Shipping container

Abstract

To provide a shipping container that realizes a humidity control function with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A container 1 includes a left wall 100, a right wall, a ceiling, a bottom, a rear wall and a door, all made of metal, which surround a storage space for accommodating cargo. A portion of inner surfaces of the left wall 100, the right wall, the ceiling and the rear wall is covered with a humidity-regulating coating layer 600 exposed to the storage space and made of a coating material containing mesoporous silica and having a humidity-regulating function. For example, in the left wall 100, a covered region 170 covered with the humidity-regulating coating layer 600 and an uncovered region 180 not covered with the humidity-regulating coating layer 600 are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface in a front-rear direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a technique of attaching a humidity control member inside a container for humidity control inside the container. Patent Document 1 is an example of such a technique, and a humidity control member having a multilayer structure including mesoporous silica is attached inside the container.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is required to simplify the structure for the humidity control function in order to facilitate its manufacture and suppress the weight of the entire container.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a transport container that realizes a humidity control function with a simple structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The transport container of the present invention includes a plurality of metal wall portions surrounding a storage space for storing cargo, and a part of the inner surface of at least any one of the plurality of wall portions is covered with a humidity control coating layer made of a coating material containing mesoporous silica and having a humidity control function and exposed to the storage space, and a first region covered with the humidity control coating layer and a second region not covered with the humidity control coating layer are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface in the horizontal direction.

[0007] According to the present invention, for example, different from the case of only using the means of providing a humidity control function to a member separate from the wall portion and attaching the separate member into the container, a coating material having a humidity control function by mesoporous silica is directly applied to the wall portion, and the humidity control function is provided by such a simple structure. For this reason, weight reduction of the container is realized, and construction of a structure for providing a humidity control function in container manufacturing is easy.

[0008] On the other hand, a metal wall portion expands and contracts due to temperature changes. A transportation container is likely to expand and contract due to environmental changes during transportation. According to the above structure in which a coating material is directly applied to the wall portion, the coating material may not be able to follow the expansion and contraction of the wall portion, and the coating material may be damaged. Therefore, in the present invention, a first region covered with a humidity control coating layer and a second region not covered with a humidity control coating layer are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface in the horizontal direction. Regarding this, if a second region is not formed between the first regions and adjacent first regions are continuous, tensile stress or compressive stress may be exerted from one first region to the adjacent first region due to the expansion and contraction of the wall portion. In contrast, in the present invention, a second region is arranged between the first regions as described above, and adjacent first regions are separated. Thereby, the above stress is avoided from reaching from one first region to the adjacent first region. Thereby, damage to the humidity control coating layer is suppressed.

[0009] In addition, other coatings such as coatings for corrosion prevention may be further applied to the wall portion. In this case, instead of the structure of "the coating material is directly applied to the wall portion", a structure of "the coating material is further applied on the coating of the wall portion" is adopted.

