PRESSURE CONTROL BOX USED FOR TRANSPORTING OBJECTS

Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20190210786
  • Publication Number
    20190210786
  • Date Filed
    December 25, 2018
    5 years ago
  • Date Published
    July 11, 2019
    5 years ago
  • Inventors
    • Hsu; You-Hao
Abstract
A pressure control box used for transporting objects includes a main body and a cover. The main body has a containing space and includes a pressure valve installed on a side of the main body and communicated with the containing space and an external space of the main body for externally connecting a pressure controller to adjust an internal pressure. The cover covers the opening position of the containing space for sealing the containing space, and the cover has a seal embedded into the inner surface of the cover, so that the cover and the main body are sealed with each other. Therefore, the pressure control box can be used for transporting goods stored at a constant pressure to maintain the quality of goods and improve the efficiency and safety of the goods delivery.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 107200220 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jan. 5, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.


FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cargo box used for transporting objects, in particular to a pressure control box used for transporting objects, and the air pressure of the pressure control box can be adjusted to a constant value for storing goods and improving the efficiency and safety of the delivery of goods.


BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Description of the Related Art

With the evolution of science and technology, related goods circulation companies and inventors have designed various types of containers or special-purpose boxes to cope with the transportation of goods and the corresponding logistics tools to satisfy the quality requirement of goods and facilitate the delivery of the goods.


Some goods have to be stored at a constant pressure. Particularly, some goods must be stored at a low pressure. Therefore, the control of pressure inside the cargo box becomes increasingly more important. However, present pumping devices installed to the cargo box are generally connected to an electric power system to receive power for its operation. When the power supply of a pumping device is low, the pumping device cannot be operated, and the pressure inside the cargo box will be unstable, and such unstable pressure will affect the quality of the goods. During a shipping process, the cargo box or the electric power system may be damaged by bumpy roads easily, and the goods contained in the cargo box may be damaged.


In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, the research team of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive research and experiment, and finally developed an innovative pressure control box used for transporting objects to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.


2. Summary of the Invention

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a pressure control box used for transporting objects, wherein goods are stored in an environment with a specific pressure during their transportation, so that the quality and safety of the goods can be maintained effectively.


To achieve the aforementioned and other objectives, the present invention provides a pressure control box used for transporting objects comprising a main body, and the main body has a containing space and includes at least a pressure valve, and the pressure valve is installed on a side of the main body and communicated with the containing space and an external space of the main body for externally connecting a pressure controller to adjust the pressure inside the pressure control box. The pressure control box used for transporting objects comprises a cover, covered onto an opening position of the containing space for sealing the containing space, and the cover has at least a seal embedded into an inner surface of the cover, so that the cover and the main body are sealed with each other to define a confined space provided the pressure controller to adjust its pressure value. Obviously, the present invention can store goods in an environment with a constant air pressure, and the extremely high sealing ability can maintain the quality of goods and improve the efficiency and safety of the delivery of goods.


In addition, the cover further has at least a buffer for protecting the cover and the seal to maintain a constant pressure value when the cover is covered onto the opening position of the containing space or impact forces are exerted on other outer sides.


Preferably, the buffer is a spring with good elastic restoring force and provided for achieving a better effect of buffering and balancing outer side forces.


In addition, the main body further has at least a circulating member installed at the inner side, the bottom, or both inner side and bottom of the main body. In another exemplary embodiment, the main body further has at least a projection extended from the inner side or bottom of the main body to form an airflow channel with the inner side of the main body for flowing a gas in the containing space to improve the mobility of the air pressure and adjust the efficiency of the air pressure.


Further, the circulating member is a meshed structure, a porous structure, or a protruded structure to further improve the circulation and rectification of the gas.


In addition, the cover further has a ring protrusion with the seal embedded therein, so that when the cover is covered onto the main body, the sealing ability between the cover and the main body can be enhanced to maintain a constant pressure value and improve the quality of goods delivery.


The main body further has at least a rib installed at a side edge of the main body for blocking a side of the ring protrusion to protect the seal.


In addition, the pressure control box used for transporting objects further comprises at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body for indicating the air pressure inside the pressure control box to assist control and management.


Further, the cover has a side edge pivotally coupled to a side of the main body to facilitate users to open or close the cover and prevent missing the cover.


Preferably, the pressure control box used for transporting objects further comprises at least a carrier mounted onto the cover and provided for carrying and stacking other objects and improving their stability.


