Structure for a substructure

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure for a substructure (2), comprising a carcass (1a), and an openable roof (3), wherein the roof (3) can be displaced at its edges along two longitudinal beams (4, 5) of the carcass (1a), at least one linear actuator (10) being provided which displaces the carcass (1a) together with the roof (3) in terms of height relative to the substructure (2). According to the invention, a structure for a substructure and a method for compressing a load, with which any protruding load can be reliably and simply brought to the height of the substructure and in which loading from above is possible, is created in that the linear actuator (10) applies a force for compressing a load (L) in the substructure (2) and protruding beyond the substructure (2) by lowering the carcass (1a) with the closed roof (3) onto the substructure (2) counter to the prestress of the protruding load (L).

Description

[0001] Structure for a substructure

[0002] The invention relates to a body for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and an openable roof, wherein the roof is displaceable at the edges along two longitudinal members of the body, wherein the roof closes a roof opening between the two longitudinal members in a closed state, wherein the roof largely exposes the roof opening between the two longitudinal members in an open state, wherein each longitudinal member is supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable at least in height relative to the substructure depending on a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure.The invention further relates to a method for compressing a load which can be introduced into a loading space of a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, as well as to a method for compressing a compressible load which projects beyond an upper opening of a substructure, wherein the substructure has a structure with an openable roof.

[0003] The transport of free-flowing and so-called floating bulk materials, such as grain, hay, grass and maize silage, in top-loading substructures, such as harvest trailers, requires a cover in road traffic, as this is a lightweight load that can be blown away by wind or airstream, for example, and fall from the loading space of a trailer, for example. Furthermore, it is desirable to have a loading space even for loads with a relatively low density of up to approximately 600 kg / m³. 3to fully utilize the available space, making transportation economical. Therefore, there are regulations that require the top opening of substructures such as rubble containers to be covered, even when the vehicle is empty, to prevent dust from escaping.

[0004] Furthermore, it is desirable that the cargo arrives at its destination completely dry to prevent deterioration due to, for example, mold growth. To achieve this, the cargo must be covered as required and, at the same time, tightly covered to protect it from rain and other weather conditions. Furthermore, the vehicle carrying the cargo must not exceed a certain maximum overall height, allowing for transport under bridges or through tunnels, for example.

[0005] To make better use of the cargo space, the cargo is piled above the top opening, so that a cover does not completely enclose the cargo. While driving on uneven ground, the cargo is shaken and gradually collapses. The disadvantage of this is that unnecessary distances must be traveled before a level permissible for ferry operation on public roads is reached. Furthermore, there is a risk that the cargo will either extend further beyond the top opening and be dispersed in the wind, or that the cargo space will not be used optimally.

[0006] An agricultural trailer is known from practice which has an articulated, pivoting wing in the upper area of ​​each side wall. Both opposing wings comprise a supporting frame in which a net or tarpaulin is located. The wings can each be pivoted hydraulically so that they rest flat, partially overlapping each other, on a load. A disadvantage is that the load cannot be compressed by the wings or the net. Another disadvantage is that the load is not completely covered, so it can get wet in the rain. A further known practice is a roll-up throw-over net designed as a cover net, which covers a load above a substructure, such as a trailer. Due to the lightweight net material, compression of the load is not intended. Furthermore, the load is not protected from the effects of the weather, such as rain.

[0007] Load securing systems are known in practice in which a large, fillable air bag is arranged in the roof area, which, when filled with air, fills the empty spaces above the load and thus prevents the load from moving.

[0008] DE 202 15675 U1 shows a structure for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and an openable roof, wherein the roof is displaceable at the edges along two longitudinal members of the body, wherein the roof, in a closed state, closes a roof opening between the two longitudinal members, wherein the roof, in an open state, predominantly exposes the roof opening between the two longitudinal members, wherein each longitudinal member is supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable at least in height relative to the substructure depending on a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure.

[0009] DE 10 2013 201 000 A1 shows an openable roof for a substructure, wherein the roof is displaceable at the edges along two longitudinal members, wherein the roof in a closed state closes a roof opening between the two longitudinal members, wherein the roof in an open state largely exposes the roof opening between the two longitudinal members.

[0010] DE 10 2014 111 765 A1 shows a structure for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and a liftable roof, wherein the roof has two longitudinal members on the edge, wherein the longitudinal members are supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable at least in height relative to the substructure depending on a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure.

[0011] WO 2019 185 093 A1 shows a structure for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and an openable roof, wherein the roof is displaceable at the edges along two longitudinal members of the body, wherein the roof closes a roof opening between the two longitudinal members in a closed state, wherein the roof predominantly exposes the roof opening between the two longitudinal members in an open state.

[0012] DE 20 2013 005 936 U1 shows a structure for a substructure, such as a trailer, intended for the transport of agricultural harvested goods, wherein a load is held down from above by a load securing unit. The load securing unit comprises two movable vertical columns, each arranged in a frontal area of ​​the substructure. A so-called pressing frame is mounted on the two opposite columns, wherein the pressing frame has movable bows that can be adjusted as a template for holding down the load. A disadvantage is that the load securing unit does not have an opening roof, so loading from above is not possible. There is also no compression of the load; rather, the load is pressed from above against the floor of the substructure and thus prevented from moving within the substructure.

[0013] DE 20 2016 004 557 U1 shows a superstructure for a substructure, such as a trailer, intended for the transport of agricultural harvested goods, in which a load is covered from above by a load securing device. For this purpose, the superstructure comprises a horizontal support frame with a covering means, such as a net or tarpaulin. The support frame further comprises lifting means that can displace the support frame in a vertical direction so that a load can be covered. A disadvantage is that the load cannot be compressed by the net. Another disadvantage is that the load is not completely covered, so it can get wet in the rain.

[0014] DE 196 37 907 A1 shows a structure for a substructure such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and a non-openable closed roof, wherein the roof is arranged between two longitudinal members, wherein the longitudinal members are supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable in height relative to the substructure as a function of a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one electro-hydraulic lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure, wherein the lifting drive applies a force for compressing a load projecting over the substructure in the substructure, in that the body with the closed roof can be lowered onto the substructure against the pretension of the projecting load, thereby compressing the load.

[0015] DE 1 963 042 A shows a structure for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a body and a liftable roof, wherein the roof is arranged between two longitudinal members, wherein the longitudinal members are supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable in height relative to the substructure as a function of a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure, wherein the lifting drive (hydraulic pressure cylinder) applies a force for compressing a load projecting over the substructure in the substructure, in that the body with the closed roof can be lowered onto the substructure against the pretension of the projecting load.

[0016] It is the object of the invention to provide a structure for a substructure and a method for compressing cargo, with which protruding cargo can be reliably and easily brought to the level of the substructure and in which loading from above is possible.

