Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D88/00—Large containers
  • B65D88/02—Large containers rigid
  • B65D88/12—Large containers rigid specially adapted for transport
  • B65D88/14—Large containers rigid specially adapted for transport by air
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D88/00—Large containers
  • B65D88/16—Large containers flexible
  • B65D88/22—Large containers flexible specially adapted for transport
  • B65D88/24—Large containers flexible specially adapted for transport by air
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D88/00—Large containers
  • B65D88/52—Large containers collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D90/00—Component parts, details or accessories for large containers
  • B65D90/02—Wall construction
  • B65D90/021—Flexible side walls or doors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D90/00—Component parts, details or accessories for large containers
  • B65D90/12—Supports
  • B65D90/20—Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers
  • B65D90/205—Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers for flexible containers, i.e. the flexible container being permanently connected to the frame

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a goods container for loading spaces in vehicles, preferably aircraft.
• the goods container comprises at least one goods storage space for the loading, storage, transport and unloading of goods.
• Goods containers exist in many different versions which all comprise a bottom and usually one or more sidewalls and tops made of hard material.
• the resulting disadvantage, especially in air transport, is that the goods containers have to be placed at a distance from the walls of the aircraft body in order to prevent the occurrence of torsion forces in the aircraft body, thereby making optimum utilisation of the loading space impossible.
• the object of the present invention is to eliminate said disadvantage of the state of the art and propose a goods container which allows optimum utilisation of a loading space in a vehicle, preferably in an aircraft.
• the goods container comprising at least one sidewall, a bottom and a top made of non-self-supporting material which delineate the goods storage space, and also a loadbearing structure which maintains the sidewalls, the bottom and the top made of non-self-supporting material so that they delineate said goods storage space, and by the non-self-supporting material being disposed in the bottom of the goods container in at least two, preferably three or four, layers.
• Figs 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views of a first version of a goods container according to the present invention in an expanded state
• Fig 3 is a schematic perspective view of a second version of a goods container according to the present invention in an expanded state and an opened state
• Figs 4 and 5 are schematic perspective views of a loadbea ⁇ ng structure in an expanded state for a third version of a goods container according to the present invention
• Figs 6 and 7 are schematic perspective views of a fourth version of a goods container according to the present invention in an expanded state
• Fig 8 depicts in schematic perspective view how the goods container according to Figs 6 and 7 is used in a loading space in an aircraft
• Fig 9 depicts schematically how the goods container according to Figs 6-8 is changed from a functional expanded state to an inactive state
• the goods container according to the present invention in the versions depicted is intended to be used in loading spaces in aircraft but may also be used in loading spaces in other vehicles, e g in trucks, cargo watercraft etc
• the goods container delineates at least one goods storage space for the loading, storage, transport and unloading of goods Said goods may be of every kind normally transported in containers of the kind here concerned, e g air passengers' baggage
• the goods container For the goods container to be able to maintain low weight and at the same time afford adequate protection to goods situated in the goods storage space of the goods container, and in addition also prevent the generation of torsion forces in, for example, the aircraft body, the goods container comprises elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material which delineate said goods storage space
• the goods container comprises, all round, preferably some kind of soft material which copes with the stresses which goods containers of the kind here concerned have to withstand without disintegrating, e g without being torn or worn to pieces, while at the same time affording adequate protection for the goods in the goods container
• the goods container When not in use, the goods container is collapsed, i.e.
• the goods container is expandable, i.e. it can be deployed to a functional state in which the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material delineate said goods storage space. From the functional state, the goods container can of course be collapsed back to the inactive state.
• the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 delineating the goods storage space comprise a single piece of non-self- supporting material. This integral configuration eliminates any possibility of weak points in the non-self-supporting material.
• the goods container according to the invention may be of any shape suited to the purpose.
• the elements of the goods container which delineate the goods storage space preferably comprise sidewalls 1 , 2, 3 and 4, a bottom 5 and a top 6.
• the number of sidewalls 1 , 2, 3 and 4 is with advantage four, as depicted, but may vary. It is of advantage if the goods container is so configured that in the functional state it, i.e.
• substantially the goods storage space delineated by the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the vehicle, preferably an aircraft, which comprises the loading space in which the goods container is intended to be placed.
• the goods container is preferably so configured that the goods storage space delineated by the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material protrudes laterally from the bottom 5 of the goods container.
• one or more, preferably two, mutually opposite sidewalls 2 and 4 are each provided with a bow- legged bend 2a and 4a respectively in such a way that said wall/walls runs/run obliquely outwards and upwards from the bottom 5 of the goods container to said bend and from the bend obliquely inwards and upwards to the top 6 of the goods container.
