EP4153509B1 - Coupling piece for connecting containers, and assembly, container ship, and method using same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coupling piece for securing first corner fittings of a first container with second corner fittings of a second container at least against horizontal displacement against each other. The invention further relates to an arrangement of a container and such a coupling piece, as well as a container ship with containers which are stacked in several locations for one stack of the containers stacked on top of each other, floor coupling pieces and coupling piece, wherein in the stacked state the bottom container is secured to a container foundation by means of the floor coupling pieces and the upper containers stacked above it are secured to each other at least against horizontal displacement by the coupling pieces on their corner fittings. Finally, the invention relates to a method for determining the position of a container on board a container ship.

Such a dome piece is, for example, from the EP 1 534 612 B1 or the WO 2014/032659 A1 Specifically, these fonts show so-called fully automatic twistlocks (Fully Automatic Twistlock - FAT).

Remote controlled coupling pieces and a method for using them teach WO 2006/025790 A1 , WO 2008/153494 A1 as well as the WO 2018/172518 A1 .

The coupling piece according to the invention is generally suitable in connection with the transport of containers on vehicles. However, the invention is specifically aimed at the sea transport of containers on board container ships. On board these container ships, containers are transported in the hull (below deck) or on deck (on the hatch cover) of the ship as a container stack. The containers stacked below deck are guided in cell frames and do not require any special securing. Only if 20-foot containers are loaded on stowage spaces for 40-foot containers In order to prevent horizontal displacement, twist stackers must be used to secure the ship against horizontal displacement. In the context of this disclosure, "horizontal" always means a direction parallel to the plane of the ship's deck, while "vertical" is the direction perpendicular to this.

Containers loaded on deck must be connected to one another using suitable coupling pieces. In concrete terms, in a container stack, two containers stacked on top of one another are connected to one another at their corner fittings using coupling pieces in such a way that they are secured against horizontal displacement against one another and against the upper container being lifted off the lower container (securing/connection against lifting forces). The containers in the lowest layers and sometimes also containers in higher layers using lashing bridges are additionally secured with lashing rods. However, the coupling pieces are often the only way to secure the containers, especially those in higher layers, against loss during sea transport. In practice, fully automatic coupling pieces (Fully-Automatic Twistlock - FAT) and semi-automatic coupling pieces (Semi-Automatic Twistlock - SAT) are used. The semi-automatic coupling pieces are also used in combination with midlocks if 20-foot containers are stacked on spaces for 40-foot containers. As already mentioned, examples of fully automatic coupling pieces are from the EP 1 534 612 B1 or the WO 2014/032659 A1 The present invention can be used advantageously both in conjunction with the twist stackers used below deck and with the twist locks and midlocks, as well as bottom locks, used on deck. A securing device according to the invention can therefore be a twist stacker, bottom stacker, a fully or semi-automatic or manual twist lock, a midlock or a bottom lock.

When loading the containers, the stevedore on the quay first inserts a coupling piece with its upper coupling projection into the four lower corner fittings of a container to be loaded and locks them there. This already ensures that the coupling pieces are reliably coupled with the respective lower corner fittings of this container to be loaded. The container is then hoisted onto the deck of the ship by a crane (container bridge) and placed on a already stowed container. The lower coupling projections thread into the four upper corner fittings of the already stowed container. When the containers are now stacked, the lower coupling projections engage in the upper corner fittings of the already stowed, now lower container and in this way secure the newly stowed, now upper container against loss during sea transport. This state is referred to as the coupled or locked state in the context of the present disclosure.

In the same way, containers in the lowest (floor) layer can be secured on a container foundation. In practice, however, corresponding coupling pieces (bottom stackers below deck and bottom locks on deck) are used here, which essentially correspond to the twist stackers, twist locks or mid locks used between the containers, but are first inserted "overhead" into the foundations. The respective container in the floor layer is then stowed. The container foundations are in turn welded onto the ship's deck or the hatch cover. The bottom stackers or bottom locks usually remain in the foundations at all times. When the lowest container is loaded, the upper coupling projections of the bottom lock engage in the lower container corner fittings of the lower container and lock. The lowest container is then secured against both horizontal displacement and lifting forces. From the WO 2016/126163 A2 A bottom lock is known which has a weight sensor which records the weight resting on the bottom lock as the state of the bottom lock. The sum of the weight measurements of all four bottom locks assigned to a bottom container gives the respective stack weight (sum of the weights of all containers in the container stack). The weight of a loaded container is determined by the difference in the stack weight before and after a newly loaded container has been loaded. This determines exactly how much a certain container weighs in a certain position in a certain container stack. The ship's management can compare this information with the stowage plan or sea waybill available for each ship.

Unfortunately, in practice it happens that individual containers loaded on deck or entire container stacks are lost during sea transport. The reasons for this can be, for example, failure to observe the permissible container weight for a certain storage location and the resulting impermissible introduction of force into the corner fittings and the coupling pieces. Preventing this is the subject of the above-mentioned WO 2016/126163 A2 .

The time a container ship spends in a port handling cargo is of great economic importance for container ship operators. On the one hand, port berthing fees are often calculated directly based on this time, and on the other hand, the operator of a container ship earns his money by transporting goods, not by staying in ports. A reduction in the length of stay in the port is therefore desirable in several respects. To this end, the above-mentioned WO 2006/025790 A1 , WO 2008/153494 A1 as well as the WO 2018/172518 A1 Coupling pieces or a combination of coupling pieces that can be unlocked remotely at any given time. To achieve this, the coupling pieces are manually assigned to a container by a dock worker after they have been mounted on the container and given a unique identifier. In addition, a safety device can be attached to the container and assigned to it via the identifier. On the one hand, a signal for unlocking and in some cases also for locking can be sent to the coupling pieces of a specific container, and on the other hand, a message from the safety device can also be sent to a base.

