AU2004200314B2

AU2004200314B2 - Improved Freight Container

Info

Publication number: AU2004200314B2
Application number: AU2004200314A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Bill Gibbins
Original assignee: FCL INTERSTATE TRANSP SERVICES Pty Ltd
Current assignee: FCL INTERSTATE TRANSPORT SERVICES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-01-28
Filing date: 2004-01-28
Publication date: 2010-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2024-01-28
Also published as: AU2004200314A1

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: IMPROVED FREIGHT CONTAINER Applicant: FCL INTERSTATE TRANSPORT SERVICES PTY LTD The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 2 IMPROVED FREIGHT CONTAINER Technical Field The present invention relates generally to freight containers, and more 5 particularly to the ventilation of freight containers. The invention is especially concerned with providing an improved freight container having enhanced ventilation for conveying perishable goods and/or goods that can otherwise be adversely affected by excessive heat and/or humidity. Such freight containers are typically adapted to be mounted upon a 10 railway flat-car or wagon, or a truck chassis or the like. Background Intermodal freight containers are widely used in the transportation industry where different modes of transport (eg. sea, air, road and rail) are used 15 to ship the containers from one place to another. For example, cargo may be initially loaded into the freight container at a factory or depot, the container then mounted on a truck chassis, the container carried over road by the truck, transferred to a railway wagon bed for further transport, and then transferred back onto a truck for conveyance to a final destination, such as a distribution 20 warehouse. These freight containers are usually secured to the truck chassis or railway wagon by means of twist lock mechanisms on the chassis or flat-car adapted to engage complementary fittings on the base of the containers. These freight containers generally consist of a steel frame supporting corrugated steel walls to form a box-shaped housing defining an interior cargo 25 receiving space, and typically have a set of access doors at one end thereof. The freight containers come in a variety of standard sizes. Industry standards, referred to as ISO standards, have been established for various dimensions of these freight containers, with container lengths of 20 feet (6.096 metres) and 40 feet (12.190 metres) being common, whilst 48 foot (14.630 metres) containers 30 are now becoming more widely used in Australia. Where goods are transported within or through climate zones that have high temperatures and/or high humidity, it is important to control temperature and humidity within the cargo space of the container so that the goods do not become spoiled or otherwise adversely affected. Indeed, for the transportation W:\MaryO\Davin\Sped\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 3 of most products it is important that air be allowed to circulate in the interior of the container to minimise build-up of moisture that may lead to damage of the goods. Conventional containers are usually provided with ventilation holes in the upper part of the container walls, and for many (though not all) types of goods these may afford 5 sufficient internal air-flow. In the case of some goods (eg pumpkins, potatoes, bulk paper) where refrigeration is not appropriate, it has been found that conventional ventilation arrangements are often inadequate for avoiding moisture build-up in the cargo space during transport, particularly in hot or humid climates. One solution to this problem 10 has been to provide forced ventilation using fan units, although this solution has previously been reserved for container transport on ships. One of the disadvantages or problems confronting this type of ventilation system has been the provision of power to the fan units of each container. The present invention aims to provide a ventilation system for a non 15 refrigerated freight container that substantially overcomes or at least ameliorates the problem of excessive heat and/or humidity within the cargo space of the container. Summary Broadly, the present invention provides a ventilation system for a freight 20 container, the freight container having a frame structure defining a generally box shaped housing enclosing an inner cargo-receiving space. The box-shaped container housing includes a base, two opposite side walls, two opposite end walls and a top. The ventilation system includes a plurality of ventilation openings provided in the housing for passage of air between the cargo space and the outside of the container, 25 and a fan unit for providing a forced airflow through the cargo-receiving space via the ventilation openings. The container furthermore includes at least one solar energy collection panel adapted to provide energy to drive the fan unit, wherein the plurality of ventilation openings are spaced from the fan unit. In a preferred form of the invention, the fan unit is provided at an end of the container. 