NZ614046B2 - Convertible container - Google Patents

Abstract

614046 Container which has a non-deployed configuration in which it can be picked up, manipulated or secured and which in its deployed configuration forms an autonomous floating structure particularly for fighting an accidental oil spill. The container has fittings for holding, handling and fixing the container, each fitting (12) being placed at a corner of the container in a non-deployed configuration of the container. In the non-deployed configuration, the container is constituted by a stack of at least three boxes (1-3), at least one of the boxes (1-3) being placed between and at least partly in contact with two others of the boxes (1-3). At least some of the boxes (1-3) are connected to each other to form a rigid structure, and at least part of the container is watertight. In the non-deployed configuration the boxes (1-3) are at least partly in contact with each other and the container forms a parallelepiped (8). The cumulative percentage of empty spaces (9, 10, 11) between the boxes (1-3) and the parallelepiped (8) is between 0.1 % and 15% of the interior volume of the parallelepiped (8). At least some of said boxes (1-3) are mobile between said non-deployed configuration and a deployed configuration in which a maximized loading area is greater than at least twice the area of the container in its non-deployed configuration. the container, each fitting (12) being placed at a corner of the container in a non-deployed configuration of the container. In the non-deployed configuration, the container is constituted by a stack of at least three boxes (1-3), at least one of the boxes (1-3) being placed between and at least partly in contact with two others of the boxes (1-3). At least some of the boxes (1-3) are connected to each other to form a rigid structure, and at least part of the container is watertight. In the non-deployed configuration the boxes (1-3) are at least partly in contact with each other and the container forms a parallelepiped (8). The cumulative percentage of empty spaces (9, 10, 11) between the boxes (1-3) and the parallelepiped (8) is between 0.1 % and 15% of the interior volume of the parallelepiped (8). At least some of said boxes (1-3) are mobile between said non-deployed configuration and a deployed configuration in which a maximized loading area is greater than at least twice the area of the container in its non-deployed configuration.

Description

CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER The present invention concerns a convertible container which in its non— deployed configuration can be picked up, manipulated or d like any transport container and which in its deployed configuration forms an autonomous floating structure.

Floating containers are known which when they are secured to each other enable a boat to be formed for fighting an accidental oil spill at sea, in rivers or lakes. These containers advantageously allow very rapid routing of means for fighting oil slicks by aircraft or by ship. In the latter case, and when the ship that has caused the accidental oil spill is a container ship, these ng maritime containers may already be on board.

However, this type of boat necessitates a plurality of different ners each having a specific function and the whole being indispensable to the formation and correct operation of the boat. er, this type of boat has cted buoyancy, especially in a heavy sea, at the same time as having a relatively small storage capacity.

The objective of the present invention is therefore to propose a floating transport device of simple design and mode of use, having the dimensions of a container for transporting goods in a non-deployed configuration, ing gs for holding, handling and fixing this device with standard harbour installations, for example, and forming a boat in its deployed configuration. r object of the present invention is to provide a floating transport device of this kind which from a given longitudinal dimension and a given transverse dimension in its non—deployed configuration, i.e. those of a container, has a maximized deck area in order significantly to se the loading capacity of the boat and a maximized hull volume in order to have the best possible buoyancy in its ed configuration.

The foregoing objects are to be read disjunctively with the object of at least providing a useful alternative to known floating transport devices. /110400 2 The dimensions of this transport device in its non—deployed configuration, i.e. in its container configuration, are therefore advantageously small, allowing its transport by truck, ship or cargo aircraft.

Another imperative for a container of this kind, as in all containers for transporting goods, is then to have all of its structural components contained within, and consequently not projecting from, the parallelepiped d by the free walls of this container so that a plurality of such ners can be stacked and/or juxtaposed.

More generally, the t ion aims to minimize the space lost in the parallelepiped defined by the rs of a container that can be converted into a boat so as to maximize the useful dimensions of the deck of this boat.

