U.S. patent application number 12/018082 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-31 for vehicle storage and shipping container.
Invention is credited to Darrell Hiatt, William Stout.
Application Number | 20080179321 12/018082 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39666776 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080179321 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stout; William ; et
al. |
July 31, 2008 |
VEHICLE STORAGE AND SHIPPING CONTAINER
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a novel collapsible storage
container for shipping vehicles. Specifically, the container
includes a base with a plurality of anchor post receivers, a
plurality of side panels and a cover detachably connected to the
plurality of side panels through a latch. The side panels
detachably connect to the base through a plurality of anchor post
that mate with the plurality of anchor post receivers. Furthermore,
the side panels detachably connected to each other through a tongue
and groove system.
Inventors: |
Stout; William; (San Diego,
CA) ; Hiatt; Darrell; (San Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MANUEL F. DE LA CERRA
6885 CATAMARAN DRIVE
CARLSBAD
CA
92011
US
|
Family ID: |
39666776 |
Appl. No.: |
12/018082 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60886940 |
Jan 28, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2585/6865 20130101;
B65D 85/68 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/6 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/00 20060101
B65D006/00 |
Claims
1. A collapsible storage container, comprising: a base with a
plurality of anchor post receivers; a plurality of side panels,
wherein the side panels comprise a plurality of anchor posts, and
the plurality of side panels are detachably connected to the base
through the plurality of anchor posts and the plurality of anchor
post receivers; wherein the plurality of side panels are detachably
connected to each other through a tongue and groove system; and a
cover detachably connected to the plurality of side panels through
a latch.
2. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, plurality of side
panels includes a load bearing vertical support member capable of
supporting the weight of a second container stacked on top of the
storage container.
3. The collapsible storage container of claim 1 comprised of a
material that is selected from a group consisting of: aluminum,
steel, plastic, composite, and combinations thereof.
4. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, further comprising
a lock that restricts access to the contents of the container.
5. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the base
further comprises forklift apertures.
6. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the base
further comprises at least one channel to receive a vehicle's
wheel.
7. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the base
further comprises anchor points for securing the container's
contents.
8. The collapsible storage container of claim 7, wherein the anchor
points are selected from a group consisting of: tie-down rings,
tie-down straps, chains and combinations thereof.
9. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the cover
comprises an elevated section and the base comprises a
corresponding recess, such that during stacking the elevated
section and recess provide stability.
10. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the cover
comprises a recess and the base comprises a corresponding elevated
section, such that during stacking the elevated section and recess
provide stability.
11. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the latch
comprises a pushrod.
12. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the
dimensional footprint of the plurality of side panels when
collapsed is approximately equal to or less than the dimensional
footprint of the base.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This utility patent application claims priority based on
provisional patent application 60/886,940 entitled "Vehicle Storage
and Shipping Container", filed on Jan. 28, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to shipping containers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Motorcycle riders often enjoy riding in a variety of
terrains and locations. However, many are limited to enjoying the
surroundings within a tolerable distance from their homes. Those
wishing to experience riding their motorcycle at a location a great
distance from their usual location, may ride their own motorcycle
to that location which may require several days to ride to that
location and several to return. Locations on other continents may
be impossible to reach even if a rider were willing to ride.
[0004] As another option, the rider may rent a motorcycle; but many
motorcycle riders prefer to ride their own motorcycle. Riding a
motorcycle with which the rider is experienced and familiar is much
safer than an unfamiliar motorcycle. Additionally, some locations
may not have rental motorcycles available.
[0005] As a third option, avid motorcycle riders may wish to fly to
the distant location and have their motorcycles shipped to avoid
spending time in transit or out of necessity. A number of shipping
services exist to provide this service to motorcycle
enthusiasts.
[0006] The methods used by the shipping carriers vary. Many require
motorcycle owners to remove the liquids from a motorcycle prior to
shipping. This can be difficult and messy, and may require the use
of special pumps to remove the liquids from a motorcycle. Refilling
the motorcycle upon reaching the destination can create problems if
the delivery site is not in close to a gas station or other
automotive supply to replenish the drained fluids.
[0007] Some shipping companies require all personal items to be
removed from the motorcycle, including the motorcycle's saddlebags.
