GB2342093A - Container loading/unloading system for a multi level depot - Google Patents

Abstract

A container loading and unloading system is provided for a multi level depot for storing goods contained in a container 30. The system comprises a platform structure 20, with a plurality of platforms 21, 22 at different levels along the side of a depot 50 and a container lifting device 10. Each platform comprises a first end 23, arranged above each other in the form of a cascade and a second end 24 providing access to and from the levels of the depot 50. The container lifting device 10, is arranged to lift the containers 30, move them along the side of the depot 50, and orientate them with the platform. Means are provided to transport goods between the container 30, and a storage area within the depot 50.

Description

1 2342093 Container loading / unloading SYStem for a multilevel depot.

The present invention relates to a container loading unloading system for a multilevel depot.

Systems are known wherein, goods to be loaded into the container or unloaded from the container are stored at various levels of a multilevel depot. When loading a container parked on the ground floor level, the goods need to be transported from the depot level where they are stored to the ground floor level where the container is parked. Similarly, when unloading a container parked on the ground floor level, the goods have to be transported from this ground floor to the level where they are to be stored after they have been unloaded from the container. Thereto, mostly use is made of good lifts provided in the depot.

For the loading/un loading of the container often use is made of loading docks, but the container together with the truck carrying it may also be parked on the road level. In the first case, mostly a height difference exists between the level of the road on which the container truck is parked and the floor level of the depot. Forklifts used for load ing/u nload ing the container can than directly enter the container from the ground floor level of the depot and leave the container towards the depot while the container remains on the truck's frame. Another way of load ing/u nload ing a container consists in that the container is lifted from the frame of the truck carrying it by means of a container handling machine, for example a container fork lift or crane, and placed on the road level.

Thereafter, a loading plate is connected to the container to smoothen away the height difference between the container bottom and the road floor level, 2 thus enabling forklifts to enter and leave the container in the course of the load ing/u nload ing operation.

The goods that have to be loaded/unloaded intolfrom the container have to be displaced between the depot level where they are stored and the level where the container is parked. This displacement is mostly carried out using forklifts and lifts, which is however time consuming and involves an important costs disadvantage from a logistics point of view.

In addition to this, the use of lifts for moving goods from one level to another proved to be impracflcal. Namely when loading a container, the lift is mostly displaced towards the loading level of the goods in an empty state, loaded with goods and transported to the level of the container. After having been unloaded, the lift is displaced again in an empty state to be reloaded. Because of the large load to be handled, the lifts often operate slowly and are expensive at purchase. Moreover the number of lifts provided in the depot is usually limited, while the lifts have to serve all levels.

In DE-A-2658130 a transport system is disclosed for connecting container bridges with multiple level container storage racks extending in height direction. Within one level paths are provided between the racks to allow transporting of containers within the level. The transport system disclosed in DE-A-2658130 comprises a plurality of fixed container transport devices with a length that is at least equal to the length of the ship to be 16aded/u n loaded. The fixed transport devices are arranged in the form of a cascade in height direction. One end of the fixed transport devices is executed as crosswise displaceable converters that correspond in height direction to arrange transport devices for the containers. The arrange transport devices give access to paths provided between the racks, which paths are arranged in levels above each other.

According to DE-A-2658130 a ship is unloaded by removing the containers from the ship by means of a container crane, 3 whereafter the container is disposed on a cascade end of a predetermined level of the container rack. From the crosswise displaceable converter, the container is displaced along the paths between the racks towards its storing place by means of a dedicated vehicle. Mostly two vehicles are provided for each path.

As the storing of containers as such is expensive, there is a need to a system with which the necessity of storing the containers as such can be overcome. Namely, often the containers are rented so that the rent fee will also include the period during which the container is stored and not in use as transport means. Also when storing a container it is not available for transport purposes.

It is the aim of this invention to provide a system with which the necessity of storing the containers can be overcome.

This is achieved according to the present invention with the features of the characterising part of dairn 1.

The container loadinglunloading system of this invention comprises a platform structure with a plurality of levels provided to give access with at least part of the levels of a multilevel depot. Each platform level comprises an end, the said ends being arranged above each other in the form of a cascade. The container loadinglunloading system of this invention comprises means for lifting at least one container between a reference level (0) and a level (N) above the reference level along a side of the depot and means for disposing the at least one container on and removing the at least one container from the end of the platform level.

