Latch column and load carrier with several such latch columns

Abstract

Latch column comprising a latch chamber (6, 37, 47) enclosed by two side cheeks (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1) arranged at a distance from each other and a rear wall (4, 33) connecting the side cheeks (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1), supporting column (2, 31) comprising a plurality of bearing surfaces (10) each having a bearing surface and extending transversely to the planar extent of the side cheeks (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1).1) pawls (7, 39, 43) arranged one above the other, pivotable along a pivot axis, the support surface (10) of which projects out of the pawl chamber (6, 37, 47) in the loading position of the pawls (7, 39, 43), and comprising a kinematic coupling of adjacent pawls (7, 39, 43), by which, when a lower pawl (7, 39, 43) is pivoted into its loading position, the pawl (7, 39, 43) above it is pivoted into a ready position pivoted against a restoring force relative to a non-use position, characterized in that the pawls (7) are designed as two-armed levers with a support arm (11) and an actuating arm (14) and that, for the kinematic coupling of each pair of adjacent pawls (7), the upper pawl (7) is pivoted in the pivoting range between its In its non-use position and its ready position, the actuating arm (14) of the lower latch (7) is supported on this.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a latch column comprising a support column with a latch chamber enclosed by two spaced-apart side walls and a rear wall connecting the side walls, comprising a plurality of latches, each having a support surface and pivotable about a pivot axis extending transversely to the planar extent of the side walls, arranged one above the other, the support surface of which projects out of the latch chamber in the loaded position of the latches, and comprising a kinematic coupling of adjacent latches by which, when a lower latch is pivoted into its loaded position, the latch above it is pivoted into a ready position relative to a non-used position against a restoring force. A load carrier with several such latch columns is also described.

[0002] These types of latch columns are typically components of load carriers that support multiple such latch columns. These load carriers primarily serve to stack flat loads and thus store them in a vertical arrangement. Typically, such (special) load carriers act as temporary storage, also for transporting the components they contain. Therefore, such a load carrier is typically a storage and transport container. These load carriers are frequently used, for example, in the manufacture of motor vehicles, such as for the temporary storage of body parts, typically for transporting these press-formed body parts from the point of manufacture to the point where they are assembled, for example, to form a chassis.If smaller products are to be temporarily stored in such a load carrier, transport trays are used, which can be designed with or without compartments, in which several or a large number of these smaller components are then contained in each stacking level.

[0003] To enable automated loading and unloading using a handling robot, pairs of adjacent latches arranged one above the other are kinematically coupled with respect to their pivoting capability. This utilizes the fact that a load carrier equipped with such latch columns is loaded from bottom to top and unloaded in the reverse direction. Except for the lowest latch of such a latch column, the latches are pivoted during loading of the load carrier from a non-use position, in which they are fully pivoted into the latch chamber, to a ready position, in which the section containing the support surface of such a latch protrudes from the latch chamber.In this position, the latches are loaded; that is, in this position, the load is placed on the support surface of each latch on a level, causing them to pivot further into a loading position due to the weight acting upon them. In this position, the latches used together to hold a load component support that component. The latches adjacent to each other in the stacked arrangement are kinematically coupled to one another by a connecting linkage with respect to their pivoting movement, such that when a lower latch pivots from its ready position to its loading position, the latch above it pivots from its unused position to its ready position. Only the lowest latch of such a latch column can pivot only between its ready position and its loading position. An unused position is not required for this latch.The pivoting movement of the latches is against a restoring force which is usually provided by a leg spring acting on the respective latch.

[0004] These load carriers and latch columns are very robust steel structures and therefore correspondingly heavy. Furthermore, the numerous necessary mechanical processes and the intricate assembly work make these latch columns very expensive to manufacture, thus placing a significant burden on the overall logistics budget.

[0005] Even though such latch columns and, accordingly, load carriers with such latch columns have proven their worth for the stacked transport of larger and, above all, heavier loads, it would be desirable if latch columns could be designed to be less complex, i.e., with fewer different parts required, also in order to be able to provide lighter latch columns.

[0006] Conventional door handle columns are currently unsuitable for transporting cargo with stringent cleanliness requirements. This could include, for example, goods with sensitive surfaces or unsealed battery components. Due to the open design of conventional door handle columns and the numerous components, including smaller ones, gradual contamination (e.g., dust accumulation) is unavoidable. Process-compliant cleaning is virtually impossible.

