Corner fitting for module container

Abstract

To provide a modular container with a wider range of sizes while maintaining compatibility with existing freight container fitting standards.SOLUTION: A modular container with specialized corner fittings is provided. In one example, the container includes six sides and eight corner fittings. Each of the eight corner fittings is disposed on a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and at least on one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, and the third outward-facing surface. Each corner fitting is provided with a corner fitting opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to corner fittings for modular cargo containers, and more particularly to modular sub-ISO containers that can be used with existing ISO-compatible connection devices.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Cargo containers are transported around the world by various types of vehicles such as trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes. To facilitate the shipment of goods in the global economy, standards for transporting containers have been developed. So-called "ISO" containers are containers that have not only standardized external dimensions but also standardized fitting positions, and as a result, can be reliably transported everywhere by various types of vehicles having complementary container retainers.

[0003]

[0003] Unfortunately, the high degree of standardization in container size and fitting position means that smaller containers that can better physically and economically accommodate various types of goods cannot be used with standardized container carriers such as the aforementioned vehicles. Therefore, there is a need for modular containers that have a wider range of sizes while maintaining compatibility with existing cargo container fitting standards.

Summary of the Invention

[0004]

[0004] One embodiment provides a container having six sides and eight corner fittings. Each of the eight corner fittings has a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and a corner fitting aperture centered about approximately 3.379 inches from a first edge of each corner fitting and about approximately 3.379 inches from a second edge of each corner fitting on at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface.

[0005]

[0005] A further embodiment provides an agglomerated container having a plurality of modular containers. Each of the plurality of modular containers has six sides and eight corner fittings. Each of the eight corner fittings has a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and a corner fitting aperture centered about approximately 3.379 inches from a first edge of each corner fitting and about approximately 3.379 inches from a second edge of each corner fitting on at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface.

[0006]

[0006] A further embodiment provides a method of forming an aggregated container. The method includes connecting a plurality of modular containers to form an aggregated container. Each modular container of the plurality of modular containers includes six sides and eight corner fittings. Each corner fitting of the eight corner fittings includes a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and a corner fitting aperture centered about 3.379 inches from a first edge of each corner fitting and about 3.379 inches from a second edge of each corner fitting on at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface.

[0007]

[0007] The following description and related drawings specify in detail exemplary features of one or more embodiments.

[0008]

[0008] The accompanying drawings illustrate aspects of one or more embodiments and, accordingly, should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1A

[0009] An example of loading a large ISO container onto an aircraft is shown.

Figure 1B

Figure 2

[0010] The arrangement of modular sub-ISO containers having modified corner fittings to maintain compatibility with ISO-standard connecting devices is shown.

Figure 3

[0011] Another arrangement of modular sub-ISO containers having modified corner fittings to maintain compatibility with ISO-standard connecting devices is shown.

Figure 4

[0012] An example of a corner fitting 400 for use with a modular container is shown.

Figure 5A

[0013] Various views of a modified ISO bottom corner fitting for use with a modular container are shown.

Figure 5B

Figure 5C

Figure 5D

Figure 5E

Figure 6

[0014] A modified ISO top corner fitting for use with a modular container is shown.

Figure 7

[0015] An exemplary method of coupling modular containers for use with ISO-compatible connecting devices is shown.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010]

[0016] For ease of understanding, where possible, the same reference numerals have been used to denote the same elements common to the drawings. The elements and features of one embodiment are believed to be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

[0011]

[0017] Aspects of the present disclosure provide modular container devices and methods of using them.

[0012]

[0018] Vehicles for transporting goods such as trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes move a very large amount of goods around the world. To do this efficiently, standardized container sizes and fittings have emerged, enabling efficient intermodal shipping.

[0013]

[0019] The most commonly used container configurations in the world are the 20-foot "ISO" container and the 40-foot "ISO" container. Due to their common use, vehicles for transporting goods such as trucks, trailers, and railroad cars generally consist of container retainers that are compatible with complementary container fittings for 20-foot and 40-foot containers. In some cases, larger containers such as 45-foot containers, 48-foot containers, and 53-foot containers can still be transported by the same type of vehicle using fittings that attach to the 40-foot standard.

