Overmoulded Panel Joint for Refrigerated Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing riveted connections in refrigerated containers are limited by mechanical strength, prone to leakage, and challenging to maintain hygiene due to rough surfaces and bacterial growth, with labor-intensive assembly processes and high production costs.
Innovation Solution
A connection method using a layer of overmoulding material along the edges of panels, with perforations allowing the material to flow through and distribute on both sides, eliminating the need for rivets and gaskets, and enabling stronger, more hygienic, and gas-tight connections through gluing or plastic welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If riveted connections are used to join panels, then mechanical strength is provided, but the connection becomes prone to leakage and difficult to maintain hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the rivet from the connection system entirely. Instead of using a rivet that creates holes and requires gaskets, the panel edge itself is overmoulded with polymer material that forms an integral, seamless connection. This extraction of the rivet eliminates the source of leakage while maintaining mechanical strength through the overmoulded polymer structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite connection structure where polymer material (overmoulding material) is combined with the panel material (metal or plastic). The overmoulded polymer layer integrates with the panel edge to form a unified connection element that provides both mechanical strength and leakage resistance, eliminating the need for separate gaskets or sealants.
2Reliability
If riveted connections with gaskets are used, then tightness for air and water is achieved, but the assembly process becomes labor intensive and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The overmoulded polymer layer simultaneously provides structural reinforcement, sealing, and connection functions that were previously distributed across separate components (rivet, gasket, panel edge). This integration eliminates the need for multi-step assembly processes involving separate installation of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The overmoulding process is performed as a preliminary action during panel manufacturing. The polymer material is moulded onto the panel edge before the panel is installed in the container, creating a pre-prepared connection element that requires no additional assembly steps during container construction. This preliminary formation of the connection structure significantly simplifies the overall assembly process.
3Strength
If multiple rivets are used to strengthen connections, then mechanical strength is improved, but the number of potential bacterial growth sites increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the rivet from the connection system. By removing the rivet entirely and replacing it with an overmoulded polymer connection, the invention eliminates the holes and crevices around rivets that serve as bacterial growth sites. The smooth, continuous surface of the overmoulded connection prevents bacterial accumulation while maintaining connection strength.
4Reliability
If gaskets are applied to achieve tight connections, then leakage is prevented, but the surfaces become challenging to clean and maintain hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure where the overmoulded polymer becomes an integral part of the panel assembly. This integrated polymer structure provides sealing functionality without requiring separate gasket components. The smooth, continuous surface of the overmoulded connection eliminates the rough interfaces and crevices between gaskets and panels that are difficult to clean, while maintaining leakage prevention through the polymer's inherent sealing properties.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling container e.g. a refrigerated cargo box of a truck or trailer, a railway container, an intermodal container or a shipping container comprising panels to be connected, having at least one connection between panels (10, 40) comprising a layer of overmoulding material (14), where a panel (10, 40) at least partially is covered on a first side (100) and a second side (200) by the overmoulding material (14). The invention further relates to a method of assembling a cooling container e.g. a refrigerated cargo box of a truck or trailer, a railway container, an intermodal container or a shipping container comprising panels to be connected, where at least one panel (10, 40) is provided with an overmoulding zone (11) comprising a layer of overmoulding material (14) covering at least partially a first side (100) and a second side (200) of the panel (10, 40). The invention also relates to an extruder head for applying a layer of a fluid overmoulding material, a container comprising panels (10, 40) comprising a layer of overmoulding material (14).