Air cargo container with damage resistant base

Abstract

An improved air cargo container has a base sheet attached to a base, and an enclosure which overhangs the back end of the base. Spaced apart lateral base supports are attached to the base sheet adjacent to a back end of the base sheet. The lateral base supports are parallel to each other and are also parallel to left and right sides of the base. Longitudinal base supports may be attached to the rear corners of the base sheet. The base supports provide additional stiffness to the base sheet in the highly stressed areas. The air cargo container is better designed to resist service damage.

1 . An air cargo container comprising:
 a base including a base sheet;   left and right sidewalls attached to the base, and a back wall having a lower section and an upper section, with the lower section attached to the base and extending upward at an angle to the base; and   a plurality of spaced apart lateral base supports attached to the base sheet adjacent to a back edge of the base sheet, with the lateral base supports parallel to each other, parallel to left and right sidewalls, and perpendicular to the back edge of the base sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  with the lateral base supports comprising a metal extrusion having a central top channel in a top surface of the extrusion and first and second bottom channels on a bottom surface of the extrusion, and with the first and second bottom channels on opposite sides of the central top channel. 
     
     
         3 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  with the extrusion having width of 0.75 to 2.00 inches and a height of 0.18 to 0.37 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  further comprising a first set of longitudinal base supports attached to a back left corner of the base sheet, and a second set of longitudinal base supports attached to a back right corner of the base sheet, with the longitudinal base supports perpendicular to the lateral base supports. 
     
     
         5 . The air cargo container of  claim 4  wherein the longitudinal base supports are shorter than the lateral base supports. 
     
     
         6 . The air cargo container of  claim 4  wherein all of the lateral base supports are positioned in between the first and second sets of longitudinal base supports. 
     
     
         7 . The air cargo container of  claim 2  with the longitudinal base supports also comprising the extrusion. 
     
     
         8 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  with the lateral base supports extending forwardly by 10-20 inches substantially from a rear edge of the base sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  with one or more of lateral base supports having an angled front end. 
     
     
         10 . The air cargo container of  claim 1  with a first set of the lateral base supports having a first length and a second set of the lateral base supports having a second length different from the first length. 
     
     
         11 . An air cargo container comprising:
 a base including a base sheet;   a back wall having a lower section oriented at an acute angle to the base;   a plurality of spaced apart lateral base supports attached to the base sheet adjacent to a back end of the base sheet, with the lateral base supports parallel to each other.   
     
     
         12 . An air cargo container comprising:
 a base including a base sheet;   a back wall having a lower section oriented at an acute angle to the base;   a plurality of spaced apart lateral base supports attached to the base sheet adjacent to a back end of the base sheet, with the lateral base supports parallel to each other;   a first set of longitudinal base supports attached to a back left corner of the base sheet, and a second set of longitudinal base supports attached to a back right corner of the base sheet, with the longitudinal base supports perpendicular to the lateral base supports, and with the lateral base supports in between the first and second sets of longitudinal base supports; and   at least one full width support attached to the base sheet in front of substantially all of the lateral base supports, and oriented perpendicular to the lateral base supports.   
     
     
         13 . The air cargo container of  claim 12  with the at least one full width support extending from a left side to a right side of the base sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The air cargo container of  claim 12  further comprising a second full width support attached to the base sheet in front of the first full width support, with the second full width support having an angled front surface. 
     
     
         15 . The air cargo container of  claim 12  wherein the base sheet has a front to back dimension DD, and all of the supports are located within 0.4 DD from the back end of the base sheet.