FR2971777A1 - TRANSFORMABLE CONTAINER - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container comprising arrangements (12) for gripping, handling and securing said container, each of said arrangements (12) being placed at a corner of this container in the undeployed position of this container, said container having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension in this unfolded position. According to the invention, - in said non-deployed position, said container is formed by a stack of n boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) with n ≥ 3, at least one of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) being placed between and at least partially in contact with two other of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28), at least some of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) being interconnected to form a rigid structure, at least part of said container being sealed, - in said non-deployed position, said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) are at least partially in contact between them, the number n of boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) and / or the dimensions of each of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) being determined so that there is a parallelepiped (8) in which said container is writable, the walls of this parallelepiped (8) then being at least partly formed by the free walls of said stack, the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes (1-3 , 1 5-19, 23-28) on the one hand, and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped (8) on the other hand then being between 0.1% and 15% of the internal volume of said parallelepiped (8), - at least some of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) are movable between said non-deployed position and a deployed position in which the assembly thus deployed then forms a floating structure having a longitudinal dimension and / or a dimension transverse greater than said longitudinal and / or transverse dimension of said container in its undeployed position so as to have a maximized loading area greater than at least twice the area of said container in its undeployed position.

Description

TRANSFORMABLE CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a convertible container which in its undeployed position can be taken, manipulated or stowed like any transport container, and in its deployed position forms an autonomous floating structure. s Containers, or containers, are known to float which, when stowed together, make it possible to form a boat to fight against an accidental spill of hydrocarbons at sea, in rivers or lakes. These containers advantageously allow a very rapid delivery of means for controlling oil slicks, by air or by ship. In the latter case, and when the ship causing the oil spill is a container ship, these floating sea containers may already be on board. However, this type of boat requires to have a plurality of separate containers, each having a specific function and all being is essential to the formation and the proper functioning of the boat. In addition, this type of boat has a restricted buoyancy especially in a sea formed while having a relatively small storage capacity. The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a floating transport device, simple in its design and in its operating mode, having the dimensions of a container for transporting goods in an undeployed position, comprising arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing of this device with for example, the standard port facilities, and forming a boat in its deployed position. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a floating transport device which from a longitudinal dimension and a given transverse dimension in its undeployed position, that is to say those of a container , has a maximized deck area to significantly increase boat loading capacity and maximized hull volume to have the best possible buoyancy in its deployed position.

The dimensions of this transport device in its undeployed position, that is to say of container, are thus advantageously reduced, allowing its transport by truck, ship or cargo plane. Another requirement for such a container, as in all freight containers, is then to have all of its structural elements included in the, and therefore not protruding from, the parallelepiped defined by the free walls of this container. container so that a plurality of such containers can be stacked and / or juxtaposed. More generally, the present invention aims to minimize the lost space in the parallelepiped defined by the outlines of a container that is convertible into a boat, so as to maximize the useful dimensions of the deck of this boat. To this end, the invention relates to a container comprising arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing this container, each of these arrangements being placed at a corner of this container in the undeployed position of the container, said container having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension in this non-deployed position. According to the invention, in said non-deployed position, said container is constituted by a stack of n boxes with n? 3, at least one of said boxes being placed between and at least partially in contact with two other of said boxes, at least some of said boxes being interconnected to form a rigid structure, at least a portion of said container being sealed, - in said position not deployed, said boxes are at least partially in contact with each other, the number n of boxes and / or the dimensions of each of said boxes being determined so that there is a parallelepiped in which said container is writable, the walls of this parallelepiped then being at least partly formed by the free walls of said stack, the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes on the one hand, and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped on the other hand being then between 0 , 1% and 15% of the internal volume of said parallelepiped, - at least some of said boxes are movable between said non-position deployed and an extended position in which the assembly thus deployed then forms a floating structure having a longitudinal dimension and / or a transverse dimension greater than said longitudinal and / or transverse dimension of said container in its non-deployed position so as to have a surface of loading maximized and greater than at least twice the surface of said container in its undeployed position. In other words, we can find a parallelepiped, and even better a rectangular parallelepiped or cube, each of whose walls is formed at least in part by said container in its undeployed position, this container being constituted in this non-deployed position of at least 3 boxes. The term "free walls of the stack" means the outer envelope of this stack defined by all the shapes of the boxes and their arrangement in the undeployed position of the container. The term "cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes at least partially in contact with each other on the one hand and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped on the other hand", the sum of a part of the is percentage of empty spaces between the walls of the caissons placed at least partly against each other with respect to the internal volume of the parallelepiped, these walls being thus integrally placed in the interior volume of this parallelepiped, and the percentage of empty spaces between the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped with respect to the internal volume of the parallelepiped. This percentage does not take into account of course empty spaces placed in the boxes and resulting, for example, hollow boxes for receiving loads and / or a hydraulic supply circuit. By way of example, in the first case, the voids may result from mobile boxes having a truncated triangular shape leaving a void space between two superposed movable boxes. The internal volume of a parallelepiped is known to those skilled in the art. For purely illustrative purposes, for a rectangular parallelepiped, the interior volume is given by the formula V = L x I x H where L is the length, 1 is the width and H is the height of this rectangular parallelepiped. These arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing said container are also called corner pieces for gripping, stowage and transhipment of the container. These arrangements being placed in the corners of the container, at least 35 these angles are full in order to have sufficient rigidity to ensure the recovery of applied forces.

