Abstract:
A container is an ISO standard-compliant container that has at least: a freight chamber in which freight is loaded; and side doors that are provided on the sides of the freight chamber in the longitudinal direction and are obtained from pairs of doors that open to the left and right from near the center of the longitudinal direction of the freight chamber. Each of the pairs of doors that configure the side doors are obtained from: sub-doors near the center; and sub-doors that are mounted to rotate freely on the sides of the freight chamber via hinges and support the sub-doors to rotate freely via hinges. The longitudinal dimension of the sub-doors is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the sub-doors.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/JP2012/063927 filed on May 30, 2012. Priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(a) and 35 U.S.C.§365(b) is claimed from Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-175121 filed on Aug. 10, 2011, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a container compliant with the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard. 
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0003]    A container compliant with the ISO standard meets prescribed external dimensions, a prescribed total superimposed mass, prescribed strength requirements, and the like that are specified in the ISO standard. As a result, in marine transportation or overland transportation, highly-efficient container transportation can be materialized, for example, in such a way that a lot of containers being the same in form can be piled up. Furthermore, by way of providing prescribed strength, it is intended to preserve a cargo and to ensure security of a ship or a vehicle for transporting a cargo. Moreover, in the case of a container compliant with the ISO standard, a door to be used for loading and unloading a cargo is provided only to one of two side sections that are located along a widthwise direction of the container. In the following explanation, such a door is called a “rear door.” 
         [0004]    In the meantime, being different from such a container compliant with the ISO standard, there exists another type of container that has a door provided to at least one of two side sections that are located along a longitudinal direction of the container, in addition to the rear door mentioned above, for purpose of attaching importance to workability at the time of loading and unloading a cargo, for example, as PTL 1 shows. In the following explanation, such an additional door is called a “lateral face door.” According to this arrangement, when a certain cargo needs to be loaded or unloaded, it becomes possible to open a lateral face door proximate to the cargo so as to load or unload only the cargo or a small number of cargoes adjacent to the cargo. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature  
     {PTL 1} EP1136291A1 
     Non Patent Literature 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
     Technical Problem 
       [0005]    As described above, a container compliant with the ISO standard has one and only rear door to be used for loading and unloading a cargo. In that case, it brings a difficulty to unload only a cargo, if located at a deepest section (a location in a front-end section opposite to the rear door) of the container compliant with the ISO standard, and the intended cargo cannot be unloaded without unloading almost all cargoes placed in front of the cargo located at the deepest section. Moreover, in the case where a cargo that needs to be loaded originally at the deepest section (the front-end section) has actually not been loaded by mistake and loading the rest of cargoes has been finished, it is difficult to load the cargo later at the deepest section. On the other hand, in the case of a container compliant with the ISO standard, all parts except the rear door are built up with a panel member of a wall component so that the container can easily satisfy the certain strength requirements prescribed in the ISO standard. 
         [0006]    In the meantime, while a container of PTL1 has high workability for loading and unloading a cargo owing to existence of a lateral face door, unfortunately the container may not be able to satisfy the ISO standard because an opening section for installing the lateral face door is wide, and the container has lower strength, being compared with a container in accordance with the ISO standard. 
         [0007]    As described above, the workability for loading and unloading a cargo and the strength of a container are in relation of “Trade-off” each other. 
         [0008]    The present invention is materialized against such a background, and thus it is an objective of the present invention to provide a container compliant with the ISO standard, while the container maintaining high workability for loading and unloading a cargo, and furthermore being able to satisfy the strength requirements prescribed in the ISO standard. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0009]    A container according to the present invention is a container compliant with the ISO standard comprising at least: a cargo chamber where a cargo is loaded; a lateral face door including a pair of doors provided at a lateral face of the cargo chamber in a longitudinal direction, the lateral face door performing casement-door motion in a horizontal direction from a vicinity area around a center of the cargo chamber in the longitudinal direction; wherein each of the pair of doors constituting the lateral face door includes: a first door member at a side closer to the center of the cargo chamber, and a second door member fit to the lateral face of the cargo chamber so as to be rotatable by the intermediary of a first hinge, and a dimension of the first door member in the longitudinal direction is shorter than a dimension of the second door member in the longitudinal direction, the second door member supporting the first door member so as to be rotatable by the intermediary of a second hinge. 
