EP1476374B1 - Container comprising an electrically driven interlocking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to containers with electrically driven locking mechanism and in particular container. However, it is equally applicable to all containers, of whatever shape and size, are provided on the outer walls of hollow body for receiving locking devices. Below, the invention will be explained in more detail using the example of a container.

Today, the transport of freight worldwide is focused on the use of standardized containers. The containers are parked at the loading site, loaded there, then loaded onto a vehicle (road or rail vehicle), possibly to a port or airport, there loaded onto a ship or on an aircraft, then locked for safe transport with other containers and moored (lashed), unlocked at the arrival and relieved and loaded onto a vehicle, brought to the destination and unloaded there.

The transport logistics requires a safe as well as fast loading and unloading of such containers, the technology used must be able to accommodate containers of different dimensions, transport or lock. Containers at their upper and lower corners of each hollow body (so-called. Corner castings), which have on their outwardly facing sides oval openings. In these oval openings, locking devices can be introduced by container spreaders or overhead harnesses, these locking devices End-sections (twistlocks) whose dimensions are smaller than the oval openings in the corner-castings. Once the twistlocks are inserted into the corner castings, they are mechanically twisted so that the container is locked to the container spreader or over-the-top harness and can be transported. When lifting the top of the twistlock comes to the bottom of the top wall of the hollow body to the plant.

Container spreaders are known which can simultaneously accommodate and move two consecutive 20 'containers (there are standardized 20 feet containers, 40 feet containers and 45 feet containers). The advantage of such container spreader is limited, however, because on the one hand only the smaller 20 'container can be included, on the other two such containers must be behind each other and an application option exists only where sufficient storage space is available.

In particular, it is problematic if several containers stacked one above the other must be sealed to one another, as is necessary, in particular, in the case of shiploads or in container terminals. In this case, the locking is done manually by two superimposed or juxtaposed containers by connecting or locking elements manually (locking claws or rods) are locked together. This is time consuming and dangerous because of the risk of injury when attaching the connecting and locking elements.

From US 3,872,555 a locking mechanism is known, which can alternatively be manually operated mechanically or semi-automatically electrically or hydraulically. In the mechanical solution is a threaded rod with a ratchet in the context of one Containers mounted bolt, at one end there is a twistlock, through which a hollow body of this frame is screwed into a hollow body of the frame of an adjacent container. The lock is then manually by turning a lever, which is located at the other end of the bolt. In the semi-automatic electrical or hydraulic solution, the bolt is pushed by means of an electric motor or a hydraulic through the one hollow body into the other hollow body. Again, the lock must be done manually by turning a lever located at the other end of the bolt.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container which is equipped so that it can be vertically locked with other similar containers without manual operation and several stacked containers can be transported at the same time.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. The corners of the container have electrically driven, rotatable and slidable locking mechanisms. If two containers are to be stacked on top of each other, one container is placed on the other container in such a way that the lower corner castings of the upper container are aligned with the upper corner castings of the lower container. Since the locking mechanisms are displaceable in the corners of the upper container, they can be pushed down by the electric drive and engage in the upper corner castings of the lower container. In this state, a rotation of the locking mechanisms can take place, so that the containers are locked together and as needed can be lifted and transported at the same time. The signals indicate to the crane operator in which position the locking mechanism is located, so that the crane operator can always recognize whether two or more containers are locked together or at what stage the Ver - or unlocking process is located. With the invention it is possible to carry out a continuous vertical locking of any number of containers arranged one above the other or among one another without the use of manual activity. As a result, when loading or unloading, for example, ships several containers stacked with each other can be simultaneously raised and set, so that the loading and unloading is considerably shortened. This not only saves mooring fees in ports, but also significantly reduces lay time and increases vessel travel times, allowing for faster port-to-port container transportation. This will optimize the profitability of the vessels.

Another significant advantage of the invention is that the hitherto conventional manual locking and lashing is eliminated and thus the risk of injury to workers working in the port or on the ship is minimized. In addition, this saves considerable costs.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container has a frame construction in which at least one frame part has at least one water-tight sealable opening. This opening serves to ensure that in the formed as a hollow body corner locking mechanism, which after a Another preferred embodiment is designed as a module, taken out of the corner and can be used again. In this way, defective parts can be replaced immediately and long service lives are avoided. The container is always ready for use.

