U.S. patent application number 11/703464 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-12 for shipping container.
This patent application is currently assigned to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation. Invention is credited to Donald Joseph Poder, James Francis Smith, Paul O. Sorensen, Anthony James Zychal.
Application Number | 20080135546 11/703464 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39496754 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080135546 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; James Francis ; et
al. |
June 12, 2008 |
Shipping container
Abstract
A shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An
accessory unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The
accessory unit cradle is configured to support an accessory unit
within the container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping
base housing and has at least one attachment cable configured for
selective attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is
configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the
shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined
position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport
vehicle.
Inventors: |
Smith; James Francis;
(McHenry, IL) ; Poder; Donald Joseph; (Rolling
Meadows, IL) ; Zychal; Anthony James; (Rolling
Meadows, IL) ; Sorensen; Paul O.; (Rolling Meadows,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TAROLLI, SUNDHEIM, COVELL & TUMMINO L.L.P.
1300 EAST NINTH STREET, SUITE 1700
CLEVEVLAND
OH
44114
US
|
Assignee: |
Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation
|
Family ID: |
39496754 |
Appl. No.: |
11/703464 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60855923 |
Nov 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/1.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 90/18 20130101;
B65D 88/129 20130101; B65D 90/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/1.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/00 20060101
B65D088/00 |
Claims
1. A shipping container comprising: a shipping base housing; an
accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, the
accessory unit cradle being configured to support an accessory unit
within the container; and a winch assembly affixed to the shipping
base housing and having at least one attachment cable configured
for selective attachment to a transport vehicle, the winch assembly
being configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist
the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a
predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the
transport vehicle.
2. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a shipping
cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory
unit cooperatively with the shipping base housing.
3. The shipping container of claim 2, further comprising at least
one shipping housing fastener selectively configured to attach the
shipping base housing and the shipping cover housing.
4. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least
one container wheel attached to the shipping base housing and
configured to provide rolling support for transporting the shipping
container to the transport vehicle.
5. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the winch assembly is
manually powered.
6. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least
one winch motor configured to provide power to the winch
assembly.
7. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit is
at least one of an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, and an
air defense pod.
8. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit
cradle includes at least one shock-absorbing mounting.
9. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a
leveling/tilt system configured to position the accessory unit in a
predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport
vehicle.
10. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly being
configured to unwind the at least one attachment cable to lower the
shipping base housing from the transport vehicle and the accessory
unit mounted to the transport vehicle.
11. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly
comprising a first winch device positioned at a first end of the
shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned at a
second end of the shipping base housing.
12. A shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to
a transport vehicle, the shipping container comprising: means for
housing the accessory unit; means for supporting the accessory unit
within the means for housing; and means for hoisting the means for
housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for
mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
13. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means
for enclosing the accessory unit within the shipping container and
means for fastening the means for enclosing to the means for
housing.
14. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for
housing further comprising means for transporting the means for
housing to the transport vehicle.
15. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means
for positioning the accessory unit in a predetermined angular
orientation with respect to the transport vehicle.
16. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for
hoisting comprises a first means for hoisting positioned at a first
end of the means for housing and a second means for hoisting
positioned at a second end of the means for housing.
