Heat-insulating container box

Abstract

To provide a heat-insulating container box having a simple structure which is lightweight, and has an inner surface that does not get dirty, and which comprises a door-opening / closing structure which is easily operable via wing doors and side flaps.SOLUTION: A heat-insulating container box comprises: a body of a rectangular parallelepiped basic structure made of thermoplastic foam constituted through combination of a bottom plate, a front plate 12, a rear plate 13 and an upper plate 14; and opening / closing doors. Therein, each of the opening / closing doors is constituted while divided into: a pair of stay assemblies 40 including two wing doors 15, 16 which are rotatably supported at both ends of the upper plate 14 and respective ones of which are engaged with substantially each bottom plate side of the front plate 12 and the rear plate 13 of the body, rotatably about an axial direction being an advancing direction as of when a vehicle is loaded; and two side flaps 17, 18 which are engaged with the other ends of the wing doors above both ends of the side flaps, rotatably about the axial direction being the advancing direction as of when the vehicle is loaded. Therein the side flaps 17, 18 each have a structure which can be retained in a state of being open below the bottom plate while keeping the outer surface of the heat-insulating container box closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat-insulating container box having a door that can be opened and closed. [Background technology]

[0002] Insulated container boxes have the advantages of keeping things cool, keeping things warm, keeping things moist, and being airtight, so they are used on vehicles to transport fresh produce such as vegetables harvested from farms to processing plants where excess leaves are removed, washed, and packaged, and to transport the produce from processing plants to sales outlets. Fresh produce such as vegetables are loaded and unloaded into the insulated container boxes in baskets. When loading and unloading the baskets, the doors of the insulated container boxes need to be opened, but if they are double doors that open and close horizontally to the ground, this poses no practical problems.

[0003] However, it is important to keep vegetables and other perishables fresh, and when they are harvested in the fields and placed in baskets for loading, they need to be shaded from direct sunlight to prevent drying, but double doors do not act as awnings. Also, when workers are loading and unloading, if the double doors are in the line of movement of the workers, they get in the way. Therefore, a structure that acts as a awning and can be evacuated from the line of movement of the workers was needed.

[0004] To address this issue, there is a method of using so-called wing doors, which hold the door approximately horizontally on approximately the top surface of the container box. Patent Document 1 shows a first example of an embodiment of a method of using wing doors, in which the wing door is rotated upward around an engagement part that engages the container box body and the wing door, which is approximately on the top surface of the container box and is axially arranged in the traveling direction when loaded onto a vehicle, and a gas spring is used to hold the wing door in an open state, thereby providing it with the function of a canopy.

[0005] Patent Document 2 is a second example of an embodiment of a method using a wing door, in which the wing door is folded upwards and rotated by a biasing means located on approximately the top surface of the container box and a wire connected to the biasing means and the wing door, using an engagement portion that engages the container box body and the foldable divided wing door as a fulcrum, the engagement portion being axially arranged on approximately the top surface of the container box in the direction of travel when loaded onto a vehicle, and the biasing means and a wire connected to the wing door, thereby providing the wing door with the function of a canopy and the function of moving out of the way of workers.

[0006] Patent Document 3 is a third example of an embodiment of a method using a wing door, in which the container box body and the wing door are composed of insulating material, lining panels glued to both sides of it, and a thin aluminum plate (FRP plate or other bendable plate), and the wing door can be rotated upwards around an engagement part that engages the container box body and the wing door, which is roughly on the top surface of the container box and is axially arranged in the direction of travel when loaded onto a vehicle, and is given the function of a canopy and the function of being able to move out of the way of workers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7162808 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3621289 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-76287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, workers transport fresh produce such as vegetables harvested from farmland to processing plants multiple times a day. Therefore, in order to load and unload baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables, the wing doors must be opened and closed each time, and the opening and closing operation of the wing doors must be performed with light force and in a short time. In addition, the bottoms of the baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables harvested from farmland are dirty with mud from the farmland. When transporting boxed vegetables for sale from the processing plant to the sales outlet, a structure is required that does not soil the inside of the container box in order to prevent the boxes for sale from becoming dirty.

[0009] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the wing door is opened and closed by a gas spring, but the structure is complicated, and since the container box body and the wing door are made of thin plates, the gas spring can be fixed relatively easily with a screw, but on the other hand, the door does not provide thermal insulation and is heavy, which causes problems of poor operability. In addition, as the wing door is made shorter and smaller to reduce weight, a gate structure is provided that holds the door approximately horizontally on the approximately lower surface of the container box, but the upper surface of the gate when opened horizontally as described above becomes dirty due to dragging of baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables and rainwater when loading and unloading the baskets, and as a result, the inner surface of the container box becomes dirty when closed. Furthermore, the gate is located in the line of movement of workers, so it is a problem that it interferes with work.

[0010] In addition, in Patent Document 2, the wing door is opened and closed by a biasing means that generates a biasing force to open the wing door, but the structure is complicated, and since the container box body and the wing door are made of thin plates, the biasing means can be fixed relatively easily with screws, but on the other hand, it does not provide thermal insulation.In addition, since the wing door is made up of the entire side plate of the container box, it is heavy and has poor operability.

[0011] In Patent Document 3, the sides of the insulated container box are made of insulating material, lining panels glued to both sides of the insulating material, and a thin aluminum plate (FRP plate or other bendable plate). Although the box has insulating properties, the structure is complex, and the entire side panels of the container box form wing doors, which results in problems such as heavy weight and poor operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems associated with the above-mentioned technology, and has an object to provide an insulated container box with a simple structure that includes wing doors that act as eaves and are lightweight and therefore easy to open and close, and a door opening and closing structure with side flaps that are positioned out of the way of workers and do not soil the inner surface of the insulated box.

