EP2409934B1 - Air freight container - Google Patents

Description

• einem Grundkörper zur Aufnahme eines Transportguts,
• mehreren mit dem Grundkörper verbundenen Wandelementen und
• einem mit den Wandelementen verbundenen Deckenelement.

The invention relates to an air freight container with

• a basic body for receiving a transported good,
• a plurality of connected to the body wall elements and
• a ceiling element connected to the wall elements.

Cargo containers and air freight containers of the type mentioned are well known from the prior art. These are usually formed from metallic materials, and embodiments are also known in which the metallic materials are replaced by plastics or plastic composites in order to increase the efficiency of the freight containers or to reduce their weight.

For both cost and energy efficiency reasons, it is necessary to keep the weight of the freight container used to transport the cargo as low as possible, since in the cargo area, especially in the air freight area only a limited payload is possible and beyond a reduction in weight to a considerable Fuel saving leads. Known freight containers, for example. Air freight containers are usually formed of metallic materials and therefore - especially for the formation of sufficiently stable side walls - a high weight, which has a negative effect on fuel consumption and the possible payload.

In addition, known freight containers, such as air freight containers have the disadvantage that they must be repaired very expensive in the event of damage to be put back into a ready state. Under certain circumstances, depending on the damage, it may even be necessary to transport the damaged freight containers / air freight containers in the unloaded state to a suitable support point where they can then be repaired. The empty transport required for this entails considerable cost disadvantages, since cargo space available in this case can not be used.

The AU12 650 66A discloses a freight container usable for sea, rail and road transport. The freight container includes detachable connections for the walls of the container, comprising a protruding portion and a recessed portion and a type of plug receptacle. The recessed portion includes means for securing a plate and a curved groove portion. The male portion has means for fixing a plate and a curved tongue portion. The curved tongue portion is counter-shaped to the curved groove portion and the curved tongue portion is adapted to rotate into a locking position into engagement with the curved groove portion.

The WO 02/02883 A1 discloses a container composed of many individual parts. The plates are provided with profiles at the plate edges for coupling together, the profiles being provided with longitudinal structures intended to protect against transverse displacement in order to form a positive connection between two plates. Further, locking means are provided for locking or biasing the connection.

From the DE 10 2008 005 010 A1 a collapsible transport container for goods is known, in particular an air freight container having a bottom, a lid, side walls, a rear wall and a front wall comprising at least two doors. The side walls, the rear wall, the front wall and the lid can be transferred from a use position to a collapsed position. Between the side walls and the bottom or between the rear wall and the bottom and between the lid and a side wall or a rear wall and between the side walls and the front wall each hinge joints are provided which have a pivoting range of up to 270 °. Without releasing these joints, the rear wall, the lid, the side walls and the front wall should be placed in a position parallel to the ground and lying within its base surface and stacked one above the other. The articulated connection is formed by two profiles arranged with a piping to each other, wherein the profiles have a U-shaped Aufsteckabschnitt for attachment to a wall element and the Aufsteckabschnitt opposite an open-edge receiving portion, wherein the piping for connecting two Profiles are used. The respective piping are formed as soft parts or made of a flexible flexurally elastic plastic and further have end-side beads, which consist of a hard plastic and are inserted into the receiving portions of the profiles to be positively received therein.

The DE 42 185 89 A1 discloses a transport container which can be dismantled, in which locking and counter-locking elements are provided at the contour edges of the wall panels. The plates are put together. A first profile strip has a circular cross-sectional area with a circular arc-shaped outer edge contour. In contrast, a second profile strip has a C-shaped cross-sectional area with a circular arc-shaped inner edge contour.

The DE 10 2006 006 511 A1 discloses a freight container, in particular an air cargo container, having a sandwiched bottom plate with a top layer laminate, an integrated frame with an enveloping composite top layer, and a supporting core material to reduce curb weight without reducing payload. Furthermore, the container comprises securing elements which are integrated in the wall elements. The wall elements and the ceiling element or the wall elements and the bottom plate are fixedly or detachably connected to each other, wherein for a solid connection, a riveting or gluing is disclosed.

