Container for goods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a goods container for loading spaces in vehicles, preferably in aircraft, which goods container comprises at least one goods storage space for the loading, storage, transport and unloading of goods. With a view to achieving a goods container which allows optimum utilization of the loading space of a vehicle, preferably of an aircraft, the goods container has at least one sidewall ( 1, 2, 3 and 4 ), a bottom ( 5 ) and a top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material which delineate the goods storage space, and also a loadbearing structure ( 7 ) which maintains the sidewalls, the bottom and the top made of non-self-supporting material so that they delineate said goods storage space, and the non-self-supporting material is disposed in the bottom ( 5 ) of the goods container in at least two, preferably three or four, layers.

1 . A goods container for loading spaces in vehicles, preferably in aircraft, which goods container comprises at least one goods storage space for the loading, storage, transport and unloading of goods, wherein the goods container comprises:
 at least one sidewall ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), a bottom ( 5 ) and a top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material which delineate the goods storage space, and also a loadbearing structure ( 7 ) which maintains the sidewalls, the bottom and the top made of non-self-supporting material so that they delineate said goods storage space, and   the non-self-supporting material is disposed in the bottom ( 5 ) of the goods container in at least two, preferably three or four, layers.   
     
     
         2 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the goods container is expandable from an inactive state to a functional state in which said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material delineate said goods storage space, and is collapsible back from the functional state to the inactive state. 
     
     
         3 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) delineating said goods storage space take the form of a single piece of non-self-supporting material. 
     
     
         4 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom ( 5 ) and/or the top ( 6 ) of the goods container are/is foldable. 
     
     
         5 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) is integrated in said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material or is disposed adjacent to or on said sidewalls, bottom and top internally or externally about them. 
     
     
         6 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein loadbearing structure ( 7 ) is manually or automatically activatable to change the goods container from the inactive state to the functional state. 
     
     
         7 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) is manually or automatically activatable to change the goods container from the functional state, to the inactive state. 
     
     
         8 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) takes the form of a framework of preferably resilient material, e.g. carbon fibre material. 
     
     
         9 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) takes the form of a telescopically deployable and collapsible framework. 
     
     
         10 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) takes the form of a deployable and retractable framework. 
     
     
         11 . A goods container according to  claim 8 , wherein the framework ( 7 ) comprises elongate frame sections or tubes delineating the extent of the goods container. 
     
     
         12 . A goods container according to  claim 8 , wherein the framework ( 7 ) comprises elongate frame sections or tubes delineating the sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), the bottom ( 5 ) and the top ( 6 ) of the goods container. 
     
     
         13 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the loadbearing structure ( 7 ) takes the form of compressed air hoses vulcanized into said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material. 
     
     
         14 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the goods container comprises at least one portion for opening and closing of the goods container when it is in the functional state. 
     
     
         15 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the goods container comprises at least four sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ) and that the whole or at least part of at least one of the sidewalls is configured for opening and closing of the goods container when it is in the functional state. 
     
     
         16 . A goods container according to  claim 2 , wherein the goods container in the functional state is divisible for opening and closing of it. 
     
     
         17 . A goods container according to  claim 14 , wherein the goods container comprises a device which indicates whether the goods container has been opened or not. 
     
     
         18 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-self-supporting material is an airtight material. 
     
     
         19 . A goods container according to  claim 18 , wherein the goods container comprises a device which indicates whether air has entered the goods container. 
     
     
         20 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the goods container is so configured that the goods storage space delineated by said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the vehicle, preferably an aircraft, which comprises the loading space in which the goods container is intended to be placed. 
     
     
         21 . A goods container according to  claim 1 , wherein the goods container is so configured that the goods storage space delineated by said sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), bottom ( 5 ) and top ( 6 ) made of non-self-supporting material protrudes sideways from the bottom of the goods container. 
     
     
         22 . A goods container according to  claim 21 , wherein the goods container comprises four sidewalls ( 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 ), one or more of which, preferably two mutually opposite, sidewalls ( 2 , 4 ) is/are each provided with a bow-legged bend ( 2   a ,  4   a ) so that said wall or walls runs/run obliquely outwards and upwards from the bottom ( 5 ) of the goods container to said bend and from the bend obliquely inwards and upwards to the top ( 6 ) of the goods container. 
     
     
         23 . A goods container according to  claim 22 , wherein the bottom ( 5 ) and the top ( 6 ) of the goods container differ in surface area.