[0013] The first solution of the present invention is an insulated container box comprising a main body having four surfaces, namely a bottom plate, front plate, rear plate, and top plate, all made of a thermoplastic resin foam such as expanded polystyrene (expanded polystyrene resin), and side plates (also called side doors) made of thermoplastic resin foam arranged to cover both side surfaces of the main body, wherein at least one of the side plates on both sides mentioned above is composed of a movable wing door and a side flap that moves separately from the wing door, and the wing door is engaged with one end of the insulated container box main body and the top plate of the main body and one end of the wing door by hinge parts so that it can freely rotate with the axial direction being the direction of travel when mounted on the vehicle, and is also connected to the front and rear plates of the main body and the inner side of the wing door via a pair of stays (stay assembly) that can hold the wing door in an open and closed state.

[0014] The side flaps are arranged on the bottom side of the front and rear panels of the insulated container box body so that they can rotate parallel to or perpendicular to the axis of the container box when the direction of travel of the container box when loaded on a vehicle is taken as the axial direction, and when the side flaps are opened, they move downward along the side of the container box body or in the direction of travel of the container box when loaded on a vehicle while keeping their outer faces facing outward when closed. In other words, the side flaps are opened and closed with their inner faces always facing inward.

[0015] Furthermore, each wing door and side flap constitutes a side panel of the container box so that when closed, the stepped lower end of the wing door overlaps on the outside and the upper end of the side flap overlaps on the inside at a position higher than the upper end of the truck tailgate.

[0016] In addition, in the first aspect of the present invention, when the box is used as an insulated container box, the wing doors and side flaps are closed and pressed against the main body of the insulated container box to form a sealed space. When loading and unloading cargo, the wing doors are lifted upward around the hinge parts engaged with the main body so as to be rotatable, while the pair of stay assemblies hold the wing doors above the insulated container box. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, when loading and unloading goods into the insulated container box, the wing door can be opened and closed without retracting the side flaps, so that when loading and unloading a basket containing relatively light vegetables or other fresh produce, only the wing door needs to be opened and closed, making the opening and closing operation even easier. When loading and unloading a basket containing relatively heavy vegetables or other fresh produce, the basket is slid along the bottom of the main body, but the side flaps are retracted downward from the side of the main body or in the direction of travel when loaded onto the vehicle, so that loading and unloading workability is good, and since the inner surface of the side flaps does not come into contact with the basket containing vegetables or other fresh produce and is not exposed to rainwater, the inner surface of the main body is not soiled, and the box for sale can be transported cleanly. This makes it possible to provide an insulated container box that has the function of a canopy and insulation, is simple in structure, lightweight, and has easy opening and closing operations of the wing doors and side flaps, and the inside is not easily soiled.

[0018] (Another solution according to the present invention) In a second aspect of the present invention, the insulated container box body and one of the side flaps are engaged with the front and rear panels of the main body and one of the side flaps at one end of a pair of link arms, and the other end of the link arm is engaged above and near both end faces of the one of the side flaps so as to be rotatable about an axial direction that corresponds to the traveling direction when the side flaps are mounted on a vehicle. When the side flaps are opened, they move downward along the side of the insulated container box while maintaining the outer surface thereof facing outward when closed. In other words, the side flaps are opened and closed with the inner surface thereof always facing inward.

[0019] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the side flaps are engaged at the top near both end faces, and the bottom ends are freely rotatable, so that the side flaps can move to the outside of the side flap of the open truck while maintaining the outer faces facing outward when closed under their own weight, and the upper end faces of the side flaps can be easily placed at a position approximately at the same height or lower than the loading surface of the light truck. In other words, the loading and unloading work can be smoothly performed by sliding baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables along the inner surface of the bottom plate without impeding the movement of workers, and the inner surfaces of the side flaps do not come into contact with the baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables, and are not exposed to rainwater, so the inner surface of the main body does not get dirty, and the sales boxes can be transported cleanly.

[0020] In a third aspect of the present invention, one side flap is divided vertically into a plurality of lower side plates, and at least one of the lower side plates constituting the side flap is engaged with one end of the front plate of the main body or one end of the rear plate of the main body by a first hinge part so as to be rotatable about an axial direction that corresponds to the top-to-bottom direction when mounted on a vehicle.Furthermore, each of the lower side plates can be folded at its divided position so as to be rotatable about an axial direction that corresponds to the top-to-bottom direction when mounted on a vehicle, and is engaged with a second hinge part so that the inner sides of the lower side plates can abut against each other while facing each other.

[0021] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the side flaps are opened and closed smoothly with a very light force because they are structured to move horizontally. Furthermore, the inside surfaces of the side flaps, which form the inside surfaces of the insulated container box body, do not become the front (outside) side even when the side flaps are open, which is an advantage because baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables harvested from farmland can be kept clean and not soiled when loaded onto the body.

[0022] The fourth means of the present invention is that at least one or more surfaces of the bottom panel, front panel, rear panel, top panel, wing door, and side flap of the main body of the insulated container box are coated (lined) with a resin compound.