[0007] Therefore, it would be desirable to use stacked arrangements on latch columns for the temporary storage and transport of such cargo, in which the escape of possible contaminants, especially from the latch chamber towards the cargo supported by the latches, is prevented as far as possible.

[0008] Based on this discussed state of the art, the invention therefore aims to propose a latch column that avoids at least one of the disadvantages mentioned above.

[0009] The problem raised by the lower complexity of such a latch column is solved by a latch column of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which the latches are designed as two-armed levers with a wing arm encompassing the wing and an adjusting arm, and in which, for the kinematic coupling of each of two adjacent latches, the upper latch is supported on the adjusting arm of the lower latch in the pivoting range between its non-use position and its ready position.

[0010] The problem of contamination is solved according to the invention by a latch column of the aforementioned type, in which, in the non-use position of two adjacent latches, the upper side of the lower latch rests against at least one surface section of the underside of the upper latch.

[0011] The problem of weight associated with conventional latch columns is solved according to the invention by a latch column of the aforementioned type, in which the support column, but in particular the support column and the latches, are made of plastic, especially polyethylene (PE).

[0012] A design that combines the aforementioned solutions is particularly preferred.

[0013] According to the first proposed solution, the pawls are designed as two-armed levers. These comprise a wing arm with the wing used to hold cargo and an actuating arm. The actuating arm serves to kinematically couple two adjacent pawls in the stacked arrangement. The upper pawl of such a pair of pawls is supported by its actuating arm against the actuating arm of the pawl below it when the lower pawl is in its ready position. The support of the actuating arm of the upper pawl against that of the lower pawl is designed such that when the lower pawl pivots from its ready position to its loading position, the upper pawl supported by it pivots from its unused position to its ready position. This kinematic coupling is direct.Therefore, no additional linkages or adjusting levers are needed to transfer the pivoting movement of a lower latch to the one above it.

[0014] Designing the latches as two-armed levers allows for a configuration in which the two lever arms – the wing arm and the actuating arm – have different weights, such that the latches tend to pivot into their unused position due to gravity. This occurs when the actuating arm, as is preferably the case, has a greater weight than the wing arm. This cleverly utilizes the two-armed lever design to eliminate the need for additional return elements, such as springs, to reset the latches to their unused position.

[0015] For the kinematic coupling of two latches positioned one above the other, the lower latch has an actuating contour on the upper side of its actuating arm. This actuating contour extends along the longitudinal axis of the latch and is designed so that, despite the upper latch being supported by its actuating arm against the lower latch, the lower latch can pivot from its disengaged position to its ready position, while the upper latch remains in its disengaged position despite being supported by the lower latch. This allows the cooperating surfaces—the upper side of the lower latch and the underside of the upper latch—to be designed such that at least a portion of these surfaces is in contact both in the disengaged position of the two latches and in the position where the lower latch has already pivoted into its ready position.In the non-use position, two adjacent latches are arranged in a shingle-like, offset configuration. This seals the latch chamber against the ingress of contaminants such as dust, eliminating the risk of contaminants from the latch chamber onto the cargo when the latch column is loaded. Therefore, such a latch column is particularly suitable for transporting pure or ultrapure products.

[0016] Depending on the intended latch spacing, the adjusting arm and the adjusting contour are adapted accordingly.

[0017] If an improved seal between the adjacent latches is desired with regard to preventing dust or contaminants from entering or exiting the latch chamber, the lower latch can have a sealing strip or a corresponding sealing lip extending across its width at the contact points with the surface sections of the upper latch.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, the bearing surface of the latch's support arm extends into a contact section, which separates the latch's bearing surface from the actuating contour of its actuating arm. Preferably, the lower latch has a pocket in its actuating contour located adjacent to the contact section, into which the end section of the upper latch's actuating arm engages when the lower latch pivots from its inactive position to its ready position. The support is maintained by the transition between the contact section and the side wall of such a pocket, which is part of the actuating contour and is closer to the contact section. This transition is typically designed with a small radius. During the pivoting movement of the lower latch, it then rolls along this transition on the underside of the upper latch.This therefore remains in its non-use position despite maintaining support on the lower latch. The upper surface of the lower latch, which cooperates for at least partial contact between two latches positioned one above the other, and the underside of the upper latch are preferably flat. The aforementioned partial contact typically extends over the entire width of the two latches positioned one above the other.

