Modular shipping apparatus and system

• US 10,464,740 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cargo Cube Systems, Llc
• Original Assignee: Cargo Cube Systems, Llc
• Inventors: DiSorbo, Aldo
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Steven A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pagan, Javier A
• Application Number:
  US15/493,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20170247180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/0066 Containers inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/12 specially adapted for transport associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/546 Devices for loading or unloading and forming part of the container, e.g. rollers, conveyors loading or unloading vehicles B65G67/20
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/006 fixed on the floor of the container B65D90/0066, B65D90/0073 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0066 Partition walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/008 Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers locking E05B83/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/18 Castors, rolls, or the like; e.g. detachable castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/20 Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers

Abstract

A modular shipping container apparatus having a base with two support portions each of having two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces each having a bottom side, a left side and a right side and at least one set of base holes; at least one wheel assembly between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces, the at least one wheel assembly having a substantially open bottom rectangular piece with at least one set of wheel assembly holes and at least one wheel with a center opening, the wheel assembly is retained between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces by at least one bar through the at least one set of base holes, the at least one set of wheel assembly holes and the wheels; at least two tracks attached to the bottom interior of a shipping container for slidably receiving the at least one wheel assemblies.

Claims

1. A modular shipping container apparatus comprising:

a base, each base having two support portions, each of the two support portions having two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces each having a bottom side, a left side and a right side and at least one set of base holes in at least one of the left side and the right side;

at least one wheel assembly between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces, wherein the at least one wheel assembly has a substantially open bottom rectangular piece with at least one set of wheel assembly holes and at least one wheel with a center opening,

wherein the at least one wheel assembly is retained between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces by at least one bar through the at least one set of base holes, the at least one set of wheel assembly holes and the center opening of each of the wheels;

at least two tracks for attachment to a bottom interior of a shipping container, wherein at least a portion of each of the at least one wheel assemblies slides along one of the at least two tracks attached to the bottom interior of a shipping container;

wherein the at least two tracks have a bottom flat portion and a raised portion,

wherein the flat portion has at least two openings and the at least two tracks are removably attached to at least one of the inside of a shipping container and the inside of a liftgate of a shipping container by a fastener attached through each of the least two openings and into at least one of the inside of a shipping container and the inside of a liftgate of a shipping container.

2. A modular shipping container apparatus, comprising:

a base, each base having two support portions, each of the two support portions having two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces each having a bottom side, a left side and a right side and at least one set of base holes in at least one of the left side and the right side;

at least one wheel assembly between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces, wherein the at least one wheel assembly has a substantially open bottom rectangular piece with at least one set of wheel assembly holes and at least one wheel with a center opening,

wherein the at least one wheel assembly is retained between the two substantially open top rectangular shaped spaces by at least one bar through the at least one set of base holes, the at least one set of wheel assembly holes and the center opening of each of the wheels;

at least two tracks for attachment to a bottom interior of a shipping container, wherein at least a portion of each of the at least one wheel assemblies slides along one of the at least two tracks attached to the bottom interior of a shipping container,

at least four end frame supports attached substantially perpendicular to the base, wherein each of the end frame supports has a substantially closed square portion with four sides and having outer extensions extending from two of the four sides and an additional support extending from the junction of the remaining two of the four sides of the substantially closed square portion, wherein the additional support has two substantially L-shaped portions that are substantially parallel to the outer extensions and each of the at least four end frame supports having a corner support that is substantially parallel to the junction;

at least three panels, wherein each of the panels has two S-shaped ends and at least one of the two S-shaped ends is interposed between one of the two substantially L-Shaped portions that are substantially parallel to the outer extensions;

at least three rectangular frames each being removably attached to a corner support;

a top attached to the at least three rectangular frames;

at least one door, each at least one door attached by at least one hinge to one of the outer extensions of one of the at least four closed end frame supports.

3. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a ratchet extension extending from the corner support.

4. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a female threaded hole, for receipt of a corresponding screw, between the two substantially L-shaped portions that are substantially parallel to the outer extensions and a brace having a hole at a first end and a hole at a second end, wherein a first screw is inserted through the hole at a first end and into a female threaded hole of one of the at least four end frame supports and a second screw is inserted through the hole at the second end and into a female threaded hole of another one of the at least four end frame supports.

5. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising at least one center support attached to the base between two of the at least four end frame supports, wherein the center support has a closed square center portion with four sides and four corners and center extensions extending from each of the four corners of the closed square center portion, two partially open rectangular portions each between two center extensions and having an opening on a side away from the closed square center portion for the receipt of one of the two S-shaped ends of one of the panels.

6. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising two substantially L-shaped portions that each extend from one of the four corners and are substantially perpendicular to the center extensions, wherein the two substantially L-Shaped portions are faced in opposing directions.

7. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a partition having a top, bottom, a first side and a second side, wherein one of the first side and the second side is between and supported in an upright position by the two substantially L-shaped portions.

8. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 5,

further comprising a partition having a top, bottom, a first side and a second side, wherein one of the first side and the second side is between and supported in an upright position by the two substantially L-shaped portions;

further comprising at least one header support attached to the at least one center support at an end opposite the base and below the top and in communication with the top.

9. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a center support female threaded hole for receipt of a corresponding screw in at least one of the two partially open rectangular portions and a brace having a hole at a first end and a hole at a second end, wherein a first screw is inserted through the hole at a first end and into a center support female threaded hole and a second screw is inserted through the hole at the second end and into a female threaded hole of another center support.

10. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a pulley system assembly attached to the bottom interior of the shipping container and aligned with a center portion opening along a middle front portion of the center portion opening, wherein a portion of the pulley system assembly threads the center portion opening.

11. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the at least three rectangular frames extend above the corner support and the at least three panels.

12. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising at least one top cross support between at least one of the end frame supports, the center support and the header support.

13. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising at least one side support substantially proximate to at least one panel between at least one of the end frame supports, the center support and the header support.

14. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising at least two tracks attached to the interior of a liftgate of the shipping container, wherein the at least two tracks attached to the interior of the liftgate align with the at least two tracks attached to the bottom interior of the shipping container and at least a portion of each of the at least one wheel assemblies slides along one of the at least two tracks attached to the interior of the liftgate.

15. A modular shipping container apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the at least two tracks attached to the interior of the liftgate have a stopper at an end of the at least two tracks that is furthest away from the shipping container.