SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING SECURITY CHECK OF SHIPMENT OF CARGO
The present invention provides a system for facilitating security check of cold-chain air freight cargo using a magnetic imaging scanner for shipping at the airport. Cold-chain material includes most perishables such as produce, fresh fish, biological parts, pharmaceuticals and similar that need to be kept at a lower temperature for preservation and freshness.
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This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/508,425, filed Jul. 15, 2011, entitled “CLIMATE CONTROL CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING, TRANSPORTING AND PRESERVING CARGO”; U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/551,323, filed Oct. 25 2011, entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPORTING CARGO”; U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/551,340, filed Oct. 25 2011, entitled “A LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE HAVING ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES”; and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/590,323, filed Jan. 24, 2012, entitled “SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING SECURITY CHECK OF SHIPMENT OF CARGO”; the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present application includes claims that may be related to the claims of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/______, entitled “CLIMATE CONTROL CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING, TRANSPORTING AND PRESERVING CARGO”; co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/______, entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPORTING CARGO”; and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/______, entitled “S A LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE HAVING ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES”; the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention is in the general field of air cargo shipping. The system useful for such purposes includes load bearing structures such as dunnage platforms and other containers that are light weight.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA shipping pallet is a well known load-bearing, moveable platform whereon articles are placed for shipment. The pallet usually is loaded with a multiplicity of items, such as cartons or boxes. The loaded pallet is movable with either a pallet truck or a forklift.
The adoption of International Standardized Phytosanitary Monitoring (ISPM)-15 for wood packaging material (WPM) requires kiln dry treatment of all wood used in shipping crates and dunnage platforms (pallets). The United States in cooperation with Mexico and Canada began enforcement of the ISPM 15 standard on Sep. 16, 2005. The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) strategy for enhanced enforcement will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1, Sep. 16, 2005 through Jan. 31, 2006, call for the implementation of an informed compliance via account managers and notices posted in connection with cargo that contains noncompliant WPM. Phase 2, Feb. 1, 2006 through Jul. 4, 2006, calls for rejection of violative crates and pallets through re-exportation from North America. Informed compliance via account managers and notices posted in cargo with other types of non-compliant WPM continues to remain enforce. Phase 3, Jul. 5, 2006, involves full enforcement on all articles of regulated WPM entering North America. Non-compliant regulated WPM will not be allowed to enter the United States. The adoption of ISPM-15 reflects the growing concern among nations about wood shipping products enabling the importation of wood-boring insects, including the Asian Long horned Beetle, the Asian Cerambycid Beetle, the Pine Wood Nematode, the Pine Wilt Nematode and the Anoplophora Glapripwnnis.
Thus the wooden dunnage platform has become unattractive for the international shipment of products. Further, the wooden surface is not sanitary since it potentially can harbor in addition to insects, mould and bacteria. Also, the wooden dunnage platform is generally ill-suited for the shipment of foodstuffs and other produce requiring sanitary conditions. In addition, with the concern for carbon emission, lighter weight platforms and containers are more desirable.
Plastic dunnage platforms or pallets are known, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,089 to Nania, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,608 to Woods et al., which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. Thermoplastic molded dunnage platforms are known, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,786,992, 7,128,797, 7,927,677, 7,611,596, 7,923,087, and 7,544,262, to Dummett, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses applying thermoplastic sheets to a preformed rigid structure for manufacturing dunnage platforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,689,481 discloses a dunnage platform bag and system of loading, dispensing and using the bag, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,397 discloses a modular knock-down, light weight cargo container, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety
Passengers and their luggage have to go through airport security before boarding. Cargo shipping via air freight also has to undergo security scans. Some shippers and loaders have been certified to scan cargo at the airport prior to loading onto an airplane. The large X-ray scanners are expensive and bulky. Smaller scanners are less expensive, but the cargo packed on them need to be unload or unpack to utilize such smaller scanners. Thus, cargo going through security check can be cumbersome and time consuming. In addition to time and man-power cost, some cargo maybe sustained damage and be misplaced. With perishables, time and disturbances such as loading and unloading may increase the possibility of damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a system for facilitating security check of air freight cargo for shipping at the airport. The scanners for security may include electromagnetic inspection scanners. These scanners are designed for metal detection.
The cargo may or may not be cold-chain materials. Cold-chain material includes most perishables such as agricultural products including grain, vegetables and fruits; seafood, fresh or frozen; meat, fresh or frozen; flowers and herbs; organic materials in general including biological parts; pharmaceuticals and similar that need to be kept at a lower or certain temperature range for preservation and for freshness.
The scanners may also work with the following commodity groups, if necessary: animal feed, bakery goods, dry goods, paper products, plastic, rubber, printed Material, wearing apparel that may or may not need to be kept at certain temperature ranges.
Air flight cargos have to go through security checks just like passengers' baggage. With large, expensive X-ray scanners, the cargo can be scanned and loaded onto airplanes. Such scanners can pick up undesirable objects in the packed cargos inside cargo containers or on dunnage platforms, and reject them; but most shippers and loaders that have been certified for security scanning can ill-afford them. With smaller, more affordable X-ray scanners, though having similar properties of picking up undesirable objects, some bulky cargo that has been packed for shipping may have to be unloaded or unpacked for such security checks. This can increase time and manpower cost in addition to potential damage or loss to cargo.
Magnetic imaging scanners mentioned above, on the other hand, are less expensive and at a price more affordable to shippers and packers who have been certified to do cargo scanning Such magnetic scanners are capable of scanning large pieces of cargos without having to remove the cargo from their container and/or other load bearing structures such as dunnage platforms. Cold-chain cargos mentioned above that need to be kept at a lower temperature, or materials that need to be kept at a certain temperature for preservation and freshness, are transparent to such magnetic scanners and thus can be scanned without problem and only the presence of foreign problematic objects, such as metallic materials, will cause the cargo to be unpacked. However, load bearing structures such as wooden crates and/or containers contain objectionable objects. Usually, such cargos have to be unloaded from the containers or other load bearing structures onto other containers or loading bearing structures that do not contain any such objectionable objects before going though security, thus may still be time consuming and waste of manpower, both for the shipper and the airport operation, and also may add to the chances of misplaced cargo, missing cargo or other problems.
The present invention discloses a system designed to facilitate the security checking process, including a light weight load bearing structure for loading perishable or non-perishable cargo, the load bearing structure having a top deck, a bottom deck and a width joining the top and the bottom, the bottom deck having a plurality of legs extending therefrom and the cargo is loaded onto the top deck of the load bearing structure; and a bag-like enclosure for covering the cargo and at least a portion of the width of the load bearing structure, with the bag-like enclosure having an opening with an elastic property about its circumference for stretching about the width of the load bearing structure. The load bearing structure and bag-like enclosure in this configuration are both transparent to magnetic imaging scanners used in security scanning to facilitate the security check of perishable cargo or non-perishable cargo, large or small, without the need for unloading and reloading of the cargo from the load bearing structure.
In one embodiment of the invention, the system may include a two-piece, separable shipping container and/or load bearing structure that is designed for facilitating security check of cargo without having to unload from its package and load the cargo onto other structures just to be reloaded again after security check. The container may be an easily loadable structure having a base, with a top deck, a bottom deck and a width in between the top deck and bottom deck, that may be made of a light weight core substantially covered with a polymeric layer, for example, a high impact sheet or coating on at least one of its exposed surfaces to form a load bearing structure. The base may include legs extending from the bottom deck of the load bearing structure so as to raise the cargo above the support level. The cargo may be loaded onto the base structure and covered by a flexible and strong, bag-like material to contain and protect the cargo from being removed and/or misplaced. The bag-like material may be closed on three sides and opened at one end, with the open end having an elastic material positioned circumferentially about the opening. The cargo may be packed and the bag-like material stretched over the entire cargo with the open end stretched under the edge of base and tagged at the origin and the complete structure may be shrink-wrapped. This cargo may be scanned through security without being removed from its base and/or container or unwrapped unless foreign objects are found. In one embodiment, the container, including the base may be substantially metal free so as not to cause any problem in the magnetic scanner. In another embodiment, the container, including the base may be of plastic or polymeric material so as to be transparent to the magnetic scanner.
