SG192810A1 - Convertible container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container comprising fittings for gripping, handling and securing same, each of said fittings (8) being placed at a corner of the container 5 in the non-deployed position of the container. According to the invention, in the non-deployed position, the container is formed by: a central case (1) having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, and two extension blocks (2, 3) connected to the central case (1), with at least part of the structure of the central case (1) and of the extension blocks (2, 3) being sealed. In the non 10 deployed position, the length or width of each of the extension blocks (2, 3) is greater than half the longitudinal or transverse dimension of the central case (1) respectively. The extension blocks (2, 3) can move between the non-deployed position, in which the blocks and the central case (1) are placed at least partially on top of one another, and a deployed position in which each block forms a 15 longitudinal or transverse extension of the central case (1), the thus deployed assembly forming a floating structure having an increased loading surface. (Fig. 1)

Description

CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER

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

Floating containers (“conteneurs”) 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 floating maritime containers may already be on board.

However, this type of boat necessitates a plurality of different containers each having a specific function and the whole being indispensable to the formation and correct operation of the boat.

Moreover, the time necessary for assembling the various containers constituting the boat is particularly long, arduous and even impossible when the sea is rough, whereas the intervention of the fighting means must be as rapid as possible to circumscribe as soon as possible the area contaminated by the oil.

There exists, moreover, a requirement for amphibious vehicles that can be brought easily to the areas of operation by sea or air.

In the case of transportation of these amphibious vehicles by ship, the latter may be used for disembarking the equipment and/or goods onboard the ship.

Conversely, they may further be used for loading the ship.

To carry out these operations, these amphibious vehicles may then shuttle between the land and the ship.

The amphibious vehicles should finally be loadable onboard these ships with conventional harbour infrastructures and consequently without necessitating recourse io dedicated installations.

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, including fittings for holding, handling and fixing this device with standard harbour installations, for example, and forming a boat in its deployed configuration.

Another 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 an increased deck area in order significantly to increase the loading capacity of the boat and a maximized hull volume in order to have the best possible buoyancy in its deployed configuration.

This maximization of the hull volume and the deck area of the boat must however be looked for with the fewest possible kinematic connections in order to retain a floating transport device that is simple and rapidly deployable.

As a matter of fact, the more moving parts the transport device comprises, the greater its weight and its complexity.

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 defined by the free walls of this container so that a plurality of such containers can be stacked and/or juxtaposed.

More generally, the present invention aims fo maximize the longitudinal and/or transverse dimensions of the boat obtained by expansion of a transport container having ISO standard dimensions whilst assuring good buoyancy of this boat.

A further object of the present invention is a self-propelled amphibious vehicle that can be transported by sea or air, being loadable and unloadable very easily.

To this end the invention concerns a container including fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container, each of these fittings being placed at one corner of this container in a non-deployed configuration of the container.

According to the present invention:

- in said non-deployed configuration of said container, said container is constituted of a central box having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension and two extension units connected to said central box, at least part of the structure of the central box and the extension units being watertight, - each of said extension units having a length, or width, in said non- deployed configuration greater than half the longitudinal, respectively transverse, dimension of said central box, - said extension units being mobile between said non-deployed configuration in which said extension units and said central box are placed at least 16 in part one above the other, and an deployed configuration in which each extension unit forms a longitudinal or transverse extension of said central box, the whole deployed in this way then forming a floating structure having an increased loading area.

Advantageously, the consequence of the maximization of the length, respectively the width, of the floating structure is improvement of the degree of speed of the hull, respectively increase of the metacentric radius (and therefore the initial stability), operative to the power of two for the length (reduced Froude number), respectively to the power of three for the width (increased buoyancy transverse inertia). These considerations are of course valid only for families of substantially identical hulls with equal displacement.

The fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container are also known as corner fittings enabling holding, securing and transhipment of the container.

These fittings being placed at the corners of the container, at least these corners are solid in order to have sufficient stiffness to withstand the applied forces.

At least part of the central box and the extension units is watertight so that at least part of the hull is watertight.

In various particular embodiments of this container, each having its particular advantages and open to numerous possible technical combinations: - said extension units comprise a single box or two boxes preferably placed one against the other in said non-deployed configuration.

The extension units can thus each be constituted of a single box.

Alternatively, one of the extension units can include a single box forming an end box intended to be moved along the longitudinal axis of the central box while the other extension unit is to the contrary constituted of two box advantageously placed one against the other in the non-deployed configuration of the container, these boxes being intended to be moved transversely to the longitudinal axis of the central box.

