RU2297958C2 - Shipment container - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerospace industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to containers for shipment and storage of small-size space vehicles. Proposed container has base with fixing units, spacer and cover. Base consists of upper and lower pans attached to each other. Fixing units are made in form of magnetic briquettes installed for movement on lower pan for engagement with floor of carrier. Magnetic briquettes are furnished with screw drives installed on lower pan to provide vertical displacement of briquettes. Screw jack are installed on lower pan for engagement through support planes with floor. Turnable support rollers are secured on lower pan from floor side, being installed for engagement with floor. Invention prevents displacement of shipment container being carried in standard luggage rail car and permits use of base of shipment container as process support when carrying out ground preparation of space vehicle enclosed in said shipment container.

EFFECT: no damage in shipment.

2 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to containers for accommodating products of special equipment, and more specifically, for accommodating small spacecraft during their transportation, storage and ground preparation.

Known shipping container according to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2239589 from 10.11.2004, intended for placement in it of small spacecraft and containing a base, spacer and cover. This shipping container was used for transportation in it in January 2005 to the Plesetsk cosmodrome of the Universitetsky-Tatyana small spacecraft (see Journal of Cosmonautics No. 3, March 2005, pp. 17-21). At the same time, a shipping container with a small spacecraft was delivered in a compartment of a passenger car. The disadvantage of this transport container was the lack of attachment points of the transport container to the vehicle on it. During transportation, the shipping container was located on the floor of the compartment of the passenger carriage, and its fixation from movement was carried out using improvised means (suitcases and bags of accompanying personnel). In addition, only transport containers with transverse dimensions of not more than 500 mm (limited by the width of the side passages of the passenger car) and weighing not more than 70 kg (limited by the possibility of manual loading and transfer) can be transported in a compartment of a passenger carriage.

In some cases, small spacecraft in terms of their overall mass characteristics cannot be placed in a compartment of railway passenger cars, and the only possible and appropriate transportation option (from the point of view of minimizing the cost of their transportation) is to transport them in baggage cars. In practice, this applies to small spacecraft whose transverse dimensions (taking into account the transportation container) are in the range from 500 to 1350 mm and whose masses (also taking into account the transportation container) are in the range from 70 to 250 kg.

Known shipping container designed to accommodate small spacecraft and containing a base with fixation nodes to the floor of the vehicle (a special baggage railway car), a spacer and a cover. Fixing units secure the transportation container to the guides installed on the floor of a special baggage railway carriage, which eliminates the movement (sliding, tipping and “bouncing”) of the transportation container during transportation. This shipping container is made of aluminum alloy and has a volume of 1.6 m ³ (see “Wagons” under the editorship of L. D. Kuzmich, Moscow, “Engineering”. 1976, pp. 246-247, Fig. 98 )

The disadvantage of such a shipping container is the need to use a special baggage railway wagon for its transportation. However, such special baggage rail cars are used only in areas with high cargo flow. It is unrealistic to expect such a special baggage railway wagon as part of a train on the route of sending a shipping container with a small spacecraft. The targeted order of such a special baggage railway carriage for transporting one shipping container with a small spacecraft is economically unprofitable. In addition, in this special baggage train car, only certain (identical) sized shipping containers can be fixed (determined by the pitch of the rails installed on the floor of the special baggage train car). Also, this transportation container cannot be used as a technological stand for ground preparation of a small spacecraft transported in a transportation container at the cosmodrome.

Ordinary baggage cars do not have devices for securing cargo during transportation. At the same time, cargo safety is usually ensured only by placing an ordinary baggage car in the head of the train (the amplitude of the side rocking of the car decreases) and tight mutual installation of adjacent transported goods. The floor of a conventional baggage car is sheathed with metal sheet (magnetic material). The transverse dimension of the side doorway of a conventional baggage car is 1420 mm (see “Wagons”, edited by L. D. Kuzmich, Moscow, “Mechanical Engineering. 1976, p. 248, Fig. 99).