In another embodiment of the invention, the system may include a two-piece, separable shipping container and/or load bearing structure that is designed for facilitating security check of cargo without having to unload from its package and load the cargo onto other structures just to be reloaded again after security check. The container is an easily loadable structure having a base, with a top deck, a bottom deck and a width in between, that may be made of a light weight core, which may be ready made and cut to size, substantially covered with a polymeric layer, for example, a spray coating of polyurea covering at least one exposed surface of the core to form a load bearing structure. The base may include legs extending from the bottom of the load bearing structure so as to raise the cargo above the support level. The legs may also have a coating on them. The cargo may be loaded onto the base structure and covered by a flexible and strong, bag-like material to contain and protect the cargo from being removed and/or misplaced. The bag-like material may be closed on three sides and opened at one end, with the open end having some elastic property circumferentially about the opening. The cargo may be packed and the bag-like material stretched over the entire cargo with the open end stretched under the edge of base and tagged at the origin and the complete structure may be shrink-wrapped. This cargo may be scanned through security without being removed from its base and/or container or unwrapped unless foreign objects are found. In one embodiment, the container, including the base may be substantially metal free so as not to cause any problem in the magnetic scanner. In another embodiment, the container, including the base may be of plastic or polymeric material so as to be transparent to the magnetic scanner.
In a further embodiment of the invention the system may include a two-piece, separable shipping container and/or load bearing structure that is designed for facilitating security check of cargo without having to unload from its package and load the cargo onto other structures just to be reloaded again after security check. The container is an easily loadable structure having a base, with a top deck, a bottom deck and a width in between, that may be made by injecting a polymer into a mold to form the core and after removing the core from the mold spraying a polymer coating on the polymer core. For example, liquid polyurethane may be injected into a mold to form a polyurethane core having legs extending from the underside, which after curing is removed from the mold and sprayed with polyurea to form one or more of the load bearing structures. The legs raise the cargo above the support level. The legs may also have a coating on them. The cargo may be loaded onto the base structure and covered by a flexible and strong, bag-like material to contain and protect the cargo from being removed and/or misplaced. The bag-like material may be closed on three sides and opened at one end, with the open end having an elastic material positioned circumferentially about the opening. The cargo may be packed and the bag-like material stretched over the entire cargo with the open end stretched under the edge of base and tagged at the origin and the complete structure may be shrink-wrapped. This cargo may be scanned through security without being removed from its base and/or container or unwrapped unless foreign objects are found. In one embodiment, the container, including the base may be substantially metal free so as not to cause any problem in the magnetic scanner. In another embodiment, the container, including the base may be of plastic or polymeric material so as to be transparent to the magnetic scanner.
The enclosure may be light weight, but strong enough to protect the cargo it encloses. In one embodiment, the enclosure may also have some stretchability to fit tautly around the cargo. In another embodiment, the enclosure may also have breathability for protection of freshness of the cargo. In a further embodiment, the enclosure may be water proof and breathable. In other embodiments, the enclosure may have a combinations of the properties noted above.
According to one aspect, the load bearing base may be any standard, commercially available load bearing structures with legs extending from the bottom side of the core. The legs may be of different cross-sectional area. According to another aspect of the invention, the base may have a light weight core substantially covered with a polymeric layer, for example, a high impact sheet or coating on at least one of its surfaces, with a plurality of legs substantially evenly spaced from each other and extending from the bottom side of the core. The foundation portion of each of the legs is embedded in the core and extending partially with the core. The cross-sectional area of the legs may be substantially the same or different, but with a lower profile or height than commercially available load bearing structures. According to a further aspect, the load bearing base may be a load bearing structure made up of a light weight core covered with a thermoplastic sheet forming a tray-like top with the deck top of the core. This embodiment of the invention has the added advantages that it allows the tray-like top to contain and hold the cargo located in the load bearing structure, to protect the cargo if strapped to the load bearing structure by the strapping, and to minimize slipping or shifting of the cargo. The walls of the top may extend the core's upper surface to any extend desired. The corners of the tray-like top may be square so as to allow the tray-like top to pack the maximum amount of cargo onto the load bearing structure.
According to the present invention, the polymeric core, for example, may be a closed cell foam core such as an expanded polystyrene core with a region proximal to its surface that is combined with a high impact polymeric sheet, for example, a polystyrene sheet, by heat and pressure. For a polyurethane core, the core may be covered with a sprayed coating of, for example, polyurea. Under heat and pressure, the strength of the combination of the core and polymeric sheet is substantially increased, for example, in the order of at least five times; more for example, in the order of at least ten times that of the core before the combination. For spray coating, no additional heat and pressure application may be needed after coating.
In one exemplary embodiment, the load bearing structure may have antimicrobial properties. In one aspect, at least one antimicrobial agent having some surface activity may be added to the material used for making the polymeric payer, for example, a high impact polymeric sheet or sprayed on coating. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form. In another aspect, at least one antimicrobial agent having some surface activity may be coated onto the exposed surface or surfaces of the load bearing structure. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the load bearing structure and the bag-like enclosure may have anti-microbial properties. In one aspect, at least one antimicrobial agent having some surface activity may be added to the material used for making the polymeric payer, for example, a high impact polymeric sheet or sprayed on coating and/or the material for the bag-like enclosure. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form. In another aspect, at least one antimicrobial agent having some surface activity may be coated onto the exposed surface or surfaces of the load bearing structure or the bag-like enclosure. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form.
The bag-like enclosure may be a modular, lightweight, strong receptacle that may be stretched over the cargo to protect it from dust and/or other elements if desired and to minimize loss. For example, it may also have ultra violet light insulating, fire resistant, tamper proof and similar properties. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for some application for the material for the bag-like enclosure to be moisture resistant, or breathable, i.e., permeable to vapor or gas.
In general, the material of the bag-like enclosure is strong enough to allow the cargo inside the bag-like enclosure to be hoisted and transported.
In one embodiment of the invention, the bag-like material with one opening may be made from any strong, film forming polymeric material. The polymeric material may also be filled or colored. The material may be substantially flexible for easy installing, but strong enough to keep from tearing during installation to enclose the cargo. In another embodiment of the invention, the bag-like material may be any woven or non-woven material. In one embodiment, the material may be heat sealable to form a bag-like enclosure. In another embodiment, the material may be sewn to form a bag-like enclosure. In a further embodiment, the material may be welded, for example, with ultrasonic welding, to form a bag-like enclosure. In various embodiments, sufficiently strong material may be used and the seams may be strengthened to further insure the integrity of the bag-like enclosure when the cargo is heavy.
Some elasticity may be impart about the opening, either through thermal treatment or attachment of an additional elastic material, either by welding, heating sealing, using an adhesive or by sewing. The open end may be stretched over the cargo. The open end may end at the bottom of the cargo or the edges of the base load bearing structure. In either case, the elastic end enables such attachment.
For temperature sensitive materials, such as cold chain materials that are perishable and have to be kept at a low temperature, or other materials that have to be kept at a temperature range, either during shipping or storage, for example, material that have to be kept cool when being shipped or stored in a hot climate, not only to location, but also time of day, for example, the difference between night and day, or early morning and mid-day or afternoon; or cargo that need to be kept warm when being shipped and/or stored in a cool climate to a warmer climate; or cargo when being shipped and/or stored alternately in a cool and a warm climate, an enclosed container may be used to contain the cargo which may then be placed on top of the load bearing structure discussed above, or the load bearing structure may form the base of the enclosed container. In an embodiment of the invention, the cargo container may include materials to provide climate control, for example, gaseous, solid or liquid materials which may cool, melt or becomes gaseous or phase change to control the temperature. In an embodiment of the invention, phase change material(s) are included in the cargo container to keep the contents cool in a hot climate. In an embodiment of the invention, phase change material(s) are included in the cargo container to keep the contents warm in a cool climate. Examples of cargo include food, pharmaceuticals, prescription and off label drugs, and other articles that include chemicals that are temperature sensitive.
