Transport Container

Abstract

A transport container has an outer container with a bottom, two sets of side walls and at least one lid. Vacuum insulation panels are arranged on the inside of the outer container, at least on the side walls. First vacuum insulation panels on first side walls which are located opposite one another, abut at the edges against inside surfaces of second vacuum insulation panels on second side walls, which are located opposite one another and on the bottom. The first vacuum insulation panels are realized as planar rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation panels with a thickness D. The second vacuum panels are realized as panels with a sealing edge that comprises a certain residual width B. The thickness D is greater than the residual width B. The edges of the first vacuum insulation panels cover the sealing edges of the second vacuum insulation panels and otherwise abut against adjoining planar surfaces of the second vacuum insulation panels.

Claims

1. A transport container having an outer container with a bottom, two sets of side walls which are located opposite one another and at least one lid and having vacuum insulation panels which are arranged on an inside of the outer container on the bottom, on the side walls, and on the lid, wherein first vacuum insulation panels, which are arranged on the inside of first side walls which are located opposite one another, have edges which abut against inside planar surfaces of second vacuum insulation panels, which are arranged on an inside of second side walls which are located opposite one another, on the bottom, and on the lid, wherein the second vacuum insulation panels are configured as vacuum insulation panels with a sealing edge, the sealing edge of the second vacuum insulation panels inserted in the outer container comprises a width B, the first vacuum insulation panels are configured as planar rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation panels with a thickness D, the thickness D is greater than the width B and the edges of the first vacuum insulation panels cover the sealing edges of the second vacuum insulation panels.

2. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness D is at least two times the residual width B.

3. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second vacuum insulation panels are configured as vacuum insulation panels with a bulk powder core or with a core produced from microfiber material.

4. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first vacuum insulation panels are configured as vacuum insulation panels with a core material, in particular produced from pyrogenic silica, which has been pressed beforehand to form a block or to form a mechanically stable plate.

5. A transport container having an outer container with a bottom, two sets of side walls which are located opposite one another and at least one lid and having vacuum insulation panels which are arranged on an inside of the outer container on the bottom on the side walls and on the lid, wherein first vacuum insulation panels, which are arranged on an inside of first side walls which are located opposite one another, have edges which abut against inside surfaces of second vacuum insulation panels, which are arranged on an inside of second side walls which are located opposite one another, on the bottom, and on the lid, wherein the second vacuum insulation panels are realized as vacuum insulation panels with a sealing edge and the second vacuum insulation panels are configured in a connected manner as a U-shaped component with formed bending zones on the second side walls and on the bottom or are realized in a connected manner as an O-shaped component with formed bending zones together with one of the second vacuum insulation panels on the lid.

6. The transport container as claimed in claim 5, wherein a thickness d of the second vacuum insulation panels combined in the U-shaped or O-shaped component is less than a thickness D of the first vacuum insulation panels.

7. The transport container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the thickness d is only half as large as the thickness D of the first vacuum insulation panels.

8. The transport container as claimed in claim 6, wherein two U-shaped or O-shaped components which correspond to one another are arranged in two layers in the outer container.

9. The transport container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the thickness d is between 10 mm and 15 mm.

10. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness D is between 20 mm and 30 mm.

11. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width B is between 3 mm and 15 mm.

12. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulation produced from standard insulation material is arranged on the inside of the outer container on the bottom, on the side walls and on the lid and the vacuum insulation panels are arranged on an inside of the standard insulation material.

13. The transport container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport container is configured to be transportable by air.

14. The transport container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the thickness d is 12 mm.

15. The transport container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thickness D is 24 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail below by way of a drawing which simply shows preferred exemplary embodiments. In the case of the explanation of the drawing, particular advantages and characteristics as well as preferred designs and further developments of the transport container according to the invention are also described in detail. The drawing is as follows:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a planar plate-shaped vacuum insulation panel,

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 of a vacuum insulation panel with a ragged edge,

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a component which is arrangeable in a U-shaped manner produced from three second vacuum insulation panels with a ragged edge,

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a transport container according to the invention, open,

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 4 of a second exemplary embodiment of a transport container according to the invention, open,

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 4 of a third exemplary embodiment of a transport container according to the invention, open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The figures in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 are to be taken in connection with one another to begin with for the following realizations.

