Cargo container with dual mode doors

Abstract

A cargo container includes a base, side walls and a rear wall on the base and a top attached to the side walls and the rear wall. A front frame is attached to the base, the side walls and the top. Left and right swing out doors are pivotally attached to the left and right sides of the front frame. A roll up door is attached to a top of the front frame, in between the left and right swing out doors. The container may be loaded and unloaded with the swing out doors and the roll up door open, providing a maximum size front opening, or with the swing out doors closed and the roll up door open, providing a reduced size front opening equal to the width of the roll up door.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A cargo container, comprising:
 a base, side walls on the base, and a rear wall attached to the side walls;   a door frame attached to the base;   a swing out door pivotally attached to a side of the door frame;   a roll up door at a top of the door frame;   the container having a single front opening, the swing out door closing off a first portion of the single front opening, and the roll up door closing off a second portion of the single front opening, the first portion and the second portion together forming the entire single front opening.   
     
     
         2 . The cargo container of  claim 1  with the swing out door pivotally attached to a first side of the door frame and with the roll up door attached to the top of the door frame. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  with the door frame including a footer beam and the roll up door having a door bar attachable to the footer beam when the roll up door is in a closed position. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3  further including at least one locking device on the swing out door engageable with the footer beam for locking the swing out door into a closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 3  wherein the roll up door comprises a flexible curtain wound on a roller centered in the door frame. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5  wherein the rear wall is curved. 
     
     
         7 . A cargo container, comprising:
 a base, left and right side walls and a rear wall attached to the base and a top attached to the left and right side and to the rear wall;   a front frame attached to the base;   a left swing out door attached to a left side of the front frame by left hinges;   a right swing out door attached to a right side of the front frame by right hinges;   a roll up door attached to a top of the front frame, in between the left swing out door and the right swing out door;   the container having a single front opening, the left and right swing out doors closing off first and second portions of the single front opening when the left and right swing out doors are in a closed position, and the roll up door closing off a third portion of the single front opening when the roll up door is in a closed position, the first portion, the second portion and the third portion together forming the entire single front opening.   
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7  with the front frame including a footer beam and the roll up door having a door bar attachable to the footer beam when the roll up door is in a closed position, at least one locking device on each of the left and right swing out doors engageable with the footer beam for locking the left and right doors into a closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the roll up door is centered in the front frame and comprises a flexible curtain wound on a roller, and one or more cables sewn onto the flexible curtain. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the left swing out door is a mirror image of the right swing out door. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the container is symmetrical about its centerline and the left and right swing out doors have equal widths. 
     
     
         12 . An air cargo container, comprising:
 a base, first and second side walls attached onto opposite sides of the base, and a top and a curved rear wall attached to the first and second side walls;   a front frame attached to the first and second side walls and to the base;   the air cargo container having a single opening, the single opening in the front frame;   a first side of a first swing out door attached to a first side of the front frame by first hinges;   a second swing out door attached to a second side of the front frame by second hinges, the second swing out door and the first swing out door having equal widths;   a roll up door including a flexible curtain having one or more cables, the flexible curtain wound on a roller at the top of the front frame, the roll up door in between the first swing out door and the second swing out door, the roll up door centered in the single opening;   the front frame including a footer beam and the roll up door having a door bar attachable to the footer beam when the roll up door is in a closed position;   at least one locking device on each of the left and right swing out doors engageable with the footer beam for locking the left and right doors into a closed position;   wherein, when the container is closed, the first swing out door closes off a first portion of the single opening, the second swing out door closes off a second portion of the single opening, and the roll up door closes off a third portion of the single opening, the first portion, the second portion and the third portion together forming the entire single opening.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the first swing out door is a mirror image of the second swing out door. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the container is symmetrical about its centerline and the first and second swing out doors have equal widths. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 12  wherein each side wall has a curved section. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 12  wherein each of the first and second swing out doors has a lower section and an upper section having a width less than the lower section, and first hinges are on the lower section of the first swing out door and the second hinges are on the lower section of the second swing out door.