[0017] This object is achieved according to the invention by a structure or a method having the features of an independent claim.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, a body for a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, is created. The body comprises a body and an openable roof, wherein the roof is displaceable at the edges along two longitudinal members of the body, wherein the roof, in a closed state, closes a roof opening between the two longitudinal members, wherein the roof, in an open state, largely exposes the roof opening between the two longitudinal members, wherein each longitudinal member is supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure via at least one lifting arrangement, wherein the body is adjustable at least in height relative to the substructure depending on a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement, wherein at least one lifting drive is provided which displaces the body together with the roof in height relative to the substructure.The body is characterized by the fact that the lifting drive applies a force to compress any load protruding above the substructure into the substructure. The body structure, together with the closed roof, can be lowered onto the substructure against the pre-tension of the protruding load. This advantageously ensures that the often prescribed cover of the substructure for road transport and the maximum permissible height in road traffic are adhered to. On the one hand, the load is subjected to a precisely defined force from above and thus compressed, and on the other hand, an exact maximum height of the substructure with the body is always ensured. Surprisingly, the opening roof, which is arranged or clamped centrally in the body structure, absorbs the forces that arise when the load is compressed.Although the opening roof is a movable roof, it is still possible to compress the load.

[0019] Suitable cargo includes agricultural bulk goods such as grain, silage, compost, hay, straw, etc. Furthermore, relatively low-density cargo, such as insulation materials, paper, and cardboard, can also be transported and compressed, as the body is generally used for compressing, compacting, and holding down the load. Another advantage is that the body is completely lockable, ensuring the load is always protected from rain, wind, and other weather influences.

[0020] The roof expediently occupies more than half, preferably more than three-quarters, and particularly preferably more than four-fifths of the surface of the body. This is preferably achieved by allowing the roof to be moved between the longitudinal members. It is possible for the roof to comprise more than one roof segment. The roof segments can also be moved in opposite directions to open the roof.

[0021] For practical purposes, the surface of the closed roof corresponds approximately or completely to the surface of the upper opening of the substructure, so that the roof absorbs the forces required to compress the protruding load. This distinguishes the openable roof from inspection hatches or similar.

[0022] The body of the superstructure forms a preferably rigid frame within which the roof can be opened and closed. The frame includes the two longitudinal beams, as well as other components such as cross members, which provide stability.

[0023] Since the load is brought in via the upper roof opening, tarpaulins or other covering elements can also hang down from the body of the vehicle. These can hang inside or preferably outside the substructure, for example, in order to advantageously close or seal the area between the substructure and the side member (when the body of the vehicle is raised). In the simplest design, a side tarpaulin is attached between the side member and the substructure, e.g. buttoned or arranged like a sliding curtain over tarpaulin suspension rollers to allow an opening. When the body of the vehicle is lowered, the side tarpaulin folds. It is possible to design the side tarpaulin as an elastically stretchable sheet material, which then applies a restoring force component to the body in the lowering direction.

[0024] Alternatively, the side tarpaulin can be designed like a bellows to allow for precise unfolding and folding. It is possible to let the tarpaulin hang into the substructure while filling the substructure, and only pull it out when the body is raised to allow the load to be directed into the substructure.

[0025] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the sheet material of the side tarpaulin extends approximately to the level of the floor of the substructure or the loading platform when the body or body is lowered, so that the side tarpaulin can be secured in a conventional manner with straps and hooks. In this case, the side tarpaulin covers one wall of the substructure at a time.

[0026] Preferably, each of the two longitudinal beams is supported by at least two vertically adjustable stanchions relative to the substructure. Using the at least two stanchions, the longitudinal beam can be raised parallel to the substructure or raised to different heights at its two ends. The stanchions expediently comprise a lower stanchion section associated with the substructure and an upper stanchion section associated with the longitudinal beam, which is movable relative to the lower stanchion section. One of the two stanchion sections guides the other in the manner of a linear guide, as is known with so-called sliding stanchions.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the lifting drive is designed as a stanchion drive or comprises a stanchion drive that displaces the height of at least one stanchion upper part relative to the corresponding stanchion lower part. Accordingly, the longitudinal member can be advantageously raised and lowered by the stanchion drive, wherein the stanchion drive applies a force during lowering to compress a load projecting beyond the substructure into the substructure, by lowering the body and, in particular, the closed roof over the substructure against the pretension of the projecting load until the body reaches the substructure.

[0028] It is advisable to have a stanchion in each corner of the substructure. Furthermore, each of the four stanchions preferably has its own stanchion drive. The advantage is that each stanchion can be individually adjusted vertically in height, allowing the user to individually set both the vertical position of the stanchion and a defined lifting force delivered by each stanchion. Furthermore, the superstructure can also be shifted using the stanchion drives so that it forms an angle to the horizontal, for example by only lifting one of the two longitudinal beams, or by only lifting the longitudinal beams at one end each. However, it is certainly possible to provide stanchions in positions other than the corners of the substructure.

[0029] Preferably, each of the pillar drives can be operated independently of the others. It is advantageous for the user that each pillar can be precisely adjusted in height via its own pillar drive. This allows the user to set a defined lifting force and a defined vertical position for each pillar.

[0030] It is advisable for several stanchions, preferably all stanchions of a longitudinal beam and preferably all stanchions assigned to the superstructure body, to be height-adjustable simultaneously. If a user sets and activates a control and regulation technology for the stanchions to "simultaneous," all stanchions are moved simultaneously in a vertical direction at the same speed and / or with the same lifting force. Furthermore, it is possible to use an auto-home function, which, when activated, always returns the stanchions to a defined starting position so that all stanchions are at the same height. The advantage is that tilting or blockage is always prevented, ensuring reliable, low-maintenance, low-noise, and long-lasting superstructure operation.

[0031] The lifting drive is preferably selected from the group comprising pneumatic drives, hydraulic drives, electric drives, spindle drives, rack and pinion drives, cable pull drives, driven scissor kinematics, driven linkage kinematics, and combinations of the above. Depending on the application and cost-effectiveness, the aforementioned drives are particularly suitable for a pillar drive. Accordingly, the structure and the pillar are characterized by increased flexibility.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment, the driven linkage kinematics can be designed as multi-joint kinematics, for example in that a four-bar arrangement with two links is assigned to the body, for example to each longitudinal member, wherein each of the two links is connected in an articulated manner at a lower end to the substructure or to a part assigned to the substructure, and wherein each of the two links is connected in an articulated manner at a lower end to the substructure or to a part assigned to the substructure, and wherein each of the two links is connected in an articulated manner at an upper end to the body or to a part assigned to the body, in particular to a longitudinal member in each case.The four-bar linkage pivots the entire body upward and simultaneously into an area slightly outside the substructure, advantageously shifting the area where the folded roof is located away from an upper opening in the substructure without the longitudinal member projecting beyond the substructure in the ready-to-drive state. In this way, the body can be conveniently held above the level of the lowered position in a raised position without the need for locking. The body is transferred by pivoting upward, the height of which depends on the length of the control arms, thus conveniently allowing the protruding load to be driven over.If the links are assigned to the short sides of the body and substructure, the body can be placed next to a side wall of the substructure when opened, for example by pivoting it by preferably 90° or 270°.

