SE467106B - TRANSPORT CONTAINERS FOR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE GOODS - Google Patents

Description

4-67 106 for supplying coolant such as liquid nitrogen. Then a second casing is applied which also encloses the pallet and which is arranged sealingly against the first casing, whereby a barrier layer of gas is obtained around the goods. This device is very complicated to handle and requires apparatus for introducing coolant as well as great care in the application of the casings to achieve full tightness.

Also by GB-1 382 230 and Patent Abstract of Japan of Japanese patent application 54-24066, devices for protecting heat-sensitive goods are previously known, which, however, partly have a complicated construction and partly require the supply of coolant resp. arrangements to create a vacuum.

A special problem with refrigerated containers of the classified type is the construction at the edges. DE-A-23 30 386 describes the construction of a stationary cold room where the design of the edges is particularly affected. According to this document, the walls consist of a foam material with an inner layer of, for example, metal laminate and an outer layer of sheet metal. The wall elements are joined together by screwing e.d. Although the chosen construction achieves that metallic contact between outside and inside is avoided, this solution is associated with other disadvantages such as low stability, high weight and poor ability to withstand harsh treatment. This construction is therefore not suitable for transport containers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport container which obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages and which complies with the rules laid down by the Swedish National Food Administration regarding international transport of perishable food and special equipment for such transport (ATP) (issued 13 June 1983). for containers that have such good insulation that no cooling / heating unit is needed. In this type of container, the requirement is that the loaded goods maintain the required temperature for a certain time under certain conditions only due to the insulating ability of the container. These and several other objects are achieved according to the invention with a transport container which is given the features which appear from the characterizing part of claim 1. Thus, these features provide a transport container which has a low weight, which has a simple construction and thus is easy to assemble and which, despite its low weight, shows good stability and great resistance to harsh treatment by the edges being protected by metal profiles. This also means that great accuracy is achieved when mounting the container.

Because, as further stated in claim 1, the metal profile consists of a cross-section mainly F-shaped profile at which the inner edge of the lower horizontal flange is located inside the insulation, at a considerable distance from the inside of the container very advantageous control and joining is achieved of the insulation boards. Because said metal profiles lack metallic elements passing through the walls, it is achieved that heat conduction from the outside to the inside or vice versa is effectively avoided, whereby the total K-value for the container is low despite relatively thin wall elements.

The invention will now be described in detail in connection with a preferred embodiment and associated drawings, of which Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a transport container according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows an edge section of a transport container according to the invention.

Fig. 1 thus shows a transport container 1 according to the invention adapted to accommodate a pallet of the standard type such as, for example, a European pallet. The container 1 is composed of wall elements 2 on five sides, the edges being held together by metal profiles 3 on all edges except those which form the frame for the door 4.

The container 1 is further attached to an outer pallet 5 for easy handling with a fork tool such as a fork truck. Fig. 2 shows how two wall elements 2 consisting of a core 21 of an insulating material such as, for example, expanded polyurethane coated with two cover layers 22 of, for example, glass fiber-reinforced polyester, are joined together by mediating a metal profile 6, preferably of aluminum or an alloy thereof.

The aluminum profile 6 is in cross-section substantially F-shaped with an upper horizontal flange 7 and a vertical part 8 which have substantially the same width as the thickness of the wall element. A lower horizontal flange 9 has a substantially smaller width than the thickness of the wall panel, for example just under half of this measured. The wall elements are cut in the form of steps, the wall element 2.1 being cut so that an outer part 23 thereof has a greater width than the inner part of the wall element. The outer part 23 is cut to be fitted between the upper and lower horizontal flanges 7 and 9 on the aluminum profile 6, a suitable adhesive being applied to the inside of the aluminum profile.

