DE9412884U1 - Vehicle with a chassis to accommodate swap bodies and containers for this - Google Patents

Description

Busse & Busse Patent Attorneys

European Patent Attorneys

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. iur. V. Busse Dipl.-Ing. Dietrich Busse Dipl.-Ing. Egon Bünemann

_ „ Dipl.-Ing. Ulrich Pott

Gebr. HeHmann

Λ,�I,μ ? /-» _&Lgr; Iff* Wholesale Ring 6

D-49084 Osnabruck

Elbestrasse 1-40

49090 Osnabrück d°-VI &ogr; oV Osnabrück

Telephone: 0541-S86081 Fax: 0541-5881S4 Telegrams: patgewar Osnabrück

9.8.1994 EB/Po

Vehicle with a chassis for carrying swap bodies

and containers for this purpose

The invention relates to a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and a container therefor according to the preamble of claim 6.

Vehicles with swap bodies in the form of a container are widely used. The standardized 25-foot container in particular has become widely accepted in practice. The advantages of the standardized container are in particular the simplification and standardization of handling and the easy interchangeability for various transport tasks. In addition, it naturally benefits from the basic advantages of a swap body, which can avoid longer downtimes of a vehicle, so that a much greater transport capacity and effectiveness can be achieved with a given number of vehicles, and the container, which is comparatively inexpensive compared to the vehicle, can be made available in comparatively large numbers for loading and unloading processes, for storage, etc.

9 ·

can. In principle, such containers can be moved using sufficiently powerful lifting equipment such as forklifts and placed on the chassis of a vehicle. The simplest way of taking over a container by a vehicle is when a container, which is raised on its own support legs, is driven under by a vehicle such as a truck, semi-trailer or trailer after lowering the chassis by a specified amount in the longitudinal direction, with the support legs outside the width of the vehicle, and is then loaded by lifting the chassis. In this way, a vehicle can take over a container without any additional aids.

Another advantage of such an interchangeable body is the possibility of reloading, so that a container can be reloaded from vehicle to vehicle and can therefore cover longer distances in one go without the vehicle and its driver having to travel too far away, which would make it difficult to plan the return route. At the same time, it is possible to assemble trucks in loading centers according to destinations, whereby, for example, a container can be placed on a motor vehicle or semi-trailer that comes from a completely different place of origin or a completely different route than a container on a trailer vehicle.

Not least because of the possibility of assembling containers according to needs according to destinations or routes, previously known proposals have arisen to provide an assembled set of sub-containers with the same dimensions and locking arrangements instead of one large container, so that the (sub-)containers can be exchanged or separated and reassembled. It was proposed to provide three or more (sub-)containers instead of one standard container, each of which could be used for

.-3L

are only one third or less of the length of a standard container.

However, difficulties with these connectable (partial) containers become apparent in handling, as a single container cannot be fixed on a vehicle chassis, but needs to be supplemented by additional (partial) containers to the standard size. In particular, the assembly of (partial) containers in a specialist center is also difficult, as this requires the dismantling and reassembly of (partial) containers. The greatly shortened floor plan of the individual (partial) containers is also disadvantageous, as when support legs are used, the floor space is so small in relation to the height that preparing or parking, and in particular driving under a parked (partial) container for the purpose of loading, requires special care. In addition, the ability to assemble (partial) containers and the handling and storage of assembled units in standard sizes requires highly resilient and rigid construction structures, which is at the expense of the weight and cost of such containers.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a system of container vehicles and containers which is easier, faster and safer to handle, enables simpler and cheaper designs and at the same time offers flexibility through partial sizes to an extent that at least appears sufficient.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 with the characterizing features of claim 1 and by a container according to the preamble of claim 1.

Proposition 6 is solved based on the characterizing features of claim 6.

An important basic idea of this concept is to design the vehicle and container in such a way that several containers - normally two containers - are supported on a chassis, but are individually connected to the chassis via independent locking mechanisms. This means that it is no longer possible to get by with the four corner locking mechanisms of the conventional standardized large containers alone - instead, additional locking mechanisms must be provided at least between the conventional ones. However, breaking away from the established locking standard results in such advantages that they justify the effort involved in introducing and converting to a new or supplemented system.

