Container wagons with improved means for mutual coupling

Abstract

Container wagon (1), comprising: - a base (10) equipped with rollers (12) and side walls (14, 16) extending from this base to define a cargo space (17); - Means for connecting one container wagon to another, comprising: -- a pair of vertical projections (142) positioned corresponding to an upper edge (144) of a pair of parallel side walls (14); -- Pockets (20) attached according to the base (10) and designed to accommodate at least one upper part of the vertical projections of a container trolley located above; - Fasteners, including: -- a tooth (150) that protrudes from the upper part of the vertical projections (142); -- Tooth holders (151) realized in the base (10) and designed to accommodate teeth of vertical projections of a container trolley located above; characterized in that the tooth holder (151) comprises at least one lateral stop element for the tooth (151), wherein the lateral stop element is a side (102) of the base (10) and / or an anchoring plate (121) of a roller (12).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a container trolley, also known as a "roll container", which can be stacked safely and stably.

[0002] A "rolling container" is a container consisting of a base with wheels and at least one pair of side panels, typically used for transporting goods, for example from warehouses to retail outlets, or for collecting cardboard boxes in supermarkets and stores. The base and side panels of these containers usually have a mesh structure and are made of metal or plastic.

[0003] For example, some commercially available roll containers are 1800 mm high. These containers are loaded onto trucks whose loading platform can be up to 2600 mm high. It is therefore obvious that the roll containers cannot fill the truck's loading volume, resulting in a loss of usable space. On the other hand, increasing the container height is not a practical solution, as this would significantly complicate the loading process and make handling the container, which must be able to be moved on its wheels, more difficult. Furthermore, sometimes only partial filling of the containers is planned for delivery; increasing the container height would therefore lead to even greater wasted space than is currently the case.

[0004] Stackable container trolleys are known in the industry, equipped with interlocking devices that enable stacking. An example of such a container trolley is shown in publication DE 81 09 779 U1. A problem with these known roll containers is safety during stacking: the interlocking devices do not guarantee a stable connection between the two stacked trolleys under strong vibrations, impacts, or jolts, creating the risk that the upper trolley will lose its support, become unbalanced, and fall.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a stackable container trolley which can not only utilize the entire loading volume of a truck, but also ensure stable and secure stacking under strong vibrations.

[0006] This purpose is achieved with a stackable container trolley according to claim 1. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0007] The features and advantages of the container wagon according to the invention will become apparent from the following description of its preferred embodiments, which are to be understood as examples and not as limitations, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: - Fig. 1 a perspective view of a stackable container trolley according to the invention; - Fig. 2 an enlarged view of a detail of the car from Fig. 1 is; - the Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b each a side view and a front view of the car from Fig. 1 show; - Fig. 4 a perspective view of two stacked container trolleys Fig. 1 is; - the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b a side view or a perspective view from above of the two stacked container trolleys Fig. 4 show; - Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a detail.

[0008] In these drawings, 1 denotes a stackable container trolley according to the invention in its entirety.

[0009] The container trolley 1 comprises a base 10, for example rectangular or square, preferably equipped with rollers 12. The base 10 is provided with sides 102.

[0010] The container wagon 1 comprises at least one pair of parallel, load-bearing side walls 14 extending from the base 10 to at least partially define a cargo space 17.

[0011] Each side wall 14 comprises a pair of vertical stanchions 141 connected to a top edge 144.

[0012] Preferably, the container wagon 1 has four side walls arranged in pairs parallel to each other and perpendicular to the base 10. For example, the side walls consist of two load-bearing side walls 14 connected to the base 10 and two auxiliary side walls 16 connected to the load-bearing side walls 14. The auxiliary side walls 16 are, for example, rotatable relative to the load-bearing side walls 14 to open and close lateral access to the cargo space 17. In this example, the auxiliary side walls 16 are connected to the vertical stanchions 141 of the load-bearing side walls 14 by means of hinges 162, which allow the auxiliary side walls 16 to rotate and thus open. In the illustrated embodiment, the auxiliary side walls 16 can be locked in the closed position of the interior of the container wagon by means of latches 164.