When transporting goods using containers on container ships, it is also essential for safety and reliability that the containers loaded on deck are reliably coupled by the coupling pieces. It can happen that when loading a container, one or more of the four coupling pieces do not couple correctly with the corresponding corner fitting of the container underneath. This cannot be reliably detected by the stevedores or the ship's crew through purely visual inspection, especially in the case of higher container stacks. The semi-automatic Twistlock CV-12 on the Conver-OSR was therefore equipped with a red plunger in its stop plate, which was fully retracted into the stop plate when the lower storage cone of the twistlock was fully rotated into the coupled position and was therefore no longer visible when looking up at the container stack from below. However, when the lower coupling projection was not fully rotated, the plunger protruded and was visible. This plunger only indicated that the lower storage cone was fully rotated into the coupled position. This does not mean that the twistlock is reliably coupled to the upper corner fitting of the lower container. Furthermore, this system cannot be used with midlocks or fully automatic coupling pieces because they do not have movable lower coupling projections. In addition, when two 20-foot containers are loaded one behind the other in a 40-foot container space, there is only a gap of approximately 76 mm (3 inches) between them. Therefore, such a ram would not be visible at all even with analogue equipment of midlocks or fully automatic coupling pieces, so that a visual inspection would not be possible anyway. But even on the accessible front sides of the container stacks, a visual inspection would be very time-consuming and prone to errors.

Furthermore, in practice it has already happened that a single container has caught fire, for example due to damage to a refrigeration unit or spontaneous combustion of the cargo. For example, there was spontaneous combustion of charcoal cargo on the container ship MSC KATRINA in the mouth of the Elbe on November 30, 2015 and on the LUDWIGSHAFEN EXPRESS in the Red Sea on February 21, 2016; investigation reports 455/15 and 58/16 of the Federal Bureau of Maritime Accident Investigation (BSU). Furthermore, on January 3, 2019, a fire broke out in containers loaded on deck on the YANTIAN EXPRESS when the ship was in the middle of the Atlantic. Such a fire can spread to neighboring containers unnoticed by the ship's crew, as specifically happened on the YANTIAN EXPRESS and especially on larger container ships. Such fires are currently difficult to detect, as the smoke hardly penetrates to the outside due to the closed nature of the containers and the usual wind quickly dilutes the little smoke. In addition, the fires in containers can develop over very long periods of time, so that they are only noticed when they reach the affected container. Especially if a container catches fire in the forward area, far away from the bridge, it can even happen that the fire is not immediately recognized. This can not only destroy a significant part of the cargo itself, but also cause significant damage to the ship's structure due to the heat of the fire. This is especially true for containers loaded below deck.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing a coupling piece, an arrangement, a container ship and a method of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the safety during the transport of containers on vehicles, in particular on container ships, is improved.

This object is achieved with a coupling piece according to claim 1, an arrangement according to claim 5, a container ship according to claim 8 and a method according to claim 13. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the coupling piece is characterized by a distance sensor, which is designed to detect a distance from the first corner fitting and/or second corner fitting, and a transmitting unit, which is designed to send an identification signal for identifying the sensor and a distance signal, which is representative of the detected distance from the first corner fitting and/or second corner fitting. The identification signal and the distance signal can theoretically be sent separately from one another. In practice, however, the common transmitting units are set up in such a way that they also send a unique identifier for their identification with each signal. In other words, the identification signal is a unique identifier by which the coupling piece is identified, which is usually sent together with the distance signal. In practice, there is therefore no real separation of the distance signal and the identification signal. Rather, they are sent as a single signal.

According to the invention, the identification signal makes it known which security element is providing the status signal. If the status signal signals a If a situation arises that requires intervention by the ship's crew, crane operator or stevedor, the cause can be specifically remedied or countermeasures taken. The crew member or stevedor can be guided to the coupling piece in question and the error can be rectified safely and quickly. According to the invention, the sensor and the transmitter unit are integrated into the coupling piece. This means that every time a coupling piece is inserted into a corner fitting of a container, the respective sensor and the associated transmitter unit are inserted at the same time. There is no additional work for separate attachment. In addition, conventional containers can be used without having to be converted. The container ships can be retrofitted by simply replacing the coupling pieces and retrofitting the associated electronics. It is assumed that the coupling piece is correctly locked if the distance measured by a distance sensor is in a precisely defined range within which - based on experience or technical specifications, in particular the vertical play between the lower coupling projection and the upper corner fitting of the lower container that is structurally defined for the specific coupling piece used - it can be assumed that the locking is correct. The distance sensors can therefore be used to reliably determine whether each container is correctly coupled or locked and thus anchored or secured. If it is determined that a container is not correctly locked, the signals transmitted by the distance sensors - which not only send the respective distance to the associated container corner fitting, but also identify themselves and thus allow conclusions to be drawn about their assigned spatial position in the container stack - provide reliable information about where a specific coupling piece is not correctly locked. A faulty locking can therefore be detected and remedied when the container ship is being loaded. The distance sensor can be designed in such a way that it specifically measures the actual distance. Alternatively, the distance sensor can also be designed in such a way that it digitally detects whether a predetermined distance, for example the structurally specified vertical clearance, has been exceeded. In the latter case, the distance sensor can be designed as a limit switch, for example.

According to a development of the invention, a further sensor can be provided which is designed to detect a further state, for example a temperature and/or an open or closed state of the coupling piece and/or an acceleration and/or a predetermined gas as the respective state of the coupling piece.

Critical temperature increases and/or temperature gradients indicate a container fire in the vicinity of the coupling piece that sends the status signal. The system according to the invention can therefore achieve significant safety advantages when transporting containers on container ships. Other conceivable applications for the present invention are the measurement of acceleration in order to detect the upper container being set down on the lower container or container foundation or inadmissible acceleration values and thus inadmissible forces acting on the coupling piece during sea transport, or the detection of the escape of a predetermined gas from containers. For example, the presence of ripening gas as a predetermined gas indicates that loaded fruit is ripening too quickly and is in danger of spoiling or has already spoiled. Of course, the predetermined gas can also be smoke gas, which indicates a fire.

