JP7757002B2 - Base Frame Structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a base frame structure that supports the floor panel of a cargo box.

Standardized shipping boxes commonly referred to as containers are known. In container transport, these containers are used for sea and land transport while still loaded with cargo, and are therefore designed to be detachable from cargo ships, rail vehicles, and trucks.

With the recent increase in logistics activity and driver shortages, there is a demand for larger containers so that they can be loaded with larger amounts of cargo and improve the efficiency of cargo transportation. Conventionally, the base frame structure supporting the floor plates of containers is basically configured with a pair of outside frames formed on the left and right side edges of the container, extending longitudinally. When such containers are transferred between ships, railroad cars, and trucks, for example, corner fittings are arranged at the four upper corners of the container, and spreaders are applied to the corner fittings to lift and remove the container. However, if the overall height of the container is set low to fit the size of a railway tunnel, the container will have a disadvantageous shape in terms of rigidity when lifted. Therefore, in order to ensure rigidity that prevents the floor plates from bending without increasing the overall height of the container, it is possible to increase the cross-sectional height of the outside frames that make up the base frame structure. However, if the container has a wing design where the side walls are completely open (see Patent Document 1, for example), cargo must be loaded and unloaded from the side using a forklift or similar device, and making the outside frame higher would be disadvantageous in terms of making it easier to load and unload cargo, making it undesirable.

Furthermore, if the height of the outside frame is increased, the height of the floor plates supported by the outside frame also increases, resulting in the problem that the interior height of the container cannot be sufficiently secured, resulting in reduced transport capacity. This is particularly problematic when a larger container capacity is desired. This problem is not limited to wing-type containers, but can also occur with other container configurations in which the side walls open forward and backward and are fully open.

Furthermore, in order to increase the rigidity of the container, it is also possible to consider arranging a center frame, which supports the underside of the floor plates extending in the longitudinal direction of the container, in the middle section of the left and right outside frames of the base frame structure. However, containers that are designed to be detachable from railroad cars and trucks are sometimes placed on flat ground, and given that the space between the container's floor plates and the ground is limited, even if the center frame is arranged on the underside of the floor plates, it is difficult to ensure sufficient rigidity to prevent the container from bending.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-292189

The present invention was developed in light of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a base frame structure that supports the floor panels of a cargo box while ensuring sufficient rigidity even when the cargo box is enlarged, and that maximizes the interior height.

In order to solve the above-mentioned main technical problem, according to the present invention, there is provided a base frame structure that supports the floor panel of a cargo box, the base frame structure comprising: a first outside frame extending longitudinally at one side end; a second outside frame extending longitudinally at the other side end; a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; and a center frame extending longitudinally between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the center frame having a plate-shaped vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the underside of the floor panel and extends longitudinally, and a base frame structure in which a plurality of cross members are arranged between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the cross members passing perpendicular to and passing through the center frame . Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a base frame structure for supporting the floor panel of a cargo box, the base frame structure comprising: a first outside frame extending longitudinally at one side end; a second outside frame extending longitudinally at the other side end; a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; and a center frame extending longitudinally between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the center frame comprising a plate-shaped vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the underside of the floor panel and extends longitudinally, the cargo box comprising a top wall opposite the floor panel, and the base frame structure is configured so that the spaces on one side and the other side within the cargo box divided by the center frame are connected by an open area formed by the upper end of the center frame and the top wall of the cargo box. Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a base frame structure for supporting the floor panel of a cargo box, the base frame structure comprising: a first outside frame extending longitudinally at one side end; a second outside frame extending longitudinally at the other side end; a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box; and a center frame extending longitudinally between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the center frame having a plate-shaped vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the underside of the floor panel and extends longitudinally, and a horizontal portion extending longitudinally formed at at least either the upper end or the lower end of the vertical wall portion.

It is preferable that a plurality of cross members are disposed between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, intersecting and passing through the center frame. The floor panel of the cargo box is preferably supported by any one of the front member, rear member, first outside frame, second outside frame, center frame, and cross member. Furthermore, it is preferable that the cargo box has a top wall facing the floor panel, and that the spaces on one side and the other side of the cargo box separated by the center frame are connected by an open area formed by the upper end of the center frame and the top wall of the cargo box.

