GB2126197A - Ventilated containers - Google Patents

Abstract

In a ventilated container having outside walls 1 made of corrugated panels, an array holes is formed in each valley of the corrugated panel 1, and covers 11 having a further array of holes 13 are fitted to the outside, covering but spaced from the first arrays of holes. A baffle plate (not shown) is provided in the space between the arrays of holes which space is closed at its top end, so as to avoid the corrosion of the interior of the space. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilated container This invention relates to ventilated containers for the transport, e.g. by sea, of non-refrigerated goods such as fresh fruit and vegetables and other general goods.

In a conventional ventilated container upper air vent means comprises a top side rail made of a square pipe, a side wall panel welded substantially in the middle of the bottom surface of the square pipe, a series of air holes for downward flow formed in the bottom surface of the square pipe outside the welded junction with the side wall panel, and a series of air holes for lateral flow formed above a vertical piece of the square pipe located within the container so that the inside of the square pipe may be an air passage, while lower vent means comprises another metal plate welded to a bottom side rail to form a hollow part, and a series of non-aligned holes formed in the bottom side rail and the said metal plate respectively in such manner that rainwater is prevented from coming in and only ventilation takes place.

However, such an arrangement has defects in that insufficient ventilation is obtained and furthermore the interior of the air passage cannot be fully treated against corrosion.

As regards the anticorrosion treatment of the interior of the above mentioned air passage, the anticorroding treatment in the container is normally by means of painting. However, in the above mentioned upper air vent means it is difficult to paint the interior of the square pipe which is to form an air passage and, even if it is painted, as the side wall panel and roof panel are welded to it the paint within the square pipe tends to be destroyed by the welding heat. Thus no anticorrosion effect is obtained and, in transportation by sea, corrosion will be accelerated by air containing salt. Thus the parts have often to be repaired.

Also, in the lower air vent means in which an air flow passage is formed by welding another metal plate to the above mentioned bottom side rail, the paint within the air passage tends to be destroyed in the same way.

According to the present invention there is provided in a ventilated container having a vertically corrugated side wall, ventilating means comprising a first array of ventilating holes in said side wall in the valley between two corrugations thereof, an external cover secured to said side wall over but spaced from said first array of ventilating holes and formed with a second array of ventilating holes, the space inside the cover being closed at its top end, and a baffle in said space between said arrays of holes.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ventilated container embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, substantially half sectioned; Fig. 3 is a right end view; Fig. 4 is a left end view; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line A-A in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a partly sectioned perspective view of a cover of an upper air ventilation means as seen from the inside; Fig. 7 is a partly sectioned perspective view of a cover of a lower air ventilation means as seen from inside; and Fig. 8 shows another embodiment and is a sectioned view corresponding to Fig. 5.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the reference numeral 1 denotes a side wall made of a corrugated panel, 2 denotes a front end wall made of a corrugated panel, 3 denotes an opening and closing door, 4, denotes a roof panel, 5 denotes a bottom side rail, 6 denotes a top side rail, 7 denotes a bottom front end rail, 8 denotes a top front end rail, 9 denotes a corner post and 10 denotes a corner fitting.

In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in Fig.

1 , ventilating means according to the present invention is provided at both the top and bottom of the side wall 1 so that convection may be produced within the container. That is to say, upper air vent means X through each of which air within the container flows out are provided in the upper part of the side wall 1 and lower air vent means Y through each of which outside air is introduced into the container are provided in the lower part of the side wall 1.

Needless to say, ventilating means according to the invention can also be provided in the intermediate parts of the side wall 1, or continuously from top to bottom of the side wall.

Furthermore, in the same manner, the corrugated front end wall 2 can also be provided with ventilation means.

Each external valley a between two corrugations of the side wall 1 has a central flat floor 1 a and oblique portions 1 b and Ic formed on each side of it.

First of all, the upper air vent means X will be described, with particular reference to Figs. 5 and 6. A cover 11 is fitted to each outside valley of the side wall 1 with blind rivets 12, or bolts and nuts.

The cover 11 has flanges 1 la and 1 lbformed on each side which are secured to the oblique sides Ib and 1c by blind rivets 12 in such manner that the outside surface 1 C of the cover does not project beyond the corrugations 1 d.

Reference numeral 1 3 denotes an array of air vent holes formed in the central region 11 c of the cover 11.

A bottom closing plate 14 is provided at the lower end of the cover 1 The plate 14 can be formed by being pressed integrally from the cover 11, or it may be fitted separately by welding.

Reference numeral 15 denotes air vent holes formed in the bottom closing plate 14 and acting also as drain holes.

Further, a baffle plate 16 is provided in the space between the cover 11 and the wall 1, spaced from the air vent holes 13. The baffle plate 16 is mounted by welding it to the bottom closing plate 14 at a desired spacing between each side end and the cover 1 and is formed with curved vertical edges 1 6a and 1 6b directed toward the cover 11 on both sides.

Reference numeral 1 7 denotes further baffle plates located on each side of the array of air vent holes 13.

