MODULAR, KNOCK DOWN, LIGHT WEIGHT, THERMALLY INSULATING, TAMPER PROOF CARGO CONTAINER

• US 20110226655A1
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airdex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Airdex Internatiopnal Incorporated
• Inventors: Seagle, Vance L., Thompson, David G., Tschirn, Philip J., Imbrecht, Rick D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/521
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/18 made wholly or mainly of plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00024 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00044 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00059 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00079 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00164 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00184 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00199 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00218 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00467 on or in the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00472 on or in the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00477 on or in the non-integral separating spacer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00482 on or in the walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00487 : on or in the lid or cover
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 : whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00597 : integrally formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00601 : separately formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00611 : side walls maintained connected to each other by means of auxiliary locking elements, e.g. spring loaded locking pins
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00661 : side walls maintained connected to pallet by means of auxiliary locking elements, e.g. spring loaded locking pins
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00711 : removable lid or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00786 : for lifting, e.g. hooks, loops
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00012 : Bundles surrounded by a film
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3816 : formed of foam material

Abstract

The invention provides a knock-down, lightweight, thermally insulating, shipping container made at least in part from a polymer core covered by a thermoplastic sheet layer. In an embodiment of the invention, the shipping container is modular, being adjusted to suit the item(s) to be shipped. In an embodiment of the invention, the base, top panel and walls are made of expanded polystyrene core and combined with high impact polystyrene surface. In one embodiment, a mesh is introduced into the core to strengthen the core making the shipping container tamper proof. A shipping container bag that is light weight, strong, made of a fire retardant material and which forms an ultra violet light, weather and dust barrier can be used to store the shipping container. A system and method for supplying, dispensing, positioning, tracking, transporting, forwarding and storing the light weight shipping containers based on the shipping container bag is disclosed.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A cargo container comprising:

(a) at least one dunnage platform including a first core with a first side, a second side and two or more legs protruding from the second side;

a first thermoplastic sheet combined with the first side; and

a second thermoplastic sheet combined with the second side and the two or more legs; and

(b) at least one surface located on the dunnage platform, said surface includes;

a second core; and

one or more thermoplastic sheets substantially surrounding the second core, wherein the density of the second core is less than the density of the one or more thermoplastic sheets, wherein the dunnage platform and the at least one surface define an interior space that forms the cargo container.

23. The cargo container of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first thermoplastic sheet, the second thermoplastic sheet and the one or more thermoplastic sheets are selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polybutadiene, polyphenyl ether and blends thereof.

24. The cargo container of claim 21, wherein one or both the first core and the second core are selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene and blends thereof.

25. The cargo container of claim 21, wherein a strengthening material selected from the group consisting of a mesh, a perforated sheet and a barrier is embedded in one or both the first core and the second core.

26. The cargo container of claim 25, wherein the strengthening material is selected from the group consisting of metal, carbon fiber, Kevlar and Formica and combinations thereof.

27. The cargo container of claim 25, wherein one or more of the dunnage platform and the at least one surface are one or both of puncture proof and tamper proof.

28. The cargo container of claim 21, wherein the net weight of the cargo container is between:

a lower limit of approximately 22 kg (50 lb); and

an upper limit of approximately 90 kg (200 lb).

30. The cargo container of claim 21, wherein said at least one surface comprises two or more surfaces fastened together.

31. The cargo container of claim 21, further comprising one or more Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags affixed on or embedded in one or both the first core and the second core.

32. The cargo container of claim 31, further comprising a processor, a global satellite positioning system (GPS) and a cellular modem embedded in one or more of the dunnage platform and the at least one surface;

wherein the cellular modem and the GPS are linked with the processor and in communication with a base station for transmitting to the base station one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of RFID code, shipment location, shipment information, shipment condition, shipment container condition and time stamp.

33. The cargo container of claim 31, further comprising a RFID reader embedded in one or both of the first core and the second core for reading one or more RFID tags in the vicinity.

34. A cargo container comprising:

(a) a plurality of dunnage platforms each having two or more legs; and

(b) one or more walls located on the dunnage platform, wherein the one or more walls include;

a core; and

one or more thermoplastic sheets substantially surrounding the core, wherein the density of the core is less than the density of the thermoplastic sheets;

wherein the plurality of dunnage platforms and the one or more walls define an interior space that forms the cargo container.

35. The cargo container of claim 34, further comprising one or more Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags affixed on or embedded in one or both the dunnage platform and the core.

36. A system of shipping a client cargo container to a destination comprising:

(a) receiving a dunnage platform and one or more walls at a first client location;

(b) loading cargo on the dunnage platform;

(c) assembling the one or more walls on the dunnage platform to form the client cargo container;

(d) transporting the client cargo container from the first client location to the destination.

37. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 36, further comprising a global positioning satellite (GPS) locator in one or both the dunnage platform and the one or more walls, wherein the GPS locator is used to determine global location of one or more of the client cargo container, the dunnage platform and the one or more walls.

38. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 37, further comprising one or more Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) readers and one or more RFID tags affixed on or embedded in one or more of the dunnage platforms and the one or more walls.

39. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 38, further comprising breaking down and unloading the cargo container, wherein one or both the global locator, the RFID reader and the RFID tags are used to locate the one or more walls and the dunnage platform at a second client location.

40. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 38, further comprising a processor, a global satellite positioning system (GPS) and a cellular modem embedded in one or more of the dunnage platform and one or more walls;

wherein the cellular modem and the GPS are linked with the processor and in communication with a base station for transmitting to the base station one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of RFID code, shipment location, shipment information, shipment condition, shipment container condition and time stamp.