Compared to previously proposed (partial) container assemblies, the direct fixing of a container of this type creates a high level of positional security without any special effort for connecting the (partial) containers to one another.

Furthermore, it is possible to load a chassis designed to accommodate two or more of the containers according to the invention with just one container and to lock this container completely. In particular, it is also possible to remove containers individually from the chassis and replace them if necessary, which enables the desired simple and quick handling of containers.

Regarding the position of the locking devices on a chassis (and in the counterparts aligned with it on the container), a grid with longitudinal lines is recommended.

lines that run to the outside on the sides to ensure good accessibility, and with cross lines that run symmetrically to each of two containers standing one behind the other with a distance of a few centimeters between them, in order to be able to place such a container on top of the other regardless of the direction. The cross lines can be set for the shorter containers independently of the locking cross lines of the conventional containers, but they can also coincide with the latter to such an extent that only additional cross lines need to be inserted between conventional (20-foot) cross lines.

The dimensions of the containers according to the invention are designed in such a way that two such containers fit on a normal chassis on which a standard container can fit. The resulting length and external size, which is approximately half that of a conventional standard container, by taking advantage of the permissible dimensions of a vehicle, proves to be an extremely favorable dimension. On the one hand, dividing the size of the standard container into two containers creates a correspondingly higher transport flexibility. On the other hand, however, the containers retain a size and in particular a set-up area that allows them to be set up independently and stably as a swap body given the specified construction height and the height of the support legs.

Since the container according to the invention is no longer elongated but relatively compact compared to the conventional large standard container with a length of only about half, there are possibilities for easy handling and a more favourable design in terms of rigidity and space utilization. The less elongated container can be handled advantageously as a hanging load, whereby primarily tensile loads that can be easily absorbed occur in the container structure. In this respect

Forklift pockets, which were previously provided for in the floor area of containers, can be moved to the ceiling area with the advantage that the less usable and harder to reach space on the ceiling side is used for the forklift pockets, while loading space on the floor is freed up. This results in the desired advantages of a low loading area with good accessibility during loading and unloading and a low center of gravity during transport.

The container can also have locking receptacles for a loading gear attacking from above for a so-called "top-lifting" as well as locking receptacles that serve a loading tool attacking from the side ("side-lifting"), with such upper-side locking receptacles being suitably aligned in a predetermined rectangular grid with lower-side locking receptacles for a 4-point attack.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below. The drawing shows:

Fig. 1 Side view of a vehicle with two containers,

Fig. 2 enlarged side view of a container according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 Top view of the container according to Fig. 2 and

Fig. 4 Front view of the container according to Fig. 2 and 3.

The vehicle designated 1 in Fig. 1 has a chassis 2 designed to accommodate container swap bodies, on which two containers 3 and 4 are attached. In the present case, the vehicle 1 is a motor vehicle, but in the following also stands for other corresponding vehicles that can accommodate containers on a suitable chassis, such as semi-trailers.

·

semi-trailer or trailer. Containers 3 and 4 are arranged closely spaced one behind the other on chassis 2 in such a way that they make the best possible use of the usable space on the chassis specified by legal regulations and standards, so that each of the containers can be seen as a "half container" compared to the conventional standard container in the sense that it has the same width and height as a conventional container, but only about half the length. This results in dimensions with a width of 2.5 m, a height of around 3 m and a length of around 3.70 m for containers 3 and 4.

To accommodate these containers 3 and 4, the chassis 2 has four locking devices 5, 6, 7, 8 on each side, whereby these locking devices are aligned with one another in the longitudinal direction and lie on a common longitudinal line, while the same number of locking devices (not shown) are provided symmetrically to a central longitudinal plane of the vehicle on the opposite side, so that two locking devices lie on a common transverse line 9, 10, 11 or 12. The transverse lines in pairs, i.e. insofar as they are assigned to a common container, are 10 feet apart. This therefore applies to the distance between the transverse lines 9 and 10 and to the distance between the transverse lines 11 and 12. The transverse lines 10 and 11 are spaced apart from one another by a small gap between the containers provided for handling and the containers' projections beyond the locking devices. For the most distant transverse lines 9 and 12, this results in a distance that is significantly more than 20 feet, i.e. more than the longitudinal distance of the locking devices for conventional standard containers.