To improve the gluing conditions, the aluminum profile 6 on the inside of the flanges 7,9 and the lower part of the vertical part 8 are provided with oblique V-shaped grooves 10 which form spacers against the wall element to prevent applied glue from being scraped off the surfaces during assembly and also allowing that an adhesive joint of suitable thickness can be formed. After the wall element 2.1 on all four edges is provided with aluminum profiles 6 in this way thus forming the transport side of the transport container and the adhesive hardened, alternatively the aluminum profiles 6 are temporarily attached to the wall element with screws and rivets or the like until the adhesive hardens, now an outer part 24 of the wall element 2.2 is inserted into the space between the lower part of the vertical part 8 of the profile 6 and the wall element 2.1 after application of glue on all facing edges. Joining each other of the wall elements emanating from the wall element 2.1 also takes place during the mediation of a metal profile 6 in the same way. For mounting the frame to the container, a special profile is used, which is preferably an aluminum profile but is not an object of the present invention. To said frame profile, a hinge for an insulated lockable door is fitted on one of the sides. With a container according to the present invention, safe transports for temperature-sensitive goods are achieved, not only heat-sensitive but also freeze-sensitive ones, such as for example paint and other chemical products. Through its easy-to-handle - anywhere where pallets can be handled. This entails great advantages with regard to the possibilities of effecting the transport of, for example, fresh food over long distances without being bound to the routes of the line system.

The preferred embodiment described above is an example of the invention which is limited only by the definition in the appended claims. Thus, of course, the materials in the wall elements can be selected from a number of materials which have sufficiently good properties. The insulating material sheet 21 may be any other suitable insulating material, for example styrofoam.

The aluminum profile may also have a slightly different appearance than that shown in the exemplary embodiment. Furthermore, the F-shape can be varied as well as the design of the lower horizontal flange 9 so that it can be provided on its outer part with a smaller, vertically downwardly directed flange part for further control of the wall element 2.2.

As previously mentioned, the container is intended to be fixedly attached to a pallet. This can be achieved by screwing through the floor element of the container with nylon bolts that also pass through the pallet. The floor element should furthermore be coated with a board of a wear-resistant material such as, for example, oil-impregnated wood veneer, which board f.ö. can be held by the same nylon bolts that hold the container to the pallet. Otherwise, the container is made of a food-friendly material and to facilitate washing out, the internally facing corners should be sealed with a silicone seal 11 (see Fig. 2) or similar. 1467 106 For particularly demanding transports, it must be possible to supplement the container with easy-to-handle, detachable cooling lamps which are mounted in the profile grooves intended for this purpose in connection with the inner roof. m;

Claims (6)

467 106 PATENT REQUIREMENTS Transport containers for temperature-sensitive goods comprising insulating wall elements (2,2.1,2.2) consisting of a core of an insulating material and cover plates of an impact-resistant plastic material, characterized in that - the wall elements at the edges of the container are cut for complementary interconnection and is composed of metal profiles (6), preferably of aluminum, with a substantially F-shaped cross-section, - that the upper horizontal flange (7) and vertical part (8) of the profile form an outer edge of the container, and - that the inner edge of the lower profile horizontal flange (9) is located inside the insulation, at a considerable distance from the inside of the container to avoid metallic connection between the inside and outside of the container. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the wall elements is stepwise cut in such a way that an outer part (2,3) of a first wall element (2.1) with a fit is inserted between the upper and lower the flanges (7,9) on the profile (6) and that a part (2,4) of a second wall element (2.2) with a fit is inserted in the space between a lower part of the vertical part (8) and an inner edge part of the first wall element. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that all facing surfaces of profiles and wall elements are glued to each other. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower horizontal flange (9) of the profile is provided on its outer part with a vertically downwardly directed flange part for mutually guiding the wall elements (2.1,2.2). UI 10 Container according to any one of claims 1 n a d RV _4, in that the distance between the horizontal characteristic flanges (7,9) of the profile (6) is substantially smaller than the thickness of the wall elements (2.1,2.2). N a d provide sufficient distance between the elements (2,1, 2.2), Container according to any one of claims 1 - 5, BV thickness. the profile (6) and the wall thereby achieving a suitable adhesive joint