Shipping container
A shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An accessory unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The accessory unit cradle is configured to support an accessory unit within the container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping base housing and has at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
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The present invention relates to a shipping container, and more particularly, to a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable on a transport vehicle.
BACKGROUNDIt is often desirable to mount a structure, such as an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, an air defense pod, or the like (hereafter referenced as an “accessory unit”) to an elevated target surface of a transport vehicle, such as an underside of a wing or a belly of an aircraft, or a chassis of a truck. The target surface may be substantially downward facing and spaced apart from the ground below, and may include an aperture through which the accessory unit is at least partially passed before mounting. Mounting to a target surface requires that the accessory unit be lifted and temporarily supported adjacent the target surface while a more permanent attachment is formed. The accessory unit may be mounted to, or removed from, the transport vehicle in the field, such as in a staging area (e.g., a parking lot or an airfield hangar), rather than in a manufacturing environment.
Often, the accessory unit is bulky, heavy, awkwardly shaped, or otherwise difficult to temporarily support in the necessary elevated position stably enough to allow the accessory unit to be mounted properly. Moreover, there may not be readily available personnel and/or lifting devices in the field to safely hoist the accessory unit into the mounting position, as might be present in a more-controlled manufacturing environment. Therefore, it is desirable to provide lifting assistance in the field without requiring specialty tools or lifting devices.
Additionally, the accessory unit may need to be transported to the field (or from one field location to another) for mounting to a desired transport vehicle, and may require protection from ambient conditions during transport and/or storage. Thus, it is also desirable to provide a protective covering/housing to the accessory unit.
SUMMARYThe present invention relates to a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle. One aspect of the present invention provides a shipping container. The shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An accessory unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The accessory unit cradle is configured to support an accessory unit within the container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping base housing and has at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle. The shipping container includes means for housing the accessory unit, means for supporting the accessory unit within the means for housing, and means for hoisting the means for housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method of installing an accessory unit on a transport vehicle. The accessory unit is transported to the transport vehicle in a shipping container that includes a shipping base housing, an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, and a winch assembly having at least one attachment cable, the winch assembly being affixed to the shipping base housing. The shipping container is positioned at a desired installation area of the transport vehicle. At least one attachment cable is connected to the transport vehicle. The winch assembly is actuated to wind the at least one attachment cable about the winch assembly lifting the shipping base housing and the accessory unit to position the accessory unit for attaching to the transport vehicle. The accessory unit is attached to the transport vehicle. The winch assembly is actuated to unwind the at least one attachment cable from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle. The attachment cable is disconnected from the transport vehicle.
The sequence of
In
As can be seen in
A winch assembly 216 is affixed to the shipping base housing 102, optionally on an inside portion thereof as shown in
As shown in the open position view of
The mounting lugs 330 may be used to suspend the accessory unit 328 from the shock-absorbing mountings 214 depicted in
The sequence of
In
Turning to
In
After the attachment cables 332 are connected to the transport vehicle 434, the winch assembly 216 is actuated to wind the attachment cables 332, as shown in
It is contemplated that a leveling/tilt system (not shown) may be provided to position the accessory unit 328 in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle 434. The leveling/tilt system may be of any suitable type (active or passive); may be actuated at any time before, during, and/or after the hoisting of the accessory unit 328; may be integral with or otherwise use the winch assembly 216; and may readily be designed for a particular application by one of ordinary skill in the art. It is also contemplated that the winch assembly 216 may be configured to hoist all or any part of the shipping container 100 with respect to the transport vehicle 434, and may be placed in any position or orientation to do so. For example, the winch assembly could be attached directly to the transport vehicle 434 with attachment cables 332 reaching from the winch assembly to at least a portion of a shipping container 100.
Once the accessory unit 328 has been hoisted into the predetermined position, the accessory unit can be mounted to the transport vehicle 434, as shown in
When the accessory unit 328 has been mounted to the transport vehicle 434, any remaining attachments between the accessory unit and the shipping base housing 102 are released. For example, a strap (not shown) may have been provided to secure the accessory unit 328 to the accessory unit cradle 212 to prevent shifting of the accessory unit during lifting. The winch assembly 216 is then actuated to unwind the attachment cables 332 and lower the shipping base housing 102 in a second direction (downward arrow 444, in
In
The sequence of operations depicted in
Though the above description presumes that a winch assembly 216 and at least partially flexible attachment cables 332 are used for hoisting the shipping base housing 102 into the predetermined position, it is contemplated that other mechanical systems may be used to provide the same or a similar hoisting function. For example, a threaded rod and collar arrangement, a ratchet mechanism, or any other hoisting system may be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art.
What has been described above includes exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A shipping container comprising:
- a shipping base housing;
- an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, the accessory unit cradle being configured to support an accessory unit within the container; and
- a winch assembly affixed to the shipping base housing and having at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle, the winch assembly being configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
2. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit cooperatively with the shipping base housing.
3. The shipping container of claim 2, further comprising at least one shipping housing fastener selectively configured to attach the shipping base housing and the shipping cover housing.
4. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least one container wheel attached to the shipping base housing and configured to provide rolling support for transporting the shipping container to the transport vehicle.
5. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the winch assembly is manually powered.
6. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least one winch motor configured to provide power to the winch assembly.
7. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit is at least one of an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, and an air defense pod.
8. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit cradle includes at least one shock-absorbing mounting.
9. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a leveling/tilt system configured to position the accessory unit in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle.
10. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly being configured to unwind the at least one attachment cable to lower the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle and the accessory unit mounted to the transport vehicle.
11. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly comprising a first winch device positioned at a first end of the shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned at a second end of the shipping base housing.
12. A shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle, the shipping container comprising:
- means for housing the accessory unit;
- means for supporting the accessory unit within the means for housing; and
- means for hoisting the means for housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
13. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means for enclosing the accessory unit within the shipping container and means for fastening the means for enclosing to the means for housing.
14. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for housing further comprising means for transporting the means for housing to the transport vehicle.
15. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means for positioning the accessory unit in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle.
16. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for hoisting comprises a first means for hoisting positioned at a first end of the means for housing and a second means for hoisting positioned at a second end of the means for housing.
17. A method of installing an accessory unit on a transport vehicle, the method comprising:
- transporting to the transport vehicle the accessory unit in a shipping container that includes a shipping base housing, an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing and a winch assembly having at least one attachment cable, the winch assembly being affixed to the shipping base housing;
- positioning the shipping container at a desired installation area of the transport vehicle;
- connecting at least one attachment cable to the transport vehicle;
- actuating the winch assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable about the winch assembly lifting the shipping base housing and the accessory unit to position the accessory unit for attaching to the transport vehicle;
- attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle;
- actuating the winch assembly to unwind the at least one attachment cable from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle; and
- disconnecting the attachment cable from the transport vehicle.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the shipping cover housing from the shipping base housing prior to connecting the at least one attachment cable to the transport vehicle, the shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the actuating the winch assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable comprising concurrently winding a first winch device positioned at a first end of the shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned as a second end of the shipping base housing.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
- positioning the accessory unit on the accessory unit cradle;
- enclosing the accessory unit with a shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit within the shipping container;
- attaching the shipping cover housing to the shipping base housing; and
- shipping the shipping container to a remote location for attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 7, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 12, 2008
Applicant:
Inventors: James Francis Smith (McHenry, IL), Donald Joseph Poder (Rolling Meadows, IL), Anthony James Zychal (Rolling Meadows, IL), Paul O. Sorensen (Rolling Meadows, IL)
Application Number: 11/703,464
International Classification: B65D 88/00 (20060101);