AIR FREIGHT CONTAINER AND/OR AIR FREIGHT PALLET

Abstract

The invention relates to an air freight container and/or air freight pallet with a flat bottom wall and/or side wall, at least two guide devices arranged on the bottom wall and/or side wall, two connecting elements, wherein a fastening region assigned to a first end of the connecting element in each case extends over part of the connecting element, and a fixing element for fixing an item to be transported transportable by means of the air freight container and/or air freight pallet, wherein the fixing element is connected at the first end thereof to the fastening region of one connecting element and at the second end thereof, which is opposite the first end, is connected to the fastening region of the other connecting element, the connecting elements each have, at a second end arranged opposite the first end, a latching device designed for latching into the corresponding guide device, and at least one guide device is formed in such a way that the latching device can be latched into the guide device at different, spaced-apart positions along the planar extent of the bottom wall and/or side wall.

Claims

1. An air freight container and/or air freight pallet with a flat bottom wall and/or side wall, at least two guide devices arranged on the bottom wall and/or side wall, two connecting elements, wherein a fastening region assigned to a first end of the connecting element in each case extends over part of the connecting element, and a fixing element for fixing items to be transported transportable by means of the air freight container and/or air freight pallet, wherein the fixing element is connected at the first end thereof to the fastening region of one connecting element and at the second end thereof, which is opposite the first end, is connected to the fastening region of the other connecting element, the connecting elements each have, at a second end arranged opposite the first end, a latching device designed for latching into the corresponding guide device, and at least one guide device is formed in such a way that the latching device can be latched into the guide device at different, spaced-apart positions along the planar extent of the bottom wall and/or side wall.

2. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the connecting elements are formed such that the fixing element can be fixed to the connecting elements at a plurality of positions spaced apart differently from the first end of the connecting elements.

3. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the connecting elements are each arranged pivotably on the latching devices.

4. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the connecting elements and the fixing element are formed in such a way that the fixing element is arranged, in its longitudinal extent, perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the connecting elements and/or the fixing element can be pivoted, in respect of its longitudinal extent, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the connecting elements.

5. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element is length-adjustable between the first end and the second end.

6. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 5, wherein the fixing element has a cross-section which in particular is rectangle-like and at least one first part of the fixing element has a first cross-section, in such a way that a second part of the fixing element can be slid into the first part and/or can be removed therefrom in order to change the length of the fixing element.

7. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the guide devices extend along an edge of the bottom wall and/or side wall.

8. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, with a fixing device embodied in particular as a strap for fixing the connecting element and the fixing element, wherein the fixing device is arranged at its first end on the connecting element and/or on the fixing element and, at its second end, which is opposite the first end, is designed to latch into the guide device.

9. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein a further guide device is provided on a side of the fixing element facing away from the bottom wall and/or side wall, with an at least triangular planar intermediate element made of a flexible material, and wherein the intermediate element has, at least at one corner, a further latching device which can be latched into the guide device and/or into the further guide device.

10. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the guide device is formed as a seat track guide and the latching device is formed as a double stud or triple stud latching device for latching into the seat track guide.

11. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the air freight container and/or air freight pallet is formed as a unit load device.

12. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall and/or side wall, the guide devices, the latching devices, the connecting elements and/or the fixing element are formed of aluminium.

13. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 3, wherein the connecting elements can be pivoted, in respect of their longitudinal extent, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the guide device.

14. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 6, wherein the cross-section is rectangle-like.

15. The air freight container and/or air freight pallet according to claim 8, wherein the fixing device is embodied as a strap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an air freight container in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic view,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the air freight container according to FIG. 1 with an intermediate element in a schematic view,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a further detail of the air freight container according to FIG. 1 with a fixing element in a schematic view,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the fixing element according to FIG. 3 in another position in a schematic view, and

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a further detail of the air freight container according to FIG. 1 with a connecting element in a schematic view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an air freight container in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic view. The air freight container has a planar bottom wall 1, with two planar side walls 2 extending at right angles thereto. The bottom wall 1 has a rectangular base area, wherein one side wall 2 adjoins a transverse side 3 of the bottom wall 1 and the other side wall 2, which is embodied as a rear wall, adjoins the longitudinal side 4. A top wall 5 is arranged at least partly covering the bottom wall 1. A rear wall side 6, which is adjoined by the side wall 2 formed as the rear wall, adjoins the transverse side 3 of the top wall 5. A third side wall 2, to the right in the drawing plane, which adjoins the rear wall 2, the bottom wall 1, the top wall 5 and the rear wall side 6, has been omitted in order to provide a better illustration. In a side view, i.e. when viewed from the front in the direction of the side wall 2 connected to the transverse side 3, the air freight container thus has a pentagonal shape.

[0034] Guide devices 7 are fastened to the bottom wall 1 along the two longitudinal sides 4 of the bottom wall 1, wherein the guide devices 7 each extend along the entire longitudinal side 4. The guide devices 7, shown in detail by way of example in FIG. 5, are formed in the present case as a seat track guide in accordance with aviation standard AS33601, NAS3610 and/or AS36100. A latching device 8, which in the present case is formed as a double stud or triple stud latching device in accordance with the aforementioned standard, is latched into the corresponding guide device 7. Since the guide devices 7 each extend along the entire longitudinal side 4 at the two opposed edges of the bottom wall 1, the two shown latching devices 8 can be latched into the bottom wall 1 in a plurality of different, spaced-apart positions along the longitudinal extent 4.

