FR3086931A1 - IMPROVED THERMALLY INSULATING TRANSPORT CASE SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN KIT. - Google Patents

Abstract

Box system 1 in kit comprising the following elements: a floor 11, two gables 12, a ceiling 13, four storm doors 14 and two doors 15, each door forming with two of the doors the same wall of the box; the counter door comprising a plate 30 completely closing a frame 32, and a counter plate 33 which extends from a first upright 32A of the frame forming a vertical free edge 33A between the two uprights 32A.

Description

Description

Title of the invention: Improved thermally insulating transport case system available as a kit.

The present invention relates to a thermal device for the transport of products, in particular palletized products.

Products stored or transported are often paletized, that is to say that these products are arranged on a pallet. This is the case for products to be stored in a given temperature range, for example products to be stored cold or hot, at a temperature different from that of the storage medium. Such products sometimes have to be transferred, especially by plane; it is then necessary to ensure that their temperature remains within the desired interval, especially during the transfer.

Isothermal boxes have been developed to respond to this problem. However, such a case must be able to be conveyed empty to a sender who will fill it with his products, before sending it full to the recipient of the products. Shipping an empty box, especially when it is large, is not economically acceptable; it’s necessarily expensive, especially if the empty case is to be shipped by air. It is also expensive to store such an empty box for possible future use.

There are known kit cases, delivered disassembled. Document FR 3,028,846, in particular, describes such a type of box. Such boxes necessarily require assembly time for their user.

The object of the invention is in particular to propose means making it possible to simplify the assembly and to reduce the assembly time of such cases delivered in kit form.

According to the invention, there is provided a transport case system available in kit comprising the following elements, each element being available separately from the others: a floor, at least one gable, a ceiling, at least one door , at least one door forming together with the at least one door against the same wall of the body; the storm door comprising a plate mounted on a frame and completely closing off this frame, and furthermore a counter plate extending parallel to the plate, preferably from a first upright of the frame, and having a free edge, preferably vertical , between the first and second uprights of the frame.

Advantageously, each element among the floor, the at least one gable, the ceiling and the doors comprises a thermally insulating panel, these elements being designed so that when they are assembled in the form of a box, the insulating panels are joined and together form a thermally insulating enclosure.

The counter plate can extend vertically from one cross member of the frame to the other cross member.

Advantageously, the counter door comprises at least one cleat extending horizontally between the plate and the counter plate and beyond the free edge of the second upright, so that:

- A housing for at least one thermal stabilizer is formed between the plate, the counter plate, a cleat and a cross member or a second cleat, if necessary; and, [0011] - a window is formed, for each housing, between the free edge, the second upright, a cleat and a cross member or a second cleat, if necessary, so that the window makes it possible to introduce the stabilizer in the housing.

Preferably each strip extends from the first amount to the second amount.

Advantageously, the door against forms an inner part and the door forms an outer part of the same wall of the box.

Each pinion may include at least one horizontal housing for introducing a thermal stabilizer, the housing being formed between the thermally insulating panel and a respective inner plate.

The ceiling may include at least one housing for introducing a thermal stabilizer, the housing being formed between the thermally insulating panel and a respective inner plate.

Advantageously, when the ceiling and a door are in the mounted position, each housing in the ceiling is accessible above the door.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

[Fig.l] is a perspective representation of a disassembled box according to the invention, the main elements of this box being shown in the packing position, vertically exploded, as they can be delivered to a user;

[Fig.2] is an exploded perspective representation of the body of Figure 1, at the start of assembly;

[Fig.3] is a representation similar to that of Figure 2, in which the body of Figure 1 is at the end of its assembly;

[Fig.4] is a perspective representation of the body, once mounted;

[Fig.5] is a perspective representation of an element called a door against the body of Figure 1.

The invention relates to an insulated body 1 which is intended to be delivered as a kit. It is intended to transport products under stable temperature conditions. These are generally products that need to be stored in a given temperature range, for example products that need to be stored cold or hot at a temperature different from that of the storage medium. It allows in particular a transport of such products from a sender to their recipient.

The illustrated box is designed to transport two pallets.

Figure 1 illustrates elements 11-15 constituting such a box. The elements are shown there flat, substantially in a horizontal position, one above the other; they are in a packing position, that is to say, they can be stacked, flat on top of each other, to be delivered to a user. For the delivery of such a box, the elements are preferably protected by a cardboard envelope, not shown, so that they form a single package.

In the example illustrated, the elements 11-15 of the body include in particular: - a floor 11;

- two pinions 12;

- a ceiling 13;

- four doors against 14; and, [0032] - two doors 15.

