EP3097045A1

EP3097045A1 - Automatically guided container gantry lifting device having a movable sensor assembly

Info

Publication number: EP3097045A1
Application number: EP15703479.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Armin Wieschemann; Mohammad Ahmadian; Mike Hegewald
Original assignee: Terex MHPS IP Management GmbH
Current assignee: Demag Cranes and Components GmbH
Priority date: 2014-01-24
Filing date: 2015-01-22
Publication date: 2016-11-30
Also published as: US20160332848A1; DE102014100833B3; AU2015208174A1; SG11201605736VA; WO2015110539A1; CN105980287A; JP2017503732A

Abstract

The invention relates to a gantry lifting device (1) for transferring containers (8), in particular ISO containers, comprising a sensor assembly (12) for navigating the gantry lifting device (1) and comprising a space (17) for a container (8) transported by the gantry lifting device (1). In order to create an improved driverless gantry lifting device (1), the sensor assembly (12) according to the invention is arranged on the gantry lifting device (1) under the space (17) for the transported container (8) in an operating position and can be moved from the operating position into an idle position, in which the sensor assembly (12) allows the container (8) to be transported to be picked up and/or set down.

Description

Automatically guided container gantry lift with movable sensor arrangement

The invention relates to a gantry lifting device for handling containers, in particular ISO containers, with a sensor arrangement for navigating the gantry lifting device and with a space for a container transported by the gantry lifting device.

Such Portalhubgeräte, which are also called Portalhubstapelwagen, portal stacker, Straddle Carrier, Van Carrier, Shuttle Carrier or Runner, are well known. They are special handling equipment for standardized ISO containers in terminals, in particular port terminals or terminals for combined traffic between road and rail. With the aid of a lifting device and a load-handling device designated as a spreader, gantry lifting devices can lift containers and place them on a destination after being transported. Since the floor-bound and provided with a rubber tires portal lifting devices have a spider-leg-like structure, these can run over a container resting on the ground or on another container and additionally transported depending on the design and a raised container. Depending on the height, the gantry lifting devices are referred to, for example, as 1 over 3 devices, 1 over 2 devices, and so on. A 1 to 3 device can place a container on 3 stacked containers, pick up one of 3 stacked containers, or 3 stacked containers with one

run over captured container. In this context, ISO containers are understood to be standardized large-capacity or sea freight containers used in international goods traffic. The most widely used are ISO containers with a width of 8 feet and a length of 20, 40 or 45 feet. The gantry lifting device is freely movable and is usually driven by diesel-electric, diesel-hydraulic or all-electric. The currently used

Portal lifting devices are predominantly controlled manually, to a corresponding manner, a driver's cab is provided. Also, automatically controlled gantry lifting devices are known. In the European patent EP 2 096 074 B1 a portal lifting device is described, which uses for navigation a combination of a satellite navigation and a local radiolocation supported by a distance measurement. In the area of an overrun of one

Container or from a container stack also laser scanner for automatic steering of the portal lifting device are used. This type of navigation should compared to a so-called transponder or grille navigation have the advantage that no marking elements in the form of transponders or magnets are embedded in the ground on which the gantry lifting devices. In most cases, the marking elements are passive transponders or magnets. The marking elements are distributed across the entire port and terminal area in the area of the routes. This transponder or grid navigation is also referred to as the FROG method (Free Ranging On Grid). This FROG method is described in more detail with respect to driverless, floor-bound and rubber-tired transport vehicles in the German patent application DE 10 2006 044 645 A1. To that

Transport vehicle to navigate along the marking elements are on the transport vehicle sensor assemblies in the form of antennas and / or

Magnetic sensors arranged. By means of the sensor arrangements, the marking elements embedded in the roadway are detected or read out, depending on the type of their execution, when the vehicle is driven over. For this are the

Transport vehicles equipped with flat wide sensor arrangements, which are attached to the front and rear of the transport vehicle just above the ground parallel to this. The sensor arrangements extend transversely to the direction of travel over the entire vehicle width of the transport vehicle and thus capture more than one marking element at the same time. The information obtained via the sensor arrangements is then used to navigate the vehicle. Because the

Marking elements are embedded in a fixed grid in the ground, this navigation method is also referred to as raster navigation. German Offenlegungsschrift DE 103 23 641 A1 discloses a forklift whose sensor is movably arranged on the load means in the area under the load.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an improved driverless gantry lifting device for a raster navigation.

