EP1528012B1 - Air cargo container. - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (C1) has a rigid framework with a lower frame assembled to a support base (1). An upper roof frame of the framework is mounted on the lower frame by an assembling unit. The assembling unit permits movement of the upper frame between a lowered position and a raised position in which the frame is partially separated away from the base to facilitate loading and unloading of the container through an open side of the container.

Description

The present invention relates to a freight container. The invention relates more particularly to a cargo container for air transport, particularly for the transport of mail. Such a container is described in the document US Patent 5377856 .

The air transport of mail is carried out conventionally in bags or in stackable bins or boxes placed in containers, commonly called igloos. Such containers comprise a support base defining the floor of the container and on which is mounted a rigid frame formed of aluminum profiles and defining the lateral sides and the roof of the container. The container comprises an open side, reclosable by a tarpaulin held by straps, the other three sides and the roof being closed by rigid panels of aluminum or plastic fixed to the frame. The support base is conventionally formed of an aircraft pallet of standardized dimensions. In addition, the dimensions of the frame must conform to those of the aircraft cabin, the height of the igloos being generally of the order of 1.50 meters.

For the loading and unloading of mail by the open side, especially in the case of stackable boxes that will eventually replace the bags, it is necessary that a person enters the container. Because of the size of the containers, the handling of the mail in the containers is difficult and in positions that are not very ergonomic. Moreover, in the field of air freight, the There is little time for staff to load / unload the containers, and the dimensions of the container do not facilitate the speed of these operations.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a container to improve the working conditions of the staff responsible for loading / unloading containers, allowing in particular to perform the loading and unloading in conditions of speed and ergonomics acceptable , while taking into account the dimensions imposed by air transport and increase the ferry load.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a freight container comprising a support base on which a rigid reinforcement is mounted, characterized in that the said rigid reinforcement comprises a lower frame, assembled to the support base, which defines the lateral sides. of the container, and an upper roof frame movably mounted on the lower frame by means of assembly adapted to allow movement of said upper roof frame between a low position and a raised position in which said frame deviates at least partially from the support base for facilitating the loading and unloading of the container by at least one openable side of the container.

According to the invention, the container comprises a lifting roof frame so that, in its raised position, a person can stand in the container, at least on a part of the base support. Such a liftable roof frame allows easier and faster handling of bags or boxes in more ergonomic positions. It has been established that the container according to the invention allows a time saving of the order of 10% for its filling. Furthermore, the liftable roof frame ensures optimal filling of the total internal volume of the container, which can in particular to gain a stacking step in the case of boxes.

According to one feature, the roof frame is formed of a frame, said connecting means connecting two opposite sections of said frame to said lower frame.

In a first embodiment, the assembly means are such that said roof frame is moved in translation between its lowered position and its raised position. The assembly means are able to move said frame so that the lowered and raised positions of the frame are parallel, advantageously, said frame is substantially parallel to the support base in its two positions.

In a second embodiment, the assembly means are able to move said frame between its two positions by a rotational movement about an axis substantially parallel to the support base, so that, advantageously, said frame is inclined by relative to the support base in its raised position.

According to another feature, the support base has a generally rectangular shape, the lower frame comprises four corner posts fixed on the support base, connected in pairs by at least one bar rigid, and the frame comprises two longitudinal sections connected at the end by two lateral sections, the assembly means connecting the side sections to said rigid bars.

In the first embodiment, each lateral profile can then be connected to a rigid bar by two pivotally mounted arms by a first end to said lateral section and pivotally mounted by their second end on said bar at a distance from the corner posts, at least two arms arranged on the side of the same longitudinal section being pivotally mounted on a shoe mounted to move in translation on an assembled slide on the rigid bar. According to a particular embodiment, only two arms are slidably mounted on upper bar, the two other arms being pivotally mounted on the upper bar by a fixed hinge so that, between its two positions, the roof frame moves in translation perpendicularly. and parallel to the support base, the roof frame being offset laterally above the support base in its raised position.

