449

Brief description of the drawings

In the following, by way of example only, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a collapsible intermodal container in a mounted configuration with end assemblies or door assemblies in a closed position;

fig. 1a is an enlarged view of the corner of the intermodal container shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 1 whose end assemblies or door assemblies are in the open position;

fig. 3 is a plan view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 2;

fig. 4 is a first sectional view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 5 is a second sectional view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 6 is an enlarged front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 2;

fig. 7 is a perspective view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 2 being transferred from a mounted configuration to a folded configuration;

fig. 8 is a plan view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 7;

fig. 9 is an enlarged front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 7;

fig. 10 is a perspective view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 2, in the folded configuration;

fig. 11 is a plan view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 10;

fig. 12 is an enlarged front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 10;

fig. 13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a collapsible intermodal container in a mounted configuration with end assemblies or door assemblies in a closed position;

fig. 14 is an enlarged partial view of the lift system or belt system of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 13;

fig. 15 is an enlarged partial view of the lift system or belt system shown in FIG. 14 when the collapsible intermodal container is in a folded configuration;

fig. 16 is an enlarged partial view of the leg support and bracket of the lift system or belt system shown in FIG. 14;

fig. 17 is a front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 13 whose end assemblies or door assemblies are in the open position;

fig. 18 is an enlarged view of detail A in FIG. 17;

fig. 19 is an enlarged view of detail B in FIG. 17;

fig. 20 is a front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 17 being transferred from a folded configuration to a mounted configuration;

fig. 21 is a front view of the collapsible intermodal container shown in FIG. 17, in a folded configuration;

fig. 22 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a collapsible intermodal container in a mounted configuration with end assemblies or door assemblies moved to the closed position but not yet in the fully closed position;

fig. 23 is an enlarged, more detailed perspective view of the area labeled B of the intermodal container shown in FIG. 22;

fig. 24 is an enlarged, more detailed perspective view of the area labeled C of the intermodal container shown in FIG. 22;

fig. 25 is a perspective view corresponding to that shown in FIG. 23 but in which the end assemblies or door assemblies of the collapsible intermodal container are in the closed position.

Implementation of the invention

In FIG. 1-12 of the accompanying drawings show a first embodiment of a collapsible intermodal container 10. The container 10 includes a right side wall 12 and a left side wall 14. The side walls 12, 14 are opposite and substantially parallel to each other. Each of the side walls 12, 14 is made of a rectangular corrugated steel panel surrounded by a rectangular steel frame. The right side wall 12 is defined by an upper longitudinal end 12a, a lower longitudinal end 12b, a front end 12c, and a rear end 12d. The left side wall 14 is defined by an upper longitudinal end 14a, a lower longitudinal end 14b, a front end 14c, and a rear end 14d.

- 4 040449

As shown in FIG. 4, the right side wall 12 includes a lower flange 12e located at the lower longitudinal end 12b and extending towards the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14. The right side wall 12 further comprises three locking elements 12f located at the upper longitudinal end 12a and evenly spaced apart. between the front end 12c and the rear end 12d. Each of the locking elements 12f is made of a steel channel and extends upward. In addition, the right side wall 12 includes eight pin-like protrusions 12g. Four protrusions 12g are located at the front end 12c and are evenly spaced between the longitudinal ends 12a, 12b. The other four protrusions 12g are located at the rear end 12d and are evenly spaced between the longitudinal ends 12a, 12b. Each of the protrusions 12g extends to the right (ie out). As best shown in FIG. 9, the right side wall 12 further comprises three round steel bars 12h located at the lower longitudinal end 12b and evenly spaced between the front end 12c and the rear end 12d. Each of the rods 12h extends substantially horizontally to the left towards the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14. In addition, the right side wall 12 includes four interaction elements in the form of four steel corner plates 12i. Two corner plates 12i are located at the front end 12c and extend forward. . The other two corner plates 12i are located at the rear end 12d and extend backwards.

The left side wall 14 includes an upper flange 14e located at the upper longitudinal end 14a and extending towards the upper longitudinal end 12a of the right side wall 12. The left side wall 14 further comprises three round steel rods 14f located at the upper longitudinal end 14a and slightly above the upper flange 14e. The rods 14f are evenly spaced between the front end 14c and the rear end 14d. Each of the rods 12h extends substantially horizontally to the right in the direction of the respective locking element 12f and is substantially aligned with it. In addition, the left side wall 14 contains four interaction elements in the form of four steel corner plates 14g. Two corner plates 14g are located at the forward end 14c and extend forward. The other two corner plates 14g are located at the rear end 14d and extend backwards.