The main body further has at least a latching portion disposed on an outer side of the main body, and the cover further has at least a fastener installed on an outer side of the cover and fastened to the corresponding latching portion to improve the sealing ability of the cover and the main body.


Preferably, the main body and the cover are made of metal to improve the sturdiness of the pressure control box used for transporting objects.


In summation, the pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with the present invention adopts the seal to maintain a constant value of the air pressure, so that the air pressure control system can maintain its pressure without the need of connecting to any outer side electric power supply, and the pressure control box can maintain the quality of goods and improve the transportation efficiency and safety.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an application of a pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an application of a pressure control box after a carrier is mounted onto the pressure control box in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and



FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another implementation mode of the pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objective, technical characteristics, structure, innovative features, and performance of the invention, we use preferred embodiments together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the invention. It is noteworthy that the embodiments are provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention but not intended for limiting the scope of the invention.


With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 for a pressure control box used for transporting objects in accordance with the present invention, the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 comprises a main body 10 and a cover 11. Wherein, the main body 10 has a containing space 101 and includes at least a pressure valve 102 installed on a side of the main body 10 and communicated with the containing space 101 and the external space of the main body 10 for externally connecting a pressure controller 2. The cover 11 is covered onto an opening position of the containing space 101 for sealing the containing space 101. The cover 11 has at least a seal 111 embedded into an inner surface of the cover 11, so that the cover 11 and the main body 10 can be sealed with each other. After goods are packed or contained into the containing space 101 and the cover 11 is covered on the main body 10, the pressure valve 102 may be opened to link the pressure controller 2 with the pressure valve 102 to set an air pressure value of the air pressure inside the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1. After the internal air pressure reaches a predetermined air pressure, the pressure controller 2 is removed and the pressure valve 102 is shut. To assure the sealing ability of the interior of the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1, a valve cover 1021 may be added to cover the opening of the pressure valve 102. The valve cover 1021 further has a seal ring (not shown in the figure) for assuring the effect of sealing the opening of the pressure valve 102 when it is covered by the cover, and the seal ring is a metal ring provided for clamping the pressure valve 102. Wherein, the pressure valve 102 is a manual valve provided for a user to turn on/off the pressure valve 102 to control the entrance and exit of airflow manually. In this exemplary embodiment, the pressure controller 2 is an air pump. With the high sealing ability of the seal 111 and the valve cover 1021 and the seal ring, the air pressure of the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 can be maintained at a constant value. In addition, the present invention can be used repeatedly. For each time of use, different air pressure values may be set for the accommodation and transportation of different batches of goods, and the constant pressure status can be maintained without requiring a connection of the pressure controller 2. Therefore, the invention can improve the quality and efficiency of the goods delivery and the safety of transportation, particularly for applications for long-term transportations. In this exemplary embodiment, the cover 11 is covered onto the top side of the main body 10. However, the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 may be opened on the left or right side in practical applications. In another implementation mode as shown in FIG. 5, the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 is opened on the right side, and such arrangement is particularly suitable for the use in large container transportations.


In this exemplary embodiment, a side edge of the cover 11 is pivotally coupled to a side edge of the main body 10, so that when the cover 11 is opened or closed, the cover 11 is pivotally rotated to provide an effort-saving way of opening or closing the cover 11, and prevent missing the cover 11 when the goods are accessed.


Preferably, the cover 11 further has at least a buffer 112. In FIG. 3, the cover 11 includes two plates 115 and four buffers 112 installed between the plates 115. When the cover 11 is covered onto the main body 10, the buffer 112 can uniformize the impact forces and balance the load of the cover 11, so that the seal 111 can uniformize the exerted force to seal the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 tightly. In the meantime, the cover 11 can be covered onto the main body 10 more tightly. During the process of delivering goods, the buffer 112 can be used to reduce other impact forces such as the outer side forces caused by bumpy roads and air turbulence which may turn over the goods or hit other objects. When another heavy object or another pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 is stacked onto the cover 11, the buffer 112 reduces the impact of the force exerted onto one of the plates 115 and uniformizes the force and applies another force to the other plate 115, so as to achieve the effect of uniformizing the forces exerted onto the seal 111. In another implementation mode, the buffer 112 is installed at a side edge of the cover 11, and when the cover 11 is covered onto the main body 10, the buffer 112 can reduce the impact forces existed between the cover 11 and the main body 10 directly and uniformize or disperse the forces. Therefore, the outer side impact of the main body 10 and the cover 11 can be reduced and the exerted force can be uniformized to prevent a possible deformation of the seal 111 and maintain the sealing ability between the cover 11 and the main body 10, so as to prevent cracking the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 due to a leakage or retraction of the air pressure. This arrangement can maintain the goods quality and improve the safety of goods delivery.