The cover 1 1, bottom closing plate 14, and baffle plates 16 and 17 may be formed on such anticorrosive material as stainless steel, and it will not be necessary to paint them.

Reference numeral 1 8 denotes an array of air vent holes formed in the side wall 1 to the rear of the baffle plate 16. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the air vent holes 1 8 are formed in the oblique sides 1 b and 1 C of the outside valley.

These air vent holes 1 8 may be formed in the floor part 1 a of the valley but they would then be likely to be locked by contact with goods in the container, thus reducing the ventilating effect. If the holes 18 are formed in the oblique sides 1 b and 1c they will much less likely to be closed by such goods and the ventilating effect will not be reduced.

The cover 11 including the bottom ciosing plate 14 and baffle plates 16 and 17 is fitted as mentioned above by means of blind rivets 12, and that at the upper vent means X is so fitted with the upper end of the cover 11 butted to the lower surface of the top side rail 6.

Neeedless to say, the side wall 1 and its air vent holes 1 8 to which the covers 11 are fitted are painted or otherwise treated to resist corrosion. After the cover 11 is fitted by means of the blind rivets 12, any gaps between the top side rail 6 and side wall 1 and between the cover 11 and bottom closing plate 14 are sealed with a suitable sealing material.

The lower air vent means Y will now be described. As shown in Fig. 7, the lower air vent means Y is of substantially the same formation as of the upper air vent means X, and the same reference numerals are given to the same component parts. The difference is that in the vent means Y an upper closing plate 1 9 is provided at the upper end of the cover 1 This is because, although in the upper air vent means X the upper end of the cover 11 is closed by the top side rail 6, in the lower air vent means Y there is nothing corresponding to the top side rail 6.

Further, in the lower vent means Y it is not always necessary to provide a bottom closing plate 14, but it is necessary to make a gap Z, as shown in Fig. 1, between the lower air vent means Y and the side frame so that rainwater may drain away.

In the lower air vent means Y, if no bottom closing plate 14 is provided, the baffle plate 16 will be secured to the lower surface of the upper closing plate 19 by welding.

Another embodiment is shown in Fig. 8. In this embodiment the fianges 1 a and 1 b on both sides of the cover 11 extend upwardly and further baffle plates 1 d and 1 e are formed at the ends thereof.

In both embodiments, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 5 and 8, air within the container will flow out of the upper vent means X whilst outside air will be introduced into the lower vent means Y in the direction opposite to such arrows, so that the interior of the container will be ventilated.

The above ventilation means can easily be fitted to an existing dry container or the like having corrugated side walls, to modify it to a ventilated container, and can be applied to all the outside valleys of the corrugated walls if desired, so that the amount of ventilating air (ventilated area) may be very large. Furthermore, as already explained, if the ventilating means is secured by means of blind rivets or the like, the inside paint will not be destroyed and thus the inside anticorrosion will be preserved. Also, if the air vent holes are formed in the said oblique sides, the holes will not be likely to be blocked by the goods inside. Further, the ventilating means is easy to manufacture, maintain and control.

Furthermore, if the curves 1 6a and 1 6b are provided at both sides of the baffle plate 1 6, and the baffle plates 17 are provided on the cover 11, rainwater will be substantially prevented from coming in. That is to say, rainwater coming in directly through the air vent holes 13 will collide with the baffle plate 1 6 and will mostly fall downwards and will be drained through the holes 1 5 in the bottom closing plate 14. Rainwater colliding with the baffle plate 1 6 and flying sideways will be diverted by the curves 1 6a and 1 6b of the baffle plate, or by the baffle plate 17, and will not enter the interior.Further, rainwater coming in diagonally through the air vent holes 13 will collide with the baffle plate 1 6 or with its curved edges 1 6a and 1 6b or with the baffle plate 1 7 and will fall downwards and be drained through the holes 1 5 in the bottom closing plate 14. Further, the more the collisions and splashes of air containing water, the more effectively the water will be removed, as is well known.

It will thus be seen that the present invention at least in its preferred and illustrated embodiment, has features first to be able to obtain a sufficient amount of venting air.

(ventilated area), second to be able to efficiently apply an anticorrosion treatment within the air passages, third to be able to prevent the air vent holes from being closed by the goods inside the container, and fourth to be able to manufacture the container in the same line as dry containers made of corrugated side wall panels and to easily modify such dry containers to the form of ventilated containers.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. In a ventilated container having a vertically corrugated side wall, ventilating means comprising a first array of ventilating holes in said side wall in the valley between two corrugations thereof, an external cover secured to said side wall over but spaced from said first array of ventilating holes and formed with a second array of ventilating holes, the space inside the cover being closed at its top end, and a baffle in said space between said arrays of holes.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said baffle has opposite vertical side edges curved towards the said cover.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ventilating holes in the said side wall are formed in oblique wall portions on each side of a flat floor portion of the said valley.

4. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, having said ventilating means only at the top and bottom regions of said valley.

5. Ventilated containers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.