Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Yieldable brace – Panel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-04-24
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Yieldable brace
Panel
C410S117000, C410S155000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220800
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to air bags such as are used to protect products shipped in trucks and particularly to an air bag that distributes refrigerated air flow to obtain a more even temperature.
BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
In transporting products in the enclosed cargo space of trucks and containers, inflatable air bags are used to stabilize the load of the cargo to prevent damage to either the truck or cargo. Variations of this practice have appeared in the patent literature.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,564 to Howlett discloses a cargo supporting air bag having inflation indicating means and a method for determining proper inflation of spaced loads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,801 to Keenan et al discloses an airbag for use in a cargo bay of a transport vehicle for stabilizing a cargo of drums or rolls.
In the transportation of perishable products such as fruits and vegetables, the produce is normally packed onto pallets and which are then placed in the cargo space of a refrigerated enclosure such as a truck trailer or container. None of the foregoing references disclosure address the problem of maintaining a uniformly even temperature in a refrigerated cargo space containing refrigerated fruits and/or vegetables.
Uneven temperature can be a problem resulting from a loss or gain of heat through the walls of the cargo hold during shipment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,512 discloses an airbag that is positionable between the wall of the container and pallets holding product in the cargo space. The bags are spacers that separate the cargo from the walls of the cargo hold.
However, this disclosure does not address the problem of uneven flow of refrigerated air through the pallets in the cargo chamber. This uneven air flow results in troublesome differences of temperature in various locations of the cargo chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a support system that stabilizes a load of product, particularly pallets stacked with boxes of fruits and/or vegetables, and provides for uniform flow of of refrigerated air through the cargo of product.
It is a further object to provide an air bag that accommodates the size of the standard container or truck bed and which can carry two rows of pallets, side by side where each pallet is 48 by 40 inches.
This invention is directed toward an apparatus and for distributing refrigerated air in an enclosed cargo bed in which the pallets are arranged two abreast across the width of the cargo bed. The two rows of pallets are spaced from one another so that a corridor is created bounded by a stack of boxes of product on a pallet on each side of the corridor. An elongated square tubular air bag is provided having a length equal to the length of the cargo space. The bag comprises sections, each section joined end to end with its neighboring sections with a baffle between each section and each section having its own air valve for inflating the section independently from the neighboring sections. The square tubular air bag is positioned at a level of the tops of the stacks and between the stacks so that the closd ceiling of the corridor between the rows of pallets is formed by the air bag. To begin loading the cargo, the first four pallets, each holding a stack of boxes, are placed in position at the cab end of the cargo space. The lead bag section is secured in place straddling the corridor by taping side flaps of the end section to the first first pallets and inflated. As each set of four pallets is added, the succeeding section is extended over the corridor and inflated. The last section is shorter than the other sections and is inflate between the last two pallets. A rear enclosure of the corridor is created by positioning an additional vinyl strip over the opening.
Refrigerated air is pumped into the cargo space from a source located at floor level of the corridor at the cab end of the corridor. Refrigerated air flowing through the length of the corridor is diverted by the airbag roof of the corridor to flow through the stacks of boxes supported on the pallets thereby providing a uniform flow of refrigerated air. through the stacks.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4044693 (1977-08-01), Ramsey, Jr.
patent: 4349303 (1982-09-01), Liebel et al.
patent: 4585381 (1986-04-01), Boyse
patent: 5263801 (1993-11-01), Keenan et al.
patent: 5350000 (1994-09-01), Wang
patent: 5660512 (1997-08-01), Elze et al.
patent: 5676509 (1997-10-01), Enzu
patent: 5678968 (1997-10-01), Bourgeois et al.
patent: 5678969 (1997-10-01), Farrell et al.
patent: 5730564 (1998-03-01), Howlett, Jr.
patent: 5762198 (1998-06-01), Hung
Caires Mark J.
Elze Helmut R
Elze Olaf
Gordon Stephen T.
Smith Robert Samuel
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