AU2020422814A1

AU2020422814A1 - Container having top cover locks, spreader, and method for opening cover of container

Info

Publication number: AU2020422814A1
Application number: AU2020422814A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kai Fan; Guoquan Lv; Lixiang Mao; Xiaopei Zhang
Original assignee: Nantong CIMC Special Transportation Equipment Manufacture Co Ltd; Nantong CIMC Special Logistics Equipment Development Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nantong CIMC Special Transportation Equipment Manufacture Co Ltd; Nantong CIMC Special Logistics Equipment Development Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-13
Filing date: 2020-12-24
Publication date: 2022-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-24
Also published as: AU2020422814B2; CN212710909U; WO2021143474A1; CA3161427A1; CN113120443A; CN111056157A

Abstract

A container (100) having top cover locks (20), a spreader (90), and a method for opening a cover (12) of the container. Each top cover lock comprises: a fixed base (2) fixed on the cover; a lock hook (3) comprising a lever piece (31) and a hook-shaped piece (32) connected to each other, the lever piece being pivotally connected to the fixed base, the hook-shaped piece extending downward along an edge of the cover, and the lock hook also comprising a fitting part (33) provided on the hook-shaped piece; a locking device (40) movably disposed on a side plate (111), the locking device comprising a rod-shaped piece (4) and being movable to a first position and a second position, when the rod-shaped piece being located at the first position, the hook-shaped piece being fitted under a top side beam (112), and the rod-shaped piece being fitted to the fitting part, and when being located at the second position, the rod-shaped piece being separated from the fitting part. In the first position, the lock hooks are restricted, and the hook-shaped pieces on the lock hooks are fitted under the top side beams, so that the lock hooks secure the cover to the container body, thereby preventing problems such as the falling out of the lock hooks and the falling off of cargo during transportation of the container.

Description

CONTAINER HAVING TOP COVER LOCKS, SPREADER, AND METHOD FOR OPENING COVER OF CONTAINER TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a container, and in particular to a container having top cover locks, a spreader and a method for opening a cover of the container.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Hard open top containers are increasingly important in transportation at present. An opening is provided on the top of the hard open top container to facilitate for loading, and

also facilitate for unloading when a turnover frame or a forklift is cooperated with the

container. The hard open top containers are mostly used for loading copper concentrate

powder, coal and the like. In the prior art, lock hooks are usually installed on an edge of a top

cover of the container, and a container body and the hook locks are connected and fixed to

each other from a side of the container body. During opening of the top cover, a tail of each

of the lock hooks of the top cover is usually pressed by a pressing block provided on a top

cover spreader, so that the lock hooks rotate and are separated from the container body. When

the lock hooks are opened, the tails of the lock hooks of the top cover may be buckled by lock

buckles provided on the top cover, so that the lock hooks of the top cover are kept in a

normally open state, facilitating to operate and move the top cover.

[0003] However, since the lock hooks are only kept in a normally closed state by their own

weights or torsion springs provided on the lock hooks, the normally closed state of the lock

hooks may be broken only by overcoming the weights of the lock hooks and torsion forces of

the torsion springs. During transportation, the container bumps and shakes on a vehicle, a

ship and any other carrier, so that the lock hooks on the top cover are easily accidentally

opened, resulting in the inability to completely seal between the top cover and the container

body, causing the possible leaking of cargos, and thus having a certain security risk.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a container having top cover locks, a spreader,

and a method for opening a cover of the container.

SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a container having top cover locks. The container includes a container body, a cover provided on top of

the container body, and top cover locks. The container body includes a side plate, and a top

side beam is provided on an edge of a top portion of the side plate. Each of the top cover

locks includes: a fixed base fixed on the cover; a lock hook including a lever piece and a

hook-shaped piece connected and arranged at an angle to each other, the lever piece being

pivotally connected to the fixed base, the hook-shaped piece extending downward along an

edge of the cover, and the lock hook also including a fitting part provided on the hook-shaped

piece; a locking device movably provided on the side plate, the locking device including a

rod-shaped piece and being movable to a first position and a second position. In the first

position, the hook-shaped piece is clamped under the top side beam, and the rod-shaped piece

is fitted to and fixed with the fitting part; and in the second position, the rod-shaped piece is

separated from the fitting part.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure also provides a spreader

for the container as described above. The spreader includes: a spreader main body; a driving

rod fixed on the spreader main body, the driving rod being arranged corresponding to the

rod-shaped piece; a driving block fixed on the spreader main body, the driving block being

arranged corresponding to a side of the lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure also provides a method

for opening a cover of the container as described above. The method includes: moving a

spreader main body downward to drive a driving rod to move downward, the driving rod

being in contact with a rod-shaped piece; further moving the spreader main body downward

so that the driving rod drives the rod-shaped piece to move from a first position to a second

position; further moving the spreader main body downward so that a driving block is moved

downward to contact with a side of the lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece; further

moving the spreader main body downward so that the driving block drives the side of the

lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece to move downward; locking and moving the

cover by the spreader.