In various particular embodiments of this container, each having its particular advantages and susceptible to numerous possible technical combinations: the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes on the one hand, and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped of on the other hand, is less than 10% of the internal volume of said parallelepiped, - in the deployed position of the container, the shell of said floating structure has a longitudinal dimension, or transverse, greater than twice the longitudinal dimension, respectively transverse, of said container In its undeployed position, thus, and by way of example, in the deployed position of said container, the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal dimension from the bow to the stern greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of said container in its position not deployed. ts - said movable boxes are hingedly connected to a fixed block comprising one or more fixed boxes, Advantageously, these mobile boxes are hingedly connected to the fixed block by a hinge. Preferably, this hinge is a hinge with two axes. This two-axis hinge, also called a biaxial hinge, has two hinged parts which are connected to an intermediate piece carrying the two offset axes of rotation. the container being constituted by movable boxes only, these boxes are connected in an articulated manner between them, and better still, are connected to each other by biaxial hinges, this container comprises actuators enabling the moving boxes to be moved from the non-movable position. deployed in the deployed position of this container and conversely, Preferably, the movable boxes being hingedly connected by hinges to a fixed block comprising one or more fixed boxes, these actuators are motorized hinges or hinges comprising means to open and close said hinges. As a purely illustrative example, these means for opening and closing said hinges comprise, for example, rotary cylinders powered by a source 35 of electrical power, hydraulic or pneumatic. Preferably, this power source and its distribution circuit are placed in one of the boxes of the container.

Alternatively, the means for opening and closing the hinges can still be deported, and therefore not integrated with the hinges themselves. It may be purely illustrative, linear actuators or a cable system or an external crane. - The mobile boxes have complementary profiles so as to cooperate in the undeployed position of the container to form with a fixed block comprising one or more fixed boxes, an assembly whose free walls define a parallelepiped or substantially a parallelepiped, and even better a Rectangular parallelepiped or cube, For purely illustrative purposes, the mobile pedestals may thus have a truncated triangular or triangular profile. The triangular shape of the mobile boxes ensures the non-determination of a preferred direction of movement of the floating structure, which is then advantageously amphidromous. The outer surface of said container in its deployed position is flat or substantially planar so that the bridge of the floating structure is plane or substantially plane, the container comprises at least one propulsion system so that said floating structure is self-propelled, Preferably, this propulsion system allows at least one displacement of the floating structure in a direction transverse or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the floating structure. at least one of said boxes is hollow to receive loads, said arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing said container being at least eight in number, said arrangements are placed at the ends of the corners of said container in its non-position; deployed, said arrangements being intended to cooperate with standard infrastructure Iso for gripping, handling and fixing said container, the container is connected to interconnection means allowing two or more containers to be connected edge to edge or end to end to form a unitary shipping unit at the ends of the corners of which are arranged arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing said unitary assembly, the container comprises independently inflatable elements or not, allowing improve the buoyancy of said floating structure, these inflatable elements are advantageously tagously received in housings provided for this purpose in the lateral edges of this container. Thus, it is possible, in an emergency, to move the container from its deployed position to its undeployed position without having to deflate these inflatable elements. Alternatively or additionally, these inflatable elements can be deployed from housings placed in the bottom of one or more caissons, the inflatable elements then being placed under these elements when they are deployed. These inflatable elements are preferably dimensioned to ensure the stability and buoyancy of the floating structure. Preferably, the container comprises a supply circuit for ensuring the inflation, independently or otherwise, of these inflatable elements from a supply source, for example pneumatic. For purely illustrative purposes, these inflatable elements are inflatable tubes. This power source can for example be placed in one of the boxes. In order to compensate for pressure losses that may result from leaks or temperature variations, the inflating pressure of the inflatable elements is controlled and adjusted by means of servo-control of the power source by probes such as pressure sensors, checking the inflation pressure of each inflatable element. the container comprises retractable wheels or not, 20 This container preferably comprises at least two retractable wheels or not by extension block. Of course, the central box may include at least one pair of retractable wheels or not to ensure the on-road movement of the container in its undeployed position. Advantageously, at least two of the wheels of the container are directional. In addition, at least two of said wheels are preferably motor. This container then forms in its deployed position, an amphibious vehicle. said container comprises locking means. These locking means may comprise locks intended to cooperate with two or more arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing said container placed opposite each other. As an illustration, these locks may be double twist locks (also called "twist-lock"), mounted opposing tips, and interposed between two arrangements for gripping placed vis-à-vis and set up before the full deployment of container. According to another embodiment, or in addition, the locking means may comprise fasteners such as pins or bolted fastening lugs.