One or more of the aforementioned or other sensors can be assigned to the coupling piece according to the invention. For example, a coupling piece can be equipped with a distance sensor and a temperature sensor. In addition to or as an alternative to one of these sensors, a gas sensor and/or a sensor for the open or closed state of the coupling piece can also be provided. In this way, one or more dangerous states of a container or its security can be detected early and, if necessary, remedied. Each coupling piece assigned to the first container can be equipped with the same sensor, e.g. the distance sensor, or with different sensors or combinations of sensors. For example, the coupling pieces of each corner fitting can be equipped with a distance sensor, but only one of these coupling pieces can also be equipped with a temperature sensor, or two diametrically opposed coupling pieces can also be equipped with a temperature sensor each. Locking errors are thus monitored on each coupling piece, while For early fire detection, it may be sufficient for only one or two of these coupling pieces to be additionally equipped with the temperature sensor. However, it is advantageous for all coupling pieces to be designed in the same way, so that the stevedore does not have to pay attention to which coupling piece he inserts into which corner fitting. Furthermore, one or more additional sensors can also be attached directly to the container.

The transmitting unit can advantageously also be designed as a transmitting and receiving unit. It can therefore also receive a signal, e.g. an activation signal or a command, for example to send the identification signal and/or the status signal or a signal that contains both the status and the identifier.

In order to save energy for the sensor or sensors and the transmitting unit, these should be switched off or put into sleep mode when they are not needed. For this purpose, according to a development of the invention, the coupling piece has an activation means which is designed to activate and deactivate. This can in particular be a sensor which is set up to detect when the coupling piece is inserted into a corner fitting. A proximity sensor which detects that the coupling piece has been inserted into the corner fitting of the container to be loaded is suitable for this purpose. Alternatively, the activation means can also be a sensor which detects that the coupling piece has been removed from a box, a so-called bin. Manual activation of the activation means by the stevedore is also possible, but is not preferred due to the susceptibility to errors and the additional effort involved.

An arrangement according to the invention is formed from a container and at least one coupling piece according to the invention inserted into one of its lower corner fittings. This arrangement also achieves the advantages described above. Preferably, one coupling piece according to the invention is inserted into each lower corner fitting. It may be sufficient for certain applications if a coupling piece is inserted into only one of the four corner fittings that are always present in practice. inventive coupling piece or, for example, in two diametrically opposed corner fittings, one coupling piece according to the invention each and in the remaining three or two corner fittings coupling pieces according to the state of the art. An example of this could be temperature measurement for fire detection or gas measurement also for fire detection (smoke gas) or ripening gas detection. However, this would require two different types of coupling pieces to be kept on board and would be prone to errors. These disadvantages are overcome if one coupling piece according to the invention is used in each corner fitting. For certain applications, such as detecting the correct locking of the coupling pieces, this may even be necessary. In any case, monitoring is also more closely meshed and therefore more reliable.

According to a further development of the arrangement, the container has an additional transmitting unit. The transmitting unit is designed to transmit a state, for example a temperature and/or the presence of a predetermined gas and/or a malfunction of a unit of the container and/or data relating to the load within the container. Suitable states, such as the temperature, the occurrence of, for example, ripening gas or the correct or incorrect functioning of a cooling unit, can therefore be recorded using sensors attached directly to the container or also inside the container, e.g. directly on the load or a pallet or the like. These sensors are coupled to the additional transmitting unit, which sends the recorded data. This enables even faster reporting of possible dangers, such as a fire, or malfunctions to the ship's management. It goes without saying that the additional transmitting unit can also be designed to receive signals, analogous to the transmitting unit in the coupling piece according to the invention. Furthermore, it is possible that data on the status of the cargo can be transmitted externally via the ship's network, e.g. via mobile and/or satellite radio, e.g. to the owner of the cargo or container.

The container ship according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the bottom coupling pieces is designed to detect a change in weight; that the coupling piece according to the invention is inserted into at least one of the corner fittings of each upper container; and that at least one base unit is provided for receiving and forwarding the signals from the coupling pieces on board the container ship. If the at least one coupling piece according to the invention locks with the upper corner fitting of the lower container, the corresponding sensor sends a signal. Almost simultaneously, the at least one bottom coupling piece (the bottom stacker or the bottom lock) detects a change in weight. This means that it is known on which container stack the newly loaded container was placed. By simply counting the weight changes, the position of the container and thus its specific position on the container ship (bay, row and position) is also known. The message of a faulty or even dangerous condition emanating from a specific coupling piece can thus be assigned to a specific container position. The ship's crew or, if the message occurs during the loading/unloading process, the stowage staff can be guided specifically to this container and follow up on the message.

The bottom coupling piece generally records the event that a new container has been placed/loaded onto the stack. A sure sign of this is the change in weight of the container stack, i.e. the mere fact of a change in weight, without the weight change necessarily having to be quantified. This can be recorded, for example, by a piezo element in the bottom coupling piece. By placing/loading the new container and the associated change in the stack weight, the piezo element sends a current pulse and thus signals the event that a new container has been loaded. However, if the change in weight of the stack is also to be quantified, the bottom coupling piece can, for example, be WO 2016/126163 A2 be used so that, in addition to the simple fact that a container has been newly placed/loaded on the stack, the actual weight of the container newly loaded on the stack can be determined by subtracting the stack weight after and before the newly loaded container is loaded and, if necessary, compared with the sea waybill and/or the container weight permitted for the respective stowage location.

If two or more corner fittings of a container are provided with the coupling pieces according to the invention and the sensor is a sensor that detects the state, a distance sensor that detects whether the coupling piece is correctly locked, these coupling pieces are automatically detected as belonging to a specific container as soon as this container is placed on the lower container and the coupling pieces lock. As already explained above, the bottom locks then detect a change in weight in direct temporal connection with the signal from the coupling pieces according to the invention that they are locking. If the distance sensor on one of these coupling pieces fails, it does not send a signal that the coupling piece is locked. The stevedore or the ship's crew must investigate this. However, there is also the further disadvantage that this coupling piece is not recognized as belonging to the container. If the coupling pieces have other sensors, such as a temperature sensor, further temperature signals are transmitted. However, these cannot then be assigned to a specific container. Inadmissible temperatures cannot then be investigated specifically. It is therefore desirable that the coupling pieces assigned to a container are recognized as a group even if this cannot be achieved by simply placing the upper, newly loaded container on the lower container.

