Container and construction therefor

Abstract

This invention discloses a cover for an opening in a cargo container comprising a releasably secured flexible curtain. The invention also discloses a cargo container suitable for aircraft or seagoing vessels whose construction comprises edges of inner and outer corner molding strips which releasably retain side, top and bottom panels. The panels can be constructed of flexible, lightweight, durable and transparent materials.

I claim: 
     
       1. A construction for a cargo container having a top, a bottom and a plurality of side walls defining an enclosed interior comprising: (a) means defining a peripheral corners of the cargo container, the means comprising: (i) an outer corner channel strip defining a longitudinally extending groove means opening inwardly toward the container interior and including a longitudinally extending edge; and,   (ii) an inner molding strip defining a longitudinally extending groove means opening outwardly away from the container interior and including a longitudinally extending projecting lip;     (b) a wall of the container comprising a continuous, unperforated semi-rigid panel with peripheral edges having parallel ridges formed thereon; and,   (c) attaching means to removably attach the outer corner channel strip to the inner molding strip such that a ridge of the semi-rigid panel and the projecting lip of the inner molding strip extend into the inwardly opening groove means defined by the outer corner channel strip, and a ridge of the semi-rigid panel and the edge of the outer corner channel strip extend into the outwardly opening groove means defined by the inner molding strip so as to clamp the peripheral edge of the semi-rigid panel between the outer corner channel strip and the inner molding strip, the attaching means comprising: (i) nut retaining means on the inner molding strip;   (ii) nut means non-rotatably retained in the nut retaining means; and,   (iii) threaded means extending through the outer corner channel strip and the inner molding strip, and threadingly engaging the nut means.     
     
     
       2. The cargo container construction according to claim 1 wherein the semi-rigid panel is formed from a plastic material. 
     
     
       3. The cargo container construction according to claim 2 wherein the plastic material in transparent. 
     
     
       4. The cargo container construction according to claim 2 wherein the plastic material is translucent. 
     
     
       5. The cargo container construction according to claim 2 wherein the semi-rigid panel is formed from a polycarbonate plastic material. 
     
     
       6. The cargo container construction according to claim 2 further comprising edge pieces attached to the semi-rigid panel, the edge pieces defining the parallel ridges. 
     
     
       7. The cargo container construction according to claim 6 wherein the edge pieces are adhesively bonded to the semi-rigid panel. 
     
     
       8. The cargo container construction according to claim 7 further comprising a first edge piece bonded to a first side of the semi-rigid panel and a second edge piece bonded to a second side of the semi-rigid panel. 
     
     
       9. The cargo container construction according to claim 7 wherein the edge pieces define a folded portion, the folded portion being adhesively bonded to both sides of the semi-rigid panel. 
     
     
       10. A cargo container construction according to claim 1 further comprising: (a) an enlarged portion on the threaded means and disposed on one side of the outer corner channel strip; and,   (b) a second nut means threadingly engaged with the threaded means and disposed on an opposite side of the outer corner channel strip such that rotation of the threaded means in one direction urges the outer corner channel strip away from the inner molding strip.   
     
     
       11. The cargo container construction according to claim 1 wherein the nut retaining means comprises a generally "U" shaped channel member attached to the inner molding strip and having the nut means disposed therein, the width of the "U" shaped channel being approximately equal to the distance between flat sides of the nut means to prevent rotation of the nut means relative to the "U" shaped channel member. 
     
     
       12. The cargo container construction according to claim 11 wherein the generally "U" shaped member engages an end of the threaded means extending into the interior of the container when the outer corner channel strip is in clamping relationship with the inner molding strip. .Iadd. 
     
     
       13.  In combination with a cargo container having a top, a bottom and a plurality of side walls defining an enclosed interior, the improvement comprising: (a) means defining peripheral corners of the cargo container, the means comprising: (i) an elongated corner channel strip defining a longitudinally extending edge projecting therealong, and   (ii) an elongated molding strip defining a longitudinally extending groove therealong;     (b) at least one of the walls of said container comprising an unperforated sheet of semi-rigid transparent polycarbonate plastic material, corrugated around its periphery to form a panel having a marginal edge which includes a ridge and a groove, the longitudinally extending edge of said channel strip being releasably inserted into and seated within the groove in the marginal edge of said panel while the corresponding ridge of said panel is releasably inserted into and seated within the groove of said molding strip; and   (c) means for maintaining the longitudinally extending edge of said channel strip within the edge groove of said panel and for maintaining the corresponding ridge of said panel within the groove of said molding strip comprising the compressive clamping of the edge groove and ridge of said panel between the extending edge of said channel strip and groove of said molding strip to form a peripheral corner of the cargo container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. In a cargo container having a top, a bottom and a plurality of side walls with interlocking corner joints at the peripheral corners thereof and defining an enclosed interior, the improvement comprising:   (a) elongated corner molding strips at said corner joints defining longitudinally extending groove means, said strips defining the peripheral corners of said container;   (b) unperforated semi-rigid transparent panels of sheet polycarbonate plastic material forming the walls of said container, said wall panels having the peripheral edge portions with an extending ridge and an extending groove formed thereon, and said panels in each of said edge portions being adapted at its extending ridge to be inserted into and seated within a groove means of a corner molding strip;   (c) corner channel strips each including a longitudinally extending edge adapted to be inserted into the extending groove of the edge portion of a wall panel with the ridge of said edge portion of said wall panel inserted into and seated within a groove means of a corner molding strip; and   (d) means for maintaining the longitudinally extending edge of a corner channel strip within the extending groove of the edge portion of each wall panel and for maintaining the extending ridge of the edge portion of each wall panel within a groove means of a corner molding strip comprising the compressive clamping of the edge groove and ridge of said panel between the extending edge of said channel strip and groove of said molding strip whereby the edge portions of each wall panel are releasably retained between a corner channel strip and a corner molding strip thereby forming an interlocking joint at the peripheral corners of said container.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.15.  The improvement in a cargo container as claimed in claim 14 wherein the sheet plastic material of said wall panels is 
     
     
        translucent. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  In a cargo container having a top, a bottom and a plurality of side walls defining an enclosed interior and having interlocking joints at the peripheral corners thereof for ease in the assembly and disassembly of said container, the improvement comprising: (a) elongated corner molding strips at said corner joints defining longitudinally extending groove means, said strips defining the peripheral corners of said container;   (b) unperforated semi-rigid transparent panels of polycarbonate sheet plastic material forming the walls of said container, said wall panels having corrugated peripheral edge portions presenting an extending ridge and an extending groove, and said panels in each of said corrugated edge portions being adapted at its extending ridge to be releasably inserted into and seated within the groove means of a corner molding strip;   (c) corner channel strips each including a longitudinally extending edge adopted to be releasably inserted into the extending groove of the corrugated edge portion of a wall panel with the ridge of said edge portion of said wall panel inserted into and seated within the groove means of a corner molding strip; and   (d) means for maintaining the longitudinally extending edge of a corner channel strip within the extending groove of the corrugated edge portion of each wall panel and for maintaining the extending ridge of the edge portion of each wall panel within a groove means of a corner molding strip comprising the compressive clamping of the edge groove and ridge of said panel between the extending ridge of said channel strip and the groove of said molding strip, whereby the corrugated edge portions of each wall panel are releasably retained between a corner channel strip and a corner molding strip thereby forming an interlocking joint at the peripheral   
     
     
        corners of said container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  The improvement in a cargo container as claimed in claim 16 wherein the polycarbonate sheet plastic material forming the walls of said container is translucent. .Iaddend.