CONTAINER LOCKING DEVICE AND CONTAINER LOCKING METHOD

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a container locking device on a vehicle for locking a container to be transported on a loading platform of the vehicle with a corner fitting, comprising a locking housing, a locking bolt and a drive, wherein the locking bolt has a shaft and a locking head which, in the unlocked state, can be inserted through an opening of the corner fitting of the container and, in the locked state, secures the container via projections engaging behind the opening of the corner fitting, the locking bolt with its shaft is mounted in the locking housing so as to be both axially displaceable and rotatable about its axis, the locking bolt is provided on its shaft with a recess tangential to its circumference, rising, a wedge slide is mounted in the locking housing so as to be laterally movable, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt, and can be driven by the drive.and the wedge slide has a ramp which engages with the recess of the locking bolt during the lateral movement of the wedge slide and imparts an axial movement to the locking bolt. Furthermore, the invention relates to a container locking method that can be implemented with the aforementioned device.

[0002] Such a locking device for containers on a vehicle is known from EP 1 075 400 B1 and WO 00 / 51842 A1. A diaphragm accumulator drive is proposed as the actuator for the linear movement. This drive is held in its working position only when compressed air is applied and is returned to its unloaded position by a spring when the pressure drops. Therefore, with this locking device, it is necessary to first activate the drive by applying compressed air before loading the vehicle in order to bring the locking device into its unlocked state, and then to...

[0003] The container, with its corner fitting, can be loaded via the unlocked locking head. Upon pressure release, the spring-loaded diaphragm accumulator is returned to its home position, causing the locking bolt to rotate and lower. This rotation of the locking bolt is achieved by means of a toothed ring engaging a rack. This locked state is maintained solely by the spring tension of the diaphragm accumulator, meaning the lock could fail under strong external forces. Furthermore, the rotary drive for the locking bolt, with its toothed ring and rack, is technically complex and prone to failure in harsh everyday use.

[0004] DE 102 02 190 A1 describes a container locking device similar to EP 1 075 400 B1, in which, however, the locking bolt does not have a tangential, rising recess on its shaft, but rather two pairs of cams arranged laterally one above the other and offset. Furthermore, the device can have an additional safety device that prevents the pivot pin from being pulled vertically out towards the container in all positions of the locking bolt (pivot pin). A disadvantage is that the additional safety device must be manually engaged and disengaged.

[0005] From DD 296461 A5, a coupling piece for the detachable connection of corner fittings of adjacent containers, in particular containers stacked on top of each other on board ships, is known. To reduce the manual effort involved in coupling containers and the considerable effort required for automatic actuation, a coupling piece with a one-piece housing is presented in which the locking bolt can be rotated into different positions by means of an actuating slide mounted longitudinally within the housing. Furthermore, the housing is formed in one piece and provided with a through-opening through which a correspondingly designed transverse bar of the locking bolt can be slid in an assembly position.

[0006] Furthermore, DE 10 2006 002 654 A1 discloses a device for actuating a locking mechanism of a locking head with a corner fitting of a container, which has a pneumatic piston-cylinder arrangement with which an extendable and retractable claw of the locking head is moved from a retracted position to an extended position and from there to the locking position and back again. Here too, no additional locking mechanism is provided, so that the device is held in the locking position solely by the pneumatic drive.

[0007] German patent DE 10 2007 007 067 A1 discloses a device for locking a container onto a vehicle, in which the weight of the mounted container translates the force to a drive mechanism for the locking element, thus achieving automated locking when the container is placed on the vehicle. However, removing the container requires manual adjustment of a pivot lever to unlock the locking mechanism. An additional locking mechanism with a separate locking device is not implemented in this design.

[0008] DE 201 19 415 U1 describes a device for selectively moving drive parts of a mechanism for raising, lowering and rotating a locking bolt for locking with a fitting of a container by means of a pressure-medium actuated piston cylinder arrangement, with which a container locking mechanism can be adjusted from a lowered position, in which the locking head does not protrude above the transport plane of the receiving vehicle, to a raised position, with which the locking mechanism is prepared to receive a container in an elevated position and can then be locked after loading the container.

