Wooden containers and trailer homes equipped with them

Abstract

The present invention provides a wooden container and a trailer house equipped with it, which have a simple structure, are easy to lift and lower, and can be easily fixed in the desired location. [Solution] The wooden container 30, which is loaded onto a transport means and transported to a desired location, comprises a base 2 with a plurality of through holes 4, 5 formed therein that penetrate horizontally, a container body 1 provided on the base 2 and having a space for work or living, and pipes 6, 7 inserted into the through holes, respectively. Both ends of the pipes 6, 7 protrude to the outside of the base 2 from the through holes 4, 5, and a sling belt can be attached to these protruding parts to lift or suspend the container. The structure of the trailer house 10 is simplified, which can reduce not only manufacturing costs but also transportation and installation costs, and enables the rapid provision of temporary housing to disaster-stricken areas, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wooden container that is easy to transport and install, and a trailer house equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] In natural disasters frequently occurring in Japan, in order to support the long-term life and activities of disaster victims and personnel involved in recovery and reconstruction, while securing private space, an international standard "Sphere Standard" that defines the living environment to be secured in a more comfortable and functional evacuation shelter after a disaster is used as an index. The rapid installation of temporary housing and the like that meets the standard is required in the disaster area. In the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Kumamoto Earthquake, and the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake, delays in the occupancy of temporary housing for disaster victims and shortages of accommodation facilities for personnel responsible for recovery and reconstruction have become serious social problems. In addition, due to extreme peak seasons and slack seasons (temporary increases in tourists due to festivals and events, etc.), there are also shortages of accommodation facilities due to unbalanced demand and supply in different regions. From the perspective of tourism and regional revitalization, the demand for accommodation facilities that can address these issues is also increasing.

[0003] Currently, there are also some cases where temporary housing including bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, etc. using containers used for cargo transportation is used. However, because they are heavy objects (over 4 tons), they are only handled by some specialized operators through transportation by large trailers, and widespread distribution to the general public has not progressed. As a result, the development of trailer houses that can respond to the urgency of supporting the lives of disaster victims and that can be actively used by ordinary people has become an early issue.

[0004] Furthermore, conventional containers were made of metal and were highly strong, allowing for lifting, lowering, and moving / installing onto trailer chassis by attaching fasteners to the main body. On the other hand, lightweight wooden trailer houses faced the problem of a very high risk of structural and strength damage if fasteners were attached to the main body for lifting, lowering, or moving / installing onto trailer chassis. While it was conceivable to lift the container by threading a sling belt under the bottom of the main body without attaching fasteners, removing the sling belt after installation on the chassis required special jigs and other equipment, making the work time-consuming.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to the connection of a trailer section and a wooden axle container section. The trailer section has a base section, a connecting section that connects the towing vehicle and the trailer section, and a section that connects the base section and the connecting section, while the wooden axle container section has wooden axle members and fixing devices, and the trailer section and the wooden axle container section are fixed using fixing fittings. However, this document does not describe a lifting / suspending structure for moving the wooden axle container section to the trailer section, nor an anchor structure for fixing the trailer section and the wooden axle container section to the ground.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a shed-like mini-house mounted on a trailer. The mini-house is provided with corner plates at its base for fixing to the trailer. The corner plates are provided with a fixing plate portion that can be fixed to the mini-house and a receiving plate portion having a locking hole into which a locking member can be inserted, thereby allowing the trailer and mini-house to be easily fixed together. However, this document does not describe the lifting / suspending structure or anchoring structure of the mini-house.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a load trailer having a base, a towing unit, a tire section, a support member, a positioning section, and a connecting member. When moving a load on the load trailer, the load is fixed with the support member, etc., thereby restricting movement in the vertical and horizontal directions. However, this document does not describe the lifting / suspending structure or anchor structure for the load. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7412057 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6931499 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6807583 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art described above and to provide a wooden container that can be used for temporary housing, can be transported on a vehicle chassis, has a simple structure, is easy to lift and lower, and can be easily fixed to anchors on the ground at a desired location. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is also to provide a trailer house equipped with the wooden container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wooden container is provided that is mounted on a transport means and transported to a desired location, comprising: a plate-shaped base having a plurality of through holes formed therein in the lateral direction; a container body provided on the base and having a space for work or living; and pipes inserted into each of the plurality of through holes, wherein both ends of the pipes protrude out of the through holes to the outside of the base, and a sling belt can be attached to the protruding portion to lift or suspend the wooden container.

