US20090001075A1

US20090001075A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: US20090001075A1
Application number: US12/147,765
Authority: US
Inventors: Sidong He
Original assignee: China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd
Current assignee: China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-06-29
Filing date: 2008-06-27
Publication date: 2009-01-01

Abstract

The present invention discloses a container, which comprises: a bottom frame including two parallel bottom side rails and two bottom end rails transversally connected to the ends of the two bottom side rails, two side walls, four corner posts, a front end, a rear end, a roof panel and two header plates connected to the roof panel, two bottom end rails; one or more wood floors and one or more steel floors extending along the length direction of the bottom side rail, which are alternately arranged in parallel with the bottom side rails and fixed between the two bottom end rails; and an upper surface of the steel floor is flush with an upper surface of the wood floor. The container of the present invention has high strength and low weight, and saves wood material.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a large scale rigid container for material transportation, and more particularly to a container for transporting freight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers, as freight carriers, have been widely applied in the international transport since 1960s, each of them usually comprises a bottom frame for supporting the freight; a roof panel arranged just over and in parallel with the bottom frame with a certain distance; two side walls formed by vertically upward extending the bottom frame in the direction of its length to the roof panel; and two end walls formed by vertically upward extending the bottom frame in the direction of its width to the roof panel, wherein the bottom frame, the two end walls, the two side walls and the roof panel form an enclosed hexahedral box structure. Additionally, for the convenience of loading freight, a door structure element is arranged on the side wall or the end wall. In the case where such container carries the freight, the bottom frame and corner posts connecting the side wall with the end wall are subject to more stress, in order to prevent the corner post from being damaged under external force, a traditional design taken in the art is to select a larger sized steel element as a corner post, and similarly in order to prevent the bottom frame from being damaged by external force, each part of the bottom frame adopts a larger sized steel element. Therefore, the container gets heavier and heavier, which goes against saving steel and the development of containers.
Besides, in order to support the freight stably, the traditional strategy is to pave wood floors on the bottom frame of the container; however, with the increasing attention to the forest protection in the world, the wood materials are more and more difficult to be available, because such wood materials are mainly from tropical rain forest area. Accordingly, it is always a difficult problem in the container industry on how to reduce the consuming amount of the wood materials for manufacturing the container so as to save resource.
For the reasons set forth above, the traditional containers are heavy, highly reliant on wood materials and low in strength. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of the current container to adapt to the development of the container industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a container, which can effectively save wood materials and have excellent strength.
In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution. A container comprises a bottom frame including two parallel bottom side rails and two bottom end rails transversally connected to corresponding ends of the two bottom side rails; a case body arranged on and connected to the bottom frame; corner posts arranged at the case body and extending in a height direction of the case body; and one or more wood floors and one or more steel floors extending along the length direction of the bottom side rail, which are alternately arranged in parallel with the bottom side rails and fixed between the two bottom end rails, wherein an upper surface of the steel floor is flush with an upper surface of the wood floor.
In the container, the steel floor may be an element configured in such a way that a middle portion thereof is bulged to form a flat top acting as a steel floor surface; and the container may further comprise bottom cross members provided between the two sides of the element and the two bottom side rails respectively, wherein the wood floor is fixed on an upper surface of the bottom cross member, and the upper surface of the bottom cross member is lower than the steel floor surface in such a way that a height difference between the upper surface of the bottom cross member and the steel floor surface matches a thickness of the wood floor.
In the container, each of the corner posts may be concaved inwardly at its surface outside the container to form a reinforcing rib, which extends from a bottom end of the corner post to a top end of the corner post and has a ‘V’-shaped or an arc-shaped cross section.
In the container, each of the two header plates may be provided with a reinforcing rib, which is arranged along a width direction of the container and has a ‘V’-shaped or an arc-shaped cross section.
In the container, the bottom cross member may have a cross section in any shape selected from a group of ‘L’, ‘I’, ‘C’ and ‘U’.
In the container, the element may have a ‘Ω’-shaped cross section.
In the container, a reinforcing board may be provided in the space formed by the bulged portion of the element.
In the container, the reinforcing board may have a cross section in any shape selected from a group of ‘L’, ‘I’, ‘C’ and ‘U”.
In the container, the strength of the steel used may be higher than the traditional Corten-A (SPA-H).
In the container, one steel floor may be arranged at a middle portion of the bottom frame and two wood floors may be arranged at both sides of the steel floor.
In the container, one wood floor may be arranged at middle portion of the bottom frame and two steel floors may be arranged at both sides of the wood floor.
Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) compared with the current bottom structure made of wood entirely, it can save a lot of wood materials, since the steel floor and wood floor are arranged alternately and extend along the length direction of bottom side rail; (2) it can have advantages such as excellent integral rigidity, since the steel floor is provided with a reinforcing board so that the strength of the bottom structure can be enhanced; (3) it can have advantages such as high strength, since the corner post is concaved inwardly at its surface outside the container to form a reinforcing rib so that the strength of the container can be increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a projection view for illustrating the cutaway construction of the present invention, viewing from a side wall of the container;

