WO2021234091A2

WO2021234091A2 - Device, system and method for monitoring the correct coupling of containers on board of container ships

Info

Publication number: WO2021234091A2
Application number: PCT/EP2021/063475
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wolfgang Thiele; Henning SCHESCHONK
Original assignee: Sec Ship´S Equipment Centre Bremen Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2020-05-20
Filing date: 2021-05-20
Publication date: 2021-11-25
Also published as: JP2023531143A; EP4153509B1; DE102020113681A1; CN115667093A; EP4153509A2; WO2021234091A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling piece (20) for securing first corner fittings (22) of a first container (25) to second corner fittings (26) of a second container (23, 44) at least to prevent horizontal movement in relation to one another. In order to improve the safety during the transport of containers on vehicles, in particular on container ships, the coupling piece (20) according to the invention is characterised by a sensor (29, 32) which is designed to detect a state of the coupling piece (20), and a transmitter (28) which is designed to emit an identification signal and a state signal (38) which represents the detected state of the coupling piece (20). The invention also relates to an assembly composed of a container (23, 43) and a coupling piece (20) of this kind, as well as to a container ship (46) on which containers (23, 43) are secured by means of coupling pieces (20) of this kind, and to a method for monitoring state data of the coupling pieces (20) and/or of the containers (43).

Description

description

Device, system and method for monitoring the correct coupling of containers on board container ships

The present invention relates to a coupling piece for securing first corner fittings of a first container with second corner fittings of a second container at least against horizontal displacement relative to one another. Furthermore, the invention relates to an arrangement of a container and such a coupling piece, as well as a container ship with several parking spaces for each a stack of containers stacked on top of each other, of which the bottom container by means of floor coupling pieces with a container foundation and the upper containers stacked above Coupling pieces are secured to each other at their corner fittings at least against horizontal displacement. Finally, the invention relates to a method for monitoring a respective state.

Such a coupling piece is known, for example, from EP 1 534612 B1 or WO 2014/032659 A1. Specifically, these fonts show so-called fully automatic twist locks (FAT).

A remote-controlled coupling piece and a method for its use are known from WO 2006/025 790 A1. The coupling piece according to the invention is suitable quite generally in connection with the transport of containers on vehicles. However, the invention is specifically directed to the sea transport of containers on board container ships. On board these container ships, containers are transported in the hull (below deck) or on deck (on the hatch cover) of the ship as a container stack. The containers stacked below deck are guided in cell scaffolding and do not require any special securing. Securing against horizontal displacement by means of twist stackers is only necessary if 20-foot containers are loaded in stowage areas for 40-foot containers. In the context of the present disclosure, “horizontal” always means a direction parallel to the plane of the ship deck, while “vertical” is the direction perpendicular thereto. Containers loaded on deck must be connected to one another using suitable coupling pieces. Specifically, in a container stack, two containers stacked on top of each other are connected to each other at their corner fittings by coupling pieces so that they are secured against horizontal displacement against each other and against lifting of the respective upper container from the respective lower container (securing / connection against lifting forces). It is true that the containers in the lowest layers and, with the help of lashing bridges, sometimes also containers in higher layers, are additionally secured with lashing bars. Often, however, the coupling pieces are the only means of securing the containers, especially those in higher elevations, against being lost during sea transport. In practice, fully automatic coupling pieces (Fully-Automatic Twistlock - FAT) and semi-automatic coupling pieces (Semi-Automatic Twistlock - SAT) are used. The semi-automatic coupling pieces are also used in combination with midlocks if 20-foot containers are stacked on spaces for 40-foot containers. As already mentioned, examples of fully automatic coupling pieces are known from EP 1 534612 B1 or WO 2014/032659 A1. The present invention can be used advantageously both in connection with the twist stacker used below deck and with the twist locks and midlocks and bottom locks used on deck. A securing means according to the invention can accordingly be a twist stacker, bottom stacker, a fully or semi-automatic or manual twist lock, a mid lock or a bottom lock.

When stowing (loading) the containers, the stevedore first inserts a coupling piece with its upper coupling projection into the four lower corner fittings of a container to be loaded and locks them there. This already ensures that the coupling pieces are reliably coupled to the respective lower corner fittings of this container to be loaded. The container is now hoisted onto the deck of the ship by a crane (container bridge) and placed there on an already stowed container. The lower coupling projections thread into the four upper corner fittings of the already stowed container. When the container is now stacked, the lower coupling projections engage in the upper corner fittings of the already stowed, now lower container and in this way secure the newly stowed, now upper container against being lost during sea transport. In the context of the present disclosure, this state is referred to as the coupled or locked state.

In the same way, containers in the lowest (ground) layer can also be secured on a container foundation. In practice, however, corresponding coupling pieces (below deck bottom stackers and on deck bottom locks) are used, which essentially correspond to the twist stackers, twist locks or midlocks used between the containers, but are initially inserted "overhead" into the foundations. Then the respective container of the floor layer is stowed. The container foundations are in turn welded onto the ship deck or the hatch cover. The bottom stackers or bottom locks usually remain permanently in the foundations. When loading the lowest container, the upper coupling projections of the bottom lock engage in the lower container corner fittings of the lower container and lock. The lowest container is then secured both against horizontal displacement and against remedial forces. A bottom lock is known from WO 2016/126163 A2 which has a weight sensor with which the weight based on it is recorded as the state of the bottom lock. The sum of the weight measurements of all four bottom locks, which are assigned to a lowest container, gives the respective stack weight (sum of the weights of all containers in the container stack). The weight of a loaded container results from the difference in the stack weight before and after a newly loaded container has been loaded. In this way it is determined exactly how much a certain container weighs in a certain position of a certain stack of containers. The ship's management can compare this information with the stowage plan or sea waybill available for each ship.

Unfortunately, in practice it happens that individual containers loaded on deck or entire stacks of containers are lost during sea transport. Causes for this For example, failure to observe the permissible container weight for a certain parking space and the resulting inadmissible introduction of force into the corner fittings and the coupling pieces. Preventing this is the subject of the aforementioned WO 2016/126163 A2.

