HK1024452B - Freight containers - Google Patents

Description

Freight container

The present invention relates to freight containers and corner connectors therefor. Such freight containers are generally cuboidal and have corner connectors with which they can be connected to and positioned on a vehicle such as a trailer or freight train, or a ship, by means of a handling device, when the freight container is loaded onto or unloaded from such a vehicle or ship.

Such boxes are typically 20 feet (6058mm) or 40 feet (12192mm) in length, but also have 45 feet (13716mm) long shipping containers. A 45 foot long freight container typically has not only angular connections at each end of the container body, but also angular connections spaced 40 feet (12192mm) apart, symmetrically arranged with respect to the central transverse plane of the container body. The 40 foot (12192mm) corner connector enables the coupling to equipment designed to load a 40 foot (12192mm) long tank, even if the tank has an overall length of 45 feet.

The corner connectors provided at the corners of a freight container are typically cuboidal. Three of the six faces of each corner connector, at least in each face, meet, the corner connector being secured to the freight container, typically by welding. The other three faces of the corner connector are exposed and define the corner ends of the freight container. When a corner connector is positioned on top of a freight container, the three exposed faces are a top face, a side face (a face parallel to the side face of the freight container) and an end face (a face parallel to the end of the freight container). When a corner connector is on the bottom of a freight container, the three exposed faces are a bottom face, a side face and an end face. The exposed surfaces of the corner connectors project outwardly at least as far as the adjacent part of the bracket of the freight container, usually further away. Each exposed face of the corner connector has an opening into the hollow interior of the connector. These openings enable fastening means to be secured to the freight container for securing the freight container to a vehicle, for using the roping arrangement on a cargo ship, or on another freight container, or for connecting the freight container to a handling device.

The advantage of using such freight containers is that they can be easily fitted to vehicles or cargo ships and also easily handled, which results from standardisation of the dimensions of the freight containers, in particular of the position of the corner connectors. A standard size freight container in which the lateral outer faces of the corner connectors are spaced 2438mm apart and their outer end faces are spaced 6058mm (for a 20 foot container) and 12192mm (for a 40 foot container) and 13716mm (for a 45 foot container). As mentioned above, for a 45 foot freight container, there are also 40 foot spaced connectors, the positions of which are the same as the positions of the corner connectors of a 40 foot freight container. The provision of such unified standards makes it possible to provide simple fixtures on vehicles and cargo ships to secure freight containers, and also to provide handling equipment that is capable of moving freight containers from one location to another without requiring complex adjustments; and a freight container can be stacked one on top of the other with the bottom corner connector of a freight container placed on the top corner connector of a freight container therebelow.

Freight containers are typically secured to the vehicle by attaching a fastener on the vehicle to the bottom corner connector of the freight container, the fastener on the vehicle extending into an opening in the bottom surface of the corner connector and/or an opening in the end face of the corner connector. On board a cargo ship, freight containers can be secured in the respective chute chambers (cell guides), in which case no corner connectors are required, and freight containers can also be secured by rope loops and/or fastened to a container body or directly to the deck below. In the case of attachment using rope loops, it is common to attach one end of each rope loop to the deck of the cargo ship and the other end of each rope loop to an opening in one end face of the corner connector. Each of the rope loops may extend diagonally across and be attached to the end of a freight container or a stack of freight containers. A freight container may also be secured to a freight container or deck located therebelow by means of a twist lock (twist lock), each twist lock fitting into an opening in the underside of one of the four bottom corner connectors of the freight container and a similar opening in the deck or on the top surface of the top corner connector of a freight container located therebelow. When a freight container is connected to the loading device, top corner connectors are used, and openings in the top and/or end faces of the corner connectors are typically used to secure the freight container to the device.

In order to fully realize the benefits of standardized positioning of the corner connectors, accurate positioning of the corner connectors is important. Even a small reduction in the spacing of the corner connectors can itself prevent their precise positioning. However, such a reduction is often desirable. For example, if the length of a 20 foot, 40 foot or 45 foot freight container is to be reduced, even a few millimeters, the spacing of the corner connectors may be changed to a non-standard spacing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a freight container whose corner connectors do not change position when some of the external dimensions of the freight container are slightly reduced.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a particular form of corner connector which allows some of the external dimensions of a freight container to be reduced somewhat without altering the position of the corner connector.