For this purpose, according to a further development of the container ship according to the invention, at least three spatially spaced-apart locating units are distributed on board the container ship in such a way that it is possible to locate each coupling piece according to the invention while one of the containers is being hoisted on board the ship. With the at least three spatially spaced-apart locating units, the position of the coupling pieces according to the invention can be detected, for example by means of trilateration, and their path can be tracked while the container is being hoisted on board the ship. Coupling pieces according to the invention that have the same movement pattern are inserted into corner fittings of the same container and can thus be detected as a group. If the distance sensor of one of these coupling pieces fails, they are still recognized as belonging to a specific container. This works even if two or even three distance sensors fail. as long as the distance sensor on at least one of the coupling pieces is working correctly and all coupling pieces are sending their identification.

The base units, which are also designed to receive and forward the signals from the coupling pieces, can be used as locating units. Separate locating units are then not required.

It is also advantageous if the at least one base unit is designed to send signals to the coupling pieces. This makes it possible to send commands to the at least one coupling piece according to the invention, such as a query signal with which the data measured by the sensors is queried. In order to save energy, it can also be useful to put the coupling pieces to sleep during the journey and only put them into operation at certain time intervals to query data. The base unit can then send corresponding activation/deactivation signals, possibly combined with a query signal, to the coupling pieces.

According to a further embodiment of the container ship according to the invention, a relay unit is set up for each predetermined group of base units to receive and, if necessary, send all signals sent from and/or to this group of base units and to forward them to a processing unit. This makes it possible to cover longer distances than would otherwise be possible due to the range of the base units. Here, too, it is possible for certain base units distributed across the ship to simultaneously function as the relay units, so that separate relay units are not required. The processing unit can preferably be an on-board computer.

The method according to the invention for determining the position of a container on board a container ship according to the invention comprises the following steps: Inserting a coupling piece according to one of claims 1 to 4 into at least one of the lower corner fittings of a container to be loaded and hoisting the container to be loaded onto a container already loaded; Detecting the setting down of the container to be loaded Container onto the already loaded container and sending a distance signal to the base unit; sending an identification signal from this coupling piece together with the distance signal to the base unit; detecting a change in weight on a bottom coupling piece which connects the lowest container in a container stack to a container foundation and sending a weight change signal to the base unit; forwarding the signal to a processing unit, in particular an on-board computer, and determining, based on a time difference between the distance signal and the weight change signal, whether the coupling piece belongs to the same container stack as the bottom coupling piece; determining the position of the container to be loaded within the container stack by counting the weight changes measured by the bottom coupling piece. As already mentioned above, in practice all signals sent will always contain an identifier by which the coupling piece or the bottom coupling piece is identified.

The method according to the invention has the same advantages already described as the coupling piece according to the invention and the container ship according to the invention. Since the respective coupling piece sends its identification signal before the new container to be loaded is set down on an already loaded container, for example, the correct locking can be checked immediately during the loading process. This allows the stevedore, the crane operator and/or the ship's crew to react immediately if no successful or correct coupling/locking is reported, and to bring about correct coupling/locking by taking appropriate action.

According to an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the distance signal and, if applicable, a signal from the additional sensor or data from sensors that are coupled to the additional transmitting unit can be recorded cyclically and/or upon request by the processing unit, in particular during transport of the containers, and a display of the status and/or an alarm signal as well as the position of the associated coupling piece can be initiated in order to carry out a renewed check of correct coupling/locking or another status in cases of doubt or to improve safety through continuous monitoring. For example, a temperature can also be measured continuously or periodically. in order to detect a fire at an early stage, for example. Other status data can also be measured continuously or periodically in order to detect dangerous changes in status at an early stage.

When a container is hoisted on board the ship, the coupling piece(s) assigned to this container and any other sensors on the container can be recorded as a group based on their movement pattern during hoisting. In this way, it can be ensured that the state change linked to an event always applies to all four coupling pieces and any additional sensor in the group arranged on the container.

Fig. 1

ein Kuppelstück mit den Erfindungsmerkmalen in Vorderansicht;

Fig. 2

Einsetzen eines Kuppelstücks nach Fig. 1 in einen untern Eckbeschlag eines zu ladenden Containers;

Fig. 3

den zu ladenden Container während des Hievens;

Fig. 4

Absetzen des zu ladenden Containers auf einem bereits geladenen Container;

Fig. 5

ein Gewicht-Zeit-Diagramm mit Gewichtsänderungen eines Containerstapels während des Ladens eines Containers und Signalen von Kuppelstücken nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 6

einen Containerstapel aus zwei übereinander gestapelten Containern währen der Seereise;

Fig. 7

Entladen eines Containers;

Fig. 8

ein Gewicht-Zeit-Diagramm mit Gewichtsänderungen eines Containerstapels während des Entladens eines Containers;

Fig. 9

Entnahme des Kuppelstücks nach Fig. 1 vom unteren Eckbeschlag des entladenen Containers;

Fig. 10

eine Anordnung aus einem Container und Kuppelstücken nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 11

Laden der Anordnung nach Fig. 8 auf einem Containerschiff im Querschnitt;

Fig. 12

das Laden gemäß Fig. 9 in Draufsicht;

Fig. 13

Absetzen der Anordnung nach Fig. 8 auf einen bereits geladenen Container.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an embodiment shown in the drawing.

Fig.1

a dome piece with the features of the invention in front view;

Fig.2

Inserting a coupling piece after Fig.1 into a lower corner fitting of a container to be loaded;

Fig.3

the container to be loaded during lifting;

Fig.4

Placing the container to be loaded on a container that has already been loaded;

Fig.5

a weight-time diagram with weight changes of a container stack during loading of a container and signals from coupling pieces after Fig.1 ;

Fig.6

a container stack consisting of two containers stacked on top of each other during the sea voyage;

Fig.7

Unloading a container;

Fig.8

a weight-time diagram showing weight changes of a container stack during unloading of a container;

Fig.9

Removal of the coupling piece after Fig.1 from the lower corner fitting of the unloaded container;

Fig.10

an arrangement of a container and coupling pieces according to Fig.1 ;

Fig. 11

Loading the arrangement after Fig.8 on a container ship in cross section;

Fig. 12

loading according to Fig.9 in top view;

Fig. 13

Dismissal of the order after Fig.8 onto a container that has already been loaded.

