HATCH DEVICE COMPRISED BY A MAIN SUPPORT BODY (3), A FLOW GUIDE PIECE (24) AND AN OPTIONAL PLUG (30), WHICH ALLOWS FOR A MINIMAL MODIFICATION IN THE SERVICE HATCH COVER'S (2) STRUCTURE DURING INSTALLATION

Abstract

A hatch device comprised by a main support body (3), a flow guide piece (24) and an optional plug (30), which allows for minimum modifications in the service hatch cover's (2) structure during installation, as shown in FIG. 7/9.

Claims

1-30. (canceled)

31. Hatch device comprised by a main support body (3) with a main anchorage hole in the center (4), which also has a hollow cone (5), with uneven inlet and outlet diameters, with a cover (6) on its front side, towards the outside of the container, consisting of two elements: an anchorage (7) fixed by bolts that is part of the hollow cone (5); a flow guide piece (24); and an optional plug (30), WHEREIN the hollow cone (5), on its inner surface near the front protection surface (8) has two valve guides (52), one on the top of the cone (5) and another at 90 to the right, while looking from the outside of the container toward the inside. These valve guides (52) can be as long as the cone (5), but preferably one third of it, so that these valve guides (52) correctly align the atmosphere control valve device (31). In addition, the flow guide piece (24) has an elongated main body (25) comprised by a longitudinal opening (26) and a protective foam of the longitudinal opening (55), where the flow guide piece (24) has a conduction pipe (27) that protrudes from the elongated main body (25). This conduction pipe (27) can be connected to the connection pipe (19) of the nozzle piece (14) by means of a memory retractable hose (28). Finally, the plug (30) has a hollow body (33) with a rear end (34) and a front end (35), where the rear end has a hanging edge, such as a rear flange (36). The front end is made up of an elastic and flexible accordion flange (37) with a front wall (38) comprising a T-anchor slot (39) and at least one fixing hole (32), preferably three, to insert a means of attachment (40), such as screws with their respective nuts and washers, which allow attaching a plug connector cover (41) to the front wall (38) of the plug (30). The connector cover has a connector slot (42), a secondary connector slot (57) below the connector slot (42) and at least one attachment hole, preferably three (43), where at least one means of attachment (40) passes to secure the plug connector cover (41) to the front wall (38) of the plug (30).

32. Hatch device, according to claim 31, WHEREIN the hollow cone (5) has a cutout (13) in its rear, which protrudes vertically from the rear surface of the hatch from the inside of the container and upwards. This cutout (13) it is connected to a nozzle (14), and this nozzle (14) has the same shape as the cone's (5) cutout shape (13), extending the cone's (5) body.

33. Hatch device, according to claim 32, WHEREIN the nozzle has a nozzle opening (15) surrounded by a nozzle recess (16) from the inner surface (17) of the nozzle (14), so that a seal (18) can be attached to the recess (16), where a connection pipe (19) protrudes from the outer smooth surface of the nozzle (20), enclosing the entire opening (15).

34. Hatch device, according to claim 32, WHEREIN the nozzle part is enclosed by its edges (21), which have guiding and fastening elements (22). The guides (22) allow the nozzle (14) to be fixed to the cone (5) and to the slotted nozzle (53), so that the nozzle (14) covers the cone's (5) cutout (13) and places it towards the rear surface of the hatch, where the cone (5) is already located. Thus, the slotted nozzle (53) remains opposite to the nozzle (14).

35. Hatch device, according to claims 32 to 34, WHEREIN the slotted nozzle (53) has protruding fixation ribs (23), which allow both the nozzle (14) and slotted nozzle (53) to slide as one piece, forming a circle in the cone (5) until it touches the service hatch cover's (2) rear surface.

36. Hatch device according to claims 32 to 34, WHEREIN all parts of the nozzle and slotted nozzle are sealed on the inside of the service hatch cover with different sealing chemicals, such as industrial silicones or other types of industrial adhesives, and sealed on the outside by an insulating adhesive, but are held together by the two edges (21) and the guiding and fastening elements (22).