To this end, the invention concerns a ner ing fittings for holding, ng and fixing this container, each of these fittings being placed at a corner of this container in a non-deployed configuration of the container, said container having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension in this non-deployed configuration. in accordance with the invention: - in said ployed configuration, said container is constituted by a stack of n boxes with n 3 3, at least one of said boxes being placed between and at least partly in contact with two others of said boxes, at least some of said boxes being connected to each other to form a rigid structure, at least part of said container being watertight, — in said non—deployed uration, said boxes are at least partly in contact with each other, the number n of boxes and/or the dimensions of each of said boxes being determined so that there exists a parallelepiped within which said container can be inscribed, the walls of this parallelepiped then being formed at least in part 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 then being between 0.1% and 15% of the interior volume of said parallelepiped, — at least some of said boxes are mobile between said non—deployed configuration and a deployed configuration in which the whole deployed in this way 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 configuration so as to have a maximized loading area greater than at least twice the area of said container in its non-deployed configuration.

In other words, a parallelepiped, and even better a right-angle W02012/110400 3 parallelepiped or a cube, can be found each of the walls of which is tuted at least in part by said container in its non-deployed configuration, this container being constituted in this non-deployed configuration of at least three boxes.

The expression "free walls of the stack" refers to the or envelope of the stack defined by all of the shapes of the boxes and their fitting in the non— deployed configuration of the container.

The expression "the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes at least partly in contact with each another on the one hand and the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped on the other hand" refers to the sum on the one hand of the percentage of empty spaces between the walls of the boxes placed at least in part against each other relative to the interior volume of the parallelepiped, these walls therefore being placed entirely within the interior volume of this parallelepiped, and the percentage of empty spaces between the free walls of said stack and said parallelepiped relative to the interior volume of the elepiped.

Of course, this percentage does not take into account the empty spaces placed inside the boxes and resulting, for example, from hollow boxes intended to receive loads and/or a hydraulic feed circuit.

For example, in the first case, the empty spaces may result from mobile boxes having a truncated triangular shape leaving an empty space between two superposed mobile boxes.

The interior volume of a parallelepiped is known to the person skilled in the art. By way of ration only, for a right-angle parallelepiped, the interior volume is given by the formula V = L x l x H where L is the length, l is the width and H is the height of this angle parallelepiped.

These fittings for holding, ng and fixing said container are also known as corner fittings enabling g, securing and transhipment of the container.

These fittings being placed at the s of the container, at least these corners are solid in order to have sufficient stiffness to withstand the applied 3O forces. in various particular embodiments of this container, each having its particular advantages and open to numerous possible technical ations: — in the non-deployed configuration of said container at least some of the vertices of the parallelepiped including one of the fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container, no element of this container is placed projecting from said parallelepiped.

Thus the container is entirely inscribed within the parallelepiped. By way of illustration only, the actuators enabling movement of the mobile boxes from the W02012/110400 4 non-deployed configuration to the deployed configuration of this container are not placed projecting from the parallelepiped. - 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 is less than 10% of the or volume of said parallelepiped, - in the deployed configuration of the container the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal or transverse dimension greater than twice the longitudinal, respectively transverse, dimension of said ner in its non- deployed configuration, Thus, and by way of example, in the deployed configuration of said container, the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal dimension from the prow to the poop greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of said container in its non-deployed uration. - said mobile boxes are connected in an articulated manner to a fixed unit comprising one or more fixed boxes, These mobile boxes are advantageously connected in an articulated manner to the fixed unit by a hinge. This hinge is preferably a hinge with two axes.

This hinge with two axes, also known as a l hinge, includes two articulated parts that are connected to an intermediate part ng the two offset hinge pins. - the container being tuted only of mobile boxes, these boxes are connected in an articulated mannerto each other, and, even better, are connected to each other by biaxial hinges, - this container includes actuators for moving the mobile boxes from the ployed uration to the deployed configuration of this container and vice versa, The mobile boxes preferably being connected in an articulated manner by hinges to a fixed unit comprising one or more fixed boxes, these ors are motorized hinges or hinges including means for opening and closing said hinges.

By way of illustration only, these means for opening and closing said hinges include, for example, rotary ors fed by a source of electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic power. This power source and its distribution circuit are preferably placed in one of the boxes of the container.

