Patent Application
20210047107
This patent application claims priority, and benefit, to China Utility Model Patent Application No. 201921315780.3, filed on Aug. 14, 2019, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in their entirety and to which priority is claimed.
The present disclosure relates to the technical field of logistics and transportation tools, and more particularly, to a shipping container for marine and land use.
Shipping containers are hollow devices that can carry packed or unpackaged goods and facilitate loading and unloading with mechanical equipment. Currently, the two large intermodal shipping containers most used are the 53-foot long container and the 40-foot long container. Before the present disclosure, 53-foot containers for road, rail, and marine transportation are ultra-wide containers at 8-feet 6 inches.
The 40-foot ISO (international organization for standardization) container has a width of 8 feet. As a result, closely packed transport, such as that on a train or marine vessel, 53-foot container cannot be transported in a tight stowage on marine vessels. The 40′ containers have to be stacked with gaps if they are going to be shipped with 53′ containers which greatly wastes the cargo space. At present, if a tight stowage transportation is desired, it needs to be realized through a conversion apparatus.
Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved 53′ container that is 8′ in width and is stackable and matingly securable to a standard 40-foot ISO container.
To minimize the limitations in the cited references, and to minimize other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the illustrative embodiments, the present disclosure teaches a new and useful shipping container.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a shipping container for both ocean and land freight that can be tightly and matingly stowed on top of a 40-foot ISO container in order to make full use of the cargo space on marine vessels.
One embodiment may be a shipping container for both ocean and land freight that comprises a container box and four first corner posts. The four first corner posts may be built into the container and the distance between each said first corner post is the same as the distance between each corner post of a 40-foot ISO container. The top end of said first corner posts are equipped with a first set of corner fittings while the bottom end of the first corner posts are equipped with a second set of corner fittings. The length of the container is 53-feet and the width of the container is equal to that of the 40-foot ISO container, which is 8-feet. One problem with current 53-foot containers is that they are too wide for marine transport, so they stay primarily in the United states and many containers have to be unloaded and reloaded into the current standard 53-foot ISO containers. Having a narrower 53-foot container makes it more likely that it can be put on a marine vessel.
Because the length of the container of the present disclosure is equal to the length of the 53-foot ISO container, it may be placed on the standard 53-foot container semi-trailer for road transport. Because the width of the container is equal to the width of the 40-foot ISO container, when the container is stacked on top of a 40-foot ISO container, the perfectly matched widths allow for a tight stowage during transport. Also, when the second corner fittings on the bottom end of the first corner posts are twist locked with the top corner fittings of the 40-foot ISO container, they may securely connect the container to the 40-foot ISO container.
Preferably, a gooseneck tunnel is built into the base of the container that is close to the front-end panel of said container. The tunnel may run along the length direction of the container and the depth of said gooseneck tunnel may preferably be 79 millimeters (mm).
The height of the gooseneck on a standard 53-foot container semi-trailer is 79 mm. By designing the gooseneck tunnel on the container to be 79 mm, this allows the bottom surface of the container of the present disclosure to fully and matingly contact and engage with the top surface of the 53-foot container trailer during the transport. This avoids the weight of the container being on the front portion of the chassis of the 53-foot container trailer for a long period of time, resulting in the deformation of the middle of the chassis of the trailer.
In one embodiment, there may be second corner posts are built into both sides of the front-end panel of the container and the bottom end of the second corner posts are equipped with the third corner fittings with their top surface flush with the top surface of the second corner fittings.
The container of the present invention may be secured onto a standard 53-foot container semi-trailer via the third corner fittings to prevent the container from inadvertently slipping or falling.
Preferably, the height of the second corner fittings is at least 21 mm shorter than the height of standard corner fittings; and the lifting hole of the second corner fitting may be placed offset from the end hole of the second corner fitting; and the projections of the lifting hole and the end hole of the second corner fitting along the longitudinal direction of the container overlap each other.
Moreover, the height of the third corner fittings is at least 21 mm shorter than the height of standard corner fittings; and the lifting hole of the third corner fitting is preferably aligned with the end hole of the third corner fitting; and the height of the opening of the end hole is the same as the height of the inner cavity of the third corner fitting.
The reduced heights of the second and the third corner fittings increases the interior height of the container and its overall capacity.
Preferably, the first corner fittings are standard corner fittings.
Preferably, a floor is laid on the base of the container and it may be a steel floor. The top surface of the steel floor may be flush with that of the second corner fittings.
Because the thickness of the steel floor is thinner and the steel floor surface is flush with the top surface of the second corner fittings, the capacity of the container is increased. In other embodiments, the floor may be steel, wood, plastic, composite, or other metal alloy. Floors of a different materials may provide better durability for ocean transport. Because current 53-foot ISO containers are designed for land transportation only, they frequently have wood floors, which are not suitable for ocean transport. The preferred steel floors of the container of the present disclosure make them more suitable for ocean travel.
Furthermore, the shipping container of the present disclosure has a bottom crossmember on top of which the steel floor is installed. The bottom crossmember is made of high-strength steel. High-strength steels are categorized as 300 MPa tensile strength and above. These types of steels have much higher strengths than mild steels and can help reduce thickness and part weight in comparison to mild steel parts. One MPa is equal to one million pascals (Pa); as a pascal is one newton of force per square meter, a megapascal is one million newtons per square meter. The higher the MPa of steel, the stronger the material will be, and the less likely it is to fail.