The container 10 also includes a top wall 16 located between the right side wall 12 and the left side wall 14. The top wall 16 is made of a rectangular corrugated steel panel. The top wall 16 is defined by a right longitudinal end 16a, a left longitudinal end 16b, a front end 16c, and a rear end 16d. The left longitudinal end 16b is configured to engage with the upper flange 14e of the left side wall 14 for a releasable connection (for example, by means of screws and/or bolts). Top wall 16 includes eight lugs 16e located on the upper surface of top wall 16. Lugs 16e are evenly spaced between front end 16c and rear end 16d, and each lug 16e extends upward from the top surface of top wall 16. As best seen in FIG. 5 and 6, the top wall 16 also includes a right flange 16f located at the right longitudinal end 16a. The right flange 16f is pivotally connected to the upper longitudinal end 12a of the right side wall 12 so that the top wall 16 can be rotated relative to the right side wall 12 by means of a hinge connection. As best seen in FIG. 6, 9 and 12, given that the right longitudinal end 16a of the top wall 16 is adjacent to the upper longitudinal end 12a of the right side wall 12 when the top wall 16 is rotated to a substantially horizontal position, it should be understood that the rotational movement of the top wall 16 is limited to about 90° relative to the right side wall 12.

The container 10 also includes a bottom wall 18 located between the right side wall 12 and the left side wall 14. The bottom wall 18 is made of steel and has a substantially rectangular shape. The bottom wall 18 is defined by a right longitudinal end 18a, a left longitudinal end 18b, a front end 18c, and a rear end 18d. The right longitudinal end 18a is configured to engage with the lower flange 12e of the right side wall 12 for a releasable connection (eg, by means of screws and/or bolts). The bottom wall 18 includes eight lugs 18e located on the bottom surface of the bottom wall 18. The lugs 18e are evenly spaced between the front end 18c and the rear end 18d, and each lug 18e extends downward from the bottom surface of the bottom wall 18.

As best seen in FIG. 4 and 5, in the depicted embodiment, the left longitudinal end 18b comprises a left flange 18f hinged to the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14 such that the bottom wall 18 can pivot relative to the left side wall 14 by means of a hinge connection. As best seen in FIG. 6, 9 and 12, given that the left longitudinal end 18b of the bottom wall 18 is adjacent to the bottom longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14 when the bottom wall 18 is rotated to a substantially horizontal position, it should be understood that the rotational movement of the bottom wall 18 is limited to about 90° relative to the left side wall 14.

The container 10 further comprises eight upper connectors 20 and eight lower connectors 22. Each of the upper and lower connectors 20, 22 is elongated and made of steel. Each top connector 20 has a first end 20a articulated with the top flange 14e and a second end 20b articulated

- 5 040449 connected with a corresponding lug 16e of the upper wall 16, so that the upper connecting elements 20 can be rotated relative to the left side wall 14. Each lower connecting element 22 has a first end 22a hinged to the bottom flange 12e and a second end 22b hinged with a corresponding lug 18e of the bottom wall 18 so that the bottom connectors 22 can be rotated with respect to the right side wall 12.

The container 10 further comprises a front end assembly 24 and a rear end assembly 26, wherein the front and rear end assemblies 24, 26 are configured to close the front and rear ends of the container 10 in a mounted configuration and to control access to the interior of the container 10. In this embodiment, embodiment of the invention, the end assemblies 24, 26 comprise door panels to provide access to the interior of the container 10 in a mounted configuration. Accordingly, the front and rear end assemblies 24, 26 are also referred to herein as front and rear door assemblies 24, 26. The end assembly of a collapsible intermodal container 10 having no door typically simply comprises an end wall supported in a peripheral rigid frame.