In the second embodiment, each lateral section can be connected to an upper bar of the lower frame by an arm pivotally mounted by a first end on the lateral section near a first longitudinal section, and is pivotally mounted by its second end. on the bar mounted movably in translation on an assembled slide on the rigid bar, away from the corner posts, and by a hinge fixed near the second longitudinal section.

Advantageously, the freight container comprises elastic means, such as pneumatic cylinders for example, able to elastically move the upper roof frame to its raised position, and locking means of the upper frame in its closed down position.

According to another particularity, each pair of corner posts connected by a rigid bar carries a rigid wall, said container comprising two opposite sides defined by the pairs of unbound corner posts, the roof frame and the two working sides. being coated with a flexible wall held by a net formed of a network of transverse and longitudinal straps.

According to another feature, the container comprises an inner partition wall, substantially parallel to the lateral sides open, preferably slidably mounted between the two rigid walls.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed explanatory description of two presently preferred particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the attached schematic drawing. .

• la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective d'un conteneur de fret aérien en position fermée selon un premier mode de réalisation ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue en perspective du conteneur de la figure 1 en position ouverte et toit relevé ;
• la figure 3 représente une vue de côté du conteneur de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 représente le conteneur de la figure 2, en l'absence du filet et de la bâche, illustrant l'armature rigide du conteneur avec le châssis de toit dans sa position relevée ; et,
• la figure 5 représente une vue en perspective d'un conteneur selon un deuxième mode de réalisation, en l'absence du filet et de la bâche.

On this drawing :

• FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an air cargo container in the closed position according to a first embodiment;
• Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in the open position and roof raised;
• Figure 3 shows a side view of the container of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 shows the container of Figure 2, in the absence of the net and the sheet, illustrating the rigid frame of the container with the roof frame in its raised position; and,
• Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment, in the absence of the net and the cover.

Figures 1 to 4 show a container according to a first embodiment of the invention, intended in particular for the air transport of mail in bags and / or boxes. The container C1 comprises a support base 1, a metal frame comprising a lower frame 3, carrying two opposite rigid walls 5, and an upper roof frame 4.

The support base 1, which defines the floor of the container C1, is formed in a known manner from a standard aircraft pallet consisting of a rectangular aluminum plate provided along its longitudinal and transverse edges 12 of a rail (not shown ) for fixing a net 10 for holding the sheet, by means of a pin system, as described below.

As illustrated in particular in Figure 4, the frame comprises a lower frame 3 comprising four corner posts 31-34 defining the lateral and longitudinal sides of the container C. The two so-called front corner posts referenced 31 and 32 , define a front longitudinal side, the other two so-called rear corner posts referenced 33 and 34, defining a rear longitudinal side. The corner posts are fixed vertically to the four corners of the support base by means of brackets 35, 36. A first bracket 35 formed of an L-shaped section is attached along each transverse edge 12 of the support base 1 by a first wing. The two uprights (31, 33) and (32, 34) of the same lateral side are fixed on the second wing of a first bracket 35. The attachment of each corner post to the support base is completed by a second L-shaped bracket 36 fixed to the support base 1 and to the face of the post opposed to the first bracket 35.

The lateral sides are closed by rigid walls formed by side panels 5 fixed between two corner posts and along the second wing of the brackets 36. Each side panel comprises a plate 51, for example of composite plastic material, assembled by riveting to a metal frame formed of a lower bar 52 and an upper bar 53 interconnected by two vertical central bars 54. The upper and lower bars are welded to the corresponding corner posts, namely a corner post front and a rear corner post, parallel to the support base.

The rigid frame further comprises an upper roof frame 4 comprising a frame 40 formed of two longitudinal sections 41 connected at the end by two lateral sections 42. The longitudinal sections have a central portion 41a extending by end portions 41b inclined down by relative to the central portion. The frame is stiffened by a central longitudinal section 43, of the same shape as the longitudinal profiles of the frame, connecting the two lateral sections 42. The longitudinal profiles of the frame are connected to the central longitudinal section at their central portions by a set of transverse spacers 44.