Fig.1 shows as an example of a coupling piece 20 according to the invention a so-called fully automatic twistlock (Fully Autoamitc Twistlock - FAT). Specifically, the coupling piece 20 according to the present embodiment is based on a fully automatic twistlock according to the WO 2014/032659 A1 The coupling piece 20 has, in accordance with conventional coupling pieces, an upper coupling projection 21, which the stevedore inserts into the lower corner fitting 22 of a container 23 to be loaded and pre-locks there ( Fig.2 ). Furthermore, the coupling piece 20 has a lower coupling projection 24 which, when loading and setting down the container 23 to be loaded on an already loaded container 25, engages in the upper corner fitting 26 of this container 25 ( Fig.4 ). The container 23 to be reloaded or just reloaded is also referred to as the upper container 23 in the context of the present disclosure and the already loaded container 25 as the lower container 25. In the present case, a stop plate 27 is provided between the coupling projections 21, 24, which in the coupled state rests on the upper Corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and on which the lower corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23 rests.

The coupling piece 20 has a transmitting unit 28, which has an identifier by means of which the coupling piece 20 can be identified. In the embodiment shown, the transmitting unit 28 is housed in the upper coupling projection 21. However, it can also be housed at any other suitable location in the coupling piece 20. Furthermore, the coupling piece 20 has one or more sensors which detect a respective state of the coupling piece 20. According to the invention, the coupling piece 20 has a distance sensor 29. The distance sensor 29 can measure the distance to the lower container 25. In the present case, the distance sensor 29 is arranged in the stop plate 27, specifically on its underside 30. The distance sensor 29 measures the distance from the underside 30 of the stop plate 27 to the top 31 of the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 (see Fig.4 and 6 ). Alternatively, the distance sensor 29 can also be arranged in the lower coupling projection 24 and then measures, for example, the distance to the base of the corner fitting 26. Other suitable positions for the distance sensor 29 are conceivable and will be apparent to the person skilled in the art on the basis of the present disclosure.

The signal transmitted by the distance sensor 29 with the distance to the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 can be the concrete current distance (e.g. in mm) or a simple yes/no signal as to whether the distance is within the range that indicates correct coupling of the coupling piece 20 to the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25. The distance sensor 29 itself can be an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor or another sensor suitable for measuring a distance. To detect the yes/no signal, a simple limit switch or a piezo element as a distance sensor 29 is sufficient, which is triggered when the coupling is correct, e.g. when the distance sensor 29 rests on the upper corner fitting 26 (or - if the distance sensor is arranged in the lower coupling projection 24 - on the base of the corner fitting 26).

In addition to the distance sensor 29, the coupling piece 20 can, as indicated above, have one or more other sensors. In the present case, the coupling piece also has a temperature sensor 32 and a further distance sensor 33. The temperature sensor 32 is also arranged on the underside 30 of the stop plate 27 and measures the temperature of the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and can thus be used, for example, for fire detection. The further distance sensor 33 is attached to the shaft 34 of the upper coupling projection 21 and measures the distance to the edge of an elongated hole in the lower corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23. This makes it possible to recognize that the coupling piece 20 has been inserted into a corner fitting 22 and this signal can be used to activate the transmitter unit 28 and the other sensors 29, 32. In addition to the sensors 29, 32 mentioned, other/additional sensors, such as a gas sensor or an acceleration sensor, can be provided depending on the desired application. The gas sensor can be set up, for example, to detect smoke gas, which indicates a fire, or to detect ripening gas, which indicates that loaded food is spoiling, or any other gas that is hazardous to the environment or health. The acceleration sensor can be used to record accelerations induced by ship movements (rolling, pitching, yawing) during sea transport and thus forces on the coupling pieces 20 and corner fittings 22, 26 or also the cargo transported in the container. A further or alternative indication of such forces is also provided by load changes, which are measured by bottom locks 35 set up for this purpose. An example of such bottom locks 35 can be seen from the above-mentioned WO 2016/126163 A2 Furthermore, the additional/further sensor can also be used to collect and send data from within the container, e.g. for pallet monitoring or for monitoring refrigerated containers.

On board a container ship, the coupling piece 20 described above is used as follows:
After the delivery of the newly loaded container 23 to the quay, it is lifted by a container crane so that a stevedore can place one coupling piece in each of the in practice, four lower corner fittings 22 of the (upper) container 23 to be loaded can always be used ( Fig. 2 ). At least one of these coupling pieces is a coupling piece 20 according to the present invention. In practice, however, coupling pieces 20 according to the present invention are always used in all four lower corner fittings 22, if only to avoid errors caused by two different types of coupling pieces and/or to increase the measurement density. The measurement of a correct locking of the coupling pieces 20 with upper corner fittings 26 of the already loaded container 25, on which the upper container 23 is placed during loading, should be carried out with all four pairs of upper and lower corner fittings 22, 25 by means of the coupling pieces 20 according to the invention, if only for safety reasons.

In practice, the coupling pieces 20 belong to the container ship and are carried by the ship in specially designed boxes, known in practice as bins, unless they are needed to secure containers during a voyage. The stevedore removes the coupling pieces 20 from one of these bins and inserts them into the lower corner fittings 22 ( Fig.2 ). To save energy, the coupling pieces 20 are put into a sleep mode as long as they are in the bins and not inserted into a lower corner fitting 22. They are woken up by an activation signal. This signal can be, for example, the first distance measurement by the distance sensor 29 as soon as the stop plate 27 of the coupling piece 20 approaches or rests on an upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25. In the latter case, the distance sensor can be a simple piezo element which sends a current pulse as an activation signal when it is placed on it and thus simultaneously signals the correct locking.