- in the deployed configuration of the container the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal or iransverse dimension greater than twice the longitudinal, respectively, dimension of said central container,

Thus, and by way of example, in the deployed configuration of said s container, the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal dimension from the prow to the poop greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of the central box. - the extension units are connected in an articulated manner to the central box,

The extension units are advantageously connected in an articulated manner to the central box by a hinge. This hinge is preferably a hinge with two axes.

This hinge with two axes, also known as a biaxial hinge, includes two articulated parts that are connected to an intermediate part carrying the two offset hinge pins. - this container includes actuators for moving the extension units from the non-deployed configuration {o the deployed configuration of this container and vice versa,

The extension units being connected in an articulated manner to the central box by hinges, these actuators are preferably 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 actuators fed by a source of electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic power. This power source and its distribution circuit are preferably placed in the central box or one of the extension units 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 external crane. - the extension units have complementary profiles so as to cooperate in the non-deployed configuration of the container to form with the central box an 36 assembly the free walls of which define a parallelepiped or substantially a parallelepiped or even better a right-angle parallelepiped or a cube.

By way of illustration only, the extension units may therefore have a triangular or truncated triangular profile.

Of course, this parallelepiped may not be solid when the extension units have a truncated triangular profile, for example. It is in this sense that the free walls then define substantially a parallelepiped.

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 5 plane or substantially plane so that the deck of the floating structure is plane or substantially plane, - because said extension units comprise a single extension box, a first of said extension box effects a rotation of 180° between the non-deployed configuration and the deployed configuration of said container while the other extension box effects a rotation of less than 180°,

This first extension box is a right-angle triangle truncated or not while the other extension box has ifs side forming one end of the container in its non- deployed configuration that is inclined towards the interior of the container. - the container includes at least one propuision 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 extension units and/or said central box 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 fo 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 elements inflatable independently or otherwise, allowing the buoyancy of said floating structure 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 elements.

Alternatively or additionally, these inflatable elements may be deployed from housings placed in the bottom of the central box and/or the extension units, the inflatable elements then being placed under these elements when they are deployed.

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

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

In order fo compensate the pressure losses that may result from leaks or from variations of temperature, the inflation pressure of the inflatable elements is conirolled 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. - at least one of these extension units includes one or more extension ramps for lengthening the longitudinal and/or transverse dimension of the deck of said floating structure,

Alternatively, these ramps may not be integrated into the volume of the extension unit, but be demountable to be stored inside the extension units and/or the central box. - the container includes wheels refractable 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 or 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.

Moreover, at least two of said wheels are preferably driving wheels.

This container then forms an amphibious vehicle in its deployed 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 face-to-face.

They therefore enable fastening of the extension units and the central box in the deployed configuration of the container. By way of illustration, these locks may be rotary double locks (also known as "twist-locks"), mounted tips facing, and disposed between two holding fittings placed face-to-face and put into place before complete expansion of the container.

According to another embodiment, or additionally, the locking means may include attachments such as pins or bolted fixing lugs.

Alternatively, the container 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 iSO 10-feet, 20-feet, 30-feet, 40-feet or 45-feet transport container, or a standard container 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, i0 - the container in its non-deployed configuration advantageously floats so that it may be launched at sea and expanded, for example, automatically or remotely, to form a ship.

If it is expanded automatically, the container includes one or more probes connected to a hydraulic power circuit, for example, for feeding 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 activate them. Their activation causes the container to pass from its non-deployed 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 structure.

These containers in their deployed 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 perspective view of a container

According to a first embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 2 is a front view of the container from Figure 1; - Figure 3 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 1 in its deployed configuration: - Figure 4 is a partial view to a larger scale of the connection between the central box and one of the end boxes of the container from Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a partial view to a larger scale of the connection between the central box and one of the end boxes of the container from Figure 1, abutments being in place; - Figure 6 is a perspective view from above of a container According to a second embodiment, this container being in its deployed configuration, the inflatable elements for improving the buoyancy of the floating structure also being deployed; - Figure 7 represents diagrammatically a floating craft including six containers in their deployed configuration, these containers being connected to each other to form a unitary floating structure; - Figure 8 is a perspective view from below of the floating structure from

Figure 6 in its deployed configuration, the retractable wheels being visible; - Figure 9 represents diagrammatically a perspective view of a container

According to a third embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 10 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 9 in its deployed configuration; - Figure 11 represents diagrammatically a perspective view of a container

According to a fourth embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 12 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 11 in its deployed configuration; - Figure 13 represents diagrammatically a perspective view of a container

According to a fifth embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration; - Figure 14 is another perspective view of the container from Figure 13; - Figure 15 represents diagrammatically the container form Figure 13 in the process of expansion; - Figure 16 represents diagrammatically the container from Figure 13 in its deployed configuration.