The container loadinglunloading system of this invention further comprises means for displacing the container both in width and longitudinal direction of the platform structure, and means for transporting-the goods to be loaded into or unloaded from the container between the container and a storage place for the goods within the depot.

With width direction of the depot is meant the direction perpendicular to the 4 plane of figure 1, the longitudinal direction is indicated by the arrow in figure The container load ing/u n loading system of this invention provides a wide variety of application possibilities and can for example be used in any logistics activity where containers are loaded or unloaded in a multilevel depot. In the case of a single level depot, the system operates as a traditional container crane.

The cascade arrangement of the ends of the levels of the platform structure provides a simultaneous accessibility of all levels, so that simultaneously a plurality of containers can be loaded and unloaded and goods can be displaced within the depot and between the container and their storage place. Thereby the loading or unloading of a first container hardly affects the loading or unloading of another container.

With the system of this invention, not the containers as such but rather the goods contained in the containers are stored, so that the necessity of storing the containers can be overcome. A!sO, the goods contained in one container need not all be stored at the same level but can be distributed over various levels of the depot and thus be stored in conditions which are optimum to the good concemed. A container can be partially loaded/unloaded at a first level, thereafter be lifted to another level to load/unload the remaining part of the goods. This can repeated one or more times until the container has been completely loaded or unloaded.

Since the goods need only be transported within the level where they are to be stored between their storage place and the container, this invention allows saving on the time needed to load/unload the containers. Thus the time consuming transport of the goods between the containertstorage place of the goods in the depot and the lift and by the lift can be avoided and a smoolher logistics process can be obtained.

The invention is further elucidated in the figures and description of preferred embodiments of this invention.

In figure 1 a cross section is shown through the container loading/u n loading system of this invention.

Figure 2 and 3 show a top view to an individual level.

The container loading/unloading system shown in figure I comprises a platform structure 20, with a plurality of platforms 21, 22. Each of the platforms 21, 22 comprises a first end 23, the said ends 23 being arranged above each other in the form of a cascade. In that way an easy access is provided to each level 21, 22, all levels 21, 22 being simultaneously accessible. The platforms 21, 22 comprise a second end 24, provided to co-operate With and give access to at least part of the levels of the multilevel depot 50 in the sense that at least part of the platforms 21, 22 correspond to and are conceived as an extension to the levels of the depot. The platform structure 20 can be built simultaneously with the multilevel depot 50 or can be provided as a separate extension to an existing multilevel depot 50.

The container loading/unloading system of this invention further comprises a device 10, 11 for lifting at least one container from a reference level 0 to a first level N-1 above the reference level of the multilevel depot 50. The Idling device 10, 11 is preferably also capable of lifting the at least one container 30 further to a second level N along a side of the depot 50, the second level N being situated either above or below the first level N-1. The container lifting device 10 is preferably further capable of displacing the container 30 from a higher level N to a lower level N-1 or the reference level 0. The crane 10 or bridge is preferably capable of displacing a container 30 between the ground floor level 0 and the higher levels up to and including the highest level N. The container lifting device 10, 11 may for example be a container crane 10 or bridge.

7, The container load ing/unloadi ng system shown in figure 1 further comprises means 11 for displacing the container 30 in width and longitudinal direction of the depot 50. The longitudinal direction is in 6 the plane perpendicular to the plane of figure 1, the width direction is indicated by the arrow.

When loading a container 30, the truck 40 carrying the container 30 is preferably parked under the container crane 10. The container 30 is lifted from the truck by the container crane 10. In fact, this system operates as a lift for entire containers 30. After having been lifted from the truck, the container 30 is disposed at the platform 21, 22 of the required level O-N. A first type of goods to be loaded into the container 30 are displaced from their storage place in the depot 50 towards the end of the corresponding platform 21, 22, for example by means of forklifts. The container is partially loaded with the first type of goods. Thereafter, the container is displaced by means of the crane 10 toward a second level, where a second type of goods is loaded into it, and further towards a third level where a third type of goods is loaded into it. After having received its complete load, the container 30 is displaced back to the truck by the crane 10. It is however also possible to completely load a container 30 at one and the same level. The unloading of a container in the device of this invention mainly proceeds in a similar manner.