17. A method of installing an accessory unit on a transport
vehicle, the method comprising: transporting to the transport
vehicle the accessory unit in a shipping container that includes a
shipping base housing, an accessory unit cradle within the shipping
base housing and a winch assembly having at least one attachment
cable, the winch assembly being affixed to the shipping base
housing; positioning the shipping container at a desired
installation area of the transport vehicle; connecting at least one
attachment cable to the transport vehicle; actuating the winch
assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable about the winch
assembly lifting the shipping base housing and the accessory unit
to position the accessory unit for attaching to the transport
vehicle; attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle;
actuating the winch assembly to unwind the at least one attachment
cable from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing
from the transport vehicle; and disconnecting the attachment cable
from the transport vehicle.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the
shipping cover housing from the shipping base housing prior to
connecting the at least one attachment cable to the transport
vehicle, the shipping cover housing configured to substantially
enclose the accessory unit.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the actuating the winch
assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable comprising
concurrently winding a first winch device positioned at a first end
of the shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned
as a second end of the shipping base housing.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: positioning the
accessory unit on the accessory unit cradle; enclosing the
accessory unit with a shipping cover housing configured to
substantially enclose the accessory unit within the shipping
container; attaching the shipping cover housing to the shipping
base housing; and shipping the shipping container to a remote
location for attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a shipping container, and
more particularly, to a shipping container for housing an accessory
unit mountable on a transport vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] It is often desirable to mount a structure, such as an
engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, an air defense pod, or the
like (hereafter referenced as an "accessory unit") to an elevated
target surface of a transport vehicle, such as an underside of a
wing or a belly of an aircraft, or a chassis of a truck. The target
surface may be substantially downward facing and spaced apart from
the ground below, and may include an aperture through which the
accessory unit is at least partially passed before mounting.
Mounting to a target surface requires that the accessory unit be
lifted and temporarily supported adjacent the target surface while
a more permanent attachment is formed. The accessory unit may be
mounted to, or removed from, the transport vehicle in the field,
such as in a staging area (e.g., a parking lot or an airfield
hangar), rather than in a manufacturing environment.
[0003] Often, the accessory unit is bulky, heavy, awkwardly shaped,
or otherwise difficult to temporarily support in the necessary
elevated position stably enough to allow the accessory unit to be
mounted properly. Moreover, there may not be readily available
personnel and/or lifting devices in the field to safely hoist the
accessory unit into the mounting position, as might be present in a
more-controlled manufacturing environment. Therefore, it is
desirable to provide lifting assistance in the field without
requiring specialty tools or lifting devices.
[0004] Additionally, the accessory unit may need to be transported
to the field (or from one field location to another) for mounting
to a desired transport vehicle, and may require protection from
ambient conditions during transport and/or storage. Thus, it is
also desirable to provide a protective covering/housing to the
accessory unit.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present invention relates to a shipping container for
housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle. One
aspect of the present invention provides a shipping container. The
shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An accessory
unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The accessory unit
cradle is configured to support an accessory unit within the
container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping base housing
and has at least one attachment cable configured for selective
attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is configured to wind
the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base
housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for
mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
[0006] Another aspect of the present invention provides a shipping
container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport
vehicle. The shipping container includes means for housing the
accessory unit, means for supporting the accessory unit within the
means for housing, and means for hoisting the means for housing and
the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the
accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
[0007] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a
method of installing an accessory unit on a transport vehicle. The
accessory unit is transported to the transport vehicle in a
shipping container that includes a shipping base housing, an
accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, and a winch
assembly having at least one attachment cable, the winch assembly
being affixed to the shipping base housing. The shipping container
is positioned at a desired installation area of the transport
vehicle. At least one attachment cable is connected to the
transport vehicle. The winch assembly is actuated to wind the at
least one attachment cable about the winch assembly lifting the
shipping base housing and the accessory unit to position the
accessory unit for attaching to the transport vehicle. The
accessory unit is attached to the transport vehicle. The winch
assembly is actuated to unwind the at least one attachment cable
from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing from the
transport vehicle. The attachment cable is disconnected from the
transport vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a closed shipping container in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the shipping container taken
along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the shipping container taken
along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.
[0011] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a closed shipping
container in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of an open, empty shipping
container in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of an open shipping
container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
holding an accessory unit.
