GB2359208A

GB2359208A - Transceiver for tracking containers

Info

Publication number: GB2359208A
Application number: GB0001763A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rudolf Arthur Bure
Original assignee: TMC CONSULTANCY Ltd
Current assignee: TMC CONSULTANCY Ltd
Priority date: 2000-01-27
Filing date: 2000-01-27
Publication date: 2001-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-27
Also published as: GB0001763D0; GB2359208B

Abstract

A tracking system transmitter/receiver housing (51) for installation of a tracking unit (15) in a cargo container, the housing (15) co-operating with internal surfaces of the container to form a substantially tamper proof box-like enclosure for the transmitter/receiver. The housing (51) comprises a rectangular base (52), end walls (53) at each end of the base, and a side wall (54) extending between the two end walls along one side of the base, the side wall (54) having open ended apertures (55) spaced along its free edge for cooperation in use with fasteners (26) for location on a surface within the container, with the base (52) in use being securable to an internal flange(19) in the container to secure the housing (51) in position within the container.

Description

1 A Tracking Transmitter/Receiver Device 2359208

Field

This invention relates to tracking devices which are typically used for tracking and. locating of cargo containers.

Background

Cargo containers used in transport of freight are sometimes difficult track and locate during a journey and some container shippers therefor install electronic tracking transmitter and receiver units on the container. This device may include a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) receiver and a data transmitter such as a mobile communication modem which will transmit a position signal at predetermined time intervals. This information may be received at a central point and displayed on a computer display image of a map. A problem with the present commercially available transmitter/ receiver units is that they are generally secured to the outside of containers or vehicle swap bodies and may become accidently damaged. It is also possible that the units can be damaged due to vandalism or removed by disgruntled transport drivers or by thieves should the container be stolen.

A further problem with cargo containers is that any unit mounted internally of the container is liable to be damaged during loading of the container. Furthermore, containers are built to particular specified sizes so that they all have substantially the same internal dimensions for loading and external dimensions for stacking. This presents a problem for the installation of a tracking transmitter/ receiver unit in that it 2 should not protrude into the load carrying space within the container.

Other required features are that any installed unit on a container should not be readily detectable by eye, should substantially damage proof, should be easy to service and maintain, and should be rugged enough to withstand intentionally inflicted damage.

The present invention provides a tracking unit and a housing therefore which is easy to install within a remote portion of the container so that the unit is housed in "dead " space so that a substantial portion of the unit is protected by the container body members.

Statements of Invention According to the present invention there is provided a tracking system transmitter/receiver housing for installation of a transmitter/ receiver means of a tracking system within a cargo container, the housing co-operating with internal surfaces of the container body to form a substantially tamper proof enclosure for the transmitter/ receiver wherein the housing comprises a rectangular base, end walls located one at each end of the base, and a side wall extending between the two end walls along one side of the base, the side wall having open ended apertures spaced along its free edge for co-operation in use with fastening means to locate the side wall relative to a surface within the container, with the base in use being securable to a respective 3 surface in the container to secure the housing in position within the container.

The term " cargo container" includes vehicle swap bodies, rail freight containers, as well as conventional sea transport containers.

Typical containers are fabricated from sheet metal pressings and/or extrusions which are shaped to provide maximum rigidity for minimum use of materials. The pressings, or extrusions, are provided with flanges to facilitate fabrication and load bearing components are typically formed in box sections to provide a skeleton frame with the sides and closed end comprising corrugated panels.

Preferably, the other side of the base is provided with screw threaded apertures spaced along said side for attachment in use of the base to a flange formed internally of the container.

In use, any gap between the flange and the housing may be filled by use of a spacer which serves to both hold the housing in its correct location but can also prevent the ingress of tools between the flange and housing to deter unauthorised removal of the unit and to that end the spacer means are in the form of an elongate box- section tube extending for the full length of said one side of the base and which is arranged in use with one face of the tube substantially flush with the edge of the flange.

The invention also relates to a tracking system transmit te r/ receiver unit for a cargo container and which comprises a transmitter/receiver means, an antenna for external attachment to a cargo container and a housing as described 4 herein for installation of the transmitter/ receiver means internally of the container.

The antenna may be housed within a rectangular protective block which sits within a depression or trough of a corrugation on the external surface of the container roof, the antenna being covered by a seal and the block being sealed to the external surface of the container surface, and the protective block in use is secured to the container by the same fastening means which in use hold the side wall of the housing to the internal surface of 10 the container.

