EP0760040A1

EP0760040A1 - Variable-volume container with a lifting rail

Info

Publication number: EP0760040A1
Application number: EP95920040A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dietmar Eisele
Original assignee: Zeppelin Systemtechnik GmbH
Current assignee: M Schall GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1994-05-16
Filing date: 1995-05-15
Publication date: 1997-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-15
Also published as: CA2190452A1; ATE175461T1; ES2129202T3; DE9408060U1; DE59504743D1; EP0760040B1; WO1995031618A1; GR3029926T3

Abstract

A variable-volume container (1) is disclosed, with at least one drawer-type extension (3) which can slide out to increase the container volume. At least one external surface of the extension (3) when in its drawn-in position forms an outer face of the container (1). In order to lower a floor (31) of the extension (3) down to the level of the inner floor (11) of the container (1), at least one lifting rail (5) parallel to the extension is provided and can slide out of the container (1). With this lifting rail, the extension (3) can be lowered from its slide-in level down to an inner floor (11) of the container (1).

Description

Variable volume container with a lifting rail

description

The invention relates to a container with a variable volume according to the preamble of protection claim 1.

Containers are usually used for the transport of goods, but there are also containers which are used for residential purposes or are equipped as workshops, test benches, transportable kitchens or transportable operating theaters, a large number of applications being possible. Consequently, such containers must also offer sufficient space to not only accommodate people and devices, but also to offer corresponding space for working or living.

Containers of the above type are mostly designed for mobile use, so the transport dimensions of such containers should be as small as possible in order to enable simple and inexpensive transport. The known containers with variable volume meet these requirements, in which either parts are folded out to increase the volume or elements similar to drawers are extended from the inside of the container and thus increase the volume that has been converted. The extended elements form extensions to the container, so to speak.

Such a container of variable volume with extendable, drawer-like inserts is known from the German utility model G 92 16 314.9 of the applicant. In reference to the description of the figures, reference is made to FIGS. 6 and 7 in order to explain the problem on which the invention is based. 6, which shows a perspective basic illustration of a container 9 with a lateral insertion, the basic container 91 has a side wall 93 which is penetrated by the insertion 92. As the arrow A indicates, the insert 92 can either be moved into the base container 91 or pulled out of it in accordance with the two arrow directions. The bottom surface 95 of the base container 91 and the bottom surface 96 of the insert 92 are, as FIG. 6 clearly shows, not on the same level, so that the insert 92 must be supported on its side facing away from the base container 91 by means of a support 94.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic sectional view through the container 9 shown in FIG. 6. It is clear from this illustration that in the space enclosed by the container 9 there is a step between the space delimited by the basic container 91 and the space delimited by the insert 92 is trained. This stage forms a disadvantage of the conventional container, since, as already mentioned at the beginning, people are supposed to work or live within the container. The level represents a significant impairment of the quality of work or life, as this level is always an obstacle or a trip hazard.

It is therefore an object of the invention to further develop a conventional container with inserts in such a way that the interior of the container has a flat floor after the inserts have been extended.

The object is achieved with the features in the characterizing part of protection claim 1. According to the invention, a slide-in container has an extendable and vertically adjustable lifting rail, the slide-in to be extended being displaceable on the lifting rail raised to an upper position, and the lifting rail after the slide-out has been extended into a lower position is adjustable so that the bottom of the insert can be lowered to the level of the container bottom.

By designing the container according to the invention with a lifting rail that can be extended from the container, the height of the insert can be changed in a simple manner such that the stowed position in which the bottom of the insert rests on the bottom of the container can be moved into a use position. the bottom of the insert then being flush with the bottom of the container.

This not only results in the advantage that the dangerous position in the position of use which has an adverse effect on the quality of life is eliminated, but also a better sealing of the container is made possible. Compared to a pure displacement movement, a further degree of freedom has been gained through the design according to the invention, so that seals can now also be used which are acted upon in the vertical direction. This means that the interface between the container and the insert can be sealed much better.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lifting rail which can be inserted parallel to the insert into a substructure of the container is formed by two interlocking U-profiles, the bases of which each rest on the container or on the bottom of the insert. A spreading or lifting device arranged between these two U-profiles optionally changes the distance between the U-profiles. The lifting device is preferably accessible from the end face of the lifting rail facing away from the container. The lifting device can be operated mechanically, electrically or hydraulically, so that automatic actuation controls or operating devices within the container for controlling the lifting device are also possible in the versions driven by power. If a mechanical lifting device is used, spindle drives, lever systems, chain or rack drives can be used, for example. Alternatively, toggle levers, scissors, slide guides, inclined planes, wedges or the like can also be used.

