ES2278133T3 - LOCK SYSTEM FOR CONTAINERS OR SIMILAR. - Google Patents

Abstract

A locking system for transporting a shelter or the like comprising a parallelepiped structure (1) having at least four locking regions (2) obtained at each corner of the bottom portion of said parallelepiped structure (1), the system is characterised in that it comprises telescopic locking means (21,22,23,24) integrally mounted at each locking region of said at least four locking regions (2). The shelter further provides means (3,31,32) for hoisting and locking in position. <IMAGE>

Description

Container lock system or Similar.

The present invention refers to a blocking system for the transport of containers or the like and, more precisely, to a locking system for transporting containers or the like that have non-standard dimensions.

The use of boxes or containers is already known for transport military and / or civilian equipment. Typically such containers are shaped like a parallelepiped structure, which is resembles that of cargo transport containers, which have dimensions coded according to ISO standards, in order to standardize its handling on vehicles and the like. Thus, Usually, so-called containers also have the same dimensions that meet the ISO standards of containers for analog cargo transport, in order to make the coding easy and transport of the first on transport vehicles generic.

However, a problem remains in the fact that some of these kinds of containers don't show their dimensions within the so-called ISO coding, that is, they have dimensions that do not meet ISO standards. In these cases, it has planned the use of auxiliary locking systems arranged on The transport vehicle.

Such locking systems typically comprise slings similar to pallets, which provide for the use of elements in shape of strings or chains arranged over the entire length and container width, in order to block the latter on the base of the vehicle, which provides blocking elements thereto. Said blocking operation entails the inconvenience of being particularly complicated, which implies a notable loss of time and, therefore, high costs.

In addition, in the case of air transport of such Non-standard containers, an additional inconvenience is found in that the blocking operation on the plane, described above, is particularly cumbersome, as well as complicated, due to space insufficient available on board.

The document US-A-4,682,923 describes a container in which locking means, according to the preamble of the claim 1 attached, protruding from its lower corners to apply to additional blocking elements that protrude from the support surface, very close to these corners.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned drawbacks, providing a locking system for transporting boxes or containers that do not meet ISO standards, which is integral with the container, in order to allow the latter to be locked on a container transport vehicle that meets ISO standards, without any need for auxiliary locking systems.

Another object of the present invention is to give know a locking system, for the transport of boxes or containers that do not meet ISO standards, easy to manufacture, Robust and low cost.

The above objects are fulfilled by a system lock to transport a container or similar, according to the attached claim 1.

Hereinafter, the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the container lock system of the present invention will be provided, by way of example and without purpose limiting, referring to the attached drawings, in the that:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container, which incorporates the locking system of the present invention shown closed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of figure 1, which incorporates the locking system of the present invention shown extended;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view that shows a container, which incorporates the locking system of the present invention, mounted on a transport vehicle for containers or similar, with dimensions that meet the standards ISO;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the container of figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation view that shows the container, which incorporates the locking system of the present invention, mounted on a vehicle that transports containers, with dimensions that do not meet ISO standards;

Figure 6 is a plan view from below, partially, which illustrates the container locking system according to the present invention; Y

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view. partial of a part of the locking system of the present invention.

Referring below to the figure 1, a container is illustrated, which incorporates the locking system of The present invention.

According to the invention, a container is provided that incorporates a parallelepiped structure (1). In its lower zone and on each corner of the parallelepiped structure (1) they have provided lock zones (2), suitable for cooperating with areas of respective complementary locks, mounted on the vehicle of transport and that are part of the state of the art.

In addition, the container incorporates four arms of elevation (3), each mounted on hinge means in the area of edge of the structure (1). The lifting arms (3) can perform an angular displacement of approximately 270º, from a closed position to a fully open position. The lifting arms (3) each comprise a motor (31) and a lifting cylinder (32), which are operated in a manner autonomous by a controlled and regulated control unit externally.

The function of the lifting arms (3) is make the container self-loading and self-moving during its handling operations, completely independently and without the need for the usual handling vehicles, that is, truck elevators or the like. In this application, I don't know provides a detailed explanation of the structure, the operation and control of the lifting arms (3), since It is the subject of EP 1 199 259 A1 of this applicant, and Not of the present invention.

Referring below to the figure 2, the locking system of the present invention is illustrated in a open or extended position. According to the invention, in each zone of blocking is provided a telescopic device, which comprises a Locking element (21) in the form of a square box, suitable for cooperate with a complementary blocking element, according to the standards ISO, and arranged on the transport vehicle (not shown in the figure and illustrated better hereinafter).

The blocking element (21) has several zones (22) in the form of a groove for locking on the vehicle of transport in a known way. The blocking element (21) is fixedly mounted on an elongate element (23), which is housed from sliding mode inside the lower area of the structure (1) container and that is apt to slide telescopically to / from the latter (best illustrated hereinafter). As will be evident from the following description, the displacement of the elements (23) allow varying the distance between each of the blocking zones (2) and, more specifically, between the elements lock (21).

Referring below to the figures 3, 4 and 5, container mounting and locking modes are illustrated known in the art, which incorporate the locking system of the present invention on a transport vehicle for boxes, containers or similar

With more precision, and referring particular to figures 3 and 4, after having placed a container equipped with the locking system of the present invention on a transport vehicle (4), first the telescopic elements (23) are removed from their housings, until the locking elements (21) match the respective complementary blocking zones arranged on the transport vehicle (4).