[0008] Beneficial effects of the present disclosure are described as follows. Each of the top cover locks of the container in the present disclosure also has a locking device. When the rod-shaped piece of the locking device is in the first position, the rod-shaped piece is fitted to and fixed with the fitting part on the lock hook, the lock hook is limited, and the hook-shaped piece on the lock hook is clamped under the top side beam, so that the lock hook locks the cover onto the container body, preventing the lock hook from being opened and avoiding the cargo leakage during transportation of the container. Moreover, in the second position, the rod-shaped piece is separated from the fitting part, so that the lock hook may be pivoted on the fixed base under the action of an external force to be separated from the top side beam, so as to perform the opening of the cover, and loading and unloading operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a side part of a container when a locking device is in afirst position according to afirst implementation of the present disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged structural view of a circle part A shown in FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the container when the locking device is in a second position according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged structural view of a circle part B shown in FIG. 3;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the locking device when the locking device is in the second position according to the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the container in a first embodiment according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 7a is a schematic top structural view of an embodiment of a lock plate according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 7b is a schematic top structural view of another embodiment of the lock plate according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of a sliding rod seat according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 9a is a schematic structural view of fitting the sliding rod seat with a top side beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 9b is a schematic structural view of fitting the sliding rod seat and the top side beam according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 9c is a schematic structural view of fitting the sliding rod seat and the top side beam according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 10a is a schematic structural view in which a reset spring is sleeved on a lock rod when the locking device is in the first position according to the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 10b is a schematic structural view in which the reset spring is sleeved on the lock rod when the locking device is in the second position according to the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 11a is a schematic structural view in which the reset spring is fixed on a connecting rod when the locking device is in the first position according to the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 1lb is a schematic structural view in which the reset spring is fixed on the connecting rod when the locking device is in the second position according to the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 12 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the container when the locking device is in the first position in a second embodiment according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 13 is a schematic enlarged structural view of a circle part C shown in FIG. 12;

[0027] FIG. 14 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the container in a third embodiment according to a second implementation of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 15 is a schematic enlarged structural view of a circle part D shown in FIG. 14;

[0029] FIG. 16 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the container in a fourth embodiment according to the second implementation of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 17 is a schematic enlarged structural view of a circle part E shown in FIG. 16;

[0031] FIG. 18 is a schematic structural view of a side part of another container in the fourth embodiment according to the second implementation of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 19 is a schematic structural view of the side part of the another container in the first embodiment according to the first implementation of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 20 is a schematic structural view of a spreader of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make those skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure

will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings

in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only

some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all of the embodiments. Based on

the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in

the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] Furthermore, repeated reference numbers or designations may be used in different

embodiments. These repetitions are for simplicity and clarity of description of the present

disclosure and do not represent any association between the different embodiments or

structures as discussed.

[0036] In various figures of the present application, some dimensions of structures or parts

are exaggerated relative to other structures or parts for convenience of illustration, and thus,

are only used to illustrate the basic structure of the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 20, the present disclosure provides a container 100 having a

top cover lock and a spreader 90. The container 100 includes a container body 11, a cover 12

provided on a top portion of the container body 11, and a top cover lock 20. The container

body 11 includes a side plate 111, and a top side beam 112 is provided on an edge of the top

portion of the side plate 111. Generally, the top side beam 112 is arranged to protrude

horizontally outward from the side plate 111. The container 100 of the present disclosure is a

hard open top container 100, and thus the cover 12 is covered on the top portion of the

container body 11 and is locked and fixed on the container body 11 by the top cover lock 20.

The top cover lock 20 is provided on the cover 12 and the side panel 111, and a plurality of

top cover locks 20 may be provided. The plurality of top cover locks 20 are distributed along

the edge of the side panel 111 of the container 100 to better lock the container 100.

[0038] Generally, when the cover 12 of the container 100 is opened by a turnover frame or a

forklift, it is usually necessary to operate the top cover lock 20 first, so that the top cover lock

is no longer fastened to the container body 11, and then the cover 12 is fixed and moved by the turnover frame or the forklift.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the top cover lock 20 includes:

[0040] afixedbase2 fixed on the cover12;

[0041] a lock hook 3 including a lever piece 31 and a hook-shaped piece 32 that are connected and arranged at an angle to each other, the lever piece 31 being pivotally

connected to the fixed base 2, and the hook-shaped piece 32 extending downward along an

edge of the cover 12; the lock hook 3 also including a fitting part 33 provided on the

hook-shaped piece 32;

[0042] a locking device 40 movably provided on the side plate 111, the locking device 40 including a rod-shaped piece 4 and being movable to a first position and a second position; in

the first position, the hook-shaped piece 32 is clamped under the top side beam 112, and the

rod-shaped piece 4 is fitted to and fixed with the fitting part 33; and in the second position,

the rod-shaped piece 4 is separated from the fitting part 33.

[0043] Therefore, the top cover lock 20 of the container 100 in the present disclosure also

has a locking device 40. When the rod-shaped piece 4 of the locking device 40 is in the first

position, the rod-shaped piece 4 is fitted to and fixed with the fitting part 33 on the lock hook

3, the lock hook 3 is limited, and the hook-shaped piece 32 on the lock hook 3 is clamped

under the top side beam 112, so that the lock hook 3 locks the cover 12 onto the container

body 11 to prevent the lock hook 3 from being opened accidentally and avoiding the cargo

leakage during transportation of the container 100. Moreover, in the second position, the

rod-shaped piece 4 is separated from the fitting part 33, so that the lock hook 3 may be

pivoted on the fixed base 2 under the action of an external force to be separated from the top

side beam 112, so as to perform the opening of the cover, and loading and unloading

operations.

[0044] The first implementation is shown in FIGS. 1 to 13. Specifically, as shown in FIGS.

