The present invention generally relates to the transport field. In particular, the present invention refers to an intermodal transport unit (container). More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure for a roof of a container.

Intermodal transport provides that products to be transported are placed at the factory or the warehouse of a shipper in a specific intermodal transport unit, or container, in which the products are located until they reach the final destination.

The intermodal transport usually takes place by means of two or more transport means (such as trucks, semitrailers, railway wagons, or ships).

Although the use of containers allows avoiding intermediate handling of the products therein (thus ensuring a lower risk of damage to the products and a higher transport speed), the use of the containers is not currently advantageous for certain types of products, especially for granular products.

In fact, conventional containers are typically equipped with inlet and outlet doors positioned on opposite vertical side walls of the container, whereby the insertion of granular products into the container cannot ensure the maximization of the volume occupation.

For this reason, granular products are typically transported on conventional trucks, until reaching port stations (where they are loaded into proper tanks intended to be transported by ships). The transport by trucks, and the subsequent transfer into the tanks, exposes the products to impurities (such as dirt and smog) and to atmospheric agents (such as rain, ice and snow), which affect the quality of the products.

These issues are exacerbated in cases where the (granular) products to be transported comprise loose food products - for example, grains (for example, cereals such as oats, spelled, wheat, corn, millet, barley, rice and rye) and salt.

To overcome these drawbacks, in the state of the art three container solutions mainly exist, which have in common the possibility of inserting the products from above.

In a first solution, the container is open at the top (open top container), and is typically covered at the top by a tarpaulin that replaces the rigid roof.

In a second solution, the container comprises a roof that can be opened entirely.

In a third solution, the container comprises a roof having a single inlet opening (which can be opened and closed selectively by a door), wherein the inlet opening is equipped with flow sensors.

The Applicant has noticed that the containers known in the art are not satisfactory in terms of costs and efficiency, and do not lend themselves to be used for the loading and transport of certain types of products (for example, loose food products such as grains - cereals such as oats, spelled, wheat, corn, millet, barley, rice and rye - and salt).

In this regard, the Applicant has noticed that the open top container solution is not advisable for the transport of food products (which would be exposed to impurities and to atmospheric agents), and involves high logistic and transport costs (in fact, due to the their relative fragility, open top containers should be placed on top of a container stack).

Furthermore, the Applicant has noticed that the solution of container with roof that can be opened entirely needs (due to the heaviness of the roof and its difficult accessibility by an operator) a mechanized system for opening and closing the roof, which leads to non-negligible losses in terms of time (in fact, for moving the container and the mechanized system several tens of minutes are needed) and in terms of costs.

In addition, the Applicant has noticed that the solution of container with roof having a single inlet opening does not allow the distribution of the products uniformly inside the container. In fact, in order to ensure a correct operation of the flow sensors, the inlet opening has a relatively small size, whereby the container, during the insertion of the products, should be continuously moved (in different directions) in the attempt of distributing them. In any case, this procedure, besides causing considerable difficulties for moving the container, is not reliable (due to the non-predictability of the dynamics of distribution of moving granular products) and typically involves an inefficient occupation of the container volume. The Applicant has also noticed that the relatively small size of the inlet opening does not allow an operator to safely access the container, for example in order to manually redistribute the products loaded therein.

The Applicant has devised a roof for a container (and a corresponding container) capable of overcoming these, as well as other, drawbacks.

In particular, one or more aspects of the present invention are set out in the independent claims, with advantageous features of the same invention that are indicated in the dependent claims, whose text is hereby incorporated verbatim by reference (with any advantageous feature provided with reference to a specific aspect of the present invention that applies mutatis mutandis to every other aspect thereof).

More specifically, an aspect of the present invention proposes a structure for roof of a container for the intermodal transport of products. The container comprises a casing delimiting a cavity adapted to house the products to be transported. The structure comprises:

• at least two openings for accessing said cavity, and
• at least two doors each one associated with a respective one of said at least two openings, each door being selectively operable between an opened position that allows insertion from above of the products to be transported into the cavity through the respective opening, and a closed position that prevents insertion of the products into the cavity and exposure thereof to impurities and atmospheric agents during the transport.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each one of said at least two doors comprises a first and a second hinged doors opposite to each other.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, said first and second hinged doors comprise each one a guiding member on a surface of the hinged door that, in the closed position, faces the cavity. Advantageously, in the opened position of the first and second hinged doors, said guiding member act as a hopper for guiding the products into the respective opening.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hinged door comprises a first end in correspondence of the opening when the hinged door is in the open position, and a second end opposite to the first end; preferably, the guiding member extends from said surface of the hinged door at a first distance from a first portion of the hinged door delimited by said first end, and at a second distance, lower than the first distance, from a second portion of the hinged door delimited by the second end.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure further comprises a plurality of crossbars for supporting said at least two doors.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure further comprises a hinging structure for hinging said at least two doors to said crossbars thereby allowing to operate individually each one of said at least two doors between the opened position and the closed position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure further comprises at least one stop member for stopping said at least two doors in the opened position at a predetermined aperture angle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the closed position the first hinged door forms an overlapping abutment with the second hinged door.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second hinged doors comprise each one a respective gutter member extending vertically from a surface of the first and second hinged doors that, in the closed position, is external to the cavity. Preferably, the gutter member of the second hinged door is adapted to overlap to the gutter member of the first hinged door so as to form a labyrinth that prevents the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure further comprises at least one locking system for locking said at least two doors in the closed position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the closed position said at least two doors abut on abutment portions of said crossbars. Preferably, at least one between said at least two doors and said abutment portions comprises at least one gasket.