Alternatively, the container may be self-locking in its deployed position, the self-locking being ensured by the resulting force of the deployment actuators. As a purely illustrative example, the self-locking can be ensured by load holding valves on the hydraulic cylinders ensuring the deployment of the container. - this container has the dimensions of an Iso transport container 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, 40 feet or 45 feet, or any other dimension of a standard container defined by ISO 668 and ISO 1496-1 or any other reference, standard, or standard used in multimodal maritime transport, fluvial, road, rail or air, the container in its undeployed position is advantageously floating so that it can be dropped at sea and deployed for example automatically or at distance to form a ship. When deployed automatically, the container has one or more probes connected to a hydraulic supply circuit, for example, to feed the hinges and to move them from their open position to their closed position. These probes detect the presence of the container in the water, they ensure its stability and if so, send a message to the hydraulic power source to feed the hinges for their activation. The activation of these causes the passage of the container from its undeployed position to its deployed position. When the container is remotely controlled, it comprises at least one receiver, or transceiver, connected to a control unit, the latter 25 controlling the activation of the hydraulic source to power the hinges and activate them. The invention also relates to a floating machine comprising at least two containers in their deployed position as described above, these containers being interconnected to form a unitary floating structure. These containers in their deployed position can be assembled end-to-end and / or edge-to-edge. The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows schematically a front view of a container 35 in its non-deployed position according to a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 schematically shows the container of Figure 1 in its deployed position; - Figure 3 schematically shows a front view of a container in its undeployed position according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 schematically shows the container of Figure 3 being deployed; - Figure 5 schematically shows the container of Figure 3 in its deployed position; FIG. 6 schematically represents a front view of a container in its non-deployed position according to a third embodiment of the invention; - Figure 7 schematically shows the container of Figure 6 being deployed; - Figure 8 schematically shows the container of Figure 6 in its deployed position; Figure 9 schematically shows a perspective view of a container in its undeployed position according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 schematically shows the container of Figure 9 being deployed; Figure 11 schematically shows the container of Figure 9 in its deployed position;

Figures 1 and 2 show a convertible container in its undeployed and deployed positions according to a first embodiment of the invention. This container consists only of a central box 1 having a longitudinal dimension and at the ends of which are placed expansion blocks 2, 3 which are connected to the central box 1 by biaxial hinges 4-7. Each extension block 2, 3 consists of a single box, again referred to as an end box, which is hingedly connected to the central box 1 by a pair of biaxial hinges 4-7. Alternatively, each extension block 2, 3 could comprise two boxes placed in contact with each other. These hinges 4-7 here comprise hydraulic rotary cylinders. The container therefore comprises a hydraulic supply source and a distribution circuit of this hydraulic fluid (not shown) to feed the various hinges 4-7 and thus allow their opening and closing. The container is therefore perfectly autonomous.