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, contents of shipments or storage that need to be kept above a certain temperature range, for example, above freezing, the shipping or storage container may include materials to provide climate control, for example, gaseous, solid or liquid materials which may liquefy, solidify or phase change to keep the contents warm or from getting too cold. This may happen if materials are to be shipped over, for example, trans-Siberian, on a rail system. Examples of contents may include food stuff, pharmaceuticals and any other articles that need to be kept form getting too cold.
The container may also be capable of multiple cycles of changes of temperature, for example, from cold to warm and from warm to cold, or from hot to warm and from warm to cold.
In an embodiment of the invention, a cargo container is disclosed that is light weight, strong, made of insulating thermoplastic polymers and containing phase change materials to protect the cargo from extremes in temperature. In another embodiment of the invention, a cargo container is disclosed that is light weight, strong, made of insulating thermoplastic polymers and containing phase change materials to protect the cargo from temperatures between, for example, −2° C. and −50° C.
In another embodiment of the invention, a cargo container is disclosed that is light weight, strong, made of insulating thermoplastic polymers and containing phase change materials to protect the cargo from temperatures between 30° C. and 50° C.
In a different embodiment of the invention, a cargo container is disclosed that is light weight, strong, made of insulating thermoplastic polymers and containing phase change materials to protect the cargo from temperatures between −5° C. and 40° C.
In an embodiment of the present invention, customized temperature control may be possible with phase change materials when heat may be absorbed from, or released to, keep the contents of the cargo container within a specified range during transportation.
The cargo containers may be of square, polygonal or clam shell shaped. The parts forming the container may include a core and a layer of film or other applied coating material covering the core, including those of the loading bearing structures discussed above
In an embodiment of the present invention, the contents may be surrounded by traditional insulating materials. In another embodiment of the present invention, the outside of the cargo container may be sealed to isolate the cargo container from the outside atmosphere. In a different embodiment of the present invention, styrofoam may be packed around the outside of the container prior to sealing the cargo container. In a further embodiment of the present invention, two or more enclosures may be used to insulate the container interior with additional PCMs inside each enclosure.
After the cargo has been covered by the bag-like material, it may further be shrink-wrapped to protect it. The shrink wrap process may also aid in protecting the integrity of the content from tampering,
The bag-like material and the shrink-wrap material combined to either further insure the integrity of the entire package, further aiding to facilitate the security checking process; to keep the cargo fresh, and/or to minimize tampering or introduction of any foreign objects after packing For minimizing tampering, the bag-like material may be made of a material that is not easily tearable or damaged.
The package may be tagged with identification tags, similar to those used in transporting passenger check in bags, or it may also be tagged with an RFID tags. In an embodiment of the invention, RFID tags may be inserted into the core during formation of the core, or prior to coating the core with the thermoplastic layer. In another embodiment of the invention, RFID tags may be inserted both into the core and placed on the bag-like enclosure to insure the integrity of the cargo. This may further improve the security of the cargo. In a further embodiment, the RFID tags may be inserted into the core, placed on the bag-like enclosure and/or the shrink wrap, if present, to insure the integrity of the cargo.
In one embodiment the RFID tag is read only. In another embodiment, the RFID tag contains an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), which enables both read and write functions. In an embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag is passive. In another embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag is semi passive containing a source of energy such as a battery to allow the tag to be constantly powered. In a further embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag is active, containing an internal power source, such as a battery, which is used to power any Integrated Circuits (ICs) in the tag and generate the outgoing signal. In another embodiment, the tag has the ability to enable location sensing through a photo sensor.
Other embodiments of the cargo container and methods for its use, within the spirit and scope of the invention, may be understood by a review of the specification, the claims, and the figures.
FIGS. 5 and 5A-F show various views of the embodiment of the load bearing structure of
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplified embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. The description sets forth the features and the steps for practicing the present invention. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplified methods, devices and materials are now described.
All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications which might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
A load bearing structure is an article designed to store or transport a load and may include a dunnage platform or pallet, a cargo container, or a tray-like structure.
An enclosure is an article designed to enclose a cargo loaded onto a load bearing structure so that the cargo may be isolated from the outside.
The perishable cargo is of the type commonly known as cold-chain air freight cargo and may include most perishables such as agricultural products including grain, vegetables and fruits; seafood, fresh or frozen; meat, fresh or frozen; flowers and herbs; organic materials in general such as biological parts; pharmaceuticals, prescription and off label drugs; and other articles that include chemicals that are temperature sensitive and similar that need to be kept at a lower temperature or in a temperature range for preservation and freshness. Generally, cold-chain cargo itself is transparent to magnetic imaging scanners. In fact, magnetic scanners such as electro-magnetic inspection scanners, may be designed to find out if foreign objects such as metallic objects are present in the cargo. Examples of scanners may include those made by CEIA EMS scanners. If the container of the cargo has objects that are not transparent to the scanners, then cargo may not be cleared unless they are removed from such containers prior to going through the scanner. Wooden crates generally used to carry cargo are therefore not suitable for facilitating security checks without having to unload the cargo.
The load bearing structures of the present invention may include the structures shown in
In
The load bearing structure 10 also has a width 14, which is the combined total width of the core 10a and sheet 67, mentioned above.
In one embodiment, at least one antimicrobial agent may be added to the material used for making the polymeric layer, for example, sheet 67. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form. In another embodiment, at least one antimicrobial agent may be coated onto the exposed surface 16 of the polymeric layer, for example, sheet 67. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form.
For light weight load bearing structures, the core 10a is generally made of a lighter weight material, such as foam, for example, a closed cell foam core 10a such as an expanded polystyrene core 10a with a region proximal to its surface that is combined with a heavier polymeric layer, for example, high impact polymeric sheet 67, such as a polystyrene sheet or high density polyethylene sheet, by heat and/or pressure. In some embodiments, a polyurethane core 10a may be used and may be covered with a polymeric layer, for example, a sprayed coating 67 of, for example, polyurea.
Referring to
The foam core 10a may be made from already manufactured bulk form, such as expanded polystyrene foam which may be cut to the desired shape and size; or may be foamed in place in a mold of the size and shape desired, such as polyurethane foam. The foam density may also be varied, depending on the degree of expansion of the beads used to make the foam. The foam density may also decide the suitable load or cargo to be loaded. In general, the bead density for the foam may vary between 25-30 Kg/m3 if it is polystyrene. It is surmised that, for a give foam material, the higher density of the resulting foams, the higher strength of the resulting load bearing structures. However, higher density foams also increases the weight of the resultant load bearing structure. Thus, it is desirable to tailor the correct density of the foam for the utility at hand.
For lower density beads, the resultant foam may or may not be structurally weaker with the same degree of bead expansion. Thus, material of the foam may also be considered for the tailoring.
No matter what the material of the foam is, it is in general by itself, unless it is of higher density, for example, the beads are not highly expanded, may not have sufficient structural strength to be useable as a load bearing platform. A load bearing structure with sufficient strength may be formed by combining the core 10a with a high impact polymeric sheet 67, for example, a polystyrene Sheet. In one embodiment, the sheet 67 may include an antimicrobial agent, which may be added to the material used for making the sheet 67. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form. In another embodiment, at least one antimicrobial agent may be coated onto the exposed surface 16 of the sheet 67. The antimicrobial agent may be in powder form or in liquid form. When the agent is coated, the coating may take place before the sheet 67 is combined with the core 10a or after the load bearing structure 10 is made.