[0014]

[0020] The drawback of larger ISO containers such as 20-foot containers and 40-foot containers is that along the route between the origin and the destination, the goods have to be frequently "broken down" and re-integrated into smaller shipments. As an example of this problem, consider a TV manufacturer located at a first location. One day, the manufacturer may produce enough TVs to fill an ISO container (e.g., a 20-foot ISO container or a 40-foot ISO container). The ISO container is then loaded onto a truck, which transports it to the port where it can be loaded onto a ship. At the port of destination, the ISO container is unloaded from the ship and then placed on a truck or train. However, since there may be few customers who need a full ISO container of TVs, at some points, the full ISO containers of TVs have to be unloaded, their contents separated, and re-classified. For example, a retail store may need 10 TVs at a time instead of 200. This unloading and reloading takes time and energy and thus reduces the efficiency of the transportation process. Furthermore, this unloading and reloading increases the opportunity for damage and / or theft during transportation.

[0015]

[0021] A related problem is the "less-than-load" problem. For example, a significant proportion (perhaps one-third) of freight trucks carry containers with goods from multiple shippers. This is because many shippers or customers do not have enough goods to fill a full container. As a result, shippers generally arrange for a "freight forwarding" or "third-party logistics" company to integrate the goods from two or more customers into a single container (e.g., an ISO container). As a result, the vehicle being transported (e.g., a truck) moves a fully loaded shipment. However, this integration process requires time, energy, and cost and thus reduces the efficiency of the transportation process.

[0016]

[0022] Furthermore, large ISO freight containers pose special challenges for certain types of cargo carriers. For example, 20-foot ISO containers and 40-foot ISO containers are difficult to load onto aircraft due to the large external dimensions of the containers and the relatively confined internal dimensions of the aircraft. For this reason, aircraft customarily use specially designed unit load devices (ULDs), which can be used in the form of pallets or containers to load baggage, cargo, and mail onto both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft. ULDs enable large quantities of cargo to be bundled into a single unit, reducing the number of unit loads and saving time and effort for ground crew. However, such ULDs do not have a mechanism to function with other intermodal cargo carriers. For example, a ULD cannot be connected to an ISO-standard coupler on a truck or train. Thus, the cargo within the ULD needs to be transferred from the ULD to an ISO-compatible container and vice versa several times for any transportation. As repeatedly stated, this is time-consuming and exposes the cargo to more opportunities for damage.

[0017]

[0023] Figure 1A shows an example of the challenges when loading a 40-foot container 102 onto an aircraft 100. As shown, despite retracting the nose of the aircraft 100 for a dedicated purpose, the container 102 cannot be loaded using a ramp because it would collide with the interior of the cargo area of the aircraft 100. As a result, special machinery such as the cargo vehicle 104 in Figure 1B has to be used to load and unload large cargo containers such as ISO containers. Unfortunately, what the requirement for specialized loading and unloading machinery means is that an aircraft such as the aircraft 100 can only be loaded and unloaded at airports that have such equipment. Acquiring and maintaining such equipment at many airports is costly and logistically complex.

[0018]

[0024] Furthermore, due to the large size of the container 102, the weight may be unevenly distributed across the area of the container 102, which can negatively affect the center of gravity of the aircraft 100 and, in turn, its performance. For example, experiments have shown that a 40-foot cargo container with a non-uniform load can shift the center of gravity of a cargo aircraft by as much as 10 feet, and a 20-foot cargo container can shift the center of gravity by up to 1.5 feet. Shifting the center of gravity of an aircraft can have an adverse effect on the flight characteristics of the aircraft, such as stability and maneuverability. Additionally, moving the center of gravity beyond the optimal position requires actively adjusting the aircraft's aerodynamic surfaces to counteract the shift in the center of gravity, which can lead to more drag, higher fuel consumption, and slower flight speeds.

[0019]

[0025] There are smaller standardized shipping containers, such as the "Bicon" container that fits two containers within the space of a standard 20-foot ISO container, the "Tricon" container that fits three containers within the space of a standard 20-foot ISO container, and the "Quadcon" container that fits four containers within the space of a standard 20-foot ISO container. However, these existing containers have many problems that are not economically desirable for modular transportation.

[0020]

[0026] First, the Bicon, Tricon, and Quadcon require special hardware to connect their corner fittings to each other so that the connected containers can still use standard ISO corner fittings. Importantly, each of the corner fittings used to connect adjacent containers is often not available for holding the containers. Additionally, the special hardware adds weight, time, and cost to the use of such containers.

