The present invention relates generally to a shipping container. More specifically the present invention relates to a system and method for folding and unfolding walls of a shipping container.
The shipping industry uses large cargo containers to ship cargo from one location to another in domestic and global commerce. Such containers are designed to be conveniently moved from one mode of transport to another across the land by road or on rail or over the sea. Such containers are sometimes referred to as “intermodal shipping containers” or “freight containers.” The use of such containers has essentially eliminated the need for manually transferring cargo from one vessel to another, or from one vehicle or railcar to another in the effort to deliver the cargo to its final destination.
Today, cargo containers are generally standardized by internationally recognized standards, and by national domestic standards with respect to dimensions and structure. Thus, the standard containers can be securely arranged in vertical stacks in side-by-side and end-to-end relationship with each other, and can be handled most effectively when transferring from one mode of transport to another regardless of their source or destination.
Often, these containers must be transported empty from one delivery point to the next location where cargo is available for shipment. Transport of empty containers costs the shipper money and erodes profits since transport of each such container incurs handling cost and occupies valuable space which could otherwise be used to ship a revenue producing container loaded with cargo. Additionally, the shipping of both loaded and empty containers creates problems such as how to arrange the lighter, empty containers and the heavier, loaded containers aboard ships in such a manner that the safety of the ships is not compromised. Beyond safety issues, the shipment of empty containers causes monetary losses for shippers, losses which result in either substantial financial impact on the shipper or increased charges to customers for the handling and transport of loaded containers. Similar cost disadvantages apply when shipping empty containers over road or by rail.
Long ago shippers recognized that significant economic savings in shipping could be realized if empty containers could be “folded” so as to occupy a substantially smaller space, so that less space need be sacrificed in the transporting of empty containers. Such an effort presently exists only for the “open frame” or flat rack type containers. To that end, the prior art proposed many foldable or nesting cargo containers of the enclosed types intended to reduce the space required for their shipment when empty. While such prior art foldable containers have been proposed, the market has not embraced the prior art containers as a substitute for the standard, non-foldable cargo containers due to these prior art foldable containers not meeting ISO standards and ISO certifications for being water proof.
A shortcoming of foldable containers of the prior art is the lack of structural designs which enable or facilitate the folding and un-folding of such containers in a simple and effective manner with commonly available equipment. More specifically, foldable containers of the prior art do not provide an easy and controllable way of folding and unfolding the walls of the container. The walls of the these types of large intermodal shipping containers are typically fabricated from corrugated steel and for a standard 40 High Cube container, these walls can weigh upwards of 1500 pounds, thus making their raising and lowering extremely difficult and dangerous.
Prior collapsible containers have walls which include lifting mechanisms to aid in the raising of the container walls. One such example is a lifting bar, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,022,242 assigned to Holland Container Innovations, and depicted generally in
The present invention discloses systems and methods for folding and erecting a shipping container. More specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, a spring assembly is provided for use in supporting the folding of the sidewalls of a collapsible container. The spring assembly comprises a bar extending a length along the sidewall with the bar being oriented parallel to an axis of rotation for the sidewall. The spring assembly also comprises a plurality of torsion springs arranged about the bar with each spring having a first end generally parallel to the bar and a second end generally perpendicular to the bar. The first end of the spring, which is parallel to the bar and rigidly connected to the bar by the washer, transmits the torque of the spring through the rod, into the hinge and then into the sidewall. The second end of the spring, or perpendicular end, is restricted by the base beam or external cover allowing the rotation of the sidewall to rotate the spring and store the torque generated.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a collapsible container is provided comprising a base panel, a roof panel spaced a distance from the base panel and generally parallel to the base panel, and a pair of sidewalls extending between the base panel and the roof panel, where the sidewalls are rotatably coupled to the base panel along a bottom edge of the sidewalls. The container also has a door panel and front panel extending between the pair of sidewalls, with the door panel and the front panel being rotatably coupled to the roof panel. One or more spring assemblies is positioned near the bottom edge of each sidewall and in contact with the sidewalls, where the spring assembly comprises a bar extending a length along the sidewall and a plurality of torsion springs coupled to the bar. Upon a folding of the sidewalls of the container, the sidewalls rotate to be generally parallel to the base panel, and in doing so, contact the plurality of torsion springs, causing the springs to twist and store energy produced by the sidewall rotation.
The present invention also provides a method of folding a collapsible container in accordance with the associated systems discussed herein. Accordingly, the present invention also extends to a method of erecting a shipping container from its folded condition.