The horizontal and vertical terms refer to the position of the panels when the body is mounted, as in Figure 4. The longitudinal term refers to the side closed by a door 15; the transverse term refers to a side closed by a pinion 12 and perpendicular to a longitudinal side. The term interior refers to the interior of the body, in its mounted position.

The floor includes legs 16 arranged so that the floor 11 serves as a pallet for the other elements 12-15, packed, and allows the handling of the package. In addition, the floor protects elements 12-15 from below.

Each of the elements among the floor 11, the gables 12, the ceiling 13 and the doors 15 comprises a thermally insulating panel 18. In the example illustrated, the insulating panels 18 are made of polyurethane or graphite polystyrene and have a thickness E18 of 60 millimeters. The elements 11-15 are designed so that when they are assembled, the insulating panels 18 are joined and form an insulating enclosure for the products contained in the box.

Each of the elements among the gables 12, the ceiling 13 and the doors 15 includes housings 19 for thermal stabilizers 20. In the example illustrated, the stabilizers are eutectic blocks 20 of parallelepiped shape; some are shown in Figure 5.

We will now describe each element 11-15 individually.

The floor 11 comprises a wooden tray, rectangular, of thickness E25, the longitudinal edges of which are noted 25A, of length L25A and the transverse edges of which are noted 25B, of length L25B. The insulating panel 18 is glued to the top of the plate, set back from the edges 25A, 25B with a value R25 equal to or slightly greater than the thickness El8 of an insulating panel 18.

Each transverse edge 25B is reinforced by a section in the form of an angle 26, flush with the transverse edge 25B and extending from a longitudinal edge 25A to the other. The angle 26 forms, with the corresponding insulating panel 18, a groove 27, of width L27, wide enough to vertically introduce the edge of another insulating panel there, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The floor 11 further comprises a transverse beam 28, of width L28 and of thickness E28, fixed above the insulating panel 18. This beam 28 is arranged parallel and halfway between the transverse edges 25 B. Each of its ends is set back from the corresponding longitudinal edge of the insulating panel 18, by a value R28. Each of the two pallets intended to be transported by the box can be arranged on a respective side of the beam 28, the latter serving as a wedge between the two pallets.

The legs 16 are fixed to the plate 25, below this plate. In the example illustrated, the legs are of the Optilège ™ brand. Each base includes three feet aligned with each other. One of the legs is placed under the beam 28, each of the other two is placed near a respective transverse edge 25A of the plate 25.

The two pinions 12 are identical to each other. They are designed to be arranged vertically at each longitudinal end of the floor IL. Each pinion 12 comprises an respective insulating panel 18 of height denoted H12 and of width L12 equal to the length L1811 of the insulating panel 18 of the floor 11, that is to say say L12 = L1811 = L25A -2 x R25.

Each pinion 12 further comprises a plate 30 disposed parallel to the corresponding insulating panel 18 and horizontal battens 31 disposed between the panel 18 and the plate 30. Also, the plate 30 is arranged so that each of its vertical edges is horizontally set back by an R30B value from the vertical edge of the corresponding panel 18.

Each cleat 31 extends from a vertical edge of the plate 30 to the opposite vertical edge. Housing 19 is formed between the insulating panel 18 and the plate 30, each housing 19 being further formed between two neighboring battens 31. Thus disposed, each housing 19 is open along the vertical edges of the plate 30. The plate 30 is arranged so that each of its horizontal edges is vertically set back by a value R30A from the vertical edge of the corresponding panel 18. In the example illustrated each pinion comprises six cleats regularly distributed from one horizontal edge to the other of the board 30. Thus, each pinion 12 forms a rack 190 of five housings

19.

The ceiling 13 has substantially the same structure as the gables 12. The insulating panel 18 of the ceiling 13 has substantially the horizontal dimensions L25A x L25B of the plate 25 of the floor 11. The plate 30 of the ceiling has substantially the horizontal dimensions of the panel insulating 18 from the floor 11. The ceiling 13 forms a rack 190 of eight housings 19, each of the housings extending from a longitudinal edge of the board 30, to an opposite longitudinal edge. The ceiling further comprises two reinforcements 33. These reinforcements are formed by angles placed along the transverse edges and on the upper face of the corresponding insulating panel 18.

Against doors 14 are identical to each other. Each of the storm doors forms a rack 190 of five horizontal housings 19, superposed on each other.