The roof frame, the corner posts and the various bars of the lower frame may consist of aluminum profiles, for example of rectangular section, or aluminum tubes.

The assembly means 6 of the roof frame on the lower frame comprises four arms 61-64 pivotally mounted by a first end at the four corners of the frame 40, and by their second end on the upper bar 53 of the rigid panels. The arms are arranged transversely and pivot about axes of rotation arranged longitudinally, parallel to the support base.

The two arms 61, 62, said front, arranged on the front longitudinal side, are each pivotally mounted on a shoe 65 which is mounted to move in translation on a linear guide slide 66 assembled on the upper bar of a rigid panel. The other two arms 63, 64, said rear, the rear longitudinal side, are pivotally mounted by a hinge 67 fixedly mounted on the upper bar of the panels. As described below, the front and rear pivoting arms allow the roof frame to move between a raised position as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and a low position, as illustrated in FIG.

A pneumatic cylinder 68 is associated with each arm to resiliently bias the roof frame to its raised position. Each piston is pivotally assembled to a corner post by its cylinder and the end of the piston rod is pivotally assembled to a lateral frame section 42 near a corner of the frame.

Locking means 7 are provided to keep the roof frame in its low position. In this embodiment, these locking means comprise a projecting stud 71 on each corner post adapted to be inserted into the orifice of a tongue 72 fixed at one end to the corresponding inclined portion of the frame. The free end of the tongue is advantageously provided with a loop 73 to facilitate the locking / unlocking operation.

The container C1 furthermore comprises a rigid intermediate partition 8 arranged longitudinally between the two lateral panels 5. The intermediate partition is advantageously slidably mounted between the two lateral panels to be displaced in translation in the transverse direction and is maintained at the desired position by means of appropriate positioning means. This partition, similar in structure to that of the side panels, can be used to separate the internal volume of the container into two compartments, for example one for the bags and the other for the boxes, or serve as a rigid bottom wall for close the rear longitudinal side of the container. The upper edge 81 of this intermediate partition is adapted to the shape of the profiles longitudinals of the roof frame so as to ensure proper separation of the two compartments in the low position of said frame.

Referring to Figure 1, the roof frame 4, and the two longitudinal sides are covered with a flexible coating or tarpaulin 9. The cover comprises a main portion 91 covering the roof frame, which is extended by longitudinal sections 92 extending beyond the longitudinal sections 41 to close the longitudinal sides of the container in the lower position of the roof frame. The sheet also extends beyond the lateral sections 42 by side panels 93 which partially cover the side panels to ensure the seal at the junction between the roof frame and said side panels in the lower position. roof frame. Peripheral rods are provided along the lateral and longitudinal profiles of the frame to protect the cover. These rods are for example heat-sealed or glued to the inner face of the tarpaulin.

The sheet is held on the roof frame by a net 10 comprising a network of longitudinal straps 101 and transverse 102 sewn on the sheet whose ends can be connected to the aforementioned peripheral rail of the support base 1.

The transverse straps 102, 5 in the embodiment of the figures, extend along the longitudinal sides 92 and are each provided with a tensioning system 103 receiving the end of an assembly strap 104, the second end is equipped with a 105 standardized pawn system able to come snap into the peripheral rail of the support base. Each longitudinal pan comprises at least one longitudinal strap 110 fixed transversely to the assembly straps 104 and provided with hook 106 at its ends for its assembly to the corner posts by means of two-part connecting straps 107. The two parts of this connecting strap 107 are interconnected by a tensioning system 108, one of the two parts being attached to a corner post, while the other is provided with a ring 109 which is snap on a hook 106.

The longitudinal straps 101 of the main part 91 of the cover, three in number in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, extend beyond the side panels 93 and are provided at their end with tensioning systems 111 for their assembly. at the base support or pallet 1 by means of assembly straps 112 provided with a system of pins 105. These assembly straps 112 are connected by a transverse strap 113 whose ends may be provided with rings or hooks to allow its assembly to the corner posts, as previously described.