[0023] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the surface of a foam made of a thermoplastic resin foam is coated with a coating material of a resin compound such as polyurea resin, which has the advantage of preventing the foam from splitting and breaking and improving its rigidity and strength. Furthermore, coating the surface has the advantage of improving waterproofing, wear resistance, and sliding properties. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an entirety of a first embodiment of a heat-insulating container box according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an insulated container box of the present invention, seen from the bottom side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, in which one of the wing doors is not shown. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line GG in FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall heat-insulating container box of the present invention when mounted on a vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing an entire heat-insulating container box of the present invention mounted on a vehicle with a wing door and a side flap open in a first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK in FIG. 9 . [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a stay assembly that supports a wing door in an insulated container box of the present invention, in which (a) is a detailed oblique view showing the state of the stay assembly when the wing door is closed, and (b) is a detailed oblique view showing the state of the stay assembly when the wing door is rotated upward and opened. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of one of the side flaps in a first embodiment of the insulated container box of the present invention, where (a) is a detailed oblique view of the side flap when viewed from inside the insulated container box in a closed state, and (b) is a detailed oblique view of the side flap when lowered downward to the side and opened when viewed from outside the insulated container box. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a process of opening the wing door in the first embodiment of the insulated container box of the present invention, in which the wing door has been rotated upward and opened. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the process of opening the side flaps in the first embodiment of the insulated container box of the present invention, in which the side flaps have been lowered downward on the sides and opened. [Figure 15] 5A and 5B are perspective views of modified side flaps in the first embodiment of the insulated container box of the present invention, in which (a) shows the closed state and (b) shows the open state. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the whole of a second embodiment of an insulated container box according to the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of one side flap in the second embodiment of the insulated container box of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the entire insulated container box according to a second embodiment of the present invention with the wing doors and side flaps open. [Figure 19]11A and 11B are diagrams showing the process of opening the wing doors and side flaps in the second embodiment of the insulated container box of the invention, where (a) shows the wing doors in an open state, (b) shows the side flaps being opened while being folded, and (c) shows the wing doors and side flaps in a completely open state. [Figure 20] 1 is a photograph showing the state in which an insulated container box of the present invention is placed in a constant temperature room for a thermal insulation test of an embodiment in which the insulated container box of the present invention is used. [Figure 21] 1 is a photograph showing a test specimen in which a thermocouple for measuring temperature is inserted under the thin skin of a turnip, a fresh vegetable, for an insulation test of an embodiment using the insulated container box of the present invention. [Figure 22] 1 is a photograph showing a state in which test specimen A was placed in a cage installed in an insulated container box for an insulation test of an embodiment using an insulated container box of the present invention. [Diagram 23] As a comparative example, this photograph shows the state in which test specimen B was placed in a basket placed outside an insulated container box in a temperature-controlled room, covered with a blanket, and sprayed with sufficient water. [Figure 24] 1 is a graph showing the results of a heat insulation test for an embodiment using the heat-insulating container box of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a heat-insulating container box according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a view of a heat-insulating container box 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the rear in the direction of travel, and Fig. 2 is a view seen from the front in the direction of travel, showing a state in which wing doors 15, 16 and side flaps 17, 18 on both sides are closed. With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, the heat-insulating container box 100 has a main body 10 (see Fig. 4) whose basic structure is made up of a rectangular parallelepiped bottom plate 11, a front plate 12 arranged upward from an end of the bottom plate 11, a rear plate 13 arranged upward from an end opposite to the front plate 12, and an upper plate 14 provided to connect the upper ends of the front plate 12 and the rear plate 13.

[0027] Furthermore, side doors 5 and 6 are provided on both sides of the main body 10 as side panels, the side door 5 being divided into a wing door 15 and a side flap 17, and the side door 6 being divided into a wing door 16 and a side flap 18. The insulated container box 100 is configured by providing two wing doors 15 and 16 engaged via resin (e.g., polypropylene) hinge parts 19 and 20 at ends 14a and 14b (see FIG. 5 for locations) of the top panel 14, a pair of metal link arms 31 engaged at one end on the front panel 12 and rear panel 13 of the main body so as to be rotatable about a rotation fulcrum part 31a with the traveling direction when mounted on the vehicle as the axial direction, and two side flaps 17 and 18 engaged at both end surfaces of the link arm 31 so as to be rotatable about a rotation fulcrum part 31b at the other end of the link arm 31 with the traveling direction when mounted on the vehicle as the axial direction, on both sides of the main body 10. In place of the resin hinge parts 19 and 20, a plurality of short metal hinges may be used.

[0028] The material of the bottom plate 11, front plate 12, rear plate 13, upper plate 14, wing doors 15, 16, and side flaps 17, 18 is a thermoplastic resin foam such as expanded polystyrene resin with an expansion ratio of 40 to 70, and the surface is coated (also called lining) with a resin compound (for example, polyurea resin manufactured by Shine Kohgei Co., Ltd.). Note that the surfaces of all of the bottom plate 11, front plate 12, rear plate 13, upper plate 14, wing doors 15, 16, and side flaps 17, 18 do not have to be coated with a resin compound, but from the viewpoints of preventing splitting and breaking of the foam and improving rigidity and strength, improving waterproofing, and improving abrasion resistance and sliding properties, it is preferable to coat the entire surface with a resin compound.

[0029] The cross-sectional shapes of the bottom plate 11, the front plate 12, and the top plate 14 are substantially rectangular. The rear plate 13 extends upward from the bottom plate 11 in a substantially rectangular shape, and has a cross-sectional shape that is connected to the top plate 14 with a step that protrudes outward (see FIG. 4).

[0030] The wing doors 15, 16 and side flaps 17, 18 constituting the side doors 5, 6 are divided parallel to the traveling direction when loaded onto the vehicle at a position approximately one-quarter of the way from the bottom plate 11, with the height position being the height from the bottom plate 11 to the top plate 14. However, it is not necessary to be limited to the one-quarter position as long as it is higher than the tailgate 201 of the truck.