30 Specifically, the fan unit is preferably mounted in one of the end walls of the container, and more preferably in an upper region of that end wall. This one of the end walls is preferably slightly inset with respect to the adjacent edges of the base, side walls, and top of the housing at that end of the freight <filename> 4 container, such that the inset creates a shallow recess at or adjacent the outer surface of the end wall. The fan unit is preferably provided with a hood or cowl to inhibit ingress of water into the cargo-receiving space through an air transmitting aperture of the fan unit. This hood or cowl is preferably located in 5 the recess at the external side of the end wall of the container. In a preferred form of the invention, the at least one solar panel is located on top of the container. That is, the at least one solar panel preferably faces directly upwards at the outer surface of the top of the container. This positions the solar panel with the greatest access to solar radiation, and is particularly 10 suited for shipping of the freight containers on railway wagons or trucks, where the containers tend not to be stacked upon one another. The actual size or surface area of the solar panel(s) may be determined according to power requirements and/or efficiency of the particular solar cells incorporated within the panel(s). In one particular example, the ventilation system of the invention 15 may include a solar panel having a length of about 1000mm and a width of about 500mm mounted on top of the container and substantially co-planar with the outer surface of the top. In a preferred form of the invention, the ventilation system includes a battery for storage of electric potential generated by the at least one solar panel. 20 The battery is designed to act as a power supply for the fan unit and may, for example, be a twelve-volt (12v) lead-acid accumulator. The at least one solar panel is in electrical connection with the battery and is adapted to re-charge the battery when its electrical potential becomes depleted. The battery preferably resides in a casing provided in the recess adjacent the end wall of the 25 container. The casing is preferably lockable to prevent unauthorised access to the fan unit power supply. In a preferred form of the invention, the ventilation system furthermore includes an electronic control device for regulating charging of the battery from the at least one solar panel. The control device furthermore preferably is 30 adapted to regulate operation of the fan unit depending on temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space of the container. In this regard, the ventilation system of the invention may include one or more sensors for measuring the temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space. W:\MaryO\Davin\SpecACAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 5 In a preferred form of the invention, at least some of the ventilation openings are incorporated in external ventilation structures on the side and/or end walls of the container. These ventilation structures may be shaped and/or configured to inhibit ingress of water, such as rain or precipitation, there-through 5 into the cargo-receiving space. These ventilation structures are preferably angled to present an upwardly facing side and a downwardly facing side, with the air inlet openings being provided in the downwardly facing side. In this way, water from rain or other sources is not inclined to flow into the ventilation openings on the downwardly facing side of the ventilation structures. Where the 10 side walls and/or end walls of the freight container feature vertical corrugations, these water-ingress inhibiting ventilation structures are preferably located on an external side of an inwardly-directed corrugation. In this way, by designing the ventilation structures to match the depth of the corrugations, the ventilation structures need not project beyond the ordinary limits of the side or end walls of 15 the container. In a preferred form of the invention, at least some of the ventilation openings are incorporated in ventilation structures that are shaped and/or configured to direct air moving adjacent the outer sides of the container into the cargo-receiving space. In this regard, the container of the invention may be 20 adapted to generate a forced draft ventilation induced by the movement of the container (eg. on a truck chassis or railway wagon) in a direction of travel. For example, a lower side rail of the container frame structure that extends the length of each side of the freight container may include a ventilation channel that communicates via ventilation openings with the cargo-receiving space 25 inside the container. The channel has one or more air inlet that opens to the outside of the container and faces the direction of intended travel. In this way, movement of the container in the direction of travel is able to force air into and along the ventilation channel and into the cargo-receiving space within the container. 