2 and 4, the rod-shaped piece 4 includes a lock rod 41, a connecting rod 42 and a sliding rod

43 that are sequentially connected. The locking device 40 further includes a sliding rod seat 5

fixed on the side plate 111. The sliding rod 43 is sleeved within the sliding rod seat 5 and is

movable in a vertical direction. In the first position, the lock rod 41 and the fitting part 33 are

clamped and fixed with each other.

[0045] The lock rod 41, the connecting rod 42 and the sliding rod 43 may be fixedly connected or movably connected, which may be designed according to different movement

relationships and will be described in detail below. In addition, the sliding rod 43 may be

moved in the vertical direction within the sliding rod seat 5, so that the corresponding

movable lock rod 41 may be moved in a certain direction and may be moved to the first

position and the second position during the movement. The sliding rod seat 5 may be

designed as a whole, or may be designed as separate parts as shown in FIG. 8, as long as the

objective of the present disclosure can be achieved, and the details will not be repeated

herein.

[0046] Specifically, in the first specific embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 11, the locking device 40 includes a lock plate 6 extending outward from the

hook-shaped piece 32. The fitting part 33 is formed on the lock plate 6, and the lock rod 41,

the connecting rod 42 and the sliding rod 43 are fixedly connected. In the first position, the

lock rod 41 is horizontally located at a side of the fitting part 33 away from the side plate 111.

In the second position, the lock rod 41 is moved to dislocate with the fitting part 33 and the

lock plate 6 in the vertical direction.

[0047] The sliding rod 43 may be moved in the vertical direction. Since the lock rod 41, the

connecting rod 42 and the sliding rod 43 are fixedly connected, the lock rod 41 may also be

moved in the vertical direction. When the lock rod 41 is moved to the first position, the lock

rod 41 is located at a side of the fitting part 33 away from the side plate 111 in the horizontal

direction, so that the lock rod 41 may restrict the movement of the fitting part 33 and the lock

plate 6, and the hook-shaped piece 32, preventing the lock rod 41 from rotating towards a

side away from the side plate 111, and avoiding the lock hook 3 from disengaging from the

top side beam 112 of the container 100. When the sliding rod 43 is moved downward and

drives the lock rod 41 to move to the second position, the lock rod 41 is moved to dislocate

with the fitting part 33 on the lock plate 6 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the lock rod

41 is moved downward to be under the fitting part 33 so as to not interfere with the fitting

part 33 and thus not affect the rotation of the lock hook 3, facilitating operations such as

cover opening, loading, and unloading.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7a, a first limit channel 61 is formed vertically through the lock plate 6, and the fitting part 33 is formed inside the first limit channel 61 and close to a side of the side plate 111.

[0049] In this specific embodiment, the first limit channel 61 is formed by penetrating through in the vertical direction, and thus the lock rod 41 also extends in the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the entire rod-shaped piece 4 is U-shaped. Further, the fitting part 33 is located in the first limit channel 61 and is close to a side of the side plate 111, and thus, when the lock rod 41 is moved to the first position, thefitting part 33 and its hook-shaped piece 32 may be restricted from further movement outward. Of course, if the lock plate 6 is formed in other structures, such as a hook-shaped limit structure as shown in FIG. 7b and a baffle-shaped limit structure. As long as a fitting part 33 corresponding to the lock rod 41 may be provided, the objective of the present disclosure can be achieved. In this specific embodiment, the first limit channel 61 is formed by penetrating through the fitting part 33, and may better limit the lock rod 41 in thefirst position.

[0050] In addition, in this specific implementation, the rod-shaped piece 4 is U-shaped. Of course, if the rod-shaped piece 4 is in other shapes, that is, the lock rod 41 extends in other directions, the objective of the present disclosure can also be achieved, as long as it may correspond to the fitting part 33 in the first position and restrict the lock hook 3 from moving outward. For example, the lock rod 41 may also extend in the horizontal direction. In the first position, the lock rod 41 may still restrict the lock hook 3 from moving outward, and in the second position, the lock rod 41 is moved downward as a whole under the driving of the sliding rod 43, and the lock rod 41 is separated from the fitting part 33 and the lock hook 3 in the vertical direction.

[0051] In addition, one or two lock plates 6 may be provided on the lock hook 3, and lock rod(s) 41 is (are) provided corresponding to the lock plate(s) 6. That is, one lock plate 6 is formed on the lock hook 3 and extends horizontally outward from a side of the lock hook 3, and then one lock rod 41 may be provided and fitted with the first limit channel 61 on the lock plate 6. Of course, as shown in FIG. 6, two lock plates 6 may also be formed on the lock hook 3 and extend horizontally outward from opposite sides of the lock hook 3, and then two lock rods 41 may be provided and respectively fitted to and fixed with the first limit channels 61 on the two lock plates 6.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the second specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the fitting part 33 is formed on the hook-shaped piece 32 along the horizontal

direction, the lock rod 41, the connecting rod 42 and the sliding rod 43 may be movably

connected. In the first position, the lock rod 41 is located at a side of the fitting part 33 away

from the side plate 111, and in the second position, the lock rod 41 is moved to dislocate with

the fitting part 33 in the horizontal direction.