If, according to a further advantageous embodiment, the hollow bodies are detachably connected to the frame parts adjacent to them, openings in the frame parts can be used to connect the frame parts to the adjacent hollow bodies from the inside. As far as parts of the device according to the invention are in the frame parts, the accessibility to these parts is ensured, so that both the construction and the maintenance are easily possible.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the container (container) means, the electrical

Can absorb energy and forward energy. In this way, the supply of the container is ensured with electrical energy. This is needed in particular for a control, which is provided according to a further advantageous embodiment.

The control unit controls the supply of electrical energy in the locking mechanism and the forwarding to a delivery point in the region of the lower hollow body, via which electrical energy can be forwarded to the next lower container. Further, according to a further advantageous embodiment, data such as the year of construction, the maintenance interval or the load of the container as well as its sender and destination or his stand in the control unit can be stored and retrieved as needed.

Advantageously, the electrically driven locking mechanism consists of a cylinder, in the wall of which there is an elongated recess, which has the appearance of a V rotated by approximately 90 °. In this recess engages a bolt which is fixed to the locking bar. With this link mechanism, a rotation of the locking mechanism and thus a locking of the container is made possible with each other.

It is also advantageous if the cylinder has at its lower end a latching nose which can engage in latching grooves which are located on the latching rod. As a result, the up and down movement of the locking rod is controlled in regions by means of the cylinder.

The invention will be explained below with reference to Figures 1 to 4 on.

• die Fig.1 eine Teilansicht eines Containers, der mit einem Container-Spreader verriegelt ist, mit einer geöffneten Ecke;
• die Fig.2 die technische Ausrüstung einer Container-Ecke;
• die Fig. 3a und 3b sowie 4a und 4b den Bewegungsablauf bei der Verriegelung eines Containers mit einem anderen Container.

Show it

• Figure 1 is a partial view of a container locked to a container spreader with an open corner;
• FIG. 2 shows the technical equipment of a container corner; FIG.
• Figs. 3a and 3b and 4a and 4b the sequence of movements in the locking of a container with another container.

In the figure 1, a container (1) is shown in partial view. He has corners (2), at the upper end of a locking housing (3) - hereinafter called casting - and at the lower end of a casting (4) are located. The container corners (2) are hollow inside and have at their lower part a closure (5). This closure is for purposes of illustration lying on the outside of the container corner shown. Conveniently, however, the closure is located on the inside of the container and is guided over the corner, so that there is a good accessibility in the interior of the container corner. This positioning protects the interior of the container corner from dirt and water. The closure is connected via a non-illustrated water and dustproof seal with the container corner.

The upper castings are above upper transverse frames (6) and the lower castings are interconnected via lower transverse frames (7). Also on the long side of the container upper and lower cross frame can be located, which are not shown here.

Also visible in FIG. 1 are side walls (8, 9). Also, two support arms (10) of a container spreader otherwise not shown are visible. At the lower ends of the support arms are - also not shown - locking elements (twistlocks) mounted with which the container Sprader sealed with the containers.

Also shown in Fig. 1 is a container corner (2) where the shutter area has been opened (5 '). Visible is a cylindrical housing (20), which sits partially in a housing (19).

In Figure 2, the technical equipment of a container corner is shown. In the housing (20) is an electrically operated drive (14). In the housing (15) are an inner threaded rod (16) which is driven by the drive (14), and an outer threaded rod (17) which is fixedly connected to the piston (22) housed. The piston (22) in the housing (20) axially displaceable, but not rotatably mounted and is guided by the inner wall of the housing (20).

Slidably mounted in the piston (22) is the locking bar (24) having three locking grooves (28). Securely connected to the locking bar (24) is a bolt (29) which projects through an opening in the piston housing, which has approximately the shape of a V rotated by 90 °. This opening and the bolt (29) together form a slide mechanism (23). At the lower end of the housing (20) is a guide (39) which guides the locking rod (24). A seal (33) prevents ingress of water or dirt from the housing (19) into the interior of the housing (20).

Securely connected to the locking rod (24) is a support (25), at the upper end of which there is a securing part (35) with a guide groove (26). The lower end of the locking bar forms a locking element (twistlock) (27). The lower end of the housing (19) forms the casting (4).

Lines (37,38) open into the bottom of the container in the region of the casting (4).

The operation of the locking mechanism will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3a and b and 4a and b.

If the casting (4) of the upper container rests on the casting (3) of the container located underneath, a signal pin (not shown) is pressed into the bottom area of the castings (4) and transmits a signal via one of the lines (37, 38) the crane operator that the locking process can be initiated.