[0031] The wing doors 15 and 16 have ends 15a, 16a (see FIG. 5 for location) that are roughly rectangular in cross section, similar to the ends 14a, 14b of the top plate 14, and have curved portions 15b, 16b and flat portions 15c, 16c, and the inner surfaces are stepped down so that the plate thickness of the cross section becomes thinner at stepped portions 15j, 16j midway toward the free ends of the ends 15d, 16d, and extend to the ends 15d, 16d. As a result, a stepped space Q is formed toward the inside of the ends 15d, 16d (see FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 8).

[0032] The side flaps 17 and 18 each have a generally rectangular flat plate shape and have outer surface portions 17a, 18a and inner surface portions 17b, 18b. The upper end surface portions 17d, 18d overlap to engage with the step space Q, and the lower end surface portions 17c, 18c face the bottom plate 11. (See Figures 3, 5, and 8.) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the outer surface portion 17a is provided with a protrusion 17g (the same is true for the side flap 18).

[0033] The top plate 14 and the wing door 15, and the top plate 14 and the wing door 16 are connected by hinge parts for rotatable engagement, and in the case of the top plate 14 and the wing door 15, as an example, they are connected by a hinge part 19 with a fixing screw (not shown) as shown in FIG. 5. The hinge part 19 is a resin part such as polypropylene resin, has a thin groove for bending in the approximate center, and connects the top plate 14 and the wing door 15 with a plurality of fixing screws. Here, the top plate 14 and the wing door 15 are made of a thermoplastic resin foam such as expanded polystyrene resin, and in order to ensure the mounting strength, the top plate 14 and the wing door 15 are respectively fitted with reinforcing beams 23, 24 made of metal such as aluminum or wood, and are fixed to the reinforcing beams 23, 24 with fixing screws. The hinge parts 19, 20 may be so-called metallic hinges.

[0034] Furthermore, mounting fasteners 43, 44 for a pair of front and rear metal stay assemblies 40 are fixed approximately to the upper plate sides of the front and rear plates 12, 13 of the main body and approximately to the upper plate sides of the inner surfaces of the wing doors. As shown in Figure 11(a), the stay assembly 40 has one end of a stay arm 41 and one end of a stay arm 42 rotatably connected by an axle pin 45, the other end of the stay arm 41 is rotatably connected to a mounting fixture 43 fixed to the front panel 12 by the axle pin 45, and the other end of the stay arm 42 is rotatably connected to a mounting fixture 44 fixed to the wing door 15 by the axle pin 45, and the stay arm 41 and the stay arm 42 are stored in a folded state. The fixing members 43, 44 are fixed to the front panel 12, the rear panel 13 and the wing door 15 with fixing screws (not shown), and reinforcing beams made of metal such as aluminum or wood (not shown) are installed inside the front panel 12, the rear panel 13 and the wing door 15 to ensure the mounting strength.

[0035] As a result, when the wing door 15 is rotated around the hinge part 19 and opened to approximately the height of the top plate 14, the stay arms 41 and 42 move from a bent state to a fully extended state as shown in Figure 11(b), and the wing door 15 can be held in that position. In this description, the stay assembly 40 is described as a bent type stay assembly, but it may be a stay assembly that can be extended and extended in the longitudinal direction, or may be a cylinder type gas spring. (The wing door 16, the front panel 12, the rear panel 13, and the stay assembly 40 have the same structure.)

[0036] The front panel 12, the rear panel 13 and the side flap 17, and the front panel 12, the rear panel 13 and the side flap 18 are connected by metal link arms 31 arranged at both ends. One end of each of the four link arms 31 is rotatably held to the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 by axle pins 32 at the rotation fulcrum 31a, and the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 are equipped with reinforcing beams made of metal such as aluminum or wood (not shown) to ensure the mounting strength. Meanwhile, the other end of the link arm 31 is fitted into grooves 17e and 18e near the upper end faces 17d and 18d of the side flaps 17 and 18 on both sides, and is rotatably held by axle pins (not shown) at the rotation fulcrum 31b (see FIG. 12).

[0037] As a result, the side flaps 17 can be opened by lowering them to a position below the bottom plate 11 in a state in which they stand upright in substantially the same way as when they are closed, that is, with the outer surface 17a of the side flaps 17 always facing outward. (The front plate 12, rear plate 13, and link arm 31 of the side flaps 18 also have the same structure.) The opening and closing operations will be described separately later.

[0038] The sealed structure of the insulated container box 100 is closed by lowering the wing doors 15, 16 on both sides of the main body 10 and lifting the side flaps 17, 18 on both sides. At this time, both side end faces 12a, 12b of the front panel 12 and both side end faces 13a, 13b of the rear panel 13 abut against the inner surfaces 15f, 16f of the wing doors 15, 16 and the inner surfaces 17b, 18b of the side flaps 17, 18, respectively, to form a sealed structure (see FIG. 3).

[0039] Fig. 7 shows the insulated container box 100 of the present invention mounted on a light truck, and Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ. When the tailgate 201 of the truck is closed, the outer surface 17a of the side flap 17 shown in Fig. 8 is positioned to fit into the tailgate 201. Furthermore, the protrusion 17g of the side flap 17 abuts against the inner wall 201a of the tailgate, so that the insulated container box 100 is sandwiched and fixed from both sides by the opposite side flap 18 and the tailgate 202 of the truck. In other words, the tailgate 201 presses the wing door 17 against the main body 10, ensuring a tight seal when the truck is traveling, etc. (The same applies to the opposite wing door 18).