[0033] In another advantageous embodiment, the driven linkage kinematics can be designed as parallelogram linkage kinematics, for example by assigning a parallelogram linkage arrangement with two links to the body, for example to each longitudinal member, wherein each of the two links is pivotally connected at a lower end to the substructure or a part assigned to the substructure, and wherein each of the two links is pivotally connected at a lower end to the substructure or a part assigned to the substructure, and wherein each of the two links is pivotally connected at an upper end to the body or a part assigned to the body, in particular to a respective longitudinal member. Advantageously, the lifting movement is provided by the first half of the pivoting about the lower linkage axes, which is followed by a shift into a parking position by the second half of the pivoting about the lower linkage axes.In the parked position, the body is conveniently placed back on the substructure, meaning the body does not get in the way of loading and no locking is required in the raised position. Furthermore, this allows the part of the body in which the folded roof is folded to be moved outside the upper opening of the substructure, so that the upper opening of the substructure is practically completely exposed without the longitudinal members protruding above the substructure when the body is lowered. If the control arms are sufficiently long, approximately up to half the length of the side wall of the substructure, in any case longer than a tenth and preferably longer than a seventh of the length of the side wall of the substructure, a high apex of the pivoting movement is achieved, allowing a high overhang of the load above the upper opening to be traveled over.It is advisable to close the roof when the swivel movement of the body has reached its zenith, since in the parking position the protruding load prevents the roof from closing.

[0034] A favorable variant, for example, provides for the pillar to have two mutually guided lower and upper pillar sections, which only allow vertical mutual displacement. The pillar drive displaces the upper pillar section connected or coupled to the longitudinal member relative to the lower pillar section connected to the substructure or a chassis, allowing the drive to extend or retract the pillar. The pillar drive can advantageously be a pneumatic or hydraulic piston-cylinder unit, one end of which is connected to the lower pillar section and the other end to the upper pillar section, in order to be able to apply both compressive forces (e.g. for lifting) and tensile forces (e.g. for lowering).

[0035] A hydraulic drive is particularly preferred because it travels a defined distance without slippage. However, it is also possible to provide a spindle drive in which a spindle rod is assigned to one of the lower and upper pillar sections and a spindle nut is assigned to the other of the lower and upper pillar sections, and the spindle rod is driven by an electric motor. The solution using a spindle drive requires little setup effort and enables simple control via the electric motor. According to another alternative, a motor assigned to one of the two pillar sections, the lower and upper pillar sections, can mesh with a gear along a rack or hole assigned to the other of the two pillar sections and thus mutually adjust the height of the two pillar sections.

[0036] A particularly simple alternative to a stanchion drive is provided if a driven scissor kinematics is provided as a lifting drive. The driven scissor kinematics comprises, for example, a scissor table that is arranged in the area of ​​at least one edge between the substructure and the superstructure, for example on the front wall and / or on the rear wall of the substructure, whereby the superstructure body can be raised or lowered in the area of ​​the end of the longitudinal members. Alternatively, a scissor table can also be provided between the side wall of the substructure and the longitudinal member. Yet another solution provides that the upper table of the scissor table is formed by the superstructure body. In this case, the raising or lowering of the scissor table can advantageously be achieved by means of a linear drive that axially displaces one end of the scissors.The drive can be located in the area of ​​the body, but is preferably located in the area of ​​the substructure for better accessibility.

[0037] It is possible to mount the scissor table on the base instead of on top of the substructure. This increases the height of the scissor table, but also allows for greater force to be transferred into the body of the substructure due to the resulting transmission.

[0038] According to a preferred embodiment, the longitudinal member is connected to the lifting drive via a coupling kinematics that enables tolerance compensation. The advantage of a coupling kinematics with integrated tolerance compensation is that tilting is prevented when the roof is adjusted in height. This ensures the functionality and reliability of the body at all times. Furthermore, the coupling kinematics can compensate for the travel caused by the height difference, for example, between the front and rear stanchions, when the body is tilted, effectively preventing tilting.

[0039] According to one design variant, the coupling kinematics is selected from the group comprising ball joints, joint connectors, slotted hole-pin combinations, bolt-eye combinations, hinges, and combinations thereof. To ensure the functionality of the coupling kinematics, robust and reliable components are used. Furthermore, these are low-maintenance and cost-effective, and are characterized by a long product lifespan. The coupling kinematics must also be able to transmit tensile forces when the body is to be pulled onto the substructure against the restoring force of the protruding load. Ball joints are particularly suitable for this purpose, as they can also compensate for any inclination of the body relative to the substructure.

[0040] According to a first preferred embodiment, the openable roof comprises a tarpaulin. The advantage of a tarpaulin is that it is inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to attach, or easily and quickly replaceable, as well as weather-resistant. Furthermore, a tarpaulin can be flexibly and individually arranged on the body and flexibly folded or rolled up. With a closed roof of the body, the tarpaulin advantageously protects the cargo from rain, wind, and other weather influences, ensuring that the cargo always arrives at its destination dry.

[0041] According to a further preferred embodiment, the openable roof comprises a mesh panel. The mesh panel is also inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to install or replace, and is sufficient to compress the cargo, depending on the mesh size. Furthermore, a mesh panel can be flexibly and bendably arranged individually to the body and can be flexibly folded or rolled up.

[0042] According to a further preferred embodiment, the openable roof comprises a sheet-like cover that has high tear resistance. The sheet-like cover can also be made of expanded metal or other inelastic components that do not yield under the load of the lifting drive.

[0043] Preferably, the tarpaulin is connected to each of the two longitudinal members via several bows, each with a slide at one end. So that the tarpaulin can be opened and closed, for example like an accordion, it is connected to the bows. This allows the tarpaulin to be easily moved along the longitudinal members using the bows. Such folding roofs, in which the tarpaulin is connected to the longitudinal members via bows in a movable manner, are well known and are highly resistant to dynamic loads during ferry operation. Surprisingly, it has now been discovered that the robust construction of the folding roof also allows the forces that occur when the load protruding beyond the open upper opening in the substructure is compressed, so that, contrary to all expectations, a body with a sliding roof allows the load to be compressed.

[0044] It's advantageous if the adjacent bows are connected to each other via tarpaulin folding aids, which raise the tarpaulin when the folding roof is retracted. The tarpaulin folding aids can also be equipped with a lifting bow, which further improves the tarpaulin folding.

[0045] It is also possible to construct the bows from two telescopic bow halves, which, for example, have a certain amount of play via a slotted hole and a connecting pin, allowing them to change length to accommodate the increased spacing between the longitudinal members when the longitudinal member is raised and the longitudinal member is lowered. For this purpose, it can also be advantageously provided that the carriages are connected to the bow via joints, whereby the carriages do not change their position relative to the longitudinal member, but the bow adjusts relative to the carriages.

[0046] According to an alternative design, the opening roof comprises several interconnected roof elements that can be folded together accordion-like to open the roof and, when closed, close the roof opening when placed side by side. The advantage of roof elements is their greater rigidity, allowing them to absorb even greater forces without significantly bending. Furthermore, roof elements and side wall elements offer greater burglary protection.

[0047] Each longitudinal member expediently comprises a longitudinal member base part, which is assigned to the lifting drive, and a longitudinal member guide part, which is assigned to the roof. Furthermore, the longitudinal member guide part is displaceable relative to the longitudinal member base part at least in a direction transverse to the extension of the longitudinal member. The advantage is that the resulting longitudinal member enables mobility transverse to the direction of displacement of the roof and, accordingly, when the body is tilted, the travel caused by the height difference between the two longitudinal members can be compensated for, thus effectively preventing tilting. Such a solution is described in WO 2019 185 093 A1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated into the application by reference.