Figures 1 and 2 show front and perspective views of a convertible container according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in its non-deployed configuration.

This container is constituted only of a central box 1 having a longitudinal dimension 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 {o 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.

Here these hinges 4-7 include rotary hydraulic actuators. The container therefore includes a hydraulic power source and a circuit for distribution of this hydraulic fluid (not represented) 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 profile, are placed in part one on the other, being superposed on the central box 1. 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 ceniral box 1 substantially define a right-angle parallelepiped. No structural element of the container is placed projecting from this parallelepiped so that this container can be stacked on and/or placed against other containers with a view to its storage or transport.

Here this right-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, transhipped or secured like any ISO standard container without necessitating any specific infrastructure or equipment.

This container includes, at each of its corners, a fitting 8 for holding, handling and fixing the container. it therefore includes eight fittings 8 that are placed at the extreme corners of the container in its non-deployed 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 expanded in this way then forming a floating structure the hull of which has a longitudinal dimension greater than twice the longitudinal dimension of this central box 1.

Whereas 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°, 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 9 of the central box 1 intended fo placed against the end box 3 in the deployed configuration of the container has an inclined shape complementary to the inclined face 10 of this end box 3 coming into contact, so that the angle formed between these two inclined walls 9, 10 is equal to the value of the angle of rotation.

Each box 1-3 has aluminium walls forming its watertight exterior envelope.

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

Each of these boxes 1-3 therefore forms a load-bearing structure able to receive heavy loads such as a hut, vehicles (truck, 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 container configuration.

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

Figures 4 and 5 show a partial view to a larger scale of the container in its deployed configuration in which it forms a floating structure. The biaxial hinges 4, 7 are received in housing 11 provided for this purpose in the structure of the boxes 1-3 so that their upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the boxes 1-3 defining the deck of the floating structure. Thus in this deployed configuration the deck of the floating structure is plane which guarantees the stability of goods, equipment and/or vehicles received on the deck of the floating structure.

Each hinge with two axes 4-7, also called a biaxial hinge, includes two fixed parts 12, 13, each attached to a box 1, 3 or forming an integral part thereof and supporting one of the two hinge pins 14, 15 of this hinge. These two hinge pins are connected by one or more links 16, 17 assuring the offsetting of the hinge pins 14, 15.

Abutments 18 limit the relative movement of the hinge when it reaches one of its two extreme positions (open or closed). In these two positions, no element of said hinge projects from the faces of the container, respectively the boat, left visible.

The fixed frame elements preferably include an actuator coaxial with the hinge pins 14, 15 such as a rotary actuator, gear-motor, etc., in order to allow opening and closing of the container without other exterior action. It may equally be a question of a drive such as a chain or belt, in order to be able to site the actuator remotely.

Here the container includes a propulsion system (not shown) so that this floating structure is self-propelled. This propulsion system preferably includes at least one jet propulsion unit such as a pump jet in which the water jet expelled by the nozzle can be oriented to ensure propulsion and steering of the floating structure in varied directions. Alternatively, this propulsion system may be of the propeller or paddie-wheel type.

This propulsion system is preferably placed in the central box 1 of the container and/or in the end boxes 2, 3. The appendages of this propulsion system are advantageously foldable by rotation, translation or demounting to enable not only conformance with the 1SO container load gauge but also to ensure folding of the floating structure in an emergency.

Here the floating structure is adapted to be moved in either longitudinal direction (double-ended) and also transversely to the longitudinal axis of the floating structure in both directions.

Figures 6 and 8 show perspective views of a container According to a second embodiment, this container being in its deployed configuration and forming a boat. The elements from Figures 6 and 8 bearing the same references as elements from Figures 1 to 5 represent the same objects which will therefore not be described again hereinafter.

This boat includes inflatable pudding fenders 19, here shown deployed, for improving its buoyancy and its stability. These inflatable pudding fenders 19 are made from a watertight and strong plastic material such as rubber.

