Temperature-controlled cargo container with air distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9233791-B2
Application number	US-201013320612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2010
Priority date	Jun 19, 2009
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

The distribution of condition air into the cargo space of a temperature controlled container is improved. Conditioned air may be selectively distributed into the cargo space from a plenum beneath the cargo support floor through a plurality of longitudinally and laterally spaced apart openings through the cargo support floor. Side air ducts may be provided extending rearwardly along the side walls of the container for distributing conditioned air received from a pair of side air outlets in a refrigerant unit associated with the container. The side air ducts may have a plurality of air discharge openings and may discharge conditioned air into vertically extending recesses in the side walls. The side air outlets have a selectively variable flow area. The number, location and size of the openings through the cargo support floor, as well as the air discharge openings in the side air ducts, may be selectively varied so as to selectively distribute the conditioned air flow throughout the cargo space.

First claim

We claim:

1. A temperature-controlled container comprising a box-like structure having a forward wall, a rear wall, a pair of opposed side walls extending longitudinally between the forward wall and the rear wall, a ceiling extending longitudinally between the forward wall and the rear wall and extending transversely between the opposed side walls, and a floor extending longitudinally between the forward wall and the rear wall and extending transversely between the opposed side walls, and defining a cargo space within the box-like structure; said floor comprising:
a subfloor extending longitudinally between a lowermost portion of the forward wall and a lowermost portion of the rear wall and extending transversely between a lowermost portion of each of the opposed side walls;
a cargo support floor disposed above and in spaced relationship with the subfloor thereby forming a plenum there between; and
a plurality of longitudinally and transversely spaced apart openings through the cargo support floor, each opening of said plurality of openings defining a flow area of a selected size and establishing flow communication between said plenum and the cargo space above the cargo support floor, said plurality of openings arranged so as to selectively distribute flow from said plenum into the cargo space;
wherein a refrigeration unit is secured to the forward wall of the container for conditioning air returned along the ceiling of the container and supplying conditioned air to said plenum for distribution to the cargo space through the openings, the refrigeration unit including a refrigeration unit plenum along an upper region of the forward wall and extending vertically to the cargo support floor to direct return air downward over an evaporator heat exchanger and into the plenum;
wherein the refrigeration unit includes a first side air outlet on a first side of the refrigeration unit and a second side air outlet on a second side of the refrigeration unit;
the temperature-controlled container including a first side air duct in flow communication with the first side air outlet and having a first leg extending vertically along the first side of the refrigeration unit and a second leg extending horizontally and rearwardly along the floor and along a first of the opposed side walls of the cargo space;
the temperature-controlled container including a second side air duct in flow communication with the second side air outlet and having a first leg extending vertically along the second side of the refrigeration unit and a second leg extending horizontally and rearwardly along the floor and along a second of the opposed side walls of the cargo space;
a plurality of vertically extending recesses in each side wall for directing conditioned air from the first side air duct and the second side air duct upwardly along the each side wall; and
a blocking member selectively positioned in at least one recess of said plurality of recesses for directing the conditioned air passing upwardly along the recess inwardly into the cargo space.

2. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of openings defines a flow area of a selected size.

3. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 2 wherein the plurality of openings define flow areas of various sizes.

4. The temperature-controlled container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the respective flow areas of the plurality of openings in a rearward region of the cargo support floor generally are larger than the respective flow areas of the plurality of openings in a forward region of the cargo support floor.

5. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of longitudinally spaced opening defines a flow area, the respective flow areas of the openings becoming progressively larger in a longitudinal direction from a forward end of the cargo space to a rearward end of the cargo space.

6. The temperature-controlled as recited in claim 1 wherein:
the cargo support floor comprises a plurality of longitudinally elongated T-rails disposed on the sub-floor in spaced relationship laterally between the side walls bounding the cargo space and defining a cargo support floor disposed above and in spaced relationship with the subfloor thereby forming a plurality of longitudinally extending ducts between adjacent pairs of the T-rails and between the cargo support floor and the sub-floor.

7. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 6 wherein each T-rail of said plurality of T-rails include a vertical member and a horizontal member extending transversely atop the vertical member.

8. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 7 wherein the plurality of T-rails are spaced laterally apart such that a longitudinally extending gap is formed between the transversely extending horizontally members of adjacent pairs of T-rails, each gap being open below to a respective duct of said plurality of ducts.

9. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 6 further comprising at least one conduit-like member disposed in at least one of said plurality of ducts, the at least one conduit-member having an upper surface, the upper surface having at least one opening extending therethrough, said at least one opening defining a flow passage establishing flow communication between said at least one duct and the cargo space.

10. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 9 further wherein said at least one opening in the upper surface of said conduit-like member comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings through the upper surface of the at least one conduit-member, each opening of said plurality of openings defining a flow passage having a flow area.

11. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 10 wherein the flow areas of the plurality of openings becomes progressively larger in a longitudinal direction from a forward end of the cargo space to a rearward end of the cargo space.

12. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 6 further comprising a cover member comprising a plate-like member having longitudinal and lateral expanse disposed atop the cargo support floor, said plate-like member having a plurality longitudinally elongated slots opening therethrough, the slots arrayed in a plurality of laterally space, longitudinally extending rows, each row of said plurality of longitudinally extending rows being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of gaps.

13. The temperature-controlled container as recited in claim 12 wherein each longitudinally extending row of slots includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart slots, each slot defining a flow passage having a flow area, the flow areas of the plurality of slots becoming progressively larger in a longitudinal direction from a forward end of the cargo space to a rearward end of the cargo space.

Assignees

• Bushnell Peter R
• Chen Yu H
• Sarimurat Mehmet N
• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Bushnell Peter R
• Chen Yu H
• Sarimurat Mehmet N

Classifications

• F24F7/10

  with air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling (outlet members for directing or distributing air {into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air-diffusers} F24F13/06) · CPC title

• B60H1/00014

  for load cargos on load transporting vehicles · CPC title

• B65D88/745

  blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container · CPC title

• B65D90/06

  Coverings, e.g. for insulating purposes · CPC title

• B65D88/121 Primary

  ISO containers · CPC title