This creates a necessity for motorcycle accessories like helmet,
leather protective ware, and rain gear to be shipped separately.
These items can be bulky and burdensome to ship separately or to
pack in personal luggage for airline travel. Additionally some
carriers will not provide insurance for personal items included
with a motorcycle during transport.
[0008] Another possible disadvantage is that some carriers do not
use any protective covering; rather these carriers transport
motorcycles using trucks with tie-down straps to secure the
motorcycle to the bed of a truck. This often requires driving or
guiding a motorcycle up and down a ramp between the ground level
and the level of the truck bed. The process of loading heavy
motorcycles up and down a steep ramp is dangerous and can cause
injury to the people loading the motorcycles and damage to the
motorcycle.
[0009] Another method of transporting motorcycles includes securing
a motorcycle to a pallet. This method does provide some protection
against items contacting the motorcycle and causing damage to the
motorcycle, but this method also does not provide security for
personal items shipped with the motorcycle.
[0010] Container shipping is yet another method of shipping
motorcycles. The containers are usually large metal boxes with
tie-downs on the floor of the container. These containers cannot be
compacted and take up significant space for the shippers to store
when the containers are not in use.
[0011] Crates are yet another method of transporting a motorcycle.
They are often made out of wood or particleboard and are not
durable, intended for one time use only. The crates usually have to
be hammered together prior to transportation and pried apart after
delivery. Other tools such as wrenches or screwdrivers may be
required to assemble or disassemble some types of crates. There is
the possibility that the proper tools may not be available if
shipping internationally to a destination that uses a different
tool standard, such as metric versus imperial sized wrenches. The
assembly and disassembly requires additional labor and time and may
damage the wood crate, such that a second crate may be needed to
return the motorcycle.
[0012] Another shortcoming with several of the methods just
described is that they cannot be stacked. Stacking shipping vessels
minimizes the square footage necessary to ship multiple shipping
vessels provided vertical space above the containers is available.
Motorcycles typically weigh over 500 pounds and can weigh in excess
of 800 pounds. The shipping vessels need to have the structural
integrity to support hundreds and potentially thousands of pounds
if shipping containers are to be stacked. The structural integrity
of wooden crates, for example, may depend on the ability of the
assembler to properly assemble crate and even the best assembly
jobs may not be able to support hundreds of pounds if the crate is
made of particle board or thin wood.
[0013] Therefore a need exists for providing a secure and safe
method for shipping motorcycles. There is a need for a shipping
container which can securely protect a motorcycle and additional
personal gear, which can be easily assembled and disassembled
without the use of special tools, which is durable to withstand
repeated use, which can be compacted to reduce the volume of space
needed to store the shipping container when not in use, which can
be maneuvered when fully loaded with the assistance of a forklift,
and which has the structural integrity to accommodate stacking of
fully loaded containers to minimize the square footage necessary to
ship multiple containers at the same time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present disclosure provides a novel collapsible storage
container for shipping vehicles. Specifically, the container
includes a base with a plurality of anchor post receivers, a
plurality of side panels and a cover detachably connected to the
plurality of side panels through a latch. The side panels
detachably connect to the base through a plurality of anchor posts
that mate with the plurality of anchor post receivers. Furthermore,
the side panels detachably connected to each other through a
tongue-and-groove system. The collapsible storage container may be
made of a light weight material that may include aluminum, steel,
plastic and composites. The latch may include a pushrod and
activator mechanism.
[0015] Refinements to the novel storage container include having a
load bearing vertical support member capable of supporting the
weight of a second container stacked on top of the storage
container. The container may also include a lock that restricts
access to the contents of the container. The base may include
forklift apertures to allow a forklift to easily and stably lift
and maneuver the container. A channel that receives the wheel of
the vehicle being transported may also be incorporated into the
base. Anchor points that include tie-down rings, tie-down straps
and chains may be used with the base to secure the container's
contents.
[0016] To improve stability, the cover may include an elevated
section and the base may include a corresponding recess, such that
during stacking the elevated section and recess provide stability.
Alternatively, the cover may include a recess and the base a
corresponding elevated section, such that during stacking the
elevated section and recess provide stability.