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wing door 15 is fixed with fixing levers (not shown) at the fixing parts 15k provided near both ends of the flat part 15c and the fixing parts 12k, 13k on the end faces of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13, so that the inner surface 15f of the wing door 15 is in close contact with each side end face 12a and 13a, and the outer surface 17a of the side flap 17 is in close contact with the inner step flat part 15m in the step space Q of the wing door 15, thereby ensuring a tight seal when the truck is traveling, etc. (See Figure 8, the same applies to the opposite wing door 16)

[0041] FIG. 9 shows the insulated container box 100 of the present invention mounted on a light truck with the wing door and side flaps open in the first embodiment, and FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK. The wing door 15 is fixed and supported at approximately the same height as the top plate 14 by stay assemblies 40 at both ends. The side flaps 17 are engaged by link arms 31 at both ends, and the upper end surface 17d is at approximately the same height or lower than the loading surface 204a of the loading section 204 of the light truck due to its own weight. In other words, loading and unloading work can be smoothly performed by sliding baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables along the inner surface 11a of the bottom plate of the main body 10 without impeding the movement of workers. (The same applies to the opposite wing door 16 and side flap 18.)

[0042] Next, the opening and closing operation of the wing door 15 and the side flap 17 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14. The initial state in which the wing doors 15, 16 and the side flaps 17, 18 of the insulated container box 100 are closed is the state shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 13 shows the state in which the wing door 15 on one side of the insulated container box 100 is open, and further shows the state in which the tailgate 201 of the truck is rotated open. If the basket contains relatively light fresh produce such as vegetables, it can be loaded and unloaded with only the wing door 15 open while the tailgate 201 of the truck and the side flap 17 are closed, so that the opening and closing operation is even easier. Fig. 14 shows the state in which the side flap 17 of the insulated container box 100 is open, and the loading and unloading operation of the basket containing relatively heavy fresh produce such as vegetables can be smoothly performed by sliding it on the inner surface 11a of the bottom plate. Generally, when loading and unloading cargo, one side is often operated, but from the viewpoint of freedom of operation, it is preferable to provide the wing doors and side flaps of the present invention on both sides.

[0043] Next, an operation for holding the wing door 15 of the insulated container box 100 in an open position will be described. The process from the closed state (FIG. 1) of the insulated container box 100 to holding the wing door 15 in an open position will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 13. When an operator removes the fixing levers that fix the fixing parts 15k provided near both ends and the fixing parts 12k, 13k on the end faces of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 from the state shown in FIG. 1, hooks his / her fingers on the handle part (not shown) provided near the tip part 15d of the wing door 15, and lifts it upward while pulling it toward himself / herself, the wing door 15 rotates upward around the hinge part 19 in the direction of arrow R1 and moves to the open position. Next, in accordance with the rotation of the wing door 15, the stay arms 41 and 42 bent so as to be able to be folded upward of the stay assembly 40 shown in Fig. 11(a) rotate around the three pivot pins 45 as the wing door 15 moves, and as shown in Fig. 11(b), the stay arms 41 and 42 bend slightly in the opposite direction (downward) from their nearly straight state, restricting their rotation and fixing them. As a result, the wing door 15 is held in an open position. (The same applies to the opposite wing door 16.) Although the handles are not shown, they may be provided on the flat portion 15c near the tip 15d of the wing door 15, or on both end surfaces.

[0044] Next, an operation for holding the side flaps 17 of the heat-insulating container box 100 in an open position will be described. The process from when the wing door 15 of the heat-insulating container box 100 is open (FIG. 13) to when the side flaps 17 are held open will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. First, the worker opens the wing door 15 upward as shown in FIG. 13, and then rotates the gate 201 in the direction of the arrow R2 to open it. Furthermore, when the worker places his / her fingers on the handle (not shown) provided near the end face 17d at the upper end of the side flap 17 and pulls it toward the user (in the forward direction of the arrow R3 in FIG. 14), the link arms 31 at both ends rotate toward the outside of the main body 10 around the rotation fulcrum 31a by the pivot pin 32. Furthermore, the side flap 17 rotatably engaged at the rotation fulcrum 31b by the pivot pin (not shown) moves downward to the bottom plate 11 on the outside (in the downward direction of the arrow R4 in FIG. 14). Since the pivot pin that engages the side flap 17 with the link arm 31 is located near the upper end surface 17d of the side flap 17, the side flap 17 remains in a substantially vertical state due to its own weight, and moves over the open tailgate 201 of the truck to the open position with the outer surface 17a of the side flap 17 always facing the outside of the insulated container box 100 (FIGS. 12(b) and 14). In other words, the inner surface 17b of the side flap 17 always faces inward, and can be kept clean and uncontaminated by rainwater even when baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables are loaded on the side flap (similar to the opposite side flap 18).

[0045] As described above in detail, according to the first embodiment, when the insulated container box 100 is closed, fresh produce such as vegetables stored inside the insulated container box 100 are covered with a heat insulating layer, so that the freshness of the produce can be maintained during transport. Note that in the above description, the front panel 12 and rear panel 13 of the insulated container box 100 and the wing doors 15, 16 and the side flaps 17, 18 are sealed by abutting the side end faces 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b with the inner surfaces 15f, 16f of the wing doors 15, 16 and the inner surfaces 17b, 18b of the side flaps 17, 18. In addition, the sealing condition of the wing doors 15, 16 and the side flaps 17, 18 has been described as a structure in which the inner step flat portions 15m, 16m and the outer surface portions 17a, 18a are abutted against each other to form a seal, but the sealing performance can be further improved by providing, for example, polyurethane foam, which is a soft foamed sponge, on the abutting surfaces etc. and sealing while clamping them.

