LT5832B - Safe lower automatic lock and upper improved lock constructions for locking of cargo container's doors and for securing from deformations, and lower automatic lock construction handling method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention aim is improved and secured locking mechanisms. It is improved lower and upper automatic lock shutter construction for securing cargo container doors from deformation. Also lower automatic locking mechanism handling method, for making driver's work easier. In order to strengthen and protect the cargo container door from the deformations, it is proposed instead of the usual additional lower lock to use the lower automatic locking mechanism, and instead of the standard upper lock - use upper improved locking mechanism. The essence of lower automatic lock - the construction, by pushing the door to door closing direction, allows them lock automatically. Improved upper lock - design, which in locked state, when the intensity of the pressure is changing periodically from inside of the cavity of the container, adjusting to the changes of pressure intensity from the inside of the cavity of the container and performs not only the shutter function, but also protects the containerdoors and sides from deformations.

Description

This invention relates to the transport of goods and to various mechanisms for loading or unloading cargo. The present invention relates to cargo containers, cargo container doors, and in particular to container support means, latches and container control mechanisms used to open, close, reinforce and prevent deformation of cargo containers and their doors.

TECHNICAL LEVEL

Metal cargo container is one of the most widely used tools for compact and convenient storage / collection of industrial waste and raw materials, which can then be conveniently and safely transported by ship, airplane or truck.

Known Japanese patent no. JP2004017926, published Jan. 22. This patent discloses the attachment of a container to a traveling means which provides stability (non-slip) of the container during loading and unloading of the container. Said attachment consists of a working arm, a locking member, a control lever and a coupling mechanism. The working arm performs the function of loading and unloading the container. The locking element secures the container to the vehicle body. An adjustable lever coupled to the locking member through the coupling mechanism ensures the container is secured and released relative to the vehicle body. However, this solution does not address the problem of opening and closing the container door, nor does it address the possibility of reinforcing the container

Also known is U.S. Pat. US2006290147, published Jun. December 28th This patent discloses a cargo container door closure design to protect the container from unwanted burglary or theft. This closure structure comprises: an elastic flexible material having a distal end proximal end and a transition portion and locks fastened on the free ends of the elongated flexible material. The said flexible material itself surrounds (encapsulates) the standard closing rods of the cargo container and prevents the opening of said cargo container door by tensioning the elongated flexible material and locking its ends. However, this patent does not address the possibility of reinforcing the container door. Nor does it address the design of cargo container latches for closing and reinforcing container doors.

Also known is U.S. Pat. US3796397, published April 1974. March 12, 2005, which deals with a hook-type lock (lock) used to secure cargo containers to the floor of an airplane in the hold of an airplane. This hook-shaped lock consists of a pair of hinges pointing in different directions and turning. The lower part of said lock shall be bolted to the floor (or stationary base) and the upper part, wherever said pair of hooks shall be, shall be secured to the cargo container in the appropriate cavities. Although the present invention utilizes a hook-shaped lock, the technical solution itself only addresses the problem of securing the container to the external stationary base.

U.S. Pat. US2005126235, published Jun. June 16 This patent discloses a lock design and method for reinforcing a cargo container door and protecting it from unwanted openings while the cargo container is being operated (raised or lowered) in a vertical direction. This structure consists of a hook and a key (hook) elements. One part of the hook-shaped element is attached to the container door and the other part to the container base. One part of the key-shaped element is fixed to the container door and the other part to the fixed stationary element attached to the surface of the same container door, in which a cavity is formed and said end of the key-shaped element is inserted. This technical solution strengthens and protects the cargo container door from unintentional / unwanted self-opening due to the pressure of the cargo inside the container, but the use of this locking structure is inconvenient and difficult: at higher door tension, release the hook and / or lift the hook simple due to the curvature of the door surface.

The closest prior art is the European patent EP1460218, published April 2004. September 22 This patent discloses a container locking structure for locking a container onto a vehicle loading platform. Also, this locking mechanism prevents the cargo container door from being opened at the wrong moment. To achieve this, a moving shutter structure is integrated to the side of the vehicle. The base of this said movable latching structure consists of a hook, a spring and a momentary transmission mechanism to the driver's cab. Thus, in poor weather (or simply driver convenience), in order to release the cargo container from the vehicle platform and allow external means (e.g., a crane) to lift and carry this container, the driver, without leaving the vehicle cab, utilizes said integrated moving shutter. the design may initiate the release of the hook hooked behind the container door. However, this solution focuses on the convenient release of the container from the vehicle platform. It does not highlight and address those problematic moments associated with container door locks and container door deformations.

