Air cargo container comprising an intermediate element

Abstract

The object of the invention is an air cargo container (1) comprising a rectangular, planar bottom side (2) for accommodating a transported product (8), a rectangular, planar top side (6), at least four connecting profiles (10) and an least triangular, planar intermediate element (12) made of a flexible material, wherein the connecting profiles (10) each connect one corner (11) of the bottom side (2) and one corner (11) of the top side (6) with one another in order to form sides (3) of the air cargo container (1), a guide device (19) is disposed on each of at least three connecting profiles (10) and/or a guide device (19) is disposed on each of two opposing edges (21) of the bottom side (2) and on at least one edge (21) of the top side (6) or on each of two opposing edges (21) of the top side (6) and on at least one edge (21) of the bottom side (2) such that the guide devices (19) define a plane, and the intermediate element (12) comprises a snap-fitting means (20) at each corner (14), wherein said snap-fitting means has a variable length and is designed to snap into the guide device (19).

Claims

1. An air cargo container comprising a rectangular, planar bottom side for accommodating a transported product, a rectangular, planar top side, at least four connecting profiles and a planar quadrangular intermediate element made of a flexible material, wherein the connecting profiles each connect one corner of the bottom side and one corner of the top side with one another in order to form sides of the air cargo container, a guide device is disposed on each of at least three connecting profiles and/or a guide device is disposed on each of two opposing edges of the bottom side and on at least one edge of the top side or on each of two opposing edges of the top side and on at least one edge of the bottom side, wherein one guide device is disposed on each connecting profile and/or one guide device is disposed on each of two opposing edges of the bottom side and the to side, wherein the guide device extends on the connecting profile between the to side and the bottom side and/or between two connecting profiles on the edge of the bottom side and/or the top side such that the guide devices define a plane, the intermediate element comprises a snap-fitting means at each corner, wherein the intermediate element is made of a textile fabric comprising a plurality of reinforcements that have been introduced into the fabric, wherein said snap-fitting means has a variable length and is designed to snap into the guide device, wherein the guide devices are disposed such that the intermediate element, having been snapped into the guide devices by means of the snap-fitting means, extends in a plane that is parallel or perpendicular to the bottom side, wherein the guide device is designed as a seat track guide and the snap-fitting means is designed as a double stud snap-fitting means for snapping into the seat track guide, and the cargo container is designed as a unit load device.

2. The cargo container according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcements are designed as glass fiber rods that are disposed parallel to one another and are sewn into the fabric.

3. The cargo container according to claim 2, wherein the snap-fitting means has a belt strap and a clamping lock, wherein the belt strap is connected to the intermediate element and is length-adjustable by means of the clamping lock.

4. The cargo container according to claim 3, comprising at least one side wall, wherein the side wall extends between two adjacent connecting profiles, the top side, and the bottom side.

5. The cargo container according to claim 1, wherein the snap-fitting means has a belt strap and a clamping lock, wherein the belt strap is connected to the intermediate element and is length-adjustable by means of the clamping lock.

6. The cargo container according to claim 1, comprising at least one side wall, wherein the side wall extends between two adjacent connecting profiles, the top side, and the bottom side.

7. The cargo container according to claim 1, wherein the cargo container is a closed container comprising aluminum.

8. The cargo container according to claim 1, wherein the unit load device is selected from the group consisting of LD1, LD2, LD3, LD6, LD7, LD8, LD9, LD11, M1 and M1H.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective, schematic view of an air cargo container comprising an intermediate element according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective, schematic view of the intermediate element according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) FIG. 1 shows a perspective, schematic view of an air cargo container 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The air cargo container 1 has a bottom side 2, two side walls 3, a rear wall 4, a slanted rear wall 5, and a top side 6. In the present case, the front side 7 is designed as an opening, through which freight 8 can be loaded and unloaded into and out of a container interior 9, which is formed by a bottom side 2, side walls 3, rear walls 4, 5, and a top side 6. The air cargo container 1 is made of an aluminum sheet, wherein the right side wall 3 is made transparent in FIG. 1. Whereas the bottom side 2, the side wall 3, the rear wall 4, and the top side 6 are each disposed at a right angle relative to one another, the slanted rear wall 5 is disposed at an angle of 135 relative to both the top side 6 and the rear wall 4, although said slanted rear wall likewise forms a right angle with the side walls 3. The air cargo container 1 therefore has a pentagonal shape as viewed from the side, i.e., as viewed from the side wall 3.

(4) The edges of the side walls 3 are formed by aluminum connecting profiles 10, which extend between the bottom side 2 and the top side 6. Whereas the two connecting profiles 10 disposed on the front side 7 extend parallel to one another, from a corner 11 of the top side 6 to a corner 11 of the bottom side 2 in each case, the two connecting profiles 10 on the side wall 3 extend parallel to one another in the region of the rear wall 4, but extend at an angle of 45 relative to one another in the region in the slanted rear wall 5. The freight 8 can be loaded onto the bottom side 2, as shown in FIG. 1.

(5) According to the invention, an intermediate element 12 is then provided, which is depicted in detail in FIG. 2, and which can be fastened in the container interior 9 in the manner of an intermediate base, which is depicted in the horizontal extension thereof in FIG. 1. As an alternative, the intermediate element 12 can also be fastened within the container interior 9 in the manner of a partition, extending parallel to the side wall 3. The intermediate element 12 is made of a flexible material, e.g., a non-combustible textile fabric in the present case, which is reinforced with a plurality of glass fiber rods, as reinforcements 13, which are disposed parallel to one another and are sewn into the textile fabric, as shown in FIG. 2. The reinforcements 13 are disposed so as to be spaced apart by 10 cm, and extend along 90% of the length of the intermediate element 12.

