FOLDABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLES

Abstract: The present invention is a sea/land going container for the transportation of a vehicle, with dimensions and structure, such that two of these sea/land going containers piled one on top of the other, form one sea/land going container with two levels, of the dimensions and structure of a sea/land going container required by ISO STANDARDTS. The sea/land going container, according to the present invention, comprised of a transportation platform (1) to carry the vehicle during transportation, rail depression (4) of the transportation platform on which the wheels of the vehicle are inserted to increase the maximum possible height for transportation in such a sea/land going container and for the purpose of anchoring the vehicle during transportation, four beams (2) are installed in the corners of the transportation platform in a force structure enabling the loading of more sea/land going containers with a load capacity of 30 tons and connectors (7) complying with ISO STANDARDTS in quantity and locations determined by the standard, for connecting the sea/land going containers one to the other for loading purposes and connecting to adjacent sea/land going containers or to means of transportation.

Description: FOLDABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLES FLLD OF INVENTION The present invention is in the field of transportation and in particular transportation by sea. To be more precise, the present invention is in the field of transportation by sea/land going containers. For many years transportation by sea has been based on transportation in sea/land going containers. The sea/land going container is a standard unit of dimensions and strength defined by ISO STANDARDTS. The standard dimensions of the sea/land going containers enable uniform handling and transportation. The sea/land going containers can be piled one on top of the other and coupled so that one sea/land going container is connected to the other and to the handling platform. Today, sea transportation uses sea/land going containers that comply with ISO STANDARDTS. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The sea/land going container is an ISO STANDARDTS defined storage space. The standards define the external dimensions and the load of a standard sea/land going container. The width of a sea/land going container must be 8 feet; the height must be either 9 feet 6 inches or 8 feet 6 inches. The structure of the sea/land going container must be such that it can carry at least 30 tons and each corner must have standard connectors for rapidly connecting one sea/land going container to the other during sea transportation, or on a truck when transporting on land or lifting the sea/land going container when loading. During transportation of vehicles in the sea/land going container, a vehicle (mostly private vehicles) may take up a relatively small area in the sea/land going container, and at the same time does not allow for more than one vehicle to be placed into a standard sea/land going container. This increases the cost of transportation of the vehicle in the sea/land going container. The excess volume of the standard sea/land going container for the transportation of the vehicle is mainly a result of the height of the sea/land going container in relation to the height of the vehicle, but as stated before, two vehicles cannot be put into one sea/land going container. SUMMERY OF INVENTION The present invention solves the above problem by being a low sea/land going container for the transportation of one vehicle, but when connecting two of these sea/land going containers, one on top of the other, fonning a new unit whose dimensions are those of a standard sea/land going container and the pair of the said sea/land going containers can be considered as one sea/land going container for purposes of storage and handling, thus as a standard sea/land going container. An additional advantage of this sea/land going container invention is that it does not include lateral walls and can be folded when transporting empty. The connection of 8 folded sea/land going containers - according to the present invention - one on top of the other, produces one unit that complies with all the requirements of the standards of a sea/land going container and 8 such sea/land going containers, when folded and connected to one other, can be regarded as one such sea/land going container. The present invention is a sea/land going container for the transportation of a vehicle, with dimensions and structure, such that two of these sea/land going containers piled one on top of the other, form one sea/land going container with two levels, of the dimensions and structure of a sea/land going container required by ISO STANDARDTS. The sea/land going container, according to the present invention, has a height of 4 feet and 9 inches, width of an 8 feet and a length of 20 feet or 40 feet. Two of the said sea/land going containers piled on top of each other and connected together make one sea/land going container of a standard height of 9 feet and 6 inches - which is the known dimension of HIGH CUBE - and its width is 8 feet and the length is 20 feet or 40 feet. The sea/land going container, according to the present invention, comprised of a transportation platform to carry the vehicle during transportation, rail depression of the transportation platform on which the wheels of the vehicle are inserted to increase the maximum possible height for transportation in such a sea/land going container and for the purpose of anchoring the vehicle during transportation, four beams are installed in the corners of the transportation platform in a force structure enabling the loading of more sea/land going containers with a load