One of the major problems encountered when working with containers is the deformation of the container door. Even slight deformations of the container door cause serious problems as they become more difficult to open and especially close. Container door deformations result from the movement of the cargo within the container (due to moment of inertia), especially when dealing with bulk (sand, coal, waste, etc.). The locks, locks and hooks currently used to close and lock container doors do not ensure that the door is deformed. Also, the use of existing structures requires the attention of drivers and strict adherence to appropriate procedures. Often enough, the human factor gets in the way, and drivers simply forget to do one or another important operation and often have to straighten the door, which is very undesirable, expensive and inconvenient, especially on the road while ordering.

THE SUBSTANCE OF THE INVENTION

There are currently four designs for locking container doors:

an upper standard locking mechanism for locking the door and securing it to the top of the container;

a lower standard locking mechanism for locking the door and securing it to the underside of the container;

a central standard locking (locking) mechanism for locking the rod to which said upper and lower standard locks are fixed; and a lower auxiliary locking mechanism for securing (as the lower standard lock alone is not sufficient) the container door to lock and hold it at the bottom (base) of the container.

The novelty of the present invention is that in order to secure and protect the container door from deformation and to facilitate the work of the drivers, it is proposed:

use a different structure instead of the lower auxiliary locking mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the lower automatic locking mechanism); and (optionally) use a different design instead of the upper standard locking mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the upper improved locking mechanism).

The essence of the lower automatic locking mechanism is its special construction (described in detail in the embodiments), which, by simply sliding the door in the direction of closing the door, allows it (s) to automatically lock (lock) and lock. In addition, the use of a lower automatic locking mechanism allows for a radically new quality: it is easy and convenient for the driver to close the door, easy and convenient to close all other remaining locks; a single operation (initiating a mechanism on the side of the container) which is automatically resolved by the present invention, i.e. comes down and solves the human factor problem.

The essence of the upper improved locking mechanism is its special design (described in detail in the embodiments section), which in the locked state, at periodically varying pressure intensities, adapts to changes in that pressure intensity and not only performs the lock function but also protects the door and sides of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved and secure locking mechanisms (structures) which protect the sides and doors (especially the doors) of the container considerably better (compared to the present state of the art) from deformations occurring during transportation of various (particularly bulk) cargoes in (metal) cargo containers. It is also an object of the present invention to utilize said improved mechanisms (structures) to simplify and facilitate the work of drivers handling cargo in said containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side elevational schematic view of a cargo container.

FIG. 2 shows a general schematic view of the cargo container from the side of the door (which is usually opened from the inside to the outside and which is usually located at the rear of the container).

FIG. Fig. 3 is a detailed representation of the lower automatic locking mechanism (design), which reflects the geometry of the lower automatic lock, which allows the container door to slam automatically and facilitate the driver's work.

FIG. 4a illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism when the door is closed (start of door closing).

FIG. Figure 4b illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism when the door is closed (the door is almost closed, but still has the possibility of returning).

FIG. 4c illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism when the door is closed (the door is already fully latched).

FIG. Figure 5 shows the mechanism (design) of the upper improved lock.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Freight transport is one of the most important and ancient activities of mankind. And while various new technologies have evolved over time, the principles and methods of freight transport have so far remained largely unchanged. One of the major modes of freight transport today is the use of cargo trucks that transport metal (or other material) containers with cargo to their destinations (points). In general, the transportation of said containers is associated with a number of operations: loading a container onto a vehicle, unloading a container, moving a container from one location to another, loading a container, unloading a container, and the like. It is known from practice that the most vulnerable structure is one that contains moving or rotating parts. It is also one that is constantly exposed to external or inertial (albeit mild but repetitive) effects. The weak point of such metal containers is the doors, which are intended for unloading or loading of container cargo, because they are under constant periodic pressure (pressure) due to the moment of inertia of cargo. Therefore, very quickly, it was noticed that standard locks (top and bottom) for closing cargo container doors were not enough. For this purpose, a lower auxiliary lock has been developed and is now widely used, which additionally holds the door from the bottom and strengthens it. Therefore, as mentioned above, there are currently four designs used for locking container doors: an upper standard locking mechanism for locking the door and securing it to the top of the container; a lower standard locking mechanism for locking the door and securing it to the underside of the container; a central standard locking mechanism (locking mechanism) for locking the rod to which said upper and lower standard locking mechanisms are attached; and a lower auxiliary locking mechanism for securing and securing the container door to the bottom (base) of the container. However, the use of said lower auxiliary locking mechanism is not convenient enough, since during closing the door this lower auxiliary locking mechanism must be separately activated (released) on the side of the container after said standard upper and lower locking. This is an additional, very important step that is sometimes overlooked and closed by drivers. In addition, there is simply the human factor, and drivers often forget to activate this lower auxiliary locking mechanism and this leads to serious deformation of the container door as well as hard to recover (or even irreparable) deformation of the lock itself when the container is unloaded and placed on the vehicle. hard surfaces such as asphalt (in which case asphalt is vulnerable to "sharp" weight).