In the case of coupling piece 20 according to Fig.1 However, the additional distance sensor 33 serves to activate the coupling piece 20. The additional distance sensor 33 is therefore also referred to as an activation sensor 33 in the context of the present disclosure. This activation sensor 33 detects that the coupling piece 20 has been inserted with its upper coupling projection 21 into a lower corner fitting 22 and the coupling piece 20 is activated by means of this signal. The activation sensor 33 can in turn be a piezo element which, when it is hit, of the shaft 34 at the edge of the elongated hole of the corner fitting 22 sends an electric shock as an activation signal.

On the basis of this disclosure, the person skilled in the art will be able to identify further suitable positions for the activation sensor 33. Furthermore, the activation sensor 33 can also be designed in such a way that it already detects the removal of the coupling piece 20 from the bin and sends the activation signal. In all of the cases mentioned, the coupling piece is already activated by the activation sensor 33, so that signals can be sent while the container 23 is being hoisted on board the container ship. This variant is particularly important in connection with a further development of the invention, which will be explained further below with reference to the Fig. 10 to 13 is explained in more detail.

The arrangement formed from the newly loaded (upper) container 23 and the coupling pieces 20 is now hoisted on board the container ship ( Fig.3 ) and placed there on one of the already loaded (lower) containers 25 ( Fig.4 ). In Fig.4 The figure shows the placement of the upper container 23 on the lower container 25 of the lowest layer. As already mentioned, this container is connected in the usual way to container foundations by the bottom locks 35, which in this case are set up for weight measurement, e.g. by the bottom locks 35 after the WO 2016/126163 A2 . Due to the setting down of the upper container 23 on the lower container 25, the weight of the container stack (stack weight) changes. This change in the stack weight is detected by the bottom locks 35 and a corresponding weight signal 36 is sent together with an identifier for the respective bottom lock from which the weight signal 36 originates to a base unit 37, of which there are preferably several distributed on board the ship at suitable locations. The position of the bottom locks 35 on the ship is known. In practice, they always remain in their container foundations. In close temporal connection, the distance sensors 29 of the coupling pieces 20 record the distance to the respective upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and send a corresponding distance signal 38 to the base unit 37 using the transmitter unit 28. In this way, it can be recorded whether the coupling pieces 20 properly locked with the corner fittings 26. Together with the distance signal, the transmitting units 28 send an identification signal (ID), so that the distance signal can be assigned to a specific ID and thus to a specific coupling piece 20, without it being known where this coupling piece is located. In practice, the distance signal, like all other status signals sent by the coupling piece 20, already contains the identification signal. The container stack to which the newly loaded (upper) container 20 belongs and in which position it is located is recognized based on the weight measurement using the bottom locks 35. This is illustrated in the diagram according to Fig.5 .

The abscissa of the diagram according to Fig.5 shows the time axis, while the ordinate shows the stack weight (sum of the loads resting on the individual bottom stackers 35) of a certain container stack indicated by the bottom stackers 35. The step-like weight progression 39 over time is shown in Fig.5 As soon as the upper container 23 is placed on the lower container 25, the stack weight changes abruptly by the weight of the upper container 23. In close temporal connection (although not necessarily exactly at the same time), the transmitting units 28 of the coupling pieces 20 of the newly loaded container send their distance signals, as shown by the group of four points 40 in Fig.5 Each point represents the time of a distance signal from one of the coupling pieces 20. For comparison, a second group of points 41 is shown, which represent distance signals from coupling pieces 20 sent at an earlier time. Due to the time difference to the weight increase according to line 39, these must belong to a different container stack. This means that it is known to which of the container stacks on board the container ship the newly loaded container 23 belongs. By simply counting the weight changes measured by the bottom stackers 35, the position of the newly loaded container 23 within the stack is also known. The stack weight is initially "zero". If the bottom container of a stack is loaded (container in the bottom layer), the stack weight initially changes abruptly by its weight. Now the container in the second layer follows with a second abrupt weight change by its weight, and so on. The coupling piece 20 inserted into the lower corner fittings 22 of the newly loaded (upper) container 23 locks with the upper Corner fittings 26 of the uppermost already loaded (then lower) container 25, which is indicated by a corresponding distance signal 38.

The signals sent to the base unit 37 are transmitted by this to a CPU 42, for example an on-board computer of the container ship, and evaluated by this. The measured values or a resulting alarm signal are displayed to the ship's management and/or other crew members and/or the stevedores and/or the crane operator, who can then react accordingly. The base units 37 distributed on the ship can be wired to the CPU or transmit their signals via radio. In order to bridge longer distances than the range of the base units 37 allows, relay units can be provided which receive and forward the signals from one of the base units 37. In the Fig.4 In the embodiment shown, the base units 37 also serve as relay units among each other. If the range of one of the base units 37 is not sufficient to reach the CPU 42 directly, it transmits its signal to another, accessible base unit 37, which then forwards the signal to the CPU 42 via further base units 37 if necessary.

After setting off, i.e. particularly during the sea voyage, the sensors record a respective state variable depending on the desired application, which is then sent to the base unit 37 via the transmitting unit 28. From there, the signals reach the CPU 42 via further base units 37, as described above. In the embodiment according to Fig.1 of coupling pieces 20 with distance sensor 29 and temperature sensor 32, the distance and the temperature are measured continuously or regularly and sent by means of the transmitting unit 28 via one or more base units 37 to the CPU and processed by the latter for display for the ship's management.

The base units 37 can have their own power supply, e.g. by means of a battery, or can be connected to the electrical power supply of the container ship. As already apparent from the above, the base units 37 are strategically distributed on the container ship according to the range of the radio signals.

Due to the signals recorded and displayed to the ship's management by means of the CPU 42, faults can be investigated immediately and specifically, since not only the type of fault, but also which of the loaded containers is causing the fault can be displayed. This means that it is possible to investigate the cause of a faulty locking, for example, while the container is being stowed. Ideally, correct coupling/locking can then be achieved by simply lifting the upper container 23 and placing it down on the lower container 25 again. If this fails, the affected container can be unloaded again to resolve the problem. As already described, the distance sensors 29 can also be activated at various other times during sea transport to warn against unintentional unlocking during sea transport. Other sensors, e.g. the temperature sensor 32, also provide data continuously or periodically, which is transmitted via the transmitter unit 28 and thus warns the ship's management of dangers.