This object is achieved with a driverless portal lifting device with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in claims 2 to 10. According to the invention, in a portal lifting device for handling containers, in particular ISO containers, with a sensor arrangement for navigating the portal lifting device and with a space for one of the portal lifting device

transported container, an improvement achieved by the fact that

Sensor arrangement is disposed in an operating position under the space for the transported container on the portal lifting device and is movable from the operating position into a rest position, in which the sensor arrangement allows receiving and / or settling of the container to be transported. By moving out of the sensor assembly from the space below a container to be transported within the portal lifting device in a rest position of the loading operation of the portal lifting device is not hindered. Subsequent movement of the sensor arrangement into the operating position just above the marking elements embedded in the floor after receiving or delivering the containers makes it possible to automatically navigate the portal lifting device by means of raster navigation.

With the invention it is easily possible, even automated portal lifting devices in the system network with driverless transport vehicles that are already navigated using the raster navigation in container terminals to use. This can be achieved by appropriate adjustments to the portal lifting device and without changing the bottom of the terminal. Only the sensor arrangement according to the invention makes it possible that portal lifting devices despite the ground level and vehicle widths

Sensor device unhindered container can drive over. The vehicle-wide sensor arrangement according to the invention solves the problem of an otherwise necessary increase in the grid density of marking elements.

In a structurally simple way is provided that the portal lifting a

Contains clearance space, which is designed such that the gantry lifting device can travel across a container, and the sensor arrangement is designed such that the sensor arrangement is arranged in the rest position outside of the clearance space profile. The clearance space encloses the space that is required to drive with the portal lifting collision over a standing on the ground and still to be taken or already settled container along its length, the container is located within the clearance profile and penetrates the clearance space. In this case, it is advantageously provided that the gantry lifting device is automatically navigated, the sensor arrangement operates on the principle of raster navigation and the sensor arrangement is arranged in the operating position in the vicinity of a ground traveled by the gantry lifting device on the gantry lifting device. In this case, it is preferable to maintain a reading distance of 10 to 40 cm from the floor.

In order to use existing grid-like arranged marking elements and to avoid increasing the grid density of marking elements, it is provided that the sensor arrangement is arranged transversely to a direction of travel of the portal lifting device in the operating position.

So that the gantry lifting device can be guided automatically in both directions of travel, at least two sensor arrangements are arranged on the gantry lifting device, of which a sensor arrangement is arranged on the front of the gantry lifting device and a sensor arrangement on the rear of the gantry lifting device, viewed in the direction of travel.

Furthermore, it is advantageously provided that the gantry lifting device has two parallel to each other and adjacent to the space for a container to be transported chassis support, which are aligned in the direction of travel of the portal lifting device, and spans the sensor arrangement in the operating position, the area between the two trusses ground level. It is constructively advantageous that the sensor arrangement can be pivoted from the operating position into the rest position about an axis arranged on the chassis carrier. In this case, there is the possibility of a lateral sensor arrangement, which can be pivoted parallel to the floor, and a sensor arrangement which can be pivoted upwards.

Correspondingly, the axis is aligned vertically or in the direction of travel and the sensor arrangement in the rest position in the longitudinal direction of the chassis carrier or vertically aligned. This also advantageously results in that the axis is aligned vertically or in the direction of travel and the sensor arrangement is aligned in the rest position in the longitudinal direction of the chassis support or vertically. Advantageously, the sensor arrangement is divided in the middle into two separate parts, so that the Wegschwenk- or Wegklappvorgang can be made simpler in the rest position, since the sensor arrangement is shorter overall. Also, the receiving space for the parts of the sensor arrangement can then be selected correspondingly smaller.