The base frame structure of the present invention comprises a first outside frame extending in the longitudinal direction at one side end, a second outside frame extending in the longitudinal direction at the other side end, a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the packing box, a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at the rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the packing box, and a center frame extending in the longitudinal direction between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the center frame having a plate-shaped vertical wall portion protruding upward from the underside of the floor board and extending in the longitudinal direction , and a center frame provided between the first outside frame and the second outside frame. Because a plurality of cross members are arranged that are perpendicular to and penetrate the frame , or because the cargo box has a top wall that faces the floor boards, and the spaces on one side and the other side of the cargo box divided by the center frame are configured to be connected by an open area formed by the upper end of the center frame and the top wall of the cargo box, or because a horizontal section extending in the longitudinal direction is formed at at least one of the upper and lower ends of the vertical wall section, sufficient rigidity can be ensured even when the cargo box is made larger, and a base frame structure can be provided that supports the floor boards of the cargo box and maximizes the internal height, and for example, problems such as bending of the floor boards can be eliminated even when corner fittings are arranged at the four upper corners of the container that makes up the cargo box and spreaders are applied to the corner fittings to lift the container and attach it to or detach it from a railway vehicle or truck.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the container of the present embodiment. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a base frame structure supporting a floor panel, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the base frame structure shown in FIG. 1A with the floor panel omitted. 1A is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the base frame structure showing how a cross member is fixed to a center frame; FIG. 1B is a further enlarged perspective view of the portion of the base frame structure shown in FIG. 1A; 1A is a perspective view showing a manner in which a front end portion of a center frame is fixed to a front member; FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which the front end portion of the center frame is fixed to the front member;

Below, an embodiment of a base frame structure for a shipping box constructed based on the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a rear perspective view of a container 1 equipped with the base frame structure of the cargo box of this embodiment, which will be described in detail later. For ease of explanation, the direction indicated by arrow F in Figure 1 is the forward direction, the direction indicated by arrow B is the rearward direction, the direction indicated by arrow R is the rightward direction, and the direction indicated by arrow L is the leftward direction; however, these directions do not necessarily dictate the direction in which the container 1 is transported. As shown in Figure 1, the container 1 of this embodiment is a wing-type cargo box with open left and right sides. The container 1 is configured to be detachably attached to, for example, a railroad vehicle or truck (neither of which are shown) using a fastening device (not shown).

Container 1 comprises floor panels 2 forming the interior floor surface of the container 1; a front wall 3 erected on the front end of floor panel 2; a rear wall 4 erected on the rear end of floor panel 2; a center beam 5 connecting the centers of the upper ends of front wall 3 and rear wall 4 in the longitudinal direction and forming part of the ceiling wall; a pair of left and right wings 6, 6 each consisting of an upper surface 61 rotatably supported on center beam 5 and constituting part of the ceiling wall together with center beam 5; and a pair of left and right gates 7, 7 forming part of the lower side of the side wall and supported so as to be able to open and close; corner fittings 8 (the front corner fitting 8 is not visible) located at the four upper corners of container 1 and used when attaching and detaching container 1; and a center frame 10 with a vertical wall 11 located in the center of the width of floor panel 2. Note that gates 7, 7 may be divided into multiple plates in the longitudinal direction.

The rear wall 4 is, for example, a double-door structure divided into two doors and pivotally supported on rear pillars 41, 41, allowing the rear of the container 1 to be completely opened. In this embodiment, the container 1 can load and unload cargo from the left and right side walls and the rear wall 4 by opening the wings 6, 6, gates 7, 7, and rear wall 4.

Figure 2(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the base frame structure 9 of the container 1 described above, omitting the front wall 3, rear wall 4, center beam 5, wings 6, 6, gates 7, 7, corner fittings 8, etc., and Figure 2(b) shows a schematic perspective view of the base frame structure 9 of Figure 2(a) omitting the floor panel 2.

The base frame structure 9 comprises a first outside frame 91 extending longitudinally from one side end (the right in this embodiment), a second outside frame 92 extending longitudinally from the other side end (the left in this embodiment), a front member 93 connecting the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92 at the front end of the container 1 in the longitudinal direction, a rear member 94 connecting the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92 at the rear end of the container 1 in the longitudinal direction, and a center frame 10 extending longitudinally between the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92.

As can be seen from Figure 2(a), the vertical wall portion 11 of the center frame 10 is formed as a plate that protrudes upward from the underside of the floor panel 2 and extends longitudinally. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figure 2(b), horizontal portions 11a, 11b extending longitudinally are formed at the upper and lower ends of the vertical wall portion 11. Furthermore, multiple cross members 95 that penetrate perpendicularly to the vertical wall portion 11 of the center frame 10 are disposed between the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92. The cross members 95 have, for example, a U-shaped cross section, and are fixed to the vertical wall portion 11 by passing through it. Both ends of the cross members 95 are fixed to the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92.