In Fig. 3a of the twistlock (27) is positioned transversely to the upper passage opening of the casting (4), so that the locking bar can not be guided downwards. Power is passed to the control unit (11) via a line (12). If the locking operation is to be initiated, the crane operator gives a signal via the line (12) to the control unit (11), which then supplies power via the line (13) to the electric drive (14). The drive (14) drives the threaded rod (16), which engages in the threaded rod (17) and this moves depending on the direction of rotation of the drive up or down. If the threaded rod (17) moves downward, the piston (22) is pressed down. But since the locking rod (24) can not move downwards because the twistlock (27) prevents this, and because the securing part (35) rests on the taper of the housing (19), the pin (29) in the sliding gear (23) of the piston from the lower position to the middle position, so that the locking rod (24) rotates through 90 °. This is shown in Fig. 3b. The twistlock (27) can now be passed through the upper opening of the casting (4). The securing part (35) is no longer on the taper of the housing (19). The piston (22) is slipped with its latching lug (21) from the upper locking groove in the middle locking groove. The threaded rod (17) and with it the piston (22) and the locking rod (24), which strives downward by its weight, can now be moved downwards. In this case prevents a guide lug (26) on the support (25) which is guided by the guide groove (34), a rotation of the locking rod (24). Sensors (30,31), which are arranged at a defined distance on the locking rod (24), show the respective position to the crane operator via a signal transmitter (32), which forwards the signals via a line (18) to the control unit (11) the locking rod (24).

Fig. 4 a and b show the locking bar in a position in which the twistlock (27) has penetrated into the casting 3 of the next lower container. In Fig.4a, the locking bar (24) has its lowest Position reached. The support (25) rests on the casting (4). The bolt (29) is still in the middle position in the sliding gear (23), since the locking rod (24) was prevented from rotating by the guide lug (26) guided in the guide groove (34). In the lowest position of the locking rod (24), the guide nose (26) is no longer in the guide groove (34), so that the locking rod is now rotatable again. Now, if the threaded rod (17) with the piston (22) is moved further down, the locking rod (24) with the bolt (29) prevented from this movement, so that the pin (29) in the sliding gear (23) of the Center position moved to the upper position and thus the locking bar is rotated by 90 °. The locking lug (21) has now detected the lower locking groove (28) and the securing part (35) is moved under the securing part (36), whereby an increase of the locking bar (24) is impossible. The twistlock (27) is twisted in the casting (3), so that the locking is performed, as shown in Figure 4 b.

If the electric drive (14) has the reverse direction of rotation, the unlocking is performed in the reverse order as described above.

The lines (37,38) provide the next container with power and transmit the signals and data from and to the crane operator. In this way, any number of containers standing one below the other can be locked or unlocked individually or together.

Claims (11)

1. Container, on the outer corner areas of which hollow bodies (3,4) are provided for accommodating locking devices (27), whereby the container exhibits corners (2) in which an electrically driven rotatable and displaceable locking mechanism is arranged, on the under part of which a locking element (27) is located, which engages in corresponding hollow bodies (3) of a container of the same type located beneath, arranged at the upper corner areas in order to accommodate locking devices (27), and is capable of locking the containers to one another, characterised in that the container exhibits sensors (30,31) and signal generators (32) which indicate the particular position of the locking mechanism in the corner (2).
2. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the container exhibits a frame structure, of which at least a part of the frame possesses at least one water-tight and dust-tight closable opening.
3. Container according to Claim 2, characterised in that the locking mechanism is arranged in a housing (19) which can be removed from the container corner (2) in the manner of a module.
4. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the hollow bodies (3,4) are connected in a releasable manner to the frame parts (6,7) adjacent to them.
5. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the container exhibits means (37,38) which can accept and convey electrical energy.
6. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the container exhibits a control unit (11) which regulates the imposition of electrical energy on the container as well as directing the electrical energy into the next container, and receives, processes, and forwards the signals from sensors (30,31).
7. Container according to Claim 6, characterized in that the control unit (11) additionally can store and forward data regarding the container and its load;
8. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the electrical drive exhibits a piston (22), in the wall of which a longitudinal cutout (23) is located, which has the approximate appearance of a V rotated through 90° and into which a bolt (29) located on the locking bar (24) engages.
9. Container according to Claim 8, characterised in that the piston (22) exhibits an engagement nose (21) on its lower end.
10. Container according to Claim 9, characterised in that the locking bar (24) exhibits engagement slots (28), into which the engagement nose (21) of the piston (22) can engage.
11. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterised in that in the area of the upper and lower hollow bodies (3,4) for accommodating locking devices, means are provided for the acceptance and conveying of electricity, electronic information and other needed means.

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