• the sidewalls 2, 4 with bends 2a, 4a face towards preferably the inside walls of the aircraft body so that these sidewalls largely follow the interior contour of the aircraft body.
• the sidewalls 2, 4 run obliquely outwards and upwards and obliquely inwards and upwards so that the bottom 5 and the top 6 of the goods container differ in size.
• the goods container according to the invention is not intended to be drawn across any substrate in a loading space but particularly to be placed on a conveying track which moves the goods container to a desired position in the loading space, it is possible to improve the wear resistance and provide a slightly harder but still resilient panel which does not generate any torsion forces in the aircraft body, by disposing the non-self-supporting material in the bottom 5 of the goods container in at least two, preferably three or four, layers.
• the bottom 5 of the goods container may comprise a corresponding foldable sheet of non-self-supporting material, i.e. in principle a bottom substantially thicker than the other elements of the goods container which delineate the goods storage space.
• a sheet may also be made of some other non- self-supporting material.
• Other elements of the goods container e.g. the top 6 of the goods container as in Fig. 9, may be maintained by the loadbearing structure 7 so that only the top is folded when the goods container has to be changed to an inactive state.
• the non-self-supporting material cannot itself delineate the goods storage space but the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 thereof have to be maintained in a functional state by a loadbearing structure 7 which forms part of the goods container according to the present invention (see preferably Fig. 4).
• This loadbearing structure 7 may be integrated with the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material or be disposed adjacent to or on said elements internally or externally about them.
• the loadbearing structure 7 is manually activable to change the goods container from an inactive state to a functional state.
• the loadbearing structure 7 may also be activable to change the goods container automatically from an inactive state to a functional state, i.e.
• the goods container may if so desired be so configured that upon activation of the loadbearing structure it is automatically blown or deployed to a functional state.
• the loadbearing structure 7 is also activable for manually or automatically returning the goods container to an inactive state. Automatic activation may be effected in any suitable manner by any desired suitable activating or triggering device.
• the loadbearing structure 7 is configured as a framework (Fig. 4).
• This framework 7 is made of a suitable material of high strength, low weight and great load absorption capacity, preferably a resilient material such as carbon fibre material.
• the framework 7 may be so configured that it is telescopically expandable and collapsible. Expanding and collapsing may be effected automatically or manually.
• the framework 7 may also be deployable and retractable.
• the framework 7 comprises with advantage elongate frame sections or tubes which delineate the extent of the goods container, i.e. preferably the sidewalls 1 , 2, 3 and 4, the bottom 5 and the top 6 of the goods container.
• the loadbearing structure 7 may comprise compressed-air hoses vulcanised into the elements 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 made of non-self-supporting material. Compressed air is therefore blown into the hoses to expand the goods container from an inactive state to a functional state. This may be effected automatically as indicated above or by connection to a suitable compressed air source (not depicted) on site for manual blowing in of compressed air. The air is released or drawn out from the hoses to collapse the goods container.
• a suitable compressed air source not depicted
• the goods container does of course also comprise at least one portion for opening and closing of the goods container when it is in the functional state.
• the whole or at least part of at least one of the sidewalls 1 of the goods container is preferably configured for opening and closing of the goods container when it is in the functional state.
• the goods container may be so configured that in the functional state it is divisible, e.g. in a direction transverse to its greatest extent (see Fig. 3).
• the non-self-supporting material may with advantage be an airtight material in cases where such material is necessary.
• a corresponding security or theft prevention measure as above may be effected by the goods container being provided with a device (not depicted) which indicates that air has entered the goods container.
• Fig. 9 depicts schematically how a goods container can be collapsed and/or retracted from an expanded functional state to a inactive state. It is advantageous that the procedure for expanding the goods container be the opposite. Collapsing and/or retraction is achieved by the loadbearing structure 7 being collapsed or retracted until finally the top 6 lies on the bottom 5. Since in the version depicted the top 6 is larger than the bottom 5, the top is folded up in the manner depicted so that the top and the bottom are of the same extent and the goods container is ready for storage at a suitable location.
• the goods container may be of any suitable shape and the elements of the goods container which delineate the goods storage space, and the loadbearing structure, may, apart from variations of shape, be made of any suitable material which meets the relevant functional requirements.
• the non-self-supporting material as such need not be soft but should be so flexible that no load or force is applied to the elements of the vehicle, preferably the aircraft, against which elements of the goods container which are made of non-self-supporting material abut when the goods container is in use.
• non-self-supporting material is rubber-lined Kevlar.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Packaging Of Machine Parts And Wound Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=39788739

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (34)

• 2007
  • 2007-03-27 SE SE0700778A patent/SE534463C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-03-19 EP EP08724258.2A patent/EP2137085B1/de active Active
  • 2008-03-19 WO PCT/SE2008/050311 patent/WO2008118077A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-03-19 US US12/593,273 patent/US20100243647A1/en not_active Abandoned

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