From the WO 93/06430 A1 An air cargo container is known which has reinforced walls for protection against bomb explosions. Whose walls have an at least two-layer structure, wherein a debris-catching layer and a pressure-discharging layer are provided. The individual walls are firmly connected.

Proceeding from this, the present invention seeks to provide an air cargo container of the type mentioned, which has a low weight and offers the possibility of easy repair. The invention solves the problem by an air freight container with the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

Characteristic of the air cargo container according to the invention is the configuration of the connection of the wall elements with each other, with the base body and / or with the ceiling element such that they are detachably connected to each other. The detachable connection, according to which the wall elements, the ceiling element and the base body form individual modules which can be easily connected together to form an air freight container, makes it possible for the case that repair measures are required to perform this in a particularly simple manner. Thus, the embodiment of the invention by the detachable connection allows easy repair at low cost by simply replacing the damaged modules. For this it is only necessary to separate the detachable connections, so that the damaged part can be replaced. Repair work is thus possible on site in a simple manner by unskilled staff, after a modular system for the production of an air freight container is provided by the modular design of the individual modules, which also requires no operational acceptance due to the ease of assembly, which largely does not allow incorrect assembly.

Also allows the modular and thus dismantled design of the air cargo container according to the invention to disassemble this in a simple manner in its modules (wall elements, ceiling element, body), which can be transported in a stacked form with a small footprint, if the

Air cargo container is no longer required for onward transport of air freight, but is needed at another location.

The detachable connection of the air cargo container according to the invention is designed such that in the mounted state interconnected wall elements, body and ceiling element allow a stable design of the air cargo container, which withstands all loads occurring during operation, but at the same time possibly allows easy disassembly, this at best the use of hand tools required is.

The modular design of the container also allows untrained personnel to dismantle it in the case of non-use on site without any significant technical effort and store it in a particularly space-saving manner. The modular design also allows - with appropriate design of the individual modules - the formation of air cargo containers of different sizes, with several modules can be joined together according to the requirements resulting from the cargo to an individualized air cargo container.

According to the invention, the wall elements and the base body and / or the ceiling element for releasable connection form-fitting connectable connecting elements. The use of form-fitting acting fasteners makes it possible to easily produce an air freight container with stable properties, at the same time the form-fitting acting fasteners possibly a simple and rapid disassembly or replacement of damaged modules allows without it complementary connecting body, such as screws, rivets, Brackets or the like required. The wall elements and the base body and / or the ceiling element are connected to one another via connector elements designed as a connector, partially clipped together. Such a design of the detachable connection makes it possible to mount the air freight container in a particularly simple manner, the connection by clipping or mating the individual modules in a special way a simple installation and Disassembly allows.

For loading the airfreight container, this usually has a closable loading opening on. For this purpose, for example, is a fiber-reinforced plastic tarpaulin or the like, which, for example, can be connected via Velcro to the air freight container. Particularly advantageously, however, the loading opening can be closed by a hingedly connected to the air freight container cover, wherein the cover may be formed corresponding to the wall elements, for example. Has a sandwich structure, which is preferably closed and sealed for customs purposes.

To connect the cover to the air freight container this can also be circumferentially provided with a Velcro tape, which also contributes to a reliable connection further to the tightness and is suitable to transmit shear forces. The closure of the loading opening takes over when using Velcro structural properties in the air freight container. In principle, already the detachable connection of the wall elements with each other and with the base body and / or with the ceiling element to form an air cargo container that meets the requirements of a structurally stable structure. The use of suitable fasteners according to the above-described embodiment of the invention increases the stability properties and disassembly of the air freight container in a complementary manner. The arrangement of the connecting elements is such that they are formed as connectable profiles extending along the edges of the modules. Furthermore, however, the connecting elements are arranged in the corner regions of the air freight container. The use of such connecting elements, which may also be detachably connected to the wall elements, the ceiling element and / or the base itself, as well as the arrangement of the connecting elements in the corner of the air freight container increases its robustness in a complementary manner, in particular the exposed corner areas or connecting areas of the wall - And / or ceiling elements and the body are particularly well protected from each other damage.