[0048] Overall, it's beneficial that the lifting drive includes overload protection, which prevents the body from being closed with a force exceeding a threshold for the roof load. This advantageously prevents damage to the pillar drive and the roof. In the event that the load is less compressible than expected, or has already been compressed once and therefore cannot be compressed further, this prevents the lifting drive from becoming overloaded or damaging the opening roof, which is supposedly the weakest link in the body.

[0049] The overload protection is preferably selected from the group comprising a slip clutch, a pressure sensor, a torque limiter, a current limiter, a temperature switch, a pressure relief valve, a safety clutch, and combinations thereof. The aforementioned components ensure that the overload protection functions reliably, robustly, and with low maintenance in an economical manner.

[0050] If the pillar drive includes an electric motor, the overload protection can be designed, for example, with a slip clutch between the motor's output shaft and the driven part. If the force required to lower the body is too high, the slip clutch slips, and the movement of the pillar parts stops.

[0051] According to a preferred embodiment, a distance sensor is provided that emits a signal when the roof is fully lowered. This allows a user to immediately know when the roof is fully lowered, even in poor visibility conditions, for example, at night or due to the height of the body. This information is important to prevent cargo from escaping and / or exceeding the maximum permissible ride height.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, a locking arrangement is provided which mutually locks the lifting drive or the parts relatively displaced by the lifting drive, e.g. the upper part of the stanchion relative to the lower part of the stanchion, in particular when the roof or the superstructure is completely lowered or when the roof or the superstructure is at least partially raised. This advantageously prevents unexpected height adjustment or unexpected opening. Furthermore, the locking arrangement helps to hold the load down permanently and thus prevent it from slipping. In the case of a motor-driven or hydraulic stanchion drive or a driven scissor kinematics, the drive can be switched off after reaching the substructure without the roof being raised again by the compressed load as if by a spring. Furthermore, shocks during travel are not transmitted to the stanchion drive.It is understood that the locking arrangement can also be electrically actuated, so that the control system only shuts off the motor after it has been locked and only disengages the locking arrangement before the stanchion parts are moved, e.g., via a locking pin actuated by a magnet. In such a case, the control system advantageously provides that, to release the locking pin, the body is first displaced slightly in the opposite direction to the intended direction of movement.

[0053] Conveniently, the roof is equipped with a roof drive that allows the roof to be opened and closed. The roof drive advantageously includes a motor so that a user can open and close the roof quickly and easily. Furthermore, the drive is preferably remote-controlled.

[0054] According to a further preferred embodiment, the two longitudinal beams are connected to each other in the region of at least one of their ends by a cross member, preferably of variable length. This advantageously prevents tilting and / or possible damage to the superstructure. It is possible to design the cross member to be telescopic so that it can follow a tilted position of the superstructure and the associated change in length. It is understood that a cross member can also be coupled to the longitudinal beams at both ends.

[0055] According to a preferred embodiment, the roof is designed to be foldable for opening. Furthermore, the folded roof can be pushed together in an end region of the longitudinal members, opening the roof opening, and the folded roof also projects upwards relative to the longitudinal members. This advantageously opens up the largest possible opening for a cargo space in order to simplify filling the cargo space. Furthermore, during the opening process, the roof is displaced upwards away from the cargo, advantageously preventing the roof from becoming tangled in the cargo or any damage to the roof. It is possible to enlarge the roof opening if the longitudinal members have an axial overhang beyond the substructure, into the area of ​​which the tarpaulin is pushed.The axial projection can also be achieved by a telescopic longitudinal member or by a longitudinal member attachment which is attached to the longitudinal member to extend it axially if necessary.

[0056] According to an alternative embodiment, the roof is designed to be foldable for opening. In this case, the folded roof can be pushed together in an end region of the longitudinal members, releasing the roof opening, with the folded roof protruding downwards relative to the longitudinal members. This advantageously again releases the largest possible opening of the loading space. Now, during the opening process, the roof is displaced in a direction towards the load, so that the open roof now protrudes downwards. One advantage is that the structure can also be used in very tight spaces, for example in a building such as a hall or barn. Furthermore, the downwardly projecting roof can be equipped at least in sections with tool elements, for example in the form of a rake, in order to mix the load on the surface and / or distribute it evenly.This design has two key advantages: Firstly, the height-adjustable superstructure can be raised to open or close the roof, preventing the roof, which protrudes from the side members, from colliding with the load. Secondly, when the roof is closed, the roof components rest on the side members and are well supported when the superstructure is lowered by the lifting drive, thus compressing the load particularly effectively and protecting the roof components. A favorable further development provides for the downwardly projecting roof to have a net panel or, alternatively, a sheet-like tarpaulin that can hang loosely and is preferably supported by bows against the side members. It is possible to attach the net panel to the bows so that it is carried along by the bows when the roof is closed. Alternatively, the net panel can be wound up on a roll in the superstructure body.By raising the body, not only is the overhanging load covered, but the folded roof is also pulled out of the cargo. Alternatively, the openable roof can extend downwards, consisting of roof elements folded together like an accordion.

[0057] It is particularly advantageous to additionally cover a level above the roof with an upper tarpaulin, e.g., wound on a roller, to create a weatherproof cover. The upper tarpaulin does not absorb any forces that would compress the load and can therefore be lightweight. The upper tarpaulin can, for example, be connected to an end section of the roof so that it is moved along when the roof is closed. The roller can be pre-tensioned in the winding direction, for example, with a spring.

[0058] It is preferably provided that the lifting drive actively compresses the load by introducing a downward force via the body shell, in particular into the roof. However, it is also possible for the lifting drive to lift the body shell, if necessary against the preload of a spring device such as a coil spring or a compressible gas spring, and for the body shell to compress the load as it lowers towards the substructure under the weight of its own mass or, in the case of a spring device, additionally under the restoring force of the spring device. In this case, the lifting drive can be operated by motor or manually to lift the body shell. The mass or the restoring force of the spring device is then dimensioned such that it is sufficient to compress the load. In this case, lowering the body shell onto the empty substructure may cause a violent impact.

[0059] According to a favorable embodiment, the body of the structure has a projection for a manual tensioning device, for example an eccentric lever device or a toggle lever device or a rope laid over a pulley block, wherein the body of the structure can be displaced towards the substructure by actuating the manual tensioning device. This eliminates the need for a motor and the associated electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic lines. Instead, the body of the structure is lowered – and possibly also raised – together with the roof by the manual tensioning device. The rope can be operated with the pulley block via a pulley with a crank, but it is also possible to use a portable drive such as a cordless screwdriver or the existing winch of a towing vehicle.The eccentric lever device or the toggle lever device can also be used to lock the superstructure to the substructure. Conveniently, the substructure also features a mounting point for the manual clamping device, allowing clamping between the substructure and superstructure. The manual clamping device can also be permanently connected to the respective mounting point.

[0060] The superstructure is expediently used to compact loads protruding above the substructure, particularly crops. Crops include, for example, bulk materials such as grain, silage, compost, straw, and the like. These have a relatively low overall density, which allows them to be compressed and held down by the superstructure. Other goods mentioned above can also be considered as loads.

