JP7658764B2 - Refrigerated container and method for manufacturing panel for refrigerated container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerated container and a method for manufacturing panels for refrigerated containers.

Freight vehicles with refrigerated containers on the loading platform may be equipped with side doors (sliding doors) that slide backwards on the sides of the refrigerated container to facilitate loading and unloading of cargo. In particular, in small freight vehicles (kei cars), the surface area of the side doors is large relative to the surface area of the refrigerated container.

Patent Document 1 does not disclose a refrigerated container, but does disclose the upper structure (cross section) of a sliding door for a truck. A sliding rail and a door frame are arranged at the top of the sliding door.

Since side doors for refrigerated containers are made of insulated panels, the weight of the side doors is heavy, requiring the door frame to have improved rigidity, and similarly, the side panels (panels for refrigerated containers) that hold the door frame also require improved rigidity.

In addition, conventional side panels (panels for refrigerated containers) are processed by, for example, cutting and removing the door portion from a single insulating panel to process and form an opening. However, if the area of the side door is large, the area that needs to be removed also becomes large, resulting in poor material yield, so it is considered to make the side panel into a split structure.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-207578

The joints of split-structure side panels (split panels) are, for example, formed by cut surfaces perpendicular to the inner and outer surfaces of the side panels. If a sealant is applied to these cut surfaces and the cut surfaces of the side panels are joined together, the sealant will deteriorate over time and vibrations from the truck will reduce the sealing performance, increasing the possibility of rainwater, etc., entering the refrigerated container through the joints of the side panels.

The present invention aims to improve the sealing performance at the joints of the dividing panels near the door attachment part of a refrigerated container.

A refrigerated container according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a box-shaped container body that is placed on the bed of a truck, and an opening is formed in a side panel of the container body for accommodating a sliding door. The panel has a number of divided panels that are arranged to surround the opening, and is constructed by joining the ends of adjacent divided panels together. The joint surfaces of the divided panels have a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape that is composed of a middle plane that is parallel to the surface of the divided panel, and two right-angled planes that are perpendicular to the middle plane.

The manufacturing method of a panel for a refrigerated container according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container that constitutes the side of a box-shaped refrigerated container that is placed on the bed of a truck. The panel for a refrigerated container has an opening for arranging a sliding door, and the panel for a refrigerated container has a plurality of divided panels that are arranged to surround the opening, and is constructed by joining the ends of adjacent divided panels together. The joint surface of the divided panel has a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape composed of a middle surface parallel to the surface of the divided panel and two right-angled surfaces perpendicular to the middle surface. Pressure is applied to the joint portion of the divided panel in the in-plane direction of the panel, and pressure is also applied to the joint portion of the divided panel in the out-of-plane direction perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the panel, to join the ends of adjacent divided panels together.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerated container and a method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container can improve the sealing performance at the joint of the divided panel near the door attachment part of the refrigerated container.

1 is a side view of a truck to which a refrigerated container according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure in the vicinity of a door mounting portion in a refrigerated container. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure in the vicinity of a door mounting portion in a refrigerated container. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a door frame in a refrigerated container as viewed from the inside of the refrigerated container. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings.

[General configuration of refrigerated container]
As shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerated container 1 according to this embodiment is applied to a freight vehicle generally called a refrigerated car. In this embodiment, the refrigerated container 1 is fixed to the bed of a small freight vehicle (light truck).

The refrigerated container 1 has a box-shaped container body 1a that is placed on the bed of a truck 2. The side panel 3 on the left side of the container body 1a has an opening 6 (see Figures 2 and 3) for accommodating a sliding door 5 that opens and closes in the front-to-rear direction (vehicle length direction).

As shown in Figures 2 to 5, a door frame (side door frame) 7 is disposed in an opening 6 formed in the side panel 3, and a roof panel 4 is connected to the upper end of the side panel 3. Corner rails 11, 12 are disposed at the connection (corner) between the side panel 3 and the roof panel 4, and the corner rails 11, 12 are fixed to the side panel 3 and the roof panel 4 with rivets 13.

