Method of processing a refrigerated container and a refrigerated container

Abstract

The application discloses a processing method of a refrigerated container and the refrigerated container. The processing method comprises steps S1, S3 and S5. The step S1 is to form a pre-foaming piece by pre-foaming. The step S3 is to arrange the pre-foaming piece in a groove and cover the opening of the groove by a cover plate, so as to form a foaming cavity in the groove. The step S5 is to inject a foaming material into the foaming cavity and to foaming for the second time. Thus, the pre-foaming piece is formed by pre-foaming before the second foaming, and the pre-foaming piece is arranged in the groove in advance, so as to fill part of the groove. Therefore, the pre-foaming piece and the second foaming layer can fill the space surrounded by the groove and the cover plate as much as possible during the second foaming, the possibility of heat leakage of the refrigerated container is reduced as much as possible, and the heat preservation performance of the container is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of containers, and more specifically to processing methods for refrigerated containers and refrigerated containers. Background Technology

[0002] Existing refrigerated containers consist of a container body. The container body includes walls. The walls include a base frame, side walls, end walls, and top walls. Before the base frame, side walls, end walls, and top walls are welded to form the container body, foaming material needs to be injected into the interior of the walls for the first foaming process to form a primary foam layer inside the walls.

[0003] The inner surface of the housing has grooves. The housing also includes a sealing plate. The sealing plate covers the opening of the grooves to form a foaming cavity. The sealing plate is provided with an injection port. Foaming material can be injected into the foaming cavity through the injection port to perform a second foaming.

[0004] However, due to the fixed position of the injection port and the elongated structure of the foam cavity, the foaming material injected into the cavity may not reach areas far from the injection port. Consequently, the second foaming process may not completely fill the cavity or form a complete closed-cell bubble (i.e., the bubble is defective). In refrigerated containers, areas without a foaming layer or with defective bubbles within the foam cavity may experience heat leakage (heat loss).

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a processing method for a refrigerated container and a refrigerated container to at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The summary section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed embodiments section. This summary section is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solutions.

[0007] To at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a processing method for a refrigerated container. The refrigerated container includes a container body, and the inner surface of the ends of the container body is provided with grooves. The processing method includes:

[0008] Step S1: Pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part;

[0009] Step S3: Place the pre-foamed part in the groove and cover the opening of the groove with the sealing plate to form a foamed cavity in the groove;

[0010] Step S5: Inject foaming material into the foaming cavity and perform a second foaming.

[0011] According to the processing method of the refrigerated container of this application, before the second foaming, a pre-foamed part is formed by pre-foaming, and the pre-foamed part is pre-set in the groove to fill part of the groove. In this way, during the second foaming, the pre-foamed part and the secondary foaming layer can be composed of complete closed-cell foam as much as possible, and fill the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate as much as possible, thereby minimizing heat leakage of the refrigerated container and improving the insulation performance of the container. In addition, the amount of material injected during the second foaming is reduced, the foaming pressure is reduced, the clamping force is reduced, the foaming time is shortened, the waste of foaming material is avoided, and the service life of the mold is extended.

[0012] Optionally, the pre-foamed part is bonded to the groove, and the pre-foamed part and the sealing plate are spaced apart to form a foam cavity.

[0013] Optionally, in step S1, a sealing plate is used as part of the pre-foaming mold to pre-foam to form a pre-foamed part, so that the sealing plate and the pre-foamed part are constructed as a single piece.

[0014] Optionally, the preset thickness of the pre-foamed part is ≤ 1 / 2 of the thickness of the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate.

[0015] Optionally, in step S1, PE film, Teflon film, or kraft paper can be used for demolding.

[0016] Optionally, the foaming material used in the pre-foamed part is the same as the foaming material used in the second foaming.

[0017] Optionally, the difference Δ between the density of the pre-foamed component and the density of the secondary foamed layer formed by the second foaming is ≤3kg / m³.

[0018] Optionally, step S1 includes pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part blank, and trimming the outer surface of the pre-foamed part blank to form a pre-foamed part.

[0019] Optionally, step S1 employs closed-mold foaming.

[0020] This application also provides a refrigerated container, which is processed by the aforementioned refrigerated container processing method.