The combination may be effected by heat and/or pressure. In one specific example of a load bearing structure, a combination process may cause portions of an expanded polystyrene core 10a proximal to the bottom side 18a to be combined with the high impact polystyrene sheet 67 to form a strengthened polystyrene by heat and pressure. Additionally, a portion of the expanded polystyrene that is proximal to the edge 12a and in a proximal relationship to the bottom side 18a may be combined with the high impact polystyrene by heat and pressure to form the strengthened polystyrene, if desired. Details of this combination process may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,992, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Another specific example of a load bearing structure 10 may be as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,979, WO04041516 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,698, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The load bearing structures may also include a plurality of wear resistant members that may be affixed to the second side of at least some of the legs of all of the embodiments of loading bearing structures described herein. Details of the wear resistant members may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,908,979, and 5,868,080, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
These wear resistant members may be similar to bridges that extend between adjacent legs. In some embodiments, only one of these members may be present. In other embodiments, two of these may be arranged in the shape of a cross. In further embodiments, one of each may be attached to each pair of adjacent legs around the peripheral of the load bearing structure. In still other embodiments, they may be attached to every pair of legs of the load bearing structure.
As noted above, the structure 10 may be also made by injecting a polymer into a mold to form the core 10a and after removing the core 10a from the mold spraying a polymer coating 67 on the polymer core 10a. For example, liquid polyurethane may be injected into a mold to form a polyurethane core 10a containing grooves and pockets which after curing is removed from the mold and sprayed with polyurea to form one or more of the load bearing structures 10. In one embodiment, the polymer coating may include an antimicrobial agent therein. In another embodiment, an antimicrobial coating may be applied to at least one of the exposed surfaces of the structure 10 after forming the structure.
Referring again to
In
In
As mentioned before, for temperature sensitive materials, such as cold chain materials that have to be kept at a low temperature, or other materials that have to be kept at a temperature range, either during shipping or storage, for example, material that have to be kept cool when being shipped or stored in a hot climate, not only to location, but also time of day, for example, the difference between night and day, or early morning and mid-day or afternoon; or cargo that need to be kept warm when being shipped and/or stored in a cool climate to a warmer climate; or cargo when being shipped and/or stored alternately in a cool and a warm climate, an enclosed container, for example, FIG. 6 of U.S. patent application entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPORTING CARGO” to be filed concurrently and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, may be used to contain the cargo which may then be placed on top of the load bearing structure discussed above, for example, FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5A-F, and 6A-F, FIGS. 1A and 6A of U.S. patent application entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPORING CARGO” to be filed concurrently and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety or these load bearing structure may form the base of the enclosed container, as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7A, 8E, or 9 of U.S. patent application entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPORTING CARGO” to filed concurrently and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In addition, an enclosed container, as shown in FIG. 5A, 7, 8 and 9A of U.S. patent application entitled “CARGO CONTAINER FOR STORING AND TRANSPOTING CARGO” to be filed concurrently and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and similar structures without the legs or support, may be placed on top of the afore-mentioned load bearing structures.
Phase change materials or combinations of different phase change materials may be suitable for protecting a cargo in a limited confined space over broad ranges of temperatures. A phase change material (PCM), is a substance generally having a high heat of fusion, i.e., when converting from a solid phase to a liquid phase or when converting from a liquid phase to a solid phase at a certain temperature, the PCM may store or release large amounts of energy. the energy released may be in the form of heat absorbed or released. Thus, the PCM may release heat when the material changes from solid to liquid phase in order to keep the interior of the cargo container above the outside ambient temperature.
Latent heat storage may be achieved through solid-solid, solid-liquid, solid-gas and liquid-gas phase change. A substance exhibiting solid-liquid phase change may be convenient and easy to manage. Liquid-gas phase changes may have a higher heat of transformation than solid-liquid transitions. Typically, liquid-gas phase change transitions are less practical for use as thermal storage devices as large volumes or high pressures may be required to store the materials. However, when used with cargo containers the volume constraint may be less relevant. Solid-solid phase changes are typically very slow and may also have a rather low heat of transformation.
For shipment or storage of materials that need to be kept cool during shipping, the solid-liquid PCMs are suitable heat storage materials. As the temperature rises, they absorb heat and when their temperature reaches the temperature at which the change phase occurs (their melting temperature) they absorb large amounts of heat at an almost constant temperature. This process continues without a significant rise in temperature until all the material is transformed to the liquid phase. When the ambient temperature around a liquid material falls, the PCM solidifies, releasing its stored latent heat. Thus, the PCMs not only help to keep the contents of any storage or shipment cool, but may also help to keep the contents from falling below a certain temperature. Thus, PCMs may self-recycle for an almost infinite number of cycles and are advantageous for shipments that may encounter numerous temperature cycles.
There are numerous PCMs available in a required temperature range from −5° C. up to 190° C. that may be useful. Within the most common range of 20° C. to 30° C., some PCMs are very effective heat storage devices as they may store 5 to 14 times more heat per unit volume than conventional storage materials such as water, masonry or rock.
Phase change materials with different characteristics may also be used simultaneously in the same cargo container to handle different temperature zone changes while shipping over a long distance. For example, a first phase change material may change phase around freezing temperature while a second phase change material may change phase below freezing temperatures. The containers may also include a third phase change materials that may change phase above freezing temperature.
The advantages of using PCMs for the present applications are that one may pack into the cargo container PCMs for any temperature requirement needed at various times without any concern that one material will interfere with the function of another. Thus, customization of energy control and temperature regulation is possible.
The phase change materials may be contained or packed in separate containers, for example, flexible or non-flexible plastic containers or pouches, or metalized containers or pouches, or combinations thereof. The containers may be of any shape and size. When used in air freight and if facilitating security check of air cargo transport of cargo is desirable, containers that are transparent to magnetic scanners, such as non-metal containers, may be used, as further discussed below.
As phase change materials may perform better in smaller containers, the containers may be further divided into cells or separate smaller containers may be desirable. The cells may be shallow to reduce static head based on the principle of shallow container geometry. That is, the cells may be shallow to minimize pressure exerted by the PCM. The packaging material may be chosen to be an excellent conductor of heat. The packaging material may be durable enough to withstand frequent changes in the PCM volume as phase changes occur. The packaging material may restrict the passage of water through the walls, so the materials will not dry out (or water-out, if the material is hygroscopic) and to resist leakage and corrosion. Common packaging materials showing chemical compatibility with room temperature PCMs include stainless steel, metalized films, polypropylene, polyethylene and other polyolefins, polyesters, combinations and other similar materials to be discussed below. As mentioned above, when used in facilitating security check of air cargo transport of cargo that is transparent to magnetic scanners, non-metal containers may be used.
The pouches may generally be made of impervious materials, which may include commonly known polymeric materials including polyolefins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, amorphous polyolefins such as Vestoplast 703.® (Huls), metallocene polyolefins, and the like.
These containers or pouches of phase change materials may be placed in various places in the cargo container, including the base, top and side walls. They may even be placed in contact with or in close proximity to the cargo item to be protected from temperature changes, inside their packaging, similar to desiccant pouches. The phase change materials in their own packaging may also be arranged in layers. For example, flat, thin pouches may be stacked one on top of another or side by side. The pouches may have PCMs with same or different temperature properties. Thus, the phase change may occur in stages to provide custom protection for the contents being shipped or stored.
In an embodiment of the present invention, PCMs may be incorporated into the cargo container during construction of the container. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, PCMs may be incorporated into the cargo container during assembly of the parts of the container.
In an embodiment of the present invention, customized temperature control may be possible with phase change materials when heat may be absorbed from, or released to, keep the contents of the cargo container within a specified range during transportation.
In addition, a knock-down container as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,397, the contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirely, may also be used with phase change materials according to any or all of the embodiments described above.