FIG. 2 is a projection view for illustrating the cutaway construction of the present invention, viewing from an end wall of the container;

FIG. 3 is a projection view for illustrating the partially enlarged construction of the bottom frame shown in FIG. 2 of the present invention, viewing from the end wall of the container;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken along a direction in parallel with the bottom frame for illustrating the transversally cutaway construction of the front corner post of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross section view taken along a direction in parallel with the bottom frame for illustrating the transversally cutaway construction of the rear corner post of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a projection view for illustrating the partially enlarged construction of the roof panel near to the side wall of the present invention, viewing from the end wall of the container; and

FIG. 7 is a projection view for illustrating the partially enlarged construction of the roof panel near to the side wall of the present invention, viewing from the side wall of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a bottom frame 1 in a rectangle form as a whole, two side walls 2 fixed on the length sides of the bottom frame 1; two end walls 3 fixed on the width sides of the bottom fame 1; and a roof panel 4 arranged in parallel with the bottom frame 1 and connected to the side walls 2 and end walls 3 respectively to form a enclosed hexahedral box of the container. Furthermore, the side wall 2 and the end wall 3 are selectively provided with a door structure element, through which the freight can be loaded into the container. For the convenience of description and understanding, the door structure element arranged at the end wall 3 is taken as an example to further describe the present invention in detail. Moreover, for the purpose of distinguishing the two end walls, the end wall 3 with the door structure element is designated as front end wall 31, and the opposite one is designated as rear end wall 32.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom frame 1 of the present invention comprises two bottom side rails 11 for forming the length sides of the bottom frame 1 and two bottom end rails 12 for forming the width sides of the bottom frame 1. The two bottom end rails 12 are connected with the two bottom side rails 11 so that the bottom frame 1 is in a rectangle shape as a whole.
A wood floor(s) 15 and a steel floor(s) 16 are provided between the two bottom end rails 12 and in parallel with the bottom side rails 11. The steel floor 16 and the wood floor 15 are fixed to each other and arranged alternately, extending along the length direction of bottom side rail 11 respectively. An upper surface of the steel floor 16 is flush with an upper surface of the wood floor 15. In this embodiment, preferably, the bottom frame 1 comprises one steel floor 16 located close to the middle of each of the bottom end rails 12 and two wood floors 15 located between the two sides of the steel floor 16 and the two bottom side rails 11 respectively. Alternatively, more than one steel floor 16 can be provided, and a plurality of wood floors 15 arranged alternately with respect to the steel floor 16 can be provided correspondingly.
Compared with the traditional bottom structure for the container made of wood floor entirely, the above structure can save at least a half of wood materials, since the wood floors 15 and the steel floor 16 are alternately arranged between the two bottom end rails 12 and extend along the length direction of bottom side rail 11.
A preferable embodiment in which the steel floor 16 and the wood floor 15 are arranged alternately is shown in the drawings. The steel floor 16 is formed of one element 13 having a length substantially matching the length of bottom side rail 11 so that the two ends of the element 13 can be fixed to the two bottom end rails 12 of the container respectively; obviously, the steel floor 16 may also consist of a plurality of elements 13, the total length of which are substantially equal to the length of bottom side rail 11. The element 13 is configured with ‘Ω’-shaped cross-section such that a middle portion thereof is bulged with respect to the end portions thereof. The bulged middle portion is a flat top extending along the length direction of the bottom side rail 11 so as to form a steel floor surface 131 for supporting the freight, and the bottom ends of the bulged middle portion extend outward to form two supporting feet 132.
There is only one element 13 arranged at the width side of the bottom frame 1 and in parallel with the bottom side rail 11. The bottom ends of the two sides of the element 13 extend outward to form two supporting feet 132, and a bottom cross member 14 is provided between each supporting foot 132 and the bottom side rail 11 adjacent the supporting foot 132. The bottom cross member 14 has a ‘L’-shaped cross section along the length direction of the bottom side rail 11; obviously, the cross section may be in any shape such as ‘I’, ‘C’ or ‘U’. The wood floor 15 is provided on the bottom cross member 14, and the surface 141 of the bottom cross member 14 for supporting the wood floor is lower than the steel floor surface 131 on the top of the element 13 by a height difference, which is about the thickness of the wood floor 15. Thus, when the wood floor 15 is fixed onto the bottom cross member 14, the upper surface of the wood floor 15 is flush with the steel floor surface 131 to support the freight steadily. When the wood floor 15 is mounted on the bottom cross member 14, the whole bottom structure is formed in such a way that the wood floor(s) 15 and steel floor surface(s) 131 are alternately arranged. Accordingly, compared with the traditional bottom structure using wood floor entirely, the present invention can save wood materials. Alternatively, a plurality of elements 13 can be fixed at the width sides of the bottom frame 1. In this case, the supporting feet 132 on both sides of the elements 13 cooperate with the two bottom side rails 11 so as to support and fix the bottom cross member 14, and then the wood floor 15 is located on the upper surface of the bottom cross member 14 to be flush with the steel floor surface 131. This also can save wood materials.
A reinforcing board 133 extends downwardly from the top of the element 13 into the inner space formed by the bulged portion of the element 13, and thus may effectively enhance the strength of the element 13. Moreover, the reinforcing board 133 has an ‘L’-shaped cross section in parallel with the length direction of the bottom side rail 11. Obviously, the cross section may be in another shape such as ‘I’, ‘C’, or ‘U’.