[0019] The width of the handles themselves preferably corresponds to the distance between the side walls of the stacking column, plus any necessary clearance for movement. This ensures that the handle chamber is sealed as much as possible, even laterally with respect to the individual handles, preventing the escape of contaminants. The arrangement described above also guarantees that, when the handle column is not in use, contaminants cannot enter the handle chamber, for example, during transport.

[0020] To adjust the upper latch of such a latch pair from its inactive position to its ready position, the wall of the recess of the lower latch's adjusting contour that is furthest from the contact section serves as the support surface for the free end section of the upper latch's adjusting arm. This side wall of the recess thus acts as the positioning surface for the upper latch. In this position, the two latches, arranged one above the other, typically form an angle of more than 25° but not more than 55° along their longitudinal axis. If the angle between the longitudinal axes of two adjacent latches is greater in this position, it can sometimes lead to misalignment, or at least to an impairment of the pivoting movement of both latches. For this reason, an inclination of the longitudinal axes of two such latches of 30° to 40° in the described position is preferred.The upper latch, which is supported by its free end section of its actuating arm on that of the lower latch, is therefore also raised when the actuating arm of the lower latch pivots, in which the wing arm is lowered and the actuating arm is raised, which is why the upper latch is pivoted from the non-use position to the ready position.

[0021] The loading position of the latches is typically secured by a stop to limit the amount of rotation. For this purpose, the support column has a stop against which the actuating arm of the respective latch acts when in its loading position. The latch-side stop can, for example, be provided by an actuating rib molded onto the free end of the actuating arm.

[0022] The mutual support provided by the stacked arrangement of adjacent latches, and thus their kinematic coupling, allows the stacking column to be designed so that it can be opened as needed to accommodate different loads and the installation of different latches. According to one embodiment, the support column is composed of several components, one of which is a side panel and the other comprising the remaining parts of the support column. These components are detachably connected, for example, by screw connections. If the individual latches in the stacking column are pivotably mounted on bolts extending through the side panels, the latches can be replaced with others, even those of different geometries, simply by removing these bolts. This allows for the installation of different loads.The pawls can also be mounted on such bolts by inserting a sleeve between them. If the pawls are made of plastic, such a sleeve can easily be press-fitted through the pawls. The pivoting movement of the pawls relative to the bolt is then achieved via the pivoting motion of the sleeve relative to the bolt. This results in a correspondingly longer friction period when the pawls pivot, which in turn has a positive effect on their return to their original position under the influence of gravity.

[0023] A particularly advantageous design for the aforementioned door handle column is made of plastic, preferably with regard to its support column and the handles. Such a door handle column is then very lightweight. In particular, its overall design allows for a compact form factor. If the handles are made of plastic, they can be manufactured as injection-molded or milled parts. In either case, the handles, even with complex outline geometries, can be easily produced. This applies, for example, to the design of the handles in the first proposed solution described above.

[0024] Polyethylene (PE), particularly PE500 or PE1000, is a suitable plastic that meets the necessary stability requirements and is also easy to machine, provided the components (door handle body / door handles) are to be machined and the production runs are small enough not to justify the creation of an injection mold. For larger production runs, all injection-moldable plastics are suitable materials.

[0025] Manufacturing such a door handle column from plastic significantly reduces its weight, making it suitable for manually handled load carriers and especially for smaller load carriers. Furthermore, conventional door handle columns use sheet metal for the body, which is bent and laser-cut accordingly. The use of plastic, which can be machined by milling, opens up entirely new design possibilities regarding the construction and functionality of the door handle tower.

[0026] A door handle column, as described above, regardless of its specific design, has the shape of a cuboid, and depending on its height, an elongated cuboid. The external surface area is small, and apart from the opening of the handle chamber, which is closed by the handles in their unused and ready positions, no further openings are required. This allows for a very compact design of such a door handle column.