[0046] Furthermore, the wing doors 15, 16 are divided into the side flaps 17, 18 to make them compact, so that the weight is light, and even when lifted upward, the opening and closing operations can be easily performed with a relatively light force. Also, if the baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables to be loaded are relatively light, loading and unloading can be performed without opening the side flaps 17, 18. If the baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables to be loaded are relatively heavy, the side flaps 17, 18 must be opened, but the opening and closing operations can be easily performed with a relatively light force. Also, since the upper end portions 17b, 18b of the leading ends can be moved to a position lower than the loading surface 204a of the loading section 204 of the light truck, even relatively heavy baskets can be loaded and unloaded while sliding on the loading surface 204a, and a structure that allows efficient work can be realized. Furthermore, since the inner surfaces 17b, 18b of the side flaps 17, 18 are always positioned on the inside, they can be kept clean and not soiled by rainwater even when loading baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables on farmland, and a structure can be realized that prevents the sales boxes from becoming soiled when boxed vegetables, etc. for sale are transported from a processing factory to a sales outlet.

[0047] In addition, in the first embodiment of the present invention, by installing at least one torsion coil spring in the hinge parts 19, 20 that engage the wing doors 15, 16 and the upper plate 14 so that they can rotate freely, although the structure becomes more complex, it becomes possible to open and close the wing doors 15, 16 more easily with less force.

[0048] Alternatively, in the first embodiment of the present invention, by installing a gas spring (not shown) between the wing doors 15, 16 and at least one of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13, the structure becomes more complex, but it becomes possible to easily open and close the wing doors 15, 16 with less force. Note that it is preferable to fix the gas spring with screws to a metal plate (not shown) that is arranged on the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 by inserting or bonding.

[0049] <Modification of the first embodiment> A modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing the state of the side flap 75 when the insulated container box 100 is sealed, and the side flap 75 is divided into two substantially rectangular pieces, an upper side plate 76 and a lower side plate 77, which have substantially the same dimensions and similar shapes. Furthermore, the lower end face of the upper side plate 76 and the upper end face of the lower side plate 77 are each connected by a hinge part 63 so as to be foldable by rotating in the direction of the arrow T in the figure toward the inner side.

[0050] When the side flap 75 is to be held in the open state, like the side flap 17, the entire side flap 75 is pulled in the direction of the arrow R3 shown in Figures 13 and 14, rotated in the direction of the arrow T in Figure 15(a) and folded, and then moved in the direction of the arrow R4 shown in Figure 14 in accordance with the rotation of the link arms 31 at both ends to open it. In this manner, the upper side plate 76 and the lower side plate 77 are folded inward around the hinge parts 63, with the inner surface portions 76b and 77b coming into contact with each other, and the entire side flap 75 is held outside the gate 201. In this way, only the outer surface 76a of the upper side plate 76 is exposed to the outer surface of the side flap 75, and the inner surfaces 76b, 77b are protected even more than the side flap 17 of the first embodiment. Even when loading baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables on farmland, the baskets can be kept clean without being soiled by rainwater.

[0051] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 16 and 17. The heat-insulating container box 150 has a main body 10, which is a basic structure of a rectangular parallelepiped bottom plate 11, a rectangular parallelepiped front plate 12 arranged upward from an end of the bottom plate 11, a rear plate 13 arranged upward from an end opposite to the front plate 12, and an upper plate 14 provided to connect the upper ends of the front plate 12 and the rear plate 13. Also, two wing doors 15, 16 are provided on both sides of the main body 10, which are engaged with the ends 14a, 14b of the upper plate 14 via hinge parts 19, 20 so as to be rotatable relative to the main body 10 at the ends 14a, 14b.

[0052] Furthermore, side flaps 50, 55 are provided on both sides of the main body 10 so that the side ends 12a, 12b of the front panel 12 and the side ends 13a, 13b of the rear panel 13 can rotate freely in the axial direction in the vertical direction when mounted on the vehicle, that is, in the axial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the hinge parts 19, 20, and the side flap 50 is divided into two side panels 56, 57 at the front and rear approximately in the center toward the traveling direction of the vehicle. Also, the upper end surface portion 50d fits into the step space Q of the inner step flat portion 15m of the wing door 15 in the same way as the side flap 17 (similar to the side flap 55).

[0053] The side flap 50 is made up of four lower side panels, end side panels 51 and 54, which are substantially rectangular and have substantially the same dimensions, and central side panels 52 and 53, and the end side panel 51 has a flap portion 62a fixed to the side end surface 12a of the front panel 12 by a first hinge part 62 so as to be rotatable at its end with the axial direction corresponding to the top-to-bottom direction when mounted on the vehicle. On the other hand, the end side panel 54 has a flap portion 62a fixed to the side end surface 13a of the rear panel 13 by a first hinge part 62 so as to be rotatable at its end with the axial direction corresponding to the top-to-bottom direction when mounted on the vehicle.