[0009] DE 197 20 238 A1 describes a container locking device with a rotary-driven locking head, in which a horizontally movable plug pin for so-called gooseneck container chassis is simultaneously extended laterally via a gear segment with the rotary movement.

[0010] The object of the invention is therefore to technically simplify and make safer the known container locking device described at the beginning.

[0011] This problem is solved with a container locking device according to claim 1 and a container locking method according to claim 4.

[0012] The locking bolt has a contact edge on its shaft that interacts with a thrust projection on the wedge slide to impart a 90° rotation to the locking bolt during lateral movement of the wedge slide. Furthermore, a locking device is arranged on the locking housing, featuring a spring-loaded stop that engages within the lateral movement path of the wedge slide. This simple mechanism achieves the rotation of the locking bolt around its axis during movement of the wedge slide through the contact edge on its shaft interacting with the thrust projection. The locking device activates a positive locking mechanism that prevents unintentional reopening of the locking device by engaging the stop within the movement path of the wedge slide.Therefore, the container lock cannot open automatically, for example, if the drive power is interrupted. Since the drive has a double-acting pneumatic cylinder with a laterally movable piston rod, and the piston rod is operatively connected to the wedge slide in such a way that the first part of the drive's stroke is a free stroke and the second part is the lateral movement of the wedge slide, the wedge slide is only actuated in the second part of the stroke. Because the locking device has a release mechanism that releases the lock during the free stroke, it is possible for the locking device to be released during the free stroke, i.e., in the first part of the piston rod's stroke, so that the locking device can be opened from the locked to the unlocked state.

[0013] The method achieves this by engaging a spring-loaded lock in the lateral movement of the wedge slide when the locked state is reached, thus preventing the wedge slide from retracting. This container locking method is characterized by the fact that a free stroke is performed during the first part of the drive's stroke, and the wedge slide is moved during the second part of the stroke. When unlocking a container from the locked to the unlocked state, the lock is released during the free stroke of the first part of the stroke, and then the wedge slide is moved back during the second part of the stroke, thereby first lifting the locking bolt and then rotating it back into the unlocked position.

[0014] In the event of insufficient compressed air resources and / or a fault in the compressed air supply or the pneumatic cylinder, an emergency release is provided with which the positive locking mechanism of the locking device can be unlocked.

[0015] In a further development, the emergency release mechanism features two externally threaded push elements. The first push element can be screwed into a threaded bore in the locking device, and the second push element into a threaded bore in the locking housing. The first push element releases the lock, and the second push element moves the wedge slide to open the locking mechanism. Thus, the first push element releases the locking device, and the second push element moves the locking mechanism from the locked to the unlocked position, without requiring pneumatic actuation (emergency release). Accordingly, a container can be unloaded by manually actuating the emergency release even in the event of a pneumatic failure.

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] It shows: Fig. 1 a spatial view of a locking device, Fig. 2 a to e a top view of and correspondingly marked cross-sections through a locking device according to Fig. 1 in the unlocked state, Fig. 3 a to ddie in Figur 1 The device shown is in operation and the adjustment to the locked state begins, Fig. 4a to d the corresponding view and cross-sections in the state during the adjustment of the locking device to the locked state, Fig. 5a to d the corresponding view and cross-sections when the locked state is reached, Fig. 6a to d the view and associated cross-sections at the beginning of the unlocking of the locking device (idle stroke), Fig. 7a to e the view and associated cross-sections and view from below when the raised position of the locking bolt is reached, Fig. 8a to e views analogous to Figur 7 as well as corresponding cross-sections of the locking device when the locking bolt is turned back towards its unlocked state.

[0018] In Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional representation of an embodiment of the container locking device, which is provided on the loading platform of a vehicle onto which a container to be transported is to be placed. The locking device comprises a locking housing 1, which has an elongated drive box 10 and a guide component 11 with a load-bearing surface 12 mounted on one end of the drive box. The guide component 11 projects beyond the loading platform. The upwardly projecting guide component 11 fits into a corner fitting of the container, thus ensuring that the container rests securely on the loading platform, in particular on the load-bearing surface 12, preventing it from slipping.