Alternatively, the means for opening and closing the hinges may be remotely sited, and thus not integrated into the hinges themselves. By way of illustration only, they may be linear actuators or a cable system or an al crane. - the mobile boxes have complementary profiles so as to cooperate in the W02012/110400 5 non-deployed configuration of the container to form with a fixed unit sing one or more fixed boxes an assembly the free walls of which define a parallelepiped or substantially a elepiped and even better a right-angle elepiped or a cube, By way of illustration only, the mobile boxes may ore have a ular or truncated triangular profile.

The triangular shape of the mobile boxes ensures that there is no preferential direction of movement of the floating structure, which is then advantageously double—ended. - the external surface of said container in its deployed configuration is plane or substantially plane so that the deck of the floating structure is plane or ntially plane, — the container includes at least one propulsion system so that said floating structure is self-propelled, This propulsion system preferably allows at least movement 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 fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container being at least eight in number, said fittings are placed at the extreme corners of said container in its non-deployed configuration, said fittings being intended to cooperate with standard ISO infrastructures for holding, 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 assembly at the extreme corners of which are placed fittings for holding, handling and fixing said unitary assembly, - the container includes ts inflatable independently or othenNise, allowing the buoyancy of said ng ure to be improved, These inflatable elements are advantageously received in housings provided for this purpose in the lateral edges of this container. Accordingly, in an emergency, the container may pass from its deployed configuration to its non— deployed configuration without having to deflate these inflatable ts.

Alternatively or additionally, these able elements may be deployed from housings placed in the bottom of one or more boxes, the inflatable elements then being placed under these ts when they are deployed.

These inflatable elements are preferably sized to ensure the stability and the buoyancy of the floating structure.

As a m, these able elements will have an elementary section of W02012/110400 6 circular type. However, in order to improve stability (increase buoyancy inertia), resistance to fonNard movement (reduce hydrodynamic drag) and buoyancy (limit lost buoyancy volumes), these inflatable elements will have an elementary section derived from the ium or the gle, having edges with very rounded corners and continuous faces minimizing ruptures of shape.

The interior face of these inflatable elements will advantageously have a small slope oriented facing the flows.

Alternatively, and with the aim of reducing the hydrodynamic drag of juxtaposed circular n inflatable elements, a flexible wall could be held tangentially to their lower part, this feature therefore enabling some continuity of shape to be restored.

The container ably includes a feeder circuit for inflating these inflatable ts independently or otherwise from a power source, for example a pneumatic power source. By way of illustration only, these inflatable ts are able pudding fenders. This power source may be placed in one of the boxes, for example.

In order to compensate the re losses that may result from leaks or from variations of temperature, the inflation pressure of the inflatable elements is controlled and adjusted thanks to servocontrol of the power source by probes such as pressure sensors verifying the pressure to which each inflatable element is inflated. - the container includes wheels, retractable or not, This container preferably includes at least two wheels, retractable or not, per extension unit. Of course, the central box can include at least one pair of wheels, retractable or not, for movement of the container in its non—deployed configuration by road.

At least two of the wheels of the container are advantageously steerable. er, at least two of said wheels are preferably driving wheels.

This ner then forms an amphibious vehicle in its deployed 3O configuration. — said container includes locking means, These locking means may comprise locks designed to cooperate with two or more fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container placed o-face.

By way of illustration, these locks may be rotary double locks (also known as "twist-locks"), mounted tips , and disposed n two holding fittings placed face-to-face and put into place before complete expansion of the container.

In accordance with another embodiment, or additionally, the locking means may include attachments such as pins or bolted fixing lugs.

W02012/110400 7 atively, the ner may be self—lockable in its deployed configuration, the self-locking being ensured by the force resulting from the expansion actuators.

By way of illustration only, the self—locking may be ensured by load maintaining valves on the hydraulic actuators for expanding the container. — this container has the dimensions of an lSO 10—feet, 20—feet, 30-feet, 40-feet or 45—feet transport container, or a standard ner of any other size as defined by the ISO standards 668 and 1496-1 or any other authority or standard used in multimode transport by sea, river, road, rail or air, - the container in its non-deployed configuration advantageously floats so that it may be launched at sea and deployed, for e, tically or remotely, to form a ship.

If it is deployed automatically, the container includes one or more probes connected to a hydraulic power circuit, for example, for g the hinges and assuring their movement from their open position to their closed position. These probes, detecting the presence of the container in the water, ensure its good stability and, in the affirmative, send a message to the hydraulic power source to feed the hinges to te them. Their activation causes the container to pass from its ployed configuration to its deployed configuration.