[0021] According to the refrigerated container of this application, the refrigerated container is processed by the aforementioned refrigerated container processing method. Before the second foaming, a pre-foamed part is formed by pre-foaming, and the pre-foamed part is pre-set in the groove to fill part of the groove. In this way, during the second foaming, the pre-foamed part and the secondary foaming layer can be composed of complete closed-cell foam as much as possible, and fill the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate as much as possible, thereby minimizing heat leakage of the refrigerated container and improving the insulation performance of the container. In addition, the amount of material injected during the second foaming is reduced, the foaming pressure is reduced, the clamping force is reduced, the foaming time is shortened, the waste of foaming material is avoided, and the service life of the mold is extended. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To make the advantages of this application more readily apparent, the application briefly described above will be described in more detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of this application and should not be considered as limiting its scope of protection. The application is described and explained with additional features and details through the drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a refrigerated container manufactured according to the processing method of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of step S1 in the processing method of refrigerated containers;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the processing method of the refrigerated container, showing the execution of step S3 in the groove of the side wall;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The processing method of refrigerated containers; a cross-sectional view of the completed refrigerated container cut open at point AA.

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The processing method of refrigerated containers; a cross-sectional view of the completed refrigerated container cut open at BB.

[0028] Figure 6 To execute Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the production line layout for processing refrigerated containers;

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the processing method for refrigerated containers; and

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating step S1 of the processing method for a refrigerated container according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0032] 110: Pre-foamed box; 111: End cap

[0033] 112: Top wall; 113: Side wall

[0034] 114: Inner surface; 115: Base frame

[0035] 120: Groove; 130: Sealing plate

[0036] 140: High-pressure nozzle; 150: Pre-expanded foam component

[0037] 151: Spray painting station; 152: Inspection station

[0038] 153: Sealing plate installation station; 154: Second foaming station

[0039] 155: Output station; 160: Lower mold

[0040] 161: Formwork support; 240: High-pressure nozzle

[0041] 250: Pre-expanded foam part; 260: Lower mold

[0042] 261: Support mold; 262: Upper mold Detailed Implementation

[0043] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of this application may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described to avoid confusion with embodiments of this application.

[0044] The preferred embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0045] In this document, ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” used in this application are merely identifiers and do not include any other meaning, such as a specific order.

[0046] To fully understand the embodiments of this application, a detailed structure will be presented in the following description. Obviously, the implementation of the embodiments of this application is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art. Preferred embodiments of this application are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, this application may also include other embodiments.

[0047] First Implementation Method

[0048] This embodiment provides a processing method for refrigerated containers. Please refer to... Figures 1 to 6A refrigerated container includes a container body. The container body includes walls. The walls include a base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and a top wall 112. The base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112 are generally rectangular parallelepiped structures. The end walls are located at the ends 111 of the container body. The side walls 113 are located on the sides of the container body. Before the base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112 are welded to form the container body, foaming material needs to be injected into the interior of each of the base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112 to form a primary foam layer inside the wall body.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, the inner surface 114 of the wall is recessed towards the outer surface along the thickness direction of the wall to form a groove 120. Grooves 120 are provided on the base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112. After the base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112 are welded to form a box, some of the grooves 120 are located near the ends 111 of the box. When the base frame 115, side walls 113, end walls, and top wall 112 are welded to form the box, the inner surface 114 of the wall is closer to the center of the box than the outer surface of the wall. The box also includes a sealing plate 130. The sealing plate 130 is used to cover the opening of the groove 120. The sealing plate 130 is connected to the inner surface 114 of the wall by rivets. The sealing plate 130 can be an aluminum alloy plate. The grooves 120 are located at the junctions of different walls. In this way, the foam layer (including the pre-foamed part 150 and the secondary foam layer) set in the groove 120 can seal the gaps between different walls to prevent heat leakage from the box.

[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, the processing method includes steps S1, S3 and S5.

[0051] Step S1: Pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part 150.

[0052] The refrigerated container production line includes pre-foaming molds. Pre-foaming can be performed using these molds to form pre-foamed components 150.

[0053] Step S3 is executed after step S1.

[0054] Step S3: Place the pre-foamed part 150 in the groove 120 and cover the opening of the groove 120 with the sealing plate 130 to form a foamed cavity.