The present invention provides a freight container of generally cuboidal shape having corner fittings at each corner end thereof, defining a central vertical longitudinal plane along the length of the container, the corner fittings being disposed at equally spaced apart opposite sides of the longitudinal plane, a central vertical transverse plane being defined across the width of the container perpendicular to said longitudinal plane, the corner fittings being disposed at equally spaced apart opposite sides of the transverse plane, wherein the corner fittings at one end of the container have outer end faces whose outer regions are at a greater distance from the longitudinal plane than their inner regions, the outer regions of the outer end faces being at a lesser distance from the transverse plane than their inner regions.

By arranging the end faces of the corner connectors in the manner described above, it is possible to allow some of the external dimensions of the freight container described above to be reduced without changing the position of the corner connectors. For example, the openings in the top surface of the top corner connectors and the openings in the bottom surface of the bottom corner connectors may be provided in substantially the same locations as on freight containers having conventional corner connectors. The end faces of the corner connectors at said one end of the freight container are arranged such that at least part of the inner area of each end face is at a greater distance from said transverse plane than any part of an outer area of the end face.

The precise arrangement of each external end surface may take a number of forms. Preferably, at least a portion of each outer end surface is an inclined surface inclined at an acute angle relative to the transverse plane. Each outer end face preferably includes an inner portion parallel to the transverse plane and an outer portion inclined at an acute angle to the transverse plane. The acute angle is preferably in the range of 25 ° to 60 °, and in one embodiment of the invention described below, the acute angle is about 35 °.

The distance of the outermost region of each outer end surface from the transverse plane may be very small, for example in the range 20 to 150mm, preferably 60 to 100mm, greater than the distance of the innermost region of the end surface from the transverse plane. And in one embodiment of the invention described below is about 80 mm. Even for freight containers over 10000mm long, the spacing is critical. In the example described below, the overall length of the freight container is 13716 mm.

In plan view of the freight container, a circular arc of radius 2040mm at said one end of the freight container, whose centre on said longitudinal plane is at a distance 5142mm from said transverse plane, passes outside the corner connector at said one end of the freight container. Such a freight container can be conveniently carried by a trailer without the corner ends of the freight container at the front of the trailer protruding as much as conventional corner connectors and thus can be well adapted to various regulations.

The width of the freight container, measured between the outer end faces of opposing corner connectors on either end of the longitudinal plane, may be 2438mm, which is a standard dimension of separation for corner connectors. The distance separating the outer end faces of the freight container immediately surrounding the corner connectors is typically somewhat smaller, which may be uniform over the entire length of the freight container or may increase in an intermediate portion of the freight container. When the width of the freight container thus measured is 2438mm, the corner connectors of a conventional freight container of length 13716mm will intersect the circular arc described in the upper section.

Although it is within the scope of the present invention to provide corner connectors having angled end faces at both ends of a freight container, it is often advantageous to provide such corner connectors at only one end of the freight container, typically the end which becomes the front end when the freight container is secured to a trailer in the usual manner. The outer end faces of the corner connectors at said other end of the freight container are thus preferably parallel to said transverse plane. A freight container door or other cargo compartment access device may be provided at the other end of the freight container.

A particularly advantageous feature of the invention is that at least one, and typically all, of the corner connectors at said one end comprise: an opening in the outer top or bottom face, a first opening in the outer end face of the corner connector and a second opening in the outer end face of the corner connector. It has been found that by providing two openings in the end faces of the corner connectors, the corner connectors can be connected to the loading apparatus even when certain external dimensions of the freight container are reduced, securing the freight container to the trailer or to the cargo ship as effectively as conventional corner connectors. One opening may be used to perform some of its suitable securing functions, while another opening may be used to perform other securing functions.

The freight container may also include connectors located at intermediate locations along the length of the freight container. For example, in a freight container of overall length 13716mm, the connectors may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal and transverse planes at positions corresponding to the positions of the corner connectors of a 40 foot (12192mm) long freight container.

The manner in which the two openings are provided in the end faces of the freight container is of considerable unique importance. Thus, according to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a freight container of cuboidal shape, the freight container having corner connectors at each corner end thereof, at least one of the corner connectors comprising: an opening in an exterior top surface of the corner connector, a first opening in an exterior end surface of the connector and a second opening in the exterior end surface of the connector, an opening in a top surface of the connector communicating with the first opening in the exterior end surface of the connector within the corner connector and adapted to receive a hook of a hooked loading device, the hook entering the corner connector through the one opening and protruding from the corner connector through the other opening, the second opening in the exterior end surface of the connector adapted to receive a noose device fastener. The freight container may also have any of the other characteristics described above, as desired.