Front door assembly 24 includes a rectangular peripheral rigid frame made of steel and forming a doorway. The rigid frame of the front door assembly 24 includes a right post 24a, a left post 24b, a top rail 24c, and a bottom rail 24d. At each corner of the rigid frame of the front door assembly 24 is a molded corner 25 for engagement with twist locks and/or bridge clamps. In the illustrated embodiment, the left post 24b is hinged to the front end 14c of the left side wall 14 so that the front door assembly 24 can pivot relative to the left side wall 14. In particular, the front door assembly 24 can pivot between a closed position in which the front door assembly assembly 24 extends substantially perpendicular from left side wall 14 (see FIG. 1), and an open position in which front door assembly 24 extends substantially parallel to and abuts left side wall 14 (see FIG. 2). The front door assembly 24 also includes a right door panel 24e hinged to the right pillar 24a and a left door panel 24f hinged to the left pillar 24b so that the door panels 24e, 24f can open and close the doorway in a manner similar to French doors.

As shown in FIG. 1 and 1a, the front door assembly 24 also includes a hinged member 24g in the form of an elongated flat steel piece. The flap 24g is pivotally connected to the right post 24a along one of its longitudinal sides so that the flap 24g can be rotated relative to the right post 24a. The hinged element 24g contains four holes 24h, evenly spaced along its length, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding protrusion 12g, made at the front end 12c, for detachable connection of the right pillar 24a of the front door assembly 24 with the front end 12c of the right side wall 12. The front door assembly 24 also includes four corner brackets 24z located at each corner. As best seen in FIG. 1a, each corner bracket 24z defines a slidable receiving opening for a respective corner plate 12i, 14g provided at the front end 12c, 14c so that the respective corner plate 12i, 14g abuts the adjacent corner 25 upon receiving.

Given that in this depicted embodiment, front door assembly 24 and rear door assembly 26 are essentially the same, only the front door assembly 24 has been described in detail above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that rear door assembly 26 operates in essentially the same manner. and contains components essentially identical to those described above. It should be noted, however, that in the rear door assembly 26, the left pillar is hinged to the rear end 14d of the left side wall 14, and the rear door assembly's hinged openings 26 are configured to appropriately receive protrusions 12g provided at the rear end 12d to releasably connect the right pillar. of the rear door assembly 26 with the rear end 12d of the right side wall 12. In addition, in the rear door assembly 26, the openings formed by the corner brackets are configured to appropriately receive the corner plates 12i, 14g provided at the rear ends 12d, 14d.

The container 10 is configurable between a mounted configuration and a collapsed configuration.

As best shown in FIG. 1-6, in the mounted configuration, the top wall 16 extends from the upper longitudinal end 12a of the right side wall 12 to the upper longitudinal end 14a of the left side wall 14 such that the top wall 16 is substantially perpendicular to the right and left side walls 12, 14. Left longitudinal the end 16b abuts the upper flange 14e of the left side wall 14 and interacts with it. The top connecting elements 20 are located above the top wall 16.

Furthermore, in the mounted configuration, the bottom wall 18 extends from the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14 to the lower longitudinal end 12b of the right side wall 12 such that the bottom wall 18 is substantially perpendicular to the right and left side walls 12, 14. Right longitudinal end 18a is adjacent to the lower flange 12e of the right side wall 12 and interacts with it. The lower connecting elements 22 are located under the bottom wall 18.

- 6 040449

In the mounted configuration, top wall 16 is spaced and parallel to bottom wall 18 such that the inside surface of top wall 16 is generally parallel to the inside surface of bottom wall 18. Accordingly, as best shown in FIG. 6, the right side wall 12 and the left side wall 14 are spaced apart from each other by a first normal distance D1 of about 221 cm to form an interior space 28 for storing goods. The first normal distance D1 (ie the width of the interior space 28) corresponds to the requirements of the International Standard Organization (ISO) for standardized intermodal containers.

It should be noted that in other embodiments of the invention, the first normal distance D1 may be from 201 to 226 cm.