Another aspect of the present invention proposes a structure for roof of a container for the intermodal transport of products. The container comprises a casing delimiting a cavity adapted to house the products to be transported. The structure comprises at least two openings for accessing said cavity, and at least two doors each one associated with a respective one of said at least two openings and each one comprising a first and a second hinged doors opposite to each other. Each door is selectively operable between an opened position that allows insertion from above of the products to be transported into the cavity through the respective opening, and a closed position that prevents insertion of the products into the cavity and exposure thereof to impurities and atmospheric agents during the transport. The first and second hinged doors comprise each one a respective gutter member extending along a vertical direction substantially orthogonal to a first surface of the first and second hinged doors that, in the closed position, is external to the cavity, the gutter member of the second hinged door being adapted to overlap to the gutter member of the first hinged door. The structure comprises at least one abutment portion, in the closed position a second surface of the first and second hinged doors that, in the closed position, faces the cavity, abutting on said at least one abutment portion. The overlapping of the gutter member of the second hinged door to the gutter member of the first hinged door and the abutment of the second surface of the first and second hinged doors on the at least one abutment portion form a labyrinth that prevents the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure further comprises first and second cover elements adapted to cover a respective hinged door and the respective gutter member at, respectively, first and second sides thereof, along said vertical direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, said first and second hinged doors comprise each one a guiding member on the second surface of the hinged door. In the opened position of the first and second hinged doors the guiding members of the first and second hinged doors act as a hopper for guiding the products into the respective opening. The at least one abutment portion comprises at least one transversal abutment portion extending orthogonally to said vertical direction, each transversal abutment portion being adapted to abut, in the closed position of the first and second hinged doors, on the second surface of a pair of first and second hinged doors at a respective one of said first and second sides.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each transversal abutment portion is adapted to abut on the second surface of the first and second hinged doors at the respective one of said first and second sides, by fitting into gaps between the first and second cover elements of the first and second hinged doors at the respective one of said first and second sides and the respective guiding members.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each transversal abutment portion has a first part having a first slanting with respect to a horizontal plane on which the structure lays when mounted on the container, and a second part having, with respect to the horizontal plane, a second slanting opposite to the first slanting. Each pair of first and second hinged doors in the closed position identify, by abutment thereof on said first and second parts of the respective transversal abutment portions, an inverted-V profile of the closed position that allows draining of impurities and atmospheric agents by gravity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hinged door comprises a first end in correspondence of the opening when the hinged door is in the open position, and a second end opposite to the first end. The guiding member extends from said surface of the hinged door at a first distance from a first region of the hinged door delimited by said first end, and at a second distance, preferably lower than the first distance, from a second region of the hinged door delimited by the second end. The at least one abutment portion comprises at least one longitudinal abutment portion extending orthogonally to the at least one transversal portion and to said vertical direction, each longitudinal abutment portion being adapted to abut, in the closed position of the first and second hinged doors, on the second surface of a respective one of said first and second hinged doors, in correspondence of the respective first region thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each gutter member is formed in a single piece with the respective hinged door.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each first and second hinged door comprises, in correspondence of the second region thereof, a respective rod for providing mechanical strength. The gutter members of the first and second hinged doors are formed in a single piece with the respective rods.

Another aspect of the present invention proposes a roof for a container comprising said structure and an upper wall of the casing of the container.

A further aspect of the present invention proposes a container comprising said roof.

Thanks to the present invention, it is possible to obtain containers for the transport of granular products (for example, loose food products) having a total compatibility with the existing systems for moving the containers, with the current systems for loading and unloading the products, and with all the transport modes provided by the intermodal transport (thus avoiding the transshipment of products between different carriers - choke-point). Moreover, thanks to the present invention, it is possible to obtain containers that are suitable for stacking and that can also be used for the temporary storage of the products contained therein. In addition to the advantages of above, the present invention also involves, at the same time, low construction costs.

Embodiments of the present invention, as well as further features and the advantages thereof, will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description, given purely by way of non-limiting example, to be read in conjunction with the attached figures (in which corresponding elements are indicated by same or similar references and their explanation is not repeated for the sake of brevity). In this regard, it is expressly understood that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale (with some details that may be exaggerated and/or simplified) and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are simply used to illustrate conceptually the described structures and procedures. In particular:

• Figure 1A and 1B show perspective views of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 2A is a perspective view of an access structure for a roof of the container according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figures 2B-2C are detailed perspective views of the container roof in semi-closed and closed positions, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figures 2D-2E are perspective detail views of the container roof in open condition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and
• Figure 2F is a flat front view of the container roof (in open condition) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, Figures 1A and 1B show perspective views of an intermodal transport unit, or container 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, directional terminology (for example, upper, lower, front, rear, side) relating to the container 100 and components thereof refers to their orientation in the figures, which is exemplarily assumed as typical orientation of use thereof.

The container 100 is able to contain products to be transported. As will be apparent from the following description, the container is particularly advantageous for the transport of granular products - such as grains (including, for example, cereals such as oats, spelled, wheat, corn, millet, barley, rice and rye) or salt. In any case, the container 100 is not limited to a specific type of products to be transported.