Combinations of mechanical, electrical and / or hydraulic drive elements can of course also be used for the lifting device.

Further advantageous refinements regulate the remaining subclaims.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Show it:

1 shows a schematic partial sectional illustration of a container according to the invention in the retracted state;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic partial sectional view of the container from FIG. 1 with the lifting rail extended;

3 shows a schematic partial sectional view of the container from FIG. 1 in the extended state,

Fig. 4 is a partially sectioned side view of a portion of a lifting rail;

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the lifting rail from FIG. 4;

6 shows a schematic perspective view of a conventional slide-in container;

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the container from FIG. 6. 1, the container 1 has a roof and a floor 11 which is arranged on a substructure 13 and fastened thereon. The base 13 has claws 12 on its underside, on which the container stands. Furthermore, the substructure 13 forms a cavity between the floor 11 and the claws 12, in which a lifting rail 5 can be received.

In the retracted state, the container 1 shown in FIG. 1 receives an insert 2 and an insert 3 inside, which can each be extended laterally through the opposite sides of the container 1. The respective side walls 24 and 34 of the inserts 2 and 3 form the side walls of the container 1 in the retracted state. Furthermore, the inserts 2 and 3 each have a bottom 21 and 31 and a roof 22 and 32, respectively Containers 1 are arranged seals 14 which seal the joint between the inserts 2 and 3 in the retracted state against the roof of the container 1. The function of the pivotable elements 15 will be explained at a later point in time with reference to FIG. 3.

As is also shown in FIG. 1, the inserts 2 and 3 are provided with rollers 23 and 33 which roll on the bottom 11 of the container 1 and on the bottom 21 of the insert 2. The extension movement of the inserts 2 and 3 takes place with support on the rollers 23 and 33. The rollers can of course be replaced by corresponding sliding devices such as sliding rails, sliding bodies or the like. With a correspondingly low weight of the slide-in units, these sliding devices or rollers can also be dispensed with entirely. The rollers or corresponding devices also do not have to be arranged on the respective base 21 or 31 of the slide-in units 2 or 3; solutions are also possible in which the slide-in units are attached to corresponding rolling or sliding devices are slidably guided on the roof of the container 1 or on the roof 22 of the insert 2.

Furthermore, a door 4 in the insert 3 is indicated in FIG. 1, this door 4 is of course optional, and is only shown here to illustrate the displacement movement of the insert 3 relative to the container 1.

FIG. 2 shows an intermediate stage of the extension of the insert 3 from the container 1 shown in FIG. 1. The sliding movement of the insert 2 is carried out analogously, so that the representation and description of the displacement movement of the insert 2 can be dispensed with here. Starting from the state shown in FIG. 1, the state shown in FIG. 2 is reached by first extending the lifting rail 5 from the base 13 of the container 1 parallel to the direction of displacement of the insert 3. Then the lifting device arranged in the lifting rail 5 is actuated so that the lifting rail assumes the position shown in FIG. 2. When the lifting device is actuated, the upper part 52 of the lifting rail is moved with its uppermost surface to the same height as the bottom 21 of the insert 2, so that the rollers 33 of the insert 3 slightly extend from the bottom 21 of the insert 2 when this insert is extended can slide this surface.

In the present example, the lifting device which spreads the upper part 52 of the lifting rail 2 from the lower part 51 in the vertical direction is a spindle-driven lever system, in which the vertical spreading of the upper part 52 from the lower part 51 by corresponding rotation of the spindle 53 is produced. The spindle drive shown only sketchily in this figure is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in detail, so that a description of this lifting device with reference to these figures follows at a later date. As can further be seen from FIG. 2, the cavity 58 formed within the substructure 13 of the container 1 for receiving the lifting rail 5 is simultaneously designed as a guide for this lifting rail. The lower part 51 of the lifting rail 5 extends relative to the upper part 52 of the lifting rail in the direction of the container 1, so that this extended end forms a pin guided in the cavity 58. With this pin, the lifting rail 5 is adequately supported in the vertical direction on the container 1 so that the weight of the extended insert 3 is held by the lifting rail without the insert 3 having to be supported on the installation surface, for example the ground is. Likewise, no support of the end of the lifting rail 5 facing away from the container 1 is necessary, however, for safety reasons, the lower part 51 of the lifting rail 5 can be supported, in particular if the insert 3 is to be additionally loaded with heavy equipment.