It will be appreciated that the construction of the freight container of the invention resides in the particular form of corner connector used. Each corner connector is typically cast separately and then attached to the freight container body, for example by welding, but other arrangements are possible if desired, for example each corner connector may be formed integrally with the freight container as part of the freight container. Such a corner connector may be manufactured and sold separately and the invention also provides a corner connector for a freight container having generally parallel top and bottom surfaces, with inner and inner side faces being substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces and arranged such that an outer region of an outer end face is a smaller distance from the inner end face than an inner region of the outer end face.

Embodiments of the invention are described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a freight container,

figure 2A is a plan view of the top corner connector of the freight container shown in figure 1,

figure 2B is a side view of the top corner connector shown in figure 2A,

figure 2C is an end view of the top corner connector shown in figure 2A,

figure 2D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in figure 2A,

figure 2E is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of figure 2B,

figure 3A is a bottom plan view of the bottom corner connector of the freight container shown in figure 1,

figure 3B is a side view of the bottom corner connector shown in figure 3A,

figure 3C is an end view of the bottom corner connector shown in figure 3A,

figure 3D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in figure 3A,

figure 3E is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of figure 3B,

figure 4 is a schematic partial plan view of the freight container described above,

figure 5A is a plan view of one of the top corner connectors of the corner connector of figures 2A to 2E modified,

figure 5B is a side view of the top corner connector shown in figure 5A,

figure 5C is an end view of the top corner connector shown in figure 5A,

figure 5D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in figure 5A,

fig. 5E is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in fig. 5B.

The freight container shown in figure 1 is cuboidal and has ends 1, 2, sides 3, 4, a top 5 and a bottom 6. The end 1 of the box has a pair of double doors 7 mounted on corner posts 8.

The tank is substantially symmetrical with respect to a vertical central vertical plane 9 and a vertical transverse central vertical plane 10, shown in dotted lines in figure 1. The planes 9 and 10 are perpendicular to each other.

On each of the two top corners of the end 1 of the tank there is provided a corner connector 11T, and on each of the two bottom corners of the end 1 of the tank there is also provided a corner connector 11B. One corner connector 12T is provided on each of the two top corners of the end 2 of the case, and one corner connector 12B is also provided on each of the two bottom corners of the end 2 of the case. In the example shown in the drawings, the box is 45 feet long (13716mm) and two additional sets of eight corner connectors 33T and 33B are provided, spaced 40 feet apart. The connecting elements 11T, 11B, 12T, 12B, 33T and 33B are welded to the load-bearing part of the container body, as in conventional freight containers, except that the shape of the corner posts is modified as required, and the other parts of the container body can take the same general form as in known freight containers.

The corner connectors 11T and 11B and the connectors 33T and 33B are of a conventional design. For example, the shape and dimensions of the connectors 11T and 11B may be in accordance with 1985 british standard 3951: part 1: section 1.2: the manufacturing method according to (1). The corner connectors 12T and 12B are of a particular design as described below.

Fig. 2A to 2E show a corner connector 12T. The connector has a top surface 13T, an inner bottom surface 14T, an outer side surface 15T, an inner side surface 16T, an inner end surface 17T and an outer end surface 18T, the outer end surface 18T having two portions: an outer inclined portion 19T and an inner portion 20T parallel to the end face 17T. The corner connector is hollow and has three openings in its outer wall: there is an opening 21T in the top surface 13T, an opening 22T in the inclined portion 19T of the end surface 18T, and an opening 23T in the portion 20T of the end surface 18T. The connector has a reinforcing wall 24T, the wall 24T extending outwardly from the interior side 16T toward the exterior side 15T, between the top and bottom walls of the connector.

A typical corner connector has an opening on its outer side, but it can be seen that there is no opening on the outer side 15T of the connector that is shortened by the inclined portion 19T of the end face 18T. According to current methods of installing or securing the housing, the opening is generally not required.

The opening 21T in the top surface 13T is located and shaped in the same manner as a conventional connector in a conventional freight container.