The container 100, for example compliant with ISO ("International Organization for Standardization") standard, comprises a casing 105 that delimits a cavity (not visible) within which the products are housed/contained during their transport. Preferably, the casing 105 is parallelepiped in shape, and comprises a lower wall 105_B (parallel to the plane defined by the X-Z axes), two opposite side walls parallel to each other 105_S1,105_S2 (parallel to the plane defined by the Y-Z axes and, therefore, orthogonal to the lower wall 105_B), a front wall 105_F (parallel to the plane defined by the X-Y axes), and a rear wall 105_R parallel to the front wall 105_F. The lower 105_B, side 105_S1,105_S2, front 105_F and rear 105_R walls may for example be made of a corrugated metal sheet (as shown) or of a flat metal sheet.

The casing 105 further comprises one or more fixing elements 105_FIX (e.g., as illustrated, one fixing element 105_FIX in each corner of the casing 105) adapted to be fixed to a lifting equipment (for example, forklifts, overhead travelling cranes, and cranes) for the transfer of the container 100 between the various transport modes or vehicles (for example, trucks, semitrailers, railway wagons, and ships), and to the fixing elements of other containers (for example, so as to enable the stacking of the containers onto one another).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container 100 comprises a roof 110 selectively operable between an open condition (shown in Figure 1A) that allows the insertion or charging from above of the products into the cavity, and a closed condition (shown in Figure 1B) that prevents the insertion of the products into the cavity and the exposure of the products to impurities (such as dirt and smog) and to atmospheric agents (such as rain, ice and snow) during the transport.

As can be seen in the figures, the roof 110 preferably comprises an upper wall 105_T of the casing 105, opposite to the lower wall 105_B, and a structure (hereinafter, access structure) 115 for selectively accessing the cavity (thereby allowing the insertion from above of the products into it).

Such a selective access is achieved by means of two or more doors (in the following, inlet doors), better discussed in the following, each one being selectively operable between an open position and a closed position - in the open position of the inlet door, the inlet door covering or uncovering a respective inlet opening defined by portions of the roof 110 not occupied by the upper wall 105_T. In this way, the roof 110 may take the open condition (in which all the inlet doors are in the open position), the closed condition (in which all the inlet doors are in the closed position), and a partially open condition (not shown, in which at least one inlet door is in the open position).

The upper wall 105_T may for example be made of a corrugated metal sheet (in such a way as to give strength to the roof 110, especially when, as better discussed below, the upper wall 105_T is also used as a walking region) or, as illustrated, in a flat metal sheet (so as to simplify both its welding to the rest of the casing 105, especially when the roof 110 according to the present invention is applied in replacement of upper walls of existing containers, and its cleaning).

In the illustrated embodiment, the container 100 comprises an additional door (hereinafter, outlet door) 120 (or more thereof, in alternative embodiments of the present invention) to allow the discharge of the products contained in the cavity. Preferably, the outlet door 120 allows the frontal exit or discharge of the products contained in the cavity, the outlet door 120 being for example formed on a front face of the casing 105 comprising the front wall 105_F - in other words, the portion of the central face not occupied by the front wall 105_F identifies an outlet opening selectively covered or uncovered by the outlet door 120.

More preferably, the outlet door 120 is hinged to the bottom side of the front wall 105_F by means of one or more (for example, two) hinges 120_H, so as to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the X axis between an open position (visible in Figure 1A), in which the outlet door 120 uncovers the outlet opening thereby allowing the front discharge of the products from the cavity (such discharge being advantageously facilitated by the rear lifting of the container 100, so that the inclination resulting from such lifting causes the products to exit due to gravity), and a closed position (visible in Figure 1B), in which the outlet door 120 covers the outlet opening thereby preventing the products from escaping from the cavity. Still more preferably, in the closed position of the outlet door 120, the front wall 105_F and the outlet door 120 are substantially coplanar (i.e., they substantially lie on a same plane) and form, as a whole, the front face of the casing 105, whereas in the open position of the outlet door 120, the outlet door 120 abuts on (i.e., on a portion of) the front wall 105_F, and is advantageously retained to it by means of suitable retaining elements, not shown (in such a way that, during the lifting of the container 100, the outlet door 120 is firmly kept in the open position).

The sizes along the X axis (width) and along the Y axis (height) of the outlet door 120 (and, hence, of the outlet opening associated therewith) are not limitative for the present invention, in that they may be arbitrarily chosen based on specific design considerations - the width and the height of the outlet door 120 depending, for example, on the desired discharge flow rate of the products and on the degree of granularity of the products. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet door 120 (and, hence, the outlet opening associated therewith) has a height of about 40-50 cm (for example, in order to ensure a discharge flow rate of products such as grain or salt of about 200 tons per hour).

With reference also to Figure 2A, it shows a perspective view of the access structure 115 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of exposition simplicity and clarity, Figure 2A will be discussed jointly with Figures 2B-2C, which are perspective views of the roof 110 in semi-closed and closed conditions, respectively, to Figures 2D-2E, which are perspective views of the roof 110 in open condition, and to the Figure 2F, which is a flat front view of the roof 110.

The access structure 115 comprises a number N of inlet doors 205_n (n=1,2, ..., N, with N = 4 in the example at issue), for example a succession of N inlet doors 205_n aligned along a longitudinal direction parallel to the Z axis.

The use of a relatively large number of independently operable inlet doors 205_n allows a distribution of the products uniformly within the cavity, and simplifies the moving operations of the container 100 during the insertion of the products (as opposed to the prior art solution in which the container has a roof with a single opening, which requires continuous movement of the container in all directions). In addition, each inlet door 205_n can be selectively (i.e., independently) operated in the open position or in the closed position by an operator, without the need of providing bulky and expensive mechanical systems (as it is instead in the prior art solution wherein the container has a roof that can be opened completely).