Against a door is shown in isolation in Figure 5, on a larger scale. Against the door 14 comprises a plate 30 mounted on a frame 32, the plate extending horizontally from an amount 32A to the opposite amount of the frame 32 and vertically from a cross member 32B of the frame to the opposite crosspiece, that is to say that the plate 30 completely closes the frame. Each strip 31 extends horizontally from an upright 32A of the frame 32 to the longitudinally opposite upright 32B. The storm door further comprises a counter plate 33 which extends vertically from a crosspiece 32A, 32B from the frame 32 to the other. The counter plate extends horizontally from a first of the uprights 32A of the frame 32, in the direction of the second upright 32A, without reaching it. The counter plate 33 therefore has a vertical free edge 33A, between the two uprights 32A. Thus, for each housing, a window 34 is formed between the free edge 33A, the second upright 32A, a cleat 31 and a second cleat 31 or a cross member 32B, if necessary.

Against the door has a height H14 and a length L14, measured longitudinally, substantially equal to half of the length L1811 of a longitudinal edge of the insulating panel 18 from the floor 11.

The two doors 15 are substantially identical to each other. Each comprises an insulating panel 18 of height H15 and of length L15 is substantially equal to the distance between the two angles 26 of the floor 11. This length L15 is close to the length L25A of the plate 25. Each door further comprises three reinforcements 33 These reinforcements 33 are formed by angles. Two of these reinforcements are arranged along the vertical edges and on an outer face of the corresponding insulating panel 18. The third is arranged along an upper edge and on the outer face of this insulating panel.

We will now describe an assembly process for the body 1, with reference to Figures 2 to 4.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the floor 11 being placed horizontally on the ground, we first introduce each pinion 12 vertically in a respective groove 27, the rack 190 facing inward so that it can bear on the insulating panel 18 of the floor 11. Thus arranged the pinions are self stable.

Then the ceiling 13 is placed over the gables 12, so that the insulating panel 18 of the ceiling is supported on the insulating panels 18 of the gables 12.

At this stage, one can also place the doors against a rear wall of the body, here the door against shown the most distant in Figure 14, which strengthens the structure of the body. The front wall, opposite the rear wall, being still open, it is always possible to introduce the products. These products can be palletized, or not.

Before setting up the door against the front wall, the necessary stabilizers 30 are introduced into the housings 19 of the pinions 12.

As illustrated in Figure 3, we can then ask against the doors of the front wall. The plate 30 of the ceiling 13 is intended to bear on the plates of the door struts 14. The beam 28 serves as a wedge for the storm doors 14. In addition, the housings 19 of the ceiling remain accessible above the storm doors when those These are in place, in the mounted position. It is therefore possible to load stabilizers in the housings 19 of the ceiling.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the necessary thermal stabilizers 20 are introduced into the housings 19 of the doors against through the windows 34.

As illustrated in Figure 5, stabilizers 20 are advantageously assembled together in the form of a crew 36. Each crew comprises a strip 37 on which parallelepiped stabilizers are fixed, for example by gluing.

The crews intended to be introduced into the doors 14 each include 4 stabilizers. Band 37 allows the crew to articulate between two stabilizers. The introduction of a crew 36 into a housing 19 and its removal are thus facilitated.

Such crews, with the appropriate dimensions and number of stabilizers, are also advantageously provided to be introduced into the other housings of the body 1.

Once all the necessary stabilizers are in place, the doors 15 are put in place, on the plate 25 and against the gables and the ceiling, so that the body is completed, as illustrated in the figure 4. We can then set up a strapping around the body 1, so as to keep it in shape during transport. This strapping, not shown in the figures, is supported on the reinforcements 33 which protects the angles. Hook-and-loop strip means, for example of the Velcro ™ type, are advantageously provided for temporarily holding all or part of the elements together, in particular the doors, during assembly, before strapping.

In the example illustrated, the dimensions of the box are as follows:

- thickness of the plate 25, E25 = 20 mm, approximately [0064] - longitudinal length of the plate, L25A = 2200 mm, approximately [0065] - transverse length of the plate, L25B = 1520 mm, approximately [0066] - shrinkage of the insulating panel of the floor, R25 = 65 mm, approximately [0067] - width of the groove, L27 = 63 mm, approximately [0068] - width of the beam, L28 = 120 mm, approximately [0069] - removal of the beam , R28 = 65 mm, approximately [0070] - height of a pinion, H12 = 1390 mm, approximately [0071] - length of a pinion, L12 = 1390 mm, approximately [0072] - vertical removal of the insulation panel of a gable, R30A = 62.5 mm, approximately [0073] - horizontal withdrawal of the insulating panel from a gable, R30B = 60 mm, approximately [0074] - height of a storm door, H14 = 1290 mm, approximately [ 0075] - length of a storm door, L14 = 1030 mm, approximately [0076] - height of a door, H15 = 1450 mm, approximately [0077] - length of a door, L15 = 2190 mm, approximately [ 0078] - longitudinal length of the body, LIA = L25A = 2200 mm, approximately [0079] - transverse length of the body, LIB = L25B = 1520 mm, approximately [0080] - height of the body, from under the legs, Hl = 1578 mm, approximately [0081] Preferably, the package formed by the disassembled body has dimensions compatible with air transport and maritime transport standards, making it possible to optimize the number of packages transported at the lowest cost.