[0021]

[0027] Second, beacons, tricons, and quadcons require a gap of approximately 3 inches between each container to accommodate special connection hardware. The gap between connected containers reduces the strength of the connected containers as a single structure. This is because shear and load are transferred through the connectors rather than being shared by the abutting walls of the containers.

[0022]

[0028] Third, for example, even if a quadcon container is much smaller than a 20-foot ISO container, it is generally not small enough to adequately mitigate the above-described underload problem. For instance, when a manufacturer produces retail products such as electronics that can be shipped in boxes with a volume of 1 cubic foot, a 40-foot container can carry approximately 3,000 of them, a 20-foot container can carry 1,500, and a quadcon container can carry approximately 350. Thus, even the smallest of the standardized containers can carry far more cargo than is necessary to ship to any one location.

[0023]

[0029] Fourth, beacons, tricons, and quadcons are generally made of steel (designed with a general obligation for military use) and thus have a large tare weight. Although robust, the heavy tare weight of these containers reduces efficiency, which is particularly critical when transporting them by aircraft. For these reasons, beacon, tricon, and quadcon containers are not commercially accepted.

[0024] Exemplary corner fitting system for using smaller containers in existing ISO container terminals

[0030] Using existing connection devices (such as retainers) found in cargo-carrying vehicles, when multiple smaller containers are arranged together for using smaller containers compliant with ISO standards (such as ISO668, 1161, and 1496), the corner fittings of the smaller containers can be modified so that they comply with the ISO standards. Modifying the corner fittings is beneficial because it enables smaller containers to be more easily used in combined intermodal transportation while still maintaining the ability to use the existing ISO retainer shape. In this document, containers smaller than 20-foot ISO standard containers can be referred to as "sub-ISO containers".

[0025]

[0031] For example, sub-ISO containers (such as 8-foot containers) are easier to load onto and unload from an aircraft (alleviating the problems described above for FIGS. 1A and 1B). However, when unloaded for overland transportation, it is beneficial to be able to load sub-ISO containers onto other means of transportation such as trains or tractor-trailers using standard ISO retainers. The dimensions of existing smaller containers (such as beacons, tricons, and cadcons) do not allow for this flexible use. This is because when placed side by side, they do not fit within standard ISO dimensions (such as 20-foot containers and 40-foot containers). Also, connecting with a dedicated connection device to be compatible with standard ISO connection devices makes them heavier and no longer stackable side by side, making them more vulnerable.

[0026]

[0032] Furthermore, the modified corner fittings enable the sub-ISO containers to be symmetric along the length dimension and the width dimension, which means they can be arranged in multiple directions. Existing smaller containers are not symmetric in the length dimension and the width dimension, which restricts the manner in which these containers can be arranged when loaded onto a transportation vehicle using an existing ISO retainer.

[0027]

[0033] Two important dimensions in the ISO standard are the distances between the centers of the corner fitting apertures (alternatively referred to as holes) of a 40 - foot container in both the length and width directions. According to one ISO standard, the distance in the width direction is 7 feet 4 - 31 / 32 inches, that is, 88.969 inches. The distance in the length direction is 39 feet 3 - 7 / 8 inches, that is, 471.875 inches. Additionally, the face dimensions of the ISO standard are length 40 feet +0, -0.375 inches, and width 8 feet +0, -0.1875 inches.

[0028]

[0034] Figure 2 shows the arrangement of a modular sub - ISO container with a modified corner fitting to maintain compatibility with ISO standard connecting devices.

[0029]

[0035] In this example, each modular sub - ISO container 202 - 210 has a length of approximately 95.727 inches (nominal length 8 feet) and a width of approximately 95.727 inches (nominal width 8 feet).

[0030]

[0036] Furthermore, in this example, each container within the container arrangement includes a modified corner fitting having a corner fitting aperture 212 (e.g., a mounting aperture) positioned approximately 3.379 inches away from the adjacent edges of the corner fittings in both the length and width directions. In particular, this is different from the ISO standard (as shown by the opening 214) by 4 inches in the length direction from the center of the corner fitting aperture to the adjacent edge, and 3.5 inches in the width direction from the center of the corner fitting aperture to the adjacent edge. In other words, compared to the ISO standard corner fitting, the modified corner fitting is reduced by approximately 0.621 inches in the length direction and approximately 0.121 inches in the width direction. With these modified corner fittings, each of the modular containers has an outer dimension and outer width of approximately 95.727 inches. This symmetry allows the containers to be oriented in any direction when placed side by side. Additionally, this arrangement maintains the 88.969 - inch distance between the centers of the holes that are part of the ISO standard.