[0019] A locking bolt 2 is provided to lock the loaded container, which is located in a central and vertical axis Z (see Fig. 2e ) is axially displaceable and rotatable in the guide component 11. The locking bolt 2 has a cylindrical shaft 20, which is axially displaceable and rotatable and held in the locking housing 1. Furthermore, the locking bolt 2 has a locking head 21 at the upper end of the shaft 20, which has a mushroom-shaped but elliptical contour and, in an unlocked state, rests congruently on the guide component 11 and is adjustable to a locked state in which the locking head 21 is rotated by 90° and lowered, so that the projections now extending from the elliptical locking head 21 beyond the guide component 11 engage behind the corner fitting of the loaded container. In Fig. 1 The container locking device is shown in the locked state.

[0020] The exact operating procedure and the components required for the container locking device are described in the Fig. 2 bis 7 The container locking device is shown in a top view (in each case in part a) and several cross-sections and, if applicable, a bottom view (in the further part b, c, d and, if applicable, e).

[0021] In Fig. 2 The container locking device is shown in its unlocked state, in which a container can be unloaded or loaded. This is recognizable by the fact that the locking bolt 2 with its shaft 20 is in an elevated position, i.e., shifted axially upwards, and the locking head 21 belonging to the locking bolt 2 rests on the guide component 11, as can be seen in particular from Fig. 2a und 2b This can be seen from the diagram. Accordingly, a container with its corner fitting and its elongated hole can be loaded onto the loading platform and, in particular, onto the load-bearing surface 12 via the locking head 21 and the guide component 11, or lifted from the loaded position, since the locking head 21 is aligned with the guide component 11 (see top view). Fig. 2a ).

[0022] Furthermore, in Fig. 2a The drive 3, in the form of a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 30, can be seen in the top view. It is located in the elongated drive housing 10 of the locking housing 1. The double-acting pneumatic cylinder 30 has a piston rod 31 which, via a drive claw 32, interacts with a wedge slide 4 that is movable back and forth in the elongated drive housing 10.

[0023] The wedge slide 4 has a ramp 41 which is in Fig. 2a in supervision and in Fig. 2e The ramp 41 is shown partially. At its upper end, the ramp has a thrust projection 42 which interacts with a contact edge 24 on the shaft 20 of the locking bolt 2 such that, when the pneumatic cylinder 30 is actuated and the wedge slide 4 moves in the plane of the drawing, Fig. 2e from left to right the thrust projection 42 comes into contact with the mounting edge 24 and, with further movement of the wedge slide 4 in a lateral direction according to Fig. 3d to the right, the locking bolt 2 is rotated about its axis Z. In Fig. 3 Is this situation under supervision ( Fig. 3a ) and three cross-sections ( Fig. 3b bis d ) shown.

[0024] With further lateral displacement of the wedge slide 4 in the plane of the drawing Fig. 2e , 3d , 4d and 5dTo the right, the locking bolt 2 is rotated further about axis Z at its recess on the circumference of the shaft 20, with the thrust projection 42 bearing against the bearing edge 24, as also shown from the top view. Fig. 4a This situation is evident. Fig. 3c and Fig. 4c recognizable, in the embodiment shown here, recesses 23 are provided on both sides of the shaft 20 at an angle tangential direction, since the wedge slide 4 accordingly has two projecting ramps 41 which engage on both sides with the recesses 23 on the shaft 20 of the locking bolt 2.

[0025] During the further movement of the wedge slide 4 in Fig. 4d in the drawing plane to the right or in Fig. 4a In the drawing plane, downwards under force from the pneumatic cylinder 30, the following then occurs: Fig. 5 The shown locked state is reached, in which the locking bolt 2 is completely rotated by 90° ( Fig. 5a ) and has already sunk between the two protruding parts of the guide component 11 by further lateral advancement of the wedge slide 4 with its locking head 21 ( Fig. 5b The engagement of the two ramps 41 in the two recesses 23 on the shaft 20 of the locking bolt 2 is particularly good in Fig. 5b und 5c visible.