The selective opening of each inlet door 205_n is particularly advantageous as it can be adapted to the degree of granularity of the products to be transported. For example, in the case in which the products to be transported comprise grains, all the inlet doors 205_n are advantageously positioned in the open position; on the contrary, in the case in which the products to be transported comprises salt, only two inlet doors 205_n (preferably, the central doors 205₂,205₃) are advantageously positioned in the open position, so as not to generate accumulation zones in certain regions of the cavity. The selective opening of each inlet door 205_n is further advantageous when the container 100, during the insertion of the products, is lifted and inclined for redistributing the products inside it. In this scenario, in fact, as the inclination of the container 100 changes, a different inlet door 205_n for the insertion of the products may be selected.

Preferably, as shown, each inlet door 205_n has a pair of opposite hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn along a transversal direction parallel to the X axis, in order to prevent or selectively allow access to the cavity (as explained below) - in any case, alternative embodiments of the present invention, not shown, may provide that each inlet door 205_n, or at least a part thereof, has a single hinged door. Since, in the various figures, the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn are, respectively, on the left and on the right of the observer, they will be denoted from here on by left hinged door 205_ASn and right hinged door 205_ADn, respectively (when it will be necessary to distinguish them from each other).

Advantageously, each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn can be selectively (that is, independently) operated in the open position or in the closed position by an operator. The selective opening of each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is advantageous when, for example, it is necessary that the inside of the container 100 is not excessively exposed during the insertion of the products. For example, in the presence of rain or other atmospheric agents that are potentially detrimental to the correct storage of the products, it may be convenient to open and close one single hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn at a time.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn are made of steel or other metal material.

The access structure 115 further comprises a frame 210 having a plurality of crossbars (for example, made of steel or other metal material) for supporting / sustaining the inlet doors 205_n and the upper wall 105_T (as explained shortly) and to give mechanical stiffness to the casing 105. The mechanical stiffness of the casing 105 determined by the provision of the crossbars allows avoiding buckling of the container 100 during its moving, for example during the lifting aimed at giving the inclination that is required to facilitate the frontal outlet of the products through the outlet opening or to redistribute the products inside the container 100. The mechanical stiffness of the casing 105 determined by the provision of the crossbars also allows avoiding damages to the access structure 115 when the products (especially heavy products, such as stones), during their insertion or charging into the cavity, escape from product inflowing and hit the upper wall 105_T. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 210 comprises a pair of crossbars 210_TLS,210_TLD extending along the longitudinal direction (so that they will be indicated in the following by longitudinal crossbars), and spaced apart from each other along the transverse direction by a distance corresponding to the width of the casing 105 (i.e., to the width of the lower wall 105_B). In the following, consistently with the used directional terminology, the longitudinal crossbars 210_TLS,210_TLD will also be indicated by left longitudinal crossbar 210_TLS and right longitudinal crossbar 210_TLD, when it will be necessary to distinguish them from each other.

As visible in Figures 1A and 1B, the top wall 105_T is positioned substantially between the left longitudinal crossbar 210_TLS and the left hinged doors 205_ASn, and between the right longitudinal crossbar 210_TLD and the right hinged doors 205_ADn, the upper wall 105_T thus acting as a walking region to allow an operator to walk on it (for example, for opening the inlet doors 205_n and/or carrying out the operations necessary to allow the lifting of the container 100). In the exemplary considered embodiment in which the inlet doors 205_n are arranged substantially centrally with respect to the width of the frame 210 (and, hence, of the container 100), the upper wall 105_T defines two identical walking regions (i.e., a left walking region defined by the portion of the upper wall 105_T between the left longitudinal crossbar 210_TLS and the left hinged doors 205_ASn, and a right walking region between the right longitudinal crossbar 210_TLD and the right hinged doors 205_ADn). As will be understood, according to the distribution of the inlet doors 205_n, different walking regions can be obtained (which, in any case, are not limiting for the present invention).

In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 210 further comprises a number I of crossbars 210_TTi (i = 1, 2, ..., I) extending transversely to the longitudinal crossbars 210_TLS,210_TLD, i.e. along the transverse direction, between the left longitudinal crossbar 210_TLS and the right longitudinal crossbar 210_TLD (reason why in the following the crossbars 210_TTi will be indicated by transversal crossbars), and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction according to number, size and mutual distance of the inlet doors 205_n. Therefore, the upper wall 105_T (i.e., the right and left walking regions) and the transversal crossbars 210_TTi delimit inlet openings (each associated with a respective inlet door 205_n), so that the inlet doors 205_n in the open position uncover the respective inlet openings (thereby allowing the insertion of the products into the cavity through them), and the inlet doors 205_n in the closed position, by abutting on the respective transversal crossbars 210_TTi (i.e., on abutment portions associated therewith, as discussed in the following), cover the respective inlet openings (thereby preventing the insertion of the products into the cavity through them). The fact that the inlet doors 205_n, in the closed position, abut on the respective transversal crossbars 210_TTi is advantageous in terms of mechanical stiffness and stability, as opposed to, for example, US3720328, which instead shows doors abutting directly on roof wall portions surrounding the openings (thus significantly weakening the whole structure).