In addition, the buffer 112 is a spring with good elasticity, so that the buffering effect can be improved after a force is exerted onto the cover 11 and the impact forces can be uniformized quickly and effectively. With the excellent elastic restoring force of the spring, the life cycle of the buffer 112 can be increased to extend the service life of the cover 11.


The main body 10 further has at least a circulating member 103 installed at an inner side, the bottom, or both of the inner side and bottom of the main body 10. In FIG. 1, the circulating member 103 comes with a plural quantity, and the circulating members 103 are installed on four inner sides of the main body 10 respectively, and the circulating members 103 and with the inner sides of the main body 10 form an airflow channel. In another implementation mode, the main body 10 further has at least a projection 106 extended from the inner side or bottom of the main body 10, and the projections 106 are extended from four inner sides of the main body 10 respectively and substantially in form of semicircular bumps as shown in FIG. 5 to achieve the rectification effect and facilitate flowing the gas inside the containing space 101. Particularly, when goods are stacked closely with one another, the gas is promoted to flow towards the pressure valve 102 to stabilize the air pressure value. In other words, the circulating member 103 or the projection 106 can reserve several airflow channels to facilitate the airflow in each region to flow towards the pressure valve 102 and improve the efficiency of adjusting and controlling the air pressure during the operation of adjusting air pressure.


Further, the circulating member 103 is a meshed structure, a porous structure, or a protruded structure. In this exemplary embodiment, the circulating member 103 is a meshed structure provided for improving the mobility and rectification of the gas in the containing space 101. When air pressure is adjusted (such as the adjustment made by a pumping operation), the gas can flow from the gap between the goods and the buffering material placed on the goods and be distributed to the pressure valve 102 by means of the circulating member 103 quickly, or the gas can flow from the gap between the circulating member 103 and the inner side of the main body 10 towards the pressure valve 102, so as to reduce the time taken for adjusting the air pressure and improve the efficiency of use.


Further, the cover 11 has a ring protrusion 113 with the seal 111 embedded therein, and provided for pressing onto the opening position of the cover 11 to and sealing the opening position by the seal 111 when the cover 11 is covered onto the main body 10. Therefore, the ring protrusion 113 is capable of improving the sealing ability of the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 to achieve the effects of reducing the loss rate of the air pressure value and improving the quality of goods delivery.


Preferably, the main body 10 further has at least a rib 104 installed at a side edge of the main body 10 for blocking a side of the ring protrusion 113, so that when the cover 11 is covered onto the main body 10, the side edge of the ring protrusion 113 can be protected. Preferably, the rib 104 is a surrounding structure provided for protecting the ring protrusion 113, so as to protect the seal 111. As a result, the ring protrusion 113 and the seal 111 can be prevented from being damaged by outer side forces during the process of adjusting air pressure or even in a shipping process, so as to lower the maintenance cost of the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1.


In addition, the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 further comprises at least a pressure indicator 12 installed on a side of the main body 10 and provided for indicating the value of air pressure in the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1. When the value of air pressure is adjusted, the air pressure controller can read the pressure value instantly. During the process of delivering goods and when the staff at each goods transportation station takes inventory, the staff may record the pressure value by the pressure indicator 12. The pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 further comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) label (not shown in the figure) installed at a position adjacent to the pressure indicator 12. Further, a read/write device can be used for connecting digital information, and related information used for transporting and delivering goods such as the recipient's address, and the name and type of the goods, the set air pressure value, and the actual measured air pressure value may be written into the RFID label. In the meantime, the staff at the goods transportation station may use the read/write device to read the information stored in the RFID label. Therefore, the pressure indicator 12 not just facilitate the air pressure controller to adjust the air pressure value only, but also allows the staff at the goods transportation station to control and take the inventory of the goods, so as to improve the efficiency of control and management.