Advantageously, it is provided that the sensor arrangement can be moved automatically controlled by actuators. Two embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1 shows a portal lifting device in a first embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows a view of FIG. 1 from below,

Figure 3 is a view Figure 1 from the side and

FIG. 4 shows a portal lifting device in a second embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows in a roughly schematic representation the principle of the invention in a first embodiment on a portal lifting device 1 automatically guided by means of a raster navigation in a container handling operation. Figures 2 and 3 show views from below and the side of Figure 1. With reference to the figures 1 to 3, the first embodiment of the portal lifting device 1 will be described below.

The gantry lifting device 1 has two parallel to each other and aligned in the longitudinal direction of the gantry lifting device 1 chassis support 2, on which steerable wheels 3 are mounted, of which only the front wheels 3 can be seen. The wheels 3, two of which are each arranged on one side of the chassis support 2, are rubber-tired and roll on the floor 4 of a container terminal, preferably in a harbor from. The wheels 3 are arranged in the usual way in the corners of an imaginary rectangle. In principle, it is also possible to have more than four

provide rubber-tired wheels 3, if this is technically necessary. However, this is accompanied by the fact that the complexity of the portal lifting device 1 as a whole increases and thus a more complex technology in the area of the drive and the steering system must be used. In the case of automatic guided portal lifting devices 1, the navigation is also increased by the wheels 3 to be steered consuming. Of the two chassis supports 2 extend front and rear respectively a support 5 and thus a total of four supports 5 vertically upwards, which form a portal 7 with an attached, connecting the supports 5 machine platform 6. On the machine platform 6 of the portal 7, a lifting device 9 is arranged for a container 8, with a designated Spreader 10

Load-receiving means for the container 8 raised and lowered connected. The spreader 10 can be locked to the load receiving the container 8 at its four corner fittings 1 1. From the portal 7 and the chassis supports 2, a space 17 is enclosed, in which a transported by the Portalhubgerät 1 container 8 after the over the spreader 10 recording and the means of

Lifting device 9 carried out lifting in a transport position, ie always during transport, is located.

In the lower region of the portal lifting device 1, a sensor arrangement 12 is arranged on the chassis carriers 2, which is aligned horizontally or parallel to the ground 4 and with its longitudinal extent transversely to the direction of travel F of

Portalhubgerätes 1 and runs almost over the entire width. At least the sensor arrangement 12 covers the width of the space 17 between the two chassis carriers 2. This is the case when the container 8 is in the space 17, that is no longer deposited on the floor 4 and the

Sensor assembly 12 is located below the space 17 in an operating position shown in Figure 1. In other words, the sensor assembly 12 limits the space 17 downward when the sensor assembly 12 is in the operative position. The sensor arrangement 12 is also located during an empty run of the

Portalhubgerätes 1 without a container 8 in the operating position.

So that the gantry lifting device 1 can receive and / or set down a container 8, the sensor arrangement 12 is moved from the operating position into a rest position, in which the sensor arrangement 12 permits the container 8 to be taken over to take up and / or settle the container 8 to be transported , In FIG. 1, a light space profile 15 is shown with a dashed line, which is to be kept free of the sensor arrangement 12 in its rest position. This clearance space 15 thus encloses the space that is needed to with the Portalhubgerät 1 the container 8 preferably its length

to record or to sell and about this - perpendicular to Drawing plane - to drive away. Accordingly, the container 8 is arranged both in receiving, depositing and transporting the container 8 within the clearance space 15 and penetrates it. In the operating position shown in FIG. 1, the sensor arrangement 12 intersects the clearance space 15 below the container 8 suspended on the spreader 10 and in this case arranged in the space 17.