In principle, the detachable connection is already sufficient for producing an air freight container which fulfills the required properties. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the air cargo container on a releasable connection arretierendes securing means. The use of a securing agent which is preferred In addition to the detachable connection between the wall elements, the base body and / or the ceiling element extends, secures in a complementary manner existing between these components connection so that it can be ensured very reliable that the modules are fixed in position to each other. The securing means are designed such that they can be solved in a particularly simple manner, so as to ensure a simple repair or disassembly and assembly of the air cargo container.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the securing elements, which in principle can be configured in any desired manner, are formed by a position-secured securing pin, in particular ball locking pin, extending through the connecting elements. The use of such a security device is characterized by its low cost and high functionality. The locking pin is ideally guided through aligned bores of the connected modules and is fixed in position, so that a disassembly of the interconnected modules requires a prior removal of the locking pin. In particular, the use of a ball locking pin is characterized by its high position assurance in the mounted state, so that it is ensured in a particularly reliable manner that it can not come to an accidental removal of the securing means.

The design of the base body, which serves in the mounted state of the air cargo container for receiving the goods to be transported, is basically freely selectable. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the base body is formed from a plastic. The preparation of the base body made of plastic makes it particularly easy to train with sufficient strength and resistance, as well as inexpensive to manufacture. As plastic, any type of plastic or composites made of plastic can be used, which meet the required uses.

Thermoplastic or thermosetting plastics, for example, can be used to produce the base body, which are used with suitable production processes for forming a body formed as a solid body. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, reinforcing elements are embedded in the plastic used to form the body, which increase the strength of the body formed from a corresponding plastic and allow it due to the through the reinforcing elements achieved increase in strength with a lower material requirement to produce plastic. The reinforcing elements are arbitrarily or completely or partially embedded in the plastic according to the expected load curves.

The choice of reinforcing elements is also freely selectable and depends primarily on the strength properties of the body to be achieved. For example. the use of wood fibers is conceivable, which are embedded in the plastic. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the reinforcing elements are formed by sheets, fibers, particles and / or hollow body. Such reinforcing elements, for example. Carbon fibers or nanoparticles increase the strength properties of the body in a complementary manner and allow to reduce the total weight of the body in addition, so that the total weight of the formed with the body airfreight container can be reduced in a complementary manner. The reinforcing elements can be directed or undirected embedded in the plastic, so that in a complementary manner an increase in the structural strength can be achieved, whereby a further reduction in weight can be achieved. A simple embedding of the reinforcing elements in the plastic in the context of the manufacturing process makes it possible to produce the appropriately designed body particularly cost.

The shape of the body depends on the choice of material according to the expected load curves. In principle, although a design of the main body as a solid body is conceivable, however, a structure of the base body is preferably selected, in which this has between the base and a bottom cavities. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hollow body and / or cavities are filled with foam on the base body, or are equipped with foams. The resulting sandwich construction of the base body has a particularly high stability, wherein in the case of a foaming of the main body this can be made in its overall design in a complementary manner with a lower material requirement of plastic. The sandwich construction is also characterized by the fact that in this way a particularly good insulation is achieved, so that sensitive to temperature influences transport goods protected against external influences, can be reliably transported with appropriately trained air cargo containers.

Particularly advantageously, in the case of a sandwich construction, this is from the bottom to above - based on the position of use - starting with a high and / or high-strength steel sheet and then executed with wood or high pressure resistant rigid foam and can then optionally be carried out according to the above-described embodiment. This embodiment of the invention makes it possible in a special way the required under the test requirements of NAS3610 loads of soil, with extreme point or line loads occur to meet.

As already mentioned, the design of the base body is basically freely selectable, and in its simplest configuration it can also be formed in one piece. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the basic body is modular, namely formed of at least two modules. The modular design of the body also makes it possible in the case of non-use on site to dismantle without any technical effort and store very space-saving. In this respect, the air cargo container according to the invention, in particular air freight container according to this embodiment of the invention can be stored in the disassembled state in a particularly space-saving manner and / or transported.