[0061] According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for compressing a compressible load that projects beyond an upper opening of a substructure, the substructure having a body with an openable roof, comprising the steps of: raising the body with the roof open relative to the substructure; closing the roof above the upper opening and above the projecting load; and lowering the body with the roof closed while compressing the load until the body reaches the substructure and the upper opening of the substructure is closed. The above method can be repeated several times, whereby a process of compressing load results in the reduction of voids within the load, thereby maximizing the utilization of the loading space of a substructure. This has the advantage of making transport economical, efficient, and safe.The method makes it possible to close the upper opening of a substructure where the load protrudes beyond the upper opening, and to avoid shifting the roof below the load, which would result in the load being pushed over the substructure and thus in a loss of load. Instead, the body can be lifted with the open roof and then closed completely without collision with the protruding load and without resistance or loss of load. Accordingly, the roof can be closed just as smoothly as with an unloaded substructure. The body with the closed roof is then moved towards the substructure like a press ram, whereby the openable roof surface essentially compresses the load and the volume of the substructure is filled with the load in a particularly compact manner.It is possible to drive the substructure while the roof is being raised, at least partially open, and the roof is being lowered while the roof is still closed, while still away from road traffic, for example, in a field, so that the resulting vibrations cause the load to initially collapse. Once the body reaches the substructure, this ensures that the substructure and body comply with the maximum permitted height for road traffic and that the load is optimally covered, preventing dust or particles from escaping during travel and protecting the load from precipitation and other weather influences.

[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, the raising and / or lowering of the superstructure is carried out by a lifting drive, which adjusts the height of the superstructure relative to the substructure. The lifting drive advantageously provides both the force for raising the superstructure and the force for compacting the load. Accordingly, high forces can be applied, and a high degree of compression of the load can be achieved. The lifting drive can be designed as described above.

[0063] The body expediently comprises two longitudinal members arranged on either side of the upper opening. Furthermore, the openable body comprises a foldable roof that can be moved along the two longitudinal members. This promotes a simple and reliable structure, allowing the largest possible opening to be created, allowing a load to be easily and quickly filled into the substructure from above. This also advantageously promotes reliable opening and closing of the roof. This allows the body, including the longitudinal members, to be raised relative to the substructure, with the longitudinal members resting on the side walls of the substructure when the body is lowered. The longitudinal members preferably have a recessed, longitudinal groove that is adapted to the thickness of the respective side wall, allowing the longitudinal member to be brought close to the substructure in a tight, gap-free manner.

[0064] Overall, it is advantageous that each longitudinal member can be adjusted in height relative to the substructure by at least two stanchions. The advantage is that the dead weight of a longitudinal member is distributed across at least two stanchions, thereby advantageously ensuring stability and even displacement of the longitudinal member. Preferably, a stanchion is coupled to the longitudinal member in the end region of each longitudinal member, so that these are height-adjustable corner stanchions. It is possible for the side wall of the substructure to curve slightly upwards from the stanchions towards the middle in order to center the longitudinal member somewhat when lowered. According to a preferred embodiment, the height of one or more of the stanchions is adjusted together or individually in order to raise and / or tilt the body.For the user, this advantageously increases flexibility with regard to compressing and shifting the load, since in practice a load is rarely evenly distributed immediately after being filled into a substructure; rather, there is at least a pile of load in a substructure. This makes it possible to always adapt the roof to the load. Adjusting all stanchions together enables even compression of the load during lowering. However, it is possible to adjust only one or some of the stanchions vertically, within certain limits predetermined by the coupling kinematics. For example, the stanchions assigned to one longitudinal member can raise it while the other longitudinal member remains in the lowered position.This allows, when the roof is closed, a surface inclined towards the upper opening to be formed, and the substructure is loaded by filling it via the space between the substructure and the raised longitudinal member.

[0065] Advantageously, one or more of the stanchions is assigned a stanchion drive as a lifting drive, which causes the upper stanchion section to be moved vertically relative to a lower stanchion section. Each stanchion preferably has its own assigned stanchion drive, e.g. a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit, with one end assigned to the lower stanchion section and the other end assigned to the upper stanchion section. The two stanchion sections together define a linear guide, in that one of the two stanchion sections is displaceable in the axial direction along a guide track of the other of the two stanchion sections, while in the two directions transverse to the axial direction it allows at most a slight amount of play in order to enable displacement largely without friction.

[0066] The stanchion drive conveniently shifts the body onto the substructure by moving the respective upper section of the stanchion in one direction until the load is compressed or a threshold value for the displacement force to be absorbed by the body is reached. This advantageously ensures that, when the threshold value is exceeded, the compression of the load is stopped to prevent damage to the body or its individual components. Once the body reaches the substructure, the body does not need to be lowered any further.

[0067] The stanchion drive advantageously has a minimum force that allows it to withstand defined loads, which can compress a load. To prevent damage to the stanchion drive or the body as a whole, there is advantageously a threshold value that acts as a kind of limit switch for the stanchion drive, so that the displacement of a stanchion can be reliably stopped if this threshold value is reached or exceeded.

[0068] According to a favorable embodiment, a latch locks the upper section of the stanchion to the lower section when the body has reached the substructure (lower end position) or when the body has reached a desired extension height (upper end position or intermediate position). After locking, the stanchion drive is switched off. As soon as the load is compressed, the body can be locked in the lowered position and the drive switched off, thereby saving electricity and / or energy. The locking can be achieved via a bolt that, when the body is lowered, passes through aligned holes in the two stanchion sections. This bolt can be pushed forward, for example, by an electromagnetic actuator or a return spring. Before raising the roof, the latch must be unlocked again. This also ensures that the body cannot be easily levered upwards by third parties when the substructure is parked.

[0069] An advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the lifting drive comprises at least a first, e.g. front, lifting drive unit and at least a second, e.g. rear, lifting drive unit. The lifting drive unit is supported at one end against the substructure and the other end against the superstructure. In the case of a stanchion drive, the stanchion drive of the front stanchion of a longitudinal member is the front lifting drive unit and the stanchion drive of the rear stanchion is the rear lifting drive unit. In the case of driven scissor kinematics, a front scissor table can be assigned to the two longitudinal members on the front wall and a rear scissor table to the two longitudinal members on the rear wall. In the case of alternative driven scissor kinematics, the first lifting drive unit can be assigned to one longitudinal member and the other lifting drive unit to the other longitudinal member.The first and second lifting drive units advantageously introduce both tensile forces and compressive forces into the substructure and the superstructure, whereby the lifting and lowering of the superstructure is advantageously accomplished by the same lifting drive.

[0070] According to a further preferred embodiment, prior to the step of lowering the superstructure, the superstructure is arranged in a horizontal plane above the substructure, i.e., essentially parallel to its upper opening. This promotes the superstructure's uniform pressure on the load from above, thus preventing tilting and ensuring that the load is evenly compressed.

[0071] To open or close the roof, the structure is preferably tilted at an angle in the direction of the corresponding opening or closing movement. The advantage is that the roof's own weight is utilized when opening or closing due to the tilted position of the structure, making it easier to open or close the roof.