The times that a container ship spends in a port handling cargo are of great economic importance for operators of container ships. On the one hand, the mooring fees in the port are often calculated directly after this time, on the other hand, the operator of a container ship earns his money by transporting goods, not by staying in ports. A shortening of the length of stay in the port is therefore worth striving for in several respects. For this purpose, the aforementioned WO 2006/025 790 A1 teaches a coupling piece or a combination of coupling pieces which can be unlocked remotely at a given point in time. In order to achieve this, the coupling pieces are manually assigned to this container by a port worker after they have been mounted on a container and given a unique identifier. In addition, a safety device can be attached to the container and assigned to it via the identifier. On the one hand, a signal for unlocking can be sent to the coupling pieces of a certain container, on the other hand, a message from the safety device can also be transmitted to a base.

When transporting goods by means of containers on container ships, it is also essential for safety and reliability that the containers loaded on deck are reliably coupled by the coupling pieces. It also happens that when loading a container, one or more of the four coupling pieces do not even correctly couple with the associated corner fitting of the container arranged below. Purely visual inspection cannot reliably detect this by the stevedores or the ship's crew, especially in the case of higher stacks of containers. The semi-automatic twistlock CV-12 of the Conver-OSR was therefore equipped with a red plunger in its stop plate, which was pulled completely into the stop plate when the lower cone of the twistlock was fully rotated into the coupled position and was therefore no longer visible when you looked from looked up at the bottom of the container stack. However, if the lower coupling projection was not completely rotated, the plunger protruded and was visible. However, this tappet only indicated that the lower storage cone has been rotated completely into the coupled position. This does not mean that the twistlock is reliably coupled to the upper corner fitting of the lower container. Furthermore, this system cannot be used with midlocks or fully automatic coupling pieces, as they do not have any movable lower coupling projections. In addition, when two 20-foot containers are loaded one behind the other in a 40-foot container space, there is only a 3-inch gap between them. For this reason, such a tappet would not be visible at all even with analog equipment of midlocks or fully automatic coupling pieces, so that a visual check would then not be possible anyway. But a visual inspection would also be very time-consuming and error-prone on the accessible end faces of the container stacks.

Furthermore, it has already happened in practice that a single container caught fire, for example due to damage to a refrigeration unit or spontaneous ignition of the cargo. For example, there was a spontaneous combustion of charcoal cargo on the container ship MSC KATRINA in the Elbe estuary on November 30, 2015 and the LUDWIGSHAFEN EXPRESS in the Red Sea on February 21, 2016; Investigation reports 455/15 and 58/16 of the Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU). Furthermore, on January 3, 2019, a fire in containers loaded on deck on the YANTIAN EXPRESS broke out when the ship was in the middle of the Atlantic. Such a fire can, as actually happened on the YANTIAN EXPRESS and especially on larger container ships, spread to neighboring containers unnoticed by the ship's crew. Such fires are currently difficult to detect because the smoke development due to the closed nature of the container hardly penetrates to the outside and the usual wind quickly dilutes the little smoke. In addition, the fires in containers can develop over very long periods of time, so that at best they are noticed when they leave the affected container. Especially if a container catches fire in the front area, which is far away from the bridge, it can even happen that the fire is not recognized immediately. As a result, not only can a considerable part of the cargo itself be destroyed, but also the structure of the ship will be considerably damaged due to the heat of the fire. This applies in particular to containers loaded below deck.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing a coupling piece, an arrangement, a container ship and a method of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that the safety when transporting containers on vehicles, in particular on container ships, is improved.

This object is achieved with a coupling piece according to claim 1, an arrangement according to claim 5, a container ship according to claim 8 and a method according to claim 13. Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the coupling piece is characterized by a sensor, which is set up to detect a respective state of the coupling piece, and a transmitting unit, which is set up, an identification signal for identifying the sensor and a status signal which is representative of the detected state of the coupling piece to send. The identification signal and the status signal can theoretically be sent separately from one another. In practice, however, the common transmission units are set up in such a way that with each signal they also send a unique identifier for their identification at the same time. In other words, the identification signal is a unique identifier via which the coupling piece is identified, which is usually sent together with the status signal. There is therefore no real separation of the status signal and the identification signal in practice. Rather, they are sent as a single signal.

According to the invention, based on the identification signal, it is known which security element supplies the status signal. If the status signal signals a status that requires intervention by the ship's crew, the crane operator or the stevedore, the cause can be eliminated in a targeted manner or a countermeasure can be taken. The crew member or the stevedore can be guided to the relevant coupling piece in a targeted manner and the error can thus be remedied quickly and safely. According to the invention, the sensor and the transmitter unit are integrated into the coupling piece. As a result, each time a coupling piece is inserted into a corner fitting of a container, the respective sensor and the associated transmitter unit are also used at the same time. There is no additional effort for a separate attachment. In addition, conventional containers can be used without having to be converted. The container ships can be retrofitted by simply replacing the coupling pieces and retrofitting the associated electronics.