It is an object of the present invention is to provide a novel, foldable, enclosed shipping container where the shipping container is folded utilizing a torsional spring system along at least a portion of the container sidewalls. The weight of the sidewalls is used to the advantage of the folding and unfolding processes by increasing the tension in the springs during the folding process, such that upon erecting the container, tension in the springs is used to help raise the container sidewalls.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a locking mechanism is provided for use with the spring assembly in order to provide a way of securing the container sidewalls when in a collapsed configuration. The locking mechanism comprises an adjustable strap that attaches to a top edge of the container sidewall and can also retract into a stored position when not in use.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in a description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The present invention discloses a system and method for improving the foldable nature of a shipping container. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for improving the way in which the walls of the container are folded or erected. A discussion of the present invention follows and relates to
Referring now to
The collapsible container 100 also comprises a spring assembly 120, as depicted in
One or more bars 124 extend along at least a portion of the sidewall 106 and a plurality of torsion springs 126 are coupled to the one or more bars 124 as shown in
The second portion of the torsion spring 126B is in contact with a portion of the sidewall 106 such that upon a lowering, or folding, of the sidewalls 106 in towards the base panel 102, the sidewalls 106 rotate to be generally parallel to the base panel 102. As a result, the sidewalls 106 apply a force to the second portion 126B of the torsion springs, causing the torsion springs 126 to twist and impart a force to the bar 124. The torsion springs 126 and bar 124 absorbs the force applied thereto as the sidewalls 106 are folded in towards the base panel 102. The energy imparted in the springs 126 and bar 124 can then be utilized to assist in raising the sidewalls 106 from the folded position.
Typically, a secondary spring assembly is implemented when the moment torque required for the sidewall 106 is greater than what the primary torsion spring torque can produce. When a secondary spring assembly is utilized, as shown in
As depicted in
In an embodiment of the present invention, an adjustability function is provided for the torsional springs 126 and 132. That is, the springs can be pre-torqued from one to thirty degrees, which allows for an operator of the collapsible container to reach the required torque necessary to open the sidewall 106 from the collapsed position. The amount of torque required varies depending on the final weight of the sidewall. Due to manufacturing tolerances the overall weight of the sidewall can vary by up to 75 pounds, which changes the moment of the panel, which in turn, correlates to the torque required. Pre-torquing the springs 126 and 132 also provides a safety measure when the folding process is first initiated by helping to prevent the sidewall 106 from falling prematurely when it is no longer connected to the roof panel 104 or the door or front panels 110 or 112. The torsion springs 126 and 132 are adjustable by this pre-torquing, which occurs at the original assembly of the collapsible container. Alternatively, the torsion springs 126 and 132 are also adjustable after the initial container assembly through an external set screw, which acts on the vertical leg of the spring through the base beam so as to change the pre-torque angle. Also, the springs 126 and 132 can be aligned at a desired angular position to achieve a desired amount of torque so as to be pre-torqued or slack when the sidewall 106 is in a vertical position.
Referring back to
The torsion springs 126 and 132 are sized to be coaxial with the bar 124 and 130, as shown in
The present invention also incorporates friction reduction technology in order to facilitate torsion spring effectiveness in the folding of the sidewalls 106. For example, Teflon® bushings can be placed between the bar 124/130 and the receiving position of the base beam where the bar 124/130 rotates to reduce the friction interface at this point of rotation.
Another feature of the present invention is a locking mechanism 150 which is used for securing the sidewalls 106 in place when the container is in a folded position. Referring to
As used herein, the term “panel” can comprise a single section or in the alternative can be comprised of multiple sections secured together by an acceptable process, such as welded together to form a weldment.
The foldable container 100 of the present invention is folded in a way such that it is capable of being stacked vertically multiple units high when not in use. The container geometry described herein permits the stacking of the containers as described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/829,275.
The foldable container 100 of the present invention is fabricated from materials capable of withstanding a variety of weather elements and operating conditions. At least the exterior surfaces of the roof panel 104, base panel 102, front panel 112, door panel 110, and sidewalls 106 are fabricated from corrugated metal, such as CorTen® steel. For example, CorTen® A, also known as A588, is an industry standard acceptable material as this material provides excellent corrosion resistance. This material capability is necessary given the harsh weather conditions experienced by the foldable container, including but not limited to salt water, sea air, rain, snow, and extreme heat and cold. Internal walls of the foldable container 100 can be corrugated metal or can be lined with other materials as desired by the owner/operator of the foldable container 100. Such container material provides the necessary protection of the internal spring assembly components whether the container is in its erect or folded state.
The materials of the spring assembly are typically higher strength steels. For example, the bar may be made from 1144 while the washer may be made from higher strength steel such as ASTM A514.
The present invention is applicable to a variety of standard intermodal shipping containers. For example, the folding container and associated spring assembly technology can be configured to accommodate various container lengths as used in the intermodal transport industry including, but not limited to, containers of 10 feet, 20 feet, 24 feet, 40 feet, 48 feet, and 53 feet in length.
While the invention has been described in what is known as presently the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the scope of the following claims. The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages which are obvious and inherent to the system and method. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and within the scope of the claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/281,823 filed on Jan. 22, 2016.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62281823 | Jan 2016 | US |