capacity of 30 tons and connectors complying with ISO STANDARDTS in quantity and locations determined by the standard, for connecting the sea/land going containers one to the other for loading purposes and connecting to adjacent sea/land going containers or to means of transportation. After loading the vehicles in both sea/land going containers of the present invention, one sea/land going container is put on top of the other and they are connected to each other. Two sea/land going containers become one sea/land going container complying with HIGH CUBE sea/land going container - 20 feet long or 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, 9 feet and 6 inches high and a carrying weight of 30 tons - also two levels and can contain two vehicles. The four beams of the transportation platform may be folded on the transportation platform. Every beam folds on an axis installed in the elongated rail depression and after 90° folding it is possible to remove the beam together with the axis in the elongated rail depression and couple the beam together with the transportation platform. In this situation they form one unit of a folded sea/land going container, 14.25 inch high. Eight folded sea/land going containers, stored one on the other and connected one to the other form one unit complying with the requirements of the ISO STANDARDTS of one sea/land going container, and the eight empty sea/land going containers can be transported as one sea/land going container. Every beam has an auxiliary spring that helps to bring the beam back to the vertical position in order to use it for transportation of vehicles. The sea/land going container of the present invention can also include a pair of sloped ramps in order to load the vehicle onto the transportation platform and these ramps are folded inside the sea/land going container during transportation. Of course, the sea/land going container may have doors in the rear and in front and these can be folded together with the beams whenever relevant. The present invention enables cheap vehicle transportation by sea since the volume of one sea/land going container containing two vehicles. An additional saving is made possible by returning 8 empty sea/land going containers as one. DRAW DISCRETION The present invention is described in detail in figures 1 to 7. These figures are for descriptive purpose only and are not way intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. Figure 1 shows the sea/land going container from the side. Figure 2 shows a pair of sea/land going containers connected one to the other. Figure 3 shows the sea/land going container from the top with folded beams. Figure 4 shows a rear view of the sea/land going container. Figure 5 shows how to fold the beams in the sea/land going container. Figure 6 shows a beam with an auxiliary spring. Figure 7 shows how to transport the empty folded sea/land going containers. Figure 1 shows the sea/land going container from the side. The sea/land going container is made of a transportation platform (1) on which the vehicle is loaded for transportation. In the four corners of the sea/land going container, beams (2) are installed to support more sea/land going containers up to the load required by the ISO STAND ATDS. The beams are supported by a diagonal bar (3) which can be folded together with the beams, while the beams can be folded at the axis (5). On the transportation platform are rail depression (4) on which the wheels of the loaded vehicle are inserted and it is possible to anchor the veliicle to the transportation platfoπn. In all corners of the sea/land going container and in all external directions, according to ISO STAND ATDS, are standard means of connectors (7) enabling the connection of the sea/land going container to the next sea/land going container, to the loading machinery and to handling surfaces, e.g. a truck. On the sea/land going container are installed trenches (10) for loading purposes of the sea/land going container with the help of a forklift. The height of the sea/land going container (18) from the bottom of the transportation platform to the edge of the beams is 4 feet and 9 inches or 1435 mm. Figure 2 shows a pair of sea/land going containers connected one to the other. When the sea/land going containers are loaded with a vehicle, the beams of the sea/land going container (2) are in a vertical position, relative to the transportation platform and the beams can support the sea/land going container on top (lb) on the sea/land going container below (la) and connect them together with connectors (7). The vehicle rests on the transportation platform with its wheels anchored in the rail depression (4) of the transportation platfoπn. The two sea/land going containers make up one unit with dimensions and resistance that comply with the ISO STAND ATDS of a sea/land going container. Figure 3 shows the sea/land going container from the top with folded beams. The transportation platform (1) can support a load of 5 tons, corresponding to the load of vehicles. The vehicle is transported on the trade's (1 1) and the wheels of the vehicle are inserted and anchored to the rail depression (4) of the transportation platfoπn. In the four corners of the transportation platfoπn, beams (2) are erected, those are shown in this figure as folded. To use the sea/land going container the beams are placed straight up and locked onto the transportation platfoπn and consequently these beams can support a load that complies with the standard - 30 tons. Figure 4 shows a rear view of the sea/land going container. Up and down ramps can be installed in the sea/land going container for going up and down (13), which can be removed when necessary and can be folded inside the sea/land going container in a perpendicular position. The