         [0010]    It is preferable for the container according to the present invention that the container includes locking means for locking the first door member and the second door member to the lateral face under conditions where the lateral face door is in a closed condition; the locking means has a manual steering unit; and the manual steering unit of the locking means, which the second door member has, is provided at a lower area being further outside than an outer frame of the second door member. 
         [0011]    It is preferable for the container according to the present invention that the first hinge being provided in plurality, the plurality of first hinges are placed in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cargo chamber, and at least at a highest section and a lowest section, two or more of the first hinges are placed side by side at each section. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention  
       [0012]    According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a container compliant with the ISO standard, while the container maintaining high workability for loading and unloading a cargo, and furthermore being able to satisfy the strength requirements prescribed in the ISO standard (The container compliant with the ISO standard is hereinafter simply called a “container”). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a lateral view of a vehicle in which a container according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a lateral view of the container shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a partial enlarged lateral view of the container shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a top view of the container shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates diagrams showing opening sections of the container with its doors removed. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the container under conditions where the doors are removed. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing conditions where the doors of the container of  FIG. 3  are opened. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a diagram showing conditions where a lateral face door is opened, wherein sub-doors are sized the same, as a comparative example. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a handle position at a time when the lateral face door is folded. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
     Construction of a Container  1  According to an Embodiment of the Present Embodiment 
       [0022]    Construction of a container  1  is explained below with reference to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a lateral view of a vehicle  2  in which the container  1  is installed.  FIG. 2  is a diagram of a lateral view of the container  1  (a diagram showing only the container  1  of  FIG. 1 ).  FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a partial enlarged view of the container  1  shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a diagram of a top view of the container  1 . Incidentally, in a top view such as  FIG. 4 , illustrations of a top panel and a corner bracket  4  are omitted in order for easily understanding conditions of a lateral face door  3  and a rear door  3 B. 
         [0023]    The container  1  is transported, while being firmly locked to the vehicle  2 , for example as shown in  FIG. 1 , or, otherwise being installed in a ship that is not graphically shown. Explained here is a so-called “40-ft container” compliant with the ISO standard. External dimensions of the 40-ft container compliant with the ISO standard are 9-ft 6-in (2,896 mm) in height, 8-ft (2,438 mm) in width, and 40-ft (12,192 mm) in length, and a maximum total mass of the container is 30,480 kg. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4 , the container  1  has a cargo chamber  5  shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped. A corner of the cargo chamber  5  is equipped with a corner bracket  4 . A side wall face in a longitudinal direction of the cargo chamber  5  has a lateral face door  3 , and meanwhile one (at a side facing the rear of the vehicle  2 ) of two side wall faces in a widthwise direction, perpendicular to the side wall face in the longitudinal direction, has a rear door  3 B. The lateral face door  3  includes; sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1 , as a first door member; and sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2 , as a second door member. The sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  are fit to a main body of the container  1  by use of a hinge  6   a  as a first hinge so as to be openable and closable. The sub-door  3 R- 1  and the  3 R- 2  are connected each other by use of a hinge  6   b  as a second hinge so as to be rotatable, and in the meantime, the sub-door  3 L- 1  and the  3 L- 2  are also connected each other by use of a hinge  6   b  as a second hinge so as to be rotatable. The rear door  3 B is fit to the main body of the container  1  by use of a hinge  6   c  so as to be openable and closable. Incidentally, only some of the hinges  6   a,    6   b,  and  6   c  are provided with their reference numerals, and providing reference numerals for others of the same members are omitted. Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a length L1 of the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  in the longitudinal direction is shorter than a length L2 of the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  in the longitudinal direction. 