The sensor can be designed to detect a distance to the upper corner fitting of the lower container and / or a temperature and / or an open or closed state of the coupling piece and / or an acceleration and / or a predetermined gas as the respective state of the coupling piece, in particular the coupling piece be. In the first case of distance measurement, it is assumed, for example, that the coupling piece is correctly locked if the distance measured by a distance sensor is in a precisely defined range within which - based on experience or technical specifications, in particular that which is structurally determined for the specific coupling piece used Vertical play between the lower coupling projection and the upper corner fitting of the lower container - a correct locking can be assumed. The distance sensors can thus be used to reliably determine whether each container is correctly coupled or locked and thus anchored or secured. If it is determined that a container is not correctly locked, the signals transmitted by the distance sensors - which not only send the respective distance to the associated container corner fitting, but also identify themselves and thus allow conclusions to be drawn about their assigned spatial position in the container stack - provide a Reliable information where specifically a certain coupling piece is not properly locked. A faulty locking mechanism can therefore be identified and rectified as soon as the container ship is loaded. The distance sensor can be designed in such a way that it specifically measures the existing actual distance. Alternatively, the distance sensor can also be designed in such a way that it digitally detects whether a predetermined distance, for example the structurally specified vertical play, has not been reached. In the latter case, the distance sensor can be designed as a limit switch, for example. Critical temperature increases and / or temperature gradients indicate a fire in a container in the vicinity of the coupling piece sending the status signal. Thus, with the system according to the invention, considerable safety advantages can be achieved when transporting containers on container ships. Further conceivable applications for the present invention are the measurement of an acceleration in order to detect the setting down of the upper container on the lower container or container foundation or impermissible acceleration values and thus impermissible forces acting on the coupling piece during sea transport, or the recognition of an escape predetermined gas from containers. For example, the presence of ripening gas as a predetermined gas indicates that the loaded fruit ripens too quickly and threatens to spoil or has already spoiled. Of course, the predetermined gas can also be smoke gas, which indicates a fire.

One or more of the aforementioned or other sensors can be assigned to the coupling piece according to the invention. For example, a coupling piece can be equipped with a distance sensor and a temperature sensor. In addition or as an alternative to one of these sensors, a gas sensor and / or a sensor for the open or closed state of the coupling piece can also be provided. In this way, one or more dangerous states of a container or its security can be identified at an early stage and, if necessary, remedied. Each coupling piece assigned to the first container can be equipped with the same sensor, for example the distance sensor, or with different sensors or combinations of sensors. For example, the coupling pieces of each corner fitting can be equipped with a distance sensor, but only one of these coupling pieces can also be equipped with a temperature sensor or two diametrically opposite coupling pieces each with a temperature sensor. Locking errors are thus monitored on each coupling piece, while for early fire detection it may be sufficient that only one or two of these coupling pieces are additionally equipped with the temperature sensor. Advantageously, however, all coupling pieces are designed in the same way, so that the stevedore does not have to pay attention which coupling piece he uses in which corner fitting. Further one or more additional sensors can also be attached directly to the container.

The transmitting unit can advantageously also be designed as a transmitting and receiving unit. It can also receive a signal, e.g. an activation signal or a command, for example to send the identification signal and / or the status signal or a signal that contains both the status and the identifier. In order to save energy for the sensor or sensors as well as the transmitter unit, it should be switched off or put into sleep mode when not in use. For this purpose, according to a development of the invention, the coupling piece has an activation means which is designed for activation and deactivation. This can in particular be a sensor which is set up to detect the insertion of the coupling piece into a corner fitting. A proximity sensor, for example, is suitable for this, which detects that the coupling piece has been inserted in the corner fitting of the container to be loaded. Alternatively, the activation means can also be a sensor that detects that the coupling piece has been removed from a box, a so-called bin. Manual actuation of the activation means by the stevedore is also possible, but not preferred because of the susceptibility to errors and the additional effort involved.

An arrangement according to the invention is formed from a container and at least one coupling piece according to the invention inserted into one of its lower corner fittings. The advantages described above are also achieved with this arrangement. A coupling piece according to the invention is preferably used in each lower corner fitting. It may be sufficient for certain applications if a coupling piece according to the invention is used in only one of the four corner fittings that are always present in practice, or a coupling piece according to the invention is used in, for example, two diametrically opposite corner fittings and coupling pieces according to the prior art are used in the other three or two corner fittings . An example of this could be temperature measurement for fire detection or gas measurement for Fire detection (smoke gas) or ripening gas detection. However, this would require the provision of two different types of coupling pieces on board and would be prone to errors. These disadvantages are overcome if a coupling piece according to the invention is used in each corner fitting. For certain applications, such as recognizing the correct locking of the coupling pieces, this might even be necessary. In any case, the monitoring is also more closely meshed and therefore more reliable.

According to a further development of the arrangement, the container has an additional transmission unit. The transmitting unit is designed to transmit a state, for example a temperature and / or the presence of a predetermined gas and / or malfunction of a unit of the container and / or data relating to the load within the container. Suitable conditions, such as the temperature, the occurrence of ripening gas, for example, or the correct or faulty function of a cooling unit can therefore be arranged by means of sensors attached directly to the container or within the container, e.g. directly on the load or a pallet or the like Detect sensors. These sensors are coupled to the additional transmission unit that sends the recorded data. This enables any dangers, such as fire or malfunctions, to be reported to the ship's management even more quickly. It goes without saying that the additional transmission unit can also be designed for receiving signals, analogously to the transmission unit in the coupling piece according to the invention. It is also possible that status data of the cargo are passed on to the outside world via the ship's network, e.g. via mobile and / or satellite radio, e.g. to the owner of the cargo or the container.

The container ship according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the floor coupling pieces is set up to detect a change in weight; that a coupling piece according to the invention is inserted into at least one of the corner fittings of each upper container; and that at least one base unit is provided for receiving and forwarding the signals from the coupling pieces. If the at least one coupling piece according to the invention locks with the upper corner fitting of the lower container, the corresponding sensor sends a signal. Nearly At the same time, the at least one floor coupling piece (the bottom stacker or the bottom lock) detects a change in weight. This means that it is known on which stack of containers the newly loaded container was placed. By simply counting the changes in weight, the position of the container and thus its specific position on the container ship (bay, row and position) is known. In this way, the notification of a faulty or even dangerous state emanating from a certain coupling piece can be assigned to a specific container position. The ship's crew or, if the message occurs during the loading / unloading process, the stowage personnel can be directed to this container and follow up on the message.

The floor coupling piece generally records the event that a container has been newly placed / loaded on the stack. A sure sign of this is the change in weight of the container stack, i.e. the mere fact of a change in weight without the weight change necessarily having to be quantified. This can be detected e.g. by a piezo element in the floor coupling piece. By placing / loading the new container and the associated change in the stack weight, the piezo element sends a current surge and thus signals the event that a new container has been loaded. However, if the change in weight of the stack is also to be quantified, the floor coupling piece according to WO 2016/126163 A2, for example, can be used, so that in addition to the simple facts that a container was newly placed / loaded on the stack, the specific weight of the new The container loaded on the stack can be determined by subtracting the stack weight after and before loading the newly loaded container and, if necessary, can be compared with the sea waybill and / or the container weight permissible for the respective stowage location.

If two or more corner fittings of a container are provided with the corner fittings according to the invention and the sensor is a sensor that detects the state, a distance sensor that detects correct locking of the coupling piece, these coupling pieces are automatically detected as belonging to a specific container as soon as it is Container is placed on the lower container and the Lock coupling pieces. As already explained above, the bottom locks then detect a change in weight in direct temporal connection with the signal from the coupling pieces according to the invention that they are locking. If the distance sensor on one of these coupling pieces fails, it does not send a signal that the coupling piece is locked. The stevedore or the ship's crew must then investigate. But there is also the further disadvantage that this coupling piece is not recognized as belonging to the container. If the coupling pieces also have additional sensors, such as a temperature sensor, additional temperature signals are transmitted. However, these cannot then be assigned to a specific container. Inadmissible temperatures can then not be investigated in a targeted manner. It is therefore desirable that the coupling pieces assigned to a container are recognized as a group even if this is not achieved by simply placing the upper, newly loaded container on the lower container.

For this purpose, according to a further development of the container ship according to the invention, at least three spatially spaced locating units are arranged on board the container ship in such a way that each coupling piece according to the invention can be located while one of the containers is being hoisted on board the ship. With the at least three spatially spaced locating units, the position of the coupling pieces according to the invention can be detected, for example by means of trilateration, and their path can be tracked while the container is being heaved on board the ship. Coupling pieces according to the invention which have the same movement pattern are inserted into corner fittings of the same container and can thus be recorded as a group. Should the distance sensor of one of these fail, they will still be recognized as belonging to a specific container. This even works if two or even three distance sensors fail, as long as the distance sensor is still working correctly on at least one of the coupling pieces and all coupling pieces send their identification.

The base units, which are also provided for receiving and forwarding the signals from the coupling pieces, can be used as locating units. Separate locating units are then not required. It is also advantageous if at least one base unit is designed to send signals to the coupling pieces. This makes it possible to send commands to the at least one coupling piece according to the invention, such as, for example, an interrogation signal with which the data measured by the sensors are interrogated. In order to save energy, it can also make sense to put the coupling pieces to sleep during the trip and only put them into operation at certain time intervals in order to query data. The base unit can then send corresponding activation / deactivation signals, possibly combined with an interrogation signal, to the coupling pieces.

According to a further embodiment of the container ship according to the invention, a relay unit is set up for a predetermined group of base units to receive and, if necessary, send all signals sent from and / to this group of base units and to forward them to a processing unit. This means that longer distances can be covered than would otherwise be possible due to the range of the base units. Here, too, it is again possible for certain base units distributed over the ship to function at the same time as the relay units, so that separate relay units are not required. The processing unit can preferably be an on-board computer.

The inventive method for monitoring a respective state of a coupling piece has the following steps: inserting a coupling piece according to one of claims 1 to 4 in at least one of the lower corner fittings of a container to be loaded and heaving the container to be loaded onto an already loaded container; Sending an identification signal from this coupling piece to a base unit; Detecting the placement of the container to be loaded onto the already loaded container and sending a status signal to a base unit; Detecting a change in weight on a floor coupling piece which connects the lowest container of a container stack to a container foundation, and sending a weight change signal to the base unit; Forwarding the signal to a processing unit, in particular an on-board computer, and determining whether the Coupling piece belongs to the same container stack as the floor coupling piece, in particular on the basis of a time difference between the status signal and the weight change signal. As already mentioned above, in practice all signals sent will also always contain an identifier which is used to identify the coupling piece or the floor coupling piece.

The method according to the invention has the same advantages already described as the coupling piece according to the invention and the container ship according to the invention. Since the respective coupling piece sends its identification signal before the new container to be loaded is placed on an already loaded container, the correct locking can be checked immediately during the loading process, for example. This means that the stevedore, the crane operator and / or the ship's crew can react immediately if no successful or correct coupling / locking is reported, and correct coupling / locking can be brought about by appropriate intervention.

According to an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the respective state of the coupling pieces or data from sensors that are coupled to the additional transmission unit can be recorded cyclically and / or upon request by the processing unit, in particular also during the transport of the container, and a display of the State and / or an alarm signal as well as the position of the associated coupling piece can be initiated in order to carry out a renewed check of a correct coupling / locking or another state in cases of doubt or to improve safety through continuous monitoring. For example, a temperature can also be measured continuously or periodically in order to detect a fire at an early stage, for example. Further status data can also be measured continuously or periodically in order to detect dangerous changes in status at an early stage.

While a container is being hoisted on board the ship, the coupling piece (coupling pieces) assigned to this container and possibly other sensors on the container can be recorded as a group on the basis of their movement pattern during lifting. In this way it can be ensured that the linked to an event Changes in status always apply to all four coupling pieces and, if applicable, to the sensor of the group additionally arranged on the container.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:

1 shows a coupling piece with the features of the invention in a front view;

FIG. 2 insertion of a coupling piece according to FIG. 1 in a lower corner fitting of a container to be loaded;

3 shows the container to be loaded while it is being heaved;

FIG. 4 placing the container to be loaded on an already loaded container; FIG.

5 shows a weight-time diagram with changes in weight of a

Container stack during the loading of a container and signals from coupling pieces according to FIG. 1;

6 shows a container stack made up of two containers stacked one on top of the other during the sea voyage;

7 unloading a container;

8 shows a weight-time diagram with changes in weight of a

Stack of containers during unloading of a container;

FIG. 9 removal of the coupling piece according to FIG. 1 from the lower corner fitting of the unloaded container; FIG.

10 shows an arrangement of a container and coupling pieces according to FIG. 1; 11 shows the loading of the arrangement according to FIG. 8 on a container ship in cross section; FIG. 12 shows the loading according to FIG. 9 in a plan view; FIG.

FIG. 13 placing the arrangement according to FIG. 8 on an already loaded container. As an example of a coupling piece 20 according to the invention, FIG. 1 shows a so-called fully automatic twistlock (Fully Autoamitc Twistlock - FAT). Specifically, the coupling piece 20 according to the present exemplary embodiment is based on a fully automatic twistlock according to WO 2014/032659 A1. The coupling piece 20 has, in accordance with conventional coupling pieces, an upper coupling projection 21 which the stevedore inserts into the lower corner fitting 22 of a container 23 to be loaded and pre-locked there (FIG. 2). Furthermore, the coupling piece 20 has a lower coupling projection 24 which engages in the upper corner fitting 26 of this container 25 when the container 23 to be loaded is loaded and set down on an already loaded container 25 (FIG. 4). The container 23 to be reloaded or just reloaded is also referred to in the context of the present disclosure as the upper container 23 and the container 25 that has already been loaded is referred to as the lower container 25. In the present case, a stop plate 27 is provided between the coupling projections 21, 24, which in the coupled state lies on the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and on which the lower corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23 rests.

The coupling piece 20 has a transmitting unit 28 which has an identifier by means of which the coupling piece 20 can be identified. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the transmission unit 28 is accommodated in the upper coupling projection 21. However, it can also be accommodated in any other suitable location in the coupling piece 20. Furthermore, the coupling piece 20 has one or more sensors which detect a respective state of the coupling piece 20. In the present embodiment the coupling piece 20 has a distance sensor 29. The distance sensor 29 can measure the distance to the lower container 25. In the present case, the distance sensor 29 is arranged in the stop plate 27, specifically on its underside 30. The distance sensor 29 measures the distance between the underside 30 of the stop plate 27 and the top 31 of the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 (see FIGS. 4 and 6 ). Alternatively, the distance sensor 29 can also be arranged in the lower coupling projection 24 and then measures, for example, the distance to the base of the corner fitting 26. Further suitable positions for the distance sensor 29 are conceivable and will be apparent to a person skilled in the art on the basis of the present disclosure.

The signal transmitted by the distance sensor 29 with the distance to the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 can be the specific current distance (e.g. in mm) or a simple yes / no signal as to whether the distance is within the range, which indicates a correct coupling of the coupling piece 20 to the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25. The distance sensor 29 itself can be an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor or another sensor suitable for measuring a distance. To detect the yes / no signal, a simple limit switch or a piezo element as a distance sensor 29, which is triggered when the coupling is correct, is sufficient, e.g. B. when the distance sensor 29 rests on the upper corner fitting 26 (or - if the distance sensor is arranged in the lower coupling projection 24 - on the bottom of the corner fitting 26).

In addition to the distance sensor 29, the coupling piece 20, as indicated above, can have one or more further sensors. In the present case, the coupling piece also has a temperature sensor 32 and a further distance sensor 29. In the present case, the temperature sensor 32 is also arranged on the underside 30 of the stop plate 27 and measures the temperature of the upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and can thus be used, for example, for fire alarms. The further distance sensor 29 is attached in the shaft 34 of the upper coupling projection 21 and measures the distance to the edge of an elongated hole in the lower corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23 of the transmitter unit 28 and the other sensors 29, 32 are used. As an alternative or in addition to the sensors 29, 32 mentioned, other / additional sensors, such as a gas sensor or an accelerometer, can be provided depending on the desired application. The gas sensor can be set up, for example, to detect flue gas, which indicates a fire, or to detect ripening gas, which indicates the spoilage of loaded food, or any other gas that is hazardous to the environment or health. The accelerometer can be used to record accelerations induced by ship movements (rolling, pitching, yawing) and thus forces on the coupling pieces 20 and corner fittings 22, 26 or the cargo transported in the container during sea transport. Load changes, which are measured by bottom locks 35 set up for this purpose, also provide a further or alternative indication of such forces. An example of such bottom locks 35 is known from WO 2016/126163 A2 already mentioned at the beginning. Furthermore, the additional / further sensor can also be used to acquire and send data from within the container, for example to monitor pallets or to monitor refrigerated containers.

On board a container ship, the coupling piece 20 described so far is used as follows:

After the new container 23 to be loaded has been delivered to the quay, it is lifted by a container crane so that a stevedore can insert a coupling piece into each of the four lower corner fittings 22 of the (upper) container 23 to be loaded (Fig. 2). At least one of these coupling pieces is a coupling piece 20 according to the present invention. In practice, however, coupling pieces 20 according to the present invention are always used in all four lower corner fittings 22, if only to avoid errors caused by two different types of coupling pieces and / or to increase the measurement density. The measurement of a correct locking of the coupling pieces 20 with the upper corner fittings 26 of the already loaded container 25, on which the upper container 23 is placed during loading, should be done for safety reasons with all four pairs of upper and lower corner fittings 22, 25 by means of the coupling pieces 20 according to the invention be performed. In practice, the coupling pieces 20 belong to the container ship and are carried along by the ship in boxes specially provided for this purpose, referred to in practice as bins, insofar as they are not required to secure containers during a voyage. The stevedore removes the coupling pieces 20 from one of these bins and inserts them into the lower corner fittings 22 (FIG. 2). In order to save energy, the coupling pieces 20 are put into a sleep mode as long as they are in the bins and are not inserted into a lower corner fitting 22. You will be woken up by an activation signal. This signal can, for example, be the first distance measurement by the distance sensor 29 as soon as the stop plate 27 of the coupling piece 20 approaches an upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 or touches it. In the latter case, the distance sensor can be a simple piezo element, which sends a current impulse as an activation signal when it is placed on it and thus also signals correct locking at the same time.

In the case of the coupling piece 20 according to FIG. 1, however, the further distance sensor 29 is used to activate the coupling piece 20. The further distance sensor 29 is therefore also referred to as an activation sensor 33 in the context of the present disclosure. This activation sensor 33 detects that the coupling piece 20 with its upper coupling projection 21 has been inserted into a lower corner fitting 22 and the coupling piece 20 is activated by means of this signal. The activation sensor 33 can in turn be a piezo element which, when the shaft 34 hits the edge of the elongated hole in the corner fitting 22, sends a current surge as an activation signal.

On the basis of this disclosure, the person skilled in the art will find further suitable positions for the activation sensor. Furthermore, the activation sensor 33 can also be designed in such a way that it already recognizes the removal of the coupling piece 20 from the bin and sends the activation signal. In all the cases mentioned, the coupling piece is already activated by the activation sensor 33, so that signals can be sent while the container 23 is being heaved on board the container ship. These The variant is particularly important in connection with a further development of the invention, which is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.

The arrangement formed from the (upper) container 23 to be reloaded and the coupling pieces 20 is now heaved on board the container ship (FIG. 3) and placed there on one of the already loaded (lower) containers 25 (FIG. 4). In Fig. 4 the setting down of the upper container 23 is shown specifically on the lower container 25 of the lowest layer. As already mentioned, this container is connected by the bottom locks 35 in the usual way to container foundations, which in the present case are set up for weight measurement, for example by the bottom locks 35 according to WO 2016/126163 A2. Due to the lowering of the upper container 23 on the lower container 25, the weight of the container stack (stack weight) changes. This change in the stack weight is recognized by the bottom locks 35 and a corresponding weight signal 36, together with an identifier for the respective bottom lock from which the weight signal 36 originates, is sent to a base unit 37, several of which are preferably distributed on board the ship at suitable locations are located. The position of the bottom locks 35 on the ship is known. In practice, they always remain in their container foundations. In a direct temporal context, the distance sensors 29 of the coupling pieces 20 detect the distance to the respective upper corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 and also send a corresponding distance signal 38 to the base unit 37 via the transmission unit 28 have locked with the corner fittings 26. Together with the distance signal, the transmission units 28 send an identification signal (ID) so that the distance signal can be assigned to a specific ID and thus to a specific coupling piece 20 without knowing where this coupling piece is. In practice, the distance signal, like all other status signals sent by the coupling piece 20, already contains the identification signal. Which container stack the newly loaded (upper) container 20 belongs to and which position it is in is recognized on the basis of the weight measurement by means of the bottom locks 35. This is illustrated by the diagram according to FIG. 5. The abscissa of the diagram according to FIG. 5 shows the time axis, while the ordinate shows the stack weight indicated by the bottom stackers 35 (sum of the loads resting on the individual bottom stackers 35) of a specific container stack. The step-like weight curve 39 over time is shown in FIG. 5. As soon as the upper container 23 is placed on the lower container 25, the stack weight changes by leaps and bounds by the weight of the upper container 23. In a direct temporal context (although not necessarily exactly at the same time), the transmission units 28 of the coupling pieces 20 of the newly loaded container send their distance signals, as shown by the group of four points 40 in FIG. Each point stands for the point in time of a distance signal from one of the coupling pieces 20. For comparison, a second group of points 41 is shown, which stand for distance signals from coupling pieces 20 sent at an earlier point in time. Due to the time lag to the weight increase after line 39, these must belong to a different stack of containers. It is thus known to which of the container stacks on board the container ship the newly loaded container 23 belongs. By simply counting the weight changes measured by the bottom stacker 35, the position of the newly loaded container 23 within the stack is also known. The stack weight is initially "zero". If the lowest container of a stack is loaded (container of the bottom layer), the stack weight initially changes by leaps and bounds by its weight. The container now follows the second layer with a second sudden change in weight by its weight, and so on. The coupling piece 20 inserted into the lower corner fittings 22 of the newly loaded (upper) container 23 locks with the upper corner fittings 26 of the uppermost already loaded (then lower) container 25, which is indicated by a corresponding distance signal 38.

The signals sent to the base unit 37 are transmitted by the latter to a CPU 42, for example an on-board computer of the container ship, and are evaluated by the latter. The measured values or an alarm signal resulting therefrom are displayed to the ship's management and / or other crew members and / or other stevedores and / or the crane driver, who can then react accordingly. The base units 37 distributed on the ship can be wired to the CPU or transmit their signals via radio. To cover greater distances than the range of the base units 37 allow bridging, relay units can be provided which receive and forward the signals from one of the base units 37. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the base units 37 also serve as relay units with one another. If the range of one of the base units 37 is insufficient to reach the CPU 42 directly, it transmits its signal to another accessible base unit 37, which forwards the signal to the CPU 42 via further base units 37 if necessary.

After setting down, that is to say in particular during the sea voyage, the sensors detect a respective state variable, depending on the desired application, which is then sent to the base unit 37 by means of the transmission unit 28. From there, as described above, the signals reach the CPU 42 via further base units 37, if necessary. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG 28 sent via one or more base units 37 to the CPU and processed by this for display for the ship's management.

The base units 37 can have their own power supply z. B. by means of a battery, or be connected to the electrical power supply of the container ship. As can already be seen from the above, the base units 37 are strategically distributed on the container ship according to the range of the radio signals.

On the basis of the signals detected and displayed by the ship's CPU 42, faults can be investigated immediately and in a targeted manner, since not only the type of fault, but also from which of the loaded containers this fault originates can be displayed. In this way, it is possible to investigate what is the result of a faulty locking mechanism, for example, while stowing. In the ideal case, correct coupling / locking can then be brought about by simply lifting the upper container 23 again and placing it again on the lower container 25. If that fails, the affected container can be unloaded again to fix the problem. As already described, the distance sensors 29 can also be used during the Sea transports can be activated at various other times in order to warn of unintentional unlocking during sea transport. Further sensors, for example the temperature sensor 32, also continuously or periodically supply data which are transmitted by means of the transmission unit 28 and thus warn the ship's management of dangers.

The transmitting unit 28 can also be designed as a transmitting and receiving unit which receives signals from the CPU 42 via one or more base units 37. In this way, measurements can also be carried out on request and sent to the CPU 42. In particular, to save electricity, it is possible to put the coupling pieces 20 into a rest or sleep mode by means of a rest signal and to activate them again by means of a possibly periodic activation signal by the CPU 42 and to call up the measurement data. Fig. 7 shows the unloading of an upper container 23, in technical language as

Deletion of cargo, so known of the container 23). This is lifted from the lower container 25 with a container crane, with fully automatic coupling pieces 20 unlocking automatically. A semi-automatic twistlock (Semi Automatic Twistlock - SAT) or a manual twistlock must first be unlocked by a stevedore. From this point on, the transmission of signals is no longer necessary. The bottom locks 35, however, still detect the change in weight. The corresponding weight curve 39 over time is indicated in the diagram according to FIG. 8. This means that it is known that the container stack has become one layer smaller. If a new container 23 is loaded instead of the just unloaded (deleted) container 23, due to the procedure described above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, not only its affiliation to this container stack, but also its location is known again.

After unloading (deleting) the upper container 23, the coupling pieces 20 are removed again from the corner fittings 22 (FIG. 9), these using the

Activation sensor 33 can be put back into a rest or sleep mode, and stored in a bin. A further development of the invention described so far is shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, in which the same components are denoted by the same reference numbers as in FIGS. 1 to 9. 10 shows an arrangement of a container 43 and coupling pieces 20 inserted in its lower corner fittings 22. However, the container 43 still has at least one additional transmitter unit 44 of its own. The transmission unit can be coupled to an additional sensor or also to sensors arranged within the container 43, which detect status data on or in the container. This can again be a temperature sensor and / or a gas sensor and / or an accelerometer. Furthermore, a sensor that monitors a function of a unit on the container, such as a cooling unit, or of data within the container can be used. Such data within the container can, for example, be data for monitoring the load and / or data with which, for example, the shipowner tracks and / or monitors the load. The signals of the at least one transmission unit 44 are also transmitted to the CPU 42 via one of the base units 37 together with an identification signal (ID) for the transmission unit 44. In practice, the signals transmitting unit 44 contain the identification signal. The at least one additional transmission unit 44 can be permanently attached to the container 43 or used manually by the stevedore before the container 43 is loaded onto the container ship. In the first case, the transmitter unit 44 and its coupled sensors must be activated separately; in the latter case, they can be activated automatically when they are attached to the container 43.

The container 43 is now hoisted on board a container ship 46 by a container crane, also referred to as a container bridge 45. This process is in the

Figures 11 and 12 shown. In addition to the container 43 to be loaded, a container 47 resting in the area of the container bridge 45 is also shown in the area for clarity. The container ship 46 is provided on its long side facing the quay with, according to the present embodiment, four locating units. It goes without saying that the container ship 46 can also have locating units on the other longitudinal side, if the container ship, which is regularly the case in practice, berths sometimes with one side and sometimes with the other long side at the quay. According to the present exemplary embodiment, some of the base units 37 already present on board are advantageously used again as locating units.

The base units 37 serving as locating units continuously measure the distances between the four coupling pieces 20 and the transmitter unit 44 attached to the container 43 by exchanging signals between the respective transmitter units 28, 44 and the base units 37. For example, by means of trilateration, but alternatively also by means of triangulation, the position of the coupling pieces 20 and the transmitter unit 44 can be determined. For this purpose, at least three base units 37 serving as locating units are required. As shown, however, four base units 37 are preferably used for this. Because of this continuous position determination, for each of the four

Determine coupling pieces 20 and also for the transmitter unit 44 a movement pattern. In FIG. 11, four different locations 43i, 43n, 43m and 43iv of the container 43 are shown by way of example during the heave. The four coupling pieces 20 and the transmission unit 44 have the same movement pattern as one another and can thus be recognized as belonging to the same container 43 as a group. It is thus also known which container 43 in which container stack and in which position within the container stack the transmitting unit 44 is assigned. Faults ascertained on the basis of signals from this transmission unit 44 can in turn be examined and eliminated in a targeted manner.

Even with the containers 23 to be reloaded without an additional transmission unit 44, as described above, the combination into a group can advantageously be used. If the distance sensor 29 fails on one or even two or three of the coupling pieces 20, then no distance signal 38 is emitted from it when the upper container 23 is placed on the lower container 25. It is then not known to which container 23 the coupling piece 20 in question belongs and consequently where on board it is located. However, if the coupling pieces 20 form a group as described above In summary, the distance signal 38 of one of the coupling pieces 20 is sufficient to determine which container 23 it belongs to. It is true that due to the missing distance signal 38 due to the defective distance sensor 29, an error message will occur which must be followed up. The function of other sensors, such as the temperature sensor 32 on the relevant coupling piece 20 and the corresponding data exchange with the CPU 42 is not necessarily disturbed and the coupling piece can still be used for other purposes, such as fire alarms.

In the extreme case, due to the combination in a group, it would even be possible to determine the position at which a specific container 23, 43 is loaded, entirely without the distance sensors 29, based solely on the movement pattern. Due to the dimensions of the container bridges 45, only one container 23, 43 can ever be loaded in a specific bay. Even a simultaneous loading of containers 23, 43 in directly adjacent bays is hardly possible in practice. The movement pattern can now be recorded at least as long as the container is still being moved over the quay. This means that it is known in which bay the container will be loaded. If the bottom locks 35 belonging to a specific stowage location for container stacks within this bay now send a weight signal 36 in a specific time window, this indicates that this container 23, 43 belongs to this container stack.

When the container 43 or 23 is unloaded, the procedure described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 is repeated. It is not necessary to track the movement pattern of the coupling pieces 20 and possibly the sensor 44.

The technique described above is not limited to twistlocks or midlocks for containers loaded on deck. It can be used advantageously on all types of coupling pieces, e.g. for twist stackers for containers loaded below deck.

It goes without saying that in the present invention there is a connection between, on the one hand, features that have been described in connection with method steps and, on the other hand, features that are in connection with corresponding devices have been described. Thus described method features are also to be regarded as device features belonging to the invention - and vice versa - even if this was not explicitly mentioned. It should be noted that the following with reference to individual embodiments or

Features of the invention described in variants, such as the type and configuration of the individual components of the system according to the invention on the one hand - such as the distance sensors, the base units 37 and the processing unit - as well as their spatial arrangement on the other hand or the respective implementation and sequence of the individual process steps, also in other embodiments may be present, unless otherwise stated in the present description or the appended claims or if it is prohibited by itself for technical reasons. Of such features of individual embodiments, which are described in combination, it is also not necessarily always necessary for all the features to be implemented in a relevant embodiment.

List of reference symbols:

20 coupling piece

21 (upper) coupling projection

22 (lower) corner fitting 23 (upper) container

24 (lower) coupling projection

25 (lower) container

26 (upper) corner fitting

27 Stop plate 28 transmitter unit

29 Distance sensor

30 bottom

31 top

32 Temperature sensor 33 Activation sensor

34 shaft

35 Bottom ock

36 weight signal

37 Base unit 38 Distance signal

39 Weight loss

40 group of points

41 group of points

42 CPU 43 container

44 Transmitter Unit

45 container crane

46 container ship

47 containers

Claims

Expectations

1. Coupling piece (20) for securing first corner fittings (22) of a first container (23, 44) with second corner fittings (26) of a second container (25) at least against horizontal displacement against each other, characterized by: a sensor (29, 32) which is set up to detect a respective state of the coupling piece (20), and a transmitting unit (28) which is set up to send an identification signal and a status signal (38) which is representative of the detected state of the coupling piece (20), to send.

2. coupling piece (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor (29, 32) for detecting a distance to the first corner fitting (22) and / or second corner fitting (26) and / or a temperature and / or an open or The closed state of the coupling piece (20) and / or an acceleration and / or the presence of a predetermined gas is designed as the respective state of the coupling piece (20).

3. coupling piece (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the

Transmitting unit (28) is designed as a transmitting and receiving unit also for receiving signals.

4. coupling piece (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by an activation means (33) which is designed for activating and deactivating, in particular a sensor which is adapted to insert the coupling piece (20) in a corner fitting ( 22).

5. Arrangement of a container (23, 44, 25) and at least one coupling piece (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that one of the coupling pieces (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4 is assigned to each first corner fitting (22) of the container (23).

7. Arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by an additional

Sending unit (44) on the container (43), which is used to send data on a state, for example a temperature and / or the presence of a predetermined gas and / or malfunction of an aggregate of the container (43) and / or on the cargo within the container (43) related data.

8. Container ship (46) with several parking spaces each for a stack of containers (23, 44, 25) stacked on top of one another, of which, in the stacked state, the lowest container (25) by means of floor coupling pieces (35) with a container foundation and the upper ones stacked above Container (23, 44) through

Coupling pieces (20) are secured to one another at their corner fittings (22, 26) at least against horizontal displacement, characterized in that at least one of the floor coupling pieces (35) is set up to detect a change in weight; that a coupling piece (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4 is inserted into at least one of the corner fittings (22) of each upper container (23, 44); and that at least one base unit (37) is provided for receiving and forwarding the signals (38) of the coupling pieces (20).

9. Container ship (46) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least three spatially spaced locating units are arranged distributed on board the container ship (46) that during the heaving of one of the containers (25) on board the container ship (46) a Locating each coupling piece (20) designed according to one of Claims 1 to 4 is possible.

10. Container ship (46) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that at least one base unit (37) is further designed for sending signals to the coupling pieces (20).

11. Container ship (46) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that for a predetermined group of base units (37) each have a relay unit (50) for receiving and possibly sending all from and / to this group of base units (37 ) sent signals and is set up for their forwarding to a processing unit (42), in particular an on-board computer.

12. Container ship (46) according to one of claims 8 to 11, further characterized by at least one arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 7.

13. A method for monitoring a respective state of a coupling piece (20), with the following steps:

Insertion of a coupling piece (20) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 in at least one of the lower corner fittings (22) of a container (23, 44) to be loaded and lifting of the container (23, 44) to be loaded onto an already loaded container (25) ;

Sending an identification signal from said coupling piece (20) to a base unit (37);

Detecting the placement of the container (23, 44) to be loaded onto the already loaded container (23, 44, 25) and sending a corresponding status signal (38) to a base unit (37);

Detecting a change in weight on a floor coupling piece (35) which connects the lowermost container (25) of a container stack to a container foundation, and sending a weight change signal (36) to the base unit (37);

Forwarding of the signal to a processing unit (42), in particular an on-board computer, and determining whether the coupling piece (20) belongs to the same container stack as the floor coupling piece (35), in particular using a Time difference between the status signal (38) and the weight change signal (36).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that in each corner fitting (22) of each upper container (23) a coupling piece (20) according to one of the

Claims 1 to 4 is used.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the respective state of the coupling pieces (20) or data from sensors that are coupled to the additional transmitter unit (44), cyclically and / or upon request by the

Processing unit (42), in particular also during the transport of the containers (23, 43, 25), and a display of the status and / or an alarm signal and the position of the associated coupling piece (20) is initiated.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that the coupling pieces (20) assigned to a specific container (25) are detected in a group by the signals sent by the coupling pieces (20) while the container (25 ) are located on board the ship by trilateration using at least three positioning units.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the coupling pieces (20) assigned to a container (25) are recorded as a group on the basis of their movement pattern during the heaving process.