[0031]

[0037] In particular, the modified corner fittings enable five sub-ISO containers (202 - 210) to be arranged face-to-face in a row with a total length of approximately 478.635 inches, which fits within the frame of a 40-foot ISO container with a nominal length of 480 inches. Further, the distance between the centers of the corner fitting apertures for the outermost corner fittings in the arrangement of the five sub-ISO containers (202 - 210) is approximately 471.878 inches, which functions with the standard ISO dimension of 471.875 inches for 40-foot ISO containers.

[0032]

[0038] Due to the reduced dimensions, the modular sub-ISO containers 202 - 210 are significantly smaller than the standard 20-foot and 40-foot ISO containers commonly used on other means of transportation such as ships, railways, or trucks, and can thus be beneficially used like ULDs on aircraft. However, since the modular sub-ISO containers 202 - 210 can be arranged in dimensions resulting from compatibility with ISO-standard connecting devices (as shown in Figure 2), after being unloaded from an aircraft, they can also be arranged to connect with ISO-standard connecting devices (such as retainers) on other transport carriers such as ships, trains, and trucks.

[0033]

[0039] For example, the arrangement in Figure 2 shows five sub-ISO containers 202 - 210 arranged to fit on any transport carrier having 40-foot ISO-standard connecting devices. In particular, the sub-ISO containers in Figure 2 are arranged face-to-face (alternatively wall-to-wall), which improves the strength of the combined structure by sharing the load passing through the abutting surfaces.

[0034]

[0040] Similarly, Figure 3 shows another arrangement of modular sub-ISO containers with modified corner fittings.

[0035]

[0041] In particular, four module sub-ISO containers (302 - 308), each approximately 119.659 inches in length (nominal length 10 feet), are arranged to fit within the same footprint as the five 8-foot length (nominal) sub-ISO containers shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the same advantages described for FIG. 2 are applicable to the arrangement of the module sub-ISO containers (302 - 308).

[0036]

[0042] The module sub-ISO containers having the modified corner fittings shown and described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3 have the advantage that they can be more easily and more compactly loaded onto space-constrained vehicles such as aircraft and smaller ships, when compared to containers of 20-foot, 40-foot, or 53-foot lengths. This is clearly beneficial since the aircraft turn-around time is a significant contributing factor to the cost of operating an aircraft with containers that are large but not too large, such as the sub-ISO containers described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. Further, the module sub-ISO containers can be easily transported by trucks or trains that are already configured to carry ISO-compliant containers.

[0037]

[0043] The module sub-ISO containers can be secured in the arrangements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by a variety of means. For example, the modules can be connected by connectors that interact between the corner fittings of each container. Further, the module containers can connect to existing ISO connection devices such as retainers on a trailer. Additionally, the module containers can be strapped to a trailer or tied together. These are just some examples. When connected, the module sub-ISO containers can be referred to as an aggregated container.

[0038] Exemplary Corner Fittings for Module Containers

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the modified corner fitting allows smaller sub-ISO containers to be arranged in a way that maintains compatibility with ISO-standard connecting devices. Such an arrangement is not possible using the design of ISO-standard corner fittings.

[0039]

[0045] FIG. 4 shows an example of a corner fitting 400 for use in a modular container.

[0040]

[0046] Generally, a corner fitting is arranged at the corner of a container such as the modular sub-ISO container described herein, and can have six sides including three outward-facing sides and three inward-facing sides. The outward-facing sides can have features such as apertures, which enable interaction between the corner fitting and connecting devices and operating devices such as hook-and-loop fasteners, locking connectors, chains, straps, tie-downs, and other types of devices.

[0041]

[0047] In this embodiment, the corner fitting 400 has a height and width of 5.983 inches. The corner fitting 400 further has an aperture 402 centered 3.379 inches from the outward edge 404 of the corner fitting 400, which enables a connecting device (not shown) to interact with the corner fitting 400.

[0042]

[0048] FIGS. 5A-5E show various views of a modified ISO lower corner fitting for use in a modular container.