In many cases it will be advisable to design a chassis 2 to accommodate conventional containers, so that additional locking devices are inserted at intervals of 20 feet from the transverse line 9 to the rear or from the transverse line 12 to the front, or better still separately and symmetrically between the transverse lines 9 and 12.

With regard to the use of conventional standard locking devices with a longitudinal spacing of 20 feet, it is also possible to reduce the spacing of the cross lines per container to less than 10 feet and specify just two additional cross lines. By using the available length of the chassis and with a symmetrical arrangement of the locking devices per container, the spacing of the cross lines per container (and thus the distance of the additional two cross lines on the chassis from the conventional cross lines towards the center) results in a spacing of approx. 2.10 m.

Containers 3,4 are designed to be identical to one another.

As a counterpart to the locking devices 5 and 6, the container comprises 3 locking receptacles 13, 14, which are spaced 10 feet apart. Support legs 15, 16 are hinged directly adjacent to them (shown here in the folded-up state against the underside of the container). These support legs 15, 16 can be swiveled downwards into a vertical position so that they are at a distance from the transverse lines 9 and 10 and thus offer a good standing distance in the longitudinal direction. In the transverse direction, the distance is to be adjusted by pulling out sideways, as is also the case with conventional large containers, so that a vehicle (reversing) can reach an erected container with its chassis.

can drive under it and then take it over by lifting it using pressure medium.

Deviating from the embodiment shown, it is now possible, particularly after a recently permitted increase in the vehicle width to 2.55 m, to fold the support legs to the side next to the locking mounts. This means that the support legs can be hinged very close to the front and rear corners of the container's underside without hitting the locking mounts when swiveling in.

The increased spacing of the support legs improves stability. It also creates space in the middle between the folded-up support legs for any forklift pockets on the floor that are sufficiently wide, i.e. a width of about one third of the container length.

It is clear that each of the containers 3 and 4 has a more compact shape than a conventional large container with very similar external dimensions. Such a container is not only structurally well designed with sufficient rigidity and strength in terms of its own weight and its smaller loading volume, but also in terms of its proportions. This opens up the possibility in particular of having lifting equipment and other means of transport for the container attached to the ceiling area, whereby the loads occur particularly advantageously in the form of tensile loads and can be absorbed.

As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2, 3 and 4 with an enlarged and more detailed individual view of the container 3, from both sides and from both front sides below a ceiling 17 of the container 3

horizontally continuous forklift pockets 18, 19, 20, 21 are provided, into which a forklift can reach with its fork in order to unload, move or load the container 3. Because the space for these forklift pockets is not provided in the conventional way in the area of the floor, but above under the ceiling, there is a better distribution of the load downwards and easier work with a lowered floor level, whereby it is not necessary in the ceiling area to cover a continuous interior level with regard to retractable forklift pockets, as is normally required with a floor-side arrangement. The space loss for forklift pockets in the ceiling area is therefore considerably less than in the floor area.

Furthermore, on a side surface 22 viewed in Fig. 2 at the transition to the ceiling 17, locking receptacles 23, 24 are arranged directly next to the forklift pockets 18, 19, which at the same time form locking receptacles on the edge of the ceiling, also designated 23 and 24, with a uniform edge fitting. The side locking receptacles 23, 24 are aligned vertically with the locking receptacles 13, 14, so that a forklift or a loading gear with corresponding locking mechanisms can engage the four locking receptacles 13, 14, 23, 24 from the side, and thus load and move the container in a particularly space-saving manner. Such loading systems are referred to in practice under the term "side-lifting". In the top view according to Fig. 3 it can be seen that completely corresponding edge fittings 25, 26 are also arranged on the side wall opposite the side wall 22, extending into the edge area of the ceiling 17.

In addition, as can be seen in particular from the top view according to Fig. 3, corner fittings 27, 28, 29, 30 are arranged in the corner areas of the ceiling 17 in order to enable locking engagement from above as well as from the adjacent sides. This allows loading gear from above, for example in a crane operation, to grasp and handle the container for a so-called "top-lifting".