In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the dunnage platform, the first enclosure and second enclosure are formed from a core, from one or more of the materials including expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, polyphenylene ether, polystyrene impregnated with pentane, a blend of polyphenylene ether and polystyrene impregnated with pentane, polyethylene, and polypropylene. In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the dunnage platform, the first enclosure and second enclosure are formed from a core containing one or more materials mentioned above. In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the dunnage platform, the first enclosure and second enclosure are formed from one or more thermoplastic sheets or layers including high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene, polyacrylonitrile, polyurea, polybutadiene, polyphenylene ether and polyphony ether alloyed with high impact polystyrene. In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the dunnage platform, the first enclosure and second enclosure thermoplastic sheets are a blend of any of the polymers mentioned In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the load bearing structure load bearing structure may be formed from a core with an embedded strengthening material selected from the group consisting of a mesh, a perforated sheet and a barrier is embedded in the core. In various embodiments of the invention, one or more of the load bearing structure, may be formed from a core with an embedded strengthening material selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, Kevlar, basalt-web blanket and Formica.
In embodiments of the invention, one or more of the load bearing structure discussed above may be made of an expanded polymer core over which one or more thermoplastic sheet are combined. The expanded core may be made from already manufactured bulk form, such as expanded polystyrene foam which may be cut to the desired shape and size; or may be foamed in place in a mold of the size and shape desired, such as polyurethane foam. The foam density may also be varied, depending on the degree of expansion of the beads used to make the foam. The foam density may also decide the suitable load or cargo to be loaded. In general, the bead density for the foam may vary between 25-30 Kg/m3 if it is polystyrene. It is surmised that, for a give foam material, the higher density of the resulting foams, the higher strength of the resulting load bearing structures. However, higher density foams also increases the weight of the resultant load bearing structure. Thus, it is desirable to tailor the correct density of the foam for the utility at hand.
For lower density beads, the resultant foam may or may not be structurally weaker with the same degree of bead expansion. Thus, material of the foam may also be considered for the tailoring.
No matter what the material of the expanded core is, it is in general by itself, unless it is of higher density, for example, the beads are not highly expanded, may not have sufficient structural strength to be useable as a load bearing platform.
In an embodiment of the invention, one or two ploymeric sheets, for example, high impact polystyrene sheets may be combined with an expanded polystyrene core In an alternative embodiments of the invention, one or more of the load bearing structure may be made by injecting a polymer into a mold to form the core and after removing the core from the mold spraying a polymer coating on the polymer core. In an embodiment of the invention, liquid polyurethane is injected into a mold to form a polyurethane core which after curing is removed from the mold and sprayed with polyurea to form one or more of the load bearing structure. For example, the polyurea spray coating process may form a coating of about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm thick on a about 50 mm core. In various embodiments of the invention, the mold may be made of metal, plastic or natural materials including wood. In an embodiment of the invention, the mold is made of aluminum.
The bag-like enclosure may be a modular, lightweight, strong receptacle that may be stretched over the cargo to protect it from dust and/or other elements if desired and to minimize loss. For example, it may also have ultra violet light insulating, fire resistant, tamper proof and similar properties. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for some application for the material for the bag-like enclosure to be moisture resistant, or breathable, i.e., permeable to vapor or gas.
The material may be a film, a woven sheet or a non-woven sheet having sufficient strength for stretching over and covering a cargo and light weight enough not to add unnecessary weight to the cargo.
For a film, the suitable material may be made from any film forming material including may include polymers of monoolefins and diolefins, e.g. polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polybut-1-ene, poly-4-methylpent-1-ene, polyvinylcyclohexane, polyisoprene or polybutadiene, and polymers of cycloolefins, e.g. of cyclopentene or norbornene, polyethylene (which may optionally be crosslinked), e.g. high density polyethylene (HDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), (VLDPE) and (ULDPE); copolymers of monoolefins and diolefins with one another or with other vinyl monomers, e.g. ethylene/propylene copolymers, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and blends thereof with low density polyethylene (LDPE), propylene/but-1-ene copolymers, propylene/isobutylene copolymers, ethylene/but-1-ene copolymers, ethylene/hexene copolymers, ethylene/methylpentene copolymers, ethylene/heptene copolymers, ethylene/octene copolymers, ethylene/vinylcyclohexane copolymers, ethylene/cycloolefin copolymers (e.g. ethylene/norbornene, such as COC), propylene/butadiene copolymers, isobutylene/isoprene copolymers, ethylene/vinylcyclohexene copolymers, polystyrene, poly(p-methylstyrene), poly(alpha-methylstyrene); polyamides and co-polyamides derived from diamines and dicarboxylic acids and/or from aminocarboxylic acids or the corresponding lactams, for example polyamide 4, polyamide 6, polyamide 6/6, 6/10, 6/9, 6/12, 4/6, 12/12, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, aromatic polyamides starting from m-xylenediamine and adipic acid; polyamides prepared from hexamethylenediamine and isophthalic and terephthalic acid as starting materials and with or without an elastomer as a modifier, for example poly-2,4,4-trimethylhexamethyleneterephthal-amide or poly-m-phenyleneisophthalamide; and also block copolymers of said polyamides with polyolefins, olefin copolymers, ionomers or chemically bonded or grafted elastomers; polyamides with polyethers, for example with polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol or polytetramethylene glycol; and also polyamides or co-polyamides modified with EPDM or ABS; polyamides condensed during the preparation (RIM polyamide systems); polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and diols and/or from hydroxycarboxylic acids or the corresponding lactones, for example polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, poly-1,4-dimethylolcyclohexane terephthalate, polyalkylene naphthalate (PAN) and polyhydroxybenzoate, and also block copolyetheresters derived from hydroxyl-terminated polyethers; polycarbonates and polyestercarbonates, polyketones, polysulfones, polyethersulfones and polyetherketones; crosslinked polymers derived from aldehydes on the one hand and phenols, ureas and melamines on the other hand, such as, for example, phenol/formaldehyde resins, urea/formaldehyde resins and melamine/formaldehyde resins; unsaturated polyester resins derived from co-polyesters of saturated and unsaturated dicarboxylic acids, polyhydric alcohols and vinyl components as cross linking agents, and also halogen-containing modifiers thereof having low flammability; crosslinked acrylic resins derived from substituted acrylates, e.g. epoxyacrylates, urethaneacrylates or polyesteracrylates; starch; polymers and co-copolymers of materials such as polylactic acids and its copolymers, cellulose, polyhydroxy alcanoates (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS)) polymers and copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate), and crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone, Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EvOH).
The bag-like enclosure may be porous sheeting material and may include various woven or non-woven fiberglass, Brattice cloth, cotton and other fabrics, heavy weight paper, light weight wire mesh, ceramic cloths, or polymeric material, such as, some synthetics, e.g., various woven or non-woven polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, Nylon, synthetic fiber blend, etc. an emulsion or dispersion of a film-forming polymer that has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of from about −70.degree. F. (about −57.degree. C.) to about 140.degree. F. (about 60.degree. C.).
A suitable material may also be a fibrous nonwoven web formed from any blow microfibers. Suitable for blown microfibers may include semicrystalline polymers such as high and low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, poly(vinylidine fluoride), poly(methyl pentene), poly(ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene), poly(vinyl fluoride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), nylon 6, nylon 66, polybutene, and thermotropic liquid crystal polymers. Examples of suitable thermotropic liquid crystal polymers include aromatic polyesters which exhibit liquid crystal properties when melted and which are synthesized from aromatic diols, aromatic carboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, and other like monomers. Typical examples include a first type consisting of parahydroxybenzoic acid (PHB), terephthalic acid, and biphenol; a second type consisting of PHB and 2,6-hydroxynaphthoic acid; and a third type consisting of PHB, terephthalic acid, and ethylene glycol.
For example, polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene that are readily available at low cost and can provide highly desirable properties in the microfibrillated articles such as high modulus and high tensile strength. Any polyolefins, such as those noted above. In some cases, multicomponent fibers having an adhesive component region may also be suitable.
In general, the bag-like enclosure may have at least some stretchability. Non-woven materials may in general be made to be stretchable. A general example of a suitable material may include heat and/or pressure treated, non-woven, high density polyethylene materials, such as Tyvek®, available from DuPont, which may also exhibit other desirable properties such as, for example, water resistance, breathability, resistance to tearing and/or other properties.