[0072] According to one design variant, the substructure has a hatch for unloading the substructure. Preferably, the roof is opened and / or the body is raised before the hatch is opened. This allows the hatch to pivot into an area closed off by the roof. Furthermore, the load is relieved, making it easier to evacuate from the substructure.

[0073] According to a further preferred embodiment, a controller controls at least one of the raising and lowering of the superstructure, the opening and closing of the roof, and the opening and closing of a flap of the substructure. Integrated control and regulation technology increases operating comfort for the user and also ensures consistent force input and protection against incorrect operation. Furthermore, the above control and regulation technology can be designed to be remotely controllable and automated, so that, for example, railway wagons or the like can be equipped with the above superstructure and loaded or unloaded with a cargo. The controller can coordinate a sequence of partial movements, and the superstructure, the roof, the latch, and / or the flap can be moved simultaneously in a desired sequence.An operator can then choose between several complex functions such as “open”, “close” and / or “unload”, while the control system issues the corresponding control commands to the components of the superstructure and substructure.

[0074] According to another preferred embodiment, the step of lowering the superstructure comprises several sub-steps in which the superstructure is raised and lowered again. Advantageously, the compression of a load is repeated until a defined degree of compression is reached and a loading space is thus fully utilized. This ensures economical, safe, and efficient transport. Furthermore, intermittent pressure peaks in the load lead to a more even distribution of the load in the substructure, as the load flows toward the lower pressure.

[0075] Overall, it is advantageous that the step of raising the body relative to the substructure with the roof open takes place after the substructure has been loaded with cargo, preferably loose and / or pourable crops, preferably via the top opening. The advantage is that the body should not be in the way while the substructure is being filled, so that the substructure can be filled free of any obstructions. As soon as a pile of cargo protrudes above the substructure, the body can be raised with the roof open. The roof can be used to distribute the pile of cargo so that the cargo is evenly distributed in the substructure. The roof is then closed and the body is lowered onto the load so that the compression process can take place. This is preferably repeated several times until the loading space is completely full to ensure economical and efficient transport of the cargo.

[0076] According to a further development, the body includes a load sensor that detects pressure or other parameters of the load on the body. The measured values ​​of the load sensor can be transmitted to the control system for comparison with associated threshold values.

[0077] Preferably, the speed and / or force with which the body is lowered is controlled depending on the parameter detected by the load sensor. This control advantageously ensures reliable and very safe operation of the body for compressing loads and, depending on the measured value, allows the body to be lowered onto an empty substructure more quickly than when it is filled or overfilled with load. Furthermore, the body is advantageously suitable for automation for compressing loads in a substructure.

[0078] According to a further preferred development, the superstructure has a distance sensor that detects the distance of the superstructure from the substructure. The measured values ​​of the distance sensor can be transmitted to the controller for comparison with associated threshold values. This allows the speed at which the superstructure approaches the substructure to be reduced near the substructure. Furthermore, the measured value can be used for a signal indicating whether the superstructure is at a height that does not exceed the maximum construction height for road traffic. The distance sensor can also be used to detect a maximum height of the superstructure or a maximum inclination of the superstructure relative to the horizontal.

[0079] Preferably, the speed and / or force with which the superstructure is lowered is controlled, preferably by the control system, depending on the distance detected by the distance sensor. This prevents damage, ensuring reliable and safe operation of the superstructure.

[0080] According to a further development, the body has a closing sensor that detects whether the roof is closed and / or whether the body is fully lowered. With the roof open, participation in road traffic is not permitted, even if the maximum vehicle height is maintained. Preferably, the closing sensor delivers a corresponding road-ready signal. The user advantageously receives a signal that immediately indicates that the vehicle or its undercarriage is ready to drive, thus eliminating the time-consuming task of checking the roadworthiness of a body, thus saving time and money.

[0081] Conveniently, all of the above-mentioned sensors relating to the condition of the structure are connected to the control system, which uses the measured values ​​to regulate the process steps.

[0082] Preferably, the loading of cargo into the load space of the substructure is provided as a separate step. This step can take place before or after the step of raising the body with the roof open. The open roof allows cargo to be loaded into the load space even when the body is resting on the substructure. If the cargo does not protrude above the upper opening of the substructure, the roof can be closed without raising the body. However, it is also possible to raise the body before the cargo is loaded into the load space of the substructure. The latter solution is particularly advantageous if raising the roof means that the folded part of the roof no longer partially closes the upper opening.

[0083] Ideally, the first step is to open the roof while the body is still closed. However, it is possible to open the roof only after the body is fully or partially open.

[0084] According to a favorable embodiment, a method is provided for compressing a load that can be introduced into the loading space of a substructure, such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container. The method comprises an openable roof made of weather-resistant material, which is at least partially opened so that the loading space of the substructure is accessible. The load is then introduced into the loading space of the substructure. Furthermore, the method comprises two longitudinal beams, each supported on at least one stanchion and connected to the roof, wherein the roof is displaceable along the two longitudinal beams and is lifted by at least one stanchion drive, so that at least one of the two longitudinal beams is arranged, at least in section, above the load introduced into the loading space of the substructure.The roof is then closed and the stanchion drive moves the longitudinal members downwards so that the roof compresses the load and holds it down permanently. In the above-mentioned process, a load is compressed from above and, if necessary, held down during transport. This means that the process and the structure have two significant advantages. Firstly, maximum use is made of the loading space, so that transport is always economical and efficient, and secondly, the load can participate in road traffic without loss, thanks to a cover that enables safe transport. Furthermore, the closed roof provides optimal weather protection, so that the load always arrives dry. The roof is expediently raised and / or lowered in an at least partially open position. Furthermore, the roof is expediently raised and / or lowered in a completely closed position.For the user, this offers increased flexibility, as the structure and roof can be moved in any situation.

[0085] The roof preferably comprises a tarpaulin. A tarpaulin is relatively easy to attach or replace to a roof frame of a body. Furthermore, a tarpaulin has a low weight, is flexible, pliable, and can be folded accordion-like. Furthermore, a tarpaulin is also easy to clean and reusable.

[0086] Ideally, the tarpaulin should be made of a weather-resistant material. To protect the cargo from moisture, rain, snow, and other weather influences, the tarpaulin must be made of a robust and weather-resistant material.

[0087] According to a preferred embodiment, the tarpaulin is connected to each of the two longitudinal beams via several bows, each with a slide at its end. To allow the tarpaulin to be opened and closed, for example, accordion-like, it is connected to bows. This advantageously allows the tarpaulin to be easily moved along the longitudinal beams using the bows.

[0088] According to a preferred embodiment, the tarpaulin is connected to each of the two longitudinal beams via several hoops, each with rollers at the end. Depending on the application, rollers can be used instead of carriages, as they are both reliable and robust. Rollers have the advantage of being less susceptible to jamming with free-flowing bulk material. The carriages typically have several rollers.

[0089] Overall, it's advantageous that the tarpaulin folds when the roof is opened and unfolds when it's closed. The tarpaulin folds and unfolds accordion-like, making it easier to open and close.