37. Hatch device according to claims 32 to 34, WHEREIN the slotted nozzle (53) has an open cutout (12) that is the same size as the cutout (13) opposite to the nozzle (14), but without the cutout's (13) bridge.

38. Hatch device, according to claim 32, WHEREIN the nozzle (14) can be attached to a flow guide piece (24).

39. Hatch device according to claim 31, WHEREIN the flow guide piece (24) is fixed to the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2) by a series of perforated flaps (29) that allow the flow guide piece (14) to be bolted to the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2), where the perforated flaps (29) are covered with a sealing chemical, preferably industrial silicone, to prevent manipulation and corrosion.

40. Hatch device according to claim 39, WHEREIN the preferred number of perforated flaps is three, without restricting other embodiments to this particular number.

41. Hatch device according to claim 31, WHEREIN the memory retractable hose (28) can be optionally attached at its ends by two clamps (54) to the conduction pipe (27) on one side and to the connection pipe (19) on the other, where the memory retractable hose (28) can optionally carry a metal cable inside to keep it in place once installed.

42. Hatch device according to claim 31, WHEREIN to prevent the flow guide piece (24) from bumping during installation, two foam blocks (48) are placed on both sides of the elongated main body (25), very close to the longitudinal opening (26).

43. Hatch device according to claim 31, WHEREIN the design of this plug connector cover (41) allows a connector piece (44) to be fitted into the connector slot (42), thus inserting the connector piece (44) into the plug's (30) T-anchor slot (39) in the front wall (38).

44. Hatch device according to claim 43, WHEREIN the T-anchor slot on the rear has four small cones (47) connected laterally, which channel the different connections that come out of the connector piece (44) to different devices or sensors that the atmosphere control valve (31) can control in the container.

45. Hatch device, according to claim 31, WHEREIN the plug on the inside comprises an area of of its internal surface with plug ribs (56), giving it structure and firmness, and where the small cones (47) are located at the bottom of the plug (30) on the same side.

Description

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0215] The invention corresponds to a hatch device used to equip a refrigerated cargo container with an atmosphere control valve device (31), in order to safely provide a refrigerated container with atmosphere control by way of an airtight seal that requires minimum intervention of the container. As shown in FIG. 1/9, a hatch device (1) for an atmosphere control valve device (31) is fitted in a refrigerated container's service hatch cover (2). The hatch device consists of a main supporting body (3) with a central anchorage hole (4), where the atmosphere control valve device (31) can be inserted, as shown in FIG. 7/9. The main support body (3) of the hatch device (1) is shaped like a hollow cone (5) with slightly uneven cone inlet and outlet diameters, which has a cover (6) on its front side, towards the outside of the container, consisting of two elements: a bolted anchorage (7) that is part of the hollow cone (5) and whose anchorage (7) has a front protection surface (8); and a rear anchorage surface (9), whose anchorage (7) has a larger diameter than the diameter of a hole (10) in the container's service hatch cover (2), and that is attached to the service hatch cover (2). The hollow cone (5) with the anchor (7) forming the main supporting body (3) of the hatch device (1) is attached to the service hatch cover's surface (2) in such a way that the anchor (7) is fixed to the front surface of the service hatch cover, by inserting the cone (5) into the hole (10) of the service hatch (2), making it protrude from the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2), as shown in FIG. 3/9.

