FREIGHT CONTAINER COMPRISING ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS AND METHOD FOR SENSING AN ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETER

Abstract

A freight container (10) and a method for sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity in a freight container are provided. The freight container comprises a cargo compartment (20) being defined by a floor (16), a ceiling (14) and walls (18a-d). The freight container comprises a climate arrangement (50), configured for providing conditioned air-flow (100) into the cargo compartment of said freight container. The climate arrangement further comprises at least one environmental sensor (52A-E) for sensing a temperature and/or a humidity in the cargo compartment, wherein the at least one environmental sensor is accommodated in at least one recess (60) in at least one of the ceiling and walls.

Claims

1. A freight container, comprising: a cargo compartment being defined by a floor, a ceiling and walls; a climate arrangement, configured for providing a climate-conditioned air-flow into said cargo compartment of said freight container, wherein the climate arrangement comprises at least one environmental sensor for sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity in said cargo compartment; and at least one of said ceiling and walls comprises at least one recess in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated, wherein said at least one recess comprises a cover configured to hold said at least one environmental sensor, and wherein a first dimension, D1, of said at least one recess is larger than a second dimension, D2, of said at least one environmental sensor in a plane of the at least one of said ceiling and walls in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated, wherein said at least one recess provides a passage of a flow of the climate-conditioned air-flow through said at least one recess.

2. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein said cover is arranged flush with at least one of said ceiling and walls in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated.

3. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises a metal plate having a plurality of apertures.

4. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein said at least one environmental sensor resiliently projects from at least one of said ceiling and walls in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated.

5. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein said at least one recess comprises an insulating portion in a bottom part of said at least one recess.

6. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

7. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental sensor comprises a humidity sensor.

8. The freight container according to claim 1, wherein said ceiling comprises an inner portion and an outer portion defining a first space; and at least one of said walls comprises an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion defining a second space; wherein said first space is fluidically connected to said second space, and said inner wall portion comprises at least one aperture between said second space and said cargo compartment; wherein said climate arrangement is configured to provide said climate-conditioned air-flow into said cargo compartment of said freight container via said first space and said second space; and wherein at least one of said inner portion and said inner wall portion comprises said at least one recess in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated.

9. The freight container according to claim 8, wherein only said walls, of said at least one of said ceiling and walls, comprises said at least one recess in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated, wherein said inner wall portion of said at least one wall comprises said at least one recess.

10. The freight container according to claim 8, wherein said at least one recess constitutes a through hole in said at least one of said inner portion and said inner wall portion.

11. The freight container according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said walls comprises an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion defining a third space, wherein said cargo compartment of said freight container is fluidically connected to said third space and wherein said climate arrangement is configured to return a residual air-flow of said climate-conditioned air-flow from said cargo compartment of said freight container via said third space.

12. The freight container according to claim 11, wherein said third space comprises an auxiliary passage arranged in vicinity of said inner portion of said ceiling, wherein an inlet of said auxiliary passage is arranged between a top part of said inner wall portion and said inner portion of said ceiling.

13. A method for sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity in a freight container, comprising a cargo compartment being defined by a floor, a ceiling and walls; a climate arrangement, configured for providing a climate-conditioned air-flow into said cargo compartment of said freight container; wherein said climate arrangement comprises at least one environmental sensor for sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity in said cargo compartment; said method comprising the steps of: providing at least one recess in at least one of said ceiling and walls, wherein said at least one recess comprises a cover configured to hold said at least one environmental sensor, and wherein a first dimension, D1, of said at least one recess is larger than a second dimension, D2, of said at least one environmental sensor in a plane of the at least one of said ceiling and walls in which said at least one environmental sensor is accommodated, wherein said at least one recess provides a passage of a flow of the climate-conditioned air-flow through said at least one recess, and accommodating, in said at least one recess, said at least one environmental sensor for sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity in said cargo compartment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] This and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing embodiment(s) of the invention.

[0032] FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically show a freight container according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically show a recess arranged to accommodate an environmental sensor, and a cover for the recess, respectively, according to exemplifying embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically show a recess, a cover and an environmental sensor according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 4 schematically shows a wall of the freight container according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 5 schematically shows a part of a freight container according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1A schematically shows a freight container 10 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the freight container 10 may be substantially any container for the purpose of goods transportation. Preferably, the freight container 10 is an airfreight container, arranged for transportation in aircraft. The freight container 10 comprises a cargo compartment 20 being defined by a floor 16, a ceiling 14 and walls 18a-c. The freight container 10 further comprises a climate arrangement 50, configured for providing a climate-conditioned air-flow 100 into the cargo compartment 20 of the freight container 10. It will be appreciated that the freight container 10 may be constructed in many different ways, and that the distribution of the climate climate-conditioned air-flow 100 by the climate arrangement 50 in FIG. 1A is merely presented as an example. According to FIG. 1A, the climate control system 50 is situated in a control compartment 30 that is separated from the cargo compartment 20. Upon operation, the climate control system 50 provides an air-flow 100 going out from the climate control system 50, into the main cargo compartment 20, and back to the climate control system 50.

[0038] The climate arrangement 50 comprises one or more environmental sensors 52A,B for sensing the temperature and/or the humidity in the cargo compartment 20. In this example, there is provided an environmental sensor 52A in the ceiling 14 of the cargo compartment 20 and two environmental sensors 52B in the wall 18a of the cargo compartment 20. It will be appreciated that the number and/or position of the environmental sensors of the freight container 10 may be arbitrary. The environmental sensors 52A,B are arranged or accommodated in respective recesses (not shown) of the ceiling 14 and the wall 18a.