(6) Openings 15 are sewn in at the four corners of the intermediate element 14, through which said openings a belt strap 16 is guided. The belt strap 16 is made of a polyester material having a fire-retardant property and a width of 2.5 mm and is designed according to the aviation standards JAR 25.853 Appendix F, Part A1 IV. and ASNA3573. Furthermore, a manually operated clamping lock 17 is provided, through which the belt strap 16 is guided such that the length of the spacing between the clamping lock 17 and the opening 15 can be adjusted by means of the clamping lock 17, i.e., the intermediate element 12 can be tensioned. Whereas the clamping lock 17 is connected to the belt strap 16 on one side, the clamping lock 17 is connected, on the other side, to a so-called double stud, which is certified according to the aviation standard AS33601, NAS3610 and/or AS36100, i.e., to a so-called tie down double stud fitting with link and ring 18 in the present case. The belt strap 16, the clamping lock 17, and the double stud 18 form a length-adjustable snap-fitting means 20, which is designed to snap into a guide device 19.

(7) The guide device 19 is designed as a seat track guide according to the aviation standard AS33601, NAS3610 and/or AS36100 and, referring back to FIG. 1, is fastened in the container interior 9 of the air cargo container 1. Specifically, guide devices 19 are riveted to the corresponding sides 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which is depicted in the present case as dashed lines, in the container interior 9, in each case along the entire length of the connecting profiles 10 and the edges 21 of the top side 6, the bottom side 2, and the slanted rear wall 5. The intermediate element 12, which, in the present case, is rectangular and has a planar extension that is 10% smaller than the bottom side 2, can be snapped into a guide device 19 in each case by means of the snap-fitting means 20 provided on every corner 14 of the intermediate element 12, wherein said guide device is shown in the snapped-in state in FIG. 1.

(8) After the four snap-fitting means 12 are snapped into the four guide devices 19, a user can tighten the belt strap 16 and fix it in position by means of the clamping lock 17 such that the intermediate element 12 can be transferred from an initial slack state into a state that is as flat as possible, as shown in FIG. 1. It is then possible to place freight 8, such as parcels, packages, or other transportable products, onto the intermediate element 12, which has a thickness of 2-3 mm, for example. Since the air cargo container 1, which is shown here and is designed as a unit load device, has a height of 118 inches and a width of 125 inches and a depth along the bottom side 2 of 96 inches, it is also possible to dispose a plurality of intermediate elements 12 above one another and spaced apart from one another in the air cargo container 1.

(9) It is also possible, in a variant that is not shown, to fasten the intermediate element 12, as a partition element, in the container interior 9 of the air cargo container 1. In this variant, the intermediate element 12 has a pentagonal shape, which corresponds to the pentagonal shape of the side wall 3, wherein a snap-fitting means 19 is provided at every corner. It is also possible for the intermediate element 12 to have a triangular shape. Finally, it is also possible to first cover freight 8 that is present on the bottom side 2, for example, with an intermediate element 12, but to subsequently not snap in the intermediate element 12 at a level of the guide device 19 that corresponds to the level of the freight 8, but rather to snap said intermediate element into the guide device 19 closer to the bottom side 2. As a result, the freight 8 can first be wrapped and fixed against sliding by tightening the belt strap 16 by means of the clamping lock 17. Particularly advantageously, the flexible intermediate element 12 can be used to secure hazardous freight 8 against sliding within the container interior 9, or to separate freight 8, such as a cold box, from other freight 8.

(10) As another alternative, freight 8 can also be set down on the bottom side 2, next to the left side wall 3, and the intermediate element 12 can be snapped into the guide device 19 at the level of the freight 8 on the left side thereof by means of the snap-fitting means 20, while, on the right, opposite side of the intermediate element 12, the snap-fitting means 20 is snapped into the guide device 19 on the right side wall 3 at the level of the bottom side 2. It is also possible to provide further snap-fitting means 20 between two corners 14 of the intermediate element 12, for which further guide devices 19 are provided in the container interior 9 in a corresponding manner.

(11) In the end, the proposed air cargo container 1 makes it possible to obtain a substantially greater packing density of freight 8, wherein the intermediate element 12 makes it possible to secure the freight 8 in the container interior 9 and to separate different pieces of freight 8 in the container interior 9, e.g., according to the type of freight 8 or according to the destination or recipient of the freight 8. Moreover, a substantial weight reduction is achieved due to the flexible design of the intermediate element 12 made of a textile fabric having man-made fibers as compared to a rigid intermediate base made of aluminum. Finally, since the proposed solution, in terms of the guide devices 19 that are intended to be connected to the air cargo container 1, can be made from components that have already been certified for aviation, the proposed solution can be used in aircraft without the need for expensive and time-consuming certification.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(12) air cargo container 1 bottom side 2 side wall, side 3 rear wall 4 slanted rear wall 5 top side 6 front side 7 freight, transported product 8 container interior 9 connecting profile 10 corner of the bottom side, corner of the top side 11 intermediate element 12 reinforcement 13 corner of the intermediate element 14 opening 15 belt strap 16 clamping lock 17 double stud 18 guide device 19 snap-fitting means 20 edge 21