Using the current locking mechanisms mentioned above, the sequence of opening the container door is as follows:

- opening the middle standard lock;

- by using a handle coupled to a rod and rotating that rod (generally) towards itself around the axis of the rod, the standard upper and lower locks are unlocked;

- using the lower auxiliary lock release mechanism, which is usually located on the side of the container, to lower the lower auxiliary lock;

- pulling said rod handle towards you opens one of the door sections (usually left);

- the second part of the door remains completely free, so it is simply opened (pulled) by hand.

Using the current locking mechanisms mentioned above, the sequence of closing the container door is as follows:

- by physical force, one of the door sections (which is without handle) is simply pushed against the container as long as the container body permits;

- by applying physical force and pushing the handle of said rod away from itself towards the container, the other part of the door is also pushed against the container as long as the container body permits;

- standard upper and lower locks are locked (locked) using a handle connected to the bar and rotating the bar (usually) from itself to the right;

- using the lower auxiliary lock release mechanism, which is usually located on the side of the container, lifts the lower auxiliary lock.

As practice shows, even with a slight deformation of the door and its increase, more and more physical forces are needed to close the container door. Even hammers and metal bars are used during the journey, when it becomes difficult to close the door to deal with the situation. Such unforeseen circumstances and situations are highly undesirable during the execution of the order. To solve these problems, the present invention provides improved locking mechanisms (X1 and X2): the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) and the upper improved locking mechanism (X2). The novelty of the present invention is that in order to secure and protect the container door from deformation and to facilitate the work of the drivers, it is proposed:

use the lower auto-lock mechanism (X1) instead of the lower secondary locking mechanism; and use the upper advanced lock mechanism (X2) instead of the upper standard lock mechanism.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows a construction of a container (1) implementing a new technical solution of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of the cargo container (1); 2 is a schematic view of the cargo container (1) from the side of the door (7). The cargo (metal) container (1) consists of: a door (7), a shoe (21),. lower automatic locking mechanism (X1), upper advanced locking mechanism (X2), lower standard locking mechanism (X3) and middle standard locking mechanism (X4), locking mechanisms (X2,3 and X3.4), container base (19). The lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) consists of: a lock (2), a locking tip (14), a spring (13), a pull (9), a side handle (8), and a chain (15). The central standard locking mechanism (X4) consists of a rod (18), a rod handle (5) and a lock (6). The container door (7) is usually opened from the inside to the outside and consists of two parts: right (7b) and left (7a). Each of the parts of the door (7), respectively left (7a) and right (7b), is fastened to the respective sides of the left and right containers (1) by means of the shoe (21). Also, the shoe (21) participates in the design of the central standard locking mechanism (X4) for attaching said mechanism (X4) to the surface of the container door. The top (3) and bottom (4) locks are designed to lock and unlock the container door mechanically. The upper advanced lock (3) and the lower standard lock (4) are interconnected via a lock rod (18) which can be rotated about its axis using the rod handle (5). The handle (5) of said rod is locked in its closed position by means of a latch (6).

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) consisting of a chain of a lock (2), a spring (13), a coupling (10), a link (9), a side handle (8), a locking tip (hook) (14). (15), lock pivot axis (11) and pivot pivot axis (12). The exclusive feature of this lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) is a hook (14) which is designed to automatically lock / lock the door (7) when the spring (13) acts and pushes the door (7) towards the inner space of the container (1). The operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) is as follows. The lock (2), together with the connecting element (10), is firmly connected to the lock rotation axis (11), which is attached to the container base (19). The lock pivot axis (11) rotates with the connecting member (10). The connecting member (10) is also connected to the rod (9) via the pivot axis (12), which is released by moving (lowering) the side handle (8) secured by the chain (15). The side handle (8) is positioned at the side of the container (1) at least 1.5 m (1500 mm) from the plane of the door (7) of the container (1) (counting this distance from the plane of the door in its closed position). This arrangement of the handle (8) is necessary to protect the driver from accident due to the door (7) being opened suddenly when the handle (8) is lowered and the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) is released. The door (7) can open very suddenly and at a wide angle (up to 270 degrees) due to the high load pressure on the inside of the container (1) door (7). The spring (13) connects the connecting member (10) to the body of the container (1). The spring (13) performs the return function and always tries to keep the lock (2) in the closed (locked) position. The connecting member (10) connects the link (9) and the lock (2) through the lock pivot axis (11) and the pivot pivot axis (12) and transmits the push moment (Oudes) from the link (9) to the lock (2). The lock rotation axis (11) connects the connecting member (10) to the lock (2). The lever (9), one end of which is connected to the coupling member (10) via the pivot axis (12) and the other end to the side handle (8), serves to release the lock (2). The pivot axis (12) links the connecting member (10) to the pivot (9). The lateral handle (8) coupled to the link (9) allows transmission of the pulling or pushing moment (motion) to the link (9). The chain (15) protects the side handle (8) from being lowered automatically.