[0043]

[0049] In particular, FIG. 5A shows an example of a view of the modified lower corner fitting 500 from below. In particular, when compared with the corner fitting 400 of FIG. 4, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a larger aperture 502 configured for use with ISO standard twist lock connecting devices. Further, the modified corner fitting 500 is shown in comparison to the outer contour 504 and inner contour 506 of the ISO standard corner fitting.

[0044]

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5A, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a front face 508 reduced by only 0.621 inches and a side face reduced by only 0.121 inches, which are consistent with the measurements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This dimensional reduction enables sub-ISO containers to be placed adjacent to each other in the configurations of FIGS. 2 and 3, and maintains compatibility with ISO standard connecting devices for 40-foot ISO containers (using 8-foot sub-ISO containers as in FIG. 2) as well as 20-foot ISO containers and 40-foot ISO containers (using 10-foot sub-ISO containers as in FIG. 3).

[0045]

[0051] Further, optional additional material 510 is shown, which may be added to the modified corner fitting 500 to strengthen it and allows the central aperture 502 to be sized up to the contour 512.

[0046]

[0052] FIG. 5B shows a side view of the modified lower corner fitting 500. Here again, when compared with the corner fitting 400 of FIG. 4, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a larger aperture 520 configured for use with connecting and operating devices such as hooks and hoists. Further, the modified corner fitting 500 is again shown in comparison to the outer contour 504 and inner contour 506 of the ISO standard corner fitting.

[0047]

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5B, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a front face 508 that is reduced by 0.621 inches and an inner side face 514 that is increased by 1.333 inches. Additionally, optional additional material 510 is shown, which may be added to the modified corner fitting 500 to strengthen it.

[0048]

[0054] FIG. 5C shows an alternative embodiment of a side view of the modified bottom corner fitting 500. In this alternative embodiment, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a larger pillar-shaped aperture 512 configured for use with connection and operating devices.

[0049]

[0055] FIG. 5D shows an end view of the modified lower corner fitting 500. Here again, when compared to the corner fitting 400 of FIG. 4, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a larger aperture 502 configured for use with connection and operating devices. Additionally, the modified corner fitting 500 is again shown in comparison to the outer contour 504 and inner contour 506 of the ISO-standard corner fitting.

[0050]

[0056] FIG. 5E shows an alternative embodiment of an end view of the modified bottom corner fitting 500. In this alternative embodiment, the modified corner fitting 500 includes a larger pillar-shaped aperture 512 configured for use with connection and operating devices, as in FIG. 5C above.

[0051]

[0057] In particular, as shown in FIGS. 5A - 5E, the design of the modified lower corner fitting 500 can be precisely made to fit the opposing side or end face of the container.

[0052]

[0058] FIG. 6 shows an example of a view of the modified upper corner fitting 600 from the end. Similar to the modified corner fitting 500 described above, the modified upper surface corner fitting 600 includes a larger aperture 602 configured to be used with an ISO standard twist lock connecting device (compared to the apertures specified for the ISO standard lower corner fitting). Further, the modified corner fitting 600 is shown in comparison to the outer contour 604 and inner contour 606 of the ISO standard upper surface corner fitting.

[0053]

[0059] Further, like the modified bottom corner fitting 500, the design of the modified upper surface corner fitting 600 can be accurately made to conform to the opposing side or end face of the container, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0054] Exemplary method

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary method 700 for coupling modular containers used with ISO-compatible connecting devices.

[0055]

[0061] Method 700 begins with step 702 of arranging a plurality of modular containers to form an aggregated container. For example, the modular containers may be as described above with respect to FIGS. 2 - 6.

[0056]

[0062] Next, method 700 proceeds to step 704 of attaching the aggregated container to a transporter. In some embodiments, the aggregated container may be connected to the transporter via one or more ISO container retainers.

[0057]

[0063] In some embodiments, a plurality of aggregated containers may be connected to a plurality of ISO container retainers on a transporter (e.g., a truck, trailer, or railroad car).

[0058]

[0064] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use various embodiments described herein. The examples described herein are not limited to the scope, applicability, or embodiments defined in the claims. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Also, the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. For example, the functions and configurations of the elements described may be changed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Various examples may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as necessary. By way of example, the methods described may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, the features described for some examples may be combined in other examples. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be performed using several aspects specified herein. Further, in addition to or other than the various aspects of the disclosure specified herein, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover apparatuses or methods implemented using other structures, functionality, or structures and functionality. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be realized by one or more elements of the claims.