Despite the fact that luggage cars are equipped with KVZ-TsNII trolleys, which provide a significant reduction in the level of overloads during transportation, and shipping containers for small spacecraft are equipped with their own (internal) depreciation system, nevertheless, when transporting shipping containers with small spacecraft, it is necessary to take special technical solutions ensuring the stability of shipping containers from tipping over, “bouncing” and sliding.

The objective (goal) of the present invention is to expand the functionality (eliminating unauthorized movements of the shipping container when transporting it in an ordinary baggage railroad car, making it possible to use the base of the shipping container as a technological stand for ground preparation of a small spacecraft transported in a shipping container at the spaceport) and improved performance (feasibility Development of shipping containers of various sizes and weights, eliminating the need to make a shipping container from an expensive and scarce aluminum alloy) shipping container.

The task (goal) is achieved by the fact that in the proposed transportation container containing a base with fixing units to the floor of the vehicle, a spacer and a cover, the base is made up of fixed upper and lower pallets. In this case, the overall dimensions of the lower pallet in plan exceed the overall dimensions of the upper pallet. Fixation nodes are made in the form of magnetic briquettes, movably mounted around the perimeter on the lower pallet with the possibility of their interaction with the floor (made of magnetic material) of the vehicle. Magnetic briquettes are equipped with screw drives for their vertical movement. On the lower pallet screw jacks are installed, placed with the possibility of interaction of their supporting planes with the floor of the vehicle. On the lower pallet from the side of the vehicle floor, rotary support rollers are fixed, installed with the possibility of their interaction with the floor of the vehicle.

The proposed device is illustrated in figure 1-9.

Figure 1 presents a General view of the shipping container after loading into it a spacecraft.

Figure 2 shows a General view of the shipping container before loading onto the vehicle.

Figure 3 shows a General view of the shipping container in the transport position.

Figure 4 presents a General view of the shipping container without spacers and lids when using it as a technological stand.

Figure 5 shows a view A according to figure 1.

Figure 6 shows a section bB according to figure 2.

Figure 7 presents a section bb according to figure 3.

In Fig.8 shows a section GG according to Fig.1.

In Fig.9 shows a section DD according to Fig.3.

The shipping container contains a base 1 (Fig. 1) with fixing units 2, a spacer 3 and a cover 4. The base 1 consists of upper 5 and lower 6 pallets fixed to each other (fastening elements in Fig. Not shown conventionally). The fixing nodes 2 are made in the form of magnetic briquettes 7 (Fig.6), consisting of a set of permanent magnets and movably mounted around the perimeter (Fig.5) of the lower pallet 6 with the possibility of their interaction (Fig.9) with the floor 8 of the vehicle. Magnetic briquettes 7 are equipped with screw drives for their vertical movement 9 (Fig.6, 9) mounted on the lower pallet 6. In addition, on the lower pallet 6 there are screw jacks 10 (Fig.1) placed with the possibility of interaction of their supporting planes 11 ( Fig. 8) with the floor 8 of the vehicle. On the lower pallet 6 from the side of the floor of the vehicle 8 are fixed (fastening elements in Fig. Not shown conventionally) rotary support rollers 12 (figure 1), installed with the possibility of their interaction (figure 2) with the floor 8 of the vehicle.

The proposed device operates as follows.

In the initial position of the transport container, the base 1 (lower pallet 6) stands on the supporting planes 11 of the screw jacks 10. In this case, the magnetic briquettes 7 are in the raised position.

A small spacecraft 13 (Fig. 1) is mounted on the upper pallet 5 and attached to it (fastening elements in Fig. Not shown). Then, a spacer 3 is mounted on the upper pallet 5 and attached to it (fastening elements in fig. Not shown). After that, the cover 4 is mounted on the spacer 3 and fastened (fastening elements in Fig. Not shown conventionally) to it. By alternating the step-by-step movement of the screw jacks 10 (Fig. 7), the transport container is lowered onto the rotary support rollers 12. Thus, the transport container with the small spacecraft 13 located therein is prepared for loading (Fig. 2) onto the vehicle floor 8.

