Self-lifting/lowering transport container

Abstract

A self-lifting/lowering transport container according to the present invention includes: a container body ( 10 ); and at least two supporting members ( 23 ) arranged at opposite sides of the container body and configured to be extendable to lift the container body and to be contractible to lower the container body substantially along a vertical direction of the container body.

1 . A self-lifting/lowering transport container, comprising:
 a container body;   supporting members arranged at opposite sides of the container body and configured to be extendable to lift the container body and to be contractible to lower the container body substantially along a vertical direction of the container body;
 a pillar portion arranged in corners of the container body; and 
 a storage depression provided in opposite side surfaces of the container body and extending substantially along the vertical direction of the container body for storing the supporting members when the supporting members are contracted, and attached to the pillar portion such that a load applied to each of the supporting members is sustained by the pillar portion. 
   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting members is configured to be protrudable from and retractable into the storage depression,
 wherein each of the supporting members is retracted into the storage depression such that each of the supporting members does not protrude outside from an outer contour of the container body in both of a horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the container body in a stored state, and   wherein each of the supporting members is protruded outside from the storage depression to a position more outward than the container body in the horizontal direction of the container body, and extends to lift the container body or contracts to lower the container body substantially along the vertical direction of the container body in a protruded state.   
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting members is configured to be extendable and contractible substantially in the vertical direction of the container body by manual operation or hydraulic pressure. 
   
   
       6 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein a shape of the container body is substantially a rectangular solid. 
   
   
       7 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a protruding/retracting unit coupled to each of the supporting members and configured to protrude each of the supporting members outside from the storage depression to the position more outward than the container body and to retract each of the supporting members to a position in the storage depression more inward than the container body.   
   
   
       8 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 7 , wherein the protruding/retracting unit has overall length that each of the supporting members fits within the storage depression when each of the supporting members is retracted into the storage depression to shift to the stored state. 
   
   
       9 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 7 , wherein the protruding/retracting unit includes at least one opening for inserting a fixing element to fix the protruding/retracting unit. 
   
   
       10 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 7 , wherein the protruding/retracting unit comprises:
 a hollow outer beam fixed to the container body and having an opening on at least one of both ends of the outer beam; and   an inner beam inserted from the opened end of the outer beam provided slide-ably in the outer beam along an axial direction of the outer beam,   wherein each of the supporting members is fixed to one of both ends of the inner beam.   
   
   
       11 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 3 , wherein overall length of each of the supporting members is shorter than height of the storage depression when each of the supporting members contracts completely, such that each of the supporting members fits within the storage depression when each of the supporting members is retracted into the storage depression to shift to the stored state. 
   
   
       12 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting members includes at least one opening for inserting a fixing element to fix the supporting member. 
   
   
       13 . The self-lifting/lowering transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting members comprises:
 an outer post provided substantially along the vertical direction of the container body;   an inner post slide-ably inserted into the outer post along the vertical direction; and   a hydraulic cylinder attached to at least one of the outer post and the inner post.