In the exemplary considered embodiment in which the access structure 115 comprises four inlet doors 205_n having same size and being substantially equidistant from each other along the longitudinal direction, eight transversal crossbars 210_TTi (i.e., I = 8) are provided. The arrangement of the transversal crossbars 210_TTi (and in particular their mutual distance along the longitudinal direction) depends on the size of the inlet openings along the longitudinal direction. In fact, the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn of a same inlet door 205_n are preferably fixed, at ends thereof, to a respective pair of transversal crossbars 210_TTi (for example, by means of brackets, as discussed below), so that the distance between two transversal crossbars 210_TTi associated with a same pair of hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn (for example, the transversal crossbars 210_TT3 and 210_TT4 associated with the pair of hinged doors 205_AS2,205_AD2) depends on the length of the hinged doors. In addition, in the embodiment herein considered in which the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn are arranged in succession aligned along the longitudinal direction, each transversal crossbar 210_TTi associated with a hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (with the exception of the first transversal crossbar 210_TT1 and of the last transversal crossbar 210_TT8) is adjacent to the transversal crossbar 210_TTi associated with a previous or a following hinged door in succession (see, in this respect, the pairs of adjacent transversal crossbars 210_TT2,210_TT3, 210_TT4,210_TT5 and 210_TT6,210_TT7).

As visible in particular in Figure 2A, the access structure 115 preferably comprises a hinging structure for hinging the inlet doors 205_n to the crossbars (preferably, as illustrated, to the transversal crossbars 210_TTi).

According to the exemplary illustrated embodiment, such hinging structure comprises hinging elements (e.g., hinging pins) arranged along the longitudinal direction, for hinging the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn. More preferably, in the exemplary embodiment herein assumed in which each inlet door 205_n has two hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, the hinging structure comprises a pair of hinging pins 215_S,215_D for hinging the left hinged doors 205_ASn and the right hinged doors 205_ADn, respectively (hereinafter, consistently with the used directional terminology, these hinging pins will be indicated by left hinging pin 215s and right hinging pin 215_D, when it will be necessary to distinguish them from each other), so as to allow the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn to rotate about their respective hinging pins 215_S,215_D between the open position and the closed position. The use of a single left hinging pin 215s for hinging at the same time all the left hinged doors 205_ASn, and a single right hinging pin 215_D for hinging at the same time the right hinged doors 205_ADn is an advantageous implementation that descends from the specific (but exemplary) embodiment herein considered in which the inlet doors 205_n (and, hence, the respective hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn) are aligned along the longitudinal direction. In any case, as will be appreciated, in alternative embodiments of the present invention (not shown), each group of left hinged doors 205_ASn and/or each group of right hinged doors 205_ADn may be hinged to respective hinging pins (in a further embodiment, each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn may be hinged to a different hinging pin).

In the illustrated embodiment, as can be better appreciated in Figures 2D and 2E, each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn comprises, at an end thereof, one or more (for example, two) hollow cylindrical portions, or hinges, 205_CSj,205_CDj (j = 1,2, ..., J, with J = 2N in the example at issue) adapted to receive the hinging pins 215_S,215_D, respectively, so as to hinge the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn to the hinging pin 215_S,215_D (in Figure 2D being for example visible the hinges 205_CD1,205_CD2 of the right hinged door 205_AD1 with the right hinging pin right 215_D received between them, and in Figure 2E being for example visible the hinges 205_CS1,205_CS2 of the left hinged door 205_AS1 with the left hinging pin 215s received between them).

In order to obtain an effective rotatable coupling of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (i.e., of the respective hinges 205_CSj,205_CDj) to the hinging pin 215_S,215_D, the hinging pins 215_S,215_D and the hinges 205_CSj,205_CDj are advantageously made of a metal material (e.g., steel) with a reduced friction coefficient (so as to require no, or substantially no, lubrication). According to alternative embodiments of the present invention, the hinging pins 215_S,215_D are made of a metal material having self-lubricating properties (said self-lubricating properties being preferably obtained by incorporating in the hinging pins 215_S,215_D solid lubricants components capable of gradually releasing the lubricant in the fluid state, for example as a result of the friction with the respective hinges 205_CSj,205_CDj).

The access structure 115 preferably comprises a plurality of brackets 220_Sj,220_Dj (for example, made of stainless steel or other metal material) to fix the hinging pins 215_S,215_D to the frame 210. More preferably, the access structure 115 comprises a bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj in the vicinity of each hinge 205_CSj,205_CDj (hereinafter, consistent with the used directional terminology, such brackets will be indicated by left bracket 220_Sj and the right bracket 220_Dj, when it will be necessary to distinguish them from each other). Therefore, in the preferred embodiment herein considered, the access structure 115 comprises J = 2N left brackets 220_Sj and J = 2N right brackets 220_Dj (i.e., two left brackets 220_Sj and two right brackets 220_Dj for each inlet door 205_n).

As visible in the figures, each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj has a hole or slot 225 for the passage of the (respective) hinging pin 215_S,215_D through it. In the exemplary embodiment herein considered in which a single left hinging pin 215_S is provided for hinging the left hinged doors 205_ASn simultaneously, and a single right hinging pin 215_D is provided for hinging the right hinged doors 205_ADn simultaneously, the left brackets 220_Sj (and the respective slots 225) are advantageously aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction (so as to allow the passage of the left hinging pin 215s through the respective slots 225) and the right brackets 220_Dj (and the respective slots 225) are also aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction (so as to allow the passage of the right hinging pin 215_D through the respective slots 225).

Advantageously, as shown, each left bracket 220_Sj is fixed to a respective transversal crossbar 210_TTi, and each right bracket 220_Dj is fixed to a respective transversal crossbar 210_TTi properly spaced apart from the left bracket 220_Sj on the same transversal crossbar 210_TTi - each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj (or at least a part thereof) being preferably fixed to a respective traversal crossbar 210_TTi by gluing or by suitable fixing means (such as screws), not shown, or being integral with it.