A typical corner connector has a flat exterior end face that is perpendicular to its side face with a single opening centered in the same vertical longitudinal plane in which the opening in the top face is located. The opening is adapted to receive, together with the opening in the top surface, a hook of a loading device in a situation where the hook enters the opening and protrudes out of the other opening; in the corner connection shown in fig. 2A to 2E, the above-mentioned action is accomplished by the opening 22T in the inclined portion 19T cooperating with the opening 21T in the top surface. The openings in the end faces of typical corner connectors are also used to accommodate the noose fasteners used to secure the freight container to a ship; in this case, an opening in the inclined plane is not applicable, but an opening 23T in the portion 20T of the end face is applicable for this purpose; the location of the opening 23T is different from a single opening in the end face of a conventional corner connector, but the precise location of the opening is not critical to the effective attachment of the noose fastener. Thus, the two openings 22T and 23T can collectively function as a single opening in the end face of a conventional corner connector.

The corner connector 12B shown in fig. 3A to 3E is similar in construction to connector 12T, with corresponding parts indicated by the same reference numerals with the suffix B instead of T. In the connecting member 12B, the bottom face 13B corresponds to the top face 13T of the connecting member 12T, and the inner top face 14B corresponds to the inner bottom face 14T of the connecting member 12T. The corner connector 12B is provided with three openings 21B, 22B and 23B corresponding to the openings 21T, 22T and 23T, respectively. Opening 21B is identical to opening 21T, while openings 22B and 23B are slightly different in shape and size from openings 22T and 23T, as shown.

Figure 4 schematically shows a part of the end of the freight container opposite to the end with the door. As shown, the corner ends of the freight container are shortened by virtue of the use of angled portions 19T and 19B for the corner connectors 12T and 12B; if desired, the corner of a freight container extending vertically between corner connectors 12T and 12B (which corner is generally defined as a well-known "corner post") may also be modified so that no other part of the freight container protrudes beyond the corner connectors.

In the particular example of a 45 foot long shipping container of the present invention having an overall length of 13716mm, the size of the shipping container is close to the various size limits of shipping containers used in european road transport. More specifically, in fig. 4, the position of the arc of circle with radius 2040mm, centered on the center on the central longitudinal plane 9, is 1716mm from the end of the box (5142 mm from the transverse plane 10). The circular arcs shown in figure 4 are for the case where the outer sides 15T and 15B are 1219mm from the plane 9 (i.e. for the case when the freight container has a total width of 2438mm at its ends). It can be seen that if a normal corner connector is used, such a circular arc will pass through the corner connector, but with the special corner connector described above, the circular arc passes outside the corner connector even though the position of the corner connector defined by the positions of the openings 21T and 21B remains unchanged.

The shortening of the ends of the corners of the freight container is advantageous when the freight container is transported on a trailer connected to the truck by means of a kingpin. Especially when trucks are cornering, the corner ends of the freight container project outwards, easily creating danger or violating traffic regulations.

In fig. 2A to 2E, 3A to 3E and 4, some dimensions are indicated by letters. In a particular embodiment of the invention, these dimensions are as follows:

a: 234.25 minimum

b：172.5

c：116

d：89

e: 149 min

f：81

g：101.5

h: 164.5 minimum

j: 124 diameter

k：63.5

l：20.5

m：28.5

n：79.5

o: 73 min

p：33.5

r：20

s：83.5

t：51

R1：51

u：2040

v：1219

w：1716

All dimensions listed above are in units of mm.

In the embodiments of the invention described above, where the freight container is shown with a side and a door at one end, it is envisaged that the invention may also be applied to other kinds of freight containers, such as containers for bulk material, where the door may be replaced by a discharge door, and where cylindrical tanks are shipped, where the sides, ends, top and bottom may be replaced by frames with cylindrical tanks, to which corner connectors are mounted.

The outer width of the freight container shown in the drawings is constant between the corner connectors throughout its entire length. The freight container may also be of the type shown in EP206542 with the outer width of the middle portion being greater than the outer width of the end portions.

The top corner connector shown in fig. 5A to 5E is similar to, but more elaborate than, the top corner connector shown in fig. 2A to 2E. The same reference numerals and size letters as those used in fig. 2A to 2E are used in fig. 5A to 5E.