The structure of the whole is such, that at all levels 0, N, over the entire length of the depot, platforms 21, 22 are built stepwise 29, so that containers 30 may be disposed on each level. In other words, the platforms 21, 22... narrow at each higher level. The more levels provided in the depot 50, the deeper the structure will be to enable containers to be manipulated at each level.

Preferably, the platforms 21, 22 extend over the entire depth in certain places, before the gates 44. This has a constructional as well as an operational purpose. It is thus easier for the forklifts 12 to enter and leave the containers 30 and thus achieve the loading / unloading. Further, this space may serve as a temporary storage placeforgoods.

7 The system of the present invention offers the further advantage that the total unloading / loading time of a container can be considerably decreased, because the distance to be covered by the goods by means of the fork lifts is shorter. In the systems known from the art, instead of taking the entire container 30 at the desired height, each separate good, for example a pallet, has to be transported to the elevator by means of a fork lift, lifted to the desired level and transported to the storage place by means of a forklift.

Moreover, with the present invention, a plurality of operations can be carried out simultaneously since containers can be loaded and unloaded at all levels simultaneously. In the known system, a series of contiguous loading quays will be needed, which occupy more space. Also with the present invention the flow of goods is simplified, as work proceeds at various levels. Further, since the goods are moved to the required level in the container, less goods lifts will have to be provided in the depots. It will of course be understood that the container crane cannot replace for example forklifts, and that those goods which are not lifted by the container still need the goods lift.

The system of this invention is conceived as an extension, and may even be added later to an already existing depot. Thus, in the case of a growing share of containers, advantage may be taken of a changing market situation by the construction of this container bridge, providing a particularly attractive advantage of flexibility.

Also, the system of this invention may very well be combined with the traditional system. On the ground floor, loading quays can be provided to allow loading and unloading of containers.

8

Claims (5)

1. A container load inglunload ing system for a multilevel depot (50) for storing goods contained in a container (30), characterised in that the system comprises a platform structure (20) with a plurality of platforms (21, 22) each platform (21, 22) comprising a first and a second end, the first ends (23) being arranged above each other in the form of a cascade, the second ends (24) providing access to at least part of the levels of the depot (50), which system further comprises a container lifting device (10) for lifting containers (30) between a reference level (0) of the platform structure (20) and at least one level (N) above the reference level (0) and back along a side of the depot (50), means (11) for displacing the container in width and longitudinal direction of the depot (50) and means for transporting the goods between the container (30) and a storage place (23) within the depot (50).

2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for lifting the container comprise a container crane.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the system comprises a plurality of stepwise built platforms (21, 22) extending over substantially the entire length of the depot at all levels, the platforms (21, 22) getting narrower with increasing level height.

4. System according to claim 3, characterised in that the platforms extend over substantially the entire depth of the system, at certain a position before the gates (44).

9 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A container load inglunload ing system for a multilevel depot (50) for storing goods contained in a container (30), characterised in that the system comprises a platform structure (20) with a plurality of platforms (21, 22) each platform (21, 22) comprising a first and a second -enú:L the firstends 123) -bein 9 arranged above each other in the form of a cascade, the second ends (24) providing access to at least part of the levels of the depot (50), which system further comprises a container lifting device (10) for lifting containers (30) between a reference level (0) of the platform structure (20) and at least one level (N) above the reference level (0) and back along a side of the depot (50), means (11) for displacing the container in width and longitudinal direction of the depot (50) and means for transporting the goods between the container (30) and a storage place (23) within the depot (50).

2. System according to claim 1. characterised in that the means for lifting the container comprise a container crane.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the system comprises a plurality of stepwise built platforms (21, 22) extending over substantially the entire length of the depot at all levels, the platforms (21, 22) getting narrower with increasing level height.

4. System according to claim 3, characterised in that the platforms extend over substantially the entire depth of the system, at certain a position before the gates (44).

5. A container loading/unloading system for a multi level depot, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.