[0010] In the present invention, the wall portion on which the humidity-adjusting coating layer is formed has a plurality of protruding portions protruding toward the inside of the accommodation space, the plurality of protruding portions are arranged in the horizontal direction, the first region is between the tip portions of the plurality of protruding portions, and the second region is preferably at the tip portions of the plurality of protruding portions. According to this, the first region and the second region are arranged according to the arrangement of the protruding portions. Therefore, the region where the humidity-adjusting coating layer is formed is easy to understand, and the operation of applying the coating material is easily and appropriately performed.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the lowermost part of the inner surface of at least any one of the plurality of wall portions includes the second region. According to an embodiment of the present inventors, cracks and the like are likely to occur at the lowermost part of the wall portion in the humidity-adjusting coating layer. By not forming the humidity-adjusting coating layer at the lowermost part of the wall portion, peeling off of the humidity-adjusting coating layer due to cracks and the like is suppressed from occurring.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the humidity-adjusting coating layer is formed in a region separated from the corner portion at least on the first surface among the first surface and the second surface that form a corner portion between each other. According to an embodiment of the present inventors, cracks and the like may occur in the humidity-adjusting coating layer near the corner portion between the first surface and the second surface. By forming the humidity-adjusting coating layer in a region separated from the corner portion on the first surface, peeling off of the humidity-adjusting coating layer due to cracks and the like is suppressed from occurring.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] The container 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. For the main body 10 of the container 1 shown in FIG. 1, for example, a dry container for transportation or the like is used. The size of the main body 10 is not limited, but for example, a 10-foot container, a 20-foot container, a 40-foot container, a 40-foot high cube container, or a 45-foot container according to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is used. The main body 10 may be compatible with both sea transportation and land transportation, and may be used for any transportation within or outside the country. In the following, as shown in FIG. 1, the width direction of the main body 10 is defined as the left-right direction. Also, the direction orthogonal to both the left-right direction and the up-down direction is defined as the front-back direction. In FIG. 1, the front-back direction corresponds to the direction connecting the front and the back.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 10 has a left wall portion 100, a right wall portion 200, a ceiling portion 300, a bottom portion 400, a rear wall portion 500, and a door portion (not shown). The left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, the rear wall portion 500, and the door portion (not shown) correspond to the plurality of wall portions referred to in the present invention. The left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, the rear wall portion 500, and the door portion surround an accommodation space for accommodating the cargo. The left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, the rear wall portion 500, and the door portion are made of metal such as aluminum or steel. The bottom portion 400 is made of wood.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the left wall portion 100 has a plurality of protrusions 110 and a plurality of base surfaces 150 that protrude toward the inside of the accommodation space of the main body 10. The protrusions 110 and the base surfaces 150 are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction. The protrusion 110 has a trapezoidal shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space. The protrusion 110 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the left wall portion 100. The surface of the protrusion 110 on the accommodation space side (hereinafter referred to as the "inner surface") is composed of a front end surface 120, a front side surface 130, and a rear side surface 140. The front end surface 120 (the tip portion in the present invention) is along a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction and is arranged in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the front side surface 130 extends obliquely forward to the left from the front end of the front end surface 120. The rear side surface 140 extends obliquely backward to the left from the rear end of the front end surface 120. A base surface 150 is disposed between two adjacent protrusions 110. The base surface 150 is along a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction.

[0017] The base surface 150, the front side surface 130, and the rear side surface 140 constitute a first surface 160 which is a surface on which a humidity control coating layer 600 described later is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, the first surface 160 forms a corner S with the second surface 400a which is the inner surface of the bottom portion 400. The corner S corresponds to the intersection line of the first surface 160 and the second surface 400a. In the first surface 160, a coated region 170 (the first region in the present invention) covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 is a region from the upper end of the left wall portion 100 to a position slightly above the corner S. It is preferable that the lower end of the coated region 170 is several centimeters to about a dozen centimeters above the corner S.

[0018] On the inner surface of the left wall portion 100, an uncovered region 180 (the second region in the present invention) not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 is composed of a portion other than the coated region 170 of the first surface 160 and the front end surface 120. The front end surface 120 and the first surface 160 are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the coated region 170 and the uncovered region 180 are also arranged alternately in the front-rear direction.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the right wall portion 200 has a structure that is symmetric with the left wall portion 100 about the left and right. The right wall portion 200 has a plurality of protrusions 210 and a plurality of base surfaces 250 corresponding to the protrusions 110 and the base surface 150. The inner surface of each protrusion 210 is composed of a tip surface 220 (the tip portion in the present invention), a front side surface 230, and a rear side surface 240. A base surface 250 is disposed between adjacent protrusions 210. The base surface 250, the front side surface 230, and the rear side surface 240 constitute a first surface 260 corresponding to the first surface 160. The first surface 260 forms a corner with the second surface 400a.

[0020] The coated region (the first region in the present invention) covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 on the first surface 260 is a region from the upper end of the right wall portion 200 to a position slightly above the corner. On the inner surface of the right wall portion 200, the non-coated region not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 is composed of a portion other than the coated region of the first surface 260 and the tip surface 220. The tip surface 220 and the first surface 260 are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the coated region and the non-coated region in the right wall portion 200 are also arranged alternately in the front-rear direction.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the ceiling portion 300, similar to the left wall portion 100, has a plurality of protrusions 310 and a plurality of base surfaces 350 corresponding to the protrusions 110 and the base surface 150. The protrusion 310 has a trapezoidal shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space. The protrusion 310 extends from the left end to the right end of the ceiling portion 300. The inner surface of the protrusion 310 is composed of a tip surface 320, a front side surface 330, and a rear side surface 340. The tip surface 320 (the tip portion in the present invention) is along the horizontal plane and arranged in the front-rear direction. The front side surface 330 extends obliquely upward and forward from the front end of the tip surface 320. The rear side surface 340 extends obliquely upward and backward from the rear end of the tip surface 320. A base surface 350 is disposed between adjacent protrusions 310. The base surface 350 is along the horizontal plane.

