Transport Container With a Pivotable Separation Device

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport container ( 1 ) which is used to transport or store unit loads. Said transport container comprises a base unit ( 2 ) and vertical walls ( 3 ) and the inner chamber of the transport container can be subdivided into at least two chambers ( 4 ) by means of at least one separating device ( 5 ). According to the invention, the at least one separating device ( 5 ) is connected to at least one inner surface of the transport container by means of a joint-like connection ( 6, 16, 26 ) in order to produce a transport container which can be used in a flexible manner, i.e. for the transportation of various unit loads which vary slightly in their shape, size and material properties. Said separating device ( 5 ) can be pivoted about the joint-like connection ( 6, 16, 26 ) in such a manner that the distribution of the container volume can vary in the chambers ( 4 ).

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . A transport container for transporting or storing piece goods comprising a floor unit and vertical walls, wherein the internal space of the transport container can be sub-divided into at least two chambers by at least one separation device, the at least one separation device is connected to at least one inside surface of the transport container by way of a hinge-like connection, wherein said separation device is pivotable about the hinge-like connection in such a way that the division of the container volume into the chambers is variable, wherein the separation device comprises a flexible woven textile or film material, wherein a holding bar of preferably at least semi-stiff material is provided at the upper end of the separation device.  
     
     
         20 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein at least two pivotable separation devices are connected together by way of a common holding bar.  
     
     
         21 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein the separation device is provided at least portion-wise with reinforcements which are preferably incorporated into or fitted to the separation device in the form of fibre materials or profile members.  
     
     
         22 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein the floor unit and/or at least a part of the vertical walls is made from flexible material.  
     
     
         23 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein a separation device of flexible material is glued, tacked or sewn to the inside surface in a fixing region or is nailed, screwed, riveted or welded to the inside surface, wherein the flexible separation device is movable hinge-like in the region adjoining the fixing region.  
     
     
         24 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein at least one sheet or web of flexible material, preferably at least two sheets or webs of flexible material, is or are provided as the hinge-like connection between the separation device and the inside surface of the transport container.  
     
     
         25 . A transport container according to  claim 24  wherein the one sheet or the one web or the sheets or the webs are of a substantially triangular or equal-sided trapezoidal cut and is or are connected to an inside surface of the transport container and the separation device respectively preferably by sewing, tacking, riveting, welding, gluing, nailing fast or screwing fast.  
     
     
         26 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein the transport container is divided by at least one non-pivotable separation device into at least two primary chambers which in turn can be variably divided by at least one pivotable separation device.  
     
     
         27 . A transport container according to  claim 26  wherein the at least one non-pivotable separation device extends vertically in substantially parallel relationship with the pivot axes of the pivotable separation device.  
     
     
         28 . A transport container according to  claim 23  wherein the at least one or at least one further non-pivotable separation device extends in substantially perpendicular relationship to the pivot axis of the pivotable separation device.  
     
     
         29 . A transport container according to  claim 20  wherein the flexible material includes films of plastic material or technical textiles.  
     
     
         30 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein the end of the separation device, that is remote from the holding bar, is hinge-like connected to the floor unit or a vertical wall of the transport container.  
     
     
         31 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein the transport container can be placed or suspended in a transport frame, wherein the outside dimension of the transport container or a multiple thereof is selected to be so much smaller than the inside dimension of the transport frame that at least one transport container can be introduced into the transport frame, wherein when a plurality of transport containers are involved they are arranged in mutually superposed and/or mutually juxtaposed relationship.  
     
     
         32 . A transport container according to  claim 31  the transport container can be fixed in the transport frame, preferably by means of double-sided adhesive tape, profile members and/or hook-and-loop fastener tape.  
     
     
         33 . A transport container according to  claim 19  wherein in the unloaded state the transport container can be folded together or rolled up.  
     
     
         34 . A method of loading and unloading a transport container having a pivotable separation device according to  claim 19 , wherein the pivotable device is connected to at least one inner floor or side surface of the transport container by way of a hinge-like connection, wherein the separation device comprises a flexible woven textile or film material which is connected hinge-like to the floor unit or a vertical wall of the transport container, wherein provided at the upper end of the separation device is a holding bar of preferably at least semi-stiff material, wherein 
 a) for the loading operation the separation device is folded into a first loading position, in which case a first chamber opens upwardly into which a first material to be transported can be introduced, wherein after introduction of the first material to be transported the separation device is folded into a second loading position, in which case a second chamber opens into which a second material to be transported is introduced, the second loading position preferably also being the transport position, and    b) for the unloading operation firstly the second material being transported is removed from the second chamber, then the separation device is folded into the first loading position and then the first material being transported is removed from the first chamber.    
     
     
         35 . Use of a transport container according to  claim 19  for the transport of piece goods, whose basic configuration in at least one plane in which they are viewed is of a geometry which does not involve any mirror-image symmetry, or whose basic configuration is substantially the same as an isosceles triangle.  
     
     
         36 . A transport container according to  claim 26  wherein the at least one or at least one further non-pivotable separation device extends in substantially perpendicular relationship to the pivot axis of the pivotable separation device.  
     
     
         37 . A transport container according to  claim 20  wherein the floor unit and/or at least a part of the vertical walls is made from flexible material.  
     
     
         38 . A transport container according to  claim 21  wherein the floor unit and/or at least a part of the vertical walls is made from flexible material.