Similarly, the external dimensions of the body 1, assembled, are also compatible with the standards of air transport and maritime transport, making it possible to optimize the number of cases transported at the lowest cost. The internal dimensions of the box also make it possible to transport pallets of sizes and loads compatible with international standards.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described. On the contrary, the invention is defined by the claims which follow.

It will appear to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above, in the light of the teaching which has just been disclosed to him.

Thus, the number of storm doors can be different from that previously illustrated. In particular, instead of two opposite sides of the body being equipped with door shafts, only one side can be equipped with it, the opposite side comprising a gable-type element. Also, the same side may have only one door, instead of two; thus, a storm door can have a length twice that presented; also, a box can have a length half of that illustrated, so that a single door with the dimensions described is sufficient.

When the body includes only one door, the floor may advantageously not include a transverse beam.

The various insulating panels, the various plates and counter-plates and the plate can be formed from several parts assembled together, depending on the dimensions available commercially.

The floor may also include, above its insulating panel, a housing rack for thermal stabilizers.

In the floor, the wood panel and the Optilège ™ brand legs can be replaced by a wooden pallet.

The use of a kit case according to the invention is particularly advantageous: [0091] - the assembly of the case is simple; a single person is enough to assemble the body in a few minutes and by their arrangement the panels are self-stabilized, in each assembly phase; assembly can therefore be carried out by a person without specific qualifications, for example by the forklift operator responsible for introducing the products into the body;

- the delivery of the box in the form of a compact package avoids carrying vacuum;

- the box can be dismantled and returned to the sender, for a next delivery;

- the box has an excellent ratio between its internal dimensions and its external dimensions;

- The mounting of the box, excluding the laying of the last wall, is done before the product is introduced into it, which avoids the risk of breaking the cold chain.

Claims (1)

Claims [Claim 1] Transport case system (1) available in kit comprising the following elements, generally rectangular in shape, each element being available separately from the others: - a floor (11); - at least one pinion (12); - a ceiling (13); - at least one storm door (14); - at least one door (15); and, the at least one storm door (14) and a door (15) associated together forming the same wall of said body; characterized in that, said counter door (14) comprises a plate (30) mounted on a frame (32), said plate completely closing off said frame (32), and furthermore a counter plate (33) which extends parallel to said plate, preferably from a first upright (32A) of said frame (32), and having a free edge (33A), preferably vertical, between the first upright (32A) and a second upright (32A) of said frame. [Claim 2] Box system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each element among the floor (11), the at least one gable (12), the ceiling (13) and the doors (15) comprises a thermally insulating panel (18), these elements (11, 12, 13, 15) being designed so that when they are assembled in the form of a box, said insulating panels (18) are joined and together form a thermally insulating enclosure. [Claim 3] Box system (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the counterplate (33) extends vertically from one crossmember (32B) of the frame (32) to the other crossmember. [Claim 4] Box system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the storm door comprises at least one cleat (31) extending horizontally between the plate (30) and the counterplate (33) and beyond the free edge (33A) in the direction of the second upright, preferably the cleat extending from the first upright (32A) to the second upright, so that: - A housing for at least one thermal stabilizer (20) is formed between the plate, the counterplate, a cleat (31) and a crosspiece (32B) or a second cleat (31), if necessary; and, - A window (34) is formed, for each housing, between the free edge (33A), the second upright, a cleat (31) and a crosspiece (32B) or a second cleat (31), if necessary; so that said window makes it possible to introduce the stabilizer into said housing. [Claim 5] Box system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the storm door forms an internal part and in that the door forms an external part of the same wall of the box. [Claim 6] Box system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one pinion (12) comprises at least one horizontal housing for introducing therein a thermal stabilizer (20), said housing being formed between the thermally insulating panel ( 18) and an inner plate (30). [Claim 7] Box system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the ceiling (13) comprises at least one housing (19) for introducing a thermal stabilizer (20) therein, said housing being formed between the thermally insulating panel (18) and an inner plate (30). [Claim 8] Box system (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that when the ceiling (13) and a door (14) are in the mounted position, each housing (19) of the ceiling is accessible above said door. 1/4