[0027] The invention is described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying figures. These show: Fig. 1: A perspective view of a latch column according to the invention, Fig. 2: A perspective view of a handle on the handle column of the Fig. 1, Fig. 3: a side view of the handle of the Fig. 2, Fig. 4: a cross-sectional view through the lower section of the latch column of the Fig. 1, Fig. 5: the door handle column of the Fig. 1 in the position of their latches where the lowest latch has been pivoted into its loading position, Fig. 6: a cross-sectional view through the lower section of the latch column of the Fig. 5, Fig. 7: a perspective view of the door handle column of the Fig. 1 with the two lowest latches in their loading position, Fig. 8: a cross-sectional view through the lower section of the latch column of the Fig. 7, Fig. 9: a load carrier with several opposing latch columns enclosing a load space, with loaded lower latches, Fig. 10: a perspective view of a door handle column according to a further embodiment, Fig. 11: An enlarged perspective view of the lower section of the door handle column of the Fig. 10 with the left side panel hidden, Fig. 12: a perspective view of a door handle column according to yet another embodiment, Fig. 13: A view from below of the door handle column of the Fig. 12 and Fig. 14: An enlarged perspective view of the door handle column of the Fig. 12 with hidden metal sheets of the side panels.

[0028] A door handle column 1 comprises a support column 2. The support column 2 of the illustrated embodiment consists of two side panels 3, 3.1, which are arranged at a distance from each other. The two side panels 3, 3.1 are separated by a back panel 4 (see Fig. 4) together at the in Fig. 1. The rear side is not visible. The upper end of the support column 2 is formed by a roof 5. A latch chamber 6 is formed within the two opposing sides of the side walls 3, 3.1 and the inner side of the rear wall 8. Several latches 7 are arranged one above the other in the latch chamber 6, each pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis. All latches 7, with the exception of the lowest latch 7, are in their unused position and are fully pivoted into the latch chamber 6. The lowest latch 7 is in its ready position, i.e., in the position in which a load or load carrier can be placed on this latch 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the pivot axes are formed by bolts 8 passing through a pivot axis bore in each of the latches 7, as well as through the side walls 3, 3.1 and the pivot axis bores of the latches 7.These are captive and held to the support column 2 by nuts 9. If one or more latches need to be replaced, the nuts 9 can be loosened, the bolts 8 pulled out, and then the latch held by this bolt(s) 8 removed from the latch row and replaced with another.

[0029] The latches 7 of the illustrated embodiment are, as can be seen especially from the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, recognizable as two-armed levers. Each latch 7 has a support surface 10 on which a load to be carried by the latch 7 is placed. The arm of the latch 7 encompassing the support surface 10 is therefore also referred to as the support surface arm 11 in this embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, a contact section 12 adjoins where the upper surface of the latch 7 with its support surface 10 is flush with the front face of the side walls 3, 3.1. In the illustrated embodiment, this contact section is ultimately a continuation of the support surface 10. The pivot axis bore in the illustrated latch 7 is indicated in these figures by reference numeral 13. The second arm of the latch 7, which is mounted as a two-armed lever by the arrangement of the pivot axis bore 13, is an adjusting arm 14.The actuating arm 14 serves to kinematically couple two latches 7 arranged one above the other in a superimposed configuration, so that a specific pivoting movement of the lower latch 7—specifically, a pivoting movement of the lower latch 7 from its ready position to its further pivoted loading position—pivots the latch 7 above it from its unused position to its ready position. For this purpose, the actuating arm 14 has an actuating contour 15 for each latch 7. The actuating contour 15, as well as the contact section 12 and the support surface 10, are located on the upper side of each latch 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuating contour 15, adjacent to the contact section 12, includes a pocket 16 that engages in the upper side of the latch 7. This pocket 16 is formed by a first side wall 17 adjacent to the contact section 12 and a side wall 18 located further away from the contact section 12.The deepest part of the pocket is curved by a radius. At the free end of the adjusting arm 14, a stop rib 19 is formed on the latch 7 as a projection with respect to the longitudinal extent of the latch 7.

[0030] The kinematic coupling of adjacent latches 7 of the latch column 1 takes place directly, namely through the contacting support of the actuating arm 14 of the upper latch 7 on or at the actuating contour 15 of the actuating arm 14 of the lower latch 7, as already mentioned above.

[0031] The actuating arms 14 have more material than the wing arm 11. Furthermore, the actuating arm 14 is longer than the wing arm 11. For this reason, the pawls 7, due to their pivotable mounting around the pivot pins 8, tend to hang at the bottom of the actuating arm 14. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the pawls 7 automatically pivot back to their unused position without additional return means, such as springs or the like, or are automatically held in this position if this is permitted by the pivot position of the pawl 7 below. Of two adjacent pawls 7 in the stacked arrangement, the lower pawl 7 thus controls the pivoting or pivoting capability of the pawl 7 above it.