Furthermore, reference is made to the sealing element 14 arranged on the roof of the container 1, which remains in engagement with the roof 32 during the entire previous displacement movement of the insert 3. This connects the interior of the container 1 and the trays 2, 3 to the environment during installation, i.e. largely avoided during extension of the slide-in units, so that, for example, neither rain, snow nor dust penetrate into the container during extension. In addition, the interior of the container can be subjected to an internal pressure that is higher than that of the surroundings while the slide-in modules are being extended, so that penetration of the surrounding atmosphere is prevented.

In the state shown in Fig. 2, the pivotable

Element 15 are folded down so that it assumes the state shown in Fig. 3. Due to the pivotable element 15, the gap created when the insert 3 is lowered be closed between the roof 32 of the insert 3 and the roof of the container 1. For additional sealing, the pivotable element 15 can be provided with a magnetic seal, which adheres to the roof 32 of the insert 3 after the pivotable element 15 has been pivoted. Such magnetic seals are known from a variety of applications; is only an example here. the conventional household refrigerator mentioned. Due to the pivotable design of the pivotable element 15, the roof of the container remains closed during the entire extension process. As an alternative to this embodiment, the sealing element 14 can of course also be designed as a telescopically extendable sealing element which closes the gap between the roof of the container 1 and the roof 32 of the insert 3 during the displacement and lowering movement of the insert 3.

The preceding statements with regard to the seal between the roof of the container 1 and that of the insert 3 naturally apply analogously to the roof 22 of the insert 2 or to the sealing element 14 assigned to this insert 2 and the pivotable element 15.

Fig. 3 shows the state in which the insert 3 is fully extended and lowered. As can be clearly seen from this figure, the bottom 11 of the container 1 and the bottom 31 of the insert 3 are at the same height, so that the step customary in conventional containers with inserts is eliminated.

Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows a sealing element 17 between the two floors 11 and 31, the sealing element 17 sealingly resting against the underside of the floor 31 and in the joint between the floors 11 and 31 due to the displacement and lowering movement of the insert 3 can. Because of the sealing in two spatial directions, an improved sealing Effect between slot 3 and container 1 achieved.

In the state shown in FIG. 3, the lifting rail 5 is again in its initial state, so that with a corresponding design of the upper part and the lower part of the lifting rail 5, for example as overlapping U-profiles, the lifting device arranged in the lifting rail 5 is protected is recorded. So, for example, when the container is in the extended state for a longer period of time, contamination of the lifting device and the associated functional impairments of the lifting device are avoided.

FIG. 3 also shows a support device 7 with a support foot 71, which can optionally be provided in order to additionally support the end of the lifting rail 5 facing away from the container 1 on the ground. If such a support device 7 is provided, it can expediently accommodate an actuating device for a mechanical lifting device in the lifting rail 5. For example, a crank (not shown) could be provided on the supporting device, with which the lifting device in the lifting rail 5 or the supporting foot 71 can optionally be actuated.

4 and 5 show two views of an embodiment of the lifting device of the lifting rail 5. According to FIG. 4, the lifting rail has an upper part 52 and a lower part 51 which are designed as U-profiles. The U-profiles are arranged so that the open ends of the U face each other. A roller 54 rolls on the inner surface of the base of the U-profile of the upper part 52, which roller is connected via a first lever 55 to a roller 551 rolling on the inner surface of the base of the U-profile of the lower part 51. A central region of the first lever 55 is articulated to one end of a second lever 56, the other end of which is articulated to a second block 561. One end of the first lever 55, which is provided with the roller 551, is connected in an articulated manner to a first block 552, the first block having formed a spindle nut which engages with a spindle 53 which extends along the lifting rail. The second block 561 connected to the second lever 56 is likewise penetrated by the spindle 53, but the second block 561 does not have a thread serving as a spindle nut, but only a smooth bore for radial guidance of the spindle.