[0022] The entire base surface 350, front surface 330, and rear surface 340 constitute a coated area 370 covered with a humidity conditioning coating layer 600 described later. The front end surface 320 constitutes an uncovered area 380 that is an area not covered by the humidity conditioning coating layer 600. These surfaces are periodically arranged in the order of the base surface 350, front surface 330, front end surface 320, rear surface 340, base surface 350... from front to rear. Accordingly, the coated areas and uncovered areas in the ceiling portion 300 are also arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the rear wall portion 500 has a plurality of protrusions 510 and a plurality of base surfaces 550 corresponding to the protrusions 110 and the base surface 150, similar to the left wall portion 100. The protrusion 510 has a trapezoidal shape that tapers toward the inside of the accommodation space. The protrusion 510 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the rear wall portion 500. The inner surface of the protrusion 510 is composed of a front end surface 520, a left side surface 530, and a right side surface 540. The front end surface 520 (the tip portion in the present invention) is along a plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction and is arranged in the left-right direction. The left side surface 530 extends obliquely rearward to the left from the left end of the front end surface 520. The right side surface 540 extends obliquely rearward to the right from the right end of the front end surface 520. A base surface 550 is disposed between adjacent protrusions 510. The base surface 550 is along a plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction.

[0024] The base surface 550, the left side surface 530, and the right side surface 540 constitute a first surface 560 corresponding to the first surface 160. The first surface 560 forms a corner with the second surface 400a.

[0025] The coated area 570 (the first area in the present invention) where the humidity conditioning coating layer 600 is formed on the first surface 560 is an area from the upper end of the rear wall portion 500 to a region slightly above the corner. On the inner surface of the rear wall portion 500, the uncovered area 580 not covered by the humidity conditioning coating layer 600 is composed of a portion other than the coated area of the first surface 560 and the front end surface 520. The front end surface 520 and the first surface 560 are alternately arranged in the left-right direction. Accordingly, the coated areas and uncovered areas in the rear wall portion 500 are also alternately arranged in the left-right direction.

[0026] As described above, the humidity control coating layer 600 is formed on the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, and the rear wall portion 500, and is exposed to the accommodation space of the container 1. The humidity control coating layer 600 is made of a coating material having a humidity control function. The coating material contains mesoporous diatomaceous earth, aggregate, paste, whiskers, and a corrosion inhibitor.

[0027] Mesoporous diatomaceous earth has mesoporous silica as the main component and is diatomaceous earth formed by the deposition of diatom shells and the like. The average diameter of the mesopores is preferably 2 to 50 nm, and more preferably 10 nm. Instead of mesoporous diatomaceous earth, artificially synthesized mesoporous silica may be used.

[0028] For the aggregate, volcanic clay, calcium carbonate, silica, etc. are used. The aggregate is used to increase the strength of the humidity control coating layer 600. Two or more materials may be mixed.

[0029] For the paste, natural-derived materials or organic synthetic resins are used. The paste used is one that does not block the mesopores even when solidified and has durability and strength. As natural-derived materials, thickeners for food additives such as starch, seaweed, and cellulose are used. For organic synthetic resins, urethane resins, etc. are used. Two or more materials may be mixed. From the viewpoint of environmental protection, natural-derived ones are preferred.

[0030] For the whiskers, fibrous materials such as cellulose fibers and natural material pulp are used. The whiskers are used to prevent cracks in the humidity control coating layer 600. Two or more materials may be mixed. From the viewpoint of environmental protection, natural-derived ones are preferred.

[0031] For the corrosion inhibitor, boric acid is used. It is used to prevent spoilage when the mixture of the materials of the coating material is left in a paste state. Two or more materials may be included. If the necessity for corrosion prevention is low, the corrosion inhibitor may not be used.