[0026] Furthermore, reference is made to a locking device 5, which is arranged on the outside of the elongated drive box 10 of the locking housing 1 and has a lock 51 which is acted upon by a leaf spring 52 and engages in a bore of the elongated drive box 10 in such a way that, when the end position is reached, it is in the locked state ( Fig. 5 ) penetrates the running path of the wedge slide 4 and forms a positive locking barrier there against unwanted release of the locking mechanism.

[0027] To release the container lock from the locked state back to the unlocked state, starting from Fig. 5 (locked state) the double-acting pneumatic cylinder 30 is activated to retract the piston rod 31, resulting in an initial short idle stroke of the piston rod 31. During this stroke, the drive claw 32 is moved from its push position to the pull position and comes into contact with a displacement component 53 of the locking device 5 via a release projection 33 on the drive claw 32. During the initial movement of the wedge slide 4, as can be seen from the comparison of the Fig. 5a As can be seen from 6a, the locking bolt 2 is already slightly raised via the ramps 41, which are guided in the recesses 23 of the shaft 20 (see Fig. 6b, 6c und 6d ).

[0028] During the further movement, namely retraction of the piston rod 31 into the pneumatic cylinder 30, according to Fig. 7a compared to Fig. 6a with the release projection 33 on the drive claw 32 via the displacement component 53 of the locking device 5 the lock 51 against the force of the leaf spring 52 outwards (in the plane of the drawing) Fig. 6a , 7a to the left), thereby releasing the space for movement of the wedge slide 4 in the elongated drive housing 10 and preventing the locking mechanism 51, which is loaded by the leaf spring 52, from snapping back. In doing so, the locking bolt 2 is completely raised in the axial direction, so that the projections of the locking head 21 lie above the guide component 11 ( Fig. 7b und 7e ) and now the locking head 21 can be rotated back. This is described in Fig. 7d a drive projection 43 on the wedge slide 4 in contact with a counter bearing 25 on the shaft 20 of the locking bolt 2.

[0029] During further retraction of the pneumatic cylinder 30, i.e., almost complete retraction of the piston rod 31, the rotatably mounted locking bolt 2 rotates with the lateral movement of the drive projection 43 due to the driving contact with the counter bearing 25 on the shaft 20, as shown in the diagram. Fig. 8d und 8a in supervision as well as Fig. 8b und 8e as can be seen in the cross-section. The locking bolt 2 rotates accordingly (see Fig. 2d ) so that the locking head 21 lies flush above the guide component 11, as shown in Fig. 2a shown in the top view (unlocked state, compare) Fig. 2a bis e ).

[0030] Furthermore, the container locking device has an emergency release 6 (see Fig. 5a ) arranged, which has a first shear element 61 on the locking device 5, wherein the first shear element 61 is a screw which is in a first threaded bore 54 (see Fig. 5b ) the locking device 5 is arranged so that when the first push element 61 is screwed into this first threaded bore 54, the lock 51 is moved out of the lateral travel path of the wedge slide 4 against the force of the leaf spring 52. Now, with a second push element (not shown here), which can be screwed into a threaded bore on the outer end face of the elongated drive housing 10 (not shown here), the wedge slide 4 can be manually moved into its unlocked state, e.g., in the event of a failure of the compressed air supply or damage to the pneumatic cylinder. Fig. 2a until they are postponed. Reference symbol list

[0031] 1 Locking housing 10 Elongated drive box 11 Guide component 12 Load bearing surface 2 Locking bolt 20 Shaft 21 Locking head 23 Recess 24 Mounting edge 25 Counter bearing 3 Actuator 30 Double-acting pneumatic cylinder 31 Piston rod 32 Actuator claw 33 Release projection 4 Wedge slide 41 Lead-in ramp 42 Thrust lead 43 Carry-in lead 5 Locking device 51 Lock 52 Leaf spring 53 Displacement component 54 First threaded hole 6 Emergency release 61 First sliding element Z-axis