[0035] A connecting element 9, which, as can be seen from FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, extends linearly away from the latching device 8 over a length of 20 cm, is connected to the latching device 8. The connecting element 9 is connected to the latching device 8 pivotably at its second end shown in FIG. 5, in such a way that the pivot axis 11 leading through the connecting element 9 and the latching device 8 extends parallel to the direction of longitudinal extent of the guide device 7. The connecting element 9 is accordingly pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the direction of longitudinal extent of the connecting element 9. In the present case, the latching device 8 has a U-shaped opening, in which the second end of the connecting element 9 is held by means of a pin 11. In the position of the connecting element 9 shown in the Figures, this connecting element extends between its first and opposite second end in a manner perpendicular to the planar extension of the bottom wall 1 and perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the guide device 7. On account of the pivotability, however, the connecting element 9 can also be pivoted into a pivot position not shown, such that it extends, in its longitudinal extent, parallel to the planar extent of the bottom wall 1.

[0036] A fixing element 10 is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the connecting element 9 and is arranged on the connecting element 9 between the first end and the second end, i.e. in a height-adjustable manner relative to the bottom wall 1. Specifically, a fastening region 11 is provided on the connecting element 9 and extends over part of the connecting element 9. The fixing element 10 is connected at both ends thereof to the corresponding fastening region 11 of a corresponding connecting element 9. For this purpose, the connecting element 9 is formed in the present case as a shaft and the fixing element 10 is formed with a rectangular profile, wherein a round shaft, i.e. a tube, is welded to the rectangular profile at the two ends thereof facing the connecting elements 9, and the shafts of the connecting elements 9 are guided through said hollow tubes. Whereas in FIG. 4 the fixing element faces the bottom wall 1, in FIG. 3 a position of the fixing element 10 is shown in which the fixing element 10 faces away from the bottom wall 1. In order to fix the fixing element 10 to the connecting element 9 in the corresponding position relative to the bottom wall 1, two split pins 12 are provided. The split pins 12 are guided through the connecting element 9 in a manner spaced apart in the longitudinal extent and thus surround the round shaft of the fixing element 10 from both sides in order to fix this is to the connecting element 9.

[0037] The fixing element 10 is length-variable between its two ends connected to the two connecting elements 9. For this purpose, the fixing element 10 firstly has a first part 13 with a first rectangular cross-section, which is adjoined by a second part 14 with a second rectangular cross-section. The second part 14 is in turn adjoined by a further first part 13. The outer cross-section of the second part is slightly smaller than the inner cross-section of the first part 13, such that the second part 14 can be slid into the first part 13 and removed therefrom again in order to vary the length of the fixing element 10.

[0038] Further guide devices 15 are arranged in a spaced-apart manner on the fixing device 10 on a side facing away from the bottom wall 1 and in the present case are also formed as seat track guides. A square, planar intermediate element 16 is latched by means of further latching devices 17 into these further guide devices 15, i.e. into the fixing device 10 along one side of the intermediate element 16 and into a guide device 7, which is provided at an edge of the transverse side 3 of the bottom wall 1, on an opposite side of the intermediate element 16. The planar intermediate element 16 can be formed as a canvas, but in the present case is formed from a textile fabric in the form of a mesh, which comprises the textile rope 18. The intermediate element 16 is thus flexible and is designed to encompass the loaded items 20, i.e. mail items, in the most form-fitting manner possible and therefore to secure said items against slipping and movement. The further latching device 17 is formed in the present case as a tie down double stud fitting with link and ring, wherein a strap with clamping lock is arranged between the intermediate element 16 and each further latching device 17, such that the intermediate elements 16 can be tensioned on account of the changing length of the strap in order to secure items to be transported 20.

[0039] In order to fix the connecting element 9 in a position perpendicular in relation to the bottom wall 1, a fixing device 19 is provided, wherein the fixing device 19 is connected at its first end to the fixing element 10, and at its second, opposite end is latched into the guide device 7 by means of a further latching device 17. In this way, the fixing device 19 in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 extends at an angle of 45 on the one hand to the longitudinal extent of the connecting element 9 and on the other hand to the longitudinal extent of the guide device 7. In the present case, the fixing device 19 is formed from a strap made of flame-resistant polyester and has a width of 2 inches.

[0040] As a result, by means of the proposed fixing element 10, items 20 to be transported by means of the air freight container or an air freight pallet can be secured in a particularly flexible way against slipping during the transport. Since the fixing device 10 on the one hand, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, can be secured in a height-adjustable way to the connecting element 9 and on the other hand can be latched by means of the latching device 8 in different positions in guide devices 7 provided on the bottom wall 1, the fixing element can be arranged in a large number of different positions within the air freight container 1 in order to secure the items to be transported 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] bottom wall 1 [0042] side wall 2 [0043] transverse side 3 [0044] longitudinal side 4 [0045] top wall 5 [0046] rear wall side 6 [0047] guide device 7 [0048] latching device 8 [0049] connecting element 9 [0050] fixing element 10 [0051] fastening region 11 [0052] split pin 12 [0053] first part 13 [0054] second part 14 [0055] further guide device 15 [0056] intermediate element 16 [0057] further latching device 17 [0058] rope 18 [0059] fixing device 19 [0060] items to be transported 20