Then, the locking elements (21) are secured over blocking areas in a standardized way, making this so that the container structure (1) is fixedly locked on the transport vehicle (4), according to the required standards.

It should be noted that, according to the system of blocking of the present invention, a container, incorporating said locking system, can be advantageously locked and transported safely according to the standard requirements on a vehicle generic transport, both when the container shows non-standard dimensions, therefore not compatible with standardized transport vehicles, such as when available a transport vehicle with different dimensions than the present container.

In fact, simply extracting the elements telescopic (23) of the structure (1) of the container, after place them on the transport vehicle, the first one will block over the last one, for any dimension and position, between blocking areas that are available on board.

In addition, as is evident from the figure 5, the container, which incorporates the blocking system of the present invention, it is also suitable to be transported on a transport vehicle (5) for containers of dimensions specific normalized or not.

More precisely, in the case that a container, which incorporates the locking system of the present invention, of non-standard size, a "interconnection" structure (51) dedicated to the transport of same on a vehicle that has a loading platform (5) that does not Meets ISO standards. Of course, such a structure (51) allows the blocking of the present container on the vehicle, without the need for remove the telescopic elements (23) from their housings.

However, it should be noted that the realization and the operation of such interconnection structure (51) is matter of another patent application of the same applicant, by consequently, its detailed description is omitted in this document.

Referring below to the figures 6 and 7, the locking system of the present is illustrated in detail invention. As is evident from the figures, in the area bottom of the container structure (1), and internally to the same, accommodations (24) have been obtained for each item telescopic (23), each constituting a sliding guide for the relevant telescopic element (23) housed in its inside.

Each housing (24) is integrally mounted internally in the container structure (1), in order to be preset travel and tilt steering of sliding of each telescopic element (23). In addition, about each telescopic element (23) is provided with stop means (25), such as a tab or similar, in order to fine tune the magnitude of displacement.

As best illustrated in Figure 7, each guide housing (24) is fixedly located between a surface outer bottom (10) and an inner bottom surface (11), integrals with the container structure (1). Typically, the external surface (10) is the surface that contacts the floor platform, and should meet the requirements of ISO standards about container transport. On the other hand, the surface internal (11) encloses the locking system of the present invention and constitutes the lower surface inside the container.

As is evident from the figures, the presence of the outer bottom surface (10) on the structure (1) of container is related to its use, since the operation of the locking system of the present invention no is restricted by the presence or absence of such surface external bottom (10) on it. In fact, in the case that the container of the present invention has to be transported in a transport aircraft, the presence of a surface is required bottom (10) flat that can enclose the locking system of the present invention and make the container suitable for slide on raceways inside the plane.

In addition, according to the locking system of the In the present invention, the application of additional external accessories for a specific lock on adequate means of transport, that is, the so-called "stringers", which are applicable on the edges of the container, to secure the latter inside an airplane, without using traction cables and without such accessories interfere with the locking system of the present invention.

Claims (13)

1. Locking system for transporting a container or the like, comprising a parallelepiped structure (1) with locking zones (2) at each corner of its lower part, further comprising telescopic locking means (21, 22, 23, 24 ), integrally mounted in each blocking zone (2), which have a respective blocking element (21, 22) to cooperate with a complementary part located on a transport vehicle (4, 5), and an elongated element (23) , integrally connected to said blocking element (21, 22) and apt to slide telescopically to / from inside said parallelepiped structure (1) in its lower part and on guide means (24), characterized in that said blocking element ( 21) It has the shape of a box with application areas (22) in the form of a groove. 2. Locking system according to claim 1, wherein said elongate element (23) is arranged diagonally inside said lower part of the parallelepiped structure (1). 3. Locking system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said elongated element (23) has a boxed profile, when observed in cross section. 4. Locking system, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said elongate element it also includes stop means (25). 5. Locking system, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom portion of said parallelepiped structure (1) has an outer bottom surface (10) that is flat. 6. Locking system according to claim 5, wherein said lower part of said structure (1) parallelepiped also comprises an inner bottom surface (11) therein, and separated from said lower outer surface (10), the arrangement being such that between said lower surface internal (11) and said external lower surface (10) are housed said guide means (24). 7. Locking system according to claim 6, wherein said guiding means each comprise an element (24) to guide and contain each elongated element (23), with a Complementary form to the latter. 8. Locking system, according to any of the claims 4 to 7, wherein said stop means comprise a flange (25) mounted on the inner end of said element (23) elongated to cooperate with said guide zone (24). 9. Container or the like, comprising a substantially parallelepiped structure (1), characterized in that it further comprises the locking system, according to any of the preceding claims, and means (3, 31, 32) for lifting and locking in position. 10. Container or similar, according to the claim 9, wherein said lifting means comprise the minus four telescopic arms (3), each mounted on means of hinge in the four edge zones of said structure (1) parallelepiped. 11. Container or similar, according to the claim 10, wherein each arm of said arms of elevation (3) comprises power means (31) and means of elevation (32). 12. Container or similar, according to the claim 11, wherein said power means are motors (31). 13. Container or similar, according to the claim 11 or 12, wherein said lifting means are a lifting cylinder (32).