CONTAINER FOR A REFRIGERATED LIQUID TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Abstract

A refrigerated liquid transport system is disclosed, which comprises a refrigerated container configured to be loaded with unit loads (200), a unit load (200) comprising a pallet (20) supporting at least one layer of ten liquid containers (300), each liquid container (300) having side walls (303) connected to one another by rounded edge portions (304), in which the main faces (303) of adjacent side walls (303) are generally mutually perpendicular; the upper side wall (301) comprises at least one recessed portion (315) containing an opening (312) able to be closed by an accordingly adjusted plug and at least one handle (313) above the bottom of the recess, the top of the handle (313) being either level with the main face of the upper side wall (301), or below same; and wherein the main faces of the liquid container (300) define a rectangular cuboid geometry with width of at least 250 mm and length of at least 380 mm, and a height, for example, of 440 mm, 365 mm or 310 mm.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A liquid container for transport under refrigerated conditions, the container comprising sidewalls connected to each other by rounded edge portions, wherein main faces of adjacent sidewalls are generally perpendicular to each other; and wherein a top sidewall comprises at least one recessed portion containing an orifice adapted for being closed by a cap in a form fit and at least one handle disposed above a bottom surface of the recess, wherein a top of the handle is either flush with a main face of the top sidewall or located beneath it; and wherein main faces of the sidewalls of the liquid container define a rectangular cuboid geometry having a width of less than 250 mm and a length of less than 380 mm.

20. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein the rectangular cuboid geometry has a width of 225 mm or more and a length of 360 mm or more.

21. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein the rectangular cuboid geometry has a height of 440 mm, a height of 365 mm, or a height of 310 mm.

22. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein the length of the rectangular cuboid is in the range from 364 mm to 372 mm and the width of the rectangular cuboid is in the range from 228 mm to 234 mm.

23. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein one or more protrusions are formed in the main face of the top sidewall, the protrusions having a frustum like shape, and wherein a number of recesses are formed in a main face of a bottom main wall of the liquid container, with the number and positions of the recesses corresponding to the number and positions of protrusions formed on the main face of the top sidewall and the shape of each recess being complementary to that of its corresponding protrusion.

24. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein a rounded edge portion has a convex curvature with a radius of between 5 mm and 50 mm.

25. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein a curvature of a rounded edge portion is convex at a transition to a sidewall and comprises a flat or concave section between the two convex sections or is entirely concave.

26. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein at least one sidewall different from the top sidewall is formed with a stiffening structure.

27. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, wherein the material of the container is a high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

28. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, formed by extrusion blow molding.

29. The liquid container as claimed in claim 19, comprising at least one organic peroxide.

30. A pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length.

31. A system comprising at least one unit load comprising a pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length and at least ten liquid containers as claimed in claim 19 placed side by side on the loading area of the pallet.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the unit load comprises at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 layers of liquid containers stacked upon each other on a pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length, each layer of liquid containers being composed of ten individual liquid containers arranged side by side.

33. The system as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a reefer comprising a loading space, wherein the reefer is loaded with at least one unit load and a number of pallets required to fill the loading space of the reefer.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, comprising a reefer loaded with twelve first load units arranged side by side and twelve second load units arranged side by side, all of the second load units being placed on top or beneath the first load units, each of the first load units containing a pallet and a first number of layers of liquid containers, each of the second load units containing a pallet and a second number of layers of liquid containers, with a layer of liquid containers being composed often liquid containers arranged side by side, whereby the first number is 3 and the second number is 2 when the height of the liquid containers is 440 mm, the first number is 3 and the second number is 3 when the height of the liquid containers is 365 mm, and the first number is 4 and the second number is 3 when the height of the liquid containers is 310 mm.

35. The system as claimed in claim 34, comprising a reefer loaded with twelve load units arranged side by side, each of the load units containing a pallet and a number of layers of liquid containers, with a layer of liquid containers being composed of ten liquid containers arranged side by side and the number of layers of liquid containers being 5, when the height of the liquid containers is 440 mm, 6, when the height of the liquid containers is 365 mm, and 7, when the height of the liquid containers is 310 mm.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0052] When explaining the present invention in more detail with respect to special embodiments, reference is made to the enclosed drawings, in which

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a reefer's loading area subdivided into subareas conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system;

[0054] FIG. 2 illustrates a unit load formed by placing liquid containers conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system onto a pallet whose lateral dimensions correspond to the above subareas; and

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a liquid container conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] In the exemplary embodiments described below, components that are alike in function and structure are referenced as far as possible by like reference numerals. Therefore, to understand the functions of the individual components of a specific embodiment, the description of other embodiments and the summary of the invention should be referred to.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a reefer's loading area 100 with the subareas reserved for the placement of unit loads 200 conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system. The width of the loading area 100 is 2300 mm, the length of the loading area 5042 mm. The term reefer used here refers to a refrigerated container used in inter-modal freight transport for the transportation of temperature sensitive cargo.

[0058] The loading area 100 is divided into twelve subareas 10 of 1250 mm by 760 mm each. The longer side of each subarea 10 is in parallel with the long side, the shorter side with the short side of the reefer's loading area. Each subarea defines a loading area conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system. The difference between the area occupied by the subareas and the reefer's loading area is 42 mm along the long side and 20 mm along the short side. These clearances allow for tolerances in the dimensions of the unit loads and in particular of the pallets described further below as well as for some maneuvering space required to place the unit loads into the reefer using motorized tools like a forklift or others. It is noted that the unused loading area is, due to its minimal size, not visible in FIG. 1.