[0032] For the coating material, it is preferable to use 0 to 10 parts by mass of aggregate, 5 to 15 parts by mass of paste, 0 to 5 parts by mass of ash, and 0 to 5 parts by mass of preservative with respect to 80 to 90 parts by mass of mesoporous diatomaceous earth.

[0033] The humidity control coating layer 600 preferably has a thickness of 0.6 to 2.0 mm. If the thickness of the humidity control coating layer 600 is less than the above, the humidity control function may not be fully exerted. If the thickness of the humidity control coating layer exceeds the above range, the humidity control coating layer 600 may be prone to cracking.

[0034] Next, a method for forming the humidity control coating layer 600 on the main body 10 will be described. First, the coating material constituting the humidity control coating layer 600 is adjusted as follows. Mesoporous diatomaceous earth, aggregate, paste, ash, and corrosion inhibitor are stirred, and then water is gradually added while further stirring to make a paste.

[0035] Next, the paste-like coating material prepared as described above is applied to each region to be the covering region of the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, and the rear wall portion 500 as follows. The case of applying to the left wall portion 100 will be described. A tape or the like is attached to the edge or the entire region of the region to be the non-covered region 180 in the left wall portion 100 for curing. Then, the coating material is applied to the covered region 170 with a roller, a brush, etc. to a predetermined thickness. Similarly, the coating material is applied to each covered region of the right wall portion 200, the ceiling wall 300, and the rear wall portion 500. Next, the main body 10 is left to dry the coating material. Then, by removing the tape for curing or the like from the container 1, the humidity control coating layer 600 is completed.

[0036] According to the container 1 as described above, a humidity control function is provided by a simple structure in which a coating material having a humidity control function using mesoporous silica is directly applied to a wall portion such as the left wall portion 100. For this reason, for example, compared with the case of using only the means of providing a humidity control function to a member separate from the wall portion and attaching the separate member into the container 1, weight reduction of the container 1 is realized, and construction of a structure related to the humidity control function is easy in the manufacture of the container 1. Further, when attaching such a separate member, there is a risk that the separate member may compress the accommodation space of the container 1. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the coating material is directly applied to the wall portion, the accommodation space of the container 1 is less likely to be compressed.

[0037] Further, in the left wall portion 100, a covered region 170 covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 and an uncovered region 180 not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface of the left wall portion 100 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, in the right wall portion 200, a covered region covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 and an uncovered region not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface of the right wall portion 200 in the front-rear direction. In the rear wall portion 500, a covered region 570 covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 and an uncovered region 580 not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface of the rear wall portion 500 in the left-right direction. In the ceiling portion 300, a covered region covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 and an uncovered region not covered with the humidity control coating layer 600 are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface of the ceiling portion 300 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] Regarding this, if, for example, there is no uncovered area 180 formed between the coating areas 170 and adjacent coating areas are continuous, there is a possibility that tensile stress or compressive stress may be exerted from one coating area to the adjacent coating area due to the expansion and contraction of the left wall portion 100. In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, the uncovered area 180 is disposed between the coating areas 170, and adjacent coating areas 170 are separated from each other. Thereby, the above-described stress from reaching from one coating area 170 to the adjacent coating area 170 is avoided. Therefore, damage to the humidity control coating layer 600 is suppressed. The same applies to the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, and the rear wall portion 500.

[0039] Further, in the left wall portion 100, the coating area 170 is between the tip surfaces 120 of the protrusions 110, and a part of the uncovered area 180 is on the tip surface 120. For this reason, as the protrusions 110 are arranged in the front-rear direction, the coating area 170 and the uncovered area 180 are arranged in the front-rear direction. The same applies to the right wall portion 100, the ceiling portion 300, and the rear wall portion 500. In this way, the area for forming the humidity control coating layer 600 is easy to understand, and the work of applying the coating material can be appropriately carried out easily.