As shown in FIG. 1 and 1a, when the container 10 is in a mounted configuration, the door assemblies 24, 26 are in a closed position in which the rigid frame of the front door assembly 24 is adjacent to the front ends 12c, 14c, 16c, 18c and the rigid frame of the rear door assembly 26 is adjacent to the rear ends 12d, 14d, 16d, 18d, closing the interior space 28. In addition, the openings of the hinged members of the door assemblies 24, 26 receive corresponding protrusions 12g for releasable connection. It should be noted that once positioned in the holes, the protrusions 12g may be attached to the hinged members of the door assemblies 24, 26 by bolting or otherwise. Moreover, the openings formed by the corner brackets of the door assemblies 24, 26 receive the corner plates 12i, 14g so that the corner plates 12i, 14g abut their respective adjacent molded corners 25. This positions the front and rear door assemblies 24, 26 relative to the side walls 12 , 14 in a mounted configuration and ensures that the walls 12, 14, 16, 18 are supported by the rigid frames of the door assemblies 24, 26, so that the weight of the walls 12, 14, 16, 18 is transferred to the door assemblies 24, 26. In addition, this provides the possibility of locking container 10 rigid frames of door assemblies 24, 26 in the mounted position by limiting movement between the right and left side walls 12, 14 and the ability to give the container sufficient structural strength and rigidity in the mounted configuration. In the depicted embodiment of the invention, the structural strength of the container 10 in the mounted configuration meets the ISO requirements for standardized intermodal containers. It should be noted that access to the interior 28 can be controlled by opening and closing the door panels of each door assembly 24, 26.

To transfer the container 10 from the mounted configuration to the folded configuration, the protrusions 12g are removed from the openings of the hinged elements of the door assemblies 24, 26 by turning the hinged elements of the door assemblies 24, 26 away from the right wall 12. Then, the corner plates 12i, 14g are removed by sliding from the holes, formed by the brackets of the door assemblies 24, 26, when the door assemblies 24, 26 are rotated to the open positions (see Fig. 2, 3 and 6). Thereafter, when the container 10 is transferred from the mounted configuration to the folded configuration (see FIGS. 7-9), the top wall 16 rotates towards the right side wall 12, and the bottom wall 18 rotates towards the left side wall 14. Therefore, the upper connecting elements 20 rotate towards the left side wall 14, and the lower connectors 22 rotate towards the right side wall 12. These rotations allow the right side wall 12 to move closer to the left side wall 14. 16 still remains substantially parallel to bottom wall 18, as best shown in FIG. 9.

As best shown in FIG. 10-12, after the steel bars 14f abut the stop members 12f and the steel bars 12h abut the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14, the right side wall 12 cannot move further towards the left side wall 14, and the container 10 is in a folded configuration. In this configuration, the top wall 16 extends downward from the upper longitudinal end 12a of the right side wall 12. The top connectors 20 extend downward from the top flange 14e and are located between the left side wall 14 and the top wall 16. In addition, in the folded configuration, the bottom wall 18 extends upward from the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14. The lower connectors 22 extend upward from the lower flange 12e of the right side wall 12 and are located between the right side wall 12 and the bottom wall 18.

In the folded configuration, the top wall 16 is adjacent to or adjacent to the bottom wall 18. Top wall 16 extends substantially parallel to bottom wall 18 such that the inside surface of top wall 16 is substantially parallel to the inside surface of bottom wall 18.

Accordingly, the right side wall 12 and the left side wall 14 are spaced apart from each other by a second normal distance D2 of about 33 cm, which is less than the first normal distance D1.

It should be noted that in other embodiments of the invention, the second normal distance D2 may be from 23 to 98 cm.

- 7 040449

In the exemplary method, the container 10 is moved from a mounted configuration to a collapsed configuration by manually moving the door assemblies 24, 26 to the open positions. Then, the right wall 12 is fixed relative to the fixed structure, and the left wall 14 is moved towards the right wall 12 by an actuator such as a hydraulic actuator until the steel bars 14f abut against the locking members 12f and the steel bars 12h abut against the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left side wall 14. To reverse the process (i.e. transfer the container 10 from the folded configuration to the mounted configuration), the right wall 12 is again attached to the fixed structure and the left wall 14 is moved from the right wall 12 by means of an actuator to as long as the connecting elements 20, 22 do not prevent further movement of the left wall 14.

In accordance with the depicted embodiment of the invention, the container 10 in the mounted configuration meets the technical requirements of ISO, in particular ISO 14961:2013 - series 1 cargo containers, and therefore can be easily used with existing transport infrastructure. In addition, when the container 10 is moved from a mounted configuration to a collapsed configuration, its width can be significantly reduced. This allows more empty containers 10 to be transported in one delivery than standard intermodal containers. In addition, this allows more containers 10 to be stored in a given area compared to standard containers. Moreover, container 10 can be easily transferred between a mounted configuration and a collapsed configuration without the need for assembly and/or removal of parts.

In FIG. 13-21 of the accompanying drawings show a second embodiment of a collapsible intermodal container 10'. Elements of the collapsible intermodal container 10' that are substantially identical or similar to the elements of the collapsible intermodal container 10 have the same reference numerals.

