GB2471109A

GB2471109A - Vehicle and storage trolley with foldable legs

Info

Publication number: GB2471109A
Application number: GB0910432A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ulf Sandon
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2009-06-17
Filing date: 2009-06-17
Publication date: 2010-12-22
Also published as: GB0910432D0

Abstract

A logistics system which enables the preloading of goods. The invention proposes a logistics system comprising at least one motor vehicle 4 providing a transport volume 5 adapted for carrying a separately displaceable transport container 1. At least a separately displaceable transport container 1 having a dimension, shape and configuration adapted to perfectly fit in the transport volume 5 provided by the motor vehicle 4. The transport container 1 is equipped with an undercarriage having liftable and / or foldable legs 3 and wheels 2 or rollers bearing legs 3 which are lifted and / or folded, when the transport container 1 is stored within the transport volume 5 on the load floor 7 of the motor vehicle. Optionally the container has two or more boxes providing a modular configuration. The legs 3 may be telescopic or pivotal and pairs of legs 3 may be connected by a pivotal shaft or crossbar. Preferable the legs 3 are lifted from their ground engaging position when the vehicle 4 moves against them.

Description

Preload System for Wagons or Commercial Vehicles

Description

The invention refers to a logistics system com-prising at least one motor vehicle providing a transport volume adapted for carrying a separately displaceable transport container, and at least a separately displace-able transport container having a dimension, shape, and configuration adapted to perfectly fit in the transport volume provided by the motor vehicle.

For loading trucks it is known to have big con-- tainers which are preloaded with goods so that the load- ing and charging process for loading the truck only corn-prises to load the container onto the truck. For this purpose the truck is equipped with a special carriage to receive the container. S. * .

* 25 Contrary to those trucks wagons and commercial vehicles comprise a closed transport volume or cargo corn-partment to which access is possible by opening doors, especially rear doors. The loading of these wagons and commercial vehicles is only possible by directly putting and loading the goods into the respective vehicle. There-fore, it is always necessary to have direct access to the respective vehicle during the loading and charging proc-ess. A preloading is only possible by loading pallets, which may then be stored until access to the respective vehicle is possible. This system has the disadvantage that pallets have to be transported by separate vehicles, e.g. pallet jacks or hand forklift trucks. Thus, the lo-gistics system is relatively costly and complex because it comprises the motor vehicle, pallets and another vehi-cle to constitute a preloading system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced logistics system, which also enables the preloading of goods.

This aim is reached by a logistics system com-prising at least one motor vehicle providing a transport volume adapted for carrying a separately displaceable transport container, and at least a separately displace-able transport container having a dimension, shape and configuration adapted to perfectly fit in the transport volume provided by the motor vehicle, wherein the trans-port container is equipped with an undercarriage having liftable and/or foldable and wheels or rollers bearing legs, which legs are lifted and/or folded when the trans- ::..: port container is stored within the transport volume on the load floor of the motor vehicle. * *

* 25 The invention provides a separately displace-able transport container having wheels or rollers, so that it is possible to preload such a box or container * and then pull or push or slide it to the respective motor vehicle, which has to be loaded. Due to this preloading system it is again not necessary to have access to the respective vehicle during the preloading. On the other hand, due to the wheels or rollers of the transport con-tainer, it is not necessary to use additional vehicles as hand forklift trucks or pallet carriers for moving the loaded transport container. Additionally, because the legs of the undercarriage are liftable and/or foldable it is easy to place the transport container on the load floor of the respective motor vehicle during loading of the motor vehicle. As soon as the legs come into contact with the motor vehicle they are folded or lifted so that the transport container is inserted and slid into the transport volume or cargo compartment with a retracted undercarriage.

To be able to adapt the logistics system to different sizes of transport volumes and different types of wagons or commercial vehicles it may be of advantage to have more than one transport container, wherein the transport boxes or containers are of a modular configura-tion and arrangement. Therefore, it is another aspect of the invention to provide a logistics system, wherein the transport volume is filled in with two or more transport boxes or containers, which are of a modular configuration and arrangement in such a way as to enable them to per-fectly fit in the transport volume.

For enabling an easy loading of the respective transport volume of a wagon or commercial vehicle the in-vention also comprises a logistics system, wherein the transport container comprises legs, which are lifted and/or folded from a ground engaging position to a folded position.

An advantageous possibility to realize this re-tracting movement is to provide a logistics system, wherein the legs of the transport container are lifted and/or folded from their ground engaging position to their folded position, when the motor vehicle moves against the legs or struts.