[0059]

[0065] As used herein, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" need not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.

[0060]

[0066] The phrase "at least one" item in a list refers to any combination of those items, including a single material. By way of example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, and a - b - c as well as any combination with multiple of the same elements (e.g., a - a, a - a - a, a - a - b, a - a - c, a - b - b, a - c - c, b - b, b - b - b, b - b - c, c - c, and c - c - c or any other order of a, b, and c).

[0061]

[0067] As used herein, the term "identify" encompasses a wide variety of acts. For example, "identify" can include calculating, calculating with a computer, processing, retrieving, investigating, examining (e.g., examining in a table, database, or other data structure), verifying, etc. Also, "identify" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. Further, "identify" can include solving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0062]

[0068] As used herein, "about" with respect to dimensions means plus or minus the standard manufacturing tolerance.

[0063]

[0069] This disclosure further includes the following exemplary and non-limiting examples, which may or may not be claimed.

[0064]

[0070] Example 1: A container comprising six sides and eight corner fittings, wherein each of the eight corner fittings has a corner fitting aperture centered about 3.379 inches from a first edge of the respective corner fitting and about 3.379 inches from a second edge of the respective corner fitting on a first outward-facing surface on a first of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third of the six sides, and at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface.

[0065]

[0071] Example 2: The container according to Example 1, wherein the container has a width of about 95.727 inches and a length of about 95.727 inches.

[0066]

[0072] Example 3: The container according to Example 2, wherein the distance between the center of the corner fitting opening of the first corner fitting among the eight corner fittings and the center of the corner fitting opening of the second corner fitting among the eight corner fittings is about 88.969 inches, and the first corner fitting and the second corner fitting share an edge of one of the six side faces.

[0067]

[0073] Example 4: The container according to Example 1, wherein the width of the container is about 95.727 inches and the length is about 119.659 inches.

[0068]

[0074] Example 5: The container according to Example 4, wherein the distance between any two of the eight corner fittings arranged along the width of the container is about 88.969 inches, and the distance between any two of the eight corner fittings arranged along the length of the container is about 112.901 inches.

[0069]

[0075] Example 6: The container according to Example 1, wherein each of the eight corner fittings has a first dimension of about 5.983 inches and a second dimension of about 5.983 inches.

[0070]

[0076] Example 7: The container according to Example 1, wherein each of the eight corner fittings has a first dimension of about 5.983 inches and a second dimension greater than 5.983 inches and not more than 6.389 inches.

[0071]

[0077] Example 8: The container according to Example 1, further comprising an access door in at least one of the six side faces.

[0072]

[0078] Example 9: The container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein a plurality of containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) are configured to form an aggregated container.

[0073]

[0079] Example 10: An aggregated container including a plurality of module containers, wherein each of the plurality of module containers includes six side surfaces and eight corner fittings, and each of the eight corner fittings has a corner fitting opening centered at about 3.379 inches from a first edge of the respective corner fitting and about 3.379 inches from a second edge of the respective corner fitting on a first outward-facing surface on a first one of the six side surfaces, a second outward-facing surface on a second one of the six side surfaces, a third outward-facing surface on a third one of the six side surfaces, and at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface.

[0074]

[0080] Example 11: The aggregated container according to Example 10, wherein each of the plurality of module containers has a width of about 95.727 inches and a length of about 95.727 inches.

[0075]

[0081] Example 12: For each of the plurality of module containers, the distance between the corner fitting opening of a first corner fitting of the eight corner fittings of the respective module container and the corner fitting opening of a second corner fitting of the eight corner fittings of the respective module container is about 88.969 inches, and the first corner fitting and the second corner fitting share an edge of one of the six side surfaces of the respective module container. The aggregated container according to Example 11.

[0076]

[0082] Example 13: Each of the plurality of module containers is the aggregation container described in Example 10, having a width of approximately 95.727 inches and a length of approximately 119.659 inches.

[0077]

[0083] Example 14: For each of the module containers of the plurality of module containers, the distance between any two of the eight corner fittings arranged along the width of each of the module containers is approximately 88.969 inches, and the distance between any two of the eight corner fittings arranged along the length of each of the module containers is approximately 112.901 inches. The aggregation container described in Example 13.