If the container is remote-controlled, it includes at least one receiver, or transmitter/receiver, connected to a control unit, the latter controlling activation of the hydraulic source to feed the hinges and activate them.

The invention also concerns a floating craft including at least two containers as described above in their deployed configuration, these containers being connected to each other to form a unitary floating ure.

These containers in their ed configuration can be assembled end—to- end and/or edge—to-edge.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings in which: -Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a front view of a container in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed uration; — Figure 2 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 1 in its deployed configuration; -Figure 3 represents diagrammatically a front View of a container in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 4 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 3 in the W02012/110400 8 process of expansion; - Figure 5 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 3 in its deployed configuration; e 6 represents diagrammatically a front view of a ner in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 7 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 6 in the process of expansion; - Figure 8 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 6 in its deployed uration; — Figure 9 represents mmatically a perspective view of a container in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; — Figure 10 ents diagrammatically the container from Figure 9 in the process of expansion; — Figure 11 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 9 in its ed configuration; - Figure 12 ents diagrammatically a view in section of a container with its inflatable elements in a deployed configuration; for simplicity, the container in the deployed configuration has been represented in the form of a single unit; Figures 1 and 2 show a convertible container in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention in its non—deployed and deployed configurations.

This container is constituted only of a central box 1 having a longitudinal ion and at the ends of which are placed extension units 2, 3 that are connected to the central box 1 by biaxial hinges 4—7.

Each extension unit 2, 3 is constituted of a single box, also referred to as an end box hereinafter, which is connected in an articulated manner to the central box 1 by a pair of biaxial hinges 4-7. Alternatively, each extension unit 2, 3 could 3O comprise two boxes placed in contact with each other.

Here these hinges 4-7 include rotary hydraulic ors. The container ore includes a hydraulic power source and a circuit for distribution of this hydraulic fluid (not ented) for feeding the various hinges 4-7 and thus enabling opening and closing thereof. The container is consequently perfectly autonomous.

The end boxes 2, 3, which have a truncated triangular e, are placed in part one on the other, being superposed on the central box 1. Accordingly, one of the end boxes is placed in the non-deployed configuration of the container W02012/110400 9 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 to receive loads and/or equipment or devices necessary for the correct operation of the container.

Each box 1—3, which is watertight, forms a floating box.

In the non-deployed configuration of the container, the free exterior walls of the end boxes 2, 3 and the central box 1 substantially define a right-angle parallelepiped 8, Le. this container can be bed in its non-deployed uration within this regular right—angle parallelepiped 8 (shown in dotted outline). No structural element of the container is, by definition, placed projecting from this right-angle parallelepiped 8 so that this container can be d on and/or placed against other containers with a View to its storage or transport.

The container in its non-deployed configuration departs from this regular right-angle parallelepiped 8 by the hollows or empty spaces 9, 10 (shaded areas) between the boxes 1-3 and the walls of the regular parallelepiped 8.

Here this angle parallelepiped has dimensions equal to those of an ISO 20-foot maritime transport container so that it can advantageously be picked up, transported, manipulated, ipped or secured like any lSO rd container without necessitating any specific infrastructure or equipment.

There exists moreover an empty space 11 (shaded area) between the end boxes 2, 3 so that the interior volume of this r right—angle elepiped 8 is not entirely filled by the container in its non-deployed configuration.

The cumulative percentage of empty spaces between said boxes 1-3 placed at least in part t each other on the one hand and the free walls of the stack formed by the boxes 1-3 and the regular right-angle parallelepiped 8 on the other hand is the sum of the shaded areas 9, 10 and 11 here, i.e. 8%.

This container includes, at each of its corners, a fitting 12 for holding, handling and fixing the container. It therefore includes eight fittings 12 that are placed at the extreme corners of the container in its ployed configuration.