In order to eliminate the problem of diminished strength caused by the decreased height of the bottom crossmember, the bottom crossmember should be manufactured with high-strength steel to increase the strength of the steel floor of the container.
Preferably, the distance between each the first corner posts and the wall of the corresponding side of the container is the same.
When the container of the present disclosure is stacked on top of a 40-foot ISO container, the second corner fittings at the bottom of the first corner posts are locked to the top corner fittings of the 40-foot ISO container by a twist lock, and the distance between each first corner post and the wall of the corresponding side of the container is the same, which ensures the center of gravity of the whole container, when fully loaded, is located at the center of the container and at the same time, directly above the center of gravity of the 40-foot ISO container. This prevents the locking connectors from being damaged due to the unequal forces between the four first corner posts and the top corner fittings of the 40-foot ISO container and substantially prevents the container from falling off the top of the 40-foot ISO container.
The length of the container of the present disclosure is equal to the length of a 53-foot container, which makes the container suitable for land transport by the 53-foot container semi-trailer. The width of the container is equal to that of the 40-foot ISO container (currently 8-feet), which allows the containers to be tightly stowed on top of the 40-foot ISO containers when transported by sea, making full use of the capacity of a container ship.
One embodiment may be a shipping container comprising: a container box that is 53-feet long and 8-feet wide; and four first corner posts. The four first corner posts are not on the corners of the container box, they are set on the side walls of the sides of the container box. Two of the four first corner posts are built into a right side of the container box and two of the four first corner posts are built into a left side of the container box, such that there are two left first corner posts and two right first corner posts. The two left first corner posts are spaced apart approximately 40-feet and wherein the two right first corner posts are spaced apart approximately 40-feet, such that the four first corner posts are configured to match up with a placement of four corner posts of a 40-foot ISO container. Each of the first corner posts may comprise a first corner fitting on a top end and a second corner fitting on a bottom end. The container box may comprise a gooseneck tunnel that is at a base portion of the container box at a front end of the container box. The gooseneck tunnel runs along a length direction of the container box and may have a depth of approximately 79 mm (millimeters). The shipping container may further comprise: two second corner posts, wherein the two second corner posts are at a front end of the container box. Each of the second corner posts may have a third corner fitting on a bottom end. An outer surface of the second corner fittings may be flush with an outer surface of the third corner fittings. Each of the second corner fittings may comprise a lifting hole and an end hole that are offset from each other. A projection of the lifting hole of the second corner fittings and a projection of the end hole of the second corner fittings preferably overlap each other. Each of the third corner fittings may comprise a lifting hole and an end hole that may be aligned with each other. The height of an opening of the end hole of the third corner fitting preferably may equal a height of an inner cavity of the third corner fitting. The first corner fittings are standard shipping container corner fittings. A standard shipping container corner fitting is one that is part of an ISO shipping container. The shipping container may have a steel floor and a plurality of bottom crossmembers that are made of high-strength steel. Preferably the four first corner posts are centered on the container box.
Other features and advantages are inherent in the compartment divider assembly claimed and disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
The drawings are of illustrative embodiments. They do not illustrate all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without all of the components or steps which are illustrated. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.
In the following detailed description of various embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the embodiments. However, these embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still others will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. Accordingly, the graphs, figures, and the detailed descriptions thereof, are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection.
Before the present methods and systems are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the methods and systems are not limited to specific methods, specific components, or to particular implementations. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are signify both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other components, integers or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal embodiment. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes.
Disclosed are components that may be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all embodiments of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that may be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps may be performed with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.
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In other specific embodiments, the distance between the first corner posts 2 and the wall of the corresponding side of the container box 1 can be unequal.
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The second corner fittings 4 may be configured to securely lock to the top corner fittings of the 40-foot ISO container 9 during, for example, maritime transport. The length of the container box 1 may preferably be equal to that of the 53-foot container, i.e. the length of the container box 1 is 636 inches; and the width of container box 1 is equal to that of the 40-foot ISO container 9, i.e. the width of container box 1 is 8 feet.
The first corner fitting 3 may preferably be a standard corner fitting, that is, the height of the first corner fitting 3 is preferably 118 mm.
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In other embodiments the container of the present disclosure includes all of the same corner fittings as a standard 53-foot long container, such that it can be contactably stacked with other containers of the present disclosure (53-feet long and 8-feet wide).
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In order to eliminate the problem of diminished strength caused by the lowered height of the steel floor 7 and the reduced height of the bottom crossmember 1c, as shown in
Furthermore, the height of the door sill and the door header may be reduced so that the height of the door opening is equal to the interior height of the container box lin order to make it more convenient for loading large/tall goods.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the present disclosure that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, locations, and other specifications which are set forth in this specification, including in the claims which follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range which is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above detailed description. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the protection. Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited, one or more embodiments may be practiced in combination or conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection. It is intended that these embodiments not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appended hereto.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing which has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201921315780.3 | Aug 2019 | CN | national |