         [0025]    The sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  are provided with a locking part  7   a  as a locking means, the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  are provided with a locking part  7   b  as a locking means, and meanwhile the rear door  3 B is provided with a locking part  7   c.  The locking parts  7   a,    7   b,  and  7   c  work to fix the sub-doors  3 L- 1 ,  3 R- 1 ,  3 L- 2 , and  3 R- 2 , and the rear door  3 B to a frame of the cargo chamber  5 , when those sub-doors and the rear door are closed. 
         [0026]    A structure of the locking parts  7   a  and  7   b  is explained below with reference to  FIG. 3 . Since the locking part  7   c  has the same structure as the locking part  7   a  has, an explanation of the locking part  7   c  is omitted. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the locking part  7   a  includes a cam  70   a,  a cam guide  71   a,  bearing units  72  and  73 , a locking bar  74 , a handle  75   a  as a manual steering unit, a handle receiving part  76   a,  and a handle rotating part  77   a.  The cam  70   a  is formed at both ends of the locking bar  74 . When being rotated together with the locking bar  74 , the cam  70   a  locks up with the cam guide  71   a  that is fit to the cargo chamber  5 , or unlocks out of the cam guide  71   a.  At the time, the locking bar  74  is manually rotated when an operator moves the handle  75   a  in a horizontal direction (in a backward direction in the figure). Incidentally, the cam  70   a  is so prepared as to lock up with the cam guide  71   a  under conditions where the lateral face door  3  is closed and the handle  75   a  is positioned at the handle receiving part  76   a.    
         [0028]    Although a basic configuration of the locking part  7   b  is the same as that of the locking part  7   a,  as shown in  FIG. 3 , mounting locations of a cam  70   b,  a cam guide  71   b,  a handle  75   b,  a handle receiving part  76   b,  and a handle rotating part  77   b  in a lower section of the locking part  7   b  are different from those of the locking part  7   a.  Namely, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the handle receiving part  76   a  of the locking part  7   a  is fit within an extent of the sub-door  3 L- 1 , and then the handle  75   a  and the handle rotating part  77   a  are located at a lower section within an extent of the sub-door  3 L- 1 . On the other hand, the handle receiving part  76   b,  the handle  75   b,  and the handle rotating part  77   b  of the locking part  7   b  are fit to a lateral face of the cargo chamber  5 , at an lower outside area of the sub-door  3 L- 2 . Accordingly, mounting locations of the cam  70   b  and the cam guide  71   b  are lower than those of the cam  70   a  and the cam guide  71   a.    
         [0029]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a plurality of hinges  6   a,  supporting the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and the cargo chamber  5  so as to keep them rotatable, are neighboring each other at a highest section and a lowest section of the sub-door  3 L- 2  in such a way as to make up groups of hinges  60  and  61 . The same arrangement is also applied to hinges  6   a,  between the other sub-doors  3 R- 2  and the cargo chamber  5 , which are outside the figure. 
       Opening Sections  30  and  30 B of the Container  1   
       [0030]    A lower diagram of  FIG. 5  shows opening sections  30  and  30 B, wherein the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B of the container  1  shown in an upper diagram of  FIG. 5  are removed.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the container  1  under conditions where the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B are removed. In this way, the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B are fit to the opening sections  30  and  30 B. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the container  1  has the opening sections  30  and  30 B for fitting the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B. The upper figure of  FIG. 5  shows the container  1  in which the cargo chamber  5  has the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B, and in the meantime, the lower figure of  FIG. 5  shows the opening sections  30  and  30 B from which the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B are removed. This explanation is based on the premise that an opening percentage is defined as a ratio of L12 to L11; namely [(L12/L11)×100] (%); wherein L12 is a length of the opening section  30  that appears when the lateral face door  3  is removed, and L11 is an overall length of the container  1 . Incidentally, the corner bracket  4  is used for mutually connecting each frame and each pillar, constructing the container  1 , by way of welding; and the corner bracket  4  protrudes a little out of the cargo chamber  5 . The overall length of the container  1  for calculating the opening percentage does not need to include the protrusion of the corner bracket  4 . In this explanation, it is assumed that the overall length of the container  1  (L11 to be described later) does not include the protrusion of the corner bracket  4 . Therefore, at the time of calculating an opening percentage, the overall length of the container  1  (L11) to be applied is 12,000 mm. 