[0053] In this specific embodiment, the fitting part 33 is formed on the hook-shaped piece 32. When the lock rod 41 is in the first position, the lock rod 41 corresponds to the fitting part

33, and when the lock rod 41 is in the second position, the lock rod 41 is moved to dislocate

with the fitting part 33 in the horizontal direction, which means that the lock rod 41 is moved

in the horizontal direction. When the sliding rod 43 is not moved downward, the lock rod 41

is located at a side of the fitting part 33 away from the side plate 111, so as to restrict the

outward movement of the fitting part 33 and the lock hook 3; when the sliding rod 43 is

moved downward, since the lock rod 41, the connecting rod 42 and the sliding rod 43 are

movably connected, the sliding rod 43 is moved downward so as to drive the lock rod 41 to

move horizontally and gradually disengage from the fitting part 33, thereby facilitating the

lock hook 3 to be rotated outward to be opened.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, a second limit channel 321 is formed by penetrating through the hook-shaped piece 32 along the horizontal direction, and the fitting

part 33 is formed inside the second limit channel 321 and close to a side of the side plate 111.

[0055] In this specific implementation, the second limit channel 321 is formed by penetrating through in the horizontal direction, and the fitting part 33 is formed inside the

second limit channel 321. In addition, the sliding rod 43, the connecting rod 42 and the lock

rod 41 in the rod-shaped piece 4 are movably connected, so that when the sliding rod 43 is

moved downward, the lock rod 41 may be driven to move horizontally towards the sliding

rod 43, and thus the lock rod 41 may be separated from the second limit channel 321.

[0056] Therefore, in the above two specific implementations, when the forklift or the

overturn frame opens the cover 12 of the container 100, it is necessary to extend the driving

rod 9 downward to push the sliding rod 43 downward, so that the lock rod 41 is driven again

to move to the second position, and the locking device 40 will no longer limit the lock hook

3.

[0057] In addition, as mentioned above, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present disclosure, both the lock rod 41 and the sliding rod 43 are capable to move in a certain direction, and thus the locking device 40 may also include a support 71 fixed on the side plate 111. A through hole 711 is formed by penetrating inside of the support 71. In the first position, the lock rod 41 and/or the sliding rod 43 are/is provided to run through the through hole 711. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in thefirst specific embodiment, the support 71 is arranged on a movement path of the lock rod 41, so as to limit the movement of the lock rod 41, and form a better guiding effect for the lock rod 41, so that the lock rod may pass through the first limit channel 61. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, in the second specific embodiment, the lock rod 41 is moved in the horizontal direction, and the support 71 may also support the lock rod 41 to ensure the movement direction and position of the lock rod 41. Of course, the support 71 is not limited to the structure in which the through hole 711 is formed by penetrating through the inside of the support, and other structures may also be used. As long as the function of limiting the lock rod 41 can be achieved, the objective of the present disclosure can be achieved. However, it will not be repeated herein.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 13, the locking device 40 may further include a baffle 72 fixed on the side plate 111, and an accommodating space 721 is formed by recessing in or penetrating through the baffle 72. In the first position, a free end of the lock rod 41 is accommodated in the accommodating space 721. The accommodating space 721 in the baffle 72 further limits the lock rod 41 to prevent the lock rod 41 from being skewed during transportation.

[0059] In addition, the sliding rod seat 5 is fixed to the outside of the top side beam 112 or arranged inside the top side beam 112. As shown in FIG. 9a, the sliding rod seat 5 may be fixed outside the top side beam 112; or, as shown in FIG. 9b, the sliding rod seat 5 may be fixed inside the top side beam 112 and is not close to an edge of the top side beam 112; or, as shown in FIG. 9c, the sliding rod seat 5 may be fixed inside the top side beam 112 and arranged to abut against the edge of the top side beam 112. The sliding rod seat 5 and the sliding rod 43 are arranged close to the top side beam 112, which is more convenient for the movement of the driving rod 9 on the forklift or the turnover frame.

[0060] Of course, after the sliding rod 43 is moved downward and after no external force is applied, it is necessary to return the sliding rod to its original position, and also return the lock rod 41 to the first position to lock the lock hook 3. Therefore, the locking device 40 further includes a reset structure. The reset structure includes a reset spring 81, and a first connecting portion 82 and a second connecting portion 83 connected to both ends of the reset spring 81. The first connecting portion 82 is relatively fixed to the container body 11, and the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the rod-shaped piece 4. Therefore, when the rod-shaped piece 4 is no longer stressed, the reset spring 81 will pull the second connecting portion 83 and the rod-shaped piece 4 such that the rod-shaped piece returns to the original position.

[0061] Specifically, the reset spring 81 may use a structure such as a tension spring, a compression spring, and an air spring and so on.

[0062] As known, the spring is elongated when being tensioned, and a direction of a pulling force of the spring itself points to the inside of the spring; the spring is compressed when being pushed, and a direction of a pushing force of the spring itself points to the outside of the spring. Therefore, when the lock rod 41 is moved to the first position, the reset spring 81 is in an unstressed state, and when the lock rod 41 is moved to the second position, the reset spring 81 is stretched or compressed, and the reset spring 81 itself has a pulling force or a pushing force. After the external force is removed, the lock rod 41 will automatically return to the first position. Specifically, whether the reset spring 81 is stretched or compressed when it is subjected to an external force can be determined by the position of thefirst connecting portion 82.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the sliding rod 43 is moved downward, and the first connecting portion 82 is arranged under the second connecting portion 83. Therefore, in the first position, the reset spring 81 is in an unstressed state, and in the second position, the reset spring 81 is compressed. Further as shown in FIGS. 11a and 1lb, the first connecting portion 82 is located above the second connecting portion 83, so that in the first position, the reset spring 81 is in an unstressed state, and in the second position, the reset spring 81 is stretched.