Thus, a left bracket 220_Sj and a right bracket 220_Dj are fixed to each transversal crossbar 210_TTi, the left bracket 220_Sj and the right bracket 220_Dj being spaced from each other along the transverse direction according to the size of the inlet openings. In fact, as can be better appreciated in Figure 2A, the distance between the left brackets 220_Sj and the right brackets 220_Dj on the same transversal crossbar 210_TTi determines the distance between the hinging pins 215_S,215_D (and, consequently, of the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn hinged thereto) and therefore the size of the inlet openings along the transversal direction.

According to the exemplary considered embodiment, and as visible in Figures 2A, 2D and 2E, the access structure 115 further comprises one or more stop members for stopping the inlet doors 205_ASn (or at least a part thereof) in the open position at a predetermined aperture angle. Preferably, such stop members comprise a pair of stop tubular elements (or pins) 235_Sj,235_Dj in correspondence of each hinge 205_CSj,205_CDj (hereinafter, consistently with the used directional terminology, these stop pins will be indicated by left stop pin 235_Sj and right stop pin 235_Dj, when it will be necessary to distinguish them from each other). Therefore, in the preferred embodiment herein considered, the access structure 115 comprises J=2N left stop pins 235_Sj and J=2N right stop pins 235_Dj (i.e., two left stop pins 235_Sj and two right stop pins 235_Dj for each inlet door 205_n).

The stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj are preferably fixed to the transversal crossbar 210_TTi, more preferably by means of the brackets 220_Sj,220_Dj. For this purpose, as illustrated, each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj has a further hole or slot 230 for the passage of the stop pin 235_Sj,235_Dj through it.

Advantageously, as illustrated, the slot 230 of each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj is arranged, along the transversal direction, at a distance from the slot 225 of the same bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj such that the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, by rotating toward the open position, abut on the respective stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj (which will prevent the further rotation of the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn) at a proper aperture angle relative to the Y axis (the stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj thus acting as mechanical limit switch for the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, respectively). In other words, the stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj stop the rotation of the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, respectively, to an aperture angle determined by the distance of the stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj from the respective hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn (i.e., the distance of the stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj from the hinging pins 215_S,215_D) along the transversal direction.

The aperture angle is not limitative for the present invention, as it may be arbitrarily chosen based on specific design considerations - the aperture angle being for example sufficiently large to ensure that each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is kept firmly in the open position (for example, in such a way as to prevent an operator on the walking region from accidentally impacting on a hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn, which would determine the undesired rotation of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn back to the closed position), but sufficiently low to avoid such an encumbrance that would prevent an operator to safely operate along the walking region. The aperture angle is preferably between 10° and 60°, more preferably it is between 15° and 45°, still more preferably it is between 20° and 40° - in the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the aperture angle is approximately of 30°.

In the considered embodiment, the aperture angle is fixed, since each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj is exemplary provided with a single slot 230 for the passage of the stop pin 235_Sj,235_Dj. In any case, according to alternative embodiments of the present invention, not shown, each bracket 220_Sj,220_Dj may be provided with one (or more) additional slots to adjust the position of the stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj with respect to the hinging pins 215_S,215_D and, hence, the aperture angle of the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn.

In the considered embodiment, each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is associated with a different pair of stop pins 235_Sj,235_Dj (so as to be able to adjust the aperture angle of each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn independently).

Anyway, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, not shown, each group of left hinged doors 205_ASn and/or each group of right hinged doors 205_ADn may be associated with a respective stop pin (and, therefore, to a respective aperture angle). Alternatively, similarly to what has been discussed for the hinging pins 215_S,215_D, the use of a single left stop pin for stopping (simultaneously) the rotation of the left hinged doors 205_ASn at the same aperture angle, and a single right stop pin for stopping (simultaneously) the rotation of the right hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn at the same aperture angle may be provided.

As visible in particular in Figures 2D-2F, each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (or, in alternative embodiments, a subset thereof) advantageously comprises a guiding member (hereinafter, guide) 240 on a surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn that, in the closed position, faces the cavity (hereinafter, inner surface). Preferably, each guide 240 protrudes in a slanted or inclined manner from the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn, so that, as can be better appreciated in Figure 2F, the guides 240 associated with each inlet door 205_n act as a hopper for the products loaded from above, directing (i.e., channeling) them into the inlet openings.

In fact, the guides 240 that protrude in slanted or inclined manner from the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn when the respective hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn are in the open position identify chutes that delimit a passage for the products to be loaded, such passage narrowing from top to bottom, thus regulating the flow of the products loaded from above.

In particular, as visible in Figure 2F, each guide 240 extends from the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn at a first distance from a first or lower region of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn in correspondence of a lower end of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (i.e. the end that, when the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is in the open position, is in correspondence of or proximal to the respective inlet opening), and at a second distance, preferably lower than the first distance, from a second or upper region of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn in correspondence of an upper end opposite to the lower end (i.e. the end that, when the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is in the open position, is distal to the respective inlet opening). In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the lower and upper regions of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn are very close to the lower and upper ends thereof, respectively, however alternative embodiments of the present invention (not shown) may be envisaged in which the lower and upper regions of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn are more or less distant from the respective lower and upper ends, respectively.

In this way, the guides 240 of each pair of hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn progressively narrow a mouth identified by such hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn in the open position at the predetermined aperture angle, such that the products under loading are efficiently directed or channeled towards the respective inlet opening and do not accumulate outside it; in fact, in absence of the guides 240, an amount of products could accumulate below the lower region of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (for example in correspondence of the hinges 205_CSj,205_CDj and/or of the hinging pins 215_S,215_D), whereby no hopper function would be envisaged.