[0014] The sequence of FIGS. 7-14 depicts the operation of a
shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 depict top, side, and front views,
respectively, of a shipping container 100 according to an aspect of
the present invention. The shipping container 100 includes a
shipping base housing 102, which may be supported by one or more
container wheels 104. The container wheels 104, when present, are
attached to the shipping base housing 102 and are configured to
provide rolling support for transporting the shipping container 100
to a desired location. The container wheels 104 may be retractable
and/or deactivatable to prevent unwanted motion of the shipping
container 100, and at least one container wheel may swivel to
assist in steering the shipping container. A tow bar 106 may be
provided to assist in connecting the shipping container 100 to a
pulling power source (not shown) for transport of the shipping
container. The tow bar 106, when present, may be collapsible,
detachable, or otherwise selectively available for use. The
shipping container 100 may also include a shipping cover housing
108 which is configured to substantially enclose a space
cooperatively with the shipping base housing 102 when the shipping
container is in the closed position of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The
shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover housing 108 may be
made of any material and in any configuration/shape/size, but
should be designed and manufactured to provide adequate protection
to an accessory unit (not shown) for distance shipping, local
transport, and/or storage. In addition, the shipping base housing
102 and shipping cover housing 108 may be sized or shaped to
coordinate with a certain type or types of accessory unit and/or
transport vehicle (not shown).
[0016] In FIG. 4, the shipping container 100 is depicted in a
closed position, with the shipping cover housing 108 and shipping
base housing 102 connected together by at least one shipping
housing fastener 210. The shipping housing fasteners 210 may be of
any suitable type and act to selectively attach the shipping cover
housing 108 and the shipping base housing 102 together. In FIG. 5,
therefore, the shipping housing fasteners 210 have been released
and the shipping cover housing 108 removed to show the shipping
container 100 in an open position.
[0017] As can be seen in FIG. 5, an accessory unit cradle 212 is
located within, and may be attached to, the shipping base housing
102. The accessory unit cradle 212 is configured to support an
accessory unit (not shown) within the container. The accessory unit
cradle 212 may include at least one shock-absorbing mounting 214
which suspends the accessory unit within the shipping container 100
during transport and installation.
[0018] A winch assembly 216 is affixed to the shipping base housing
102, optionally on an inside portion thereof as shown in FIG. 5, so
as to be substantially enclosed by the shipping cover housing 108
in the closed position. The winch assembly 216 has at least one
attachment cable (not shown) configured for selective attachment to
at least one location on a transport vehicle (not shown). The winch
assembly 216 may be manually powered, such as through a crank
handle (not shown), or at least one winch motor 218 may be
configured to provide power to the winch assembly. Alternately, a
receiving shaft (not shown) may be provided to allow a separately
provided handheld drill or other power tool to power the winch
assembly 216. Any desired mechanical advantage structures, such as
a geartrain, may be provided to the winch assembly 216 by one of
ordinary skill in the art. The winch assembly 216 may include a
first winch device 220 positioned at a first end 222 of the
shipping base housing 102 and a second winch device 224 positioned
at a second end 226 of the shipping base housing 102 spaced apart
from the first end 222. Though two are shown, the winch assembly
216 may include any number of winch devices, at any suitable
positions on any components of the shipping container 100, and each
winch device may be operatively connected to any number of
attachment cables.
[0019] As shown in the open position view of FIG. 6, an accessory
unit 328 is selectively carried by the accessory unit cradle 212.
The accessory unit 328 may be an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo
container, an air defense pod, or the like, and is substantially
enclosed by the shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover
housing 108 when the shipping container 100 is in the closed
position of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The accessory unit 328 may
include one or more mounting lugs 330 operable to secure the
accessory unit in a mounting position on the transport vehicle (not
shown).
[0020] The mounting lugs 330 may be used to suspend the accessory
unit 328 from the shock-absorbing mountings 214 depicted in FIG. 5,
to prevent an outer housing 332 of the accessory unit 328 from
contacting other surfaces within the shipping container 100 during
shipping. In FIG. 6, by contrast, the weight of the accessory unit
328 has been released from the shock-absorbing mountings and is
entirely resting upon a pair of undersupports 334. The shock-
absorbing mountings are not present in FIG. 6, having already been
removed from the shipping container 100 to allow direct access to
the mounting lugs 330 for mounting the accessory unit 328 to the
transport vehicle. Optionally, the undersupports 334 may be used
only to support the accessory unit 328 shortly before or after the
accessory unit is provided to the transport vehicle. In such case,
a lowering mechanism (not shown), such as a scissor jack, may be
provided within the shipping container 100 to assist in shifting
support of the accessory unit 328 from the shock- absorbing
mountings to the undersupports 334 at an appropriate time. In the
alternative, however, the undersupports 334 may assist the
shock-absorbing mountings in carrying the accessory unit 328 during
shipping and storage.