Figure 3 shows how the cross member 95 is fixed to the center frame 10. Figure 3(a) shows an enlarged view of a portion of the base frame structure 9. As shown in Figure 3(a), the vertical wall portion 11 of the center frame 10 is formed with a U-shaped through hole 11c that corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the cross member 95, and four bolt insertion holes 11d that are used to fix the cross member 95 to the vertical wall portion 11. The cross member 95 is formed with bolt insertion holes 95a that are used to fix the cross member 95 to the vertical wall portion 11, at positions that sandwich the longitudinal center position C. When fixing the cross member 95 to the center frame 10, as shown in Figure 3(a), the cross member 95 is inserted through the through hole 11c of the vertical wall 11, the center position C of the cross member 95 is positioned on the vertical wall 11, and fasteners such as L-shaped angles 12 shown in Figure 3(b) are positioned on both the left and right sides at the locations where they will fix the cross member 95 to the vertical wall 11, and the vertical wall 11 and cross member 95 are fastened together using bolts B and nuts N.

As shown in Figure 2(b) above, both ends of the cross member 95 are positioned inside the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92 and fixed thereto, for example, by welding. Note that the manner in which the cross member 95 is fixed to the center frame 10 described above and the manner in which the cross member 95 is fixed to the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92 are not limited to the above-described manner, and other well-known methods may be used as appropriate.

The front end 10a and rear end 10b of the center frame 10 are fixed to the front member 93 and rear member 94, respectively. When fixing the front end 10a and rear end 10b of the center frame 10 to the front member 93 and rear member 94, they can be fixed, for example, as shown in Figures 4(a) and (b). Referring to Figure 4(a), a manner of fixing the front end 10a of the center frame 10 to the front member 93 will be described. A notch 93b is formed in the center of the width direction on the upper surface 93a of the front member 93, into which the tip end 10a of the center frame 10 is inserted. Furthermore, a recess 93d is formed on the lower surface 93c of the front member 93, into which the horizontal portion 11b formed on the lower end of the vertical wall portion 11 of the center frame 10 engages. Furthermore, a reinforcing member 13 consisting of reinforcing walls 13a, 13b is attached by welding to the area where the above-mentioned notches 93b and recesses 93d are formed, and the upper surface 93a, lower surface 93c, and front surface 93e of the front member 93 form a box-like shape, reinforcing the reduction in strength caused by the above-mentioned notches 93b and recesses 93d.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the front end 10a of the center frame 10 is inserted into the notch 93b of the front member 93, and the horizontal portion 11b of the vertical wall portion 11 is engaged with the recess 93d. The L-side angle plate 14 is positioned at the right angle formed by the vertical wall portion 11 and the reinforcing member 13, and the two are secured by welding. The rear end 10b of the center frame 10 can also be secured to the rear member 94 in a similar manner (detailed description will be omitted). Note that the manner in which the front end 10a and rear end 10b of the center frame 10 are secured to the front member 93 and rear member 94 is not limited to the manner described above. For example, the L-shaped angle 12, bolt B, and nut N used to secure the cross member 95 to the vertical wall portion 11 may also be used for securing them.

The floor panel 2 is supported by any of the front members 93, rear members 94, first outside frames 91, second outside frames 92, center frame 10, and cross members 95 of the base frame structure 9 described above, but in this embodiment, it is supported directly or indirectly by the cross member 95. The upper surface of the floor panel 2 supported by the base frame structure 9 is flush with the upper surfaces of the first outside frames 91 and second outside frames 92, and the floor panel 2 is supported by spacers (not shown) placed on the upper surface of the cross member 95 as needed.

As shown in Figure 1, the container 1 of this embodiment has a top wall formed by the center beam 5 and the upper surfaces 61 of the wings 6 at a position opposite the floor plate 2. The space P1 on one side (right) and the space P2 on the other side (left) of the container box, separated by the center frame 10 having a vertical wall portion 11, are connected by an open area S formed by the upper end of the center frame 10 (the horizontal portion 11a in this embodiment) and the center beam 5 of the top wall. Nothing in the open area S blocks the space P1 from the space P2.

As described above, the base frame structure 9 supporting the floor panel 2 includes a center frame 10 extending longitudinally between the first outside frame 91 and the second outside frame 92. The center frame 10 includes a plate-shaped vertical wall portion 11 that protrudes upward from the underside of the floor panel 2 and extends longitudinally. This significantly strengthens the rigidity of the base frame structure 9 of the container 1, even when the overall height of the container 1 is set to a low dimension. For example, even when the container 1 is lifted using spreaders (not shown) attached to the corner fittings 8 arranged at the four corners of the top of the container 1, sufficient rigidity can be ensured to prevent the floor panel 2 from sagging.