Claims

1. Container locking device on a vehicle, for locking a container with a corner fitting to be transported on a loading surface of the vehicle, having a locking housing (1), a locking bolt (2) and a drive (3), wherein - the locking bolt (2) has a shaft (20) and a locking head (21), which in the unlocked state can be inserted via an opening in the corner fitting of the container and in the locked state secures the container via projections engaging behind the opening in the corner fitting, - the locking bolt (2) is mounted with its shaft (20) in the locking housing (1) so that it can be moved both axially and rotatably about its axis, - the locking bolt (2) is provided on its shaft (20) with a recess (23) that is inclined tangential to its circumference, - a wedge slide (4) is mounted in the locking housing (1) laterally, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt (2), so that it can be moved back and forth and can be driven by the drive (3), and - the wedge slide (4) has an inclined support (41) which engages with the recess (23) of the locking bolt (2) during the lateral movement of the wedge slide (4) and gives the locking bolt (2) an axial movement, characterized in that - the locking bolt (2) has a contact edge (24) on its shaft (20), which cooperates with a pushing protrusion (42) of the wedge slide (4) to give the locking bolt (2) a 90° rotational movement during the lateral movement of the wedge slide (4), - a locking device is arranged on the locking housing (1), which has a spring-loaded lock (51) which is designed to intrude in the lateral movement path of the wedge slide (4), - the drive (3) has a double-acting pneumatic cylinder (30) with a laterally movable piston rod (31), the piston rod (31) being operatively connected to the wedge slide (4) in such a way that during the first part of the stroke movement of the drive (3) an idle stroke takes place and in the second part of the stroke movement the lateral movement of the wedge slide (4) takes place, and - the locking device (5) has a release mechanism for the lock (51), which releases the lock (51) during the idle stroke.

2. Container locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that an emergency release (6) is provided with which the form-fitting lock (51) of the locking device (5) can be unlocked.

3. Container locking device according to claim 2, characterized in that the emergency release (6) has two push elements (61) equipped with external threads, in which the first push element (61) can be screwed into a first threaded hole (54) in the locking device (5) and the second push element can be screwed into a second threaded hole in the locking housing (1), the first push element (61) releasing the lock and the second push element displacing the wedge slide (4) to open the lock.

4. Container locking method for a container locking device on a vehicle, for locking a container with a corner fitting to be transported on a loading surface of the vehicle, comprising a locking housing (1), a locking bolt (2) and a drive (3), wherein - the locking bolt (2) has a shaft (20) and a locking head (21), which in the unlocked state can be inserted via an opening in the corner fitting of the container and, in the locked state, secures the container via projections that engage behind the opening of the corner fitting, - the locking bolt (2) with its shaft (20) is both axially displaced in the locking housing (1) and rotatable about its axis, - a wedge slide (4) in the locking housing (1) can be moved back and forth laterally by the drive (3), i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt (2), and - during the lateral movement of the wedge slide (4) by the drive (3) of the wedge slide (4), the locking bolt (2) first rotates axially by 90° when adjusting from the unlocked state to the locked state and then axially downwards to be lowered towards the loading surface, characterized in that when the locked state is reached, a spring-loaded lock (51) intrudes in the lateral movement path of the wedge slide (4) and prevents the wedge slide (4) from being reset, and that during a first part of the stroke movement of the drive (3) an idle stroke is carried out and during a second part of the stroke movement the wedge slide (4) is moved, whereby when unlocking a container from the locked state to the unlocked state, the lock (51) is released during the first part of the stroke movement in the idle stroke and then during the second part of the stroke movement the wedge slide (4) is moved back, whereby the locking bolt (2) is initially raised and then turned back to the unlocked state.

5. Container locking method according to claim 4, characterized in that if the drive (3) fails, the lock (51) is released mechanically by means of an emergency release (6) and the locking bolt (2) is mechanically reset to the unlocked state.