Therefore, the fact that the guides 240 associated with each inlet door 205_n act as a hopper for the products loaded from above is advantageous in terms of time and cost efficiencies, as opposed to, for example, the above cited US3720328, which instead shows an external hopper to control the flow of the products into the cavity (thus involving high costs and high times due to the need of the external hopper).

Preferably, as shown in Figure 2C, each hinged door (or, in alternative embodiments, a subset thereof) forms, in the closed position, an overlapping abutment with the other hinged door of the same door 205_n, so as to reduce the interstices or gaps between them. According to the exemplary (but not limiting) illustrated embodiment, each hinged door (for example, the left hinged door 205_ASn) comprises a gutter member 245s extending vertically from an outer surface thereof opposite to the inner surface, and the other hinged door (for example, the right hinged door 205_ADn) comprises a gutter member 245_D extending vertically from its outer surface and is adapted to overlap to the gutter member 245s. In this way, the overlap between the gutter members 245_S,245_D forms a labyrinth that matter-of-factly and effectively prevents (or at least strongly reduces) the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity, especially from above of the inlet opening. Moreover, at least one gutter member, and preferably the gutter member that, upon overlapping, is more exposed to the external environment (the gutter member 245_D in the example at issue), is advantageously provided with a slanted wall 245_DL which allows draining impurities and atmospheric agents by gravity.

The gutter members 245_S,245_D are advantageously formed in a single piece with the left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors. The gutter members 245_S,245_D may for example be formed in a single piece with rods 246_S,246_D advantageously provided on the upper regions of the hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, respectively, and arranged for providing mechanical strength to the access structure 115.

The access structure 115 preferably comprises at least one abutment portion, preferably one abutment portion 247_n for each pair of left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors associated with a same opening, such that in the closed position the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the first 205_ASn and second 205_ADn hinged doors abuts on the respective abutment portion 247_n. The abutment of the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of each pair of first 205_ASn and second 205_ADn hinged doors on the respective abutment portion 247_n forms a labyrinth that matter-of-factly and effectively prevents the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity, especially from a side of the inlet opening.

In order to further improve the labyrinth effect, especially at the side of the inlet opening, the access structure 115 may further comprise first 249_1Sn,249_1Dn and second 249_2Sn,249_2Dn cover elements adapted to cover a respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn and the respective gutter member 245_S,245_D at, respectively, first and second sides thereof (the first and second sides of each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn essentially being the two parallel opposite sides of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn that extend along substantially the transversal direction when the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is in the closed position, and along substantially the vertical direction when the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is in the open position). Figure 2E shows the first 249_1S1 and second 249_2S1 cover elements covering the opposite first and second sides of the left hinged door 205_AS1, the first 249_1D1 and second 249_2D1 cover elements covering the opposite first and second sides of the right hinged door 205_AD1, the first cover element 249_1S2 covering the first side of the left hinged door 205_AS2, and the first cover element 249_1D2 covering the first side of the right hinged door 205_AD2, whereas Figure 2C shows the profile of the first sides of left and right hinged doors (and of the associated gutter members 245_S,245_D) without the respective cover elements covering them.

The overlapping between the gutter members 245_S,245_D and the abutment on the abutment portion 247_n (and, possibly, the presence of the cover elements) provide, as a whole, a combined labyrinth effect that matter-of-factly and effectively prevents the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity from the most critical directions (i.e., from above and from sides of the inlet opening). This is a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, to such an extent that it is the intention of the Applicant that this aspect could form a separate subject matter independent from the hopper function achieved by means of the guides 240.

According to the exemplary considered embodiment, each abutment portion 247_n is in the form of a frame surrounding the respective inlet opening, i.e. it comprises one or more (two, in the example at issue) transversal abutment portions 247_T1n,247_T2n, extending along the transversal direction parallel to each other, and two or more (two, in the example at issue) longitudinal abutment portions 247_LSn,247_LDn extending along the longitudinal direction parallel to each other. Preferably, the transversal 247_T1n,247_T2n, and longitudinal 247_LSn,247_LDn abutment portions are in the form of walls extending along the vertical direction from the upper wall 105_T of the casing 105. More preferably, the transversal 247_T1n,247_T2n, and longitudinal 247_LSn,247_LDn abutment portions are in the form of walls each one extending along the vertical direction from a respective transversal 210_TTi and longitudinal 210_TLS,210_TLD crossbar, the transversal 247_T1n,247_T2n and longitudinal 247_LSn,247_LDn abutment portions being for example formed in a single piece with the respective transversal 210_TTi and longitudinal 210_TLS,210_TLD crossbars. Preferably, the transversal 247_T1n,247_T2n and longitudinal 247_LSn,247_LDn, abutment portions extend along the vertical direction to such an extent that they form a barrier preventing the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity from the sides of the inlet opening.

Each transversal abutment portion 247_T1n,247_T2n is preferably adapted to abut, in the closed position of the left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors, on the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of the respective pair of left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors, and particularly at a same respective side thereof (i.e., with the transversal abutment portion 247_T1n that is adapted to abut on the inner surface of the respective pair of left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors in correspondence of their first sides, and with the transversal abutment portion 247_T2n that is adapted to abut on the inner surface of the respective pair of left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors in correspondence of their second sides). Even more preferably, as illustrated, each transversal abutment portion 247_T1n,247_T2n, is adapted to abut on the inner surface of the left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors (at the respective side) by fitting into gaps between the first 249_1Sn,249_1Dn and second 249_2Sn,249_2Dn cover elements and the respective guiding members 240 (for example, with the transversal abutment portion 247_T11 that abuts on the inner surface of the left 205_AS1 and right 205_AD1 hinged doors by fitting into the gaps between the cover elements 249_1S1,249_1D1 and the guiding members 240, and with the transversal abutment portion 247_T12 that abuts on the inner surface of the left 205_AS1 and right 205_AD1 hinged doors by fitting into the gaps between the cover elements 249_2S1,249_2D1 and the guiding members 240).