[0054] Furthermore, the side plate 56 is composed of the end side plate 51 and the central side plate 52, and the inner surfaces 51b and 52b are connected by the second hinge parts 61 so as to be rotatable about the axial direction that corresponds to the top-bottom direction when mounted on the vehicle, and the inner surfaces 51b and 52b can be folded inward in the direction in which they face each other. Similarly, the side plate 57 is composed of the end side plate 54 and the central side plate 53, and the inner surfaces 54b and 53b are connected by the second hinge parts 61 so as to be rotatable about the axial direction that corresponds to the top-bottom direction when mounted on the vehicle, and the inner surfaces 54b and 53b can be folded inward in the direction in which they face each other.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 17, the inner surface of the central side plate 52 of the side flap 50 is stepped down so that the thickness of the cross-sectional shape at the tip side is thinner, and a protrusion 52c is formed, and the outer surface of the central side plate 53 is stepped down so that the thickness of the cross-sectional shape at the tip side is thinner, and a protrusion 53c is formed. When the container box is closed, the protrusion 52c of the central side plate 52 of the side flap 50 abuts against the protrusion 53c of the central side plate 53. The engagement between the end side plate 51 and the central side plate 52 and the engagement between the end side plate 54 and the central side plate 53 are also the same. As a result, the inner stepped flat portion 15m of the wing door 15 abuts against the outer surface portions 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a of the side flap 50 to form a sealed structure. (See FIG. 8, the same applies to the side flap 55.)

[0056] The side flaps 50, 55 are similarly made of a thermoplastic resin foam such as expanded polystyrene resin with an expansion ratio of 40 to 70 times, and the surface is coated with a resin compound (polyurea resin).

[0057] 18 shows a perspective view of the wing doors 15, 16 and the side flaps 50, 55 in the open state. With respect to the side flap 50, the end side plate 51 rotates outward at the first hinge part 62, and the central side plate 52 rotates inward at the second hinge part 61. In other words, in a state in which the end side plate 51 and the central side plate 52 constituting the side plate 56 are folded in a direction in which the inner surfaces 51b and 52b face each other, the end side plate 51 and the central side plate 52 rotate and move forward of the front plate 12 while maintaining the horizontality in the height direction. Similarly, the end side plate 54 and the central side plate 53 rotate outward at the first hinge part 62, and the central side plate 53 rotates inward at the second hinge part 61. In other words, in a state where the end side plate 54 and the central side plate 53 constituting the side plate 57 are folded in a direction in which the inner surface portions 54b and 53b face each other, the end side plate 54 and the central side plate 53 rotate and move forward of the rear plate 13 while maintaining the height direction horizontal (the same applies to the side flaps 55).

[0058] The method of opening the wing door 15 and the side flap 50 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 19. First, the method of opening the wing door 15 is exactly the same as that in the first embodiment, and as shown in Fig. 19(a), the lock of the wing door 15 is released from the state in Fig. 16 by operating the fixed levers (not shown) at both ends. After that, when the wing door 15 is lifted while being pulled toward the front with the fingers hooked on the handles (not shown) provided near the tip 15d of the wing door 15, the wing door 15 rotates upward around the hinge parts 19 in the direction of the arrow S1, moves to the open position, and is held by the stay assembly 40.

[0059] To open the side flap 50, rotate the flap 201 in the direction of the arrow S2 and lower it, and pull the vicinity of the joint between the end side plate 51 and the center side plate 52 and the vicinity of the joint between the end side plate 54 and the center side plate 53 in the direction of the arrow S3 in the figure, and press the end side plate 51 and the center side plate 52, and the end side plate 54 and the center side plate 53 in the direction of the front plate 12 and the rear plate 13 in the direction of S4 shown in FIG. 19(b) so as to fold them. As a result, the inner surface 51b of the end side plate 51 and the inner surface 52b of the center side plate 52 are folded in opposing directions and come into contact. Similarly, the end side plate 54 and the center side plate 53 are folded in opposing directions so that the inner surface 54b and the inner surface 53b come into contact (FIG. 19(c)).

[0060] According to the second embodiment, the side flaps 50, 55 are structured to move horizontally when opened and closed, so that the opening and closing operation can be smoothly performed with a very light force. Furthermore, the end side plates and center side plates of the side flaps 50, 55 constituting the inner surface of the heat-insulating container box body can be folded in a direction in which the inner surfaces face each other, and the inner surfaces are structured so that they are not exposed to the surface even when the inner surfaces are open, so that baskets containing fresh produce such as vegetables harvested in a single-layer farmland can be kept clean and clean when loaded onto the body. In the second embodiment, the side flap 50 is divided into center side plates 52, 53 at approximately the center, and is folded from between them toward the front plate 12 and the rear plate 13 in the vehicle travel direction, respectively. Of course, if there is an even number of lower side panels, they can be connected with the second hinge part 61 and folded in either direction, since the inner surfaces of the lower side panels will abut each other, and it is obviously effective. However, from the standpoint of workability, it is preferable to divide it approximately in the middle and fold it towards the front panel 12 and towards the rear panel 13, respectively, since only the necessary parts can be folded. EXAMPLES

[0061] The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to examples. <Example 1> The results of a heat insulation test carried out using the heat-insulating container box 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 20, a heat-insulating container box 100 was installed in a temperature-controllable constant temperature room 70, and a test specimen 73 was prepared in a state in which a thermocouple 71 for temperature measurement was inserted under the thin skin of a turnip 72, a fresh vegetable, as shown in Fig. 21. With regard to the test specimen 73, the test specimen 73A was placed in a basket 160 installed in the heat-insulating container box 100 as shown in Fig. 22. The test specimen 73B was placed in a basket 160 installed outside the heat-insulating container box 100 inside the temperature-constant room 70 as shown in Fig. 23, and was then covered with a blanket 74 and sprayed with sufficient water. The test specimen 73A was used as an example to evaluate the performance of the heat-insulating container box of the present invention, and the test specimen 73B was used as a comparative example to reproduce a conventional preservation method for turnips, a fresh vegetable, from harvesting to transportation to a processing factory.