[0017] To provide efficient storage of the collapsed container, the
dimensional footprint of the side panels may be approximately equal
to or less than the dimensional footprint of the base.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an outside view of the novel collapsible
storage container.
[0019] FIG. 2A illustrates the base, side panels and cover of the
novel collapsible storage container.
[0020] FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrate the anchor post of the side panel
mating with the anchor post receiver of the base.
[0021] FIG. 3A illustrates the novel collapsible container
assembled with particular reference to the location of the mating
of the anchor post and the anchor post receiver of FIGS. 2B and
2C.
[0022] FIGS. 3B and 3C illustrate the anchor post of the side panel
mating with the anchor post receiver of the base and the
tongue-and-groove system that detachably connects the side panels
to each other.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the latch system.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the cover.
[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates the novel collapsible container fully
disassembled and collapsed.
[0026] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the cover that contains
elevated sections that correspond to recesses in the base such that
during stacking the elevated section and recess provide
stability.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] A novel storage and shipping container is provided to meet
the increasing need to transport vehicles efficiently and with
minimal risk of damage. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the container
(10) is durable, reusable, and stackable. It may be dimensioned to
hold a conventional motorcycle in its interior storage space and to
maximize the number of containers that can fit inside a standard
semi-truck trailer at one time. Its simple design requires minimal
manufacturing materials and steps, allowing volume production at
optimal cost. Constructed of strong yet lightweight materials that
may include aluminum, steel, plastic, or composite, the container
has the structural strength to allow stacking of fully-loaded
containers while its weight is optimally minimized. The container
employs few individual parts to allow easy assembly and
disassembly. These parts are connected without the use of hinges,
thereby avoiding the structural weakness and breakage problems of
hinges. For ease of storing and shipping, the container is
collapsible into a space-saving, compact package, shown in FIG.
2.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2A, the container is comprised of a base
(205), at least four side panels 210, 215, 220 and 225), and a
cover (230). In the illustration shown in FIG. 2A, the side panels
(220 and 225) are comprised of three panels each. In this
configuration, the container (10) can collapse into a smaller
configuration, such that transportation of the collapsed container
(10) is more efficient. It would be apparent that either side panel
(220 and 225) may instead be a single panel.
[0029] To assemble the container, the side panels are anchored to
the base (205) and then capped by the cover (230). To anchor the
side panels to the base, the side panels are equipped with anchor
posts (235) that are inserted into anchor post receivers (240)
provided in the base. Dashed lines 245 illustrate the placement of
the anchor posts (235) in the anchor post receivers (240 and 241)
for the side panels (215 and 225). Side panels (210 and 220) would
anchor in a similar fashion. FIGS. 2B and 2C detail the anchor
posts (235) and the anchor post receivers (240 and 241).
Specifically, FIG. 2B illustrates the mating of the anchor post
(235) from the side panel (220) with the anchor post receiver
(241). Similarly, FIG. 2C illustrates the mating of the anchor post
(235) from the side panel (210) with the anchor post receiver
(240).
[0030] To connect the side panels to one another, a
tongue-and-groove system is used. For example, side panel (220)
contains a side that acts as the tongue (250) and side panel (210)
contains a groove (255) that receives the tongue (250), as
illustrated in FIG. 3B. As the side panels are anchored to the base
(205), the panels are connected to one another by sliding one
panel's connection groove into the adjacent panel's connection
tongue. This tongue-and-groove system to connect panels to each
other and the post-and-receiver system to anchor the panels to the
base provide structural rigidity to the assembled container,
allowing stacking. Also, the side panel (220) may include a load
bearing vertical support member (221, FIG. 2A) capable of
supporting the weight of a second container stacked on top of the
storage container.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 3A, the container (10) is shown assembled
with the side panels connected to each other and to the base. The
detailed view of the connection of side panel (210) to side panel
(220) is shown in FIG. 3B. Tongue (250) of side panel (220) slides
into groove (255) of side panel (210). These side panels are
anchored to the base (205) by the anchor post (235) and the anchor
post receiver (240). FIG. 3C is a detailed view of a
tongue-and-grove system in a configuration where the side panel
(220) comprises three panels. As in FIG. 3B, the tongue (250)
slides into the groove (255), and these panels are anchored to the
base (205) by the anchor post (235) and the anchor post receiver
(240).