[0064] Specifically, in the specific embodiment of a first type of reset spring 81, the reset spring 81 is sleeved outside of the lock rod 41 or the sliding rod 43, and the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the lock rod 41 or the sliding rod 43. A guide channel 821 is formed by penetrating through the first connecting portion 82 from up to down, and the lock rod 41 or the sliding rod 43 is movably arranged within the guide channel 821. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the reset spring 81 is sleeved outside the sliding rod 43, the first connecting portion 82 is arranged under the reset spring 81, and the guide channel 821 is formed on the first connecting portion 82 for the lock rod 41 to pass through and move; in the first position, the second connecting portion 83 may abut against the sliding rod seat 5, and in the second position, since the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the sliding rod 43, it is driven to move downward, so that the reset spring 81 is compressed. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the reset spring 81 is sleeved outside the lock rod 41, the first connecting portion 82 is arranged under the reset spring 81, and a guide channel 821 is formed on the first connecting portion 82 for the lock rod 41 to pass through and move; when in the first position, the second connecting portion 83 may abut against the support 71, and in the second position, since the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the lock rod 41, it is driven to move downward, so that the reset spring 81 is compressed.

[0065] Of course, in the specific embodiment of the first type of reset spring 81, the first connecting portion 82 is arranged above the reset spring 81, and the second connecting portion 83 is arranged under the reset spring 81; and in the second position, the reset spring 81 is in a stretched state.

[0066] Alternatively, in the specific embodiment of a second type of reset spring 81, the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the connecting rod 42, and the reset spring 81 is compressed or stretched in a direction parallel to the sliding rod 43. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11a to l1b, the first connecting portion 82 is fixed on the top side beam 112 of the container body 11, and the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the connecting rod 42; and in the second position, the reset spring 81 is deformed. Of course, since the first connecting portion 82 is located above the second connecting portion 83 as described above, the reset spring 81 is stretched in the second position. If the first connecting portion 82 is arranged under the second connecting portion 83, the reset spring 81 is compressed in the second position.

[0067] FIGS. 14 to 18 show a second implementation of the present disclosure. Specifically, the rod-shaped piece 4 includes a sliding rod 43 and a movable plate 44 that are sequentially

connected. The movable plate is moved with relative to the sliding rod 43. The locking device

further includes a sliding rod seat 5 fixed on the side plate 111. The sliding rod 43 is

sleeved within the sliding rod base 5 and may be moved in the vertical direction. In the first

position, the movable plate 44 is clamped and fixed with the fitting part 33.

[0068] The second implementation is different from the first implementation in that, the rod-shaped piece 4 is no longer provided with a movable plate 44 instead of a lock rod

structure. The movable plate 44 may also be moved relatively along the sliding rod 43. Thus,

when the sliding rod 43 is driven, the movable plate 44 is also driven to move between the

first position and the second position. Moreover, in the first position, the movable plate 44 is

clamped and fixed with the fitting part 33 on the lock hook 3, so as to prevent the lock hook 3

from being disengaged and also prevent the cover 12 from being accidentally opened; and in

the second position, the movable plate 44 is moved downward to disengage from the fitting

part 33, so that the lever piece 31 of the lock hook 3 may be further driven, and the

hook-shaped piece 32 is separated from the cover 12.

[0069] Specifically, the second implementation includes two specific embodiments, i.e., a

third specific embodiment and a fourth specific embodiment.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 14, it is the third specific embodiment. The rod-shaped piece 4 further includes a connecting rod 42 extending from a lower end of the sliding rod 43 in the

horizontal direction, and the movable plate 44 is fixed on the connecting rod 42.

[0071] Thus, in the process that the sliding rod 43 is driven to move downward, the

connecting rod 42 and the movable plate 44 also move downward correspondingly by the

same distance. Then, when the movable plate 44 is moved to the second position, the

movable plate 44 is separated from the fitting part 33.

[0072] Similarly, in the third specific embodiment, the locking device 40 also includes a

reset structure. The reset structure includes a reset spring 81, and a first connecting portion 82

and a second connecting portion 83 connected to both ends of the reset spring 81. The first

connecting portion 82 is relatively fixed to the container body 11, and the second connecting

portion 83 is fixed on the rod-shaped piece 4.

[0073] Since the second connecting portion 83 of the reset spring 81 is fixed on the rod-shaped piece 4, the second connecting portion 83 of the restoring spring 81 is moved

downward when the rod-shaped piece 4 is driven to move downward, so that the reset spring

81 is deformed. Then, after the rod-shaped piece 4 is unstressed, the reset spring 81 tends to

restore into the unstressed state, drive the second connecting portion 83 to move upward, and

further drive the rod-shaped piece 4 to move upward.

[0074] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the reset spring 81 is sleeved outside the sliding rod 43, and the second connecting portion 83 is fixed on the sliding rod 43. A guide channel

821 is formed by penetrating through the first connecting portion 82 from up to down, and

the sliding rod 43 is movably arranged in the guide channel 821.

[0075] In addition, the first connecting portion 82 is located under the second connecting portion 83, so that the second connecting portion 83 is moved downward and compresses the

reset spring 81 during the sliding rod 43 is driven to move downward.

[0076] Of course, when the first connecting portion 82 is located above the second

connecting portion 83, or the reset spring 81 is not sleeved outside the sliding rod 43, etc., the

objective of the present disclosure can also be achieved.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 16, it is the fourth specific embodiment. The movable plate 44 is

fixed on the sliding rod 43. The fourth specific embodiment is different from the third

specific embodiment in that, the movable plate 44 is directly fixed on the sliding rod 43

without additionally providing a connecting rod 42. Similarly, when the sliding rod 43 is

moved downward, the movable plate 44 is driven to move downward, and after moving to the

second position, the movable plate 44 is separated from the fitting part 33.