[0032] The handles 7 indicate, as from Fig. 1. A width is discernible that corresponds to the distance between the side cheeks 3, 3.1. Therefore, the open side of the support column 2 is closed by the latches 7, which are arranged in a shingle-like fashion in their non-use position, except for the necessary play.

[0033] The pivot axes of the latches 7 are aligned vertically above one another (see Fig. 4) The shingle-like arrangement of the latches 7 in their non-use position can be seen from the sectional view of the Fig. 4 with regard to the upper latches 7 shown therein. In this position of the latches 7, they close the access to the chamber 6 by the upper surface of the support section 12 bearing against the underside of the actuating arm 14 of the adjacent upper latch 7. Such a sealed support arrangement between two adjacent latches 7 is also possible between a lower latch 7, as in Fig. Figure 4 shows the position of the lower latch 7, with the latch 7 located above it, when the lower latch 7 is in its ready position. In this position, at least in one surface area, the side wall 17 of the pocket 16 rests against the end section of the underside of the actuating arm 14 of the upper latch. During the pivoting movement of the lower latch 7 from its unused position to its ready position, the end section of the adjacent latch 7 enters the pocket 16. Thus, during this pivoting movement, the lower latch 7, at the transition from the contact section 12 to the side wall 17 (provided by the edge 20 in the illustrated embodiment), rolls along the underside of the upper latch 7. In this way, the lower latch 7 is pivoted from its unused position to its ready position without the upper latch 7, which is supported by it, also pivoting.In this position, the longitudinal axes of the two latches 7 enclose an angle of approximately 32° in the illustrated embodiment.

[0034] Fig. Figure 5 shows the latch column 1 with its lowest latch 7 pivoted into its loading position, by which pivoting movement the latch 7 above it has been pivoted from its non-use position to its ready position. The kinematic coupling of the pivoting movement of the lower latch 7 with the latch 7 above it takes place at the side wall 18 of the pocket 16, which in the illustrated embodiment is additionally structured by a step 21. On the first section of the side wall 18, as shown in the previous illustration, Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the lower edge of the stop rib 19 is supported. This is, as can be seen especially from the Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the lower latch 7 is designed with a radius. By pivoting the lower latch 7 from its ready position to its loading position, the latch 7 above it is pivoted out of its unused position due to the support of its actuating arm 14 on or against the side wall 18 described above. The stop rib 19, which receives the pivoting movement of the lower latch 7, is guided over the step 21 so that, with further pivoting, sufficient space is created to prevent the lower edge 22 of the actuating arm 14 of the latch 7 above it from contacting the actuating contour 15 of the lower latch 7. In the loading position of the lower latch 7, the latch 7 above it is supported against the end section 23 of the side wall 18.

[0035] In the loading position of the lower latch 7, its stop rib acts against a stop 24 formed on the rear wall 4 of the support column 2, by which the pivoting movement of the respective latch 7 is limited.

[0036] In this way, the handles 7 of the handle column 1 are successively loaded. Fig. 7 and Fig. Figure 8 shows the next loading step, in which the two lowest latches 7 of the latch column 1 are in their loading position.

[0037] The Fig. Figure 9 shows an example of a load carrier 24 with several latch towers that laterally define a loading volume 26. In the side view of the load carrier 25, two opposing latch columns 1, 1.1 are visible. The latch columns 1, 1.1 are arranged on a base 27, for example, in a pallet-like form. The open sides of the latch chambers 6 of the latch columns 1, 1.1 face each other. The latch columns 1, 1.1 are oriented with respect to their latches 7, 7.1 in their Fig. 5 and Fig. Figure 6 shows the position. A load in the form of a transport tray 28 containing specific products is placed on the lower latches 7, 7.1. The load carrier 25 is loaded as is usual for such load carriers by inserting the load, for example, a transport tray 28, from above between the opposing latch columns 1, 1.1 and lowering it, thereby moving the latches 7, 7.1, which are in their ready position, from this position to their loading position. The successive loading is indicated by a second transport tray 28.1 shown in this figure, which is about to be placed onto the latches 7, which are in their ready position.