The shipping container is loaded on the floor of the vehicle 8 (regular baggage railway wagon). The loading is carried out by a forklift, either by crane or manually (the loading means are not shown conditionally in FIG.).

After lowering the shipping container to the floor 8 of the vehicle, it rolls on the pivoting support rollers 12 (FIG. 2) to the desired location on the floor 8 of the vehicle.

Magnetic briquettes 7 by means of screw drives of their vertical movement 9 are alternately lowered (FIG. 3) until they interact (“stick”) with the vehicle floor 8.

Since the lining of the floor 8 of the vehicle (ordinary baggage car) is made of sheet steel, which is magnetic material, as a result of the interaction of the magnetic briquettes 7 of the transport container with the floor 8, the transportation container (magnetic briquettes 7) is fixed (“sticking”) to the floor 8 .

In this provision, the transportation container is transported in an ordinary baggage railway carriage.

The shape, contact surface area of the magnetic briquettes 7 with the vehicle floor 8, the number of magnetic briquettes 7 and the arrangement of them along the perimeter of the lower pallet 6 are determined by the mass-centering characteristics of the transported shipping container with the small spacecraft 13 placed in it and the loads acting during transportation.

The calculations showed that for guaranteed (with a safety factor k = 2) prevention of “tipping over” and “bouncing” (tearing one of the ribs of the base 1 of the shipping container from the floor of the vehicle 8), a shipping container weighing 150-200 kg with a dimension of 1 m × 1 m × 1 m from the effects of standard (passport) side and vertical loads acting during transportation in an ordinary baggage railway wagon, it is necessary to create fixing forces of the order of 25-30 kgf (along each of ber transportation container base 1).

The creation of such efforts is possible with the help of permanent magnets of the UND, UNDK brands made of a magnetically-hard alloy based on Fe-Ni-Al, which refers to materials with an average coercive force (see N.E. Februaryvreva. “Magnetic-solid materials and permanent magnets ”,“ Naukova Dumka ”, Kiev, 1969, p. 26, 32-33).

It should be noted that a shipping container equipped with magnetic briquettes 7 will also have greater shear resistance from lateral overloads acting on the shipping container, since due to the interaction of magnetic briquettes 7 with the floor 8 of the vehicle (ordinary baggage railroad car), the normal pressure force of the shipping container on the floor 8 of the vehicle, which leads to an increase in the frictional force that impedes the movement (sliding) of the shipping container and 8 on the floor of the vehicle.

The calculations showed that under the influence of regular transport loads in conventional baggage cars, the increase in the mass of the transport container from the introduction of the proposed devices in its design will not exceed 30%. In this case, the stability of the transport container from tipping over will also increase due to a corresponding decrease in the position of the center of mass of the transport container.

It should be noted that the use of magnetic briquettes 7 as part of the transportation container will not adversely affect the performance of the small spacecraft 13. This is due to the fact that during transportation all on-board systems of the small spacecraft 13 are turned off and inoperative, and gravity devices are transported in individual packages.

The shipping container is unloaded from the vehicle in the reverse (loading) sequence, namely:

- magnetic briquettes 7 by means of screw drives of their vertical movement 9 alternately rise ("come off") from the floor 8 of the vehicle;

- the transportation container on the rotary support rollers 12 is rolled along the floor 8 of the vehicle to the doorway (not shown conventionally in FIG.) of the vehicle (ordinary baggage railway carriage);

- the transportation container is unloaded from the vehicle (unloading is carried out by a forklift, either by crane or manually (the loading means are not shown conventionally in Fig.) and is installed on the floor of the room where the small spacecraft 13 will be unloaded from the transportation container.