[0055] like Figure 3As shown, after the base frame 115, side wall 113, and top wall 112 are welded to form a generally rectangular structure (pre-foamed box 110), the pre-foamed component 150 can be placed in the groove 120 located at the end of the pre-foamed box 110, and a sealing plate 130 is installed at the end 111 of the pre-foamed box 110 so that the sealing plate 130 connects to the inner surface 114 of the wall, thereby covering the opening of the groove 120. The pre-foamed component 150 fills part of the space enclosed by the groove 120 and the sealing plate 130. In this way, the remaining part of the space enclosed by the groove 120 and the sealing plate 130 constitutes a foamed cavity.

[0056] Step S5 is executed after step S3.

[0057] Step S5: Inject foaming material into the foaming cavity and perform a second foaming.

[0058] The refrigerated container production line includes a high-pressure nozzle 140. Injection ports (not shown) can be pre-installed in the wall. After the sealing plate 130 covers the opening of the groove 120, foaming material can be injected into the foaming cavity through the injection port via the high-pressure nozzle 140. The foaming material undergoes a second foaming within the foaming cavity to form a secondary foam layer. The secondary foam layer fills the foaming cavity, ensuring that the pre-foamed component 150 and the secondary foam layer completely fill the space enclosed by the sealing plate 130 and the groove 120.

[0059] The production line also includes a secondary foaming mold. During the second foaming, a secondary foaming mold can be installed inside the pre-foaming box 110. The secondary foaming mold is used to apply a molding force (clamping force) to the sealing plate 130, thereby pressing the sealing plate 130 against the inner surface 114 of the wall under the action of the molding force, thus overcoming the force (foaming pressure) exerted on the sealing plate 130 by the foamed material during the second foaming.

[0060] Before the second foaming, a pre-foamed part 150 is formed by pre-foaming and is pre-placed within the groove 120 to fill a portion of the groove 120. This reduces the amount of foaming material required for the second foaming (foaming material injection volume), effectively lowering the foaming pressure and clamping force of the secondary foaming mold. The reduced clamping force effectively minimizes damage to the secondary foaming mold and extends its service life. Furthermore, the reduced foaming material injection volume significantly improves demolding time, thereby increasing production efficiency.

[0061] On the other hand, pre-foamed parts 150 are pre-installed at key locations where problems are prone to occur (grooves 120). This reduces the probability of significant heat leakage in the housing due to poor quality of the secondary foam layer formed during the second foaming process, since the pre-foamed parts 150 have better foam quality. The demolding time is the time from the start of injecting foaming material into the foaming cavity until the secondary foam layer is formed, and from the time the secondary foaming mold can be removed.

[0062] The secondary foaming layer formed by the second foaming can be integrated with the pre-foamed part 150 so that the foaming material of the second foaming and the material of the pre-foamed part 150 are mixed, thereby making the secondary foaming layer and the pre-foamed part 150 a whole, thus improving the insulation performance of the refrigerated container.

[0063] In this embodiment, before the second foaming, a pre-foamed component 150 is formed by pre-foaming, and the pre-foamed component 150 is pre-set in the groove 120 to fill part of the groove 120. In this way, during the second foaming, the pre-foamed component 150 and the secondary foaming layer can fill the space enclosed by the groove 120 and the sealing plate 130 as much as possible, thereby minimizing the possibility of heat leakage from the refrigerated container and improving the heat preservation performance of the container.

[0064] Optionally, in step S1, the sealing plate 130 is used as part of the pre-foaming mold to pre-foam to form a pre-foamed part 150, so that the sealing plate 130 and the pre-foamed part 150 are constructed as a single piece.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 2 Step S1 employs closed-mold foaming. Specifically, the refrigerated container production line also includes release fabric and fixtures. The pre-foaming mold includes a lower mold 160, a support mold 161, and a sealing plate 130. The sealing plate 130 constitutes the upper mold of the pre-foaming mold. The lower mold 160 is placed on a bracket (not shown). The support mold 161 is placed on the lower mold 160 to form a pre-foaming groove. Release fabric is laid in the pre-foaming groove. The sealing plate 130 covers the opening of the foaming groove. In this way, the release fabric and the upper mold form a closed foaming space. The lower mold 160, support mold 161, and upper mold, which are connected together, are pushed into the fixture and clamped by the fixture. Foaming material is injected into the foaming space through a high-pressure nozzle 140, and pre-foamed by curing and cooling to form a pre-foamed part 150. The process is as follows: Figure 2 As indicated by the arrow. At this point, the sealing plate 130 and the pre-foamed part 150 are connected together to form a single unit. Therefore, when the sealing plate 130 covers the opening of the groove 120, the pre-foamed part 150 can be placed within the groove 120, reducing processing steps and increasing production efficiency. Furthermore, closed-mold foaming can improve the foam quality of the pre-foamed part 150.