[0011] When fixing the wooden container to the ground, a linear member may be passed through the pipe, and both ends of the linear member may be connected to anchors on the ground. Alternatively, the pipe may be provided with rings at both ends having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe. The pipes of the wooden container may be arranged in parallel in the short direction of the wooden container.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a trailer house is provided comprising a wooden container according to the first aspect of the present invention and a trailer chassis as the means of transport. The weight of the wooden container can be 1.8 tons or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The wooden container of the present invention is lightweight and can be easily lifted and lowered using a sling belt without the need to attach complex and expensive fasteners for lifting and lowering. Furthermore, by passing a linear member such as a chain through a pipe provided in the wooden container and connecting the end of the linear member to an anchor on the ground, the wooden container or the trailer house itself can be stably fixed to the anchor. In addition, when transporting the wooden container, the wooden container can be stably fixed to the trailer chassis by passing the linear member through the pipe and then passing this linear member under the trailer chassis. As a result of the above, the structure of the wooden container and trailer house is simplified, reducing not only manufacturing costs but also transportation and installation costs, and enabling the rapid provision of temporary housing in disaster-stricken areas. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the trailer house 10 according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing base 2 inverted vertically. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the pipes 6 and 7 attached to the base 2 shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where a wooden container 30 is suspended or lifted on a trailer chassis by a crane using a sling belt. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where a trailer house 10 is fixed to the ground by a chain 12 passing through pipes 6 and 7. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken in the lateral direction of the trailer house showing a state where the chain 12 passes through the pipes 6 and 7 of the base 2 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial conceptual view showing a modified example in which a tubular member 16 is provided in a through-hole of a base and a ring 14 is attached to the ends of pipes 6 and 7.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] Embodiments of the wooden container of the present invention will be described below. Since the wooden container is a wooden or timber container, it is lighter than a metal container and can be mounted on a relatively small trailer chassis and towed by a private car with a hitch member or the like. The wooden container may be called a wooden container house or a wooden container house.

[0016] In this specification, the "trailer house" refers to a trailer chassis on which the wooden container of the present invention is mounted, in other words, a wooden container with a trailer chassis. Also, the trailer chassis refers to a vehicle on the towed side that does not have self-propelling ability and is towed by a vehicle with a prime mover such as an engine.

[0017] Note that the wooden container does not necessarily have to be transported by a trailer chassis, and it may be transported by a truck bed, or a large tractor-equipped trailer, a freight train, a ship, etc. used for transporting metal containers. The means for transporting the wooden container to a desired place in this way is collectively called "transport means" in this document. Hereinafter, the case where the wooden container of the present invention is used as a wooden container mounted on a trailer chassis, that is, a trailer house, will be described as an example.

[0018] [Structure of Trailer House] The trailer house 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped three-dimensional structure as shown in FIG. 1, and has a towing trailer chassis 20 and a wooden container 30 mounted thereon. The trailer house 10 is usually towed by a towing motor vehicle or the like and moved to a predetermined location, where it is fixed to the ground (installation site), or the wooden container 30 is lowered from the trailer chassis 20 there, and only the wooden container 30 is fixed to the ground. In any case of use, in order to mount the wooden container 30 on the trailer chassis 20 or remove it therefrom, it is necessary to lift or lower the wooden container 30 using a crane equipped with a sling belt (see FIG. 4). The wooden container of the present invention has characteristics suitable for such lifting, lowering, and fixing at the installation site.

[0019] In this document, the direction substantially parallel to the ground (substantially horizontal direction) is referred to as the "lateral direction", and the direction substantially perpendicular to the ground is referred to as the "height direction". In the "lateral direction", the longer direction of the width of the wooden container or the trailer house is referred to as the "longitudinal direction", and the shorter direction of the width is referred to as the "short transverse direction".