The collapsible intermodal container 10' is substantially identical to the collapsible intermodal container 10. However, as best seen in FIG. 13, the collapsible intermodal container 10' further comprises four lifting systems 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d for use in bringing the container into a mounted configuration. Each of the lifting systems 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d includes an elongated flexible band 32 for use during lifting the top wall 16 into the appropriate position while bringing the container 10' into the mounted configuration. For this reason, the lifting systems 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are also referred to herein as belt systems 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and one of these belt systems 30a is described in more detail below.

The tape system 30a comprises a tape 32, one end 34 of which is attached to the left longitudinal end 16b of the top wall 16 (see FIG. 18) and the other end 36 of which is attached to the leg support 38 (see FIG. 19). The leg support 38 is in the form of a steel frame comprising a protrusion portion 40 and an opening 42. The belt system 30a further comprises a roller mechanism 44 comprising a body 46 attached to the upper longitudinal end 14a and a pair of opposing rollers 48, 50 rotatably attached. to the housing 46, so that the roller 48 is located on the outside of the left wall 14, and the roller 50 is located on the inside of the left wall 14. The tape 32 is threaded through the housing 46 of the roller mechanism 44 and interacts with the rollers 48, 50 in such a way that the movement up or down one of the ends 34, 36 of the belt 32 results in an opposite movement at the other end 34, 36. The belt system 30a also includes a bracket 52 attached to the outside of the left wall 14 at or near the lower longitudinal end 14b. The bracket 52 includes a pair of protrusions 53. Each of the protrusions 53 includes an upwardly extending recess for receiving a portion of the leg support 38 for connection thereto. The belt system 30a also includes a pair of guides 54 attached to the outer surface of the left wall 14. The guides 54 extend from the upper longitudinal end 14a to the bracket 52. Each guide 54 defines a channel that receives a portion of the leg support 38 so that the leg support 38 can slide up and down along the guides 54. It should be noted, however, that the guides 54 limit the movement of the leg support 38 laterally.

In FIG. 15 and 21 show the container 10' in a collapsed configuration. Since, in this configuration, the left longitudinal end 16b of the top wall 16 is located in the direction of the lower longitudinal end 14b of the left wall 14, the band 32 causes the leg support 38 to be located near the upper longitudinal end 14a of the left wall 14.

To bring the container 10' into the mounted configuration, the user slides the leg support 38 down along the guides 54. This causes the band 32 to pull the left longitudinal end 16b upward, as best seen in FIG. 20. When the legrest 38 is near the bracket 52, the user can stand on the protrusion portion 40 of the legrest 38 to bring the container 10' into the mounted configuration. Then, as best seen in FIG. 13, 14 and 16-19, the leg support 38 is controlled so that a pair of protrusions 53 pass through the opening 42 of the leg support 38 so that the notches of the protrusions 53 receive portions of the leg support 38. This effectively locks the container 10' in the mounted configuration.

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It should be noted that in order to unlock the container 10' from the mounted configuration, the user stands on the protrusion portion 40 of the leg support 3 8 to move the leg support portions 3 8 out of the recesses of the protrusions 53. The user then controls the leg support 38 so as to withdraw the protruding elements 53 from opening 42 and release the leg support 38 to move it upwards along the guides 54. This will bring the container 10' into the folded configuration.

Given that in this depicted embodiment, the belt systems 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are substantially identical, only the belt system 30a has been described in detail above. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other belt systems 30b, 30c, 30d operate in substantially the same manner and contain substantially identical components to those described above in connection with belt system 30a.

In FIG. 22-25 of the accompanying drawings show a third embodiment of the collapsible intermodal container 10. Elements of the collapsible intermodal container 10 that are substantially identical or similar to those of the collapsible intermodal container 10, 10' of the first and second embodiments have the same reference numbers and are not described in detail.