The activation of the biaxial hinges 4—7 ensures the passage from the non- deployed configuration of the container to its deployed configuration. In this latter configuration, the end boxes 2, 3 form longitudinal extensions of the central box 1, said assembly deployed in this way then forming a floating structure the hull of which has a longitudinal dimension greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of this l box 1. s a first end box 2 effects a rotation of 180° between the non- deployed configuration and the deployed configuration of the container, the other end box 3 effects a rotation of less than 180°, here equal to approximately 167°, W02012/110400 10 between these two configurations. These two different rotations ensure the production of a plane or substantially plane deck for the floating structure.

The angle of rotation being less than 180°, the end wall 13 of the central box 1 ed to be placed t the end box 3 in the deployed uration of the ner has an inclined shape mentary 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 a biaxial hinge, includes two fixed parts each connected to or forming an integral part of a box 1, 3 and supporting one of the two hinge pins of this hinge. These two hinge pins are connected by one or more links assuring the offsetting of the rotation axes.

Each box 1—3 has aluminium walls forming its ight exterior envelope.

Each box 1-3 formed in this way is structured by a longitudinal and erse network of stiffeners designed to and the local forces and the overall forces to which the container is ted as much in the non-deployed configuration as in the deployed configuration.

Each of these boxes 1-3 therefore forms a earing structure able to receive heavy loads such as a hut, vehicles , etc), equipment and/or personnel. The triangular shape of the end boxes 2, 3 moreover ensures good bearing of loads by the central box 1 allowing the use of the ends, or tips, of these boxes 2, 3 to carry loads. The loading area of the load-bearing structure is therefore significantly increased, which is advantageous. Of course, the biaxial hinges 4-7 are sized to withstand high loads as much in the deployed configuration, i.e. in the floating structure configuration, as in the non—deployed configuration, i.e. in the ner configuration.

Alternatively, these boxes 1—3 could be made of steel, stainless steel, copper-nickel alloy, polymer or more generally composite materials.

Figures 3 to 5 show a convertible container in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention in its ployed configuration, in the process of expansion and in its deployed configuration. The elements of Figures 3 to 5 bearing the same references as elements of Figures 1 and 2 represent the same objects which will therefore not be described again hereinafter.

This container differs from that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 in that in its non-deployed configuration its perimeter forms a regular right-angle parallelepiped. This embodiment is preferred because the cumulative percentage of empty spaces between the boxes 15-19 themselves on the one hand and between the boxes 15—19 and the walls of the regular parallelepiped within which this container is inscribed is then close to zero.

W02012/110400 11 This ensures that the interior volume of this regular elepiped is occupied to the maximum by the material of the container in its non-deployed configuration so that the area of the deck of the floating structure obtained by expanding this container is then maximized.

Here this container es five boxes 15—19 of which only one box 15 is fixed, the other boxes 16-19 being mobile. Two of these mobile boxes 16, 17 are placed between two other boxes 15, 18, 19, all of the boxes 15—19 being placed against each other.

By deploying the mobile boxes 15-19, a deck surface 20 is formed having a longitudinal dimension greater than twice the longitudinal ion of the fixed box 15 on which the mobile boxes 16-19 are superposed in the non-deployed configuration of the container.

Here a box is connected in an articulated manner to another box by a pair or biaxial hinges 4-7, 21, 22 allowing movement of one of these two boxes relative to the other.

Figures 6 to 8 show a convertible container in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration, in the process of deployment and in its ed configuration. The elements from Figures 6 to 8 bearing the same references as elements from s 1 and 2 ent the same objects which will therefore not be described again hereinafter.

This container differs from that bed with reference to Figures 1 and 2 in that in its non—deployed configuration its perimeter forms a regular right-angle parallelepiped.

Here this container includes six boxes 23-28 which during expansion of the container are mobile so as to form in the deployed configuration of the container a ng structure, the udinal dimension of which is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the container in its ployed configuration. This floating structure therefore has an increased plane deck area.

These boxes 23-28 are connected to each other in an lated manner by biaxial hinges 4—7, 21, 22, 29 already described above.

Figures 9 to 11 show a convertible container in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention.

This container includes in its non-deployed configuration a stack of three boxes 30-32 having equal dimensions, which are therefore superposed on each other.

These boxes 30—32 are er articulated relative to each other so that two consecutive boxes are connected to each other on each of their lateral edges by at least two connecting arms 33-38, one of these connecting arms 34, 37 being W02012/110400 12 common to the three boxes 30-32.