[0038] The aforementioned door handle columns 1, 1.1 are made of PE500 with respect to their support column 2 and their handles 7, 7.1. This makes them particularly lightweight. The handles 7, 7.1 were shaped by a milling process.

[0039] Fig. Figure 10 shows another latch column 30. Its support column 31, comprising side panels 32, 32.1, rear wall 33, and roof 34, is composed of individual column components made of PE500 (or PE1000 or another machinable plastic). The side panels 32, 32.1 are attached to the narrow sides of the rear wall 33 facing the side panels 32, 32.1 by screws. The narrow sides of the side panels 32, 32.1 facing the loading volume are each framed by a metal profile 35, 35.1. In the illustrated embodiment, the metal profiles 35, 35.1 are made of stainless steel. The narrow sides of the side panels 32, 32.1 framed by the metal profiles 35, 35.1 are protected by these profiles 35, 35.1. The metal profiles 35, 35.1 extend into the first section of the outer sides of the side walls 32, 32.1, including the area where the side walls 32, 32.The connecting bolts 36 extend through these. In the direction of the latch chamber 37, the metal profiles 35, 35.1 encompass the corresponding opening of the support column 31. The opening of the latch chamber 37 of the support column 31 is formed by two mutually directed projections 38, 38.1. The latch chamber 37 is undercut by these projections 38, 38.1. In this way, a clearance is created within the latch chamber 37 between the latches 39 and the inner wall of the side plates 32, 32.1. The cladding of the projections 38, 38.1 with the sheet metal profiles 35, 35.1 serves, in addition to the aforementioned mechanical protection of the end face of the side walls 32, 32.1 facing the loading volume, also as a sliding surface for the latches 39, which may be guided thereon by a section of their side surface. This guidance includes the necessary clearance between the latches 39 and the metal profiles 35, 35.1 forming the projections 38, 38.1.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment of the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 A pivot sleeve 40 passes through the pivot axis bore of each latch 39. Preferably, the pivot sleeve 40 is arranged within the pivot axis bore of each latch 39 with an interference fit. Each sleeve 40 sits on a bolt 36 and is pivotable about its longitudinal axis.

[0041] It is understood that the handles 7, 7.1 of the handle columns 1, 1.1 can also be stored in this way, as well as that the support column 2 of the handle columns 1, 1.1 can be covered with a metal profile on its side facing the loading volume 26 on its side cheeks 3, 3.1.

[0042] In the latch column 30, where the support column 31 and the latches 39 are made of PE500 (or PE1000 or mechanically processable plastics), the kinematic coupling between each pair of latches 39 adjacent to one another in the stacked arrangement is achieved by means of alternately arranged actuating levers 41. An actuating lever 41 kinematically connects the actuating arm of a lower latch 39 to that of the latch above it. Even if in Fig. Since the actuating arm of the pawls 39 is designed with an actuating contour, this is not necessary due to the actuation of the superimposed pawls with each actuating lever 41. Such actuation of superimposed pawls 39 would be used if the vertical distance between the pawls 39 would require an actuating arm that is too long. The exemplary embodiment of Fig. 10 and Fig. Figure 11 is therefore only to be understood as an example. In fact, the distance between the pawls 39 would be greater if the adjusting levers 41 were used. Nevertheless, it is preferred that the distance between the pawls is not so large that the underside of the upper pawl of a kinematically coupled pair of pawls, when in its ready position, rests against a surface section of the upper side of the pawl below it.

[0043] The alternating arrangement of the actuating levers 41 refers to their arrangement with respect to the side surfaces of the pawls 39. With regard to the lowest pawl 39 of the in Fig. The actuating lever 41 is located on the left side of the latch column 30 shown in Figure 10 and the latch 39 located above it (see Figure 10). Fig. 11). The second lowest latch 39 is kinematically coupled to the latch 39 above it by an actuating lever located on the right side of the latches 39 (not visible in the figures).