When loading cargo into the container 1, standardized pallets (not shown) (1100mm x 900mm or 1100mm x 1100mm) are often used. Therefore, by setting the internal dimension from the center frame 10 to the gate 7 of the container 1 to, for example, 1150mm or more, it is possible to position the vertical wall 11 in the center of the floor panel 2 without causing any significant problems. In this case, it is preferable to make the left-right dimension of the horizontal portion 11a formed at the upper end of the vertical wall 11 as small as possible. For example, it is preferable to set the width dimension of the horizontal portion 11a smaller than the combined width dimension of the lower horizontal portion 11b positioned on the underside of the floor panel 2. As described above, since the vertical wall 11 protrudes above the floor panel 2, the standardized pallet can be used as a reference for positioning when loading the container 1, enabling cargo to be loaded efficiently into the container 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the right-side space P1 and the left-side space P2 within the container 1, which are separated by the center frame 10, are configured to communicate with each other via an open area S formed by the upper end (horizontal portion 11a) of the center frame 10 and the center beam 5 that constitutes the top wall of the container 1, and nothing in this open area S obstructs the view between spaces P1 and P2. By utilizing the open area S formed in this way, it is also possible to load cargo larger than the standardized pallet described above. In this case, empty pallets or the like can be stacked on the floor surface 2 that forms the left and right spaces P1 and P2, thereby forming a horizontal loading surface higher than the horizontal portion 11a at the upper end of the vertical wall portion 11.

1: Container 2: Floor panel 3: Front wall 31: Front pillar 4: Rear wall 41: Rear pillar 5: Center beam 6: Wing 7: Tilt gate 8: Corner fitting 9: Base frame structure 91: First outside frame 92: Second outside frame 93: Front member 94: Rear member 95: Cross member 10: Center frame 10a: Front end portion 10b: Rear end portion 11: Vertical wall portion 11a: Horizontal portion 11b: Horizontal portion 11c: Through hole 11d: Bolt insertion hole 12: L-shaped angle 14: L-shaped plate

Claims (6)

A base frame structure supporting the floor of a packing box,
The base frame structure comprises:
a first outside frame extending in a longitudinal direction at one side end;
a second outside frame extending in the longitudinal direction at the other side end;
a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a center frame extending in the longitudinal direction between the first outside frame and the second outside frame,
The center frame includes a plate-like vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the lower surface of the floor board and extends in the longitudinal direction ,
A base frame structure in which a plurality of cross members are disposed between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the cross members being perpendicular to and penetrating the center frame . A base frame structure supporting the floor of a packing box,
The base frame structure comprises:
a first outside frame extending in a longitudinal direction at one side end;
a second outside frame extending in the longitudinal direction at the other side end;
a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a center frame extending in the longitudinal direction between the first outside frame and the second outside frame,
The center frame includes a plate-like vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the lower surface of the floor board and extends in the longitudinal direction,
The packing box has a top wall facing the floor board,
A base frame structure configured so that the spaces on one side and the other side of the cargo box divided by the center frame are connected by an open area formed by the upper end of the center frame and the top wall of the cargo box . A base frame structure supporting the floor of a packing box,
The base frame structure comprises:
a first outside frame extending in a longitudinal direction at one side end;
a second outside frame extending in the longitudinal direction at the other side end;
a front member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a front end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a rear member connecting the first outside frame and the second outside frame at a rear end side in the longitudinal direction of the cargo box;
a center frame extending in the longitudinal direction between the first outside frame and the second outside frame,
The center frame includes a plate-like vertical wall portion that protrudes upward from the lower surface of the floor board and extends in the longitudinal direction,
A base frame structure in which a horizontal portion extending in the longitudinal direction is formed at at least one of the upper and lower ends of the vertical wall portion . 4. The base frame structure according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of cross members are disposed between the first outside frame and the second outside frame, the cross members being perpendicular to and penetrating the center frame . 5. The base frame structure according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the floor panel of the cargo box is supported by any one of the front member, the rear member, the first outside frame, the second outside frame, the center frame, and the cross member. the floor panel of the cargo box is supported by any one of the front member, the rear member, the first outside frame, the second outside frame, the center frame, and the cross member;
The packing box has a top wall facing the floor board,
The space on one side and the space on the other side within the packing box divided by the center frame are configured to communicate with each other through an open area formed by the upper end of the center frame and the top wall of the packing box,
2. The base frame structure according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal portion extending in the longitudinal direction is formed at at least one of the upper end and the lower end of the vertical wall portion .