Container for a refrigerated liquid transport system

Abstract

A refrigerated liquid transport system is disclosed, which comprises a refrigerated container configured to be loaded with unit loads (200), a unit load (200) comprising a pallet (20) supporting at least one layer of ten liquid containers (300), each liquid container (300) having side walls (303) connected to one another by rounded edge portions (304), in which the main faces (303′) of adjacent side walls (303) are generally mutually perpendicular; the upper side wall (301) comprises at least one recessed portion (315) containing an opening (312) able to be closed by an accordingly adjusted plug and at least one handle (313) above the bottom of the recess, the top of the handle (313) being either level with the main face of the upper side wall (301), or below same; and wherein the main faces of the liquid container (300) define a rectangular cuboid geometry with width of at least 250 mm and length of at least 380 mm, and a height, for example, of 440 mm, 365 mm or 310 mm.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A liquid container for transport under refrigerated conditions, the container comprising sidewalls connected to each other by rounded edge portions, wherein main faces of adjacent sidewalls are generally perpendicular to each other; and wherein a top sidewall comprises at least one recessed portion containing an orifice adapted for being closed by a cap in a form fit and at least one handle disposed above a bottom surface of the recess, wherein a top of the handle is either flush with a main face of the top sidewall or located beneath it; and wherein main faces of the sidewalls of the liquid container define a rectangular cuboid geometry having a width of less than 250 mm and a length of less than 380 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the rectangular cuboid geometry has a width of 225 mm or more and a length of 360 mm or more. 
     
     
         21 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the rectangular cuboid geometry has a height of 440 mm, a height of 365 mm, or a height of 310 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the length of the rectangular cuboid is in the range from 364 mm to 372 mm and the width of the rectangular cuboid is in the range from 228 mm to 234 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein one or more protrusions are formed in the main face of the top sidewall, the protrusions having a frustum like shape, and wherein a number of recesses are formed in a main face of a bottom main wall of the liquid container, with the number and positions of the recesses corresponding to the number and positions of protrusions formed on the main face of the top sidewall and the shape of each recess being complementary to that of its corresponding protrusion. 
     
     
         24 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein a rounded edge portion has a convex curvature with a radius of between 5 mm and 50 mm. 
     
     
         25 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein a curvature of a rounded edge portion is convex at a transition to a sidewall and comprises a flat or concave section between the two convex sections or is entirely concave. 
     
     
         26 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein at least one sidewall different from the top sidewall is formed with a stiffening structure. 
     
     
         27 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the material of the container is a high-density polyethylene (HDPE). 
     
     
         28 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , formed by extrusion blow molding. 
     
     
         29 . The liquid container as claimed in  claim 19 , comprising at least one organic peroxide. 
     
     
         30 . A pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length. 
     
     
         31 . A system comprising at least one unit load comprising a pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length and at least ten liquid containers as claimed in  claim 19  placed side by side on the loading area of the pallet. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the unit load comprises at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 layers of liquid containers stacked upon each other on a pallet providing a loading area of 1200 to 1300 mm in length, each layer of liquid containers being composed of ten individual liquid containers arranged side by side. 
     
     
         33 . The system as claimed in  claim 31 , further comprising a reefer comprising a loading space, wherein the reefer is loaded with at least one unit load and a number of pallets required to fill the loading space of the reefer. 
     
     
         34 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , comprising a reefer loaded with twelve first load units arranged side by side and twelve second load units arranged side by side, all of the second load units being placed on top or beneath the first load units, each of the first load units containing a pallet and a first number of layers of liquid containers, each of the second load units containing a pallet and a second number of layers of liquid containers, with a layer of liquid containers being composed often liquid containers arranged side by side, whereby the first number is 3 and the second number is 2 when the height of the liquid containers is 440 mm, the first number is 3 and the second number is 3 when the height of the liquid containers is 365 mm, and the first number is 4 and the second number is 3 when the height of the liquid containers is 310 mm. 
     
     
         35 . The system as claimed in  claim 34 , comprising a reefer loaded with twelve load units arranged side by side, each of the load units containing a pallet and a number of layers of liquid containers, with a layer of liquid containers being composed of ten liquid containers arranged side by side and the number of layers of liquid containers being 5, when the height of the liquid containers is 440 mm, 6, when the height of the liquid containers is 365 mm, and 7, when the height of the liquid containers is 310 mm.