The top corner connector shown in fig. 5A to 5E has a reduced wall thickness and omits the reinforcing wall 24T as compared to the top corner connector shown in fig. 2A to 2E. Thus, the weight of the entire corner connector is reduced. Also, as shown, some of the interior corner portions of the corner connectors in fig. 5A-5E are smoothly curved in transition to prevent excessive stress.

The other dimensions of the dimensions a to s and R1 of the corner connector in fig. 5A to 5E are the same as the corresponding dimensions of the corner connector in fig. 2A to 2E, except that "a" is 247mm and "h" is 170 mm. The dimensions "E" and "t" do not apply to the corner connectors in fig. 5A to 5E.

It will be appreciated that similar modifications can be made to the bottom corner connector shown in figures 3A to 3E if desired.

Claims (15)

1. A freight container of generally cuboidal shape, the freight container having at each corner end thereof a corner connector member defining a central vertical longitudinal plane along the length of the container, the corner connector members being disposed at equally spaced apart opposite sides of the longitudinal plane, a central vertical transverse plane being defined across the width of the container perpendicular to said longitudinal plane, the corner connector members being disposed at equally spaced apart opposite sides of the transverse plane, an opening being provided in an exposed face of the corner connector member, wherein the corner connector member at one end of the freight container has an outer end face, an outer region of the outer end face being at a greater distance from the longitudinal plane than an inner region of the outer end face, the outer region of the outer end face being at a lesser distance from the transverse plane than the inner region of the outer end face.

2. A freight container according to claim 1, in which at least a portion of each outer end face is an inclined surface which is inclined at an acute angle to the transverse plane.

3. A freight container according to claim 2, in which each outer end face comprises an inner portion parallel to the transverse plane and an outer portion inclined at an acute angle to the transverse plane.

4. A freight container according to claim 3, in which the acute angle is in the range 25 ° to 60 °.

5. A freight container according to any preceding claim, in which the distance of the outermost region of the outer end face from the transverse plane is greater than the distance of the innermost region of the end face from the transverse plane by an amount in the range 20 to 150 mm.

6. A freight container according to claim 5, in which the outermost region of the end face is spaced from the transverse plane by a distance greater than the distance of the innermost region of the end face from the transverse plane in the range 60 to 100 mm.

7. A freight container according to claim 1, in which the overall length of the freight container is 13716 mm.

8. A freight container according to claim 7, in which, in plan view of the freight container, the radius of the arc of a circle at said one end of the freight container, which passes outside the corner connector at said one end of the freight container, is 2040mm, and its centre on said longitudinal plane is at a distance of 5142mm from said transverse plane.

9. A freight container according to claim 8, in which the width of the freight container measured between the outer end faces of the opposed corner connectors on either side of the longitudinal plane is 2438 mm.

10. A freight container according to claim 1, in which the corner connector at the other end of the freight container has an outer end face parallel to the transverse plane.

11. A freight container according to claim 1, in which at least one of the corner connectors at the one end comprises: an opening in the outer top or bottom surface, a first opening in the outer end surface of the connector and a second opening in the outer end surface of the connector.

12. The freight container of claim 1, further comprising a connector located along the length of the freight container intermediate the ends.

13. A freight container of cuboidal shape, the freight container having corner fittings at each corner end thereof, at least one of the corner fittings comprising: an opening in an exterior top surface of the corner connector, a first opening in an exterior end surface of the connector and a second opening in the exterior end surface of the connector, the opening in the top surface of the connector and the first opening in the exterior end surface of the connector communicating with each other inside the corner connector and for receiving a hook of a hooked loading device, the hook entering the corner connector through the one opening and protruding from the corner connector through the other opening, the second opening in the exterior end surface of the connector being adapted to receive a noose device fastener.

14. A corner connector for a freight container, the connector having substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces, an inner side face and an inner end face being substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces, and the inner end face being arranged such that an outer region of the outer end face is a smaller distance from the inner end face than an inner region of the outer end face.

15. A corner connector for a freight container, the connector comprising: an opening in an exterior top surface of the corner connector, a first opening in an exterior end face of the connector and a second opening in the exterior end face of the connector, the opening in the top surface of the connector and the first opening in the exterior end face of the connector communicating with each other inside the corner connector and for receiving a hook of a hooked loading device, the hook entering the corner connector through the one opening and protruding from the corner connector through the other opening, the second opening in the exterior end face of the connector being adapted to receive a noose device fastener.