Therefore, the transversal abutment portions 247_T1n,247_T2n and the cover elements 249_1Sn,249_1Dn, 249_2Sn,249_2Dn provide a further combined labyrinth effect against the inlet of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity from the sides of the inlet opening.

According to the exemplary considered embodiment, each transversal abutment portion 247_T1n,247_T2n has a first part having a first slanting with respect to a horizontal plane on which the access structure 115 lays when mounted on the container 100 (in other words, the horizontal plane being substantially a plane parallel to the upper wall 105_T of the casing 105), and a second part having, with respect to the horizontal plane, a second slanting opposite to the first slanting (see, for example, Figures 2D, 2E and 2F). Therefore, each pair of left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors in the closed position identify, by abutment thereof on said first and second parts of the respective transversal abutment portion 247_T1n,247_T2n, an inverted-V profile of the closed position (see, for example, Figure 2B) that allows draining of impurities and atmospheric agents by gravity.

Each longitudinal abutment portion 247_LSn,247_LDn is preferably adapted to abut, in the closed position of the left 205_ASn and right 205_ADn hinged doors, on the inner surface 205S_ASn,205S_ADn of a respective one of the left 205_ASn and second 205_ADn hinged doors (i.e., with the longitudinal abutment portion 247_LSn that is adapted to abut on the inner surface 205S_ASn of the left hinged door 205_ASn, and with the longitudinal abutment portion 247_LDn that is adapted to abut on the inner surface 205S_ADn of the right hinged door 205_ADn). Preferably, the longitudinal abutment portion 247_LSn,247_LDn is adapted to abut on the inner surface of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn in correspondence of the respective lower region thereof (i.e., the region in correspondence of the lower end of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn that, when the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn is in the open position, is in correspondence of or proximal to the respective inlet opening).

According to the exemplary considered embodiment, and as best visible in Figures 2B-2E, the access structure 115 further comprises one or more locking systems (preferably, each one associated with a respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn) for locking the inlet doors 205_n (or a part thereof) in the closed position (for example, so as to avoid accidental opening of the same, especially during the inclination of the container 100 for promoting the frontal outlet of the products through the outlet opening). More preferably, in the embodiment herein exemplary assumed in which each inlet door 205_n has two hinged doors 205_ASn,205_ADn, the access structure 115 comprises a locking system associated with each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (so that each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn can be firmly locked in the closed position).

According to the exemplary (but not limiting) considered embodiment, each locking system comprises, for each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn, a hook element 250_GS,250_GD integral with the respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (the hook element 250_GS,250_GD being for example formed in a single piece with the respective hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn) and extending vertically from the inner surface of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn towards a respective crossbar 210_TTi (for example, the crossbars 210_TT1,210_TT3,210_TT5,210_TT7 for the hook elements 250_GS,250_GD of the hinged doors 205_AS1-205_AS4,205_AD1-205_AD4, respectively), and a lever or latch element 250_LS,250_LD fixed on such transversal crossbar 210_TTi so as to intercept and lock the respective hook element 250_GS,250_GD. Preferably, although not necessarily, the lever element 250_LS,250_LD is adapted to be operated (for example, manually) by sliding along the transversal direction on the hook element 250_GS,250_GD (i.e., on its arcuate portion), thereby preventing the movement (i.e., the opening) of the hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (as visible in Figure 2B for the lock system 250_GS,250_LS associated with the left hinged door 205_AS1).

As mentioned above, each inlet door 205_n, in the closed position, is adapted to abut on the respective transversal crossbar 220_TTi (i.e., on a respective abutment portion 247_n thereof). According to the illustrated embodiment, and best visible in Figure 2D, in order to avoid direct contact of the inlet doors 205_n on the abutment portions of the respective transversal crossbars 220_TTi (in that, in the embodiments, such as the embodiment herein discussed, in which both the inlet doors 205_n and the transversal crossbars 220_TTi are made of steel or other metal material, the direct contact between them could give rise to interstices or gaps with resulting passage of impurities and atmospheric agents into the cavity through them), each hinged door 205_ASn,205_ADn (or at least a part thereof) comprises a perimeter gasket 255 on its inner surface, the gasket 255 being for example formed of an elastomeric material (such as polyurethane or silicone), of a plastic material, or of a natural material (such as leather or cork). Alternatively or, as exemplary illustrated, in addition, the access structure 115 comprises a seal 260 on the abutment portions 247_n (or on at least part thereof, such as for example on one or more among the longitudinal and transversal abutment portions).

Naturally, in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the solution described above many modifications and logical and/or physical variations. More specifically, although this solution has been described with a certain level of detail with reference to one or more embodiments thereof, it is clear that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible. In particular, various embodiments of the invention may be practiced even without the specific details (such as the numerical examples) set forth in the previous description to provide a more complete understanding thereof them; on the contrary, well-known features may have been omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the description with unnecessary details. In addition, it is expressly intended that specific elements and/or method steps described in relation to any embodiment of the exposed solution may be incorporated in any other embodiment as a normal design choice.