Alternatively, these inflatable elements 18, which may have half-cone shapes, are advantageously produced in one piece so as to increase their mechanical strength. Each inflatable element 19 is then a woven structure produced from a single material which is then coated with a watertight material such as a material based on polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polyurethane or even better a material based on plasticized fireproofed PVC.

This one-piece woven structure can be produced by a weaving process developed by the present applicant. For further technical details reference may usefully be made to the patent applications WO02009/095404 and

WQ02009/095415.

Briefly, this woven structure includes at least two woven walls connected to each other by at least one non-attached binding thread. The variation of the length between two consecutive sinkers of said at least one binding thread, each of said sinkers corresponding to a riser by a weft thread of a different wall, is continuous over at least part of said structure in the warp and/or weft direction.

The end boxes of this container each include retractable wheels 20, 21 that can be seen in Figure 8.

The pair of wheels 20 of the end box 2 placed in the non-deployed configuration of the container, between the central box 1 and the other end box 3, are advantageously positioned so as io allow folding of the container in an emergency even if these wheels 20 are not retractable. As a matter of fact, the truncated triangular shape of the end boxes 2, 3 leaves a space allowing the i0 passage of non-retractable wheels 20 whilst enabling compliance with the ISO container load gauge.

Here these wheels 20, 21 are steerable and equipped with a braking system,

Alternatively, the container may include only two wheels, retractable or not, that are not motorized. By adding a tractor or pusher vehicle, the container is therefore used as a single-axie trailer. This type of configuration may notably be used {o launch the craft (or to remove it from the water), or again to manipulate it in an open area or a storage area.

Figure 7 represents diagrammatically a floating craft including six containers in their deployed configuration these containers being connected to each other to form a unitary floating structure. Thus floating structures of large size are obtained simply by the addition in the lengthwise and/or widthwise direction of other floating structures. Of course, locking elements (not shown) enable all these floating structures to be fastened to each other in order to constitute such a unitary floating structure.

These locking elements are for example locks designed to cooperate with fittings for holding, handling and fixing facing containers. Alternatively, these focking elements may include bolted fastenings, attachments such as pins or shafts. Using flexible connections, such as straps, rubber collars, braces , etc may also be envisaged.

Figures 9 and 10 show perspective views of a container According to a third embodiment of the invention. The elements from Figures 9 and 10 bearing the same references as elements from Figures 1 to 5 represent the same objects which will therefore not be described again hereinafter.

The container from Figures 9 and 10 differs from that from Figures 1 to 5 in that the end boxes 2, 3 have a width, or transverse dimension, greater than the half the width, or transverse dimension, of the central box 1. In the deployed configuration of the container, the floating structure has a deck area increased in the widthwise direction of the central box 1.

The end boxes 2, 3 of the container being deployed laterally of the central box 1, the biaxial hinges 4-7 are disposed on the lateral edges of the central box 1.

These biaxial hinges 4-7 are received in housings 11 provided for this purpose in the lateral edges 22, 23 of the central box 1. in order to give the floating structure a plane deck in the deployed configuration of the container, one of the lateral edges 22 of the central box 1 is inclined toward the interior of this central box 1 while the wall 24 of the end box 3 adapted to be placed against this lateral edge 22 has an inclined shape complementary to this inclined lateral edge 22 of the central box 1 so that the angle formed between these two inclined walls 22, 24 is equal to the value of the angle of rotation of the end box 3 relative to the central box 1, here of the order of 167°.

Figures 11 and 12 show perspective views of a container According to a fourth embodiment of the invention. The elements from Figures 11 and 12 bearing the same references as elements from Figures 1 to 5 represent the same objects which will therefore not be described again hereinafter.

The container from Figures 11 and 12 differs from that from Figures 110 5 in that one of the end boxes 2, 3 includes ramps 25, 26 that are integrated into the volume of this box. Here these ramps 25, 26 are received in the non-deployed configuration of the container in a housing 27 of the corresponding end box 3 so that the exterior surface of these ramps 25, 26 is flush with the surface of the free wall 28 of this end box 3 to conform to the load gauge of the container.

These ramps 25, 26 are mounted to rotate about a shaft 29 so that they can be deployed by rotation into the deployed configuration of the container to increase the size of the deck of the floating structure.

Figures 13 to 16 show a convertible container according to a fifth embodiment of the invention,

Each extension unit 30, 31 is constituted of a single end box the dimensions of which are equal to those of the central box 32, these boxes 30-32 being superposed on each other in the non-deployed configuration of the container, forming a stack of boxes.