FIG. 4a illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) when the door (7) is closed (the door (7) is closed). At the beginning of closing the door (7), the lower part of the door presses the lock (2) down at point (A). As the door (7) moves further in the (N) direction, said lock (2) continues to move downward (K).

FIG. Fig. 4b illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) when the door (7) is closed (the door (7) is almost closed but there is still the possibility of a return). This position illustrates a situation in which the lower part of the door (7) reaches the point of maximum movement (B) by pushing the door (7) further in the (N) direction. In this case, the lock (2) is in its lowest upright position.

FIG. 4c illustrates the operation of the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) when the door (7) is already closed (the door (7) is already fully slammed). This position illustrates a situation in which, by pushing the door (7) further in the direction (N), the lower part of the door (7) passes the point (B) and reaches the point (C). In this case, the lock (2) is also released due to the action of the spring (13) and is raised in the upward direction (K). At this moment, the door is automatically locked.

Using the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) of the present invention, the opening sequence of the container (1) is practically the same as using the standard lower secondary locking mechanism:

- lowering the lock (2) using the lower auxiliary lock release mechanism (X1), which is usually located on the side of the container;

- opening the central standard lock (6);

- the upper improved lock (3) and the lower standard lock (4) are unlocked (released) by means of a handle (5) connected to the bar (18) and rotating the bar (18) (mostly) towards itself about the axis of the bar;

pulling said handle (5) of the rod (18) towards itself opens one of the parts (usually left) of the door (7);

- the second part of the door (7) remains completely free, so that it is simply opened (pulled) by hand.

However, with the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) of the present invention, the closing sequence of the container (1) is substantially changed, simplified and more convenient:

- by physical force, one of the parts of the door (7) (which is without handle) is simply pushed against the container (1) as long as the container body permits;

- by applying physical force and pushing the handle (5) of said rod (18) away from itself towards the container (1), the other part of the door (7) is also pushed against the container (1) until it is automatically locked by the lock (2);

- the upper improved lock (3) and the lower standard lock (4) are locked (locked) by means of a handle (5) connected to the bar (18) and turning the bar (18) (usually) to the right.

FIG. Fig. 5 shows the upper improved locking mechanism (X2), characterized in that, when in a locked state (position) with periodically varying pressure intensity from the inside of the container (1) due to the "swaying" of the load, it (mechanism) adapts to this pressure intensity change. and not only performs the lock function but also protects the door (7) and the sides of the container (1) from deformation. It has been observed that, especially when the cargo is a bulk material (sand, coal, bulk waste, etc.), the cargo behaves formally as if it were water, i. "Rocking". This cargo behavior has a very negative effect on the container door (7) and often deforms it. To counteract these adverse effects, the present invention provides an upper improved locking mechanism (X2) comprising the following structural members: a bar (18), a rounded "7" hook (22), a left-hand door (7 (a)), a right-hand door (7 (b)), finger (16) and staple (17). As previously described, the upper improved locking mechanism is closed and opened by means of a handle (5) which is permanently connected to a bar (18) to which the upper improved and lower standard locks are fixed. The door (7) is mechanically locked using a rod (18) by rotating it (rod) around its axis using the handle (5). The central portion of the bar (18) is connected to the handle (5) and the upper end to the rounded hook (22) in order to rotate said hook (22) around its axis. The hook (22) is secured to the rod (18), whereby, when the door (7) is closed, said hook (22) is placed (hooked) on the finger (16). The finger (16) is firmly connected to the stopper (17), wherein, when the container load presses on the door (17), said finger (16) is pushed in the (y) direction but does not move in that direction due to the surface (L) of said hook (22). ) curvature. Also, said finger (16) is pushed in the (x) direction, but does not move in that direction due to the baffle (17), which is fixedly connected to the door (7). The baffle (17) is firmly connected to the door and prevents the finger (16) from moving in the (x) direction. Thus, the upper improved locking mechanism (X2) of the present invention not only performs the locking function but also protects the door (7) and the sides of the container (1) from deformation.