vehicle goes up onto the transportation platfoπn (1 ) on the ramps and the wheels sink and are anchored into the rail depression (4) of the transportation platfoπn. The ramps may be folded together with the beams (2) whenever necessary. Figure 5 shows how to fold the beams in the sea/land going container. When the sea/land going container is empty, it is possible to fold the beams and connect 8 sea/land going containers, one on top of the other and thus connect them to obtain one unit of the dimensions and strength of one standard sea/land going container. For folding purposes the beam is freed from the stabilizing pin (14) and from the standard connector (7) by which it was connected to the transportation platfoπn. The beam is folded in a horizontal position (2a) while the beam rotates on the upper axis (5a). The beam is lowered onto the transportation platfoπn in position (2b) with its axis lowered onto the elongated rail depression (6) until it reaches a new position (5b). In this situation, when the beams are coupled with the transportation platfoπn, the height of the folded sea/land going container is 14.25 inches and 8 such sea/land going containers reach the height of one sea/land going container complying with ISO STAND ATDS. Figure 6 shows a beam with an auxiliary spring. The beam (2) has a knee (16), which rotates with the beam while folded. A leaf spring (17), comprised of a plate and spring, is installed in the transportation platfonn and released when the beam is in a vertical position. When the beam is folded the knee (16) rotates and pushes the leaf spring (17). The pushed leaf spring is an auxiliary spring for help to raise the beam back to a vertical position. In a purpose of folding the beam, the fast twist lock ( 14) is released and the beam pushed down, around the given axis (17), to a horizontal position on the transportation platfoπn. Figure 7 shows how to transport the empty folded sea/land going containers. After the beams (2) of each sea/land going container have been folded, the transportation platfoπns (1) are piled one on top of the other and connected together with standard connectors (7). Eight sea/land going containers together, one on top of the other, foπn one unit with the dimensions and the strength of one sea/land going container, complying with ISO STAND ATDS.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A sea/land going container for transportation by sea of vehicles of dimensions and structure such that a pair of sea/land going containers, one on top of the other, foπn one sea/land going container with two levels of the dimensions and the structure of one sea/land going container complying with ISO STANDATDS, when the sea/land going container is comprised of a transportation platfoπn for carrying vehicles, rail depressions on the transportation platfoπn for inserting the wheels of the vehicle and anchoring the vehicle to the transportation platform, four beams installed in the corners of the transportation platfoπn, enabling the loading of more sea/land going containers on one sea/land going container and connectors, quantities and location complying with the requirements of ISO STANDATDS, for connecting a sea/land going container to other sea/land going containers, or to means of transportation. 2. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles as claimed in claim 1 , when the height of the sea/land going container from the bottom of the transportation platform to the edge of the beams is 4 feet and 9 inches, its width is 8 feet, its length is 20 feet and its strength enables loading 30 tons, complying with the requirements of the ISO STANDATDS. 3. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles as claimed in claims 1 and 2, when the beams in the corners of the transportation platform can be folded onto the transportation platfoπn around the given axis inside the elongated rail depression, enabling the movement of the axis for coupling the beam with the transportation platfonn for transporting the sea/land going container when empty. 4. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles as claimed in claim 3, when the height of the sea/land going container when the beams are folded from the bottom of the transportation platfonn and to the edge of the folded beams is 14.25 inches and when the sea/land going containers are loaded and connected one on top of the other and eight folded sea/land going containers joined together foπn one unit of the dimensions and the structure of one sea/land going container, complying with ISO STANDATDS. 5. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles as claimed in claims 3 and 4 when a leaf-springs are installed in the corners of the transportation platfoπn and a knees connected to each beam for pushing the leaf-spring when the beam is folded and the pushed leaf-spring is an auxiliary spring for raising up the beam. 6. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles as claimed in claims 1 to 4, when on the transportation platfoπn are connected the ramps for loading and unloading the vehicle while driving and the ramps may be folded perpendicularly along the beams when the sea/land going container is loaded and horizontally folded along the transportation platform, when the sea/land going container is not loaded. 7. A sea/land going container for transportation of veliicles as claimed in claims 1 to 6, wherein its length is 40 feet. 8. A sea/land going container for transportation of vehicles, according to the description and accompanying figures.

Inventors: MILLER HAIM, ZIMERMAN IGAL, MILLER, HAIM, ZIMERMAN, IGAL
Applicants: MIFNED LTD, MILLER HAIM, ZIMERMAN IGAL, MIFNED LTD., MILLER, HAIM, ZIMERMAN, IGAL
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D88
IPC codes: B60P3, B65D85, B65D88, B65D90