Connector for connecting outer plate of side panels and outer corner post of container body and container body of refrigerated and thermal vehicle

{
  "publication_number": "US8261501B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Connector for connecting outer plate of side panels and outer corner post of container body and container body of refrigerated and thermal vehicle",
  "abstract": "A connector for connecting an outer plate of side panels and an outer corner post of a container body comprises a connecting plate for connecting the outer plate and the outer corner post of the container body and a cover plate. The connecting plate is perpendicularly provided with a strengthening stop plate at an inner side of a middle portion thereof and a stop groove for receiving the outer plate at an outer side of the middle portion thereof, and provided with a seat plate parallel to a base plate of the stop groove at an end thereof connecting the outer corner post. Two clipping strips are symmetrically provided on opposite sides of the seat plate and the base plate of the stop groove. The cover plate is provided with two elastic clipping strips which respectively engage with the two clipping strips and have a hook-shape cross section.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A container body of a refrigerated and thermal vehicle, comprising: a side panel including an inner plate and an outer plate; an outer corner post; and a connector connected to the outer plate and to the outer corner post, the connector comprising: a connecting plate configured to connect the outer plate and the outer corner post of the container body, the connecting plate including a strengthening stop plate located at an inner side of a middle portion of the connecting plate, the strengthening stop plate being substantially perpendicular to the middle portion of the connecting plate, the connecting plate further including a stop groove located at an outer side of the middle portion of the connecting plate and having a first side configured to receive an edge of the outer plate of the container body, the stop groove being substantially perpendicular to the middle portion of the connecting plate, and the connecting plate further including a seat plate substantially parallel to a base plate of the stop groove, the seat plate located at the outer side of the connecting plate, and the connecting plate including first and second clipping strips, the first clipping strip located on a second side of the stop groove, the second side being located opposite the first side, and the second clipping strip being located on the seat plate and extending toward the first clipping strip; and a cover plate with two elastic clipping strips which are configured to respectively engage with the two clipping strips, and the two elastic clipping strips each having a hook-shape cross section.",
    "2. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the strengthening stop plate has an L-shape cross section.",
    "3. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate includes a strengthening rib at the end of the connecting plate that is located proximate the outer plate.",
    "4. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate and the connecting plate cooperatively form an enclosure when the cover plate is attached to the connecting plate.",
    "5. The container body according to claim 4, wherein a first side of the enclosure comprises the base plate, and a second side of the enclosure comprises the seat plate.",
    "6. The container body as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector is attached to the outer corner post and the outer plate with respective first and second rivets.",
    "7. The container body as recited in claim 6, wherein the cover plate and the connecting plate cooperatively form an enclosure within which part of the first rivet is hidden.",
    "8. The container body as recited in claim 7, wherein the enclosure is adjacent to the stop groove.",
    "9. The container body as recited in claim 1, wherein an edge of the outer plate resides in the stop groove when the connector is attached to the outer plate.",
    "10. The container body as recited in claim 1, further comprising foam disposed between a top of the strengthening stop plate and the inner plate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a connector for connecting an outer plate of side panels and an outer corner post of a container body of a refrigerated and thermal container or a van, and a container body structure of a refrigerated and thermal vehicle.\n\nCurrent container body of an aluminum refrigerated or thermal semi-trailer, or a refrigerated or thermal freight container comprises a floor, a front wall mounted on the floor, a rear door frame with a rear door, a left side panel, and a right side panel. Since the two side panels, the front wall or the rear door frame themselves are mostly connected with a mechanical automatic riveting process, the rivet has good formation and does not easily loosen and does not easily leak water. However, since the connection between components is just performed by a manual riveter, there is a problem that the rivet herein has a bad formation, easily loosens, makes the connection unsecure, and affects the appearance. In particular, at the places where the front end and the rear end of the outer plate are connected with the front corner post and the rear corner post, such problem is most prominent. The side panels as a structure of the container body of a refrigerated semi-trailer or refrigerated freight container comprises an outer plate, an inner plate and a heat preservation layer clamped between the outer plate and the inner plate.",
  "cpc": [
    "B62D 33/046",
    "B60P 3/205",
    "F16B 2200/67",
    "F16B 5/04",
    "Y10T 403/555",
    "Y10T 403/7176"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25G 3/08",
    "B60P 3/20",
    "B62D 27/00",
    "E04B 1/00",
    "E04C 3/00",
    "F16B 12/46",
    "F16B 21/08",
    "F16B 7/00",
    "F16B 9/00",
    "F25D 19/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Tianhua Huang",
    "Robert Wang",
    "Ryan Xu",
    "Jack Zhang"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2009-10-13",
  "publication_date": "2012-09-11",
  "grant_date": "2012-09-11",
  "priority_date": "2009-02-20",
  "application_number": "US-57791409-A",
  "family_id": "41524354",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
  "citations": [
    "US3229438A",
    "US3693306A",
    "US4385850A",
    "US4714367A",
    "US4662138A",
    "US4754587A",
    "US4923076A",
    "US4936065A",
    "US20050053429A1"
  ]
}