As noted above, the opening may have an elastic property to allow the enclosure to be stretched over the cargo and/or the load structure, as shown in
The elastic property of the opening may be imparted through thermal treatment or attachment of an additional elastic material, either by welding, heating sealing, using an adhesive or by sewing.
In other embodiments, a gathered fibrous nonwoven web possessing elastic characteristics may be used for imparting the elastic property to the opening. In one embodiment, the fibrous nonwoven gathered web may be formed, in a gatherable condition, directly onto an extendable and contractible forming surface while the forming surface is maintained in the extended condition. In another embodiment, the extendable and contractible forming surface may be a nonwoven elastic web such as, for example, a fibrous nonwoven elastic web. In a further embodiment, the extendable and contractible forming surface may be a extendable and contractible mesh screen forming surface.
When the gathered fibrous nonwoven web may also be formed directly on a surface of a nonwoven elastic web the nonwoven elastic web may first be formed by, for example, a melt blowing process or any other process for forming a nonwoven elastic web. For example, the nonwoven elastic web may be an apertured web of an elastic film as opposed to a melt blown fibrous nonwoven elastic web. The nonwoven elastic web, as formed, has a normal contracted, nonbiased length. Thereafter, the nonwoven elastic web may be extended by being stretched to an extended, stretched, biased length. The detailed of the process may be found in U.S. Pat. No. No. 4,652,467, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Another embodiment of a stretchable material may be stretchable nonwoven webs based on multi-layer blown microfibers, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,733, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
For helping to keep the cargo fresh, breathable materials may be used. Breathable materials that are also moisture impervious may also be desirable. One example of the material may be a multicomponent film structure, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,783, or a non-woven fabric laminate, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,765, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The porous material of the bag-like enclosure 70 may be impregnated with a water based antimicrobial composition, having at least one polymeric carrier that may be in the form of an emulsion or dispersion and at least one substantially non-leaching antimicrobial component that is substantially free of environmentally hazardous material, as mentioned above. The porous substrate mayor may not be overcoated or protected with a film layer.
Protective or overcoating may be desirable for bag-like enclosures. In one embodiment, the bag-like enclosure may include a protective or overcoating layer if it is porous.
The protective or overcoating layer may also be moisture impervious and/or breathable. Examples of impervious layers may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,826, as disclosed above, the content of which is incorporated hereby by reference in its entirety. Breathable packaging material, as disclosed above, may be a multicomponent film structure, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,783, or a non-woven fabric laminate, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,765, or a breathable film layer as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,547, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Biodegradable, breathable enclosures may also be useful and example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,910,645, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
After loading the cargo and the bag-like enclosure 70, the cargo may be further sealed from the exterior by wrapping cellulose film, polyvinyl chloride film, polyvinylidene chloride film, low density polyethylene film, linear low density polyethylene film and copolymer films that include polyisobutene and/or polyethylene-vinylacetate. Breathable shrink-wrap materials may also be desirable for perishable cargo.
In any of the embodiments, the antimicrobial properties, if present, may be generated from materials including chemical anti-microbial materials or compounds that are capable of being substantially permanently bonded, at least for a period such as the useful life of the load bearing structures, either when at least one antimicrobial agent is added to the material used for making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above, or when at least one antimicrobial agent having some surface activity is coated onto the exposed surface of the polymeric layer, for example, sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above; or maintain their anti-microbial effects when at least one antimicrobial agent is coated with the aid of coating agents, onto the exposed surface of the polymeric layer, for example, sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above. In one example, the chemicals may be deposited on the surface of the loading bearing structures by covalent linkage.
When the antimicrobial agent or agents are incorporated in the material used in making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating, the agent or agents maybe dispersed directly into the material, or with the aid of an appropriate carrier, for example, a binding agent, a solvent, or a suitable polymer mixing aid. These carriers may also be useful for coating aids mentioned above. Effective binding agents are those that do not interfere with the antimicrobial activities of the antimicrobial agent. In one embodiment, when the anti-microbial agent is incorporated into the material used either for making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above, the antimicrobial agent maybe master batch in the material or an appropriate carrier at a higher concentration prior to adding to the material for making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating in desired proportions. In another embodiment, the antimicrobial agent may be added directly to the material for making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating without the intermediate step.
In other embodiments, the antimicrobial agents, either in coatings or incorporated into the materials for making the polymeric layer, for example, sheets or surface coatings, may include chemical antimicrobial materials or compounds that may be deposited in a non-permanent manner such that they may dissolve, leach or otherwise deliver antimicrobial substances during use. The material may be adequately incorporated, though temporarily and/or in sufficient amounts to last at least for a period such as the useful life of the load bearing structures, either when at least one antimicrobial agent is added to the material used for making the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above, or when at least one antimicrobial agent is coated onto the exposed surface of polymeric layer, for example, the sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above; or maintain their anti-microbial effects when at least one antimicrobial agent is coated with the aid of coating agents, onto the exposed surface of the polymeric layer, for example, a sheet or sprayed coating mentioned above. The suitable agent or agents are those that tend to migrate to the surfaces.
In still other embodiments, the antimicrobial agent either in coatings or incorporated into the material used for making the polymeric layer, for example, sheets or sprayed coatings may include sources of anti-microbial agents which may leach and/or release agents in a moist environment or upon contact with moisture. These sources may be incorporated into the substrate materials used for manufacturing the polymeric layer, for example, sheet mentioned above, or included in the coatings spray coated on the exposed surfaces of the core or sheet. Incorporation of these sources may be especially suited to polymeric substrates.
In one example, an antimicrobial agent or agents capable of eliminating, preventing, retarding or minimizing the growth of microbes may be present on the surfaces of the bag-like enclosure 700 or the surfaces or surfaces of the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800 described above.
The agent or agents may be incorporated into the material used for the enclosure 800 or may be coated onto the exposed surfaces of the enclosure 700 or the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800.
The agent or agents may include chemical anti-microbial materials or compounds that are capable of being substantially permanently bonded, at least for a period such as the useful life the enclosure 700, or the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800, or maintain their anti-microbial effects when coated with the aid of coating agents, onto the exposed surfaces of the enclosure 700, or the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800. In one example, the chemicals may be deposited on the exposed surface or surfaces of the enclosure 700 or the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800 by covalent linkage or linkages.
In other embodiments, the coatings may include chemical antimicrobial materials or compounds that may be deposited in a non-permanent manner such that they may dissolve, leach or otherwise deliver antimicrobial substances in a wet environment. In some embodiments, a layer of substantially non-permanent coating including an anti-microbial compound may be present on top of a layer of a substantially permanent coating including an anti-microbial compound.
The substantially permanent anti-microbial coating may be, for example, substantially flexible so that the coating substantially covers the working surfaces of the loading bearing structure during use even if the structure flexes. If the anti-microbial compound is not capable of forming a substantially flexible coating by itself, then a binding agent capable of forming a substantially flexible coating may be used to aid in the flexibility of the resulting coating.
In still other embodiments, the coatings may include sources of anti-microbial agents that may be non-leaching, but leach and/or release agents in a moist environment or upon contact with moisture. These sources may be incorporated into the substrate materials used for manufacturing the surface layer, for example, the sheet or sprayed coating, or included in the coatings coated on the exposed surfaces of the enclosures 70 or the load bearing structures 10, 30 and 800. Incorporation of the sources is especially suited to polymeric substrates.