[0044] Fig. Figure 12 shows another door handle column 42 in a perspective view. This is basically constructed like the door handle column 30 of the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, however, differs from this only in the design of the bolts provided for the bearing of its latches 43. These bearing bolts are not visible due to the covering of the end faces of the side cheeks 44, 44.1 with metal profiles 45, 45.1 described for the latch column 31. The outward-facing side surfaces of the latch column 42 are therefore smooth and can serve as a positioning surface for cargo to be carried by the latch column 42. The covering of the narrow sides of the side cheeks 44, 44.1 facing the loading volume with the metal profiles 45, 45.1, which also extend along a section of the outward-facing outer surfaces of the side cheeks 44, 44.1, simultaneously serves as mechanical protection for the latch column 42 when used as an additional positioning aid. When the latch column 42 is used as a positioning aid, a section of the load typically rests against an outside of a side cheek 44 or 44.1.This is then simultaneously secured against slippage in one direction by the latch column 42. Since a load regularly rests on latches of several latch columns, it can thus be secured against horizontal slippage solely by the latch columns, provided the load has a suitable outline geometry.

[0045] View of the door handle column 42 from below in the Fig. Figure 13 shows the clearance required for the actuating levers 46 within the latch chamber 47. This applies equally to the latch column 30 of the Fig. 10. An example is in Fig. Figure 13 shows a bearing bolt 48 without the latch mounted on it. The latches 43 on the latch column 42 are mounted in different ways. Some latches 43 are pivotally connected to the support column by means of the bearing bolts 48. The bearing bolt 48 is a threaded pin 49 that extends through the side plate 44 and a threaded sleeve 50 that extends through the other side plate 44.1 and engages with each other. This can be seen in Fig. 13 and Fig.14 the external threaded sleeve 50. In the illustrated embodiment, every fourth pawl 43 is mounted in this way relative to the side walls 44, 44.1. The pawls 43 in between are each mounted on a sleeve 51, which is supported at its end face against the opposing side walls 44, 44.1. These sleeves 51 are located in a shallow blind bore in the side walls 44, 44.1. In this embodiment, the sleeves 51 also serve as spacers so that, when the threaded pin 49 and threaded sleeve 50 are tightened, the pawls 43, which extend through the opening of the pawl chamber with their support arms, are not pinched, thus ensuring the necessary clearance.

[0046] The invention has been described using exemplary embodiments. Without departing from the scope of protection described by the applicable claims, numerous further embodiments of the inventive concept would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, without these needing to be explained in more detail within the scope of these explanations. Reference symbol list 1, 1.1 Door handle column 2 support columns 3, 3.1 Side cheek 4 Back panel 5 roof 6 Door Chamber 7, 7.1 Jack 8 bolts 9 Mother 10 Wing 11 Wing arm 12 Plant section 13 Swivel axis bore 14 adjusting arm 15 Position contour 16 bags 17 side wall 18 side wall 19 Stop rib 20 edge Level 21 22 edge 23 Final section 24 strikes 25 load carriers 26 loading volume 27 base 28, 28.1 Transport tub 30 door handle column 31 pedestal 32, 32.1 Side cheek 33 Back panel 34 Roof 35, 35.1 Metal profile 36 bolts 37 Clinic Chamber 38, 38.1 lead 39 Door handle 40 Swivel sleeve 41 adjusting levers 42 Door handle column 43 Door handle 44, 44.1 Side cheek 45, 45.1 Metal profile 46 adjusting levers 47 Clinic Chamber 48 bearing bolts 49 Threaded pin 50 threaded sleeve 51 sleeve