[0037] As has been explained in the general part of the description, there are different types of vacuum insulation panels which differ, in particular, by the form of the core material. Reference may be made to these configurations.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first vacuum insulation panel 1 which is configured in a planar rectangular-shaped manner with a thickness D. The vacuum insulation panel 1 is a vacuum insulation panel with a core material, in particular produced from pyrogenic silica, which has been pressed beforehand to form the block or to form a mechanically stable panel. Reference may also be made in this respect to the prior art which has been described in the introduction. The advantage of the substantially rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation panel 1 is that it comprises planar edges such that gaps between adjoining vacuum insulation panels can be minimal. These types of planar rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation panels are used, for example, in the prior art produced from WO 2008/137883 A1 which has been explained in the

INTRODUCTION

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a different vacuum insulation panel 2, namely one such with a sealing edge 3. Mention has been made in the introduction in this respect regarding the prior art (WO 2007/033836 A1). Reference may be made to these configurations.

[0040] Vacuum insulation panels 2 with a sealing edge 3 can be incorporated in an expedient manner into a connected U-shaped component with formed bending zones 4 by means of a common gas-tight covering. This is shown in FIG. 3 for a U-shaped component with formed bending zones 4 which incorporates a total of three second vacuum insulation panels 2. The thickness of the vacuum insulation panels 2 is specified here by way of “d”.

[0041] In the cutout highlighted by the dotted circle, it can be seen how considerable thermal insulation is still achieved in the bending zone 4 on account of the continuous material.

[0042] FIG. 4 initially shows a typical transport container having an outer container 5 with a bottom 6, two sets of oppositely situated side walls 7 and at least one lid 8.

[0043] All the examples quoted in the general part of the description are applicable to the design of the outer container 5. The outer container 5 can comprise one single lid 8 which is attached to one of the side walls 7 by means of a bending zone, it can also comprise one single separate lid or each of the oppositely situated side walls 7 has its own lid 8. It can be seen in FIG. 4 that vacuum insulation panels 1, 2 are arranged on the inside of the outer container 5 on the bottom 6 and on the side walls 7. It is not possible to see from FIG. 4 that this is also the case on the lid 8. However, it can be assumed from FIG. 4 that prior to the outer container 5 being closed, the top side of the interior in the outer container 5, which is open in FIG. 4, will be covered by a vacuum insulation panel 2.

[0044] First vacuum insulation panels 1 of the type shown in FIG. 1 are situated on first oppositely situated side walls 7, that is the side walls 7 shown on the left and the right in FIG. 4. Second vacuum insulation panels 2, are situated on the other two side walls 7, on the bottom 6 and preferably also on the lid 8, as are shown in FIG. 2.

[0045] The first vacuum insulation panels 1 on the first oppositely situated side walls 7 abut at the edges against the inside surfaces of the second vacuum insulation panels 2 which are arranged on the second oppositely situated side walls 7, on the bottom 6 and preferably also on the lid 8. The abutting can be seen on the right and left in FIG. 4. As a result of the abutment, here the planar edges of the first vacuum insulation panels 1 contact, at least over part of their surface, the planar surfaces of the second vacuum insulation panels 2. Narrow gaps are formed here and the thermal bridges generated are slight.

[0046] It is essential to the invention, as can also be seen in FIG. 4, that the second vacuum insulation panels 2 are configured in such a manner as shown in FIG. 2, namely with a sealing edge 3. The sealing edge 3 of a second vacuum insulation panel 2 can be compressed to a limited extent. It is then folded a little in an ordered manner. How extensively the folding is effected is determined by the interior dimensions of the outer container 5. The result is that the sealing edge 3 of the second vacuum insulation panels 2 inserted in the outer container 5 comprises a certain residual width which is designated in FIG. 4 by way of the reference “B”.

[0047] It can be seen further in FIG. 4 that the first vacuum insulation panels 1, which are configured as planar rectangular-shaped vacuum insulation panels, comprise a certain thickness which is designated in FIG. 4 by way of the reference “D”.

[0048] It is essential then that the thickness D is greater than the residual width B. It is preferably at least two times the residual width B. It is additionally essential that the vacuum insulation panels 1, 2 are arranged in such a manner that the edges of the first vacuum insulation panels 1 cover the sealing edges 3 of the second vacuum insulation panels 2. Consequently, the space, which the sealing edge 3 of a second vacuum insulation panel 2 inevitably allows to exist here, is securely covered by the planar edge of the rectangular-shaped, planar first vacuum insulation panel 1. Only a narrow gap is present and the thermal bridge is very small.