[0063] Next, the procedure of the insulation test will be described. The temperature inside the temperature-controlled chamber 70 was suddenly raised from 10°C to 35°C at the maximum capacity of the temperature-controlled chamber 70 (2°C / min), and the temperature changes of the test specimens 73A and 73B at that time were measured. At the same time, the temperature inside the temperature-controlled chamber 70 was measured. The temperature-controlled chamber 70 used was a temperature and humidity controlled chamber ER-105EXMH-R manufactured by Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc.

[0064] The results of the insulation test will be described with reference to FIG. 24. The temperature inside the thermostatic chamber 70 reached 30°C 10 minutes after the start of the test, and 35°C 20 minutes after. The time from harvesting turnips as a vegetable to transporting them to a processing factory, and from the processing factory to the market, is generally within 50 minutes, and the temperatures of the test specimens 73A and 73B after 50 minutes of testing are compared. The temperature of the test specimen 73B, which reproduces the conventional storage method, reached 25°C after 50 minutes of testing, a temperature rise of about 15°C, whereas the test specimen 73A placed in the insulated container box of the present invention maintained 13°C even after 50 minutes of testing, a temperature rise of about 3°C.

[0065] Compared to test specimen 73B, which reproduced the conventional storage method, the temperature rise of test specimen 73A placed in the insulated container box of the present invention was suppressed, demonstrating the high insulating effect of the insulated container box. The insulated container box makes it possible to transport fresh produce such as vegetables in a state that maintains their freshness better than before, and also reduces the heavy labor of repeatedly covering the produce with a heavy wet blanket and spraying it with water every time the product is loaded.

[0066] As described above in detail, the insulated container box of the present invention has heat insulation properties, is simple in structure, is lightweight, and allows easy opening and closing of the wing doors. It also has wind pressure resistance because the leading ends of the wing doors can be securely held when the wing doors are open. Therefore, it has the advantages of being able to safely preserve the freshness of vegetables and other perishables and to improve the workability of workers compared to conventional methods.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above-mentioned embodiment and examples, and the constituent elements include those that are substantially the same, or those that are within the scope of equivalents. Furthermore, the constituent elements disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment and examples may be appropriately combined or appropriately selected for use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 5, 6: Side door (side panel) 10: Insulated container box body 11: Bottom plate 12: Front panel 13: Rear plate 14: Top plate 15, 16: Wing door 15d, 16d: Tip 15e, 16e: External part 15f, 16f: Inner surface 15j, 16j: Stepped part 15m, 16m: Inner stepped flat section 17, 18, 50, 55, 75: Side flap 17a, 18a: External part 17b, 18b: Inner surface 17d, 18d, 50d, 55d: End section 19, 20, 63: Hinge parts 61: Second hinge part 62: First hinge part 31: Link arm 31a, 31b: Rotation fulcrum of link arm 32: Axle pin 40: Stay assembly 41, 42: Stay arm 43, 44: Mounting fasteners 45: Axle pin 51, 54: End plate of side flap 52, 53: Central side panels of side flaps 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a: External part 51b, 52b, 53b, 54b: Inner surface 56, 57: Side panels 70: Constant temperature room 71: Thermocouple for temperature measurement 73, 73A, 73B: Test specimen 100, 150: Insulated container box 200: Truck 201, 202, 203: Truck tailgate 204: Truck loading area

Claims

1. A heat-insulating container box comprising a thermoplastic resin foam body constituted by a rectangular parallelepiped bottom plate, a rectangular parallelepiped front plate disposed upward from one end of the bottom plate, a rear plate disposed upward from an end of the bottom plate opposite the front plate, and a rectangular parallelepiped top plate fastened at upper ends of the front plate and the rear plate, and thermoplastic resin foam side plates provided so as to cover both side surfaces of the main body, a wing door in which an end portion of at least one of the side panels on both sides is engaged with an end portion of the upper panel by a hinge part so as to be rotatable about an axial direction of the vehicle travel direction when the vehicle is mounted thereon; A side flap that moves separately from the wing door; The main body and the wing door are connected via a pair of stays that can hold the wing door in an open state and a closed state, and the side flap is engaged with the main body so as to be rotatable in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to the rotation of the wing door, 1. A thermoplastic resin foam heat-insulating container box, wherein the wing doors and the side flaps are opened and closed with their inner surfaces always facing inward.

2. 2. The insulated container box made of thermoplastic resin foam as described in claim 1, characterized in that the side panels of the container box are configured so that, when closed, the wing door and the side flap are positioned higher than the upper end of the tailgate of a truck, with the lower tip of the stepped portion of the wing door on the outside and the upper tip of the side flap on the inside.

3. a pair of link arms pivotably engaged at one end with the inner surfaces of the front plate and the rear plate; a side flap that is rotatably engaged with the other end of the link arm at both ends and is rotatably engaged with the other end of the link arm in a direction parallel to the rotation of the wing door and disposed in parallel below the wing door; 3. The insulated container box according to claim 1, wherein, when the side flaps are in an open state, the upper end surfaces of the side flaps are held at a position lower than the inner surface of the bottom plate.

4. 3. The insulated container box made of thermoplastic resin foam as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a side flap arranged in parallel below the wing door, the side flap being divided into a plurality of lower side panels, each of the adjacent lower side panels being rotatably engaged with a second hinge part so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation of the wing door, and at least one of the end side panels of the lower side panels being engaged with the front panel or the rear panel by a first hinge part so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation of the wing door, so that the inner surfaces of the lower side panels can be folded inward toward the outside of the main body.

5. The insulated container box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the bottom plate, the front plate, the rear plate, the top plate, the wing door, and the side flap, or at least one surface of the thermoplastic resin foam, is coated with a resin compound.

6. 3. The heat-insulating container box according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin foam is an expanded polystyrene resin.

Images