In order to illustrate and describe the present invention, the preferred embodiments are described below. It is not a complete or limiting invention that seeks to determine the exact form or embodiment. The above description should be read more as an illustration rather than a limitation. It is obvious that many modifications and variations may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Embodiments are selected and described to best illustrate the principles of the present invention and their best practical application to different embodiments with different modifications suitable for a particular application or embodiment ¹³ , since in this case, quantitative adaptations of this product and its application are used. may vary. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended definition and its equivalents, in which all the foregoing terms have the widest possible meaning, unless otherwise stated. It will be appreciated that the embodiments described by those skilled in the art may make changes within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following definition.

Claims (4)

1. A cargo container for storing and transporting various types of cargo, having an upper standard locking mechanism for securing the doors of said container and securing them to the top of the container; a lower standard locking mechanism for locking the doors of said container and securing them to the underside (base) of the container; a central standard locking mechanism for locking the rod to which said upper and lower standard locks are fixed; and a lower auxiliary locking mechanism for securing the door of said container further to the bottom (base) of the container; characterized in that a lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) consisting of: the lock (2) having a tip (14) geometry characterized in that, when the spring (13) acts and pushes the door (7) towards the inner space of the container (1), the door (7) automatically snaps / locks, where at the beginning of closing, the lower part of the door (7) presses the lock (2) downward at point (A), with further movement of the door (N), said lock (2) moving further down (K); when the door (7) is pushed further in the direction (N), the lower part of the door (7) reaches the point of maximum movement (B), then the lock (2) is in its lowest vertical position; when the lower part of the door (7) passes the point (B) and reaches the point (C), then the lock (2) is released and due to the action of the spring (13) is raised in the upward direction (K); springs (13) connected to the connecting element (10) and to the body of the container (1), which acts continuously (raises) the locking tip (14) in the direction (K); a connecting member (10) connecting the link (9) and the lock (2) through the lock pivot axis (11) and the pivot pivot axis (12), which transmits a push motion from the link (9) to the lock (2); a lock pivot axis (11) connecting the connecting member (10) to the lock (2); a link (9) having one end connected to the coupling member (10) through the pivot axis (12) and the other end to the side handle (8), wherein said lock (2) is released by pulling the link (9); a pivot axis (12) connecting the connecting member (10) to the pivot (9); lateral handles (8) coupled to a pivot (9) through which the hand can transmit the pulling or pushing moment (motion) to the pivot (9); and chains (15) protecting the side handle (8) from being lowered automatically; allowing: release the container door using the side handle (8) and / or slam the container (1) door (7) by pushing the door (7) in the direction (N). 2. A freight container according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper standard locking mechanism is used instead of the upper standard locking mechanism, comprising: a door (7) mechanically closed by a rod (18) rotating it (rod) around its axis using a handle (5); a rod (18) having a central portion coupled to the handle (5) and having an upper end connected to a rounded hook (22) to rotate the hook (22) about its axis; a hook (22) secured to said rod (18), wherein, when the door (7) is closed, said hook (22) is placed on a finger (16); a finger (16) firmly connected to the stopper (17), wherein, at the time the container load presses on the door (17), the finger (16) is pushed in the (y) direction but does not move in that direction due to the surface (L) of ) curved, the finger (16) being pushed in the (x) direction but not moving in that direction due to the baffle (17), which is fixedly connected to the door (7); a stopper (17) firmly connected to the door which prevents the finger (16) from moving in the (x) direction; not only for locking the door (7) but also for protecting the door (7) and the sides of the container (1) from deformation. Freight container according to claim 1, characterized in that said lateral handle (8) disposed on the side of the container (1) is extended at least 1.5 m (1500 mm) from the plane of the door (7) of the container (1). this distance from the plane of the door in its closed position) to protect the driver from accident due to the door opening (7) being suddenly opened while the handle (8) is lowered and the lower automatic locking mechanism (X1) is released. A method of sealing a cargo container according to claims 1-3, further comprising the steps of: - Applying physical force and pushing one of the door (7) parts (usually without handle) to the container (1) as long as the container body permits; - applying physical force and pushing the handle (5) of said rod (18) away from itself towards the container (1), as well as pushing the other part of the door (7) to the container (1) until it is automatically locked by the lock (2); uses a handle (5) coupled to the bar (18) and rotates the bar (18) (usually) to its right to lock (lock) the upper improved lock (3) and the lower standard lock (4).