[0032] The cover (230) is then placed over the interconnected side
panels, protecting the container's contents and facilitating
stacking of containers. The cover (230) may be connected to the
side panels using a latch system (260), shown in greater detail in
FIG. 4. The latch system (260) may comprise an activator mechanism
(265) connected to a pushrod (270). By activating the mechanism
(265) the pushrod (270) may move in the direction of arrow (275).
The pushrod (270) travels through a side panel hole (280). On the
underside of the cover is a structure (285) with a second hole
(290). When the cover is placed on the side panels, the structure
(285) travels in the direction of arrow (295) causing the side
panel hole (280) to align with the hole (290) in the cover
structure (285). Once the cover is in place, the mechanism (265)
may be activated causing the pushrod (270) to travel through both
the side panel hole (280) and the hole (290) in the cover structure
(285). The cover is thus locked in place. To disassemble the
container, the process is reversed. That is, the mechanism (265) is
activated causing the pushrod (270) to exit the hole (290) and the
cover can then be removed. Once the cover is removed, the side
panels can be disconnected from each other. The latch system (260)
may also include a key lock that restricts access to the contents
of the container.
[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the cover (230). Here
the cover is made of two components, the exterior cap (232) and the
cover structure (285). Note that the detailed view of the cover
structure (285) illustrates the hole (290) through which the
pushrod travels when the cover is locked into place. This was shown
in greater detail in FIG. 4.
[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates the container (10) fully disassembled and
collapsed for easy storage and transportation. To give a better
point of reference, the base (205) is shown with the two anchor
receivers (240) (these were shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3B and
3C). On top of the base (205) are the side panels (210 and 220). As
is shown in FIG. 6, the dimensional footprint of the side panels
when collapsed is less than the dimensional footprint of the base.
On top of the collapsed side panels, the container cover may be
placed. The container may optionally be equipped with a lock to
allow the cover to be securely connected to the base when the
container is collapsed. The lock may include, but is not limited
to, a swinging hook on the cover that latches around a post on the
base.
[0035] Various innovations enhance the main embodiment just
described. First, the number of panels and their dimensions can be
optimized such that when all the panels are stacked horizontally on
the base, they fit entirely within the footprint of the base. The
cover can be dimensioned to fit over the stack of disassembled
panels and connect to the base beneath them, thereby creating a
compact, self-contained package. Second, forklift apertures can be
provided on the base to allow the assembled or disassembled
container to be picked up, moved, or stacked by a standard
forklift. This is shown in FIG. 3A as aperture 222. Third, the base
can be configured with one or more channel beams for receiving the
wheels of a vehicle (i.e., channel 242 in FIGS. 2A and 7). The
channel beams can be offset on different horizontal planes,
inverted, or both, to enhance the container's storage capacity and
ability to receive a two-wheeled vehicle. Fourth, anchor points can
be provided on the base to allow a two-wheeled vehicle to be
secured inside the container. Such anchor points might include, but
are not limited to, tie-down rings (part 705, FIG. 7), tie-down
straps, and chains (part 710, FIG. 7). Fifth, referring to FIG. 7,
the cover (230) can be equipped with elevated sections (605) that
help stabilize stacked containers, such that the elevated sections
(605) in the cover (230) of one container fit inside corresponding
recesses (610) in the base (205) of a second container. It would be
apparent that the base could also be equipped with elevated
sections and the cover with recesses, which would accomplish the
same function. Sixth, while this specification refers to
specifically to motorcycles, it is apparent that it can be used for
several types of personal vehicles, including, but not limited to,
mopeds, scooters, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles,
and personal watercraft.
[0036] While the description above refers to particular embodiments
of the present invention, it should be readily apparent to people
of ordinary skill in the art that a number of modifications may be
made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying
claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall
within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The presently
disclosed embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all
respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the
invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the
foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning of
and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced
therein. Moreover, the applicants expressly do not intend that the
following claims "and the embodiments in the specification to be
strictly coextensive." Phillips v. AHW Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1323
(Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc).
* * * * *