30 In a preferred form of the invention, the side and end walls of the freight container feature vertical corrugations, with the side and end walls being typically fabricated from corrugated steel. The ventilation openings into the cargo-receiving space of the container are preferably located on an internal side of an outwardly-directed corrugation. An internal channel or duct may also be W:\MaryO\Davin\SpecACAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 6 formed within the outwardly-directed corrugation to deliver air flow to a required level within the interior of the container. In a preferred form of the invention, the fan unit is configured to draw air out of the cargo-receiving space through the end wall of the container. In this 5 way, when the fan operates the pressure within the cargo-receiving space is reduced to thereby draw air into the cargo-receiving space through the ventilation openings. Alternatively, however, the fan unit could also be configured to blow air into the cargo space, thereby forcing air to be expelled through the ventilation openings. 10 According to another aspect, the present invention naturally also provides a freight container incorporating the ventilation system of the invention as described above. Preferably, the freight container has a frame structure that includes a rectangular stacking frame provided at opposite ends thereof, the stacking 15 frames preferably formed from steel beams, and being interconnected by upper and lower longitudinal side rail members. As previously described, this frame structure typically further includes corrugated steel panel members which form the base, side walls, end walls and top of the generally box-shaped freight container housing, which encloses the cargo-receiving space. 20 Description of the Drawings For assistance in arriving at a better understanding of the present invention, an example of a freight container according to a preferred form of the invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 25 The preceding description may also be read with reference to those drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are not intended to limit the generality of the preceding description. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like features and: Fig. 1 is a side view of a freight container incorporating a ventilation 30 system according to a preferred form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a semi-cut away top view of the freight container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of one end of the freight container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the freight container shown in Fig. 1 taken parallel to the longitudinal axis of the freight container; W:WryODavin\Spec\CAP of2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 7 Fig. 5 is an opposite end view of the freight container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section view in the direction of arrows D-D shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sketch showing detail of a forced-ventilation structure formed in a lower side rail of a freight container according to one form of the invention; 5 Fig. 8 is a half cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the freight container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a front view of a ventilation structure provided along the side walls and end walls of the container shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 10 is a side view of the ventilation structure shown in Fig. 9. 10 Detailed Description Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings show various views of an inter-modal freight container 1 according to the present invention. The freight container 1 is of a conventional rectangular geometry, having dimensions: length 40 feet, height 15 10 feet and width 8 feet. The freight container has a frame structure 2 that defines a rectangular box-shaped housing, the frame structure including steel beams that form rectangular stacking frames 3 (sized 8 feet x 10 feet) at opposite ends of the container inter-connected by upper and lower longitudinal side rail members 4. The frame structure 2 further includes corrugated steel 20 panel members, which combine to form a base 5, side walls 6, end walls 7 and a top 8 of the container. This box-shaped housing encloses a substantially rectangular cargo-receiving space 9 of the container, which space is typically accessed by a pair of doors 10 provided in one end wall 7, as shown in Fig. 3. The corner castings 11 of the frame structure 2 typically feature twistlock 25 receiving recesses by means of which the container may be secured to the bed of a railway wagon or truck chassis or the like, or to another similar container. Referring now specifically to Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings, the freight container 1 includes a fan unit 12 mounted in an upper region in an end wall 7 of the container, opposite the end wall having the cargo access doors 10. The 30 end wall 7 with the fan unit 12 is slightly inset with respect to end edges of the base 5, the adjacent side walls 6 and the top 8 of the container to thereby define a shallow recess 13 adjacent the external surface of that end wall. The fan unit 12 includes a hood or cowl 14 mounted at the external side of the end wall 7 within the recess 13. This hood or cowl 14 is designed to shield the fan W:\AaryO\Davin\Spec\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 8 unit 12 to prevent or inhibit water, such as rain or spray, from entering the cargo space though the end-wall aperture at which the fan unit 14 is mounted. A chest-like casing 15 is provided adjacent the freight container base 5 in the shallow recess 13. The casing 15 encloses a lead-acid accumulator battery 5 16 which acts as a power supply for driving