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the wooden container 30 has a container body (hereinafter simply referred to as the "body") 1 that becomes a space for work, cooking, sales, or residence (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the "space for work or residence"), a base 2 installed at the lower part thereof to support the body 1, and a roof 3 installed at the upper part of the body 1.

[0021] Figure 2 shows the structure of base 2, but to make the internal structure of base 2 easier to understand, it is shown upside down. Base 2 is a pentahedron frame consisting of a top plate 2a and four side plates 2b, with the faces opposite the top plate 2a being open. The four side plates 2b consist of a pair of side plates 2b1 that extend in one direction of the trailer house 10 (the longitudinal direction of the trailer house in the figure) and face each other, and a pair of side plates 2b2 that extend in the other direction of the trailer house 10 (the short direction of the trailer house in the figure) and face each other, with side plates 2b1 and 2b2 being approximately perpendicular. The dimensions of base 2 may be, for example, 1.8 to 6.0 m in the longitudinal direction, 1.4 to 2.5 m in the short direction, and 1.8 to 3.2 m in height (length in the height direction). Base 2 is preferably made of wood from the standpoint of workability, weight, and cost, and can be made into a frame by assembling 2x4 lumber, for example. In the case of 2x4 lumber, both the side panel 2b and the top panel 2a will be 3.8 cm thick.

[0022] The pair of side plates 2b1 have through holes 4 and 5 formed at different positions in the longitudinal direction at the same height. Through holes 4 and 5 are formed at the 1 / 4 and 3 / 4 longitudinal positions when the longitudinal direction of the main body 1 or base 2 is divided into four sections. If the shape of the trailer house 10 or main body 1 is asymmetrical or irregular, it is desirable to determine the center of gravity of the main body 1 and form the through holes 4 and 5 at positions where the trailer house 10 is most balanced in the front, back, left, and right directions when lifted.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, pipes 6 are inserted through the two through holes 4, connecting them and penetrating the interior of the base 2. Similarly, pipes 7 are inserted through the two through holes 5, connecting them and penetrating the base 2. That is, pipes 6 and 7 are positioned to cross the base 2 in the shorter direction, with each pipe being parallel to the others. Pipes 6 and 7 are hollow single-pipe pipes, and their outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through holes 4 and 5. Pipes 6 and 7 are preferably made of metal, and commercially available iron or stainless steel pipes can be used. The wall thickness and outer diameter of the pipes are selected so as to withstand the weight of the wooden container 30. For example, for a typical wooden container 30 with dimensions of 5m x 2.4m x 2.8m and a weight of 1.8 tons or less, stainless steel pipes are sufficient, and for example, 700N class stainless steel pipes with a wall thickness of 1.8mm and an outer diameter of 48.6mm can be used.

[0024] The lengths of pipes 6 and 7 are longer than the length of the base 2 in the shorter direction, such that both ends 6a and 7a of pipes 6 and 7 protrude from the through holes 4 and 5. Specifically, it is desirable that the pipes be long enough so that each end protrudes at least 30 cm from the base 2, so that sling belts for lifting and lowering can be attached to both ends of the pipes.

[0025] The main body 1 is a structure that defines a workspace or living space on the base 2, and can have any shape, structure, and dimensions. For example, it may have a length of 1.8 to 6.0 m in the longitudinal direction, a length of 1.4 to 2.5 m in the transverse direction, and a height of 1.0 to 3.2 m. The lengths in the longitudinal and transverse directions may be longer than those of the base 2. The main body 1 is preferably made mainly of lightweight materials such as wood, and may be manufactured using any construction method. For example, it may be made by erecting columns at the four corners of the top plate 2a of the base 2 and connecting the columns with lightweight boards such as plywood, but in any case it is preferable to use materials that can reduce the weight of the wooden container. Note that some parts of the wooden container may be made of materials other than wood for reinforcement or other purposes. The main body 1 may be equipped with facilities used in ordinary trailer houses and temporary housing, such as plumbing such as a bathtub and kitchen, and heating and cooling equipment.

[0026] The roof 3 is intended to protect the main body 1 from wind, rain, snow, and sunlight, and can have any shape, structure, and dimensions, but it is preferable that its shape and dimensions do not interfere with the sling belt when lifting or lowering the trailer house 10. Furthermore, it is preferable that it be made of any lightweight material in order to reduce the weight of the trailer house 10. The roof 3 can also serve as the top plate of the main body 1, so it is not necessarily required to be provided.