[0090] Preferably, opening the roof involves folding the roof, and closing the roof involves unfolding the roof. Folding can be accomplished by folding a tarpaulin, but a mesh panel can also be provided instead of the tarpaulin, or several accordion-like roof sections can be provided instead of a flexible roof.

[0091] According to one design variant, the tarpaulin is made of a cut-resistant material. Chopped crops, such as corn silage, can have sharp edges, which could lead to a tear or cut in the tarpaulin material. Therefore, the tarpaulin is made of a tear- and cut-resistant material.

[0092] According to a further design variant, the tarpaulin comprises a cut-resistant material at least in sections. For cost reasons, the tarpaulin may not necessarily be made entirely of cut-resistant material, but only in those sections where contact with the crop may occur.

[0093] According to a favorable further development, the tarpaulin is a composite of several material layers. To ensure the greatest possible cut and tear resistance of the tarpaulin, a composite of several material layers is used. These can be at least sewn and / or glued together. Advantageously, the longevity of the tarpaulin is increased by this composite, especially when the tarpaulin rubs against the load during opening or closing. Furthermore, the load is optimally sealed and protected from rain and other weather influences by the robust tarpaulin. Advantageously, the lifting drive is designed as a linear motion drive that can dynamically raise and lower a respective longitudinal member, at least in sections. Furthermore, the lifting drive offers precise positioning and individually adjustable speed ranges for moving the respective longitudinal member.For example, a user can specify a speed profile for both raising and lowering a longitudinal member, so that, for example, in an area of ​​an end stop, the longitudinal member is moved at a reduced speed or decelerated. There are at least two end stops. The first end stop is reached when the longitudinal member is at least partially fully raised. The second end stop is reached when the longitudinal member is at least partially fully lowered. Advantageously, the lifting drive has a so-called soft-close system, which dampens the movement of the longitudinal member shortly before reaching an end stop.

[0094] The lifting drive is preferably hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically driven. The advantage is that the above types of lifting drive can be automated and can withstand high loads. Automation of the lifting drive is advantageously achieved via limit switches, which, when activated, stop a movement of the lifting drive, for example. Limit switches are arranged at precisely defined positions and at specific intervals within the structure, so that a defined travel path of a lifting drive can always be registered, controlled, and regulated via the limit switches. This ensures that the longitudinal beams are always moved precisely, robustly, and reliably.

[0095] According to a preferred embodiment, the lifting drive is integrated into the stanchion. Particular care must be taken to ensure that the lifting drive does not come into contact with the load to avoid damage to the lifting drive. The lifting drive is advantageously housed in a dust- and watertight housing. Furthermore, integration into a stanchion ensures a compact design, allowing maximum utilization of the loading space for economical and efficient cargo transport.

[0096] According to a further preferred embodiment, the lifting drive can be extended and retracted telescopically. Overall, this increases the compactness of the entire structure, and the lifting drive can withstand very high forces. The telescopic drive can also be provided outside the substructure, for example, in the area of ​​the front or rear wall of the substructure, and can then be supported, for example, on a part supporting the substructure, such as the axles or a loading platform.

[0097] According to a further preferred embodiment, the superstructure is raised and / or lowered together with one of the longitudinal beams. In doing so, the superstructure is tilted longitudinally and displaced upwards. This advantageously promotes flexibility for a user, for example, when filling the substructure with crop.

[0098] The roof expediently includes at least one end piece. This end piece advantageously provides the roof with increased stability, making it easier to open and close. Furthermore, the roof can be locked via the end piece.

[0099] For optimal performance, the body is raised and / or lowered together with the end section. This increases flexibility in loading and compressing cargo. Furthermore, it supports the unloading process, as obstructive components can be relocated, allowing for efficient loading and unloading.

[0100] During the closing process, the roof's end section preferably slides and travels over a pile of cargo that protrudes above the substructure. The advantage is that the roof's front end is so robust that it can move over a pile of cargo, allowing it to be moved or traveled over. The goal is for the cargo to fill the loading space evenly, ensuring a specific center of gravity within the substructure, thus ensuring reliable and safe load securing. Furthermore, the substructure's loading space is optimally utilized for transporting the cargo.

[0101] According to a further preferred embodiment, a preferably mechanical indicator indicates a fully closed position of the body. This has the advantage for a user that they can immediately recognize when the body is fully closed, and thus the vehicle or substructure is ready to drive. The mechanical indicator thus signals the vehicle's readiness to drive, in such a way that a user can immediately acknowledge this without wasting time and can begin transporting the load.

[0102] Conveniently, the body is raised and / or lowered simultaneously during the roof opening or closing process. One advantage is the time savings, as vertical displacement of the body and displacement of the roof can occur simultaneously. Another advantage is that it is possible to create a ramp-like travel path with the roof, allowing the body to be individually adapted to a pile of load.

[0103] According to a practical embodiment, at least one side wall, which extends upwards from a loading area of ​​the cargo space, is inclined in a direction towards the loading area. The advantage is that the load can also be compressed via the side wall. The load can therefore also be compacted and tensioned laterally. This leads to an even higher degree of compression, whereby hollow spaces in the load are pushed back even further and additionally improves lateral load securing. It should be noted that the force transmission to the body can thereby increase to such an extent that it can no longer be lowered, so that additional compression via the side wall is preferably not carried out.

[0104] In the above methods, the structure is particularly preferably designed as described above.

[0105] Further advantages, properties, features and developments of the claimed invention emerge from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the dependent claims.

[0106] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0107] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a partially raised structure for a substructure with a closed roof and indicated tarpaulin.

[0108] Fig. 2 shows the structure from Fig. 1 without tarpaulin.

[0109] Fig. 3 shows the structure from Fig. 1 and 2 in a partially raised position with the roof open.

[0110] Fig. 4 shows the structure from Fig. 1 to 3 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0111] Fig. 5 shows the structure from Fig. 1 to 4 in a fully lowered position with the roof closed.

[0112] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a fully lowered structure for a substructure with a closed roof.

[0113] Fig. 7 shows the structure from Fig. 6 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0114] Fig. 8 shows the structure from Fig. 6 and 7 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0115] Fig. 9 shows the structure from Figs. 6 to 8 in a fully raised position with the roof open. Fig. 10 shows the structure from Figs. 6 to 9 in a tilted position with the roof closed.

[0116] Fig. 11 shows the structure from Fig. 6 to 10 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0117] Fig. 12 shows a variant of the structure from Fig. 6 to 11 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0118] Fig. 13 shows the structure of Fig. 12 in an inclined position with the roof closed.

[0119] Fig. 14 shows the structure of Fig. 12 and 13 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0120] Fig. 15 shows a variant of the structure from Fig. 12 to 14 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0121] Fig. 16 shows a variant of the structure from Fig. 15 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0122] Fig. 17 shows the structure of Fig. 16 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0123] Fig. 18 shows the structure of Fig. 16 and 17 in a fully raised position with the roof open and an eccentric lever device.

[0124] Fig. 19 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a fully raised structure for a substructure with a closed roof.

[0125] Fig. 20 shows the structure of Fig. 19 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0126] Fig. 21 shows a variant of the structure from Fig. 19 and 20 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0127] Fig. 22 shows the structure of Fig. 21 in a fully raised position with the roof open.