[0066] Optionally, in step S1, PE (polyethylene) film, Teflon film, or kraft paper is used as a release cloth for demolding. No release agent is used in step S1. This facilitates the bonding between the pre-foamed part 150 and the groove 120. It also facilitates the fusion of a portion of the pre-foamed part 150 with the secondary foaming layer, resulting in a strong fusion between the portion of the pre-foamed part 150 and the secondary foaming layer.

[0067] Optionally, the foaming material used in the pre-foamed part 150 is the same as that used in the second foaming. This allows the pre-foamed part 150 to integrate better with the secondary foaming layer.

[0068] Optionally, the difference Δ between the density of the pre-foamed component 150 and the density of the secondary foamed layer formed by the second foaming can be controlled by adjusting the foaming parameters during pre-foaming (e.g., including the injection volume) and the foaming parameters during the second foaming. This allows the pre-foamed component 150 to integrate better with the secondary foamed layer.

[0069] Optionally, step S1 includes pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part blank and trimming the outer surface of the pre-foamed part blank to form a pre-foamed part 150.

[0070] After the pre-foamed part preform is formed, its outer surface can be trimmed. For example, the edges of the pre-foamed part preform can be trimmed, removing the crust and any parts with poor foam quality. This increases the surface roughness of the pre-foamed part 150, making it easier for it to adhere to the groove 120 and facilitating the fusion of the pre-foamed part 150 with the secondary foaming layer. Furthermore, removing parts with poor foam quality improves the overall foam quality of the pre-foamed part 150.

[0071] Optionally, the preset thickness of the pre-expanded foam 150 is ≤ 1 / 2 of the thickness of the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate. This improves the foam quality of the pre-expanded foam 150.

[0072] In this article, the thickness dimension of a structure (which can be a space or a component) is the dimension along the thickness direction of the wall in which the structure is located.

[0073] Optionally, before step S3, the processing method further includes a spraying step of spraying and heating the outer surface of the housing.

[0074] The spraying process includes spraying the outer surface of the pre-foamed housing 110. Specifically, the outer surfaces of the side walls 113 and the top wall 112 are sprayed. After spraying the outer surface of the pre-foamed housing 110, the pre-foamed housing 110 is heated after the paint has been applied. As a result, the pre-foamed component 150 subsequently placed in the groove 120 can better connect to the groove 120.

[0075] Optionally, after the painting process, the processing method for refrigerated containers includes a step of checking the painting quality of the refrigerated containers.

[0076] like Figure 6 As shown, the production line pre-foamed container 110 is arranged horizontally. The production line includes a spraying station 151, an inspection station 152, a sealing plate installation station 153, a second foaming station 154, and an output station 155, arranged sequentially along the horizontal direction. The pre-foamed container 110 is conveyed to the spraying station 151 to complete the spraying step. It is then conveyed to the inspection station 152 to complete the step of inspecting the spraying quality of the refrigerated container. It is then conveyed to the sealing plate installation station 153 to perform step S3, thereby installing the sealing plate 130; then it is conveyed to the second foaming station 154 for a second foaming, and then conveyed away via the output station 155.

[0077] Optionally, please return Figure 4 and Figure 5 The groove 120 includes a connected horizontal groove and a vertical groove. The length direction of the horizontal groove is parallel to the width direction of the pre-foamed container 110. The horizontal groove is located on the top wall 112 and the base frame 115. The length direction of the vertical groove is parallel to the height direction of the pre-foamed container 110. The vertical groove extends vertically. The vertical groove is located on the side wall 113. Pre-foamed components 150 are provided in both the horizontal and vertical grooves. This further enhances the insulation performance of the refrigerated container.

[0078] Optionally, after step S3 and before step S5, the sidewalls 113 and top wall 112 can be sprayed with markings and the pre-foaming box 110 can be heated at the second foaming station 154, so that the second foaming can be carried out quickly.

[0079] This application also provides a refrigerated container. The refrigerated container is manufactured using the aforementioned processing method.