[0027] The overall weight of the wooden container 30 should preferably be 1.8 tons or less. This is because trailer chassis that can be towed by vehicles equipped with hitch members typically have a load capacity of around 1.8 tons. In other words, a wooden container 30 of such weight can be transported by a regular vehicle without the need for a large tractor-trailer used to transport metal containers, allowing for rapid delivery to the necessary location during disasters or emergencies. It is also suitable for mobile businesses such as food trucks that are frequently moved.

[0028] The trailer chassis 20 is a vehicle platform for carrying and moving the wooden container 30, and is equipped with one or more tires as shown in Figure 1, and has a towing coupling at the front for connecting to the hitch member of a towing vehicle that pulls the trailer chassis 20. The towing coupling has a stand that supports the front of the trailer chassis 20 on the ground when it is not connected to a towing vehicle. Any trailer chassis can be used as the trailer chassis 20 as long as it is used to carry and move the wooden container 30, and trailers for transporting small boats, such as boat trailers available from Solex, can be used. However, as mentioned above, the means of transporting the wooden container is not limited to a trailer chassis, but may also be a self-propelled truck (or its cargo bed), a tractor-mounted trailer, or a freight car or ship.

[0029] The method for manufacturing the wooden container 30 and the trailer house 10 is not particularly limited, but for the wooden container 30, as described above, the main body 1 is assembled on a pre-fabricated base 2, mainly using wood, and then the roof 3 is attached. As described above, the base 2 can be assembled into a frame shape using, for example, two-by-four lumber, and then through holes can be formed in the opposing side panels 2b1 at positions evenly spaced in the longitudinal direction from the center of gravity of the trailer house 10 or the main body 1 using a drill or the like. The wooden container 30 thus obtained can be loaded onto the trailer house 10 in the manner shown below.

[0030] [How to use a trailer home] When moving the trailer house 10, as shown in Figure 4, the end rings of sling belts are attached to both ends 6a and 7a of the two pipes 6 and 7 of the wooden container 30, respectively. The center of the sling belt is then lifted by the arm of a crane, and the wooden container 30 is moved onto the trailer chassis 20 before being lowered. Typically, the wooden container 30 is installed on the trailer chassis 20 so that its longitudinal direction is in the direction of travel of the trailer chassis 20. The wooden container 30 may then be secured by, for example, wrapping the wooden container 30 and the trailer chassis 20 together with ratchet belts or securing ropes. After that, the trailer chassis 20 is towed by a towing vehicle and moved to the location where the temporary housing or the like is needed. The method of securing the wooden container 30 on the trailer chassis 20 is not particularly limited and can be any method. For example, connecting members as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 may be provided on the wooden container 30 and the trailer chassis 20. The chain 12 used during installation may also be used as a fixing device during movement.

[0031] To secure the trailer house 10 to the ground at a desired location, as shown in Figure 5, a chain 12 is passed through the pipes 6 and 7 inserted into the through-holes of the base 2, and both ends of the chain 12 are connected to anchors such as piles driven into the ground. The anchors are not limited to piles driven into the ground; concrete blocks or the foundation of a building placed on the ground can also be used. In this case, bolts or hooks can be attached to the blocks or foundations to connect to the chain 12. In this way, an anchor structure that prevents shaking from strong winds or earthquakes can be realized. Alternatively, the wooden container 30 can be lowered from the trailer house 10 and placed on the ground itself. In this case as well, the wooden container 30 can be secured to the ground by passing the chain 12 through the pipes 6 and 7 and connecting both ends of the chain to anchors.

[0032] [Differentiation] In the above embodiment, the two pipes inserted into the through-hole in the base 2 were inserted parallel to each other, but they do not necessarily have to be parallel. Also, in the above embodiment, the hole in the base 2 was formed to penetrate the base 2 in the short direction, but it may also be formed to penetrate the base in the long direction. In this case, the pipe inserted into the through-hole will extend in the long direction. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the base 2 was a pentahedron shape with an internal space, but it may also be a solid base without an internal space. In this case, the through-hole will be a hole that completely penetrates the base in the short direction (or long direction).

