Abstract:
An enclosed container for storing temperature sensitive goods. The container has opposed side walls and end walls as well as a floor and a ceiling. First and second bulkheads are moveably mounted within the container for dividing the container into three separate compartments. Two end compartments are services by fixed heat exchanges for conditioning the air in the compartments. A center compartment is serviced by a movable heat exchanger. By repositioning the bulkheads and the movable heat exchanger the volume and thus the load carrying capacity of the compartments can be varied to accommodate different types of cargo and the temperature levels in the compartment independently maintained.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a container for storing goods in a plurality of temperature controlled compartments and, in particular, to a container having a plurality of multi-temperature compartments wherein the volume of the compartments can be selectively changed to better accommodate varying loads. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     More specifically, this invention relates to a mobile container for transporting goods that require the atmosphere in the container to be temperature controlled. Generally, the container is equipped with a single air conditioning unit that is adapted to maintain the interior of the container at a given temperature. To be profitable, the container is generally required to carry a full load of one class of goods. Some containers have been devised having a plurality of internal compartments, however, maintaining the compartments at different temperature has proven to be rather difficult. In addition, the volume and thus the carrying capacity of each compartment is fixed providing little in the way of flexibility to accommodate various size loads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve containers for storing goods and, in particular, mobile containers for transporting goods that require a temperature controlled environment. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a mobile container having a plurality of compartments each of which can be independently temperature controlled. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mobile container having a plurality of temperature controlled compartments the volume of which can be selectively varied to facilitate different classes of temperature sensitive goods. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are attained by an enclosed container for storing temperature sensitive goods that has opposed side walls and end walls, a floor and a ceiling. First and second intermediate bulkheads are movably supported within the container which serve to divide the container into three air tight compartments. By repositioning the bulkheads, the volume and thus the load carrying capacity of the compartments can be varied. The two end compartments of the container are serviced by fixed heat exchangers while the center compartment is serviced by a movable heat exchanger whereby the temperature in each compartment can be tightly controlled at differing levels. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     For a better understanding of these and objects of the invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in association with the accompanying drawing, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile container that embodies the teachings of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile container illustrated in FIG. 1 further showing movable wall panels utilized in the practice of the invention being relocated; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial top view in perspective with sections broken away illustrating the moving heat exchanger employed in the practice of the present invention and the housing that contains the lines for servicing the heat exchanger; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to that in FIG. 3 further illustrating the chain mechanism for guiding the service lines within the housing as the heat exchanger is being repositioned; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial end view in section illustrating the heat exchanger being suspended from rails located in the ceiling of the container; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines  6 — 6  in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of a drain trough for carrying away condensation developed in the movable condenser; and 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial perspective view further illustrating a service line connector for coupling the service lines to the heat exchanger. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated an enclosed container generally referenced  10 , that embodies the teaching of the present invention. The container is generally rectangular in form and contains two opposed side walls  12  and  13 , two end walls  14  and  15  as well as a roof or ceiling  16  and a floor  17 . Preferably, the container is mobile being equipped with a plurality of wheels  20 — 20  that enables the container to be transported from place to place by a tractor or the like (not shown). Two sets of parallel rails  22  and  23  are suspended inside the container from the container roof. As will be explained in further detail below, two bulkheads  25  and  26  are hung from the rails so that they can be repositioned substantially along the entire length of the container. The bulkheads extend across the width of the container to divide the container into three separate compartments that include two end compartments, and  27  and  28  and a center compartment  30 . 
     The bulkheads are provided with appropriate peripheral seals so that the air in each compartment can be individually conditioned to a desired temperature level. The bulkheads can be moved over the rails to an infinite number of locations thereby altering the volume of the compartments to satisfy changing load demands. 
     The two end compartments are each serviced by an air conditioning unit such as unit  32  mounted upon an adjacent end wall of the compartment. A separate heat exchanger, such as heat exchanger  33  is also mounted in each end compartment, preferably from the ceiling through which conditioned air is exchanged for compartment return air. The center compartment is serviced by another air conditioning unit  34  that may be located beneath the floor of the container or any other convenient place. A heat exchanger  35  is mounted within the center compartment. As will be explained in greater detail below, the heat exchanger is coupled to air conditioning unit  34  by flexible service lines. The heat exchanger  35  is movably suspended from rails  23  and can be repositioned substantially along the entire length of the container along with the bulkheads. 
