Ships – Building – Freighters
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-22
2001-05-15
Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)
Ships
Building
Freighters
C062S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230640
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cargo carrier having an insulated cargo area housing refrigeration units and cargo containers. The cargo containers have passageways for conveying cooling air from the refrigeration units, about the cargo in the containers and back to the refrigeration units.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Container ships with upper structures for loading and unloading cargo containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,285 to Nordstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,185 to Nordstrom et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,305 to Nordstrom et al, the subject matter of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. These ships maximize cargo carrier capacity, minimize idle port time and provide a highly efficient system for loading and unloading the cargo. Automated cranes on ships guarantee fast turn around in ports saving manpower and time, particularly reducing or eliminating the need for manual labor in the ships' holds for loading and unloading the cargo. Additionally, large amounts of cargo can be stored in a secure manner in a minimum amount of time and with minimum labor requirements. Further, the loading and unloading operations can be carried out even in bad weather or high winds.
Although these Nordstrom container systems are highly effective for cargo that is not temperature sensitive, they have not been adapted for handling refrigerated cargo. Certain food cargo products must be maintained in a refrigerated state during transit to avoid damage or spoilage.
Conventional refrigerated ships intended for transporting breakbulk or palletized cargo have holds divided by decks two to three meters high, providing spaces with perforated deck grating. These spaces form air ducts under the cargo. Refrigerated air is blown into the ducts at the end of the hold or through side ducts. The refrigerated air ascends through the cargo and through the duct at the opposite end of the hold, and then returns to the refrigeration unit via spaces above the cargo. Two of these between deck spaces can be combined to form a common air space, although such combination risks incomplete refrigeration at the higher levels of the hold.
The loading and the unload of the cargo in these conventional refrigeration systems for cargo ships can be performed with onboard cranes and booms. Horizontal transport inside the hold and tight storing of the cargo to prevent shifting is accomplished with forklift trucks.
Another refrigeration system for container ships involves using refrigerated containers, each of which has its own independent refrigeration unit or machinery. These units can be used in any container ship as long as adequate electrical power from the ship is provided to each container for running its refrigeration unit. However, adequate ventilation must be provided in the cargo hold to dissipate the heat emitted by the refrigerated units. These independently refrigerated containers can be loaded using cranes, trailers, cassettes, forklift trucks and straddle carriers.
Some container ships have refrigeration units which supply refrigerated air through ducts. These ducts are coupled to containers which are thermally insulated. Suitable couplings are provided on the containers for conveying the inlet air into and exhaust air from the insulated containers.
Special ships for palletized cargo use a warehouse—type storage system. The pallets are loaded with a ship board stacker crane from the side of the ship, and are transported to special pallet rows. Refrigerated air is conveyed to these rows through ducts.
These conventional ship refrigeration systems have a number of problems. The systems are not adaptable to wide variety of different arrangements, without structural modification. Additionally, they are expensive and inefficient in the use of the particular containers and in the loading and unloading of the containers within the ships.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a cargo carrier for refrigerated cargo which is easily adapted to a wide variety of uses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cargo carrier for refrigerated cargo which is simple and relatively inexpensive to construct, and is efficient in time and manpower requirements for loading and unloading.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a cargo carrier for refrigerated cargo which is lighter, less expensive and more efficient to operate, and uses cargo containers which are significantly lighter and cheaper than individually refrigerated containers.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by a cargo carrier comprising a cargo body, refrigeration units and a plurality of cargo containers. The cargo body has a hollow interior defining a cargo area. Thermal insulation in the body surrounds the cargo area. The refrigeration units are located in refrigeration areas in the cargo area. The cargo containers are stacked within the cargo area and are spaced from the refrigeration units. These containers have cargo supported therein and have a plurality of passageways around the cargo. The passageways extend through the containers between the outside and inside of the containers to convey cooled air into the containers, around the cargo, and from the containers back to the refrigeration units.
By forming the cargo carrier in this manner, the carrier can be inexpensively formed and adaptable to a wide variety of uses. The thermal insulation mounted in the body frees the entire cargo area for efficient stacking of the cargo containers within the hold or cargo area. Separation of the refrigeration units from the cargo area avoids interference with the loading and unloading of the cargo. No separate connection of each container with a power supply is necessary, as would be required for individually refrigerated containers.
By having passageways located in and between the cargo containers for conveying the cooled air into the containers, around the cargo and then back to the refrigeration units, the need for built-in ducts in the cargo carrier or ship is eliminated. The elimination of ducts reduces the cost of the cargo carriers or ships, and allows them to be adapted to a wide variety of uses without rerouting or reforming the ducts. The arrangement of the present invention also allows for the use of simpler, less expensive and lighter cargo containers.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3879957 (1975-04-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 4003728 (1977-01-01), Rath
patent: 4043285 (1977-08-01), Nordstrom
patent: 4294185 (1981-10-01), Nordstrom et al.
patent: 4422304 (1983-12-01), Kuttel
patent: 5183305 (1993-02-01), Nordstrom et al.
Nordstrom Raimo-R.
Nurminen Hannu
Roylance Abrams Berdo & Goodman L.L.P.
Swinehart Ed
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