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US 2026/0192831 A1Published application
Insulated and refrigerated railroad car with vacuum insulated sections
AssigneeGunderson LLC
InventorsDaniel J. Schuller, Ryan Pelton, Peter L. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An insulated railroad car or insulated and refrigerated railroad car with one or more vacuum insulated sections wherein the vacuum insulated section(s) provide better insulation for the boxcar.
Claims19
A railroad car comprising:
- a frame;
- a floor supported by the frame;
- a first end wall supported by the frame;
- a second end wall supported by the frame;
- a first side wall supported by the frame;
- a second side wall supported by the frame;
- a roof supported by the frame, the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall;
- one of the first side wall and the second side wall having a door that enables access to an interior area defined by the floor, the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, and the roof;
- and
- one of the first side wall, the second side wall, the floor, the first end wall, the second end wall, and the roof including an insulated section including:
- a plurality of spaced-apart supports,
- a plurality of spaced-apart braces fixedly connected to and extending between respective pairs of the supports,
- an inner panel fixedly connected to respective inner surfaces of the supports and the braces,
- an outer panel fixedly connected to respective outer surfaces of the supports and the braces,
- the inner panel and the outer panel spaced-apart based on widths of the supports and the braces,
- the supports, the braces, the inner panel, and the outer panel defining a series of individual air evacuation compartments, each air evacuation compartment sealed with respect to respective supports and braces that define that air evacuation compartment,
- a plurality of the supports each defining an air channel extending through that support to fluidly connect adjacent air evacuation compartments partially defined by that support,
- a plurality of the braces each defining an air channel extending through that brace to fluidly connect adjacent air evacuation compartments partially defined by that brace, and
- one or more check valves connected to one of the supports, each check valve configured to enable air to be evacuated from and not flow back into a plurality of the air evacuation compartments via the check valve.
16 more elements
A railroad car comprising:
- a frame;
- a floor supported by the frame;
- a first end wall supported by the frame;
- a second end wall supported by the frame;
- a first side wall supported by the frame;
- a second side wall supported by the frame;
- a roof supported by the frame, the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall;
- one of the first side wall and the second side wall having a door that enables access to an interior area defined by the floor, the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, and the roof;
- and
- one of the first side wall and the second side wall including a first insulated section including:
- a plurality of spaced-apart vertically extending supports, the supports including a first support, a last support, and a plurality of intermediate supports between the first support and the last support,
- a plurality of spaced-apart horizontally extending braces fixedly connected to and extending between respective pairs of the supports,
- an inner panel fixedly connected to respective inner surfaces of the supports and the braces,
- an outer panel fixedly connected to respective outer surfaces of the supports and the braces,
- the supports, the braces, the inner panel, and the outer panel defining a series of individual air evacuation compartments, each air evacuation compartment sealed with respect to respective supports and braces that define that air evacuation compartment,
- the plurality of the intermediate supports each defining an air channel extending through that support to fluidly connect horizontally adjacent air evacuation compartments partially defined by that support,
- a plurality of the braces each defining an air channel extending through that brace to fluidly connect vertically adjacent air evacuation compartments partially defined by that brace, and
- one or more check valves connected to the first support, each check valve configured to enable air to be evacuated from and not flow back into the plurality of the air evacuation compartments via the check valve.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.