         [0032]    The greater the opening percentage is, the lower the strength of the container  1  becomes; and meanwhile it is known that an opening percentage up to 95% is included within an allowable range that can satisfy the strength requirements specified by the ISO standard (refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-201374 A). On the other hand, in the case of an opening percentage being less than 60%, loading/unloading a pallet requires a pallet transfer distance being equal to or longer than size of two pallets so as to lead to a significantly low workability. Therefore, “60%” is appropriately determined to be a lower limit of an opening percentage. As a result, a maximum applicable range of an opening percentage extends from 60% to 95%. Incidentally, a pallet in this explanation is assumed to be a flat-pallet through transit according to the JIS standard Z0105, and dimensions of the pallet are 1,100 mm in length times 1,100 mm in width times 144 mm in height. Notwithstanding the above descriptions, when actual usage conditions of the container  1  are considered while vibration and the like acting on the container  1  during transportation being taken into account, it is appropriately assumed that an opening percentage up to 90% does not exceed the allowable range of strength even if actual usage conditions of the container  1  are taken into consideration. Moreover, in the case of an opening percentage being greater than 75%, a pallet transfer distance being shorter than size of two pallets is enough for loading/unloading a pallet so as to lead to an improvement in workability of loading/unloading a pallet. Therefore, it is appropriate to have an opening percentage in a rage from 75% to 90%. 
         [0033]    Moreover, wall sections  8 F and  8 R built with a panel member are placed at both sides of the opening section  30  in the longitudinal direction. Since a front end of the container  1  has no rear door  3 B, the front end can have more strength than a rear end with the opening section  30 B for the rear door  3 B. Therefore, an area of the wall section  8 F may be prepared so as to be smaller than an area of the wall section  8 R. Nevertheless, in order to reduce the number of components included in the container  1 , it is preferable to use the same panel member for the wall sections  8 F and  8 R. Accordingly, in this case, the areas of the wall sections  8 F and  8 R are the same in the right and left sections. 
       Opening/Closing Operation of the Doors  3  and  3 B of the Container  1   
       [0034]    An opening/closing mechanism of the lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B of the container  1  is explained with reference to  FIG. 7 . Incidentally, illustrations of the locking parts  7   a,    7   b,  and  7   c  are omitted in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  is a diagram showing conditions where the doors of the container  1  are opened. The lateral face door  3  and the rear door  3 B of the container  1  are opened and closed by use of the hinges  6   a,    6   b,  and  6   c,  as shown in  FIG. 7 ; and, moreover the sub-doors  3 R- 1 ,  3 R- 2 ,  3 L- 1 , and  3 L- 2  are constructed in such a way as to be folded by use of the hinges  6   b.  Incidentally,  FIG. 7  shows conditions where the door  3 L- 2  is not opened. 
       Advantageous Effect 
       [0035]    In the container  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention, a dimension of the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  in the longitudinal direction (L1) is shorter than a dimension of the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  in the longitudinal direction (L2), as shown in  FIG. 2 . According to this arrangement, the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  can be stored inside the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  while being folded there, as shown in  FIG. 7 . In other words, in the case of “L1=L2” or “L1&gt;L2”, an outer frame of the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  touches an outer wall of the cargo chamber  5  before the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  turn sufficiently, at a time when the sub-doors  3 L- 1 ,  3 R- 1 ,  3 L- 2 , and  3 R- 2  are folded. As a result, when the sub-doors  3 L- 1 ,  3 R- 1 ,  3 L- 2 , and  3 R- 2  are folded, a width of the container  1  increases so that, unfavorably, a working space for loading/unloading a cargo to/from the container  1  is widely occupied.  FIG. 8  shows such conditions as a comparative example. In the example shown in  FIG. 8 , the sub-doors  30 R- 1  and  3 R- 2  included in a lateral face door  30  are sized in the same. In this case, the sub-door  30 R- 1  touches a side wall of the cargo chamber  5  before the sub-door  3 R- 2  turn sufficiently. On the other hand, in the case of “L1&lt;L2” as shown in  FIG. 7 , the outer frame of the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1  does not touch the outer wall of the cargo chamber  5  even if the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  turn sufficiently, at a time when the sub-doors  3 L- 1 ,  3 R- 1 ,  3 L- 2 , and  3 R- 2  are folded. As a result, a working space for loading/unloading a cargo to/from the container  1  can be made less. 