To provide the possibility for adapting the height of the respective transport container to the height of the respective wagon or commercial vehicle to be loaded the invention further comprises a logistics system, wherein the transport container is equipped with a means for raising and lowering the transport container to a height enabling to slide the transport container on the load floor of the motor vehicle. This can be achieved by a logistics system, wherein the legs of the transport container are telescopically extendable.

An advantageous construction of the undercar-riage of a transport a container of the logistics system according to the invention is further characterized by a transport container, wherein the legs are arranged as op-posing pairs at the undercarriage, wherein each pair is swivelling about a common rotating axis.

.. : To provide a stable arrangement of foldable legs or struts, the invention further proposes to have a logistics system, wherein each pair of legs is connected by a pivotable shaft and/or a cross bar.

To avoid any unintended folding movement of the legs the logistics system further comprises legs, which are arranged at a lockable and unlockable pivot bearing.

Finally, the invention is characterized by a logistics system, wherein the at least one transport con-tainer is equipped with additional bearing rollers for moving the transport container on the load floor, when the legs are in their folded position.

Following an example of an embodiment of the invention is explained by means of a drawing. This draw-ing schematically shows a motor vehicle and a separately displaceable transport container, which together consti-tute the logistics system according to the invention.

The figure shows a transport container 1, which is equipped with an undercarriage having foldable and wheels 2 bearing legs 3. The transport container 1 may be loaded with the goods and is then wheeled to a motor ve-hicle 4. The motor vehicle 4 comprises a transport volume 5 or cargo compartment, which is adapted for carrying the separately displaceable transport container 1. After hav-ing opened a or the rear door(s) 6 of the vehicle 4 the transport container 1 is placed in front of the load floor 7 of the vehicle 4. Then the transport container 1 is pulled or pushed or slid onto the load floor 7. For enabling this action the legs 3 of the transport con- ::::. tamer i are lifted and/or folded from a ground engaging position to a folded position. During this movement the legs 3 come into contact with a part of the vehicle 4 and are folded back as indicated in the middle of the draw-ing. The legs 3 are lifted and/or folded from their * . . : ground engaging position to their folded position, when the motor vehicle 4 moves against the legs 3 or struts.

To adapt the height of the undercarriage of the transport container 1 to the height of the load floor 7 the transport container 1 is equipped with a means for raising and lowering the transport container 1 to a height enabling to slide the transport container 1 onto the load floor 7 of the motor vehicle 4. For this purpose the legs 3 are telescopically extendable.

For an easy movement on the load floor of the vehicle 4 the at least one transport container 1 is equipped with additional bearing rollers (not shown) for moving the transport container 1 on the load floor 7, when the legs 3 are in their folded position.

The separately displaceable transport container 1 has a dimension, shape and configuration adapted to perfectly fit in the transport volume 5 of the motor ve-hicle 4 so that it is stored within the transport volume on the load floor 7 of the motor vehicle 4 when it has been completely inserted into the vehicle 4. This is shown by the last picture of the drawing which represents the end of the loading process.

Due to the separately displaceable transport container 1 for cargo it is possible to do a preloading without having access to the vehicle 4. For commercial use it is possible to have several preloaded boxes 1 for "S different use, e.g. different tool sets, or to introduce a delivery system where a quickly load or offload of the cargo by leaving or collecting the whole container 1 is realised. Thus, the logistics system according to the in-vention provides a more effective solution for loading and offloading of a vehicle 4. The transport volume 5 represents the cargo compartment usually available in vans or wagons or commercial vehicles.

The transport container 1 is perfectly adapted to the respective cargo compartment so that it more or less completely fills the compartment. But, it is also possible to have one or more transport containers 1, which together completely fill the cargo compartment.

Therefore, it is possible to fill in the trans- port volume 5 with two or more transport boxes or con- tainers 1, which are of a modular configuration and ar-rangement in such a way as to enable them to perfectly fit in the transport volume 5.

A person skilled in the art knows about several possibilities for realizing a construction for a trans-port an container 1 and/or an undercarriage having liftable and/or foldable and wheels 2 or rollers bearing legs 3, which legs 3 are lifted and/or folded, when the transport container 1 is stored within the transport vol-ume 5 on the load floor 7 of the motor vehicle 4. Such a construction may comprise a transport a container, wherein the legs 3 are arranged as opposing pairs at the undercarriage, wherein each pair is swivelable or swivel-ling about a common rotating axis and wherein each pair of legs 3 is connected by a pivotable shaft and/or a ** : cross bar. It is also possible and known to have the legs * *** 3 arranged at a lockable and unlockable pivot bearing. * * * .** * * * ** * S..

Reference signs 1. container 2. wheel 3. leg 4. vehicle 5. transport volume 6. rear door 7. load floor * I S I. S * I.. * b * *. * S * S.. S.. * II

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