WO2007012153A1

WO2007012153A1 - Flexible insert/liner for dry freight containers and trailers

Info

Publication number: WO2007012153A1
Application number: PCT/BR2005/000138
Authority: WO
Inventors: Katia Ali De Oliveira Duarte Matias; Daniel De Oliveira Duarte Matias; Tatiana De Oliveira Duarte Matias Matias; Raphael De Oliveira Duarte Matias
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-25
Filing date: 2005-07-25
Publication date: 2007-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-01-25

Abstract

A flexible insert for containers where the flexible insert/liner internal volume is augmented by creating an extra cargo volume above the level of the container top cargo rings (III) where flexible insert is installed forming one additional internal volume used to maximize quantity of cargo that can be loaded into said flexible insert installed inside said container/trailer.

Description

FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINER FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most bulk cargo currently being transported in containers does not fully occupy its total internal volume which is the case of shipments of malt, coffee, grains, plasties, and other low density products. Transportation costs are assessed per container Ioad regardless of cargo weight or volume. Therefore, any extra cargo loaded into those containers/ trailers within maximum container payload will result in proportionally reduced house to house transportation cost per ton.

The potential extra cargo loaded with this new invention is around 6% which will be equivalent to hundreds of dollars per container load if export cargo is considered. Using malt as an example, current 20' liners available in the market can toad up to 16 tons. The house to house cost in transatlantic transportation is around USD 3,50000 considering land and sea freight as well as port charges at both ends, in addition to Customs clearance and other related fees. 6% of that door to door cost exceeds USD210 per container which will generate great economic impact in the transportation of grains and plastics as well as other bulk containerized cargo in general.

Other than the millions of dollars saved yearly, the new invention will reduce the quantity of liners in transit contributing to the environment as well as disposal cost in countries where recycling is not available. BRIEF DESCRIPTSON OF THE INVENTION

The new invention provides a flexible insert with a new added volume cargo portion created either by extending upwards the flexible insert front, rear and door portions above the container top cargo ring level upwards to the container roof wall, said extended portions further connecting to the flexible insert roof portion. Optionally that extra volume can be achieved by enlarging the width and length of said roof portion in such a way as to fully fill and potentially exceed said container volume.

An optional inlet can be strategically positioned over the flexible insert rear door portion top horizontal reinforcement strap that tends to lower when cargo exercises outward pressure against the flexible insert rear door portion substantially dose to the edge that connects it to the flexible insert top portion.

Most conventional container liners in the market use cargo inlet as the air outlet as well, which is not adequate when blowing cargo in as cargo can spill out. The new invention also contemplates the use of at least one optional air outlet with am optional sleeve with optional screen impervious to the cargo for air to be blown outside when the flexible insert is being loaded to avoid cargo to be spilled out when caught in the air stream.

The new flexible insert extended wall or top portions will tend to collapse inside the liner if not taped to the container roof or side walls. Nevertheless, even if not taped, the added flexible insert portion will inflate when cargo is blown or conveyed in.

The new flexible insert measurements will exceed the internal container dimensions allowing it to fully expand into full container internal volume including into the container wall corrugations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows an isometric perspective view of one of the possible embodiments of the new improved flexible insert inside a dry freight container.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of the new improved flexible insert rear door portion with a horizontal reinforcement strap.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective top view of an enlarged roof portion as art alternative to create the extra cargo volume by increased width and length of the flexible insert roof portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows an isometric view of one the possible embodiments of the new improved flexible insert inside a dry freight container with a floor wall (120) a right side wall (110), a roof wall (140), a front wall (150), a flexible insert rear door portion (1) extending upwards above container cargo ring (111) level to form panel (1a), where the left side wall portion (3) also extends upwards above said container top cargo ring (111) level to form panel (3a), where roof portion (2) connects to those mentioned extended wall portions (1,3) and to the front and right wall portion extensions not seen in the drawing. Optional top horizontal reinforcement strap (15) extending from one container top cargo ring (111) to the opposite container cargo ring (111) and holding rear door portion

(1), an optional cargo inlet sleeve (11) placed on the rear door portion extension (1a) above optional simp (15). One optional reinforcement strap (31) extending from the top portion of the rear door portion (1a) to an intermediate point of the flexible insert wall, and one optional reinforcement strap (32), extending from a point in the rear door portion extension (1a) to an intermediate point of the flexible insert. Additionally an optional air outlet without a sleeve (12) is created in portion (1a).

Fig.2 shows a front view of the new improved flexible insert rear door portion (1) where flexible insert rear door portion top horizontal reinforcement strap (15) is bent down due to the controlled outward bulging of the rear door portion (1) caused by the cargo loaded inside, and above said fop horizontal reinforcement strap (15) is the extended rear door portion (1a) with the cargo inlet sleeve (11). Fig.3 shows an enlarged roof portion (2) as an alternative to create the extra cargo volume by increased width and length of the flexible insert roof portion (2).

Claims

1. IM PROVEyENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, a flexible insert for a rigid container for the transportation of bulk cargo, composed of one rear door portion (1) generally parallel to the rigid container door wall, a front portion generally parallel to the container front wall (150) both connected at both ends to a flexible insert left side portion (3) and a right side portion substantially parallel to container side walls, all connected at one end to flexible insert fop portion generally parallel to the rigid container roof wall (140) and at the other end to a bottom portion generally parallel to the container floor wall (120), characterized bv the formation of an added cargo volume inside trie flexible insert above the container top cargo ring (111) or attachment mean level formed by preferably extending the near door (1), front, and side portions (3) of the flexible insert above said container top cargo ring (111) level with a further connection to the flexible insert roof portion (2).

2. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREfGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 1, characterized bv the fact that the extra cargo volume created by the extending flexible insert rear door (1), front, and side wall (3) portions above tie cargo ring (111) level is achieved by proportionally enlarging the flexible insert roof portion (2) length and width.

3. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the optional flexible cargo inlet sleeve (11) is placed on tie rear door portion (1a) above the rigid container cargo ring level (111).

4. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 1, characterized bv having at least one air outlet (12) is attached to the flexible insert rear door portion (1) or roof portion (2) nearby the container door wall.

5. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 4, characterized by having at feast one air outlet hole (12) covered by a screen with substantially smaller openings than the cargo grains or pellets.

6. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREIGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 1 and claim 2, characterized by the fact that the flexible insert sides, front, roof (2) and top portions are larger than the correspondent substantially parallel rigid container walls (110, 120, 140, 150)

7. IMPROVEMENT TO LOADING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE INSERTS/ LINERS FOR DRY FREiGHT CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, according to claim 1 and claim 2 where at least one additional holding strap (31) or (32) with one end attached to the flexible insert rear door portion (1) or (1a) extending forwardfy over the top portion (2) and a second end attached to at least one point of the flexible insert preferably at the flexible insert side portion to avoid the rear door portion (1a) to bulge out over flexible insert top horizontal strap (15) when flexible Insert is folly Søaded with cargo.