     Although each bulkhead can be fabricated as a one piece section, the present bulkheads include two separate panels  38  and  39  that are suspended from rail sets  22  and  23 , respectively, so that each panel can be independently repositioned with relative ease by one person. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger  35  is mounted upon rails  23  adjacent to one of the panels  39 . The heat exchanger and the panel joined together so that the two can be moved as a unit along rails  23 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 5, the heat exchanger  35  contains a series of rollers  40  that are slidably contained in the rails  22  so that heat exchanger can roll easily to any one of an infinite number of positions along the length of the rails. The panels  38  and  39  are similarly suspended from the rails. The heat exchanger  35  is attached to an adjacent one of the panels by means of a pair of tie rods  42  so that the heat exchanger and the panel remain connected as the panel is being rolled along the rails to a selected position. 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 5, seals are mounted about the entire periphery of each panel and are arranged to ride in sealing contact against the side walls, ceiling and floor of the container to prevent air from moving therebetween. A separate vertically disposed seal  46  is also mounted along the inboard edge of each panel. The inboard seals of the two panels making up one of the bulkheads are adapted to mate when the panels are brought into coplanar alignment thereby preventing air from moving between the panels. As should be now evident, the panel may be positioned so that three separate compartments are established within the container and the size of each compartment can be varied within the range of the rails to accommodate a given load. In addition, because each compartment is serviced by an individual air conditioning unit, the temperature level within each compartment may also be individually regulated to a desired setting best suited to preserve the goods store therein. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the service to the heat exchanger is carried by flexible conduits  48  and  49 . The lines are contained within a stainless steel housing generally referenced  50 . The housing is secured to the container ceiling immediately above the heat exchanger with the housing running parallel to the rails  22 . The height of the housing is slightly less than that of the panel seal  45  and accordingly, the housing fits between the top edge of the panel  39  and the roof  16  of the container. A thin auxiliary seal  53  is secured to the outside surface of the housing floor which rides in sealing contact against the panel to prevent air from passing therebetween. 
     The housing  50  consists of a channel shaped trough having a bottom wall  55  and a pair of side walls  56  and  57 . A pair of side flanges  60  and  61  are attached to the side walls which contain blocks of insulation  63 . In assembly the body of the channel shaped housing closes against the ceiling of the container and the housing is totally enclosed by a pair of end walls (not shown). As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a fixed connector  65  is mounted in the bottom wall of the housing and serves to couple refrigeration lines and electrical lines extend along the bottom wall of the housing to one end of flexible conduits  48  and  49  located inside the housing. As illustrated in FIG. 6, flexible conduit  48  includes a tubular sheath  70  that contains a refrigerant supply line  71  and a refrigerant return line  72 . The flexible electric conduit  49  includes a tubular sheath  74  that contains an electrical cable  75 . The other end of each flexible service conduit, in turn, are coupled to a movable connector  70 . 
     The opposite ends of the flexible conduits are attached to a movable connector generally referenced  77 . The movable connector includes a bracket  78  for supporting the refrigerant and electrical conduits. The bracket slidably is mounted upon the bottom wall of the housing. The two conduits are further supported in a slide plate  82  of the bracket so that they can pass downwardly toward the heat exchanger  35  through an elongated slotted opening  83  provided in the bottom wall of he housing. A penetratable seal  84  is carried in the opening  83  that permits the conduits to pass out of the housing without appreciable loss of air from the compartments. A rigid L-shaped arm  84  is attached at one end to the bracket and passes downwardly through the seal. The opposite end of the arm is secured to the heat exchanger  35  so that the bracket and the heat exchanger move together when the heat exchanger is being repositioned. 
     The flexible tubes that carry the service lines are contained within the housing between an outer chain  85  and a spaced apart inner chain  86 . The chains are formed of plastic links  87  that have a vertical height that is slightly less than the height of the housing body. When the housing body is closed against the ceiling of the container, the links of the chains are held in an upright posture as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Each link is pivotably secured to its neighbor by a vertically disposed pin  88 . The chains are arranged in the housing so that establish a well defined U-configuration between the side walls of the housing. The length of the chains are such that they will hold the U-shaped configuration as the heat exchanger moves back and forth over its prescribed path of travel. Accordingly, the flexible conduits captured between the chains are able to track along with the heat exchanger without twisting or snagging while at the same time preserving the air tight integrity of the compartments. 
     The heat exchanger  35 , particularly when operating as an evaporator, will develop condensate. The condensate is collected in the pan  89  (FIG. 5) of the unit which is contoured to direct the condensate to a drain that includes a drain pipe  90 . As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the drain pipe is arranged to pass through an elongated vertically disposed slot  91  in one side wall of a trough  92 . The trough is mounted in one side wall  13  of the container adjacent to the path of travel of the heat exchanger  35  and extends along the path of travel of the heat exchanger. Here again the elongated opening in the trough is closed by a penetratable seal  93  through which the drain pipe passes. The trough is arranged to direct the condensate to an outlet which discharges the condensate from the container. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawing, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.