The sensor assembly 12 is not in one piece, but approximately in the middle divided into two parts 12a, 12b (see also Figure 2) to the space 17 and in particular the

Clearance profile 15 for lifting, lowering, parking and picking up containers 8 to be able to release. For this purpose, the parts 12a, 12b each at one of the two ends about an axis 13 (see also Figure 2), which is aligned vertically or vertically to the bottom 4, articulated. The parts 12a, 12b are each aligned from the horizontal and transverse to a direction of travel F of the portal lifting device 1 operating position in the horizontal and longitudinally aligned in the direction of travel F.

Rest position each about the axes 13 via actuators, not shown, pivotable. Hydraulic or electric actuators are depending on

Drive concept of the portal lifting device 1 conceivable. Here, the parts move 12a, 12b between the rest position and the operating position along a

circular segment-shaped pivoting range 14. The direction of travel F of

Portalhubgerätes 1 runs parallel to the longitudinal extent of the chassis carrier. 2

The sensor arrangement 12 contains antennas and / or magnetic field sensors with which marking elements 16 arranged in the bottom 4 of the container terminal can be detected or read in the form of transponders or magnets. When driving the gantry lifting device 1, the sensor assembly 12 is pivoted into its horizontal operating position in a ground-level area, so that the sensor assembly 12 can detect the underlying marking elements 16 in the bottom 4 and the corresponding measurement signals can flow into the automatic navigation of the portal lifting device 1. Preferably, the

Distance between the sensor assembly 12 and the bottom 4 and the marking elements 16 disposed therein about 10 to 40 cm, as a

corresponding reading distance to those arranged in the bottom 4

Marking elements 16 is required. One of the portal lifting device 1

transported container 8 depends here on the spreader 10 at a distance above the sensor arrangement 12 in the space 17.

Visible, the entire area of the bottom 4 between the chassis beams 2 is covered by the sensor assembly 12 in the operating position and thus almost the entire width of the portal lifting device 1, so that an optimal detection of the existing marking elements is made possible. Correspondingly, each sensor arrangement 12 cuts with its two parts 12a, 12b in the operating position the gauge 15. In order to be able to lower a container 8 suspended on the spreader 10 for settling and a container 8 standing on the floor 4 and yet to be lowered Therefore, the sensor assembly 12 must first be moved to the rest position, in which the sensor arrangement 12 outside of the clearance space 15

is arranged and this no longer cuts. Two sensor assemblies 12 and their respective parts 12a, 12b are preferably housed in flat housings, each having a smaller width than the longitudinal extent. One of the two sensor assemblies 12 is seen in the direction of travel F provided in the front and a sensor assembly 12 in the rear region of the portal lifting device 1, so that forward and reverse is equally automated possible (see Figure 2 and Figure 3).

In the figure 1, the parts 12a, 12b respectively shown in the operating position. FIG. 2 shows the pivoting region 14, the left-hand parts 12a of the two sensor arrangements 12 in the rest position and the right-hand parts 12b of the two sensor arrangements 12 in the operating position. A condition that does not occur in real operation.

FIG. 4 shows, in a roughly schematic representation, a portal lifting device 1 in a second embodiment. This portal lifting device 1 is essentially comparable to the above-described portal lifting device 1. Therefore, reference is made to the above description. These two gantry lifting devices 1 differ, in the position of the pivoting portion 14 of the parts 12a, 12b and thus in the arrangement and orientation of the axes 13. The left part 12a of the sensor assembly 12 with solid lines is shown in a vertical rest position, while the dotted lines indicate the operating position of the part 12a of the sensor assembly 12. Conversely, the second part 12b of the sensor arrangement 12 is on the right with shown in solid lines in the operating position, while the dotted lines indicate the rest position of the part 12b. For this purpose, the parts 12a, 12b are each at one of the two ends about an axis 13 which is horizontal

or horizontally to the bottom 4 and in the direction of travel F of

Portalhubgeräts 1 is aligned, articulated. The parts 12a, 12b are each aligned from the horizontal and transversely to the direction of travel F of the portal lifting device 1 aligned operating position in the vertical and transverse to the direction of travel F.