These boxes 30-32 are moreover articulated relative to each other so that two consecutive boxes are connected to each other by at least two connecting arms 33-38 mounted on the same lateral edges of these boxes, one of these connecting arms 34, 37 being 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 deployed configuration and vice versa.

These connecting arms 33-38 are advantageously received in lateral housings 39 provided for this purpose in order for no structural element of the container to be placed projecting from the parallelepiped 40 defined 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 correspond 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.

The face or faces 41-43 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 configuration of the container each have a shape complementary to the face with which it is intended to cooperate in the deployed configuration of the container. As a result, the faces of two consecutive boxes coupled in this manner are locked in position.

Claims (20)

1. Container including fittings for holding, handling and fixing said container, each of said fittings (8) being placed at one corner of said container in a non- deployed configuration of said container, characterized in that: - in said non-deployed configuration of said container, said container is constituted of a central box (1) having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension and two extension units (2, 3) connected to said central box (1), at least part of the structure of the central box (1) and the extension units (2, 3) being watertight, - each of said extension units (2, 3) having a length, or width, in said non- deployed configuration greater than half the longitudinal, respectively transverse, dimension of said central box (1), - sald extension units (2, 3) being mobile between said non-deployed configuration in which said extension units (2, 3) and said central box (1) are placed at least in part one above the other, and a deployed configuration in which each extension unit (2, 3) forms a longitudinal or transverse extension of said central box (1), the whole deployed in this way then forming a floating structure having an increased loading area.

2. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that said extension units (2, 3) comprise a single box or two boxes preferably placed one against the other in said non-deployed configuration.

3. Container according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in said deployed configuration the hull of said floating structure has a longitudinal or transverse dimension greater than twice the longitudinal, respectively transverse, dimension of said central box (1).

4. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said extension units (2, 3) are connected in an articulated manner to said central box (1).

5. Container according to Claim 4, characterized in that it include actuators for moving the extension units (2, 3) from the non-deployed configuration to the deployed configuration of said container and vice versa.

6. Container according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said extension units (2, 3) are connected to said central box (1) by hinges (4-7), and even better hinges with two axes.

7. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said extension units (2, 3) have complementary profiles so as to cooperate in said non-deployed configuration to form with the central box (1) a whole the free walls of which define a parallelepiped or substantially a parallelepiped.

8. Container according to Claim 7, characterized in that each of said extension units (2, 3) has a triangular or truncated triangular profile.

9. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the deck of the floating structure is plane or substantially plane.

10. Container according to Claim 9, characterized in that, each of said extension units (2, 3) comprising a single box, a first of said boxes effects a rotation of 180° between the non-deployed configuration and the deployed configuration of said container while the other box effects a rotation of less than 180°.

11. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each extension unit (2, 3) is constituted of a single extension box the longitudinal dimension of which is equal to that of said central box (1), said boxes (1-3) being superposed on each other in the non-deployed configuration of said container, forming a stack of boxes.

12. Container according to Claim 11, characterized in that, said boxes (1-3) being articulated to each other, two consecutive boxes are connected to each other by at least two connecting arms mounted on the same lateral edge of said boxes, ane of said connecting arms being common to the three boxes, and in that: - two consecutive connecting arms form with the two consecutive boxes that they connect a deformable regular parallelogram so that the movement of one of said boxes relative fo an immediately lower box in the stack from said non- deployed configuration of said container leads to circular translation of said box relative to the immediately lower box of the stack.

13. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least one of said extension units includes one or more extension ramps (25, 26) for lengthening the longitudinal and/or transverse dimension of the deck of said floating structure.

14. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it includes a propulsion system so that said floating structure is self-propelled.

15. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that said extension units (2, 3) and said central box (1) are hollow to receive loads.

16. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, said fittings (8) for holding, handling and fixing a said container being at least eight in number, said fittings (8) are placed at the extreme corners of said container in its non-deployed configuration, said fitting (8) being intended {o cooperate with standard ISO infrastructures for holding, handling and fixing said container.

17. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that said container is connected fo 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.

18. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that it includes elements (19) inflatable independently or not for improving the buoyancy of said floating structure.

19. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 18, characterized in that said container includes wheels (20, 21), retractable or not.

20. Floating craft including at least two containers According to any one of Claims 1 to 19 in their deployed configuration, said containers being connected to each other to form a unitary floating structure.