Refrigerated container and duct extension

1. A transport refrigeration system comprising:

a refrigeration system ( 30 ) including:

a fan ( 42 ) for driving air along a flowpath from an inlet ( 62 ) to an outlet ( 64 ); and

a heat exchanger ( 38 ) along the flowpath for cooling the air; and

a duct ( 100 ) comprising a twin-sheet thermoformed combination of:

an inlet flange ( 110 ) surrounding an inlet ( 102 ), the duct mounted so that the duct inlet ( 102 ) receives air from the refrigeration system outlet, the duct inlet having a height and a width; and

body ( 112 ) extending from the duct inlet to an outlet ( 104 ) and having a body interior that laterally outwardly diverges and upwardly shifts from the duct inlet toward the duct outlet wherein:

the duct comprises a proximal trunk ( 130 ) and a plurality of distal branches ( 132 A- 132 D);

a plurality of walls ( 134 A- 134 C) divide the distal branches, each wall comprising at least one portion protruding upward from a bottom of the body and at least one portion protruding downward from a top of the body and meeting; and

one or more of the walls includes an interrupted portion ( 186 ) wherein the interrupted portion of the one or more of the walls protrudes upward from the bottom of the duct to a non-recessed location on the top of the duct.

2. The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein:

the duct comprises thermoplastic polyolefin.

3. The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein:

the interrupted portion includes a mounting hole ( 188 ).

4. The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of tabs ( 142 ) at the duct outlet, each tab including a mounting a hole ( 144 ).

5. The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising:

a container ( 22 ).

6. The transport refrigeration system of claim 5 wherein:

the refrigeration system is mounted along a front wall of the container.

7. A method for making the transport refrigeration system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

making the duct by:

providing a first sheet and a second sheet;

vacuum thermoforming the first sheet and the second sheet; and

pressing the thermoformed first sheet and thermoformed second sheet together so as to fuse the first and second sheets together.

8. A method for using the transport refrigeration system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

attaching the flange ( 110 ) to an outlet ( 64 ) of a refrigeration system ( 30 ) of a transport container ( 22 ).

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

attaching the duct body ( 112 ) to a ceiling ( 70 ) of the container.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the attaching the duct body to the ceiling comprises screwing through tabs protruding from an upper portion of the duct at the duct outlet.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the attaching of the duct body to the ceiling comprises screwing through upwardly-projecting pockets.

12. A transport refrigeration system comprising:

a refrigeration system ( 30 ) including:

a fan ( 42 ) for driving air along a flow path from an inlet ( 62 ) to an outlet ( 64 ); and

a heat exchanger ( 38 ) along the flowpath for cooling the air; and

a duct ( 100 ) comprising a twin-sheet thermoformed combination of:

an inlet flange ( 110 ) surrounding an inlet ( 102 ), the duct mounted so that the duct inlet ( 102 ) receives air from the refrigeration system outlet, the duct inlet having a height and a width; and

a body ( 112 ) extending from the duct inlet to an outlet ( 104 ) and having a body interior that laterally outwardly diverges and upwardly shifts from the duct inlet toward the duct outlet, the body having:

a proximal trunk ( 130 );

a plurality of distal branches ( 132 A- 132 D); and

a plurality of walls ( 134 A- 134 C), wherein the plurality of walls divide the plurality of distal branches, each wall comprising at least one first portion protruding upward from a bottom sheet of the body and at least two second portions protruding downward from a top sheet of the body, said at least one first portion and said at least two second portions meeting between said top and bottom sheets; and wherein one or more of the walls includes an interrupted portion ( 186 ), the interrupted portion formed by deformation of the bottom sheet so that the bottom and top sheets fuse at a location locally coplanar with the top sheet, and said interrupted portion being located between the at least two second portions of a respective wall of said one or more of the walls.

13. The transport refrigeration system of claim 12 wherein:

the duct comprises thermoplastic polyolefin.