The end caissons 2, 3 which have a truncated triangular profile, are placed partly on top of each other by being superimposed on the central box 1. Thus, one of the end boxes is placed in the non-deployed position of the container between the central box 1 and the other end box 3. Each end box 2, 3 has a length greater than half the longitudinal dimension of the central box 1. At least one of these boxes 1-3 is advantageously hollow for receiving loads and / or devices or devices necessary for the proper functioning of the container. Each box 1-3 which is waterproof, forms a floating box. In the undeployed position of the container, the free outer walls of the end boxes 2, 3 and the central box 1 substantially define a rectangular parallelepiped 8, that is to say that this container is writable in its undeployed position in this regular rectangle parallelepiped 8 (dotted). No structural element of the container is, by definition, located projecting from this rectangular parallelepiped 8 so that this container can be stacked on and / or plated against other containers for storage or transport. The container in its undeployed position deviates from this regular rectangular parallelepiped 8 by the recesses or voids 9, 10 (hatched areas) between the boxes 1-3 and the walls of the regular parallelepiped 8. This rectangular parallelepiped here has dimensions equal to those of a 20 'iso shipping container so it can be conveniently picked up, transported, handled, transhipped or stowed like any standard ISO container without the need for specific infrastructure or hardware. There is also an empty space 11 (hatched area) between the end boxes 2, 3 so that the internal volume of this regular rectangle parallelepiped 8 is not completely filled by the container in its undeployed position. The cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes 1-3 placed at least partly against each other on the one hand and the free walls of the stack formed by the boxes 1-3 and the regular rectangular parallelepiped On the other hand, here is the sum of hatched areas 9, 10 and 11, ie 8%. This container comprises, at each of its corners, an arrangement 12 for gripping, handling and fixing the container. It thus comprises eight arrangements 12 which are placed at the ends of the corners of the container in its undeployed position. The activation of the biaxial hinges 4-7 ensures the passage from the undeployed position of the container to its deployed position. In this latter position, the end boxes 2, 3 form longitudinal extensions of the central box 1, said assembly thus deployed then forming a floating structure whose shell has a longitudinal dimension greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of this central box 1 While a first end box 2 rotates 180 ° between the non-deployed position and the deployed position of the container, the other end box 3 rotates less than 180 °, here about 167 °, between these two positions. These two different rotations ensure the realization of a plane or substantially flat bridge for the floating structure. Since the angle of rotation is less than 180 °, the end wall 13 of the central box 1 intended to be pressed against the end box 3 in the extended position of the container, has an inclined shape complementary to the inclined face 14. of this end box 3 coming into contact, so that the angle formed between these two inclined walls 13, 14 is equal to the value of the angle of rotation. Each hinge with two axes 4-7, also called biaxial hinge, has two fixed parts each of which is attached to a box 1, 3, or completely part thereof, and supporting one of the two axes of this hinge. These two axes are connected by one or more rods ensuring the offset of the axes of rotation. Each box 1-3 has aluminum walls forming its sealed outer envelope. Each box 1-3 thus formed is structured by a longitudinal and transverse network of stiffeners designed to take up the local forces and the overall forces experienced by the container, both in the undeployed position and in the deployed position. Each of these boxes 1-3 thus forms a load-bearing structure capable of receiving large loads such as a span, vehicles (truck, ...), equipment and / or personnel. The triangular shape of the end boxes 2, 3 ensures, moreover, a good recovery of the forces by the central box 1 allowing the use of the ends, or points, of these boxes 2, 3 for the port 30 charges. The loading surface of the supporting structure is thus advantageously significantly increased. Of course, the biaxial hinges 4-7 are dimensioned to withstand large loads both in the deployed position, that is to say in the floating structure configuration, in the non-deployed position, that is to say in container . Alternatively, these boxes 1-3 could be made of steel, stainless steel, cupronickel, polymer or more generally composite materials.

Figures 3 to 5 show a convertible container in its undeployed positions, being deployed and deployed according to a second embodiment of the invention. The elements of Figures 3 to 5 with the same references as the elements of Figures 1 and 2 represent the same objects which will not be described again below. This container is distinguished from that described in Figures 1 and 2 in that in its undeployed position, its periphery forms a regular rectangular parallelepiped. This embodiment is preferred because the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between the caissons 15-19 on the one hand and between the caissons 15-19 and the walls of the regular parallelepiped in which this container is inscribed is then close to zero. This ensures that the internal volume of this regular parallelepiped is maximally occupied by the material of the container in its undeployed position so that the deck surface of the floating structure obtained by deployment of this container is then maximized. This container here comprises five caissons 15-19 of which only one is fixed 15, the other caissons 16-19 being movable. Two of these mobile boxes 16, 17 are placed between two other boxes 15, 18, 19, the set of boxes 15-19 being pressed against each other.

By deploying the movable boxes 15-19, a bridge surface 20 is formed having a longitudinal dimension greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of the fixed box 15 on which the mobile boxes 16-19 are superimposed in the undeployed position of the container. A box is here hingedly connected to the other box by a pair of biaxial hinges 4-7, 21, 22 ensuring the displacement of one of these two boxes relative to each other. Figures 6 to 8 show a convertible container in its undeployed positions, being deployed and deployed according to a third embodiment of the invention. The elements of Figures 6-8 with the same references as the elements of Figures 1 and 2 represent the same objects which will not be described again below. This container is distinguished from that described in Figures 1 and 2 in that in its undeployed position, its periphery forms a regular rectangular parallelepiped.