The length of each element 13 may substantively equal to the distance between the two end rails 12; obviously, the element 13 could have a plurality of portions and the total length of the plurality of portions may substantially equal to the distance between the two end rails 12. The bottom cross member 14 can be arranged between two adjacent elements 13. In the case where the bottom cross member 14 are arranged alternately, the wood floors 15 will be also arranged alternately, since the bottom cross member 14 arranged at the supporting foot 132 of the element 13 is used to fix the wood floor 15. Therefore, it can save wood materials compared with that made of the wood floor 15 entirely.
Obviously, in an embodiment of the present invention, the wood floor 15 may be arranged at middle portion of the bottom frame and the steel floors 16 may be arranged at both sides of the wood floor 15 so that the wood floor 15 and the steel floors 16 are arranged alternately. Such an arrangement also can have a function of saving wood materials.
With reference to FIG. 4, the front end wall 31 of the present invention comprises two front corner posts 311 and a door structure element 312 arranged between the two front corner posts 311 and movably connected with them.
Each of the front corner posts 311 is fixed at the corner end of the bottom frame 1 and extends vertically upward to the roof panel 4. The front corner post 311 comprises an inner corner post 313 and an outer corner post 314, which has a reinforcing rib 315 concaved inwardly towards the inner corner post 313. The reinforcing rib 315 extends to the top end of the front corner post 311 from the bottom end of the front corner post 311 and has generally a ‘V’-shape or an arc shape viewing from the cross section of the outer corner post 314.
Obviously, the reinforcing rib 315 can be arranged at other appropriate positions of the outer corner post 314 and the number of the reinforcing rib is not limited to only one. In this case, the reinforcing rib 315 can effectively damp external impact force if the external impact force is exerted to the front corner post 311. Therefore, compared with the current corner post structure, the front corner post 311 has advantages such as resistance to impact, high strength, etc.
The wall plate of the door structure element 312 is a corrugated plate with more than eight bulges. With so many bulges effective to bear the impact from outside, the strength of the wall plate is increased, so that the thickness of the wall plate and thus the total weight thereof can be reduced.
With reference to FIG. 5, the rear end wall 32 of the present invention comprises two back corner posts 321 and a wall plate 322 arranged between the two back corner posts 321.
The two back corner posts 321 are arranged at two corner ends opposite to the front corner post 311 shown in FIG. 4 of the bottom frame 1, and vertically extend to the roof panel 4 therefrom. Each back corner post 321 has reinforcing ribs 323 and 324 concaved inwardly at its surface outside the container. The reinforcing ribs 323 and 324 extend to the top end of the rear corner post 321 from the bottom end of the rear corner post 321 and have generally a ‘V’ shape or an arc shape viewing from the cross section of the rear corner post 321.
Obviously, the reinforcing ribs 323 and 324 can be arranged at other appropriate positions of the rear corner post 321 and the number of the reinforcing ribs is not limited to only two, for example, the number can be one or more. In this case, the reinforcing ribs 323 and 324 can effectively damp external impact force if the external impact force is exerted to the rear corner post 321. Therefore, compared with the current corner post structure, the rear corner post 321 has advantages such as resistance to impact, high strength, etc.
The wall plate 322 is a corrugated plate with more than eight bulges. With so many bulges effective to bear the impact from outside, the strength of the wall plate 322 is increased, so that the thickness of the wall plate 322 and thus the total weight thereof can be reduced.
With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the roof panel 4 of the present invention is a corrugated plate with more than five bulges 41 and a relatively small wave length. A sloping transition surface 43 is provided on the joining area connecting the roof panel 4 with the two side walls to reduce the thickness of the steel plate for forming the roof panel 4, so that the total weight of the roof panel 4 can be reduced.
Several reinforcing bulges 42 protruding upwards are provided on the two end header plates of the roof panel 4 proximate to the two end walls 3 and extend in the same direction as the reinforcing bulges 41. The reinforcing bulges 42 can improve the strength of the roof panel 4 when a force is exerted on the roof panel 4 from outside.
Since the strength of the entire roof panel 4 is improved, it is possible to relatively reduce the thickness of the roof panel 4. Therefore, the total weight of the container can be reduced while the strength of the entire roof panel 4 is improved.
The structure of the bottom frame 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure of the end wall 3 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and the structure of the roof panel 4 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be applied to the construction of one and the same container so that the container has high strength and low weight, and can save wood materials. Obviously, The structure of the bottom frame 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure of the end wall 3 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and the structure of the roof panel 4 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 can applied to the construction of a container individually or in combination, to obtain one or all advantages they can bring about.
The steel used in the present invention can have a higher strength than that of the steel (i.e., Corten A (SPA-H)) used in the traditional container. It ensures that the strength of the container can not be lowered due to the thickness thereof being decreasing, and thus the whole weight of the container can be reduced.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a bottom frame including two parallel bottom side rails and two bottom end rails transversally connected to corresponding ends of the two bottom side rails, two side walls, four corner posts, a front end, a rear end, a roof panel and two header plates connected to the roof panel,