[0216] As shown in FIGS. 1/9 and 7/9, the anchorage (7) on the front protection surface (8) is fitted with a sliding cover (11). By means of two cover guides (45) on the inside or towards the container, the sliding cover (11) slides on a protection guide (50) located on the front protection surface (8) away from the container and from the anchorage (7), so when an atmosphere control valve device (31) is fitted to the hatch device (1), it covers it and prevents it from being removed or tampered with. On the other hand, each cover guide (45) has a series of notches (46), two in the shape of a nose at the bottom and one in the shape of a semi-circle at the top, whose purpose is to restrict the upward and downward movement of the sliding cover (11) on the front protection surface (8) in order to leave the cover in a fixed position according to the operation being performed by the atmosphere control valve device (31). This same sliding cover (11) also includes a hole (60) at the top to allow some sort of seal to be passed through, to avoid unauthorized manipulation of the atmosphere control valve device (31). There are also slots (58) at the top and bottom of the sliding cover (11) that allow the exchange of gases, and in between these slots, towards the outside of the container, there may be a 3-D image of the device brand (59), such as Liventus, yet unrestricted to this brand alone. Likewise, the sliding cover (11) on the sides of the brand has two non-slip bumps (49) so the operator's fingers can open or close the sliding cover (11). The front protection surface (8) has a long flange (50) along its entire vertical side, on both sides, which allows the cover guide (45) to be fitted and move vertically. This long flange (50) is not glued directly onto the service hatch cover (2), leaving instead a small opening where there are two upper and lower elastic hooks (51) that allow the cover (11) to be anchored through the notches (46) as shown in FIG. 8/9. The cone (5), on its inner surface near the front protection surface (8), has two valve guides (52) placed at the top of the cone (5) and at 90 to the right, when looking from the outside of the container toward the inside. These valve guides (52) can be as long as the cone (5), although their length will preferably be one-third of it. The purpose of these valve guides (52) is to help position the atmosphere control valve device (31) correctly so that it can operate with the support of the convection forces generated inside the container. On the other hand, the cone (5) has a cutout (13) at the rear, which protrudes from the rear surface of the hatch into the container vertically and upwards, as shown in FIG. 2/9. This cutout (13) joins the nozzle piece (14), which can be seen in FIGS. 3/9 and 4/9. This nozzle piece (14) has the same shape as the cone's (5) cutout (13), extending the cone's body (5). The nozzle part consists of a nozzle opening (15) surrounded by a nozzle recess (16) on the inner surface (17) of the nozzle part (14), so that a seal (18) can be attached to the recess (16). A connection pipe (19) protrudes from the outer smooth surface of the nozzle (20), encompassing the entire opening (15). The edges (21) that enclose the nozzle part (14) contain a guiding and fastening element (22), letting the nozzle part (14) to be attached to the cone (5) and the slotted nozzle part (53), so that the nozzle part (14) covers the cone (5) cutout (13), aligning it with the rear surface of the hatch, where the cone (5) is already fitted. The slotted nozzle piece (53) is located on the opposite side of the nozzle piece (14). It has protruding fastening ribs (23) that allow the nozzle piece (14) and slotted nozzle piece (53) to slide both into the cone (5) as a whole, forming a circle, until it touches the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2). All nozzle parts and slotted nozzle, are sealed on the inside of the service hatch cover with different sealing chemicals, such as industrial silicones or other industrial adhesives. On the other hand, the slotted nozzle piece (53) has an open cutout (12) of the same size as the cutout (13) opposite to the nozzle piece (14), but without the cutout's (13) bridge. The nozzle parts (14) and the slotted nozzle (53) are also joined together by an adhesive and externally by an insulating adhesive, but are held together by the two edges (21) and the guiding and fastening segments (22).

