Inter-modal shipping mini-containers and method of using same

Abstract

A mini-container for inter-modal shipping includes panels forming a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, a front wall, a back wall opposite to said front wall, a floor, and a roof. The side, front and back walls may releasably lock to one another to form an enclosure and unlock from one another. The panels are positionable between an erected-for-use configuration and a collapsed storage configuration. In the storage configuration, the side, front and back panels are stacked lying flat to form a stack of the panels laying on the base. The stack of panels is overlaid with the roof. The erected mini-containers are sized for space efficient loading of an inter-modal mobile transport conveyor such as an automobile carrier, train, ship or plane. In their storage configuration the mini-containers may be carried on the mobile transport conveyors for later use carrying cargo and may be carried in a stack simultaneously with mini-containers carrying cargo. The mini-containers may be sized so as to enclose at least two standard-sized pallets or at least three standard-sized boxes positioned side-by-side and adjacent the base of the mini-container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A light weight, heavy duty, water tight mini-container for intermodal shipping, the container comprising:
 a plurality of panels forming a pair of oppositely disposed side panels, a front panel, a back panel opposite to said front panel, a base having a foot mounted underneath and at each corner thereof, and a roof, wherein each of said panels is a single-piece, and wherein said panels are configurable between an erected-for-use configuration wherein they are in an upstanding relationship with respect to the base and are mounted to one another along interconnecting edges to form an enclosure on said base, and a collapsed storage configuration wherein said side, front and back panels are folded down onto the base along corresponding continuous hinged connections formed adjacent the base in a single movement and are stacked, lying flat relative to one another to form a stack of said panels laying on said base and wherein in said storage configuration said stack is overlaid with said roof,   and wherein the roof has a circumferential rim depending downwardly there-around, the circumferential rim having four corners,   seal means cooperating with the circumferential rim and top portions of the side, front and back panels and the interconnecting edges when the container is in an erected-for-use configuration;   at least one engagement means located adjacent the base and adapted to cooperate with a lifting device so as to effect lifting of the container when the container is an erected-for-use configuration;   and wherein a hard point is provided at each corner of the four corners of the roof and at the foot at each corner of the base, so that each said hard point forms a part of a vertical member mounted to each corner of the roof and to each foot of the base,   and wherein each said hard point bears a vertical weight of the mini-container so as to relieve bearing loads on the seal means when a set of said mini-containers is stacked vertically one upon another,   and wherein when the container is in the storage configuration, a number of said mini-containers are stackable one upon the other by interlocking of hard points on a roof of a first mini-container with hard points on a base of a second mini-container in a male/female interlocking releasable engagement.   
     
     
         2 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein at least the side, front and back panels are made of a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The mini-container of  claim 1  further comprising a sensor system, wherein the sensor system comprises at least a geo-location sensor and a wear measurement sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The min-container of  claim 3 , wherein the wear measurement sensor measures a degree of wear of at least the side, front and back panels. 
     
     
         5 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein each mini-container has an in-use length dimension and an in-use width dimension wherein when the mini-container is in the erected-for-use configuration, said in-use length and width dimensions are sized so as to contain a load comprising at least two pallets, wherein the at least two pallets are positioned side-by-side and adjacent the base of the mini-container,
 wherein each pallet of the at least two pallets having dimensions selected from a group comprising:   a) a length of substantially 1200 mm and a width of substantially 1000 mm,   b) a length of substantially 1219.2 mm and a width of substantially 1143 mm.   
     
     
         6 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein each mini-container has an in-use length dimension and an in-use width dimension wherein when the mini-container is in the erected-for-use configuration, said in-use length and width dimensions are sized so as to contain a load comprising at least three boxes, wherein the at least three boxes are positioned side-by-side and adjacent the base of the mini-container, and wherein each box of the at least three boxes having a length of substantially 1200 mm and a width of substantially 800 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein said base comprises a plurality of feet protruding from said base and said roof comprises a corresponding plurality of cups recessed into said roof, wherein said plurality of feet on a base of a first mini-container couples with said corresponding plurality of cups on a roof of a second mini-container when the base of the first mini-container is stacked on top of and adjacent to the roof of the second mini-container. 
     
     
         8 . The mini-container of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of feet comprises at least one foot located proximal a corner of said base and wherein said plurality of cups comprises at least one cup located proximal a corner of said roof, wherein said corner of said base of said first mini-container is adjacent said corner of said roof of said second mini-container when the base of the first mini-container is stacked on top of and adjacent to the roof of the second mini-container. 
     
     
         9 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein said roof comprises a plurality of feet protruding from said roof and said base comprises a corresponding plurality of cups recessed into said base, wherein said plurality of feet on a roof of a first mini-container couples with said corresponding plurality of cups on a base of a second mini-container when the base of the second mini-container is stacked on top of and adjacent to the roof of the first mini-container. 
     
     
         10 . The mini-container of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of feet comprises at least one foot located proximal a corner of said roof and wherein said plurality of cups comprises at least one cup located proximal a corner of said base, wherein said corner of said roof of said first mini-container is adjacent said corner of said base of said second mini-container when the base of the second mini-container is stacked on top of and adjacent to the roof of the first mini-container. 
     
     
         11 . The mini-container of  claim 10 , wherein each foot of said plurality of feet and each cup of said corresponding plurality of cups has a frustoconical geometry. 
     
     
         12 . The mini-container of  claim 1 , wherein said roof is a cap, and said cap substantially encloses said panels within said cap when in said storage configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The mini-container of  claim 12 , wherein said cap also said encloses at least a portion of said base.