[0013] In the example in Fig. The container trolley 1 comprises a base 10 with rollers 12 and four side walls 14, 16, which define a cuboid loading space open at the top. In this embodiment with four side walls, the loading volume of the goods is completely limited laterally by the side walls and at the bottom by the base.

[0014] In one embodiment, the base 10 and / or the side walls 14, 16 have a grid structure which may be made of metal or plastic or of a combination of plastic and metal.

[0015] Preferably, the base 10 is equipped with four rollers 12 near the corners. For example, the rollers 12 are attached to anchoring plates 121, which are positioned according to the corners of the base 10.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the side walls 14, 16 are detachably connected to the base 10. For example, the load-bearing side walls 14 comprise vertical stanchions 141, which are inserted into corresponding stanchion receptacles 32 in the base 10. In a preferred embodiment, the base 10 is provided with corner joints 30, each forming a stanchion receptacle 32 into which a lower section of a vertical stanchion 141 of a side wall 14 is inserted. In this case, the rollers 12 are preferably attached to the side 102 of the base 10 near the corners in a position within the corner joints 30.

[0017] To enable the stacking of two trolleys on top of each other, the container trolley 1 is equipped with means for mutual connection, which allow one container trolley to be stacked stably on top of another. The means for mutual connection are arranged on the base 10 and on the side walls 14.

[0018] More precisely, a pair of parallel side walls 14, 16 of a container wagon 1, preferably the load-bearing side walls 14, are provided with a pair of vertical projections 142 corresponding to the upper edge 144, each of which is suitable for gripping the base 10 of a container wagon 1 located above from below.

[0019] Preferably, these vertical projections 142 have a larger axial extent than the distance between the bearing surface of the rollers 12 and the underside of the base 10, so that in the stacked configuration the rollers of a container trolley located above do not protrude into the loading space of the container trolley located below.

[0020] A pair of vertical projections 142 extends from the upper edge 144 of at least two parallel side walls 14. Each vertical projection 142 is preferably arranged near one end of the upper edge 144.

[0021] The vertical projection 142 includes a stop element 149, which is suitable for bearing against the underside of the sides 102 of the base 10 of a container trolley located above it. In other words, the vertical projection 142 rests directly on the structure that forms the base 10 of a container located above it, as shown in the Fig. 5A and Fig. Figure 6 shows that the stop element 149 of the vertical projection 142 is horizontal, i.e., essentially planar, to allow a stable support of the side 102 of the base 10 on a side wall 14 located below it.

[0022] The base 10 comes with 20 pockets (in Fig. 6 visible) are equipped with pockets 20 suitable for receiving at least a section of the upper surface of the vertical projections 142, in particular the stop element 149. These pockets 20 form recesses into which the vertical projections 142 are at least partially inserted, thus preventing an upper container from moving relative to the lower container. For example, each of these pockets 20 is bounded at the top by the underside of a side 102 of the base 10 and laterally by a vertical wall 22 extending downwards from the base 10. In this way, the connection between two container trolleys is made at the circumference of the base, i.e., at the most peripheral position possible, which benefits the stability of the whole.

[0023] Preferably, the vertical wall 22 is a wall of the corner joint 30: In this case, the corner joint 30 defines at least one pocket 20, and the wall of the corner joint 30 forms the lateral stop for the respective vertical projection 142; in this way, two adjacent joints prevent an upper container carriage from being displaced relative to the lower container carriage.

[0024] To improve stacking safety, the container trolley includes fastening devices that ensure a stable interlocking between the two stacked trolleys in situations with strong vibrations, shocks or jolts, and prevent the upper trolley from losing its grip, becoming unbalanced and falling down.

[0025] The fasteners are attached to the base (10) and to the side walls (14).

[0026] More precisely, at least one pair of vertical projections 142, preferably each vertical projection 142, is provided with a tooth 150 which fits into a tooth holder 151 which is formed in the base 10 of a container carriage 1 located above it.

[0027] The tooth 150 protrudes upwards and laterally from the stop element 149 of the vertical projection 142, as for example in the Fig. 3B and Fig. 6 can be seen. The tooth 150 protrudes upwards and laterally from only one side of the vertical projection 142, specifically on the inside, i.e. the side facing the cargo space 17.