Two consecutive connecting arms form with the two consecutive boxes that they connect a deformable regular parallelogram so that the movement of one of these boxes relative to an immediately lower box in the stack from said non- deployed configuration of said container leads to circular translation of that box relative to the immediately lower box of the stack.

The connecting arms 34, 37 connecting the three boxes 30—32 advantageously ensure simultaneous and uniform movement of all of the boxes of the container between the non-deployed configuration and the ed configuration and vice versa.

These connecting arms 33—38 are advantageously received in lateral housings 39 provided for this e in order for no structural element of the container to be placed projecting from the parallelepiped 40 d by the free walls of the boxes 30—32 so that this container can be stacked on and/or placed against other containers for its storage or its transport. These lateral housings 39 pond here to recesses in the lateral edges of the boxes 30-32.

The connecting arms 33-38 are mounted to be mobile in rotation on the boxes 30-32 to allow relative movement of each of these boxes. These connecting arms 33-38 include links, for example. 2O The face or faces 40, 41 of the boxes 30—32 intended to come into contact with a face of another box when these boxes are placed end-to-end in the deployed uration of the ner each have a shape complementary to the face with which it is intended to cooperate in the deployed uration of the container. As a result, the faces of two consecutive boxes coupled in this manner cooperate to lock the floating structure in position.

This container in its non-deployed configuration can be bed within a right-angle parallelepiped 42 from which the container in its ployed configuration departs by virtue of the empty spaces between the boxes 30—32 and the walls of this regular parallelepiped 42. The walls of this right-angle parallelepiped 42 are then formed at least in part 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 paraiielepiped 42 on the other hand is of the order of 15% of the interior volume of this parallelepiped.

Figure 12 shows mmatically a view in section of a container with its inflatable elements in a deployed configuration on the water; for simplicity, the container in the ed configuration has been represented in the form of a single unit 43.

W02012/110400 13 One of these inflatable elements 44 has an elemental section derived from the trapezium having edges with highly rounded corners and continuous faces minimizing ruptures of shape while the other inflatable elements 45, 46 have a circular section. These latter two inflatable elements 45, 46 are connected to each other by a web 47 so that there is a continuous e between these inflatable ts minimizing ruptures of shape.

Claims (10)

What is claimed

1. ner including fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container, each of said fittings being placed at a corner of said ner in a non-deployed configuration of said container, said ner having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension in this non-deployed configuration, wherein: - in said non-deployed configuration, said container is constituted by a stack of n boxes with n 3 3, at least one of said boxes being placed between and at least partly in contact with two others of said boxes, at least some of said boxes being connected to each other to form a rigid structure, at least part of said container 10 being watertight, - in said non-deployed configuration, said boxes are at least partly in contact with each other, the number n of boxes and/or the dimensions of each of said boxes being determined so that there exists a parallelepiped within which said container can be inscribed, the walls of this parallelepiped then being formed at 15 least in part 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 then being between 0.1% and 15% of the or volume of said parallelepiped, - at least some of said boxes are mobile between said non—deployed 20 configuration and a deployed configuration in which the whole deployed in this way 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 configuration so as to have a maximized loading area greater than at least twice the area of said container in its non-deployed 25 configuration.

2. Container according to Claim 1, wherein in the non-deployed configuration of said container at least some of the vertices of said parallelepiped including one of said fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container, no element of said container is placed ting from said parallelepiped. 30

3. Container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein 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 is less than 10% of the interior volume of said parallelepiped.

4. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, n in said 35 deployed uration the hull of said ng structure has a udinal or transverse dimension greater than or equal to twice the udinal, respectively transverse, dimension of said ner in its non-deployed configuration.

5. ner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said mobile boxes are connected in an articulated manner to a fixed unit comprising one or more fixed boxes.

6. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein it includes actuators for moving said mobile boxes from the non-deployed configuration to the ed configuration of said ner and vice versa.

7. Container according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein said mobile boxes are connected to said fixed unit by hinges.

8. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein at least some of 10 said mobile boxes are connected to each other by hinges.

9. Container according to Claim 7 or 8, wherein the hinges are hinges with two axes.

10. Container substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the