The junction of the longitudinal flaps 92 and the main portion 91 at the level of the inclined end portions is provided by means of a Velcro-type assembly system, as schematically illustrated under the reference 94.

The container may further comprise a set of handles 14 at the corner posts and the external faces of the side panels 5 for facilitate the handling of the container, as well as pouches 13 on the outer faces of the panels to receive documents.

The mode of use of the container will now be described. To open the container initially in the closed position, as shown in Figure 1, the transverse 102 and longitudinal straps 101, 110 of the net are initially relaxed by releasing the tensioning systems 108 and 111 of the four lateral sides of the container. The pin systems 105 of the assembly straps 104 on both longitudinal sides can then be disengaged from the rail and the rings 109 removed from the hooks 106. The longitudinal sections 92 of the sheet with the assembly straps provided with the pion systems are raised. , preferably two operators, and the assembly is placed on the roof frame, as shown schematically in Figures 2 and 3. The four tabs 72 are then disengaged from their respective pads 71 by pulling on the loops 73. From Preferably, the tabs disposed on the side of the front corner posts 31, 32, namely on the side of the arms 61, 62 slidably mounted on the lower frame, and then the two other tongues placed on the side of the uprights of the uprights, are first actuated. rear angle 33, 34. The roof frame 4 thus released automatically lifts to its raised position under the effect of pneumatic cylinders 68. FIGS. represent the container as a whole in open position, with the tarpaulin raised, the roof frame in the raised position. During this deployment, the pad 65 moves from the interior towards the outside along the slideway 66, the roof frame translating upward, perpendicularly to the support base 1, and forward parallel to the support base 1, so that the roof frame is slightly offset from the support base. The longitudinal straps 101 will be sufficiently relaxed to allow the complete deployment of the roof frame to its raised position.

In this raised position, the roof frame is sufficiently spaced from the support base to allow a person P to stand, as it appears in Figures 2 and 3. For example, the height of the container, defined by the distance between the longitudinal profiles of the frame and the support base, is about 1.50 meters in the low position of the roof frame, and about 1.85 meters in its raised position. Thus, the unloading / loading of the container can be performed in more ergonomic positions and faster. In the case of the use of the intermediate partition 8 to form two compartments, each compartment is accessible from one of the open longitudinal sides, one of the compartments can for example be used for the bags, the other for the bins. or boxes. As indicated above, the container according to the invention, provided with a liftable roof frame, allows a time saving of the order of 10% for its filling. In addition, the transport of bins can be increased by about 7% compared to conventional containers.

Once the loading and / or unloading is completed, the container is closed as quickly as it is opened. The roof frame is returned to its lower position by pulling it down by the loops 73 of the tongues and by engaging the tabs on the pads 71, preferably those arranged on the side of the rear arms pivotally mounted on the upper bar, but without possibility of transverse sliding, then the other two disposed on the side of the front corner posts 31, 32. The longitudinal sections 92 are lowered, assembled to the main part 91 at the level of the inclined portions by the Velcro ® type system, the systems of the peg assembly straps engaged on the support base 1, the hooks 106 engaged on the rings 109 and all tensioning systems 103, 111 are actuated to tension the longitudinal and transverse straps.

In the case of air transport, the use of a standard pallet and net in the development of the container according to the invention makes it possible to meet the safety standards in force in the field of air freight transport. The metal frame of the container must have sufficient rigidity to carry the sheet and ensure the displacement of the roof frame between its two positions. The tarpaulin carried by the frame makes it possible to obtain a perfectly sealed container. Furthermore, the container can be closed hermetically, without its contents being visible from the outside, and thus ensures a secure transport.