In this case, the unloading of the small spacecraft 13 from the transportation container is carried out in the following sequence:

- the shipping container by moving on the rotary support rollers 12 is installed in the discharge area of the small spacecraft 13;

- by alternating stepwise movement of the screw jacks 10, the transport container is lifted, while the rotary support rollers 12 cease to contact the floor of the room, thereby achieving a stable position of the transport container (from rolling);

- detached from the spacer 3 (fasteners in Fig. not shown conventionally) cover 4;

- detaches from the upper pallet 5 (fasteners in Fig. not shown conventionally) spacer 3;

- a small spacecraft 13 is detached from the upper pallet 5 (fastening elements in Fig. not shown conventionally) and reloaded onto a technological stand (not shown conventionally in Fig.).

It should be noted that the preparation of a small spacecraft 13 can also be carried out when it is located (Fig. 4) on the basis of 1 (upper pallet 5) of the proposed transportation container, that is, to use the base 1 as a technological stand. Moreover, the stability of the position of the small spacecraft 13 is ensured by contact of the supporting planes 11 of the screw jacks 10 with the floor of the room in which the preparation of the small spacecraft 13 is performed. If necessary, during the preparation of the longitudinal axis of the small spacecraft 13, the required angle small spacecraft 13 to the vertical is achieved by a certain movement of the screw jacks 10, taking into account the use of spherical hinges in their design s 14 (Figure 8).

The universality of the proposed transportation container is that when transporting the latter by plane, the cargo compartment of which has a floor made of non-magnetic material and is equipped with mooring devices, the transportation container is transported with a dismantled lower pallet 6 (the upper pallet 5 rests on the floor of the cargo compartment of the aircraft).

In addition, the implementation of the base 1 in the form of upper 5 and lower 6 pallets fixed to each other, allows you to transport small spacecraft 13 of various sizes in the proposed transportation container (on the same lower pallet 6 you can install and fix the upper pallets 5 of various sizes) . At the same time, depending on the mass of the transported cargo, the number of (fixing) magnetic briquettes 7, installed around the perimeter of the lower pallet 6, varies.

In some cases (to ensure ease of loading and passage into the vehicle’s doorways), it is possible to separately load the lower (lower pallet 6 with fixation nodes 2) and upper (upper pallet 5 with small spacecraft 13) parts of the shipping container.

In this case, the loading and fastening of the shipping container with the small spacecraft 13 are carried out in the following sequence:

- loading (manually), installation and fixation (using magnetic briquettes 7) of the lower pallet 6 on the floor 8 of the vehicle;

- loading (manually) and installing the upper part of the shipping container with the small spacecraft 13 (upper pallet 5) onto the lower pallet 6 and securing (fastening elements in Fig. not shown conventionally) the upper pallet 5 on the lower pallet 6.

Unloading the shipping container from the vehicle (regular baggage railway wagon) is carried out in the reverse order.

Using the proposed transportation container will ensure the safety of small spacecraft 13 during transportation, significantly reduce the cost of transportation, increase the efficiency of the transport order, while the implementation of the base 1 of the transportation container consisting of the upper 5 and lower 6 pallets expands the capabilities of existing transportation containers of various sizes in terms of ensuring the transportation of small spacecrafts in them with 13 conventional luggage gons.

Thus, the proposed device has significant differences from previously known shipping containers for transporting small spacecraft and allows you to expand their functionality and improve operational characteristics.

Claims (2)

1. A transportation container comprising a base with its fixation units to the vehicle floor, a spacer and a cover, characterized in that the base is made up of upper and lower pallets fixed to each other, while the overall dimensions of the lower pallet in plan exceed the overall dimensions of the upper pallet, and the fixing nodes are made in the form of magnetic briquettes, movably mounted on the lower pallet and placed with the possibility of interaction with the floor of the vehicle, while the magnetic briquettes are equipped with screw drives of vertical movement, while the bottom pallet jackscrews mounted to engage their supporting planes to the vehicle floor. 2. The transport container according to claim 1, characterized in that on the lower pallet from the side of the floor of the vehicle mounted rotary support rollers mounted with the possibility of their interaction with the floor of the vehicle.

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