This container here comprises six boxes 23-28 which during deployment of the container are movable so as to form in the deployed position of the container a floating structure whose longitudinal dimension is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the container in its non-deployed position. This floating structure thus has an increased flat deck surface. These boxes 23-28 are hingedly connected to each other by biaxial hinges 4-7, 21, 22, 29 already described above. Figures 9 to 11 show a convertible container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. This container comprises in its undeployed position a stack of three boxes 30-32 having equal dimensions, which are therefore superimposed on each other. These boxes 30-32 are further articulated with respect to each other so that two consecutive boxes are interconnected on each of their lateral edges by at least two linking arms 33-38, one of these connecting arms 34 , 37 being common to the three boxes 30-32. Two consecutive linking arms form with the two consecutive caissons 15 that they connect a deformable regular parallelogram so that the displacement of one of these caissons with respect to an immediately lower caisson in the stack of said non-deployed position of said container, causes a circular translation of this box with respect to the immediately lower box of the stack.

The connecting arms 34, 37 connecting the three boxes 30-32 advantageously provide a simultaneous and uniform movement of all the boxes of the container between the undeployed position and the deployed position and vice versa. These connecting arms 33-38 are advantageously received in lateral housings 39 provided for this purpose so that no structural element of the container is placed in projection of the parallelepiped 40 defined by the free walls of the caissons 30-32 so that this container can be stacked on and / or plated against other containers for storage or transport. These lateral housings 39 correspond here to recesses in the lateral edges 30 of the caissons 30-32. The connecting arms 33-38 are rotatably mounted on the boxes 30-32 to allow the relative movement of each of these boxes. These link arms 33-38 comprise, for example, connecting rods. The face or faces 40, 41 of the boxes 30-32 intended to come into contact with one face of another box when these boxes are placed end to end in the deployed position of the container, each comprise a shape complementary to the face with which it is intended to cooperate in the deployed position of the container. In this way, the faces of two consecutive boxes thus coupled cooperate to lock in position the floating structure. This container in its undeployed position can be inscribed in a rectangular parallelepiped 42, whose container in its undeployed position deviates by the empty spaces between the boxes 30-32 and the walls of this regular parallelepiped 42. The walls of this rectangular parallelepiped 42 are then at least partly formed by the free walls of the stack formed by the boxes 30-32. The cumulative percentage of empty spaces between these boxes 30-32 on the one hand, and the free walls of the stack and the parallelepiped 42 on the other hand is of the order of 15% of the internal volume of this parallelepiped.

Claims (7)

REVENDICATIONS1. Container comprising arrangements for gripping, handling and fixing said container, each of said arrangements (12) being placed at a corner of said container in an unexpanded position of said container, said container having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension in that position not deployed, characterized in that - in said non-deployed position, said container is constituted by a stack of n boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) with nk 3, at least one of said boxes (1-3 , 15-19, 23-28) being placed between and at least partially in contact with two other of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28), at least some of said boxes (1-3, 15- 19, 23-28) being interconnected to form a rigid structure, at least a portion of said container being sealed, - in said undeployed position, said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) are at least partially in contact with each other, the number n of boxes and / or the dimensions of each of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) being determined so that there is a parallelepiped (8) in which said container is writable, the walls of this parallelepiped (8) then being at least partially formed by the free walls of said stack, the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) on the one hand, and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped (8 ) on the other hand being then between 0.1% and 15% of the internal volume of said parallelepiped (8), - at least some of said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) are movable between said non-position deployed and an extended position in which the assembly thus deployed then forms a floating structure having a longitudinal dimension and / or a transverse dimension greater than said longitudinal and / or transverse dimension of said container in its non-deployed position so as to have a surface charge maximized and greater than at least twice the area of said container in its undeployed position. 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the cumulative percentage of void spaces between said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) on the one hand, and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped (8) on the other hand is less than 10% of the internal volume of said parallelepiped (8). 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in said extended position, the shell of said floating structure has a longitudinal dimension, or transverse, greater than or equal to twice the longitudinal dimension, respectively transverse, said container in his position not deployed. 4. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) mobile are hingedly connected to a fixed block comprising one or more fixed boxes. 5. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises actuators for moving said movable boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) from the undeployed position to the position deployed from said container and vice versa. Container according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said movable boxes (1-3, 15-19, 23-28) are connected to said fixed block by hinges (4-7, 22, 22, 29). , and even better two-axis hinges. 7. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least some of said movable boxes are interconnected by hinges, and even better hinges with two axes.