The housing may be removed for maintenance purposes after first removing the spacer means and pulling the housing downwards. In order to facilitate holding of the unit for maintenance, a pivoting hook means is attached internally of each end wall, the hook means in use co-operating with apertures in said flange to hold the housing to the container when the side wall is detached form its respective co-operating container surface DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a typical cargo container, Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a tracking system transmitter/receiver unit according to one aspect of the present invention shown in situ in a container and taken on the line A-A in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a side view of the transmitter/ receiver unit of Fig.2 from above, Fig. 4 is a plan view of a housing for a transmitter/ receiver unit, Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the housing shown in Fig. 4, is a sectional view of the housing taken on the line VI-VI in Fig.5, is a section through a protective block for an antenna, is a view of a first jig to facilitate mounting the antenna to a container, and is a view of a second jig to facilitate mounting the housing of Fig.4 within the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Fig.1, there is shown in plan a cargo container having opening doors at one end 12 and being closed at the other end 13. With reference, also to Figs. 2 & 3, there is shown a tracking system transmitter/ receiver unit 15 located in an upper portion of the container at said other end 13, for example in a mid portion, and preferably in a corner. A profiled corner cross-member 16 extends across the full width of the container 11.

The cross-member 16 has an open box section with a rear wall having a rear flange 17 for connection to a container roof panel 18, and a bottom wall forming a flange 19 used to connect the cross-member 16 to a container wall panel 21. The hollow box section cross-member 16 may be reinforced by webs located as required along the length of the cross- member. Typically, these webs may be located at about 40Omm out on each side of the centre line of the container. Thus there is a cavity 22 within the each upper cross-member which is about 93 mm deep, 163mm wide and about 770 mm in length in the outer corner portions, and 80OMM in length in a mid-cross member portion. It is within this cavity 22 that part of the transmitter/ receiver unit 15 is housed.

r 6 The transmitter/ receiver unit 15 includes an antenna 23 which is located on the roof of the container externally thereof. The antenna is a circular combination GPS/GSM antenna which is housed in a rectangular protective block 24. When housed in the block 24, the antenna 23 is covered by a transparent seal 26. The block 24 may be made from any suitable material such as, e.g. plastics materials nylon, polyolefins, tufnol etc, The block 24 is located in a trough 27 in the roof panel adjacent the front cross member 16 and is positioned inwardly of the side of the container by a distance D so that the block 24 is not easily visible to an observer on the ground. The block 24 is secured in position by screw threaded fasteners 26 which engage threaded bores 25 in the block 24. The fasteners 26 are located inside the container and pass through holes 29 & 30 in the rear wall of the cross member 16 to fasten the block 24 in the base of the trough 27. A suitable sealant may be applied between the block and the external surface of the cross member to ensure that the block is held in position in a water-tight manner.

The antenna 23 is connected to the rest of the transmitter/ receiver unit 15 by an antenna cable 28 which also passes through a respective hole 31 in the cross-member.

Now also with reference to Fig. 7, the run of antenna cable 28 is accommodated by a groove 32 formed in the bottom of the block 24. The protective block 24 may comprise two parts, an upper part 33 and a lower part 34. The upper part 33 has a aperture 35 therein to accommodate the antenna 23 and the lower portion of which is recessed to receive the lower part 34 which acts as a support to hold the antenna in place. The cable 28 is accommodated by a 7 central hole 36 and radial slot 37 in the support 34, and by the groove 32 in the base of the upper part 33.

The transmitter/ receiver unit 15 is provided with a transmitter/ receiver means 50 ( SEE Fig.5), an example of which is a Mobile Hound Cargo Autonomous GPS/GSM unit available from Engineering Protime GmbH., Germany. The transmitter/ receiver means 50 is enclosed in a protective housing 51 which is shown in detail in Figs. 4-6. The housing 51 is made from 3-4mm thick sheet steel and comprises a rectangular base 52 about 750mm x 140 mm having an end wall 53 at each end and a side wall 54 extending between the two end wall 53 along one side only of the base 52.

The height of the end walls 53 & side wall 54 are just less than the vertical distance between the flanges 17 & 19 on the cross member 16.

With reference now also to Figs. 2 & 3, the housing 51 is a sliding fit between the opposed internal vertical surfaces of the front and rear walls of the cross member 16. The housing 51 is located in the cavity 22 and slid into position adjacent the antenna. The side wall 54 has open ended slots 55 along its upper edge to accommodate the fasteners 26 and antenna cable 28. When the housing 51 is fully in position, resting against the top of the cavity 22, the housing 51 is secured in position by means of a spacer bar 56. The transmitter/receiver means 50 is completely encased within the container body and attached housing 51. Since the side wall 54 is a tight fit against the rear wall of the cross member, the housing 51 cannot be removed for access to its contents unless the spacer bar is first removed.