As seen in FIG. 22 and 23, this third embodiment of the collapsible intermodal container 10 differs with respect to the locking mechanism for positioning and locking the front and rear door assemblies 24, 26 in the closed position when the collapsible intermodal container 10 is brought into the mounted configuration. In this embodiment, instead of a locking mechanism comprising a hinged element 24g hinged to the right post 24a of the front door assembly 24, the openings 24h of which are configured to receive corresponding protrusions 12g made at the front end 12c of the right side wall 12, the container comprises a locking mechanism , comprising two locking levers 24i attached to the front end 12c of the right side wall 12 spaced apart as the upper and lower locking levers 24i. Each locking lever 24i includes a handle 24j configured to extend a latch 24k to engage a shackle 24m attached to the post 24a of the front door assembly 24 and aligned with the latch 24k. Handle 24j is also configured to retract latch 24k in engagement with yoke 24m to bring front door assembly 24 to a closed position. The inside of the door frame members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d may include a flexible seal or liner such as a rubber bolster to cushion and seal the front door assembly 24 against the front ends of the walls 12, 14, 16, 18 in the closed position shown in FIG. . 25.

From FIG. 24 it is clear that the rear door assembly 26 also comprises a locking mechanism with two locking arms 26i attached to the rear end 12d of the side wall 12 spaced apart as upper and lower locking arms 26i Again, each locking arm 26i includes a handle 26j formed with latch 26k extendable to engage with latch 26m attached to post 26a of rear door assembly 26 and aligned with latch 26k. Handle 26j is configured to retract latch 26k in engagement with yoke 26m to bring rear door assembly 26 into a closed position.

As shown in FIG. 23 and 24, the intermodal container 10 proposed in accordance with this embodiment contains interaction elements made in the form of forward and backward corner blocks 12j having a conical end surface 12k to mate with the mating corner elements 24n, 26n of the front and rear door assemblies. respectively. Thus, the respective corner blocks 12j cooperate with the corner elements 24n, 26n to correctly position the door assemblies 24, 26 relative to the side wall 12 when the door assemblies 24, 26 are moved to the closed position. Moreover, the corner blocks 12j abut adjacent cast corners 25 and allow the walls 12, 14, 16, 18 to be at least partially supported by the rigid frames of the door assemblies 24, 26. Thus, the weight of the walls 12, 14, 16, 18 is partially transferred to the door assemblies 24, 26. Therefore, the corner blocks 12j and the corner members 24n, 26n replace the corner plates 12i, 14g and brackets 24z, 26z of the first embodiment. In this case, the forward and backward protruding corner blocks 12j comprise a steel pin 12p movably held within a hole made in these blocks 12j. When each door assembly 24, 26 is in the closed position, the pin 12p can be driven (for example, with a hammer) into the block 12j to enter the corresponding hole 25o made in the molded corner 25. Accordingly, in addition to the locking levers 24i, 26i, the pins 12p fix and lock the front and rear door assemblies 24, 26 in their closed positions.

While the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied in many other forms, and various alternative and/or equivalent embodiments exist. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the invention are examples only and are not intended to limit in any way the scope, applicability or configuration. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description provides those skilled in the art with a convenient course of action for implementing at least one exemplary

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Claims (15)

embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made to the function and layout of the elements described in the exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this document is intended to cover any adaptations or variances of the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. In addition, it is to be understood that, as used herein, the terms contains, comprising, includes, including, contains, contains, has, having, and any variations thereof should be understood in an inclusive (i.e., non-exclusive) sense, such that any process the method, apparatus, apparatus, or system described herein is not limited to the listed features, or details, or elements, or steps, but may include other features, features, details, or steps not explicitly listed or inherent such a process, method, product or device. In addition, as used in the present description, the terms in the singular should be understood as meaning one or more, unless expressly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms first, second, third, etc. are used only as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or to establish a specific ranking of the importance of their objects. In addition, it should be noted that terms such as top, bottom, horizontal and horizontal, as used in the present description, should be understood in relation to the normal orientation or orientation when using the invention and interpreted in this context. CLAIM 1. A collapsible intermodal container comprising first and second opposing sidewalls, wherein the first sidewall is coupled to a second sidewall such that the collapsible intermodal container is reconfigurable between a mounted configuration in which the first and second sidewalls are substantially parallel and spaced apart. from each other by a first distance to form an interior space for storing goods, and a folded configuration in which the first and second side walls are substantially parallel and spaced from each other by a second distance that is less than the first distance; and front and rear end assemblies for closing the front and rear ends of the container and for controlling access to the interior in a mounted configuration, each of the front and rear end assemblies comprising a molded corner, hinged to the first side wall and rotatable between a closed position , in which the corresponding end assembly extends substantially perpendicular from the first side wall so that the molded corner is adjacent to the top wall and to one of the first side wall and the second side wall, and an open position in which the corresponding end assembly extends essentially parallel to the first side wall wall and adjacent to it so that the molded corner is adjacent to the outer side of the side wall to which the corresponding door assembly is attached; moreover, when the collapsible intermodal container is in a folded configuration, the front and rear end assemblies are configured to be connected to the second side wall to secure the first side wall relative to the second side wall in the closed position, and when the collapsible intermodal container is in the folded configuration, the front and rear end assemblies the nodes extend substantially parallel to and abut against the first side wall in an open position. 2. Collapsible intermodal container according to claim 1, in which the second side wall contains the upper and lower protruding forward elements; and upper and lower rearward protruding elements, wherein the upper and lower forward protruding elements of the second side wall are configured to be connected to the front end assembly in the closed position, and the upper and lower rearward protruding elements of the second side wall are configured to be connected to the rear end assembly in the closed position. position such that the second side wall is at least partially supported by the front and rear end assemblies. 3. Collapsible intermodal container according to claim 2, in which each of the front and rear end nodes contains a peripheral rigid frame containing the first and second side racks, each of which has an upper and lower ends; four corner pieces, respectively, installed at the ends of the first and second side posts; and a top and bottom rail, the top rail extending from a corner attached to the top end of the first side post to a corner attached to the top end of the second side post, and the bottom rail extending from the corner attached to the bottom end of the first side post, to the corner portion attached to the lower end of the second side post. 4. Collapsible intermodal container according to claim 3, in which, when connecting the upper and lower - 10 040449 stepping forward elements of the second side wall with a front end assembly, the upper protruding forward element is adjacent to the corner part attached to the upper end of the second side post of the front end assembly or the upper cross member of the front end assembly, and the lower protruding forward element is adjacent to the corner part attached to the lower end of the second side post of the front end assembly or the lower cross member of the front end assembly. 5. The collapsible intermodal container according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when the top and bottom projecting back elements of the second side wall are connected to the rear end assembly, the upper projecting rear element is adjacent to the corner portion attached to the upper end of the second side post of the rear end assembly or the top the cross member of the rear end assembly, and the lower protruding back element is adjacent to the corner part attached to the lower end of the second side post of the rear end assembly or the lower cross member of the rear end assembly. 6. The collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an upper wall hinged to the upper end of one of the first and second side walls and a bottom wall hinged to the lower end of the other of the first and second side walls ; moreover, in the mounted configuration, the upper wall extends between the upper end portions of the first and second side walls, and the lower wall extends between the lower end portions of the first and second side walls, and in the folded configuration, the upper wall extends downward from the upper end portion of said one of the first and second side walls. walls to which it is pivotally connected, and the bottom wall extends upward from the lower end portion of the other of the first and second side walls to which it is pivotally connected. 7. Collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first distance is between 201 and 226 cm. 8. The collapsible intermodal container according to claim 7, wherein the first distance is about 221 cm. 9. Collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second distance is between 23 and 98 cm. 10. The collapsible intermodal container of claim 9, wherein the second distance is about 33 cm. 11. A collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising one or more lifting systems for use in bringing the container into a mounted configuration, each lifting system comprising an elongated linear or tension element for use in lifting the top wall during bringing the container to the mounted configuration. 12. The collapsible intermodal container of claim 11, wherein each lift system further comprises a roller mechanism to support movement of the flexible line or tension member as it is pulled or pulled, and a retention member to allow an operator to hold the elongated line or tension member, with one end an area of the elongated line or tension element is fixed or attached to the area of the free edge of the top wall, from which the elongated line or tension element passes through or over the roller mechanism to the outside of the other side wall, and the retaining element is attached to the opposite end region of the elongated line or tension element to allow the operator to hold and pull the elongated line or tension member through or over the roller mechanism to lift the free edge area of the top wall when bringing the container into the mounted config guration. 13. The collapsible intermodal container of claim 12, wherein each lift system includes a guide or rail attached to the outside of the sidewall to guide movement of the retaining element when bringing the collapsible intermodal container into a mounted configuration. 14. A collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 11 to 13, comprising a plurality of lifting systems spaced apart along the length of the side wall. 15. A collapsible intermodal container according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein each lifting system comprises a bracket attached to the outer side of the side wall, preferably at or near its lower end, to which is attached or to which the retaining element is fixed when located. intermodal container in a mounted configuration. -