An upper slide rail 14 is disposed on the upper part of the door frame 7, and a lower slide rail 15 is disposed on the lower part of the door frame 7. In addition, a seal member (weather strip) 16 and a guide rail (rail receiving body) 17 are attached to the door frame 7.

[Detailed configuration of side panel]
In this embodiment, the insulating panel that constitutes the side panel 3 has a thickness of approximately 50 mm and has a three-layer structure in which plastic decorative panels are attached to the inner and outer surfaces of an insulating material made of foamed urethane or the like.

The side panel 3 has multiple divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c arranged to surround the opening 6, and is constructed by joining the ends of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c. By cutting the insulation panel as described above, the side panel 3 is divided into a front side panel 3a arranged in front of the door frame 7, an upper side panel 3b arranged above the door frame 7, and a side panel main body 3c arranged behind the door frame 7.

In the refrigerated container 1 of this embodiment, the area ratio of the sliding door 5 is large in the side panel 3, so the upper side panel 3b is inevitably elongated in the front-to-back direction. Also, in the refrigerated container 1 of this embodiment, the sliding door 5 is positioned toward the front of the side panel 3, so the front side panel 3a is inevitably elongated in the up-down direction.

The most distinctive feature of the side panel 3 of this embodiment is the shape of the joint between the divided panels (front side panel 3a, upper side panel 3b, and side panel main body 3c) shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The joint surfaces of the front side panel 3a, the upper side panel 3b, and the side panel main body 3c each have a hook-shaped, stepped cross-sectional shape consisting of an intermediate surface 21 parallel to the inner and outer surfaces of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, and two right-angled surfaces 22 and 23 perpendicular to the intermediate surface 21.

The height (step) H of the intermediate surface 21 is, for example, approximately half the thickness T of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, and 3c (see FIG. 7). However, the height T of the intermediate surface 21 does not need to be equal between one and the other of the two right-angled surfaces 22 and 23.

The width W of the intermediate surface 21 is, for example, 1 to 1.5 times the thickness T of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, 3c (see Figure 7). If the width W of the intermediate surface 21 is smaller than the thickness T of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, 3c, the adhesive strength and sealing properties of the joints of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, 3c may decrease. On the other hand, if the width W of the intermediate surface 21 is greater than 1.5 times the thickness T of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, 3c, the manufacturing processability of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, 3c may decrease.

In other words, the height H and width W of the intermediate surface 21 can be set appropriately as long as the joint surfaces of the adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c are shaped to fit together.

[Manufacturing method of side panel]
These divided panels (front side panel 3a, upper side panel 3b, and side panel main body 3c) are joined together with a sealant (adhesive).

Specifically, after cutting of each divided panel 3a, 3b, 3c and processing of the joint surface (half notch portion) is completed, a sealant is applied to the joint surface (whole surface) of each divided panel 3a, 3b, 3c, and the joint surfaces (end surfaces) of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c are butted together.

That is, when the upper side panel 3b and the front side panel 3a are joined, the middle surface 21 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the middle surface 21 of the front side panel 3a. Also, the first right-angled surface 22 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the second right-angled surface 23 of the front side panel 3a, and further, the second right-angled surface 23 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the first right-angled surface 22 of the front side panel 3a.

Then, by applying the aforementioned sealant (adhesive), the joint surfaces (intermediate surface 21, perpendicular surfaces 22, 23) of the upper side panel 3b and the front side panel 3a are filled with the sealant.

On the other hand, when joining the upper side panel 3b and the side panel main body 3c, the intermediate surface 21 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the intermediate surface 21 of the side panel main body 3c. Also, the first right-angled surface 22 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the second right-angled surface 23 of the side panel main body 3c, and further, the second right-angled surface 23 of the upper side panel 3b is butted against the first right-angled surface 22 of the side panel main body 3c.

Then, by applying the aforementioned sealant (adhesive), the joint surfaces (intermediate surface 21, perpendicular surfaces 22, 23) of the upper side panel 3b and the side panel main body 3c are filled with the sealant.

As shown in FIG. 7, when joining the joint surfaces of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, pressure P1 is applied to the joints of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the in-plane direction of the panels, and pressure P2 is also applied to the joints of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the out-plane direction of the panels.