Alternatively, only the two longitudinal sides are covered by a tarpaulin, the roof frame being covered with a rigid coating, such as aluminum panels or plastic. In another variant, the longitudinal sides are also covered with rigid panels, said panels then being mounted movable on the frame, for example on the amounts by means of hinges, to allow access to the interior of the container.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the assembly of the roof frame on the lower frame, in which the identical elements bear the same reference numerals. In this variant, the assembly means 16 do not comprise a rear arm, these being replaced by simple hinges 163, 164 mounted on the upper end of the rear corner uprights 33, 34. During its movement between its two positions, the upper roof frame 4 simply performs a rotational movement about the axis of rotation of the two hinges arranged parallel to the support base. As before, pneumatic cylinders 68 are associated with the arms 61, 62 before slidably mounted on the side panels 5 by means of slider 65 on slideway 66, to automatically raise the roof frame in its raised position illustrated in FIG. Access to the container then preferably takes place only on the longitudinal front side, the rear longitudinal side being closed by a rigid longitudinal panel 150, of structure similar to that of the side panels described above, mounted between the two rear pillars. The longitudinal panel 150 comprises a plate 151 mounted on a frame formed of an upper bar 152 and a lower bar 153 interconnected by three spacers 154. The upper bar, whose shape corresponds to that of the longitudinal sections 41 of the frame 40, has a central portion 152a extending with inclined end portions 152b. The tarpaulin (not shown) then comprises a first longitudinal pan identical to that described above, to close the front longitudinal side, and a second longitudinal pan of sufficient length to ensure the overlap of the junction zone between the roof frame and the panel back.

Claims (10)

1. Cargo container for air transport, particularly for the transport of mail, comprising a supporting base (1) on which is mounted a rigid framework that comprises a lower subframe (3) connected to the supporting base and defining the lateral sides of the container, the container being characterized in that said rigid framework comprises an upper roof subframe (4) mounted movably on the lower subframe by connecting means (6, 16) such as to allow movement of said upper roof subframe, between a lower position and a raised position, in which latter position said subframe moves at least partially off the supporting base to facilitate loading and unloading the container through at least one openable side of the container.
2. Cargo container according to Claim 1, characterized in that the roof subframe (4) is formed by a skeleton (40), said connecting means connecting two opposed sections of said skeleton to said lower subframe.
3. Cargo container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the connecting means (6) are such that said roof subframe is moved translationally between its lowered position and its raised position.
4. Cargo container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the connecting means (16) are capable of moving said skeleton (40) between its two positions by a rotational movement about an axis essentially parallel to the supporting base.
5. Cargo container according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the supporting base (1) is of generally rectangular shape, the lower subframe (3) comprises four corner posts (31-34) fixed to the supporting base and connected in pairs by at least one rigid bar (53) each, the skeleton (40) comprises two longitudinal sections (41) whose ends are connected together by two lateral sections (42), and the connecting means (6, 16) connects the lateral sections to said rigid bars.
6. Cargo container according to Claims 3 and 5, characterized in that each lateral section (42) is connected to a rigid bar by two arms hinged at a first end to said lateral section and at their second end to said bar at a distance from the corner posts (31-34), of which arms at least two (61, 62), both adjacent to the same longitudinal section, are hinged to a shoe (65) mounted with translational mobility on a track (66) connected to the rigid bar.
7. Cargo container according to Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that each lateral section (42) is connected to an upper bar (53) of the lower subframe by an arm hinged at a first end to the lateral section near a first longitudinal section (41), and at its second end to the bar mounted with translational mobility on a track (66) connected to the rigid bar, at a distance from the corner posts, and by a hinge (163) fixed near the second longitudinal section.
8. Cargo container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises elastically acting means (68) for moving the upper roof subframe (4) elastically towards its raised position, and locking means (7) for locking the upper subframe in its closed lower position.
9. Cargo container according to one of Claims 5 to 8, characterized in that each pair of corner posts (61, 63; 62, 64) connected by a rigid bar (53) supports a rigid wall (5), said container comprising two opposite openable sides defined by the non-connected pairs of corner posts, and the roof subframe and both openable sides being covered by a flexible wall (9) held in place by a net (10) made up of transverse and longitudinal straps (101, 102).
10. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes an internal dividing wall (8) approximately parallel to the openable lateral sides.

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