TOP STRUCTURE FOR A COOLED, TRANSPORT COMPARTMENT

Abstract: Top structure for a transport compartment formed of a pallet with a so-called pallet collar or the like or of another upwardly openable container, which structure is adapted to upwardly close the compartment and to maintain cold in the goods contained in the transport compartment. The new feature is that a tank or container (6) for cooling or freezing medium in liquid state is accommodated in the top structure, said tank being provided with a permanently open nozzle (15) through which the medium after evaporation is adapted successively to flow out into the compartment under the top structure.

Description: Top structure for a cooled, transport compartment The present invention relates to a top structure for a transport, compartment formed of a pallet witn a so- called pallet collar or the like or of another upwardly openable container, which structure is adapted to up- wardly close the compartment and to maintain cold in goods contained in the transport compartment, " During transport of deep-frozen goods it is required that tne goods be kept at a prescribed storing tempera¬ ture. When transporting large goods volumes use is made of refrigerator vans provided witn individual freezing systems. Transport of small amounts oi goods, for in¬ stance deep-rrozen foods,, to one or a few retailers or consumers by means ot refrigerator vans will come expen¬ sive and not very expedient and involves unrational util- ization of the refrigerator van. Also deep-rrozen goods are tnerefore orten, for reasons of freight costs, trans- ported on conventional vehicles, wnicn may lead to quali- - ty losses and risks for damages. The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive structure primarily intended for use in the last part of tne transport " chain, i.e. when the large goods- volume is divided into small lots to be distribu¬ ted to consumers who may be spread over a relatively large area. The new feature of the structure according to the invention is that at least one tank or container for cooling or freezing medium in liquid state is accommoda¬ ted in the structure closing the top of the transport compartment, that at least one permanently open nozzle, debouching towards said comaxtment is connected to said tank or container, and that the tank or container has a filling opening provided with a quick coupling, and the medium is adapted, after bein., filled into the tank, to successively evaporate and in gaseous state to flow out into the transport compartment under the top structure. The structure according to the invention makes it possible at a low cost to distribute also deep-frozen goods by means of conventional vehicles. A preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view showing partly in section a top structure according to the invention arranged on a pallet provided with a collar; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same top structure; Fig. 3 is a side view showing partly in section a modified embodiment of the top structure; and Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of another modified embodiment of the top structure. The top structure has a body including an outer frame 1 and a transverse support bar 2. A plate or sheet constituting * the top side of the structure is designated by 3 while 4 designates a bottom plate. Arranged inside the two box-shaped cavities S in the structure are two tanks or containers 6 for the freezing medium which in the preferred embodiment is liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The pallet 7 and the collar 8 placed on it are sub¬ stantially of conventional design. The pallet, however, consists preferably of light-metal or plastic material and is provided with insulation. The pallet collar 8 may consist of multi-layer corrugated fibre-board, aluminium plate with insulation layers of cellular material or the like. Each tank 5, which is enveloped by an insulation, is provided with a filling pipe 9 provided with a quick coupling and an automatic valve permitting filling of freezing medium with a simple manipulation. Each tank has an outlet pipe 10. The outlet pipe 10 opens into a pipe system 12 arranged along the bottom plate 4 and in¬ cluding pipes 13 extending diagonally across half of the structure towards pipes 14 extending along the long sides of the top structure. The pipes 13, 14 extend from either tank to the corners situated at the nearest respective tank as well as to the corners situated beyond the other tank. The pipe ends at all the corners have nozzles 15 which thus can be reached by freezing medium both from the nearest tank and from the remote tank. - The nozzles are permanently open and directed downwards. As long as there is liquid freezing medium in one of the tanks it-will be ejected in evaporated state through the nozzles. The pipe system may serve as an anchoring system for rods or the like designed to carry hooks for suspen¬ ded goods. * After the pallet has been loaded and the collar 8 has been put in position the tanks 6 in the top struc¬ ture are filled with freezing medium from a preferably stationary container. After the top structure has been anchored, if. required, the pallet is ready for transport. When one or both tanks have been filled the liquid e- diu starts to evaporate, under the influence of the ambient temperature and to flow out in gaseous state through the nozzles 15 and to fill up the space inside the pallet. To begin with air contained in the pallet space is forced out and so is later the excess of gasi- fied freezing medium through, evacuation openings, indi¬ cated by 16, at the center of the top structure. On arrival with the consumer the top structure is lifted off and withdrawn for return transport and. reuse together with pallets and the like. The . tanks and the insulation around them are adap¬ ted to permit evaporation of a predetermined amount of liquid medium per unit of time. In the example shown ■the tanks 6 are adjusted so that the amount of gas eva¬ porated from one tank during the predetermined time unit is sufficient to keep the transport compartment at the temperature required for cold transport. Thus, in this connection only one tank is filled with liquid, freezing O PI medium. If the structure is to be used for transport of deep-frozen goods both tanks are filled and both of them are emptied within the same time unit as the medium gra¬ dually evaporates and flows out through the nozzles 15. The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 differs from that of Figs. 1 and 2 in that the top structure is modified so as to permit fitting on the top of it a per se known pallet 7' in inverted position. Various designs of that type of pallets are known which are so constructed that in one position they function as a bottom and support for the load and in inverted position they can be fitted as a top closure for a pallet collar placed on the first pallet. The upper inverted pallet 7' is intended to re¬ ceive and fix another loaded pallet placed on the top. The top structure according to Fig. 3 has a modified frame 1 ' adapted to be fitted inwards against the pallet collar 8 to receive the rim 17 of the inverted upper pallet 7'. The frame 1' has at its top a circumferen¬ tially extending recess 18 constituting an abutment for the pallet flange and the vertical side of which is alined with the plane of the inside of the pallet collar 8. In other respects this design substantially agrees with that of F gs. 1 and 2. Also the embodiment according to Fig. 4 is primari- ly intended for use for palletized loads where a bottom pallet 7* supports the load and a pallet collar sur¬ rounding the load and against the upper edge of which an inverted pallet 7' rests. When the structure of Fig. 4 is used the pallet collar 8' is taller than the load . The frame 1" of the top structure is in this case adapted to be pushed down into the pallet collar above the load. Arranged at the top of the frame 1 " are hooks 19, a projecting flange or the like intended to engage with the upper rim of the pallet collar 8. After suσh engagement an inverted pallet 7* can be placed on the- edge of the pallet collar and the hooks or flange in the usual manner. _OMPI In the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 in which the top structure is mechanically protected by the inverted pallet placed on its top the design of this structure may be simplified. In the embodiment according to Fig. 3 the frame 1 ' of the top structure must be able to trans¬ mit the weight from an overlying load to the pallet col¬ lar. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 the top structure is en¬ tirely unloaded and therefore the frame can be of a simple design. The structure according to the invention is extreme¬ ly simple, easily handled and inexpensive. The uncompli¬ cated construction makes it possible to use the struc¬ ture repeatedly without any maintenance worth mention¬ ing. Decisive for the gas emission is the insulation capacity of the insulation layers of the tanks and the ambient temperature, Valves, thermostats and other checking means are quite unnecessary. Since a pressureless freezing medium, preferably liquid nitrogen, is used it is possible to manufacture the tanks at a low cost in contrast to pressure vessels. The invention must not be considered restricted to that described above and shown in the drawings but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the appen¬ ded claims. '