Claims

[1] Latch column comprising a latch chamber (6, 37, 47) enclosed by two side walls (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1) arranged at a distance from each other and a rear wall (4, 33) connecting the side walls (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1), and a support column (2, 31) comprising a plurality of latches (7, 39, 43) each having a support surface (10) and pivotable about a pivot axis extending transversely to the planar extension of the side walls (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1), arranged one above the other, the support surface (10) of which, in the loading position of the latches (7, 39, 43), extends from the latch chamber (6, 37, 47) protrudes, and comprises a kinematic coupling of adjacent latches (7, 39, 43), by which, when a lower latch (7, 39, 43) is pivoted into its loading position, the latch (7, 39, 43) above it is pivoted into a ready position relative to a non-use position against a restoring force,characterized by , that the latches (7) are designed as two-armed levers with a wing arm (11) and an actuating arm (14) and that for the kinematic coupling of each of two adjacent latches (7) the upper latch (7) is supported in the pivoting range between its non-use position and its ready position by contacting the actuating arm (14) of the lower latch (7). [2] Door handle column according to claim 1, characterized by , that the upper side of the actuating arm (14) of the latches (7) is structured by an actuating contour (15) extending in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the latch (7), on which the latch (7) located above is supported with the underside of its actuating arm (14) in the pivoting range between its non-use position and its ready position. [3] Door handle column according to claim 2, characterized by, that the wing (10) continues into a system section (12) which is limited by the positioning contour (15) in the direction of the wing (10) and thus the wing arm (11) includes the wing (10) and the system section (12). [4] Door handle column according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by , that in the case of two latches (7) that are adjacent in their superimposed arrangement and in their non-use position, the support surface (10) and / or the mounting section (12) of the lower latch (7) is in contact with the underside of the latch (7) above it, at least in one surface section. [5] Door handle column according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by, that the actuating contour (15), adjacent to the installation section (12), has a pocket (16) for receiving the end section of the actuating arm (14) of the latch located above it, wherein the pocket geometry is designed so that the lower latch (7), kinematically coupled to the upper latch (7), can be pivoted from its non-use position to its ready position while maintaining the support of the upper latch (7) located above it, while the upper latch (7) remains in its non-use position. [6] Door handle column according to claim 5, characterized by , that in the ready position of the lower latch (7) the latch (7) above it is in contact with at least one surface section of the underside of its actuating arm (14) on the side wall (17) of the pocket (16) closer to the attachment section (12). [7] Door handle column according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by, that by pivoting the lower latch (7) from its ready position into its loading position, the latch (7) above it is supported with the end section of its actuating arm (14) pointing away from the wing arm (11) on the side wall (18) of the pocket (16) furthest from the mounting section (12), so that when the lower latch (7) is further pivoted from its ready position into its loading position, this side wall (18) serves as a support surface on which, as a result of the support of the upper latch (7) with its actuating arm (14), it is pivoted into its ready position. [8] Door handle column according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that in the loading position of the latches (7) they act against each stop (24) of the support column (2). [9] Door handle column according to claim 8, characterized by, that the latches (7) on the end of their actuating arm (14) opposite the wing arm (11) carry a stop rib (19) as an extension of the actuating arm (14) which acts against the stop (24) on the column side in the loading position. [10] Door handle column according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the actuating arm (14) of the latches (7) has a higher weight than the wing arm (11) and that this results in the restoring force against which each latch (7) can pivot into its loading position. [11] Door handle column according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by , that in the non-use position of two adjacent handles (7, 39, 43) the top of the lower handle (7, 39, 43) is in contact with at least a surface section on the underside of the upper handle (7, 39, 43). [12] Door handle column according to claim 11, characterized by, that the lower latch (7) on the upper side of its wing arm (11), adjacent to its wing (10), bears at least one sealing strip or sealing lip extending across its width. [13] Door handle column according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by , that the width of the latches (7, 39, 43) corresponds at least in their support arm (11) to the distance between the side cheeks (3, 3.1; 32, 32.1; 44, 44.1) of the support column (2, 31) plus a movement clearance to ensure the required pivotability. [14] Door handle column according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by , that the support column (2, 31) is made of millable plastic, in particular polyethylene (PE). [15] Door handle column according to claim 14, characterized by , that the support column (2, 31) is a plastic injection molded or extruded part or is composed of several components. [16] Door handle column according to claim 14 or 15, characterized by , that the latches (7, 7.1; 39; 43) are made of plastic, in particular polyethylene (PE). [17] Door handle column according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized by , that the narrow sides of the side walls (32, 32.1, 44, 44.1) facing the loading volume (26) are each enclosed by a metal profile (35, 35.1; 45, 45.1) encompassing them. [18] Door handle column according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized by , that the side cheeks (32, 32.1, 44, 44.1) at the opening of the latch chamber (37, 47) each have a projection (38, 38.1) reducing the opening width of the latch chamber (37, 47). [19] Door handle column according to any one of claims 14 to 18, insofar as these are related to the preamble of claim 1, characterized by , that actuating levers (41, 46) are provided for the kinematic coupling of two superimposed pawls (39, 43). [20] Load carrier comprising a base and several latch columns (1, 1.1) arranged thereon according to one or more of claims 1 to 19, wherein the openings of the latch chambers (6) of the support columns (1, 1.1) are arranged facing each other. [21] Load carrier according to claim 20, characterized by , that the lowest latch (7, 7.1) of each latch column (1, 1.1) in its ready position acts with the underside of its adjusting arm (14) against the top of the base (27).

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