Cargo restraint system

#Shipping containers, also called intermodal freight containers or intermodal cargo containers, are commonly used to move goods throughout the world. Such containers may have varying lengths (e.g., twenty feet or forty feet), but typically have identical widths (e.g., 8 feet (2.44 meters)) and identical heights (e.g., 8 feet, 6 inches (2.59 m)). The standardized widths and heights enable stacking of the containers for storage and/or for stowage aboard certain types of vehicles, such as container ships and/or trains. The containers also include a standardized anchoring system that enables the containers to be secured to each other and to many different types of vehicles, such as container ships, trains, and/or tractor-trailers. Recently, designs for aircraft and/or for frame structures within an aircraft that can carry such standardized shipping containers have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,608, issued on Feb. 22, 2011, describes exemplary aircraft designs and/or frame structure designs, and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

#According to one aspect, an apparatus comprises a housing configured for attachment to a frame of a vehicle. The apparatus also comprises a coupler reciprocally actuatable between a retracted position and an extended position. The coupler comprises a pin having a longitudinal axis. The pin is sized and oriented to enter an aperture in a sidewall of a corner fitting of an intermodal cargo container when the coupler is moved into the extended position. The coupler also comprises a bottom support in a fixed, spaced apart relationship relative to the pin, thereby defining a vertical gap sized to receive a bottom surface of the corner fitting when the coupler is moved into the extended position. The apparatus also comprises an actuator coupled to the housing and operable to move the coupler between the retracted position and the extended position along the longitudinal axis.

#According to one aspect, a vehicle for transporting intermodal cargo containers with corner fittings is provided. The vehicle comprises a frame arranged in an interior volume of the vehicle. The frame includes first and second rails that are spaced apart to fit an intermodal cargo container there-between. The vehicle comprises a first pin retention mechanism arranged on the first rail. The first pin retention mechanism comprises a first housing attached to the first rail. The first pin retention mechanism also comprises a first coupler reciprocally actuatable between a retracted position and an extended position. The first coupler comprises a first pin having a first longitudinal axis. The first pin is sized and oriented to enter an aperture in a sidewall of a first corner fitting of the intermodal cargo container when the first coupler is moved into the extended position. The first coupler also comprises a first bottom support in a fixed, spaced apart relationship relative to the first pin, thereby defining a first vertical gap sized to receive a bottom surface of the first corner fitting when the first coupler is moved into the extended position. The first pin retention mechanism also comprises a first actuator coupled to the first housing and operable to move the first coupler between the retracted position and the extended position along the first longitudinal axis. The vehicle also comprises a second pin retention mechanism arranged on the second rail. The second pin retention mechanism comprises a second housing attached to the second rail. The second pin retention mechanism also comprises a second coupler reciprocally actuatable between a retracted position and an extended position. The second coupler comprises a second pin having a second longitudinal axis. The second pin is sized and oriented to enter an aperture in a sidewall of a second corner fitting of an intermodal cargo container when the second coupler is moved into the extended position. The second coupler also comprises a second bottom support in a fixed, spaced apart relationship relative to the second pin, thereby defining a second vertical gap sized to receive a bottom surface of the second corner fitting when the second coupler is moved into the extended position. The second pin retention mechanism also comprises a second actuator coupled to the second housing and operable to move the second coupler between the retracted position and the extended position along the second longitudinal axis.

#FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an intermodal freight container;

#FIG. 1B is a detail top perspective view of a bottom corner fitting of the intermodal freight container of FIG. 1A;

#FIG. 1C is a detail bottom perspective view of the bottom corner fitting of FIG. 1B;

#In the following, reference is made to aspects presented in this disclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to specific described aspects. Instead, any combination of the following features and elements, whether related to different aspects or not, is contemplated to implement and practice contemplated aspects. Furthermore, although aspects disclosed herein may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or over the prior art, whether or not a particular advantage is achieved by a given aspect is not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the following aspects, features, and advantages are merely illustrative and are not considered elements or limitations of the appended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim(s). Likewise, reference to “the invention” or “the disclosure” shall not be construed as a generalization of any inventive subject matter disclosed herein and shall not be considered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim(s).

#In aspects described herein, pin retention mechanisms are described that enable an intermodal cargo container (or other types of cargo container) to be quickly connected to or disconnected from a vehicle frame using existing corner fittings of the intermodal cargo container. The pin retention mechanisms include couplers that support the corner fittings at multiple locations to distribute forces caused by high acceleration loads that may be experienced onboard the vehicle and/or that the vehicle is certified to experience.

#FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an intermodal cargo container 100 that includes a first end 102, a second end 104, sides 106, a top 108, and a bottom 110. The first end 102 and/or the second end 104 include doors that enable access to an interior volume of the intermodal cargo container 100. As discussed above, the height of the first end 102, the second end 104, and the sides 106 is typically standardized. Also, the widths of the first end 102 and second end 104 is also typically standardized. As a result, a plurality of such intermodal cargo containers 100 can be stacked side-by-side and/or on top of one another in an organized, space-efficient manner. The lengths of the sides 106 can vary from container to container, but typically fall within one of several standard lengths, such as 20 feet or 40 feet. As used herein, the terms “front end” and “back end” are relative to a direction of travel of the intermodal cargo container 100 aboard a vehicle. For example, FIG. 1A includes an arrow (“FWD”) indicating a forward direction such that the first end 102 is the front end. In various circumstances, the intermodal cargo container 100 could be arranged on a vehicle such that the second end 104 is facing the forward direction, in which case the second end 104 would be the front end and the first end 102 would be the back end.