[0028] As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the tooth 150 occupies a central circumferential area of ​​the stop element 149, so that sufficient space remains for the support of the side 102 of the base 10 of the carriage located above.

[0029] Tooth 150 is polygonal, for example a parallelepiped or a cube.

[0030] Preferably, the tooth 150 has a tip 152 at its upper end; in other words, the tooth tapers upwards, i.e., its upper section has a smaller cross-section than its middle section. This geometry facilitates the insertion of the tooth 150 into the tooth holder 151, which is formed in the base 10 of a container carriage 1 located above it.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the tip 152 has a wedge-shaped section 153 that is oriented towards the cargo space 17. Preferably, the tip 152 also has an opposing wedge-shaped section 153 that is directed outwards, as shown in Fig. 6 can be seen.

[0032] To improve the attachment to the vertical projection 142, the tooth 150 is provided with an end part 154 which protrudes vertically below the plane defined by the stop element 149.

[0033] The base 10 is equipped with tooth holders 151 (visible in Fig. 5B) equipped, into which the tooth 150, located on the upper side of a vertical projection 142, is inserted. When the teeth 151 are inserted into the corresponding tooth holders 151, the connection between two superimposed carriages is improved in terms of stability, as the possibility of movement of the upper container relative to the lower container is reduced.

[0034] The tooth holder 151 is defined according to a corner of the base 10. The tooth holder 151 comprises at least one lateral stop element for the tooth 151. The lateral stop element is, for example, a side 102 of the base 10 and / or an anchoring plate 121.

[0035] Advantageously, a stackable container trolley according to the present invention has means for mutual connection which are equipped with fastening means that ensure a stable engagement between the two stacked trolleys in situations with strong vibrations, shocks or jolts and prevent the upper trolley from losing its grip, becoming unbalanced and falling down.

[0036] In the embodiments of the container trolley according to the invention, a person skilled in the art can make modifications, adaptations, and replacements of elements with other, functionally equivalent elements to meet specific requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the following claims. Each of the features described as belonging to one possible embodiment can be implemented independently of the other described embodiments. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 81 09 779 U1

[0004]

Claims

[1] Container wagon (1) comprising: - a base (10) equipped with rollers (12) and side walls (14, 16) extending from this base to define a cargo space (17); - Means for connecting one container wagon to another, comprising: -- a pair of vertical projections (142) positioned corresponding to an upper edge (144) of a pair of parallel side walls (14); -- Pockets (20) attached according to the base (10) and designed to accommodate at least one upper part of the vertical projections of a container trolley located above; - Fasteners, including: -- a tooth (150) that protrudes from the upper part of the vertical projections (142); -- Tooth holders (151) realized in the base (10) and designed to accommodate teeth of vertical projections of a container trolley located above; characterized by , that the tooth holder (151) comprises at least one lateral stop element for the tooth (151), wherein the lateral stop element is a side (102) of the base (10) and / or an anchoring plate (121) of a roller (12). [2] Container trolley (1) according to claim 1, wherein the tooth (150) projects upwards and laterally from the upper part of the vertical projections (142). [3] Container wagon (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tooth (150) protrudes only from one side of the vertical projection (142), this side being oriented towards the loading space (17). [4] Container trolley (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooth (150) occupies a central circumferential region of the upper part of the vertical projection (142). [5] Container trolley (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooth (150) is provided with a tip (152). [6] Container wagon (1) according to claim 5, wherein the tip (152) of the tooth (150) has a wedge-shaped section (153) directed towards the loading space (17) and / or a wedge-shaped section (153) directed towards the opposite side. [7] Container wagon (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical projection (142) is arranged near an end of the upper edge (144) of the side wall (14, 16). [8] Container trolley (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pocket (20) is bounded at the top by a side (102) of the base (10) and laterally by a vertical wall (22) extending downwards from that side (102). [9] Container wagon (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls are a pair of load-bearing, parallel side walls (14) connected to the base (10) and a pair of parallel supplementary side walls (16) attached to the load-bearing side walls (14), and wherein the means for mutual connection are provided on the load-bearing side walls (14).

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