wherein one or more wood floors and one or more steel floors extend along a length direction of the bottom side rail, and are alternately arranged in parallel with the bottom side rails and fixed between the two bottom end rails; and wherein an upper surface of the steel floor is flush with an upper surface of the wood floor.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the steel floor is an element configured in such a way that a middle portion thereof is bulged to form a flat top acting as a steel floor surface; and

the container further comprises bottom cross members provided between the two sides of the element and the two bottom side rails respectively, wherein the wood floor is fixed on an upper surface of the bottom cross member, and the upper surface of the bottom cross member is lower than the steel floor surface in such a way that a height difference between the upper surface of the bottom cross member and the steel floor surface matches a thickness of the wood floor.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the corner posts is concaved inwardly at its surface outside the container to form a reinforcing rib, which extends from a bottom end of the corner post to a top end of the corner post and has a ‘V’-shaped or an arc-shaped cross section.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the two header plates is provided with a reinforcing rib, which extends along a width direction of the container and has a ‘V’-shaped or an arc-shaped cross section.

5. The container according to claim 2, wherein the bottom cross member has a cross section in any shape selected from a group of ‘L’, ‘I’, ‘C’ and ‘U’.

6. The container according to claim 2, wherein the element has a ‘Ω’-shaped cross section.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein a reinforcing board is provided in a space formed by the bulged portion of the element.

8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the reinforcing board has a cross section in any shape selected from a group of ‘L’, ‘I’, ‘C’ and ‘U’.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein one steel floor is arranged at a middle portion of the bottom frame and two wood floors are arranged at both sides of the steel floor.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein one wood floor is arranged at middle portion of the bottom frame and two steel floors are arranged at both sides of the wood floor.