[0217] As shown in FIG. 5/9, the nozzle piece (14) allows attaching a flow control piece (24), which is shown in detail in FIG. 5/9. The flow control piece consists of an elongated main body (25) with a longitudinal opening (26) and a protective foam for said longitudinal opening (55). The flow guide piece (24) has a flow pipe (27) that protrudes from the elongated main body (25). The flow pipe (27) can be connected to the connection pipe (19) of the nozzle piece (14) by means of a memory retractable hose (28). The flow control piece (24) is attached to the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2) by means of a series of perforated flaps (29) that allow the flow control piece (24) to be screwed to the rear surface of the service hatch cover (2), to generate a flow channel between the refrigerated container and an atmosphere control valve device (31) fitted to the hatch control device (1) for atmospheric control. On the other hand, the perforated flaps (29) are coated with a chemical sealant, preferably industrial silicone, to prevent manipulation and corrosion. Preferably there should be three perforated flaps, although other setups should not restrict themselves to this number. The memory retractable hose (28) can also be optionally connected to the pipe (27) on one side and to the connecting pipe (19) on the other side by two clamps (54). This same memory retractable hose (28) can be optionally fitted with a wire cable on the inside to keep it steady once installed. One way to prevent the flow control piece (24) from bumping during installation is to add two foam blocks (48) to the sides of the elongated main body (25), very close to the longitudinal opening (26).

[0218] The hatch device (1) consists of a plug (30), as shown in FIGS. 6/9 a and b, 7/9 and 9/9, which is set up as a flexible rubber plug (30) that may be optionally fitted with atmosphere control valve device (31) (see FIG. 7/9). It is positioned in the hole created by the installation of the cone (5) in the hole (10) or the opening of the service hatch cover, to attach the hatch device (1) of the present invention. Thus, the plug becomes part of the hatch device (1).

[0219] The plug (30) has a hollow body (33) with a rear end (34) and a front end (35), with a protruding edge at the rear end, such as a rear flange (36). The front end is made up of an elastic and flexible accordion flange (37) and a front wall (38) with a T-shaped slot (39) and at least one attachment bore (32), preferably three, to secure means of attachment (40), such as screws with their respective nuts and bolts. These allow a plug connector cover piece (41) to be attached to the plug's (30) front wall (38). The plug connector cover has a connector slot (42), a secondary connector slot (57) below the connector slot (42) and at least one attachment bore, preferably three (43). At least one fixing means (40) passes through them to secure the plug connector cover (41) to the plug's (30) front wall (38). The setup of this plug connector cover part (41) allows a connector part (44) to be inserted into the connector slot (42) (see FIG. 6/9 b). This way, the connector part (44) is placed in the connector part slot (42) of the connector cover part (41), thereby inserting the connector part (44) into the front wall (38) plug's (30) T-anchor slot (39) The T-anchor slot has four small cones (47) on its rear, which are connected laterally and are used to feed the various connections from the connector part (44) to various devices or sensors that can be controlled in the container by the atmosphere control valve (31).

[0220] Inside, the plug has an area of of its internal surface with plug ribs (56), which give it structure and firmness. On this side, the small cones (47) are placed at the bottom of the plug (30).

[0221] The hatch device (1) for an atmosphere control valve device (31), protects this equipment, keeping it in the container during installation, without the need to carry out major interventions on it. This reduces the time and manpower required to transform a refrigerated container into a controlled atmosphere refrigerated container. The atmosphere control valve device (31) can be reused, and the hatch device (1) is permanently located in the container, without the need to return it to its initial condition (but with the cover (30) in its place), so that the container is always ready to be used as a controlled atmosphere refrigerated container.

[0222] The plug (30) is optionally fitted in the hatch device (1) of the present invention, allowing the container to be kept sealed, when not used with an atmosphere control valve device (31).

[0223] The setup and operation of the hatch device for an atmosphere control valve device of the present invention provides a hatch device that is installed in a container, without the need to make any subsequent changes. It can be used in any application, without performing major interventions on the container. This reduces the time and manpower required to implement the system in the container, while providing the necessary airtightness to the container, whether or not an atmosphere control device is in place. This provides a less complex solution than those in the prior art.

[0224] While the shape of the hatch device for an atmosphere control valve device in a refrigerated cargo container described herein represents a preferred embodiment of this invention, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this precise shape of the hatch device, and that changes may be made to it without deviating from the scope of the invention.