Antimicrobial agents may be employed to retard or kill microbes on the exposed surface or surfaces of the container. Antimicrobial materials or compounds may include a variety of substances including, but not limited to antibiotics such as β-lactams (e.g. penicillin), aminoglycosides (e.g. streptomycin) and tetracylcines (e.g. doxycycline), antimycotics such as polyene drugs (e.g. amphotericin B) and imidazole and triazole drugs (e.g. fluconazole), and general antimicrobial agents such as quaternary ammonium cations (e.g. benzalkonium chloride) and compounds such as triclosan, chlorhexidine, and/or any other appropriate compound or mixtures thereof. Additional details of antimicrobial agents, layers or coatings may be found in U.S. patent application entitled “LOAD BEARING STRUCTURES HAVING ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES”, to be filed concurrently, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In one embodiment, a porous sheet substrate used for bonding to foam core or used for bag-like enclosure or foam core, may be impregnated with a water based antimicrobial composition, having at least one polymeric carrier that may be in the form of an emulsion or dispersion and at least one substantially non-leaching antimicrobial component that is substantially free of environmentally hazardous material. The porous substrate mayor may not be overcoated or protected with a film layer.
In another embodiment, a porous sheet substrate used for bonding to foam core or used for bag-like enclosure or foam core may be impregnated with a water based antimicrobial composition, having at least one polymeric carrier that may be in the form of an emulsion or dispersion and at least one surface active antimicrobial component that is substantially free of environmentally hazardous material.
In yet another embodiment, a non-porous sheet substrate used for bonding to foam core or used for bag-like enclosure may be coated with a water based antimicrobial composition, having at least one polymeric carrier that may be in the form of an emulsion or dispersion and at least one substantially non-leaching antimicrobial component that is substantially free of environmentally hazardous material.
Examples of antimicrobial component that is substantially free of environmentally hazardous material may include sodium omadine, sodium borate, zinc omadine, zinc borate, calcium borate, barium metaborate, iodo alkynyl alkyl carbamates, diiodomethyl-p-tolylsulfone, 2-4-thiazolyl-benzimidaxole, 2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate, zinc 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, potassium n-hydroxymethyl-n-methyldithiscarbamate, sodium 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 5-hydroxyemthoxymethyl-1-aza-3,7-dioxa-bicyclooctane, 2,3,5,6-tetra-chloro-4-pyridine, zinc 2-pyridinethiol-1-oxide and N-trichloromethylthiophthalimide, tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, deltamethrin, fipronil, bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, imidacloprid, and mixtures thereof. For use in facilitating security check, metallic compounds are not used.
Non-leaching antimicrobial materials are for example, materials with a very low volatility and very low water solubility such that it would only leach out to the extent sufficient to maintain an effective and uniform concentration throughout the exposed surface(s) of the antimicrobial article when its concentration thereon is reduced due to its action against microorganisms. In other words, the antimicrobial component is selected not to be fugitive or migrating once being incorporated into the impregnated article, but to have a very low water solubility so that it could maintain an equilibrium concentration throughout the article on its surface(s) whenever the concentration reduction occurs thereon due to the attack of the microbes. The antimicrobial component may have a water solubility of, for example, from about 0.10 PPM to about 1.0 wt %, depending on each individual antimicrobial component.
The porous sheeting material may include various woven or non-woven fiberglass, Brattice cloth, cotton and other fabrics, heavy weight paper, light weight wire mesh, ceramic cloths, or polymeric material, such as, some synthetics, e.g., various woven or non-woven polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, Nylon, synthetic fiber blend, etc. an emulsion or dispersion of a film-forming polymer that has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of from about −70.degree. F. (about −57.degree. C.) to about 140.degree. F. (about 60.degree. C.). Wire mesh and other metallic materials may not suitable for facilitating security check.
For example, the polymeric emulsion or dispersion has a medium particle size of from about 0.10 micron to about 4.0 micron. Examples of useful polymeric emulsion or dispersion includes, such as, emulsions or dispersions of styrene acrylic copolymers, such as Acronal S702 from BASF, Ucar 376 from Union Carbide, and Res 3077 from Rohm & Haas; styrene butadiene block copolymers, such as, DL 313 NA from Dow Chemical, ND-565 and ND-422 from BASF, and Rovene 6105 from Mallard Creek Polymers; ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, such as Airflex 400/A405/460 from Air Products and Elvace 1875 from Reichhold Chemicals; polyvinyl acetate homopolymer, such as PD-316 from H.B. Fuller Company, and Airflex XX-220/230 from Air Products; acrylate-acrylonitrile copolymers, such as Synthemuls, various grades from Reichhold Chemicals; vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride ethylene copolymers, such as Airflex 728 from Air Products; ethylene vinyl acetate butyl acrylate terpolymers, such as Airflex 809 from Air Products; butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers, such as Tylac, various grades from Reichhold Chemical; vinyl acrylic-vinyl chloride, such as Haloflex 563 from Zeneca Resins; vinylidene chloride-acrylic-vinyl chloride copolymers, such as Vycar 660X14 and Vycar 460X46 from B.F. Goodrich; chloroprene polymers and copolymers, such as DuPont Neoprene latex 115, 400, 654 and 750 from DuPont; water-borne urethane polymers, such as Neo Rez R-962, 967 and 972 from Zeneca Resins, and mixtures thereof.
The porous or non-porous sheet substrate may be useful as an embodiment of the bag-like enclosure. In one embodiment, the bag-like enclosure may include a protective or overcoating layer if it is porous. The protective or overcoating layer may also be moisture impervious and/or breathable. Examples of impervious layers may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,826, the content of which is incorporated hereby by reference in its entirety. Breathable packaging material may be a multicomponent film structure, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,783, or a non-woven fabric laminate, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,765, or a breatahable film layer as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,547, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Biodegradable, breathable containers may also be useful and example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,910,649, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
In other embodiments of the invention, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag may be imbedded in the core of one or more of the load bearing structure, the first enclosure and/or second enclosure, if present. In still other embodiments of the invention, the RFID tag may be present on the cargo as well as imbedded in the core of one or more of the load bearing structure, the first enclosure and/or second enclosure, if present. In one embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag operates using an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) signal. In another embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag operates using a microwave frequency signal.
In one embodiment, the RFID tag is centered in the middle of the core. In another embodiment, the RFID tag is placed on the edge of the core. In a further embodiment, the RDID tag may be placed on the cargo. In an embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag may be positioned so that the RFID tag antenna is least affected by the metal in the loaded cargo carrier.
In one embodiment of the invention, means of communication with a base station may be imbedded in one or more of the load bearing structure, the first enclosure and the second enclosure or shrink wrap. In one embodiment of the invention, the communication means utilizes one or more of a wireless local area network; a wireless wide area network; a cellular network; a satellite network; a Wi-Fi network; and a pager network. In one embodiment of the invention, the device embedded is a modem capable of communicating with one or more of the aforementioned networks. In the following discussion the term ‘cellular modem’ will be used to describe the device embedded. The term ‘cellular modem’ will be herein used to identify any device of comparable size capable of communicating over one or more of the aforementioned networks. In one embodiment of the invention, the cellular modem may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) modem. In an embodiment of the invention, a RFID reader and associate integrated circuit processor are embedded together with the cellular modem in the spreader, the transporter base, the dispenser base, the reloading base and the material of the four walls. In such an embodiment, the RFID tags and RFID reader are positioned to optimize the RFID read of the RFID tags from the other surfaces.
In an embodiment of the invention, where a RFID reader and a cellular modem are embedded; the RFID reader is in communication with one or more RFID readers, associated cellular modems and the RFID tags of one or more cargo carriers in the vicinity of the RFID reader. Through communications with the RFID reader and associated integrated circuit processor of the plurality of cargo carriers in the vicinity, a RFID reader and associated integrated circuit processor is able to distinguish the RFID tag from cargo loaded in cargo carriers in the vicinity based on one or more of location, strength of signal, variation of RFID tag signal with position in the cargo carrier relative to the reader, variation of RFID tag signal with time and prior input data. In an embodiment of the invention, one or more antennae inserted into the cargo carrier are used to help discriminate the location of the cargo carriers. In an embodiment of the invention, the RFID reader and associate processor are in communication with the embedded cellular modem. In an embodiment of the invention, the cellular modem is in communication with a base station and may transmit one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of one or more RFID tag location, one or more RFID tag identification code, number of cargo carriers, cargo carrier information, previous cargo information, load bearing structure condition, enclosure condition, cargo carrier condition and time stamp.