In FIG. 4, the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 further comprises at least a carrier 13 mounted onto a side of the cover 11 and including a plane and three protruded side edges extended from the plane, and the carrier 13 configured to be opposite to the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 is detachable. The carrier 13 is provided for supporting another pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 on the cover 11, and the protruded side edges are latched into a groove structure at the bottom of the main body 10, and the stably stacked pressure control boxes used for transporting objects 1 can prevent the cover 11 and the seal 111 on the cover 11, or the buffer 112 from being damaged by exerting forces during a long time of use. Of course, the carrier 13 may also carry other objects such as a box. Therefore, another pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 can be supported and fixed for stacking. When the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 is not stacked with any heavy object, the carrier 13 can increase load to prevent a possible turnover of goods during the shipping process. In other exemplary embodiments, the carrier 13 comprises two small rods and a plurality of fixing portions, and the small rods are crossed and linked by the fixing portions and latched to carry the load. However, the present invention is not limited by the aforementioned arrangement only, but the carrier 13 may have another structural design used for the support purpose.


In addition, the main body 10 further has at least a latching portion 105 installed on an outer side of the main body 10, and the cover 11 has at least a fastener 114 disposed on an outer side of the cover 11, and the fastener 114 is fastened to the corresponding latching portion 105. In this exemplary embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the fastener 114 is installed at the outer side of the plate 115 to improve the sealing ability of the cover 11 and the main body 10. On the other hand, the buffer 112 can further reduce the impact force when the fastener 114 is fastened to the latching portion 105 and uniformize the force exerted onto the cover 11. Therefore, the sealing ability of the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 can be improved, and the factor of the forces exerted on the outer side, or the main body 10 and the cover 11 separating from each other, or the damage of goods, or injuries or causalities can be avoided to improve the safety of use.


Preferably, the main body 10 and the cover 11 are made of metal, and the good rigidity of the metal can prevent possible deformation or damage caused by external forces or other improper use and deformation caused by a rapid drop of pressure at the inner wall when the air pressure is changed. Therefore, the sturdiness and service life of the present invention can be improved.


In summation of the description above, the present invention adopts the seal 111 for transporting goods by using the pressure control box used for transporting objects 1 and storing goods at a fixed air pressure without requiring an additional control system for the maintenance. Wherein, the buffer 112 reduces the impact exerted onto the outer side of the cover 11 and the seal 111 and uniformizes the exerted force to protect sealing ability of the cover 11 and the main body 10 and maintain the constant pressure value. In addition, the circulating member 103 can improve the gas circulation and stability, and the efficiency of controlling the air pressure value. Therefore, the goods can be stored at an environment with the best constant air pressure to maintain the quality of the goods and improve the transportation efficiency and safety.

Claims
  • 1. A pressure control box used for transporting objects, comprising: a main body, having a containing space, and including at least a pressure valve installed on a side of the main body and communicated with the containing space and an external space of the main body for connecting to a pressure controller externally to adjust a pressure in the pressure control box used for transporting objects; anda cover, covered onto an opening of the containing space for sealing the containing space, and the cover having at least a seal embedded into an inner surface of the cover, so that the cover and the main body are sealed with each other.
  • 2. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 1, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 3. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 1, wherein the cover further includes at least a buffer.
  • 4. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 3, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 5. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 3, wherein the buffer is a spring.
  • 6. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 5, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 7. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 3, wherein the main body further comprises at least a circulating member installed on an inner side, a bottom, or both of the inner side and bottom of the main body.
  • 8. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 7, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 9. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 7, wherein the circulating member is a meshed structure, a porous structure, or a protruded structure.
  • 10. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 9, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 11. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 7, wherein the cover further includes a ring protrusion with the seal embedded therein.
  • 12. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 11, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 13. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 11, wherein the main body further has at least a rib installed at a side edge of the main body for blocking a side of the ring protrusion.
  • 14. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 13, further comprising at least a pressure indicator installed on a side of the main body.
  • 15. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 14, wherein the main body further has at least a latching portion disposed on an outer side of the main body, and the cover further has at least a fastener installed on an outer side of the cover, and the fastener is correspondingly fastened to the latching portion.
  • 16. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 15, wherein the cover has a side edge pivotally coupled to a side edge of the main body.
  • 17. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 16, further comprising at least a carrier mounted onto a side of the cover for carrying and stacking an object.
  • 18. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 1, wherein the main body further has at least a projection formed and extended from an inner side of a bottom of the main body.
  • 19. The pressure control box used for transporting objects according to claim 1, wherein the main body and the cover are made of metal.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
107200220 Jan 2018 TW national