[0040] Also, the humidity control coating layer 600 is not formed at the lowermost portions of the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, and the rear wall portion 500. For example, the coating area 170 of the left wall portion 100 is separated upward from the corner S (corresponding to the lowermost portion of the left wall portion 100) formed between the first surface 160 of the left wall portion 100 and the second surface 400a of the bottom portion 400. According to an example conducted by the present inventors, as a result of forming a coating area up to the lowermost corner S of the left wall portion 100 or the like, cracks or the like occurred in a part of the corner S. Therefore, since the coating area 170 is separated upward from the corner S, peeling due to damage such as cracking is prevented from occurring.

[0041] In addition, according to another embodiment carried out by the inventors of the present invention, there was a case where cracks occurred in other corners such as the corner formed between the inner surface of the ceiling portion 300 and the inner surface of the left wall portion 100, and the corner formed between the inner surface of the rear wall portion 500 and the inner surface of the ceiling portion 300. Therefore, also for these corners other than the corners of the present embodiment, when forming the humidity control coating layer 600 on one of the two inner surfaces forming the corner, it is preferable to form the humidity control coating layer 600 in a region separated from the corner. Thereby, the peeling off of the humidity control coating layer 600 due to cracks or the like is avoided beforehand.

[0042] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration should be considered not to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is shown not only by the description of the above embodiments but also by the claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. Hereinafter, modification examples according to the above-described embodiments will be described. Also, for parts common to the above-described embodiments, the same reference numerals as above are used and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the inner surface of the wall portion is directly covered with the humidity control coating layer 600. However, another coating material may be applied to the inner surface of the wall portion, and a coating material having a humidity control function according to the present invention may be applied thereon.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the humidity control coating layer 600 is formed on the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, and the rear wall portion 500. However, it is sufficient that the humidity control coating layer 600 is formed on one or more of the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, the ceiling portion 300, the bottom portion 400, the rear wall portion 500, and the door portion.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, for example, in the left wall portion 100, the base surface 150, the front surface 130, and the rear surface 140 constitute the covering region 170. The non-covering region 180 is composed of the portion of the first surface 160 other than the covering region 170 and the tip surface 120. However, it is sufficient that the covering regions and the non-covering regions are repeatedly arranged on the inner surface of the left wall portion 100. For example, the covering regions and the non-covering regions may be arranged in a checkered pattern. The same applies to the other wall portions.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the forms of the covering regions and the non-covering regions of the left wall portion 100, the right wall portion 200, and the rear wall portion 500 are the same as each other. However, they may be different for each wall portion.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the covering region 170 formed on the first surface 160 of the left wall portion 100 is separated upward from the lowermost corner portion S. However, it may be covered with the humidity-adjusting coating layer 600 from the upper end to the lowermost corner portion S of the first surface 160. Further, the first surface 160 may be covered with the humidity-adjusting coating layer 600 starting from a position slightly below its upper end. The same applies to the right wall portion 200 and the rear wall portion 500.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, non-covering regions are not provided at the left end and the right end of the ceiling wall 300. However, non-covering regions may be provided at at least one of the left end and the right end.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0049] 1 Container 10 Main Body 100 Left Wall Portion 110 Protrusion 120 Tip Surface 130 Front Surface 140 Rear Surface 150 Base Surface 160 First Surface 170 Covering Region 180 Non-Covering Region 200 Right Wall Portion 300 Ceiling Portion 400 Bottom 400a Second Surface 500 Rear wall part 600 Humidity conditioning coating layer

Claims

1. It comprises a plurality of metal wall portions surrounding an accommodation space for accommodating cargo, a part of the inner surface of at least any one of the plurality of wall portions is made of a coating material containing mesoporous silica and having a humidity control function, and is covered with a humidity control coating layer exposed to the accommodation space, and a first region covered with the humidity control coating layer and a second region not covered with the humidity control coating layer are repeatedly arranged along the inner surface in the horizontal direction. A transport container characterized by this.

2. The wall portion on which the humidity control coating layer is formed has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the inside of the accommodation space, the plurality of protrusions are arranged in the horizontal direction, the first region is between the tip ends of the plurality of protrusions, The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the second region is at the tip ends of the plurality of protrusions.

3. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the lowermost part of the inner surface of at least any one of the plurality of wall portions includes the second region.

4. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the humidity control coating layer is formed in at least a region separated from the corner portion on the first surface among the first surface and the second surface forming a corner portion between each other.

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