In other words, by applying the aforementioned pressures P1 and P2 while hardening the sealant (adhesive), the joining surfaces of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, and 3c can be joined together without gaps, improving the adhesive strength and sealing properties of the joints of the dividing panels 3a, 3b, and 3c.

At the joining surfaces of the upper side panel 3b and the front side panel 3a, the middle surface 21 of the upper side panel 3b and the middle surface 21 of the front side panel 3a are joined without any gaps. In addition, the first right angle surface 22 of the upper side panel 3b and the second right angle surface 23 of the front side panel 3a are joined without any gaps, and further, the second right angle surface 23 of the upper side panel 3b and the first right angle surface 22 of the front side panel 3a are joined without any gaps.

On the other hand, at the joint surface between the upper side panel 3b and the side panel main body 3c, the intermediate surface 21 of the upper side panel 3b and the intermediate surface 21 of the side panel main body 3c are joined without any gaps. Also, the first right angle surface 22 of the upper side panel 3b and the second right angle surface 23 of the side panel main body 3c are joined without any gaps, and further, the second right angle surface 23 of the upper side panel 3b and the first right angle surface 22 of the side panel main body 3c are joined without any gaps.

[Structural features of the upper side panel]
As described above, the upper side panel 3b is elongated in the front-rear direction, and the length of the upper side panel 3b in the vertical direction is short. As shown in Fig. 2, the door frame 7 is made of metal, has a basic L-shaped cross section, and is fixed to the upper side panel 3b by rivets 18 in contact with two surfaces, the lower surface (cut surface) and the outer surface. That is, the door frame 7 is disposed at the lower part of the upper side panel 3b, which is short in the vertical direction. In addition, the corner rails 11 and 12 are disposed at the connection portion (corner portion) between the upper side panel 3b and the roof panel 4, and fixed by rivets 13. That is, the corner rails 11 and 12 are disposed at the upper part of the upper side panel 3b, which is short in the vertical direction.

In short, the upper side panel 3b has a shorter vertical length, the door frame 7 is disposed at the bottom of the upper side panel 3b, and corner rails 11, 12 are disposed at the top of the upper side panel 3b. The door frame 7 and corner rails 11, 12 form a structure that reinforces the upper side panel 3b, increasing the rigidity of the upper side panel 3b. For example, when rolling (moment around the longitudinal axis) acts on the freight vehicle 2, the force caused by the rolling is applied to the refrigerated container 1, making the sliding door 5 more resistant to distortion.

[Effects, etc.]
The effects of this embodiment will be described below.

(1) The refrigerated container 1 comprises a box-shaped container body 1a that is placed on the bed of a truck 2, and an opening 6 for locating a sliding door 5 is formed in a side panel 3 on the side of the container body 1a. The side panel 3 has multiple divided panels (front side panel 3a, upper side panel 3b, side panel body 3c) that are arranged to surround the opening 6, and is formed by joining the ends of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c. The joint surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c are joint surfaces having a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape composed of an intermediate surface 21 that is parallel to the inner and outer surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c, and two right-angled surfaces 22, 23 that are perpendicular to the intermediate surface 21.

Conventional joint structures generally join cut surfaces perpendicular to the inner and outer surfaces of the partition panels, resulting in a small joint area between the partition panels and a decrease in sealing performance due to deterioration of the sealant over time, which may allow rainwater, etc. to enter the refrigerated container. In contrast, the joint structure of this embodiment joins the joint surfaces of the partition panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in a hook-shaped step shape (crank shape) and joins them together. As a result, the joint area between the partition panels 3a, 3b, and 3c is increased compared to conventional joint structures, improving sealing performance and reducing the possibility of rainwater, etc. entering the refrigerated container 1.

In addition, because the area ratio of the sliding door 5 is large, the front side panel 3a and the upper side panel 3b are elongated in the vertical or front-to-rear direction, which naturally makes the joints smaller and tends to weaken the strength of the side panels 3. However, because the door frame 7 is positioned near the joints of the front side panel 3a and the upper side panel 3b so as to surround the outer periphery of the sliding door 5, the rigidity of the joints of the front side panel 3a and the upper side panel 3b is maintained.