Rest position each about the axes 13 via actuators, not shown, pivotable. This representation serves to understand the function; at the

Driving operation, however, both parts 12a and 12b of the sensor assembly 12 remain in the horizontal operating position; During the loading operation, both parts 12b and 12b of the sensor arrangement 12 are in the rest position.

The exemplary embodiments show only one possible variant for the movement of the sensor arrangement 12. Other pivoting folding or rotating fastenings are conceivable in order to be able to move the sensor arrangements 12 between the operating position and the rest position. Also, space movable mechanisms may be provided to allow combined movement of the sensor assemblies 12. Of course, undivided sensor arrangements 12 can also be used, provided that there is room for the rest position outside the clearance space 15.

So that the portal lifting device 1 is automatically controllable and steerable even when the portal lifting device 1 travels over a container 8 which is still to be picked up or already set down and the sensor arrangement 12 is in the rest position, the portal lifting device 1 can be equipped with additional sensors, for example in the form of a Laser scanner, be provided. About these additional sensors, the position of the Portalhubgeräts 1 can be determined with respect to the container 8 and used to navigate the Portalhubgeräts 1 until the way over the container 8 is completed so far that the sensor assembly 12 back into the operating position and thus in the Clearance profile 15 can be moved into it. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 portal lift

2 chassis carriers

3 wheels

4 floor

5 support

6 machine platform

7 portal

8 containers

9 lifting device

10 spreaders

1 1 corner fittings

12 sensor arrangement

12a part of a sensor arrangement

12b part of a sensor arrangement

13 axis

14 pivoting path

15 clearance gauge

16 marking element

17 room

F direction of travel

Claims

claims

1 . Portal lifting device (1) for handling containers (8), in particular ISO containers, with a sensor arrangement (12) for navigating the portal lifting device (1) and with a space (17) for a container (8) transported by the portal lifting device (1) ), characterized in that the sensor arrangement (12) in an operating position under the space (17) for the transported container (8) on the gantry lifting device (1) is arranged and is movable from the operating position into a rest position in which the sensor arrangement ( 12) permits picking up and / or setting down of the container (8) to be transported.

2. gantry lifting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Portal lifting device (1) comprises a clearance space (15) which is designed such that the gantry lifting device (1) can drive over a container (8) and the

Sensor arrangement (12) is designed such that the sensor arrangement (12) is arranged in the rest position outside of the clearance space (15).

3. gantry lifting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gantry lifting device (1) is automatically navigated, the sensor arrangement (12) operates according to the principle of raster navigation and the sensor arrangement (12) in the

Operating position in the vicinity of one of the portal lifting device (1) traversed bottom (4) on the gantry lifting device (1) is arranged.

4. gantry lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor arrangement (12) in the operating position transverse to a direction of travel (F) of the portal lifting device (1) is arranged.

5. gantry lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gantry lifting device (1) at least two sensor arrangements (12) are arranged, of which seen in the direction of travel (F) a sensor arrangement (12) at the front of the portal lifting device (1 ) and a sensor arrangement (12) is arranged at the rear of the portal lifting device (1).

6. gantry lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the gantry lifting device (1) two parallel to each other and to the space (17) for a container to be transported (8) adjacent chassis support (2), which are aligned in the direction of travel (F) of the portal lifting device (1), and

Sensor arrangement (12) in the operating position spans the area between the two truss girders (2) close to the ground.

7. gantry lifting device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the

Sensor arrangement (12) from the operating position in the rest position about a on the chassis support (2) arranged axis (13) is pivotable.

8. gantry lifting device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the axis (13) is aligned vertically or in the direction of travel (F) and the sensor assembly (12) in the rest position in the longitudinal direction of the chassis support (2) or vertically aligned.

9. gantry lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the sensor arrangement (12) is divided in the middle into two separate parts (12a, 12b).

10. gantry lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sensor arrangement (12) is controlled automatically via actuators movable.