[0021] FIG. 6 also depicts two attachment cables 332 which are
selectively wound and unwound from the first and second winch
devices 220 and 224 to hoist the shipping base housing 102 into a
desired relationship with the transport vehicle. The attachment
cables 332 can be made of any material suitable for the load. For
example, woven straps of polyester or nylon may provide desirable
durability and corrosion-resistance properties, as might chains,
braids, or cables made of steel or other metals. Regardless of the
composition of the attachment cables 332, each attachment cable
should include appropriate hardware or other structure to
facilitate connection of the attachment cables to the transport
vehicle in a sufficiently weight-bearing manner.
[0022] The sequence of FIGS. 7-14 depicts the operation of a
shipping container 100 in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention. A transport vehicle 434, such as an air or land vehicle
to which the accessory unit 328 is to be attached, is depicted in
part. The accessory unit 328 could be blind-mounted to the
transport vehicle 434 for simple carrying purposes (e.g., as a
cargo container) or could interface with the transport vehicle 434
or a system carried therein to provide some sort of function or
service during transport (e.g., as a supplementary fuel tank or
defense mechanism).
[0023] In FIG. 7, the shipping container 100 is positioned on the
ground 436 at a desired installation area with respect to the
transport vehicle 434. The ground 436 may be a parking lot, runway,
hangar floor, or any other surface beneath the transport vehicle
434. When present, the container wheels 104 and/or tow bar (not
shown) may assist in positioning the shipping container 100 as
desired. In the FIG. 7 arrangement, the shipping container 100 is
depicted in a closed position, in which the shipping base housing
102 and shipping cover housing 108 cooperatively enclose the
accessory unit (not shown).
[0024] Turning to FIG. 8, the shipping cover housing 108 has been
removed, such as by manual lifting via handles (not shown) provided
for the purpose, and the accessory unit 328 is exposed. At this
time, installing personnel may inspect the accessory unit 328
and/or perform any preliminary attachments, detachments, or other
operations which may be desired before the accessory unit is
mounted to the transport vehicle 434. For example, if the weight of
the accessory unit 328 was entirely supported by the
shock-absorbing mountings 214, the installers may lower the
accessory unit onto the undersupports 334, perhaps with the
assistance of a mechanical device, to ready the mounting lugs 330
for attachment to the transport vehicle 434.
[0025] In FIG. 9, attachment cables 332 have been connected to the
transport vehicle 434, optionally to at least one cable attachment
point 438 carried by the transport vehicle. For example, a recessed
load-bearing eyebolt may be provided as a cable attachment point
438 on the transport vehicle. Each cable attachment point 438
should be structured to facilitate the placement of the accessory
unit 328 into a desired predetermined position with the transport
vehicle 434. Optionally, several different sets (not shown) of
cable attachment points 438 could be provided to a single transport
vehicle 434, with each set being designed to attach a certain type
of accessory unit 328 to the transport vehicle 434. The attachment
cables 332 may be configured for connection to the transport
vehicle 434 using only commonly available tools or even totally by
hand, to facilitate mounting of the accessory unit 328 to the
transport vehicle 434 in a field location having austere mechanical
facilities.
[0026] After the attachment cables 332 are connected to the
transport vehicle 434, the winch assembly 216 is actuated to wind
the attachment cables 332, as shown in FIG. 10. The winch assembly
216 is therefore configured to hoist the shipping base housing 102,
with the accessory unit 328 carried thereupon, in a first direction
(shown by upward arrow 440) and into a predetermined position for
mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle 434. This may
be accomplished, for example, by concurrently winding the first
winch device 220 and the second winch device 224.