As well as the main body and the design of the wall and / or ceiling elements is basically arbitrary. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the wall and / or ceiling elements are formed from at least one fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular a shear modulus of fiber-reinforced plastic, which forms a sandwich together with a foam or honeycomb core. The outer layers of this sandwich structure are preferably formed of elastic material in order to minimize damage to the cargo during transport, for example. By means of transport, such as the prongs of forklifts. The use of selectively elastic tear-resistant material in the wall and / or ceiling elements can also serve to prevent the devastating effect on an airframe in the event of explosions within the container by the explosion pressure is reduced or deflected. Trained as shear modules wall and / or For this purpose, ceiling elements are advantageously framed by connecting elements arranged at the edge, which in turn are formed by fiber-reinforced or fiber-reinforced and / or ball-reinforced duroplastic or thermoplastic plastics. In this case, the connecting elements form the supporting frame of the wall and / or ceiling elements in the form of thrust modules and, moreover, make it possible to carry the load-bearing, form-fitting connection Wall and / or ceiling elements for forming the air cargo container. The connection of the wall and / or ceiling elements with the connecting elements can be done in any way, preferably a cohesive or adhesive connection is used. In a corresponding embodiment of the wall and / or ceiling elements, the total weight of the air freight container can be reduced in a complementary manner compared to known air freight containers in an unrivaled manner, while maintaining or increasing the stability.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the wall and / or ceiling elements also have a high buckling rigidity. This can basically be achieved in any way, preferably by forming the outer regions as a shear modulus. A high buckling stiffness additionally increases the structural strength of the container. As a result, a particularly good shielding of the cargo arranged in the cargo container is achieved from external damage.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht eines Frachtcontainers gebildet aus einem Grundkörper, Wandelementen und einem Deckenelement;
• Fig. 2 eine vertikale Schnittansicht eines Kantenbereichs des Frachtcontainers von Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 eine horizontale Schnittansicht eines Kantenbereichs des Frachtcontainers von Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 eine Schnittansicht eines Teilbereichs (Schubmoduls) des Frachtcontainers von Fig. 1;
• Fig. 5 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer vergrößerten Darstellung eines Eckbereichs des Frachtcontainers von Fig. 1;
• Fig. 6 eine Schnittansicht des in Fig. 5 dargestellten Eckbereichs;
• Fig. 7 eine perspektivische Darstellung einer weiteren Ausführungsform des Eckbereichs des Frachtcontainers von Fig. 1 und
• Fig. 8 eine Schnittansicht des Eckbereichs von Fig. 7.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings show:

• Fig. 1 a side view of a freight container formed of a base body, wall elements and a ceiling element;
• Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view of an edge portion of the freight container of Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view of an edge portion of the freight container of Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 4 a sectional view of a portion (shear module) of the freight container of Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 5 a perspective view of an enlarged view of a corner region of the freight container of Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 6 a sectional view of the in Fig. 5 illustrated corner area;
• Fig. 7 a perspective view of another embodiment of the corner of the cargo container of Fig. 1 and
• Fig. 8 a sectional view of the corner of Fig. 7 ,

In Fig. 1 is shown in a side view a freight container 1. The freight container 1 has a built-up in sandwich construction base 4, which may be formed of plastic, structural foam, wood and / or sheet metal. The base body 4 is adjoined by wall elements 5a-5c designed as shear modules, which form a circumferential ring in the mounted state. For connection to the base body 4, the wall elements 5a-5c have peripheral connecting elements 2b-2c for the positive connection to the base body 4 and to each other at their edge regions.

For connecting the in the position of use of the freight container 1 horizontally extending connecting elements 2b - 2e with each other or with the base body 4, the connecting elements 2b - 2e each have a cylinder-like projection 15 and a correspondingly formed recess 16, wherein the projection 15 in the mounted position within the recesses 16 is arranged. This embodiment makes it possible to interlock the connecting elements 2b-2e, wherein the recess 16 surrounds the cylinder-like projection in a range of> 180 °, so that a reliable form-locking connection is formed.

The connecting elements 2b - 2e and the corresponding configuration of the base body 4 allow easy mounting and dismounting of the freight container 1, for example. For the purpose of storage or in case of a required repair of individual modules of the freight container 1, wherein the connecting elements 2a of the ceiling elements 6a, 6b corresponding cylindrical projections 15 which are arranged in corresponding recesses 16 of the connecting elements 2b of the wall elements 5a, 5b in the mounted position. The cylinder-like projections 15 are arranged in the mounted position in the recesses 16 that the Recesses 16 engage around the cylinder such that a positive structural connection is made (see. Fig. 2 ).

Close to the side wall elements 5a, 5b arranged vertically in the position of use the ceiling elements 6a, 6b, which also have correspondingly configured connecting elements 2a for arrangement on the connecting elements 2b of the side wall elements 5a, 5b. To reinforce the corner regions of the freight container 1, this has in the corners supporting elements 3a - 3f, which protect the freight container 1 in particular from damage in the corner.

To connect the in the position of use of the freight container 1 vertically extending connecting elements 2f, 2g these are analogous to the horizontally extending connecting elements 2a - 2e positively connected to each other. Due to the typically higher structural demands on these compounds, these have a larger wrap angle, the u. U. clipping no longer allows, but requires an insertion (see. Fig. 3 ).

In Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a designed as a shear wall module 5b with the arranged on the edge connecting elements 2a, 2e. The wall element 5b has a sandwich construction and is peripherally connected in a flattened region with the connecting elements 2a, 2e in a material-locking manner.

In the Fig. 4 and 5 a corner region of a freight container 1 with a first embodiment for securing the position of the connecting elements 2b of the wall elements 5a is shown on the connecting elements 2a of a ceiling element 6a, 6b, not shown here. The wall elements 5a are positively connected to one another via their connecting elements 2b with the ceiling element 6a, 6b, not shown here, via the connecting elements 2b, the cylinder-like projections 15 engaging the connecting elements 2a, 2b in corresponding recesses 16 on the connecting elements 2a, 2b.

The projections 15 and the correspondingly formed receptacles 16 may have any cross-section, wherein in addition to a round or Elliptical cross-section and any other useful polygonal shape is conceivable. The positive connection of the connecting elements 2a - 2g to each other can also take place in that both sides of a compound, the molded negative parts in the form of a hinge strip are mutually and with a retractable projection 15 which may be formed as described above, as explained above structurally connected. This connection can either be removed by pulling out of the projection 15 or by turning the projection 15, if this is formed appropriately meaningful.

To secure the position of the individual elements 2a, 2b to each other, the freight container 1 in the corner has a arranged inside the freight container 1 molded body 7. This has two holes 11, which are arranged in the mounted position in each case in alignment with a through the connecting elements 2a, 2b extending bore 17. Through the holes 11 of the molding 7 and through the corresponding holes 17 in the connecting elements 2a, 2b, a locking pin 8a extends. In the mounted position, in which a handle 9 of the locking pin 8a rests against the outside on the connecting element 2b, protrudes the free end of the molded body 7 out.

In the region of the free end of the locking pin 8a adjustably arranged locking elements 10a prevent accidental withdrawal of the locking pin 8a. For this purpose, the securing pin 8a has a sleeve 18 embodied as a hollow body, within which a control pin 12a is arranged so as to be longitudinally displaceable. A displacement of the control pin 12a, which protrudes with its free end from the handle 9a, takes place against a spring force, which is applied by a helical compression spring 13 at the bottom of the sleeve 18. Due to the spring force, the locking elements 10a protrude through radial openings in the sleeve 18 to the outside, so that a withdrawal of the locking pin 8a from the holes 11, 17 is not possible.

To remove the locking pin 8a, it is necessary to move the control pin 12a toward the helical compression spring 13, whereby the locking elements 10a slide back into the sleeve 18 until they no longer protrude outwardly, so that withdrawal of the locking pin 8a possible is. A displacement of the control pin 12a is possible via a handle-side actuation of the locking pin 8a, for which purpose the control pin 12 is manually displaced in the direction of the helical compression spring 13. Accidental operation can thus be excluded.

An alternative embodiment of an embodiment of a trained as a ball lock pin securing pin 8b is in the Fig. 6 and 7 shown. The locking pin 8b shown in these figures differs from that in the Fig. 4 and 5 illustrated locking pin 8a characterized in that within the guide sleeve 8a of the control pin 12b in the backup position two balls 10b so determined in the sleeve that they protrude from the sleeve 1 * 8. In the unactuated state causes the helical compression spring 13 a bias of the control pin 12b in the direction of the handle 9b, so that the balls 10b protrude from the openings of the sleeve 18. For this purpose, the longitudinally displaceably arranged in the sleeve 18 control pin 12 in the region of the balls 10b has a conical configuration.

In the unactuated position, the helical compression spring 13 biases the control pin 12b in the direction of the handle 9b, wherein the balls 10b are arranged in the upper portion of the conical portion in which they protrude from the sleeve 18. By a displacement of the control pin 12b in the direction of the helical compression spring 13, a sliding of the ball body 10b on the conical portion, whereby the balls 10b are displaced into the sleeve 18, so that a removal of the locking pin 8b is possible. In order to enable actuation of the control pin 12b, however, it has previously been necessary to rotate it in the region of the grip 9b by 90 °. Thus, the locking pin 8b is secured against accidental operation.

Claims (8)

1. Air freight container having a base body for receiving goods to be transported, a plurality of wall elements connected to the base body, and a cover element connected to the wall elements, wherein the connection of the wall elements (5a-5c) to one another, to the base body (4) and/or to the cover element (6a, 6b) is in the form of a releasable connection,
   characterised in that, for forming a releasable structural connection, the wall elements and the base body (4) and/or the cover element (6a, 6b) have one-piece connecting elements (2a-2g) which can be connected in an interlocking manner, and the connecting elements (2a-2g) are arranged in the edge regions and corner regions of the air freight container (1), wherein the connecting elements (2a-2e) each have a cylinder-like or cylinder-shaped projection (15) and a correspondingly formed recess (16), wherein the projection (15) is arranged inside the recess (16) in the assembled position, wherein the connecting elements (2b-2e) that extend horizontally when the container is in the use position are able to be clipped into one another, whereby the recess (16) wraps around the cylinder-like or cylinder-shaped projection (15) in a region of greater than 180° so that a reliable interlocking connection is formed, and wherein the connecting elements (2f, 2g) that extend vertically when the container is in the use position have such a large wrap-around angle of the recess (16) and the projection (15) that clipping is no longer possible and the projection (15) must be slid into the recess (16).
2. Air freight container according to claim 1, characterised by one or more securing means (8a-8b) which lock the releasable connecting elements (2a-2e) in position.
3. Air freight container according to claim 2, characterised in that the securing means is formed by a securing pin (8a) which extends through the connecting elements (2a-2e) and is secured in position, in particular a ball lock pin (8b).
4. Air freight container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base body (4) is formed of a plastics material, in particular a plastics material having embedded reinforcing elements.
5. Air freight container according to claim 4, characterised in that the reinforcing elements are formed by fibres, particles and/or hollow bodies.
6. Air freight container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base body (4) is formed of at least two modules, wherein the modules are in particular releasably connected to one another, in particular clipped to one another.
7. Air freight container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall elements (5a-5c) and/or the cover element (6a, 6b) is formed of a fibre composite plastics material, foam sandwich structure and/or honeycomb structure.
8. Air freight container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the wall and/or cover elements (5a-5c, 6a, 6b) are in the form of push modules of fibre-reinforced plastics material which, together with a foam or honeycomb core, constitute a sandwich structure and are bordered by connecting elements (2a-2e) which are arranged at the edges and are formed by fibre-reinforced or fibre- and/or bead-reinforced thermosetting or thermoplastic plastics materials, and the connecting elements (2a-2e) form the supporting frame of the wall and/or cover elements (5a-5c, 6a, 6b), wherein the wall and/or cover elements (5a-5c, 6a, 6b) are connected to the connecting elements (2a-2e) by frictional engagement or by adhesive bonding.

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