Insulated cargo container and methods for manufacturing same using vacuum insulated panels and foam insulated liners

Abstract

An insulated cargo container is composed of an underframe, a floor, a first side wall, a second side wall, a roof, and at least one door being connected together to form an enclosure. At least one insulating liner is mounted to the interior surfaces and exterior surfaces of the enclosure in an amount sufficient to achieve a UA rating of less than about 300 for the cargo container.

Description

FIELD OF USE[0001]The present application relates to insulated cargo containers and, more particularly, to insulated cargo containers and their methods of manufacture.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Currently, many shippers utilize insulated or refrigerated large cargo containers (such as boxcars) to transport items that require the maintenance of specified temperatures during transit. Because these containers are required to maintain certain temperatures, the thermal efficiency of these containers is an important feature. Thermal efficiency is characterized by the thermal conductivity of a particular component or its inverse, its resistance to heat transfer commonly referred to as an R value.[0003]In the past, large cargo containers were typically constructed of a combination of wood and metal members. Because members of this type typically possessed a low R-value, insulation, such as foam insulation, was often installed in these cargo containers to increase their thermal efficien...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]In accordance with the present invention, an insulated cargo container broadly comprises an underframe having a top surface and a bottom surface; a floor connected to the top surface of the underframe; a first side wall and a second side wall each having an interior surface and an exterior surface and each of the side walls includes a door having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a first end wall and a second end wall each having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a roof having

Problems solved by technology

Even with the use of insulation, however, the thermal efficiency of cargo containers of this type has not been as high as desired by users of these cargo containers.

One drawback of this method is that placing additional insulating materials on the interior of the container reduces the interior dimensions of the cargo container.

In turn, reducing the interior dimensions of the cargo container reduces the amount of space available for cargo.

In addition, insulating materials located on the interior of a cargo container can also be subject to damage from the placement of cargo in the containers.

This also reduces the thermal efficiency of the cargo container.

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