[0027] It is contemplated that a leveling/tilt system (not shown)
may be provided to position the accessory unit 328 in a
predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport
vehicle 434. The leveling/tilt system may be of any suitable type
(active or passive); may be actuated at any time before, during,
and/or after the hoisting of the accessory unit 328; may be
integral with or otherwise use the winch assembly 216; and may
readily be designed for a particular application by one of ordinary
skill in the art. It is also contemplated that the winch assembly
216 may be configured to hoist all or any part of the shipping
container 100 with respect to the transport vehicle 434, and may be
placed in any position or orientation to do so. For example, the
winch assembly could be attached directly to the transport vehicle
434 with attachment cables 332 reaching from the winch assembly to
at least a portion of a shipping container 100.
[0028] Once the accessory unit 328 has been hoisted into the
predetermined position, the accessory unit can be mounted to the
transport vehicle 434, as shown in FIG. 11. The mounting may be
carried out by connecting the mounting lugs 330, when provided, to
corresponding mounting fittings 442 on the transport vehicle 434.
Similarly to the connection of the attachment cables 332 to the
transport vehicle 434, it may be desirable for the accessory unit
328 mounting to be accomplished either entirely by hand or with the
assistance of commonly available tools, to promote use of the
shipping container 100 in sparsely equipped field conditions.
[0029] When the accessory unit 328 has been mounted to the
transport vehicle 434, any remaining attachments between the
accessory unit and the shipping base housing 102 are released. For
example, a strap (not shown) may have been provided to secure the
accessory unit 328 to the accessory unit cradle 212 to prevent
shifting of the accessory unit during lifting. The winch assembly
216 is then actuated to unwind the attachment cables 332 and lower
the shipping base housing 102 in a second direction (downward arrow
444, in FIG. 12), away from the transport vehicle 434 and the
mounted accessory unit 328.
[0030] In FIG. 13, the shipping base housing 102 has been fully
lowered, with the container wheels 104 resting on the ground 436.
The attachment cables 332 are then disconnected from the transport
vehicle 434 and may be stowed in a storage position if some
provision for such is made (e.g., the attachment cables may be
fully wound onto the winch assembly 216). At this point, the
shipping container 100 is in the arrangement depicted in FIG. 14,
with the accessory unit 328 mounted to the transport vehicle 434
and separated from the shipping base housing 102, and the shipping
base housing 102 may be removed from the vicinity of the transport
vehicle 434. The shipping cover housing 108 may be replaced on the
shipping base housing 102 to close the empty shipping container 100
for storage or other use.
[0031] The sequence of operations depicted in FIGS. 7-14 may be
reversed to dismount the accessory unit 328 from the transport
vehicle 434. The end result of such a reversed process will be to
place the accessory unit 328 within the shipping base housing 102
on the accessory unit cradle 212, ready for remounting to the same
or a different transport vehicle 434 in that location. Alternately,
the accessory unit 328 may be prepared for shipping to a different
location, once positioned on the accessory unit cradle 212 (either
by the reversed FIGS. 7-14 sequence, as above, or by the use of any
other available hoisting/placement means). The shipping cover
housing 108 is placed upon the shipping base housing 102 to
substantially enclose the accessory unit 328 within the shipping
container 100. When provided, shipping housing fasteners 210 or
another attachment means may be operated to attach the shipping
cover housing 108 to the shipping base housing 102. The shipping
container 100 may then be shipped to a remote location for
attaching the accessory unit 328 to a remotely located transport
vehicle 434.
[0032] Though the above description presumes that a winch assembly
216 and at least partially flexible attachment cables 332 are used
for hoisting the shipping base housing 102 into the predetermined
position, it is contemplated that other mechanical systems may be
used to provide the same or a similar hoisting function. For
example, a threaded rod and collar arrangement, a ratchet
mechanism, or any other hoisting system may be selected by one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0033] What has been described above includes exemplary
implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not
possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or
methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but
one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further
combinations and permutations of the present invention are
possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace
all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within
the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *