Loading area for accommodating goods, especially containers

Abstract

Loading area for receiving goods, in particular containers, characterized by an integrated conveying system by means of which individual goods can be moved in two directions on the loading area (1), wherein drives (3, 4) can be brought into contact and / or engagement with individual goods in order to move the goods to a desired position.

Description

[0001] Various loading areas are known for accommodating all kinds of goods, especially those with standardized dimensions, such as containers. This can be the loading area of ​​a vehicle or a separate loading area that can be loaded onto a vehicle, train, aircraft, or other means of transport. In this sense, containers themselves can also be considered loading areas, for example, when loaded with goods and then loaded onto a ship or any vehicle or aircraft for transport.

[0002] To distribute the loaded goods, they must be removed from the loading area. This is usually done by removing all the goods and then distributing them further according to their destination. This can be done manually or, for example, using a crane, which involves considerable effort.

[0003] The object of the invention is to create a loading area which, on the one hand, can be loaded in a simple manner and, on the other hand, allows the selective removal of a specific loaded item, hereinafter referred to as a container.

[0004] This task is solved by means of a loading area which has an integrated conveyor system by means of which individual goods, hereinafter referred to as containers, can be moved in two directions on the loading area, whereby drives can be brought into contact and / or engagement with individual containers in order to move the containers to a desired position.

[0005] During loading, this loading area operates by loading a removal position, i.e., a position from which a container can be easily removed, with the container being removed first. This ensures that after this container has been removed, a free space is available for the further loaded containers to be maneuvered as desired. Alternatively, a position is kept free during loading of the loading area. In this case, it does not matter which container is to be unloaded first, as the free position allows for the containers to be maneuvered as desired, so that each container can be brought to the delivery position on the loading area.

[0006] Advantageously, the drives feature contact and / or engagement elements that can be raised or lowered to engage or disengage the container. This allows each loaded container to be moved two-dimensionally on the loading area using the appropriate drives and brought into the desired position.

[0007] It has proven effective to design the drives as belt chains or roller drives, which enable the movement of the container by means of frictional engagement or positive engagement with the aforementioned engagement elements or contact elements.

[0008] Although the loading area according to the invention can basically be implemented in all sizes and offers the advantages outlined, its use with motor vehicles appears particularly advantageous. The drives advantageously have electric motors powered by a low-voltage system and a rechargeable battery. Currently used low-voltage systems operate with voltages between 12 and 48 volts. The drives can be powered by the vehicle's low-voltage system or have a self-sufficient low-voltage system. In this case, a 48-volt system is preferred because no special safety precautions need to be taken at this voltage, and the required currents are significantly lower than, for example, with a 12-volt system. With a self-sufficient system, the battery providing the energy must be charged before use and dimensioned so that sufficient energy is available for the planned application.In principle, charging is of course also possible via the vehicle transporting the loading area.

[0009] To enable largely automatic operation of the system, the desired end position of a container can be detected by sensors, which then deactivate the drive. For this purpose, suitable sensors are provided at the corresponding positions on the loading area. The containers are advantageously moved on plain or ball bearing tracks to minimize friction. To ensure that the containers are always moved along the desired conveyor path, guides can be provided. These can have side walls to guide the containers, or pins that engage the container to guide it, or engage corresponding recesses on the container.

[0010] The contact and / or engagement elements can be raised and lowered using a height adjustment mechanism that raises or lowers the elements or the entire drive including these elements. The height adjustment mechanism can be equipped with a cam disc or a guide rail, which is moved by a suitable drive. An electric cylinder, preferably powered by a low-voltage system, preferably with 48 volts, has proven to be effective for this purpose.

[0011] Preferably, the contacts or engagement elements are spring-loaded, with the height adjustment mechanism acting on this spring to generate a constant contact pressure. By interposing a suitable spring, it can be ensured that the containers are always lifted with a constant contact pressure, thus ensuring trouble-free operation of the loading area.

[0012] The height adjustment mentioned can be designed in such a way that all drives in a row can be raised and lowered with it.

[0013] To remove the containers, it may be advantageous to provide a lifting device by means of which a portion of the loading area, at least the size of a container, can be lowered or raised. However, the lifting device can also interact with a separate storage area onto which the container to be removed is moved via appropriate drives. It may also be advantageous to design the entire loading area with adjustable height, for example, to raise it to the desired height during loading at a ramp, and to lower it sufficiently for manual removal so that it is easily accessible.

[0014] Advantageously, the lifting device has a receptacle onto which the container can be placed by the drive units. This receptacle is height-adjustable and preferably has two prongs for securely holding the container. Once the prongs are engaged with the container, the lowering can be carried out without fear of the container falling.

[0015] The loading area can be part of a means of transport, such as a motor vehicle. However, it can also be provided autonomously as a separate element and simply picked up by a means of transport. In this case, the loading area advantageously has supports to allow it to stand freely. This allows it to be loaded and unloaded independently of the means of transport, so that the means of transport is not unnecessarily tied up. With such a design, the supports are advantageously height-adjustable so that the loading area can be raised to the desired height. The adjustment is preferably electrohydraulically and is preferably supplied by a low-voltage system, preferably with 48 volts.

[0016] The height adjustment of the supports is advantageously carried out by a control unit which uses a gyroscopic measuring device to ensure that the loading area is aligned in the desired manner even when raised or lowered.

[0017] The conveyor systems, as well as a lifting device or the height-adjustable supports described above, are preferably electrically powered. The power can be provided by a vehicle or a separate battery. Purely mechanical drives, as well as hydraulic or pneumatic drives, can be used.

[0018] The invention is explained in detail below using a concrete embodiment. Fig. 1 shows the loading area with lifting device. Fig. 2 shows a device for raising and lowering a belt drive of the loading area.

[0019] The embodiment shown here is a loading area 1 that is equipped with supports 2 so that a transport vehicle can place it on the ground. In this model, the supports 2 are not height-adjustable, but they can also be made height-adjustable. To transport the loading area 1, a transport vehicle drives its loading area under the loading area 1, lifts it up and can then load and transport it away. The model shown has six loading spaces for standardized containers 5, 6. If all six spaces are to be used to transport containers, a container that is to be unloaded first must be loaded in the front area of ​​the loading area. In the illustration, this is the left side, where a lifting device 7 is also provided.

[0020] In this embodiment, the loading area 1 has six belt drives 3 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the loading area 1, each located below a loading position, and three belt drives 4 arranged transversely thereto, each located between two loading positions. A lifting device 7 is provided for picking up and unloading the containers 5, 6. This has belt drives 8, 9, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the loading area 1 and serve to pick up containers that are in the front area of ​​the loading area 1, i.e. the two positions on the left side of the illustration that are not occupied in the illustration. By adjusting the height 10 of the lifting device 7, the belt drives can be brought to the level of the loading area 1 or lowered relative to it.

[0021] For example, if container 5 is to be removed, it is transported by the transversely arranged belt drive 4c by lifting it and engaging it with the container 5, then to the longitudinally arranged belt drive 3c. From there, it is moved in a similar manner by the belt drives 3c, 3b, and 3a to a forward removal position. From this position, the container can be transported to the lifting device 7 by means of the belt drive 3a and the belt drive 8 of the lifting device, and from there, brought to a suitable removal height.

[0022] The exemplary embodiment shown is primarily intended to explain the concept of the invention schematically, whereby it is clear that the invention can also be used to create loading areas with a large number of loading positions.

[0023] The respective position of the containers 5, 6 is monitored by a sensor system (not shown), and the aforementioned belt drives 3, 4, 8, 9 are controlled as required to move the containers to the desired position. Guides are provided to ensure that the containers are transported precisely from position to position. In this regard, only longitudinal guides 11 are shown schematically in the illustration. The containers 5, 6 can be provided with pins that engage in guide grooves, so that movement is only possible along these guide grooves. The belt drives 3, 4, 8, 9 are driven by an electric motor via a low-voltage system, as already explained at the beginning.

[0024] The lifting and lowering of the belt drives 3, 4 is shown schematically using Fig.2. The illustrated belt drive 3 has an engagement pin 13 in its central region, which acts on the frame 15 of the belt drive 3 via a spring assembly 16. The cam disk 12 is moved along the frame 15 of the belt drive 3 via an electric cylinder (not shown). By means of a link guide 14 of the cam disk 12, into which the pin 13 of the belt drive 3 engages, the height of the belt drive 3 can be adjusted according to the curve of the cam disk 12, and in this way the belt drive 3 can be raised or lowered to the desired position.

Claims

[1] Loading area for the accommodation of goods, in particular containers, characterized by an integrated conveyor system by means of which individual goods can be moved in two directions on the loading surface (1), wherein drives (3, 4) can be brought into contact and / or engagement with individual goods in order to move the goods to a desired position. [2] Loading area according to claim 1, characterized by that the drives (3, 4) have contact and / or engagement elements which can be brought into or out of contact or engagement with the goods by means of raising or lowering. [3] Loading area according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the drives (3, 4) are designed as belt chain drives or roller drives, which enable the movement of the goods by means of frictional engagement or positive engagement with engagement elements. [4] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the drives (3, 4) have electric motors which are supplied by a low-voltage system, preferably with 48 volts, preferably by a separate rechargeable battery. [5] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that at least the desired end position of the goods is detected by sensors which switch off the drive (3, 4). [6] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the goods are moved on plain or ball bearing tracks. [7] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that guides (11) are provided which guide the goods along the desired conveying path. [8] Loading area according to claim 7, characterized by that the guides (11) have side walls for guiding the goods and / or pins which engage the goods for guiding them. [9] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized bythat the raising or lowering of the contact and / or engagement elements is carried out by means of a height adjustment which raises or lowers the elements or the entire drive (3, 4). [10] Loading area according to claim 9, characterized by that the height adjustment is carried out via a cam disc or a guide rail. [11] Loading area according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by that the height adjustment is carried out by means of an electric cylinder, which is preferably supplied by a low-voltage system. [12] Loading area according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by that the contact or engagement elements have a spring (16) and the height adjustment acts on this spring (16) in order to generate a constant pressure force. [13] Loading area according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized by that all drives (3, 4) in a row can be raised and lowered by means of the height adjustment. [14] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by that the loading area (1) is adjustable in height or has a lifting device (7) by means of which a part of the loading area (1) or an adjacent area can be lowered or raised. [15] Loading area according to claim 14, characterized by that the lifting device (7) has a receptacle onto which the goods can be placed by the drives (3, 4), which is height-adjustable and preferably has two tines. [16] Loading area according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized by that the loading area (1) can stand freely by means of supports (2). [17] Loading area according to claim 16, characterized by that the supports (2) are adjustable in height, wherein the adjustment is preferably carried out electrohydraulically and is preferably supplied by a low-voltage system. [18] Loading area according to claim 17, characterized bythat the height adjustment is controlled by a control unit that has a gyroscopic measuring device.

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