8 The housing 51 has a rectangular mounting plate 58 welded to the base 52. The plate 58 has screw threaded holes therein for securing the transmitter/ receiver means 50 thereto. The plate 58 also provides additional protection for the transmitter/receiving means 50 once the housing 51 is in position. Four longitudinally spaced screw threaded studs 59 are welded to the base 52 for securing a battery clamping strap. Upto four long life batteries, for example sealed lead/acid batteries (Yuasa NP7-12) may be secured in position within the housing 51 depending upon the required service life of the unit.

The spacer bar 56 is held in position by screw threaded fasteners 61 which engage in weld nuts 62 secured to the base 52. The fasteners 61 may have special purpose heads 63 which prevent the release of the fasteners 61 unless special tools are provided. This prevents tampering by unauthorised personnel. The space bar 56 is a hollow rectangular section tube of such dimensions that the housing is held tight against the top of the cross member 16 and the side of the tube is substantially flush with the edge of the flange 19. This helps prevent the insertion of levers or jenuny bars between the housing and container walls.

The housing 51 and its contents can be dropped for maintenance purposes by removing the spacer bar 56 and then easing down the housing 51. Since the whole unit is heavy (in the order of 10 Kg) the free edge of the base can be rested on the flange 19 and the housing pivoted down. This is assisted by the provision of hook means 64 pivoted by pins 65 to the inside of each end wall 53. The hook means 66 can be rotated to engage on the same holes in the flange 19 which accommodated the fasteners 61. The housing is then tipped forward to provide access to its contents.

9 4 With reference to Fig. 8, when the transmitter/ receiver unit is first fitted to a cargo container, 11, the antenna 23 housed in its protective block 24, is first fitted to the container roof from the outside using a jig 81 which locates the position of the three holes 29,30 31 to be drilled from outside the container. The positions of the holes 29,30,31 are fixed relative to each other but their collective positions are adjustable relative to the side of the container through the screw threaded adjuster 82.

Once the holes 29,30, 31 are drilled, then holes in the internal flange 19 for the fasteners 61 are drilled from under the flange 19 using a second jig 91 shown in Fig. 9. The second jig 91 is 'Ll shaped in section having a side wall 92 with holes 93 that locate on the previously drilled holes 29,30,31 and a base 94 that has at least one abutment 95 thereon. The abutment 95 locates against the edge of the flange 19 with the free edge margin of the base locating beneath the flange 19. Holes 96 in the base 94 located the positions for drilling holes in the flange 19. Portions of the free edge margin may be shaped by cut outs 97 to accommodate the corrugated profile of the container end wall panel 21.

Claims

Clairns

1. A tracking system transmitter/ receiver housing for installation of tracking unit in a cargo container, the housing co-operating with internal surfaces of the container body to form a substantially tamper proof enclosure for the transmitter/receiver, wherein the housing comprises a rectangular base, end walls located one at each end of the base, and a side wall extending between the two end walls along one side of the base, the side wall having open ended apertures spaced along its free edge for co-operation in use with fastening means to locate the side wall relative to a surface within the container, with the base in use being securable to a respective surface in the container to secure the housing in position within the container.

2. A housing as claimed in Claim 1, in which the other side of the base is provided with screw threaded apertures spaced along said side for attachment in use of the base to a flange formed internally of the container.

3. A housing as claimed in Claim 2, and further including spacer means for spacing the base a desired distance from the flange.

4. A housing as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the spacer means are in the form of an elongate box-section tube extending for the full length of said one side of the base and which is arranged in use with one face of the tube substantially flush with the edge of the flange.

5. A housing as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 having a pivoting hook means attached internally of each end wall, the hook means in use cooperating with apertures in said flange to hold the housing to the container when the side wall is detached form its respective co-operating container surface.

6.A housing as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 having a rectangular support plate secured internally of the base for attachment thereto of a transmitter/ receiver means.

7.A housing as Claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of screw threaded studs or bolts project upwardly of the base for attachment of a battery securing strap so that upto a required number of batteries can be located within the housing for powering the transmitter/ receiver unit.

8.A tracking system transmitter/ receiver unit for a cargo container comprises a transmitter/ receiver means, an antenna for external attachment to a cargo container and a housing as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 for installation of the transmitter/ receiver means internally of the container.

9. A unit as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the antenna is housed within a protective block which sits within a depression on the external surface of the container, the antenna being 1 12 covered by seal and the block being sealed to the container surface.

1O.A unit as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the protective block in use is secured to the container by the same fastening means which in use hold the side wall of the housing to the internal surface of the container.

11.A unit as claimed in any one one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the protective block has a groove formed in its bottom surface adjacent the container to accommodate antenna cable linking the transmitter/receiver means.

12 A unit as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the protective block comprises two parts, a first part having a circular aperture therein to receive the antenna and which on its front is covered by a transparent seal and its rear is recessed to receive a support which holds the antenna in place and the rear surface of which is provided with a groove to accommodate the antenna cable.