[0033] In the above embodiment, when lifting and lowering the trailer house 10, the ring at the end of the sling belt was passed through the ends of each pipe 6 and 7. However, a single sling belt could also be made into a ring and passed through the ends of the two pipes to support the ends of the two pipes from below. In any way the sling belt is used when lifting and lowering the trailer house 10 is acceptable. Furthermore, any belt suitable for lifting and lowering purposes is acceptable as the sling belt itself.

[0034] To prevent the sling belt from coming off the ends of the pipes 6 and 7 when lifting or lowering the trailer house 10, rings 14 or other clamping members having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipes 6 and 7 may be fixed to the ends of the pipes 6 and 7, as shown in Figure 7. Such rings 14 or clamping members can prevent the pipes 6 and 7 from falling out of the base 2 when lifting, lowering or moving the wooden container 30. When moving the trailer house, the pipes 6 and 7 may be removed from the through holes in the base 2, and the wooden container 30 and pipes 6 and 7 may be transported together.

[0035] In the above embodiment, pipes 6 and 7 were directly inserted into the through-holes 2b of the base 2. However, as shown in Figure 7, a tubular member 16 may be inserted that is concentric with the through-holes 2b and fits into the inner wall of the through-holes 2b. Such a tubular member is preferable in terms of preventing wear on the base 2 due to the pipes and increasing its strength. In this case, the pipes are inserted inside the tubular member. The material of the tubular member can be metal, FRP, or plastic such as polyvinyl chloride.

[0036] In the above embodiment, chains were used to secure the wooden containers and trailer homes, but the invention is not limited to chains; various linear members such as metal wires can be used.

[0037] The protruding ends of the pipes can be used to connect stairs or terrace flooring to the trailer house after it has been installed, or to connect and secure two adjacent trailer houses.

[0038] When the trailer house 10 is moved, the trailer chassis 20 and the wooden container 30 can be secured using the chain 12 used when the trailer house was installed. Alternatively, ratchet belts or securing ropes can be passed through the through holes 4 and 5 or inserted through the inside of the pipes and secured to a part of the trailer chassis 20, or wrapped around the underside of the trailer chassis 20. In this respect, the pipes are useful not only for lifting and lowering the wooden container 30 and securing it to the ground, but also during transportation. When obtaining building permits, it is also possible to use the pipes to secure it to the concrete foundation. [Industrial applicability]

[0039] The wooden containers and trailer houses of the present invention can be used to quickly supply temporary housing in the event of a disaster, making them extremely useful for disaster victims, volunteers, and workers at construction sites in rural areas. Furthermore, they can be used as accommodation during peak seasons for the tourism industry in rural areas, such as at ski resorts in winter or festivals during summer holidays. They can also be effectively used as mobile kitchen cars equipped with cooking equipment or as mobile stalls selling food and other goods. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1. Container body 2. Base 3. Roof 2a... Tabletop 2b,2b1,2b2...Side plate 4,5...Through holes 6, 7... pipes Both ends of the pipe... 6a, 7a 10... Trailer House 12...chain, 20... Trailer Chassis 30... Wooden containers

Claims

1. A wooden container that is loaded onto a transport means and transported to a desired location, A plate-shaped base, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the base that penetrate the base in the horizontal direction, A container body provided on the aforementioned base and having a space for work or living, The system comprises pipes inserted into each of the aforementioned multiple through holes, A wooden container in which both ends of the pipe protrude from the through hole to the outside of the base, and a sling belt can be attached to the protruding portion to lift or suspend it.

2. The wooden container according to claim 1, wherein when fixing the wooden container to the ground, a linear member is passed through the pipe and both ends of the linear member are connected to anchors on the ground.

3. The wooden container according to claim 1, further comprising rings having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe at both ends of the pipe.

4. The wooden container according to claim 1, wherein two of the aforementioned pipes are arranged parallel to each other in the short direction of the wooden container.

5. A trailer house comprising a wooden container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a trailer chassis as the transport means.

6. The trailer house according to claim 5, wherein the weight of the wooden container is 1.8 tons or less.

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