[0078] Similarly, in the fourth specific embodiment, the locking device 40 also includes a

and a second connecting portion 83 that are connected to both ends of the reset spring 81. The

first connecting portion 82 is relatively fixed to the container body 11, and the second

connecting portion 83 is movably connected to the rod-shaped piece 4.

[0079] The second connecting portion 83 is movably connected to the rod-shaped piece 4, so that the movement of the rod-shaped piece 4 does not directly force the second connecting

portion 83 to move. Specifically, the reset spring 81 is sleeved outside the sliding rod 43, a guide channel 821 is formed by penetrating through each of the first connecting portion 82 and the second connecting portion 83 from up to down, and the sliding rod 43 is movably arranged within the guide channel 821. The second connecting portion 83 is located under the movable plate 44, and in the second position, the second connecting portion 83 abuts against the movable plate 44.

[0080] Since the movable plate 44 is directly fixed on the sliding rod 43, and the second connecting portion 83 is located under the movable plate 44, the movable plate 44 gradually

approaches the second connecting portion 83 until it comes into contact with the second

connecting portion 83 during the downward movement of the movable plate 44, so that the

second connecting portion 83 may be driven to move downward to deform the spring.

[0081] In this fourth specific embodiment, as the second connecting portion 83 may only be located above the first connecting portion 82, when the movable plate 44 is moved downward

and drives the second connecting portion 83 to move downward, it may only urge the reset

spring 81 to be compressed.

[0082] Of course, if the reset spring 81 is not sleeved outside the sliding rod 43, the requirements of the present disclosure can also be satisfied as long as the above purpose can

be achieved.

[0083] In addition, in the second implementation, since the movable plate 44 is fitted to the

fitting part 33, the structure of the fitting part 33 on the hook-shaped piece 32 is different

from that in the above-mentioned first implementation.

[0084] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, it is a first embodiment of the movable plate 44.

Specifically, the movable plate 44 includes a main plate 441 and a cross plate 442 formed by

protruding outward from the main plate 441. The cross plate 442 is hollow to form an

abutting space, or is bent on the main plate 441 to form an abutting space between the cross

plate and the main plate 441. The fitting part 33 is formed on the hook-shaped piece 32. In

the first position, the hook-shaped piece 32 extends into the abutting space, and the fitting

part 33 is accommodated within the abutting space.

[0085] The fitting part 33 is directly formed on the hook-shaped piece 32. Specifically, the

fitting part 33 is located at a side outward from the hook-shaped piece 32. The movable plate

44 has a main plate 441 and a cross plate 442 connected to each other. Regardless of the structure of the cross plate 442, an abutting space is formed on the movable plate 44. In the first position, the fitting part 33 on the hook-shaped piece 32 is accommodated in the abutting space. When bumps are encountered during transportation, the fitting portion 33 on the hook-shaped piece 32 is limited by the abutting space, and thus the hook-shaped piece 32 will not be further overturned outward, nor be separated from the container body 11.

[0086] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, it is a second embodiment of the movable plate 44. Specifically, in this embodiment, an abutting space is formed by directly penetrating

through the movable plate 44 from top to bottom or by recessing in the movable plate 44. The

fitting part 33 is formed on the hook-shaped piece 32. In the first position, the hook-shaped

piece 32 extends into the abutting space, and the fitting part 33 is accommodated in the

abutting space.

[0087] The second embodiment of the movable plate 44 is different from the first

embodiment in that, the movable plate 44 has a different structure. The movable plate 44 in

the second embodiment is integrally formed, and the rest parts are similar to those in the

above-mentioned first embodiment, which will not be repeated herein.

[0088] In addition, in the present disclosure, the rod-shaped piece 4 of the locking device 40

acts as a main structure for driving the lock hook 3, and a plurality of the rod-shaped pieces 4

may be provided. Specifically, in the first implementation and the second implementation,

each of the rod-shaped pieces 4 includes a sliding rod 43 and a sliding rod seat 5, and the

sliding rod 43 may be slid up and down in the sliding rod seat 5 and drive the lock rod 41 or

the movable plate 44 to move up and down. Therefore, in order to increase the driving force,

the sliding rod 43 and the sliding rod seat 5 may be provided in pair, and a plurality of pairs

may be provided. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 14, two sliding rods 43 and two

sliding rod seats 5 may be provided, and are respectively distributed at both sides of the lock

hook 3.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 20, the present disclosure also provides a spreader 90 for a

container, the spreader 90 includes:

[0090] a spreader main body 91;

[0091] a driving rod 92 fixed on the spreader main body 91, the driving rod 92 being

arranged corresponding to the rod-shaped piece 4;

[0092] a driving block 93 fixed on the spreader main body 91, the driving block 93 being arranged corresponding to a side of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32.

[0093] Thus, during the downward movement of the driving rod 92, the rod-shaped piece 4 may be driven to move to the second position, so that the rod-shaped piece 4 is separated from the fitting part 33 on the lock hook 3. Further, the driving block 93 is arranged corresponding to a side of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32, so that the driving block 93 may drive the side of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32 to move downward, and a side of the lever piece 31 close to the hook-shaped piece 32 is moved upward, thereby driving the hook-shaped piece 32 to turn upward and disengage from the container body 11. Thus, the cover 12 and the container body 11 of the container are no longerlocked.