[0049] A cutout, which is shown in an enlarged manner, is also marked by a broken line in FIG. 4. The dimensions can be seen here in a more precise manner. In particular, it can be seen that the planar edge of the first vacuum insulation panel 1 contacts the large planar surface of the second vacuum insulation panel 2. The sealing edge of the second insulation panel 2 is only located opposite the edge over part of the surface of the edge. This does not pose a problem because a sufficiently narrow gap is additionally configured the planar surface.

[0050] Two different types of vacuum insulation panels are combined with one another in the transport container which is shown in FIG. 4. Combined here, in particular, are the first vacuum insulation panels 1 in the form of vacuum insulation panels with a previously pressed core material, in particular produced from pyrogenic silica, and the second vacuum insulation panels 2, configured as vacuum insulation panels with a bulk powder core or with a core produced from microfiber material. Reference may also be made in this respect to the prior art commended in the introduction.

[0051] With the proposed combination of different types of suitably chosen thermal insulation panels, it is possible to achieve a clear reduction in costs without having to make curtailments in the thermal insulation. The solution described here with the edges increases the service life of the transport container under working conditions by up to 20%.

[0052] If FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are looked at together, it is possible to imagine that also provided in the outer container 5 of the transport container from FIG. 4 is that the second vacuum insulation panels 2 are configured as a connected U-shaped component with formed bending zones 4 on the second side walls 7 and on the bottom 6. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, this is the U-shaped component from FIG. 3. The second vacuum insulation panel 2 which is associated with the lid 8 is held separately and is placed in position from above prior to the closing of the outer container 5.

[0053] It is also possible to imagine that the vacuum insulation panel 2, which is associated with the lid 8 or the lids 8, is still also incorporated into the U-shaped component, which is shown in FIG. 3, by means of a corresponding bending zone 4. There is then the advantage of reducing the thermal bridges also in the region toward the lid 8.

[0054] FIG. 5, in a representation corresponding to FIG. 4, shows a further design of a transport container according to the invention which is distinguished as a result of the thickness d of the second vacuum insulation panels 2 which are combined here in the U-shaped component being considerably smaller than the thickness D of the first vacuum insulation panels 1 and preferably only approximately half as large as the thickness D of the first vacuum insulation panels 1. Here too, the second vacuum insulation panels 2 are configured as vacuum insulation panels with a sealing edge 3.

[0055] In the case of the particularly preferred exemplary embodiment in FIG. 5, in an expedient manner the second vacuum insulation panels 2 are configured in a relatively thin manner, but are in each case configured in a connected manner as a U-shaped component. So that the thickness does not become too large, two such U-shaped components are arranged in two layers in the outer container 5. This is also advantageous with regard to the efficiency of the use of space and with regard to the flexibility of the U-shaped components.

[0056] It is particularly expedient when the outer U-shaped component has slightly larger dimensions than the inner U-shaped component such that the outer U-shaped component is able to encompass the inner U-shaped component with accuracy of fit.

[0057] In the specific exemplary embodiment, it can be assumed that, corresponding to a preferred teaching of the invention, the thickness d is approximately between 10 mm and 15 mm, preferably approximately 12 mm and/or that the thickness D is approximately between 20 mm and 30 mm, preferably approximately 24 mm and/or that the width B is approximately between 3 mm and 15 mm.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows a further different embodiment of a transport container according to the invention. Here, the insulation is configured by means of the second vacuum insulation panels 2 by way of an O-shaped component, including the region of the lid 8. However, the insulation has only one layer at this point and not two layers. In place of a further outer layer produced from insulation material, it is provided in the case of the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6 that on the inside of the outer container 5, insulation 9 which is produced from standard insulation material is arranged on the bottom 6, on the side walls 7 and on the lid 8 and that the vacuum insulation panels 1, 2 are arranged on the inside of the standard insulation 9. It can be seen in FIG. 6 that an inner container, which is injected from dense plastic foam material and produced from a standard insulation 9, is situated initially in the outer container 5 which consists here of a thin plastics material. The vacuum insulation panels 1, 2 are only situated therein.

[0059] The invention is particularly important in the case of transport containers which are configured so as to be transportable by air.

[0060] All embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone or in combination with each other.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0061] 1 First vacuum insulation panel [0062] 2 Second vacuum insulation panel [0063] 3 Sealing edge [0064] 4 Bending zones [0065] 5 Outer container [0066] 6 Bottom [0067] 7 Side walls [0068] 8 Lid [0069] 9 Insulation