the fan unit 14. Furthermore, set into the top 8 of the freight container is a solar energy collection panel 17 for converting solar energy into electrical energy, which is stored as electrical potential in the battery 16. Accordingly, the solar energy collection panel 17 is adapted to provide energy to drive the fan unit 14. The casing 15 furthermore 10 includes power supply control circuitry, and electronic control circuitry for regulating re-charging of the battery from the solar panel. The control circuitry may also be adapted to regulate operation of the fan unit 14 depending on temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space 9 inside the container. Accordingly, one or more sensors (not shown) may be provided for 15 monitoring the temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space 9 during transport. As can be seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 of the drawings, the freight container 1 of this invention is provided with a plurality of ventilation structures 20 having ventilation openings providing passage of air between the cargo-receiving 20 space 9 and the outside of the container. These ventilation structures 20 are provided along a lower region and an upper region of each of the side walls 6, as well as in the access doors 10 at one end of the container. Details of these ventilation structures 20 are illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. In particular, they have an angled configuration presenting an upwardly facing side 21 and a 25 downwardly facing side 22. Air inlet openings 23 are provided in the downward facing side 22 such that the openings are somewhat shielded from rain, and such that any external water is inclined to run off the ventilation structure rather than into the ventilation openings. These ventilation structures 20 are typically located at an external side of an inwardly-directed corrugation in the side walls 30 6 or end walls 7 such that they do not project beyond the ordinary dimensional limits of the container. Referring now to Figs. 1, 7 and 8, the freight container 1 of the invention also includes a ventilation structure 30 formed in the lower side rail members 4 of the container frame 2. In particular, the lower side rail members include a W:\MaryO\Davin\Spoc\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 9 ventilation channel 31 that communicates with the cargo-receiving space inside the container. The channel has air inlets 32 that open to the outside of the container and face in the direction of each of the container ends. In this way, as the container is mounted for shipment on a railway wagon or truck chassis for 5 travel in the longitudinal direction, movement of the container during transport forces air into and along the ventilation channel 31 and into the cargo-receiving space 9 inside the container. An internal channel or duct 33 in communication with the channel 31 is formed at an internal side of an outwardly-directed corrugation and includes ventilation openings 34 for delivering air flow to the 10 required level within the interior space 9 of the container. Accordingly, this ventilation structure 30 is adapted to generate forced-draft ventilation, which is induced by movement of the container during shipping. The ventilation system of the present invention incorporated in a freight container 1 as described above operates in the following manner. Goods for 15 transport, such as pumpkins or potatoes, are loaded into the cargo space 9 of the container via the access doors 10. Ventilation of the cargo space 9 is maintained, and the temperature of the cargo space thereby controlled, by operating the fan unit 14 to extract air from the cargo space 9. In doing so, air is simultaneously drawn into the cargo space 9 via the ventilation structures 20, 20 30 provided along the side and end walls 6, 7 of the container housing. This fan unit operation is augmented during transport via a forced air flow generated by the ventilation structures 30 incorporated in the lower side rail members 4 of the container frame 2. The solar energy collection panel 16 on the top of the container maintains the battery 16 sufficiently charged to power the fan unit 14. 25 The ducts 33 formed at the internal side of the outwardly directed corrugations in the side walls 6 ensure that the ventilation air flow is provided at all levels within the cargo-receiving space 9 to prevent excessive temperature or moisture build up from damaging the goods being transported. Details of the floor of a preferred container according to the invention are 30 shown in Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings. This particular container floor is wooden and includes longitudinal guide rails, which assist in the loading and unloading of large paper rolls. As such paper rolls are also particularly susceptible to excessive heat and humidity, the ventilation system of the invention is again important. W:\aryO\Davin\SpecnCAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 10 Finally, it will also be appreciated that various alterations and/or additions may be introduced into the particular construction and arrangement of parts specifically described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention. 5 W:\MaryO\Davin\Specl\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc

Claims

1. A ventilation system for a freight container, the freight container having a frame structure defining a generally box-shaped housing enclosing an inner cargo 5 receiving space; the box-shaped container housing including a base, two opposite side walls, two opposite end walls and a top; the ventilation system including a plurality of ventilation openings provided in the housing for passage of air between the cargo space and the outside of the container, and a fan unit for providing a forced airflow through the cargo-receiving space via the ventilation openings; the container 10 furthermore including at least one solar energy collection panel adapted to provide energy to drive the fan unit, wherein the plurality of ventilation openings are spaced from the fan unit.

2. A ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein the fan unit is provided at an 15 end of the container.

3. A ventilation system according to claim 2, wherein the fan unit is mounted in an end wall of the container 20

4. A ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein the fan unit is mounted in an upper region of the end wall.

5. A ventilation system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the end wall is slightly inset with respect to the adjacent edges of the base, side walls, and top of the 25 housing at that end of the freight container, such that the inset creates a shallow recess at or adjacent the outer surface of the end wall.

6. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fan unit is provided with a hood or cowl to inhibit ingress of water into the cargo 30 receiving space through an air-transmitting aperture of the fan unit.

7. A ventilation system according to claim 6, wherein the hood or cowl is located in the recess at the external side of the end wall of the container. 4adename> 12

8. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one solar panel is located on top of the container.

9. A ventilation system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one solar 5 panel has a length of about 1000mm and a width of about 500mm and is mounted on top of the container and substantially co-planar with the outer surface of the top.

10. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, 10 including a battery for storage of electric potential generated by the at least one solar panel.

11. A ventilation system according to claim 10, wherein the battery is a twelve-volt (12v) lead-acid accumulator. 15

12. A ventilation system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the battery resides in a casing provided in the recess adjacent the end wall of the container. 20

13. A ventilation system according to claim 12, wherein the casing is lockable to prevent unauthorised access to the fan unit power supply.

14. A ventilation system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, including an electronic control device for regulating charging of the battery from the at 25 least one solar panel.

15. A ventilation system according to claim 14, wherein the control device is adapted to regulate operation of the fan unit depending on temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space of the container. 30

16. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, including at least one sensor for measuring the temperature and/or humidity within the cargo-receiving space. W:\MaryO\Davin\Spec\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 13

17: A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the ventilation openings are incorporated in external ventilation structures on the side and/or end walls of the container. 5

18. A ventilation system according to claim 17, wherein the ventilation structures are angled to present an upwardly facing side and a downwardly facing side, with the air inlet openings being provided in the downwardly facing side. 10

19. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls and/or end walls of the freight container feature vertical corrugations, and the ventilation structures are located on an external side of an inwardly-directed corrugation. 15 20. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the ventilation openings are incorporated in ventilation structures that are shaped and/or configured to direct air moving adjacent the outer sides of the container into the cargo-receiving space.

20

21. A ventilation system according to claim 20, wherein the container is adapted to generate a forced draft ventilation induced by the movement of the container in a direction of travel.

22. A ventilation system according to claim 21, including a lower side rail of 25 the container frame structure extending the length of each side of the freight container and including a ventilation channel that communicates via ventilation openings with the cargo-receiving space inside the container, the channel having one or more air inlets that open to the outside of the container and face the direction of intended travel. 30

23. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side and end walls of the freight container feature vertical corrugations, with the side and end walls being fabricated from corrugated steel. W:MaryO\Davin\Specl\CAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc 14

24. A ventilation system according to claim 23, wherein the ventilation openings into the cargo-receiving space of the container are located on an internal side of an outwardly-directed corrugation. 5

25. A ventilation system according to claim 24, including an internal channel or duct formed within the outwardly-directed corrugation to deliver air flow to a required level within the interior of the container.

26. A ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims, 10 wherein the fan unit is configured to draw air out of the cargo-receiving space through the end wall of the container.

27. A ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the fan unit is configured to blow air into the cargo space. 15

28. A freight container including a ventilation system according to any one of the preceding claims.

29. A freight container according to claim 28, including a rectangular stacking 20 frame provided at opposite ends thereof, the stacking frame formed from steel beams, and being interconnected by upper and lower longitudinal side rail members.

30. A ventilation system substantially as herein described and illustrated. 25

31. A freight container substantially as herein described and illustrated. DATED: 28 January 2004 PHILLIPS ORMONDE & FITZPATRICK 30 Attorneys for: FCL TRANSPORT SERVICES PTY LTD W:WaryO\Davin\SpecACAP of 2003900347 (IRN 712581).doc