[0094] Specifically, in this implementation, as shown in FIG. 20, the driving rod 92 includes a driving body 921, a driving member 922 moving in a vertical direction, and a force accumulating spring 923 connected between the driving member 922 and the driving body 921. The force accumulating spring 923 extends in the vertical direction. The rod-shaped piece 4 includes a lock rod 41, and an end of the driving member 922 corresponds to the lock rod 41.

[0095] The spreader 90 in the present disclosure is provided with the accumulating spring 923, the force accumulating spring 923 may also be compressed when the driving member 922 presses the lock rod 41, and both ends of the driving member 922 are stressed. When the spreader 90 is lifted, the force accumulating spring 923 may urge the driving member 922 to return. Thus, with respect to the spreader 90, the spreader 90 has two stages of downward movement. The first stage of downward movement allows the driving rod 92 to drive the rod-shaped piece 4, so that the rod-shaped piece 4 of the locking device 40 disengages from the hook-shaped piece 32 of the lock hook 3. The second stage of the downward movement allows the driving block 93 to move downward so as to contact with an end of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32 and urge the end of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32 to move downward, so that the hook-shaped member 32 is lifted up, and the container body 11 and the cover 12 are no longer locked to each other.

[0096] The present disclosure also provides a method for opening a cover 12 of a container, including:

[0097] moving a spreader main body 91 downward so as to drive a driving rod 92 to move downward, the driving rod 92 being in contact with a rod-shaped piece 4;

[0098] further moving the spreader main body 91 downward so that the driving rod 92 drives the rod-shaped piece 4 to move from a first position to a second position;

[0099] further moving the spreader main body 91 downward so that a driving block 93 is moved downward to contact with a side of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32;

[00100] further moving the spreader main body 91 downward so that the driving block 93 drives the side of the lever piece 31 away from the hook-shaped piece 32 to move downward;

[00101] locking and moving the cover 12 by the spreader 90.

[00102] Therefore, as described above, the top cover lock 20 of the container 100 in the present disclosure also has a locking device 40. When the rod-shaped piece 4 of the locking device 40 is in the first position, the rod-shaped piece 4 is fitted to and fixed with thefitting part 33 on the lock hook 3, the lock hook 3 is limited, and the hook-shaped piece 32 on the lock hook 3 is clamped under the top side beam 112, so that the lock hook 3 locks the cover 12 onto the container body 11, preventing the lock hook 3 from being opened accidentally and avoiding the cargo leakage during transportation of the container 100. In addition, in the second position, the rod-shaped piece 4 is separated from the fitting part 33, so that the lock hook 3 may be pivoted on the fixed base 2 under the action of an external force to disengage from the top side beam 112, so as to perform the opening of the cover, and loading and unloading operations.

[00103] In addition, the present disclosure specifically introduces two specific implementations. The rod-shaped piece 4 has different structures in these two specific implementations, i.e., respectively using the sliding rod 43 or the movable plate 44. However, the rod-shaped piece 4 in each of these implementations may restrict the movement of the fitting part 33 and the lock hook 3 in the first position, and may be separated from the fitting part 33 in the second position.

[00104] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, however, it does not mean that each of embodiments only includes an independent technical solution. The description in this specification is intended only for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art should take this specification as a whole, the technical solutions in the embodiments may also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[00105] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions for the feasible embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the protection

scope of the present disclosure. Any equivalent embodiments or changes made without

departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure should be included within the

protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A container having top cover locks, the container comprising a container body, a

cover provided on top of the container body, and top cover locks, the container body

comprising a side plate, and a top side beam being provided on an edge of a top portion of the

side plate; characterized in that, each of the top cover locks comprises:

a fixed base fixed on the cover;

a lock hook comprising a lever piece and a hook-shaped piece that are connected and

arranged at an angle to each other, the lever piece being pivotally connected to thefixed base,

and the hook-shaped piece extending downward along an edge of the cover; the lock hook

also comprising a fitting part provided on the hook-shaped piece;

a locking device movably provided on the side plate, comprising a rod-shaped piece, and

being movable to a first position and a second position; in thefirst position, the hook-shaped

piece being clamped under the top side beam, and the rod-shaped piece being fitted to and

fixed with the fitting part; and in the second position, the rod-shaped piece being separated

from the fitting part.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that, the rod-shaped piece

comprises a lock rod, a connecting rod and a sliding rod that are sequentially connected, the

locking device further comprises a sliding rod seat fixed on the side plate, the sliding rod is

sleeved within the sliding rod seat and is movable in a vertical direction; and in the first

position, the lock rod is clamped and fixed with the fitting part.

3. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the locking device

comprises a lock plate extending outward from the hook-shaped piece, the fitting part is

formed on the lock plate, the lock rod, the connecting rod and the sliding rod are fixedly

connected; in the first position, the lock rod is located at a side of the fitting part away from

the side plate in a horizontal direction, and in the second position, the lock rod is moved to

dislocate with the fitting part in the vertical direction.

4. The container according to claim 3, characterized in that, a first limit channel is

formed by penetrating through the lock plate in the vertical direction, and the fitting part is

formed inside the first limit channel and close to a side of the side plate.

5. The container according to claim 3, characterized in that, one or two lock plates are

provided on each of the lock hooks, and the lock rod is arranged corresponding to the lock

plate.

6. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the fitting part is formed on

the hook-shaped piece along a horizontal direction, and the lock rod, the connecting rod and

the sliding rod are movably connected; in the first position, the lock rod is located at a side of

the fitting part away from the side plate, and in the second position, the lock rod is moved to

dislocate with the fitting part in the horizontal direction.

7. The container according to claim 6, characterized in that, a second limit channel is

formed by penetrating through the hook-shaped piece in the horizontal direction, and the

fitting part is formed inside the second limit channel and close to a side of the side plate.

8. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the locking device further

comprises a support fixed on the side plate, a through hole is formed by penetrating inside the

support, and in the first position, the lock rod and/or the sliding rod are provided to run

through the through hole.

9. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the locking device further

comprises a baffle fixed on the side plate, an accommodating space is formed by recessing

in or penetrating through the baffle, and in the first position, a free end of the lock rod is

accommodated in the accommodating space.

10. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the sliding rod seat is fixed

outside the top side beam or arranged inside the top side beam.

11. The container according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that, the locking device

further comprises a reset structure, the reset structure comprises a reset spring, as well as a

first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are connected to both ends of

the reset spring, the first connecting portion is relatively fixed with the container body, and

the second connecting portion is fixed on the rod-shaped piece.

12. The container according to claim 11, characterized in that, the reset spring is sleeved

outside the lock rod or the sliding rod, the second connecting portion is fixed on the lock rod

or the sliding rod; a guide channel is formed by penetrating though the first connecting

portion from up to down, and the lock rod or the sliding rod is movably arranged in the guide

channel.

13. The container according to claim 11, characterized in that, the second connecting

portion is fixed on the connecting rod, and the reset spring is compressed or stretched in a

direction parallel to the sliding rod.

14. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that, the rod-shaped piece

comprises a sliding rod and a movable plate that are sequentially connected, the movable

plate is movable relatively with the sliding rod, the locking device further comprises a sliding

rod seat fixed on the side plate, and the sliding rod is sleeved within the sliding rod seat and is

movable in the vertical direction; in the first position, the movable plate is clamped and fixed

with the fitting part.

15. The container according to claim 14, characterized in that, the rod-shaped piece

further comprises a connecting rod extending from a lower end of the sliding rod in a

horizontal direction, and the movable plate is fixed to the connecting rod.

16. The container according to claim 15, characterized in that, the locking device further

comprises a reset structure, the reset structure comprises a reset spring, as well as a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are connected to both ends of the reset spring, the first connecting portion is relatively fixed with the container body, and the second connecting portion is fixed on the rod-shaped piece.

17. The container according to claim 16, characterized in that, the reset spring is sleeved outside the sliding rod, the second connecting portion is fixed on the sliding rod; a guide channel is formed by penetrating through the first connecting portion from up to down, and the sliding rod is movably arranged in the guide channel.

18. The container according to claim 14, characterized in that, the movable plate is fixed on the sliding rod.

19. The container according to claim 18, characterized in that, the locking device further comprises a reset structure, the reset structure comprises a reset spring, as well as a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are connected to both ends of the reset spring, the first connecting portion is relatively fixed with the container body, and the second connecting portion is movably connected to the rod-shaped piece.

20. The container according to claim 19, characterized in that, the reset spring is sleeved outside the sliding rod, a guide channel is formed by penetrating through each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion from up to down, and the sliding rod is movably arranged in the guide channel; the second connecting portion is located under the movable plate, and in the second position, the second connecting portion abuts against the movable plate.

21. The container according to claim 14, characterized in that, the movable plate comprises a main plate and a cross plate formed by protruding outward from the main plate, the cross plate is hollow so as to form an abutting space, or is bent on the main plate so as to form an abutting space between the cross plate and the main plate; the fitting part is formed on the hook-shaped piece, and in the first position, the hook-shaped piece extends into the abutting space, and the fitting part is accommodated within the abutting space.

22. The container according to claim 14, characterized in that, an abutting space is

formed by penetrating through the movable plate from up to down or by recessing in the

movable plate; the fitting part is formed on the hook-shaped piece, and in the first position,

the hook-shaped piece extends into the abutting space, and the fitting part is accommodated

within the abutting space.

23. The container according to claim 2 or 14, characterized in that, two sliding rods and

two sliding rod seats are provided, and are respectively distributed at both sides of the lock

hook.

24. A spreader for a container according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in

that, the spreader comprises:

a spreader main body;

a driving rod fixed on the spreader main body, the driving rod being arranged

corresponding to the rod-shaped piece;

a driving block fixed on the spreader main body, the driving block being arranged

corresponding to a side of the lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece.

25. The spreader according to claim 24, characterized in that, the driving rod comprises

a driving body, a driving member movable in a vertical direction, and a force accumulating

spring connected between the driving member and the driving body, the force accumulating

spring extends in the vertical direction; the rod-shaped piece comprises a lock rod, and an end

of the driving member corresponds to the lock rod.

26. A method for opening a cover of a container according to any one of claims 1 to 23,

characterized in that, the method comprises:

moving a spreader main body downward to drive a driving rod to move downward, the

driving rod being in contact with a rod-shaped piece; further moving the spreader main body downward so that the driving rod drives the rod-shaped piece to move from a first position to a second position; further moving the spreader main body downward so that a driving block is moved downward to contact with a side of the lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece; further moving the spreader main body downward so that the driving block drives the side of the lever piece away from the hook-shaped piece to move downward; locking and moving the cover by the spreader.