         [0036]    Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the cam  70   b,  the cam guide  71   b,  the handle  75   b,  the handle receiving part  76   b,  and the handle rotating part  77   b  in a lower section of the locking part  7   b  are provided at a lower area being further outside than an outer frame of the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2 . Therefore, the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1 , being folded over the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2 , can be kept away from interfering with operation of the handle  75   b,  at a time when the sub-doors  3 L- 1 ,  3 R- 1 ,  3 L- 2 , and  3 R- 2  are folded.  FIG. 9  shows such conditions. In  FIG. 9 , the sub-door  3 L- 1  is folded into a side of the sub-door  3 L- 2 , and a most part of the locking part  7   b  hides out in a rear side of the sub-door  3 L- 1 . Even in such a condition, the handle  75   b  is positioned still lower than the sub-door  3 L- 1  so that, not hiding out in the rear side of the sub-door  3 L- 1 , the handle  75   b  can be operated. 
         [0037]    Furthermore, the hinges  6   a  located at the highest section and the lowest section of the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2  make up groups of hinges  60  and  61 , in each of which two hinges are placed side by side. According to this arrangement, strength can be increase, being compared to a case of a single piece of the hinge  6   a.  Moreover, since the groups of hinges  60  and  61  are made up by using a plurality of the same hinges  6   a,  it is possible to make up the groups of hinges  60  and  61  having higher strength than a single piece of the hinge  6   a  has, without increasing the number of components. Needless to add, any unit equivalent to the groups of hinges  60  and  61  may be made up and applied by using an element other than the hinges  6   a.  Furthermore, when the groups of hinges  60  and  61  are applied only to the highest section and the lowest section of the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2 , required strength can be maintained by using the minimum required number of hinges  6   a.    
       Other Embodiments 
       [0038]    The embodiment of the present invention can be modified without departing from the concept of the present invention. For example, although the groups of hinges  60  and  61  are materialized by placing two hinges  6   a  side by side, three or more hinges  6   a  may be arranged side by side. Moreover, although two-fold casement doors in each of the right and left sides; including the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 R- 1 , and the sub-doors  3 L- 2  and  3 R- 2 ; are provided in the embodiment described above, the number of sub-doors may arbitrarily be changed, such as three-fold doors in each of the right and left sides, or four-fold doors in each of the right and left sides. In such a case, it is preferable that a dimension of each sub-door in the longitudinal direction is made longer in due order, starting from the sub-door that is positioned at a center of the casement-door structure. Moreover, in that case, it is preferable to adopt the locking part  7   b  for all sub-doors other than the sub-door positioned at the center of the casement-door structure. Alternatively, another arrangement may be adopted in such a way that the sub-doors  3 L- 1  and  3 L- 2  are structured as a single door member, and meanwhile the sub-doors  3 R- 1  and  3 R- 2  are structured as a single door member; and then each door member is supported by using the groups of hinges  60  and  61 . 
         [0039]    Moreover, although the container  1  is explained above as a 40-ft container compliant with the ISO standard, it may be a container either shorter or longer than the length. Furthermore, a structure of the embodiment described above may be applied even to a container that is not compliant with the ISO standard. In such a case, the vehicle  2  is not limited to an articulated vehicle.