The transmitting unit 28 can also be designed as a transmitting and receiving unit which receives signals from the CPU 42 via one or more base units 37. In this way, measurements can also be carried out on request and sent to the CPU 42. In particular, in order to save power, it is possible to put the coupling pieces 20 into a rest or sleep mode using a rest signal and to reactivate them using a possibly periodic activation signal from the CPU 42 and to retrieve the measurement data.

Fig.7 shows the unloading of an upper container 23, known in technical terms as unloading of cargo, i.e. the container 23. This is lifted from the lower container 25 using a container crane, whereby fully automatic coupling pieces 20 automatically unlock. A semi-automatic twistlock (SAT) or a manual twistlock must first be unlocked by a stevedore. The transmission of signals is no longer required from this point onwards. The bottom locks 35, however, still record the change in weight. The corresponding weight curve 39 over time is shown in the diagram according to Fig.8 This means that the container stack has become one layer smaller. If a new container 23 is loaded instead of the container 23 that has just been unloaded (cleared), the Figures 3 to 5 The procedure described not only reveals its affiliation to this container stack, but also its location.

After unloading (discharging) the upper container 23, the coupling pieces 20 are removed again from the corner fittings 22 ( Fig.9 ), which can be put back into a rest or sleep mode by means of the activation sensor 33 and stored in a bin.

A further development of the invention described so far is described in the Figures 10 to 13 in which identical components are identified by the same reference numbers as in the Fig. 1 to 9 are designated. Fig.10 shows an arrangement of a container 43 and coupling pieces 20 inserted into its lower corner fittings 22. The container 43, however, also has at least one additional transmitter unit 44 of its own. The transmitter unit can be coupled to an additional sensor or to sensors arranged within the container 43, which record status data on or in the container. This can again be a temperature sensor and/or a gas sensor and/or an acceleration sensor. Furthermore, a sensor that monitors a function of a unit on the container, such as a cooling unit, or data within the container can be used. Such data within the container can be, for example, data for monitoring the load and/or data with which, for example, the shipowner tracks and/or monitors the load. The signals from the at least one transmitter unit 44 are also sent to the CPU 42 via one of the base units 37, together with an identification signal (ID) for the transmitter unit 44. In practice, the signals from the transmitter unit 44 contain the identification signal. The at least one additional transmitting unit 44 can be permanently attached to the container 43 or can be attached manually by the stevedore before the container 43 is loaded onto the container ship. In the first case, the transmitting unit 44 and its coupled sensors must be activated separately; in the latter case, these can be activated automatically when attached to the container 43.

The container 43 is now hoisted on board a container ship 46 by a container crane, also known as a container bridge 45. This process is described in the Figures 11 and 12 shown. For clarification, next to the container 43 to be loaded, a container 47 resting in the area of the container bridge 45 is shown.

The container ship 46 is provided with locating units on its long side facing the quay, four in the present embodiment. It goes without saying that the container ship 46 can also have locating units on the other long side if the container ship docks at the quay with one long side and then the other, which will regularly be the case in practice. According to the present embodiment, some of the base units 37 already present on board are advantageously used as locating units.

The base units 37 serving as locating units continuously measure the distances between the four coupling pieces 20 and the transmitter unit 44 attached to the container 43 by exchanging signals between the respective transmitter units 28, 44 and the base units 37. The position of the coupling pieces 20 and the transmitter unit 44 can thus be determined using, for example, trilateration, or alternatively also triangulation. At least three base units 37 serving as locating units are required for this. As shown, however, four base units 37 are preferably used for this.

Due to this continuous position determination, a movement pattern can be determined for each of the four coupling pieces 20 and also for the transmitter unit 44. In Fig. 11 four different locations 43 _I , 43 _II , 43 _III and 43iv of the container 43 are shown as examples during the hoisting. The four coupling pieces 20 and the transmitter unit 44 have the same movement pattern among each other and can thus be recognized as belonging to the same container 43 as a group. This also makes it known which container 43 in which container stack and in which position within the container stack the transmitter unit 44 is assigned. Based on signals from these Faults detected by transmitter unit 44 can then be specifically investigated and remedied.

Even with the newly loaded containers 23 without an additional transmitter unit 44, as described above, the grouping can be advantageously used. If the distance sensor 29 fails on one or even two or three of the coupling pieces 20, it will not emit a distance signal 38 when the upper container 23 is placed on the lower container 25. It is then not known which container 23 the coupling piece 20 in question belongs to and consequently where on board it is located. However, if the coupling pieces 20 are grouped together as described above, the distance signal 38 of one of the coupling pieces 20 is sufficient to determine which container 23 it belongs to. The missing distance signal 38 due to the defective distance sensor 29 will result in an error message that must be investigated. However, the function of other sensors, such as the temperature sensor 32 on the relevant coupling piece 20 and the corresponding data exchange with the CPU 42 is not necessarily disrupted and the coupling piece can continue to be used for other purposes, such as fire detection.

In an extreme case, due to the grouping, it would even be possible to determine the position at which a specific container 23, 43 is loaded, without the distance sensors 29, based only on the movement pattern. Due to the dimensions of the container bridges 45, only one container 23, 43 can be loaded in a specific bay at a time. Even simultaneous loading of containers 23, 43 into immediately adjacent bays is hardly possible in practice. The movement pattern can now be recorded at least as long as the container is still being moved over the quay. This means that it is known in which bay the container is loaded. If the bottom locks 35 belonging to a specific stowage location for container stacks within this bay now send a weight signal 36 in a specific time window, this indicates that this container 23, 43 belongs to this container stack.

When unloading containers 43 and 23, the same procedure is followed as described in the Figures 6 to 8 described. Tracking the movement pattern of the coupling pieces 20 and, if applicable, the sensor 44 is not necessary.

The technique described above is not limited to twistlocks or midlocks for containers loaded on deck. It can be used to advantage on all types of coupling pieces, e.g. for twist stackers for containers loaded below deck.

It is understood that in the present invention there is a connection between, on the one hand, features that were described in connection with method steps and, on the other hand, features that were described in connection with corresponding devices. Thus, method features described are also to be regarded as device features belonging to the invention - and vice versa - even if this was not explicitly mentioned.