These designs, which include the area close to the ceiling in the receptacle of a container for lifting tools, loading gear and the like, also ensure that the reduced container is easy to handle and maneuver during loading, without the need for complex or expensive stiffening structures for the container. In particular, the various locking receptacles can be realized with relatively simple, inexpensive and space-saving fittings. Only the forklift pockets 18, 19, 20 and 21 take up a considerable amount of space, as can be seen from the contours drawn in broken lines in Fig. 3. These contours also show that the forklift pockets running in the longitudinal and transverse directions lie in one plane and openly merge into one another.

The container structure is that of a solid rectangular tube made of side walls, floor and ceiling, while the front sides, such as the front side 31 in Fig. 4, can be opened or closed by a gate, preferably a roller gate. A corresponding design of the opposite front side makes it possible to load or unload two or more tubular containers of this type, one behind the other, together on a chassis. The container 3 described in this way is symmetrical, i.e. designed the same on all sides, so that it can be positioned in any direction.

While such containers should preferably be arranged two behind one another on a vehicle, it is understood that special vehicles of greater length can also accommodate more than two containers of this type, one behind the other. This is particularly true when containers of this type are moved onto railway wagons. On the other hand, such containers can also be moved onto smaller and therefore possibly more maneuverable vehicles, especially for local transport, if necessary.

Claims (17)

Expectations: 1. Vehicle with a chassis for accommodating swap bodies in the form of several containers arranged one behind the other, which are connected to the chassis via locking devices, the locking devices being fixed at predetermined distances from one another on two longitudinal lines running in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and on several transverse lines running in the transverse direction, characterized in that four locking devices (5, 6, 7, 8) are arranged on the chassis (2) for at least two containers arranged one behind the other in a total of at least four transverse lines (9, 10, 11, 12). 2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that two (9,12) of the four transverse lines (9,10,11,12) have a distance from each other which exceeds a standardized longitudinal distance of locking devices for individual containers. 3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that symmetrically between the transverse lines (9, 12) the two further (10, 11) of four transverse lines are fixed at a small distance from one another. 4. Vehicle according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the four transverse lines are fixed in pairs (9/10, 11/12) with a longitudinal distance of 10 feet between each other. 5. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that additional locking devices are arranged on the chassis (2) at a standardized longitudinal distance of 20 feet. 6. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that locking devices are arranged on the chassis at a standardized longitudinal distance of 20 feet, which are located on the outer of the four transverse lines (9, 10, 11, 12) between which the other two of the four transverse lines run. 7. Container for a vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, with a length approximately half that of a standardized container, it is provided on the underside with at least four locking receptacles with a distance from one another in the longitudinal and transverse directions corresponding to the distances between associated locking devices on the chassis of the vehicle. 8. Container according to claim 7, characterized in that it has four support legs (15, 16) which can be moved to a non-use position towards the container (3). 9. Container according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the support legs (15, 16) are designed to be foldable upwards in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 10. Container according to claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that it is provided with a structure designed for the engagement of lifting tools in upper receiving areas of side surfaces (22) near a ceiling (17) of the container (3). 11. Container according to claim 10, characterized in that it has latterally open forklift pockets (18,19,20,21) in receiving areas. 12. Container according to claim 11, characterized in that the forklift pockets (18,19,20,21) are formed crosswise in a longitudinal and a transverse direction in a common plane below the ceiling (17). 13. Container according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that it is provided with locking receptacles (23, 24) open to the side in the receiving areas. 14. Container according to claim 13, characterized in that the locking receptacles (23,24) are vertically aligned with locking receptacles (13,14) near the ground. 1 5. Container according to claim 14 in conjunction with claim 6, characterized in that the locking receptacles (13, 14) close to the ground are formed by structural elements which also form the locking receptacles on the underside for securing to a chassis (2). 16. Container according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that upwardly open locking receptacles (27, 28, 29, 30) are arranged in the ceiling. 17. Container according to claim 16, characterized in that the upwardly open locking receptacles (27, 28, 29, 30) are located in corner regions of the ceiling (17).