When the spindle 53 rotates about its longitudinal axis, the first block 552, which engages with the spindle 53 via the spindle nut, is displaced in accordance with the direction of rotation of the spindle in the direction of the stationary second block 561, or is moved away therefrom. As a result of this relative movement between the two blocks 552 and 561, the first lever 55 is pivoted about the roller 551 by the second lever 56. If the first lever 55 is raised, the upper part 52 of the lifting rail 5 is raised, and the upper part 52 is lowered during the corresponding reverse movement. The selected representation with the rollers 54 and 551 is only one possible embodiment, of course, can the roles are also replaced by sliding guides. Likewise, of course, the second block 561 can also be displaceable relative to the first block 552, ie designed to engage the spindle 53. It is also possible to replace the roller 54 at the upper end of the first lever 55 by an articulated, direct connection of the first lever 55 to the upper part 52 of the lifting rail. With corresponding fixing / not fixing the other ends of the two levers 55 and 56 on the lower part 51, an additional horizontal component of the movement of the upper part 52 of the lifting rail 5 can thus be achieved, a movement which, for example, moves a slide relative to one Seal on the container or for other purposes such as Notching or notching movements can be used.

The block penetrated by the spindle for its radial guidance is also optional; the corresponding lever can of course also be attached directly to the lower part 51 in an articulated manner. The block penetrated by the spindle can not only serve for the radial guidance of the spindle, with a corresponding design of the spindle and the block this can also simultaneously form the abutment in the axial direction of the spindle. Furthermore, it is possible, with a corresponding design of the spindle, to provide counter-rotating threads and a corresponding spindle nut in each block, so that an accelerated relative movement between the two blocks is achieved. It is also possible to replace the lever system described with inclined planes or wedges which can be displaced relative to one another; this choice depends on the weights to be lifted, the required lifting heights or the like. It should also be mentioned that the spindle 53 can be operated manually or by means of external force. The external force can be electrical or hydraulic in nature; this depends on the respective boundary conditions. The effect of the spindle, namely to generate the relative movement described above, can of course also be achieved by correspondingly arranged hydraulic cylinders. Hydraulic cylinders can also be provided between the upper and the lower part of the lifting rail, which act directly on the lower and the upper part and thus press the two parts of the lifting rail apart.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the lifting rail from FIG. 5, the viewing direction being aligned with the longitudinal direction of the spindle (not shown) in this illustration. From this Fig. It is clear once again how the U-profiles of the upper 52 and the lower part 51 are arranged so that the flanks of the U-profiles overlap one another in the lowered state of the lifting rail. The sealing of the lifting interior of the rail or the lifting device against environmental influences has already been mentioned in the description of FIG. 3, so that a repetition can be omitted here.

Claims

Protection claims l to 13

1. container (1) with variable volume, from which at least one drawer-like insert (3) can be extended to increase the volume, at least one outer surface (34) of the insert (3) forming an outer surface of the container (l) when retracted, characterized by at least one lifting rail (5), which can be extended from the container parallel to the insert (3) and by means of which the insert (3) can be lowered from its insert height relative to an inner floor (11) of the container (l), around a bottom (31) of the insert (3) to the level of the inner bottom (11) of the container (1).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the insert (3) and the lifting rail (5) can be extended laterally from the container (1).

3. Container according to claim l or 2, characterized in that the lifting rail (5) in a cavity (58) in a substructure (13) of the container (1) can be stowed.

4. Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the lifting rail (5) is supported vertically in the extended state within the cavity (58).

5. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting rail (5) is formed by two overlapping U-profiles (51, 52) which accommodate a lifting device between them.

6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the upper U-profile (52) of the lifting rail (5) overlaps the lower U-profile (51) of the lifting rail (5) in the lowered state, so that the lifting device in front of the lifting rail Weather and pollution is protected.

7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting device is a mechanical lifting device.

8. Container according to claim 7, characterized in that the lifting device has a lever system with a spindle drive, the spindle (53) causing a relative movement between the ends of at least one pair of approximately centrally hinged levers (55, 56), which a Push the upper (52) and a lower (51) part of the lifting rail (5) apart.

9. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the lifting device is a hydraulic lifting device which has hydraulic cylinders which optionally push apart the upper (52) and the lower (51) part of the lifting rail (5).

10. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the lifting device is an electromechanical lifting device which presses apart the upper (52) and the lower (51) part of the lifting rail (5).

11. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom (31) of the insert (3) in the lowered state acts on a sealing element (17) in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction.

12. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom of the insert (3) with Rollers (33) and / or sliding bodies is provided, by means of which the insert (3) is slidably supported on the underlying floor (21) in the inserted state and on the upper side of the lifting rail (5) in the extended state.

13. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting rail (5) at its end facing away from the container (1) is provided with a support device (7).