It should be noted that the features of the invention described with reference to individual embodiments or variants, such as the type and design of the individual components of the system according to the invention on the one hand - such as the distance sensors, the base units 37 and the processing unit - and their spatial arrangement on the other hand or the respective implementation and sequence of the individual method steps, can also be present in other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the present description or the appended claims or is prohibited for technical reasons. Furthermore, of such features of individual embodiments described in combination, not all features necessarily have to be implemented in a respective embodiment.

List of reference symbols:

20

Coupling piece

21

(upper) coupling projection

22

(lower) corner fitting

23

(upper) container

24

(lower) coupling projection

25

(lower) container

26

(upper) corner fitting

27

Stop plate

28

Transmitter unit

29

Distance sensor

30

bottom

31

Top

32

Temperature sensor

33

Activation sensor

34

shaft

35

Bottom lock

36

Weight signal

37

Base unit

38

Distance signal

39

Weight progression

40

Group of points

41

Group of points

42

CPU

43

Container

44

Transmitter unit

45

Container bridge

46

Container Ship

47

Container

Claims (17)

1. A coupling member (20) for securing first corner fittings (22) of a first container (23, 43) with second corner fittings (26) of a second container (25) at least against horizontal displacement relative to each other, characterized by:

   a distance sensor (29), which is configured to detect a distance to the first corner fitting (22) and/or second corner fitting (26), and

   a transmitting unit (28) configured to transmit an identification signal for identifying the sensor and a distance signal (38) representative of the detected distance to the first corner fitting (22) and/or second corner fitting (26).
2. The coupling member (20) according to claim 1, characterized by a further sensor (32), which is configured for detecting a second state of the coupling member (20) such as, for example, a temperature and/or an open or closed state of the coupling member (20) and/or an acceleration and/or a presence of a predetermined gas as the respective state of the coupling member (20).
3. The coupling member (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transmitting unit (28) as a transmitting and receiving unit is also configured for receiving signals.
4. The coupling member (20) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized by an activation means (33) which is configured for activating and deactivating, in particular a sensor, which is configured to detect inserting of the coupling member (20) into a corner fitting (22).
5. An arrangement consisting of a container (23, 43) and at least one coupling member (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4, which is associated with at least one of the first corner fittings (22) of the container (23, 43).
6. The arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that one of the coupling members (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4 is associated with each of the first corner fittings (22) of the container (23, 43).
7. The arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by an additional transmitting unit (43) on the container (43), which is configured for transmitting data of a state, for example, a temperature and/or a presence of a predetermined gas and/or a malfunction of an aggregate of the container (43) and/or data relating to a load within the container (43).
8. A container vessel (46) comprising containers (23, 43, 25) which are stacked in a plurality of slots, each for one stack of containers (23, 43, 25) stacked on top of each other, bottom coupling members (35) and coupling members (20), wherein the lowermost container (25), in the stacked state, is secured to a container foundation by means of the bottom coupling members (35) and the upper containers (23, 43) stacked on top are secured to each other with the coupling members (20) at their corner fittings (22, 26) at least against horizontal displacement relative to each other, wherein

   at least one of the bottom coupling members (35) is configured for detecting a weight change;

   characterized in

   that the coupling member (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4 is inserted into at least one of the corner fittings (22) of each upper container (23, 43); and in

   that at least one base unit (37) is provided on board the container vessel (46) for receiving and forwarding of the signals of the coupling members (20).
9. The container vessel (46) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least three positioning units spaced apart from each other are distributed on board the container vessel (46) such that, during the hoisting of one of the containers (25) on board the container vessel (46), locating each of the coupling members (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4 is possible.
10. The container vessel (46) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the at least one base unit (37) is further configured for transmitting signals to the coupling members (20).
11. The container vessel (46) according to any of claims 8 to 10, characterized by a plurality of base units, wherein for a predetermined group of base units (37) a respective relay unit (50) is provided for receiving and, if applicable, transmitting of all signals sent from and to this group of base units (37) and for forwarding of these signals to a processing unit (42), in particular to an on-board computer.
12. The container vessel (46) according to any of claims 8 to 11, further characterized by at least one arrangement according to any of claims 6 or 7.
13. A method for determining the position of a container (23, 43) on board a container vessel (46) according to any of claims 8 to 12, comprising the following steps:

    inserting a coupling member (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4 into at least one of the bottom corner fittings (22) of the container (23, 43) to be loaded, and hoisting the container (23, 43) to be loaded onto an already loaded container (25);

    detecting the setting down of the container (23, 43) to be loaded onto the already loaded container (23, 43, 25), and transmitting a corresponding distance signal (38) to a base unit (37);

    transmitting an identification signal from this coupling member (20) together with the distance signal (38) to a base unit (37);

    detecting a weight change at a bottom coupling member (35) which connects the lowermost container (25) of a container stack with a container foundation, and transmitting of a weight change signal (36) to the base unit (37);

    forwarding of the signals to a processing unit (42), in particular to an on-board computer, and determining, based on a temporal difference between the distance signal (38) and the weight change signal (36), whether the coupling member (20) is associated with the same container stack as the bottom coupling member (35);

    determining the position of the container (23, 43) to be loaded within the container stack by counting the weight changes measured by the bottom coupling member (35).
14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that a respective coupling member (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4 is inserted into each of the corner fittings (22) of each of the upper containers (23).
15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the distance signal (38) and, where applicable, a signal of a further sensor (32) and/or data from sensors that are coupled to an additional transmitting unit (43) are detected cyclically and/or upon prompting by the processing unit (42), in particular also during the transport of the containers (23, 43, 25), and a display of the state and/or of an alarm signal as well as of the position of the associated coupling member (20) is caused.
16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the coupling members (20) associated with a particular container (25) are detected into one group by locating the signals transmitted by the coupling members (20) during the hoisting of the container (25) on board the vessel via trilateration or triangulation by at least three positioning units.
17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the coupling members (20) associated with a container (25) are detected as a group due to their movement pattern during the hoisting.

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