[0080] In this embodiment, the refrigerated container is processed by the aforementioned processing method. Before the second foaming, a pre-foamed part 150 is formed by pre-foaming, and the pre-foamed part 150 is pre-set in the groove 120 to fill part of the groove 120. In this way, during the second foaming, the pre-foamed part 150 and the secondary foaming layer can fill the space enclosed by the groove 120 and the sealing plate 130 as much as possible, thereby minimizing the possibility of heat leakage from the refrigerated container and improving the heat preservation performance of the container.

[0081] Second Implementation Method

[0082] Please refer to Figure 8In the second embodiment, the pre-foaming mold includes a lower mold 260, a support mold 261, and an upper mold 262. The sealing plate and the upper mold 262 are two independent components. The lower mold 260 is mounted on a bracket (not shown). The support mold 261 is mounted on the lower mold 260 to form a pre-foaming groove. A release cloth is laid in the pre-foaming groove. The upper mold 262 is used to cover the opening of the foaming groove. This forms a closed foaming space. The lower mold 260, support mold 261, and upper mold 262, which are connected together, are pushed into a fixture and clamped by the fixture. Foaming material is injected into the foaming space through a high-pressure nozzle 240, and pre-foamed by curing and cooling to form a pre-foamed part 250. The process is as follows. Figure 8 The arrow points to this point. At this time, the sealing plate and the pre-foamed component 250 are two independent parts.

[0083] The pre-foamed component 250 is bonded to the bottom and sides of the groove using an adhesive (e.g., a two-component polyurethane adhesive). When the sealing plate closes the opening of the groove, the sealing plate and the pre-foamed component 250 are spaced apart. The sealing plate and the pre-foamed component 250 are in a non-contact state. The space between the sealing plate and the pre-foamed component 250 forms a foam cavity. The sealing plate and the wall may be provided with injection ports for injecting foaming material into the foam cavity. Along the thickness direction of the wall, the bottom surface of the groove and the inner surface of the wall are spaced apart. The bottom surface of the groove connects to the inner surface of the wall through its side surface.

[0084] In step S3, the pre-foamed part 250 is first placed in the groove and adhered to the bottom and sides of the groove, and then the sealing plate is installed. Thus, the pre-foamed part 250 and the sealing plate can be produced and transported independently. The production process is simple.

[0085] The other settings of the second embodiment are largely the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0086] This application has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this application to the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of this application, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed in this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0087] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Terms such as “component” as used herein may refer to a single part or a combination of multiple parts. Terms such as “installation” or “installation” as used herein may refer to a component being directly attached to another component or a component being attached to another component via an intermediary. A feature described in one embodiment herein may be applied, alone or in combination with other features, to another embodiment, unless that feature is not applicable in that other embodiment or is otherwise stated.

Claims

1. A processing method for refrigerated containers, characterized in that, The refrigerated container includes a container body, and the inner surface of the end of the wall of the container body is provided with a groove. The processing method includes: Step S1: Pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part; Step S3: Place the pre-foamed component in the groove and cover the opening of the groove with a sealing plate to form a foam cavity in the groove. The pre-foamed component fills part of the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate, and the other part of the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate constitutes the foam cavity. Step S5: Inject foaming material into the foamed cavity and perform a second foaming; Before the wall is welded to form the box body, foaming material is injected into the interior of the wall and a first foaming process is performed to form a primary foam layer located inside the wall body.

2. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-foamed component is bonded to the groove, and the pre-foamed component and the sealing plate are spaced apart to form the foamed cavity.

3. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the sealing plate is used as part of the pre-foaming mold to pre-foam the pre-foamed part, so that the sealing plate and the pre-foamed part are constructed as a single unit.

4. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset thickness of the pre-foamed component is ≤ 1 / 2 of the thickness of the space enclosed by the groove and the sealing plate.

5. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, PE film, Teflon film, or kraft paper are used for demolding.

6. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foaming material used in the pre-foamed part is the same as the foaming material used in the second foaming.

7. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The difference Δ between the density of the pre-foamed component and the density of the secondary foamed layer formed by the second foaming is ≤3 kg / m³.

8. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S1 includes pre-foaming to form a pre-foamed part blank, and trimming the outer surface of the pre-foamed part blank to form the pre-foamed part.

9. The processing method for refrigerated containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S1 employs closed-mold foaming.

10. A refrigerated container, characterized in that, The refrigerated container is processed by the refrigerated container processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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