In another embodiment of the invention, a RFID tag is embedded in one or more of a load bearing structure and a master load bearing structure.
In an embodiment of the invention, the cargo, each load bearing structure and a master load bearing structure contain one or more of a passive RFID tag, an active RFID tag and RFID tag reader. Each load bearing structure is able to monitor the cargo and the load bearing structures in the vicinity. In a shipment, one or more master load bearing structures contains an RFID tag reader which is able to monitor all the other load bearing structures and cargo carriers in the vicinity of the one or more master load bearing structure. The master load bearing structure is then able to relay the position and condition of the entire shipment to a base station.
In one embodiment of the invention, means of communication with a base station is imbedded in a master load bearing structure. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, one or more load bearing structures contain the apparatus to communicate with the base station in order to relay the condition and global position of the cargo. In an embodiment of the invention, two or more master load bearing structures are used to communicate with a base station by transmitting or receiving simultaneously and signaling averaging or alternatively using the master load bearing structure which is best able to receive or transmit given their individual locations.
In one embodiment of the invention, the communication means utilizes one or more of a wireless local area network; a wireless wide area network; a cellular network; a satellite network; a Wi-Fi network; and a pager network. In one embodiment of the invention, the device embedded is a modem capable of communicating with one or more of the aforementioned networks.
In an embodiment of the invention, through communications with the RFID reader and associated integrated circuit processor of the one or more master load bearing structures, a RFID reader and associated integrated circuit processor is able to distinguish the RFID tag from load bearing structures in the vicinity of the one or more master load bearing structure based on one or more of location to each of the master load bearing structures, strength of signal to each of the master load bearing structures, variation of RFID tag signal with position relative to each of the master load bearing structures, variation of RFID tag signal with time relative to each of the master load bearing structures and prior input data. In an embodiment of the invention, one or more antenna can be used to help discriminate the location of the load bearing structures position relative to the one or more master load bearing structures. In an embodiment of the invention, the RFID reader and associate processor can be in communication with the embedded cellular modem. In an embodiment of the invention, the cellular modem is in communication with a base station and can transmit one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of one or more RFID tag location, one or more RFID tag identification code, previous shipment information, master load bearing structure information, load bearing structure condition and time stamp.
In one embodiment of the invention the RFID code uses the IEEE format and is Electronic Product Code (EPC) readable. In another embodiment of the invention the RFID code uses the UCC format and is Universal Product Code (UPC) readable. In another embodiment, the format is compatible for EPC, European Article Number (EAN) and UPC read and write functions.
Various embodiments can be implemented using a conventional general purpose or specialized digital computer(s) and/or processor(s) programmed according to the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art. The invention can also be implemented by the preparation of integrated circuits and/or by interconnecting an appropriate network of component circuits, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Various embodiments include a computer program product which is a storage medium (media) having instructions and/or information stored thereon/in which can be used to program a general purpose or specialized computing processor(s)/device(s) to perform any of the features presented herein. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: any type of physical media including floppy disks, optical discs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, micro drives, magneto-optical disks, holographic storage devices, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, DRAMs, PRAMS, VRAMs, flash memory devices, magnetic or optical cards, nano-systems (including molecular memory ICs); paper or paper-based media; and any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and/or information. Various embodiments include a computer program product that can be transmitted in whole or in parts and over one or more public and/or private networks wherein the transmission includes instructions and/or information, which can be used by one or more processors to perform any of the features, presented herein. In various embodiments, the transmission can include a plurality of separate transmissions.
Stored on one or more of the computer readable medium (media), the present disclosure includes software for controlling both the hardware of general purpose/specialized computer(s) and/or processor(s), and for enabling the computer(s) and/or processor(s) to interact with a human user or other mechanism utilizing the results of the present invention. Such software can include, but is not limited to, device drivers, operating systems, execution environments/containers, user interfaces and applications.
The execution of code can be direct or indirect. The code can include compiled, interpreted and other types of languages. Unless otherwise limited by claim language, the execution and/or transmission of code and/or code segments for a function can include invocations or calls to other software or devices, local or remote, to do the function. The invocations or calls can include invocations or calls to library modules, device drivers and remote software to do the function. The invocations or calls can include invocations or calls in distributed and client/server systems.
Any or all of these devices may be added to the cargo, container or enclosure after security check to monitor cargo condition and/or integrity.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A system for facilitating security check for air freight cargo comprising: wherein the load bearing structure and bag-like enclosure are both transparent to a magnetic imaging scanner used in security scanning to facilitate the security check of perishable cargo without the need for unloading and reloading of the cargo from the load bearing structure.
- a light weight load bearing structure for loading perishable cargo, said load bearing structure having a top deck, a bottom deck and a width joining the top and the bottom, said bottom deck having a plurality of legs extending therefrom and said cargo being loaded onto the top deck of the load bearing structure; and
- a bag-like enclosure for covering the coo and at least a portion of the width of the load bearing structure, said bag-like enclosure having an opening with an elastic property about its circumference for stretching over the width of the load bearing structure;
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of legs originating from about a mid-section of the width of the load bearing structure.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said load bearing structure comprises a polymeric foam core having at least one polymeric layer surrounding at least the top deck and a portion of the width.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein said load bearing structure comprises at least one wall extending from the top deck to form a tray-like structure.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said load bearing structures comprises at least one exposed surfaces having antimicrobial properties.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said enclosure comprises a material having some stretchability to fit tautly over the cargo.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is breathable.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is breathable and biodegradable.
9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.
10. A system for facilitating security check for air freight cargo comprising: wherein the load bearing structure and bag-like enclosure are both transparent to a magnetic imaging scanner used in security scanning to facilitate the security check of perishable cargo without the need for unloading and reloading of the cargo from the load bearing structure.
- a light weight load bearing structure for loading perishable cargo, said load bearing structure having a top deck, a bottom deck and a width joining the top and the bottom, said bottom deck having a plurality of legs extending therefrom and said cargo being loaded onto the top deck of the load bearing structure;
- a bag-like enclosure for covering the cargo and at least a portion of the width of the load bearing structure, said bag-like enclosure having an opening with an elastic property about its circumference for stretching over the width of the load bearing structure; and
- at least one phase change material present on said load bearing structure;
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more of said RFID tag on said enclosure are adapted for storing one or more load bearing structure condition, cargo location, cargo condition and cargo status.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein said phase change material is contained in its own package.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said phase change material is in close proximity to said cargo.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein said load bearing structures comprises at least one exposed surfaces having antimicrobial properties.
17. A system for facilitating security check for air freight cargo comprising: wherein the cargo, cargo container, load bearing structure and bag-like enclosure are transparent to a magnetic imaging scanner used in security scanning to facilitate the security check of perishable cargo without the need for unloading and reloading of the cargo from the load bearing structure.
- a light weight cargo container for containing perishable cargo, said cargo container having at least one phase change material to insulate the cargo for climate control;
- a load bearing structure having a top deck, a bottom deck and a width joining the top and the bottom for loading said cargo container on onto the top deck of the load bearing structure, said bottom deck having a plurality of legs extending therefrom; and
- a bag-like enclosure for covering the cargo container, said bag-like enclosure having an opening with an elastic property about its circumference for stretching over the cargo container and the width of the load bearing structure;
18. The system of claim 17 wherein said phase change material is capable of multiple phase transformations.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein said phase change material is contained in at least one thin pouches.
20. The system of claim 17 wherein said cargo container comprises at least two phase change material having different thermal properties.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 17, 2013
Applicant: AIRDEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. (Henderson, NV)
Inventors: Vance L. Seagle (Henderson, NV), Rick D. Imbrecht (Henderson, NV)
Application Number: 13/549,477
International Classification: B65D 19/00 (20060101); B65D 19/40 (20060101); B65D 19/22 (20060101);