(2) When joining the ends of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, pressure P1 was applied to the joints of divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the in-plane direction of the panels, and pressure P2 was also applied to the joints of divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the out-of-plane direction of the panels.

The joining surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, which are formed with a hook-shaped step (crank-shaped) cross section, are joined while applying pressure by applying pressure P1 in the in-plane direction of the panel and then pressure P2 out-of-plane direction of the panel, resulting in particularly strong adhesion at the intermediate surface 21. This improves the adhesion between the end surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, and also improves the dimensional accuracy of the side panel 3 after joining.

(3) In a method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container (side panel 3) that constitutes the side of a box-shaped refrigerated container 1 to be placed on the bed of a freight vehicle 2, an opening 6 is formed in the side panel 3 for arranging a sliding door 5. The side panel 3 has a plurality of divided panels (front side panel 3a, upper side panel 3b, side panel body 3c) that are arranged to surround the opening 6, and is formed by joining the ends of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c. The joint surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c have a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape composed of an intermediate surface 21 that is parallel to the inner and outer surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, 3c, and two right-angled surfaces 22, 23 that are perpendicular to the intermediate surface 21. Pressure P1 is applied to the joints of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the in-plane direction of the panels, and pressure P2 is also applied to the joints of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c in the out-of-plane direction perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the panels, joining the ends of adjacent divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c.

The joining surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, which are formed with a hook-shaped step (crank-shaped) cross section, are joined while applying pressure by applying pressure P1 in the in-plane direction of the panel and then pressure P2 out-of-plane direction of the panel, resulting in particularly strong adhesion at the intermediate surface 21. This improves the adhesion between the end surfaces of the divided panels 3a, 3b, and 3c, and also improves the dimensional accuracy of the side panel 3 after joining.

The refrigerated container and the panel for the refrigerated container of the present invention have been described using the above-mentioned embodiment as an example, but they are not limited to this embodiment and various other embodiments can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the refrigerated container is not limited to the refrigerated vehicle described in the above embodiment, but can be applied to refrigerated vehicles, refrigerated and frozen vehicles, etc. Also, the refrigerated container is not limited to the small freight vehicles described in the above embodiment, but can be applied to medium-sized freight vehicles, large freight vehicles, etc.

1 Refrigerated container 1a Container body 2 Freight car 3 Side panel (panel, panel for refrigerated container)
3a Front side panel (split panel)
3b Upper side panel (split panel)
3c Side panel body (divided panel)
5 Sliding door 6 Opening 21 Intermediate surface 22 Right angle surface 23 Right angle surface

Claims (2)

It has a box-shaped container body that is placed on the bed of a freight car,
An opening for disposing a sliding door is formed in a side panel of the container body, and a door frame is disposed in the opening;
The panel has a divided panel formed by dividing it into a front side panel arranged in front of the door frame, an upper side panel arranged above the door frame, and a side panel main body arranged behind the door frame, and is configured by joining ends of the adjacent divided panels together,
The joint surface of the dividing panel is a joint surface having a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape composed of an intermediate surface parallel to the surface of the dividing panel and two perpendicular surfaces perpendicular to the intermediate surface.
Cooling container. A method for manufacturing a panel for a refrigerated container which constitutes a side surface of a box-shaped refrigerated container to be placed on the bed of a freight vehicle, comprising the steps of:
The panel for the refrigerated container has an opening for arranging a sliding door, and a door frame is arranged in the opening;
the panel for the refrigerated container has a divided panel formed by dividing it into a front side panel arranged in front of the door frame, an upper side panel arranged above the door frame, and a side panel main body arranged behind the door frame, and is configured by joining ends of the adjacent divided panels;
The joint surface of the dividing panel has a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape composed of an intermediate surface parallel to a surface of the dividing panel and two perpendicular surfaces perpendicular to the intermediate surface,
applying pressure to the joint portion of the dividing panel in a panel in-plane direction and also applying pressure to the joint portion of the dividing panel in a panel out-plane direction perpendicular to the panel in-plane direction to join the ends of the adjacent dividing panels;
A method for manufacturing panels for refrigerated containers.

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