[0059] One of the subareas 10 is shown in FIG. 1 to be occupied by a unit load 200, which is shown in further detail in FIG. 2. The unit load 200 comprises a pallet 20 providing a loading area of 1250 mm by 760 mm. The height of the pallet is preferably the same as or close to that of a EUR-pallet, i.e. 150 mm. The corners of the pallet's loading area may be rounded or chamfered, the edges beveled. The pallet is preferably configured as a four-way pallet.

[0060] The liquid containers 300 conforming to the refrigerated liquid transport system are placed side by side on the top of the pallet's loading area such that the long sides of each liquid container 300 are in parallel with the short sides of the pallet 20 and the short sides of each liquid container are in parallel with the long sides of the pallet 20. The orifices of the liquid containers may be aligned as shown. When a venting system (not shown in the Figures) is used to control the pressure inside the liquid containers 300, the containers 300 are, however, preferably arranged with their orifices facing each other so that the venting tubes can be mounted well protected inside a unit load.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a liquid container 300 conforming to the present refrigerated liquid transport system in a perspective view.

[0062] The liquid container 300 forms a body having a top sidewall 301, a bottom sidewall 302 (not visible in the Figure), and four generally vertically oriented sidewalls 303 located between the top and the bottom sidewall. Rounded edge portions 304, 304(f) connect the sidewalls to each other. Each vertically oriented sidewall comprises a main face 303, defining a face of a rectangular cuboid representing the storage volume occupied by the liquid container. In other words, the main faces of the sidewalls define or even are part of a rectangular cuboid geometry representing the storage volume occupied by the jerrycanlike liquid container 300. The main face (which is not visible in FIG. 3) of the bottom sidewall 302 corresponds to the surface on which the container 300 rests. The main face 301 is formed by the outermost top surface of the top sidewall 301, whereby possible protrusions 311 extending from the top main face 301 are not taken into account. The top main face 301 has a U-shaped form, surrounding a recessed part 315 of the top sidewall.

[0063] Unlike the other sidewalls, the top sidewall 301 is configured with an orifice 312 and a handle 313. The orifice 312 is preferably located close to the front edge 304(f) forming the transition between the top and the front sidewall. This enables a complete emptying of the container 300. Embodiments have the orifice 312 configured to cooperate with a closure (not shown in the Figures), for instance a screw closure like a screw cap or screw plug. Other embodiments have the orifice configured to cooperate with a bayonet cap. To avoid the closure of the orifice 312 to interfere with another liquid container placed on top of the top sidewall 301, the orifice is disposed in a recess 315. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the orifice is part of a spoutlike nozzle, the height of which is lower than the depth of the recess 315, i.e. the vertical dimension of the recess. When the container is closed, the topmost part of the closure does not extend beyond the main face 301 of the top sidewall 301. To avoid any mechanical impact on the closure, the topmost part of it is, when properly mounted, preferably located below the top main face 301. The handle 313 is disposed above the bottom of the recess 315 with one end of it merging into the rear face of the recess 315, and the other end forming a mechanical link to the bottom of the recess 315 near the nozzle providing the orifice 312. For ease of handling, the handle is equally spaced from the side faces of the recess 315 and there is some clearance between the handle and the bottom of the recess.

[0064] To reduce the risk of a container 300 placed on top slipping from the top sidewall 301 due to lateral forces acting on it, protrusions 311 may be formed in the top main face 301. The protrusions 311 extend vertically from the top main face 301 but are not part of that face, since they are to be received in complementarily designed recesses (not visible in the Figures) formed in the bottom main face of a container 300 placed on the top main face 301, and therefore do not contribute to the storage volume occupied by the liquid container 300. Together with the recesses of a container 300 placed on top, the protrusions 311 form a form fit preventing a lateral movement of the upper container relative to the lower container. The protrusions usually have a frustumlike shape, i.e. a tapered geometry with a polygonal or round base and a corresponding polygonal rounded top face of smaller dimensions.

[0065] The main faces 303 may be oriented vertically for a container 300 being placed on a horizontal area. One face or all of them may also be slightly inclined so that the circumference of the container 300 decreases towards its top sidewall. In this case, the respective sidewall or sidewalls do not form part of the rectangular cuboid geometry defining the storage space needed for the empty container 300. The dimensions of the rectangular cuboid geometry are then defined by the outermost limits of the respective main face(s).

[0066] The dimensions of the rectangular cuboid geometry are thus, that its width is within a range from 225 mm and less than 250 mm, its length within a range from 360 to less than 380 mm and its height 440 mm or slightly less (30 l capacity), 365 mm or slightly less (25 l capacity), or 310 mm or slightly less (20 l capacity). The term slightly less is to be understood as not more than 5 mm. To allow for a bulging of the filled container 300, the length of the rectangular cuboid is advantageously in the range from 364 mm to 372 mm, preferably in the range from 366 mm to 370 mm, and is ideally 368 mm, and wherein the width of the rectangular cuboid is in the range from 228 mm to 234 mm, preferably in the range from 239 mm to 233 mm, and is ideally 231 mm.

[0067] While the description explains the present invention with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth herein serve to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit it in any way. Various changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.