[0078]

[0084] Example 15: For each of the module containers of the plurality of module containers, each of the eight corner fittings has a first dimension of approximately 5.983 inches and a second dimension of approximately 5.983 inches. The aggregation container described in Example 10.

[0079]

[0085] Example 16: For each of the module containers of the plurality of module containers, each of the eight corner fittings has a first dimension of approximately 5.983 inches and a second dimension of approximately 6.389 inches. The aggregation container described in Example 10.

[0080]

[0086] Example 17: Each of the plurality of module containers further includes an access door within at least one of the six side faces. The aggregation container described in Example 10.

[0081]

[0087] Example 18: A method of forming an aggregated container, comprising connecting a plurality of modular containers to form an aggregated container, each of the plurality of modular containers comprising six sides and eight corner fittings, each of the eight corner fittings having a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface having a corner fitting aperture centered about 3.379 inches from a first edge of the respective corner fitting and about 3.379 inches from a second edge of the respective corner fitting.

[0082]

[0088] Example 19: The method according to Example 18, wherein each of the plurality of modular containers has a width of about 95.727 inches and a length of about 95.727 inches.

[0083]

[0089] Example 20: The method according to Example 18, wherein each of the plurality of modular containers has a width of about 95.727 inches and a length of about 119.659 inches.

[0084]

[0090] Example 21: The method according to Example 18, further comprising attaching the aggregated container to a plurality of ISO container retainers on a transporter.

[0085]

[0091] The method disclosed in this specification includes one or more steps or acts to achieve this method. The steps and / or acts of the method can be interchanged with each other without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, if no specific order of steps or acts is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or acts may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims. Further, the various steps of the above method may be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions.

Claims

1. A container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) comprising six sides and eight corner fittings (400, 500, 600), wherein each of the eight corner fittings has a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and a corner fitting aperture (402) centered at about 8.58266 cm from a first edge of the respective corner fitting and at about 8.58266 cm from a second edge of the respective corner fitting on at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface, the container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) has a width of about 243.14658 cm, a container, wherein the distance between the center of the corner fitting aperture of a first corner fitting of the eight corner fittings and the center of the corner fitting aperture of a second corner fitting of the eight corner fittings is about 225.98126 cm.

2. The container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) according to claim 1, wherein the container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) has a length of about 243.14658 cm.

3. The container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) according to claim 2, wherein the first corner fitting (400, 500, 600) and the second corner fitting share an edge of one of the six sides.

4. The container (302, 304, 306, 308) according to claim 1, wherein the container (302, 304, 306, 308) has a length of about 303.93386 cm.

5. The container (302, 304, 306, 308) according to claim 4, wherein the distance between any two of the eight corner fittings (400) arranged along the length of the container (302, 304, 306, 308) is about 286.76854 cm.

6. The container (302, 304, 306, 308) according to claim 1, wherein each of the eight corner fittings (400, 500, 600) has a height of about 15.19682 cm and a width of about 15.19682 cm.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the eight corner fittings has a height of about 15.19682 cm and a width greater than 15.19682 cm and less than or equal to 16.22806 cm.

8. The container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) according to claim 1, further comprising an access door in at least one of the six sides.

9. An aggregated container formed by connecting a plurality of containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method of forming an aggregated container (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308), comprising connecting a plurality of modular containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) to form an aggregated container, wherein each of the plurality of modular containers comprises six sides, and eight corner fittings (400, 500, 600), and each of the eight corner fittings has a first outward-facing surface on a first side of the six sides, a second outward-facing surface on a second side of the six sides, a third outward-facing surface on a third side of the six sides, and a corner fitting opening centered at about 8.58266 cm from a first edge of the respective corner fitting and at about 8.58266 cm from a second edge of the respective corner fitting on at least one of the first outward-facing surface, the second outward-facing surface, or the third outward-facing surface, wherein each of the plurality of modular containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) has a width of about 243.14658 cm. A method in which the distance between the center of the corner fitting opening of the first corner fitting among the eight corner fittings and the center of the corner fitting opening of the second corner fitting among the eight corner fittings is approximately 225.98126 cm.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of module containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210) has a length of approximately 243.14658 cm.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of module containers (302, 304, 306, 308) has a length of approximately 303.93386 cm.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising attaching the aggregation containers (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 302, 304, 306, 308) to a plurality of ISO container retainers on a transporter.

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