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 24 December 1984 (24.12.84); original claims 1 to 7 replaced by amended claims 1 to 6] 1. Top structure for a transport compartment formed of a pallet with a so-called pallet collar or the like or of another thin or low mass walled upwardly openable container, which structure is adapted to upwardly close the compartment and to maintain cold in goods contained in the transport compartment, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least one tank or container (6) for cooling or freezing medium in liquid state is accomodated in the structure closing the top of the transport compart- ment, that at least one permanently open nozzle (15) debouching towards said compartment is connected to said tank or container, and that the tank or container (6) has a filling opening provided with a quick coupling, and that the medium is adapted, after being filled into the tank, to successively evaporate and in gaseous state flow out into the transport compartment under the top structure and in that the tank or tanks are surrounded by an insulation adjusted in thickness and/or insulating property so as to control the evaporation of the liquid medium- 2. Top structure as claimed in claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that two or more tanks or con¬ tainers (6) are arranged in the structure (1 - 4) and that the tanks are connected each one to a pipe system in which the nozzle or nozzles (15) are provided. 3. Top structure as claimed in claim 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that outlet nozzels (15) are provided at least at the corners of the top structure. 4. Top structure as claimed in claim 1, c h a — r a c t e r i z e d in the structure alone closes the compartment formed of the pallet and the pallet collar. 5. Top structure as claimed in claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the structure is adapted to rest against the top edge of a pallet collar while it supports an inverted pallet intended for use as an interconnecting means for a pallet placed on the top. 6. Top structure as claimed in claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the structure is adapted to be moved downwards inside a pallet collar or a simi¬ lar wall structure defining a load compartment and to be carried by the rim thereof, whereby an inverted pal¬ let or the like can be fitted against the edge of the pallet collar.

Inventors: FREDRIXON BENNY, FREDRIXON, BENNY
Applicants: ILSBO IND AB, ILSBO INDUSTRIER AB
Application year: 1984
Main classification: F25D7
IPC codes: B65D81, F25D3