[0039] FIG. 1B schematically shows a freight container 10 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that FIG. 1B shows the freight container 10 as exemplified in FIG. 1A in an alternative view “through” a wall/door and towards the back wall 18c. Furthermore, as some references and/or functions of the freight container are omitted in FIG. 1B compared to FIG. 1A, it is referred to FIG. 1A for an increased understanding.

[0040] FIG. 1B shows that the environmental sensor 52A, which is provided in the ceiling 14 of the freight container 10, is arranged in a recess 60 of the ceiling 14. Analogously, the two environmental sensors 52B, which are provided in the wall 18a of the cargo compartment 20, and the two environmental sensors 52C, which are provided in the wall 18d of the cargo compartment 20, are provided in respective recesses (not shown). In the back wall 18c, the freight container 10 comprises two environmental sensors 52D in the upper left hand corner and the upper right hand corner, respectively, of the back wall 18c, and an environmental sensor 52E in a bottom portion of the back wall 18c.

[0041] FIG. 2A schematically shows a recess 60 arranged to accommodate an environmental sensor according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2A, the recess 60 is exemplified as having a cuboid (parallelepiped) shape, but it should be noted that the recess 60 may have substantially any shape in which the environmental sensor may be accommodated. In the present example, the recess 60 comprises an insulating portion 65 in a bottom part of the recess 60.

[0042] FIG. 2B schematically shows a cover 70 for the recess 60 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. The cover 70 may comprise a metal plate having a plurality of apertures 75. The cover 70 is configured to hold an environmental sensor (not shown), e.g. by a clamping arrangement 80 as exemplified. The cover 70 is further arranged to cover the environmental sensor in the recess 60. The cover 70 in FIG. 2B may be turned 180° and put over the recess 60 in FIG. 2A and fastened to the same. FIG. 3A schematically shows a recess 60, a cover 70 and an environmental sensor 52 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the cover 70, which holds the environmental sensor 52, is shown in a position in which it is about to be fastened to a ceiling or wall of the freight container where the recess 60 is provided. The environmental sensor 52 is held by the cover 70 by a clamping arrangement 80.

[0043] FIG. 3B, which corresponds to FIG. 3A, schematically shows a recess 60, a cover 70 and an environmental sensor 52 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the cover 70, which holds the environmental sensor 52, has been fastened to a ceiling or wall where the recess 60 is provided. The cover 70 is arranged flush with the ceiling or wall in which the environmental sensor 52 is accommodated. In this particular embodiment of the freight container, the recess 60 has a first dimension, D1, which is larger than a second dimension, D2, of the environmental sensor 52 and/or the cover 70 in a plane of the ceiling or wall in which the environmental sensor 52 is accommodated. By this configuration of the recess 60 with respect to the environmental sensor 52, and in this case also with respect to the cover 70, the recess 60 provides a passage of a flow 100 of the climate-conditioned air-flow through the recess 60. More specifically, and as indicated in FIG. 3B, a portion of the flow 100 may pass in the recess 60 behind the environmental sensor 52 with respect to the cargo compartment of the freight container. Furthermore, a portion of the flow 100 may pass through the apertures of the cover 70 and into the recess 60.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a wall 18c of the freight container 10 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. The wall 18c in FIG. 4 corresponds to the back wall 18c shown in FIG. 1B. Two environmental sensors 52D are arranged in the upper left hand corner and the upper right hand corner, respectively, of the back wall 18c, and an environmental sensor 52E is arranged in a bottom portion of the back wall 18c.

[0045] According to some of the previously described embodiments, the recesses respectively comprises a cover configured to hold the environmental sensor. The cover is arranged flush with the wall 18c and comprises a metal plate having a plurality of apertures. The recess which accommodates the environmental sensor 53E has a first dimension, D1, which is larger than a second dimension, D2, of the environmental sensor 53E in a plane of the wall 18c, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. By this configuration, the respective recess provides a passage of a flow of the climate-conditioned air-flow environmental through the recess. The two recesses accommodating the two environmental sensors 52D in FIG. 4 are further described in FIG. 5 and the associated text.

[0046] FIG. 5 schematically shows a portion of a freight container according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. For reasons of simplicity, FIG. 5 indicates the upper leftmost portion of the freight container as exemplified in FIG. 1A and the associated text. However, FIG. 5 shows an alternative configuration of this part of the freight container. More specifically, the freight container comprises an inner wall portion 42 of the back wall 18c, and an inner portion 40 of the ceiling 14. An auxiliary passage 106 is provided in vicinity of the inner portion 40 of the ceiling 14. The inlet 108 of the auxiliary passage 106 is a slit which is provided between a top part of the inner wall portion 42 and the inner portion 40 of the ceiling 14, wherein the slit elongates along the length of the inner wall portion 42. The auxiliary passage 106 is provided between the inner wall portion 42 and an isolating element 107. The inner wall portion 42 comprises a recess in which an environmental sensor 52 is accommodated. The recess constitutes a through hole in the inner wall portion 42. Hence, the environmental sensor 52 is configured to sense the temperature on either side of the inner wall portion 42, i.e. in the cargo compartment and the auxiliary passage 106.

[0047] It should be noted that the environmental sensor 53E, as described in FIG. 3B and the associated text, may also be arranged in the inner wall portion 42.

[0048] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, one or more of the cargo compartment 20, the climate arrangement 50 and/or the recesses 60, etc., may have different shapes, dimensions and/or sizes than those depicted/described.