Modular, knock down, light weight, thermally insulating, tamper proof cargo container

• US 8,672,137 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airdex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Airdex International, Inc.
• Inventors: Tschirn, Phillip J., Seagle, Vance L, Imbrecht, Rick D, Thompson, David G
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US13/118,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20110226655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/540, 340/600, 340/550, 340/539.13, 340/572.8, 220/4.28, 220/592.01, 220/1.5, 220/4.29, 220/4.31, 220/4.32, 220/4.33, 220/4.08, 220/4.16, 206/600, 623/71, 624/571
• US Class Current: 206/600
• 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. A cargo container comprising:

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

one or more thermoplastic sheets substantially surrounding the first core and the legs, and

(b) one or more walls located on at least one of said plurality of dunnage platforms, wherein the one or more walls include;

a second core; and

one or more thermoplastic sheets substantially surrounding the second core, wherein, each of said plurality of dunnage platforms and each of the one or more walls comprise a first side and a second side separated by an edge, each of said edge having a mating feature that is identical to the feature on other edges, said mating feature comprising a first level and a second level stacked on said first level, said second level being indented from said first level to define a smaller area than said first level and positioned equidistance from said first level so as to form stepped edges, and a first of the plurality of dunnage platforms is a base positioned adjacent to one or more walls mating together using the features to define an interior space that forms the cargo container.

2. The cargo container of claim 1, 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.

3. The cargo container of claim 2, wherein the strengthening material is selected from the group consisting of metal, carbon fiber, Kevlar and Formica and combinations thereof.

4. The cargo container of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of dunnage platform platforms and the at least one wall surface are one or both of puncture proof and tamper proof.

5. The cargo container of claim 1 wherein a conductive strengthening material is embedded in one or both the first core and the second core and connected to a voltage supply for producing an electric shock when contact is made with any portion of the container.

6. The cargo container of claim 1, wherein one or both the at least two of the plurality of dunnage platforms and a dunnage platform and a wall at least one surface of the plurality of surfaces are fastened together to the dunnage platform.

7. The cargo container of claim 1, further comprising one or more Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags affixed on or embedded in one or both the dunnage platform legs and the cores.

8. The cargo container of claim 7, further comprising a processor, a global satellite positioning system (GPS) and a cellular modem embedded in one or more of the dunnage platform legs and the core 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.

9. The cargo container of claim 7, further comprising a RFID reader embedded in one or both of the legs first core and the second cores for reading one or more RFID tags in the vicinity.

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

(a) receiving a first dunnage platform having a core combined with at least one thermoplastic sheet, and one or more walls at a first client location, wherein said first dunnage platform and each of one or more walls comprises a first side and a second side separated by an edge, each of said edge having a mating feature that is identical to the feature on other edges, said mating feature comprising a first level and a second level stacked on said first level, said second level being indented from said first level to define a smaller area than said first level and positioned equidistance from said first level so as to form stepped edges;

(b) loading cargo on the first dunnage platform;

(c) assembling the one or more walls on the dunnage platform; and

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

11. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 10, further comprising a global positioning satellite (GPS) locator in one or both the first 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 first dunnage platform and the one or more walls.

12. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 11, 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 first dunnage platforms and the one or more walls.

13. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 12, 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 one or more of the one or more walls, and the first dunnage platform at a second client location.

14. The system of shipping the client cargo container of claim 10, wherein the one or more walls are partially of fully assembled on the dunnage platform prior to loading cargo.

15. A system of shipping a client'"'"'s temperature sensitive cargo in one or more thermally insulating shipping containers to one or more desired destinations, comprising:

(a) supplying a disassembled, thermally insulating insulting, easy to assemble, shipping container having a first base with two or more legs, four walls for positioning on said base container, and a top panel for positioning on top of the walls, wherein each of said first base, walls and top panel having a first side and a second side separated by an edge, each of said edge having a mating feature that is identical on all edges, said mating feature comprising a first level and a second level stacked on said first level, said second level being indented from said first level to define a smaller area than said first level and positioned equidistance from said first level so as to form stepped edges, and comprises;

a core; and

one or more thermoplastic sheets substantially surrounding the core;

(b) assembling the shipping container using the mating features and loading the cargo; and

(c) forwarding the loaded client'"'"'s temperature sensitive cargo to one or more desired destination.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag affixed on or embedded in one or more of the cores of said first base, top panel, and four walls to facilitate tracking of the cargo en route.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said one or more of the first base, the top panel and the four walls further comprise a strengthening material comprising a mesh, a perforated sheet and a barrier embedded in the core.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a shipping container bag to enclose the container, wherein said shipping bag has one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of light weight, dust proof, weather proof, UV light reflective, capable of being hoisted with an empty container for storage and fire resistant.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a liner adapted to hold one or more liquids during one or more of shipment, transport and storage.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising one or more coolant containers around the temperature sensitive cargo.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising one or more fasteners for fastening one or more of the first base, the top panel and the four walls to one or more of the base, the top panel and the four walls.