[0128] Fig. 23 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a fully raised structure for a substructure with a closed roof.

[0129] Fig. 24 shows the structure from Fig. 23 in an open position.

[0130] Fig. 25 shows a schematic front view of a bow. Fig. 26 shows a perspective schematic view of an arrangement of roof elements of a structure for a substructure with a closed and an open roof.

[0131] Fig. 27 shows the structure from Fig. 26 in a schematic side view.

[0132] Fig. 28 shows a variant of the structure from Fig. 1 to 5 in a lowered position with the roof open.

[0133] Fig. 29 shows a rear view of a combination of the structure of Fig. 1 and Fig. 16 in a fully raised position with the roof closed.

[0134] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a body 1 with a body 1a for a substructure 2 or a trailer 2, which has wheels W for movement.

[0135] The trailer 2 comprises a front wall V and an opposite rear wall R. The trailer 2 has a loading area 2b, which is bounded in the longitudinal direction by a respective side wall 2d; 2e. Thus, a loading space 2a of the trailer 2 is defined by the front wall V, the rear wall R, the loading area 2b, and the two side walls 2d; 2e. The side walls 2d; 2e, the front wall V, and the rear wall R enclose an upwardly open opening 3a through which the loading space 2a can be filled with a load L.

[0136] Above the trailer 2 is a vertically displaceable structure 1, which comprises a first longitudinal member 4 and a second longitudinal member 5. The first longitudinal member 4 and the second longitudinal member 5 are each connected in an articulated manner in a region of the front wall V at the top in a respective corner area of ​​the trailer 2 via a slot-and-pin combination designed as a coupling kinematic 12.

[0137] In an area of ​​the opposite rear wall R of the trailer 2, the first longitudinal member 4 is articulated to a first vertically displaceable stanchion 6 in a stanchion upper part II, and the second longitudinal member 5 is articulated to a second vertically displaceable stanchion 7 in a stanchion upper part II. The first stanchion 6 and the second stanchion 7 each have a connection in a stanchion lower part I to the loading area 2b of the trailer 2, so that the first stanchion 6 and the second stanchion 7 are always arranged in a vertical position. Furthermore, each stanchion 6, 7 contains its own lifting drive 10 or stanchion drive 11, by which the body 1 can be raised or lowered. The stanchion drive 11, which is only indicated schematically, is designed, for example, as an electric, telescopic spindle rod-spindle nut unit that forms a linear drive.

[0138] A foldable, openable roof 3 is arranged between the two vertically movable longitudinal members 4, 5, which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal members 4, 5 to expose the area between the two longitudinal members 4, 5, which corresponds to the upwardly open opening 3a when the body 1 is lowered. The roof 3 comprises a continuous tarpaulin 13, which is connected to bows 14 that can be moved along the longitudinal members 4, 5. The bows 14 each have at least one support roller and one guide roller to facilitate displacement along guide tracks of the longitudinal members 4, 5. If the bows 14 are pushed together into an end region of the longitudinal members 4, 5, the tarpaulin 13 folds and the upper opening 3a is largely exposed. Furthermore, a lowerable end section 30 is pivotally connected to the foremost bow 14 in the closing direction of the roof 3, which, when lowered, tightens the tarpaulin 13 and also engages around and stiffens the longitudinal members 4, 5.Furthermore, the bows 14 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the two longitudinal beams 4, 5 with the aid of slides 15; 16.

[0139] In an area of ​​the rear wall R of the trailer 2, a foldable tarpaulin 13 is indicated, connected to the movable bows 14, which protects a load L from rain and other weather influences. The body 1 is raised in an area of ​​the rear wall R by the first stanchion 6 and the second stanchion 7, so that a first pivot axis A of the body 1 is formed on the opposite front wall V.

[0140] An alternative design variant with respect to the body 1 shown in Fig. 1 provides that the two stanchions 6; 7 are arranged in a region of the front wall V, and that the first longitudinal member 4 and the second longitudinal member 5 are each connected in a region of the rear wall R at the top in a respective corner area of ​​the trailer 2 via a slot-and-pin combination designed as a coupling kinematic 12. In this respect, the body 1 can be raised or lowered in the region of the front wall V.

[0141] Fig. 2 shows, corresponding to Fig. 1, the same body 1 with a body body 1a for a substructure 2, wherein the first longitudinal member 4 and the second longitudinal member 5 are now articulated at the front in an area of ​​the front wall V to a third stanchion 8 and to a fourth stanchion 9 by means of a respective stanchion upper part II. As a result, the substructure 2 has a total of four stanchions 6, 7, 8 and 9, which are each located in the corners of the substructure 2 and which are all arranged by means of a stanchion lower part I in the area of ​​the loading surface 2b and preferably outside the loading space 2a. All stanchions 6, 7, 8 and 9 have the same structure and each comprise their own lifting drive 10 or stanchion drive 11, whereby the body 1 can be displaced vertically. Thus, the first longitudinal member 4 and the second longitudinal member 5 can be displaced vertically via the stanchions 6, 7, 8 and 9.In this respect, the structure 1 has a second pivot axis B, which is formed in the region of the rear wall R of the substructure 2.

[0142] Fig. 3 shows, corresponding to Fig. 2, a structure 1 for a substructure 2 with an open roof 3, whereby a roof opening 3a is released. For this purpose, bows 14 with the tarpaulin 13 from Fig. 1, which is not shown for reasons of clarity, are displaced along the two longitudinal beams 4, 5 in a direction towards the front wall V of the substructure 2. Of course, the

[0143] Bow 14 can also be completely moved in one direction towards the rear wall R of the substructure 2 in order to release the upper roof opening 3a.

[0144] Furthermore, in Fig. 3, a flap 2c is shown in dashed lines in the rear wall R, which can be used to unload the substructure 2. The flap 2c is pivotally connected to the rear wall R, but it is possible to design the entire rear wall R as a pivotable and openable flap.

[0145] Fig. 4 shows a superstructure 1 with a superstructure body 1a for a substructure 2 in which the roof 3 is completely closed, and in which the first longitudinal member 4 and the second longitudinal member 5 are raised maximally above the four stanchions 6, 7, 8 and 9, so that the superstructure 1 is arranged above the substructure 2 in a horizontal plane 26. A cross member 22, which is located transversely between the two longitudinal members 4; 5, serves for the parallel alignment and for the stiffening of the two longitudinal members 4; 5.

[0146] In Fig. 4, several load sensors 28 are arranged centrally between the longitudinal members 4, 5 on the tarpaulin 13 or on one of the bows 14, which are designed, for example, as pressure sensors or strain gauges. The load sensors 28 detect a pressure or force exerted—usually originating from the load L—on the body 1 and in particular on its sliding roof 3, so that the detected measured value can be transmitted to a controller 27 in which a threshold value for a maximum load on the roof 3 in the vertical direction is stored. When the threshold value is reached or exceeded, the controller 27 stops the lowering of the body 1 and preferably causes the body 1 to be raised at least slightly. This also makes it possible to reliably detect any blockages caused by obstacles. Alternatively, the load sensor 28 can also be arranged in the area of ​​the substructure 2.

[0147] Furthermore, the stake drive 11 contains an overload protection 19, which acts as a

[0148] A slip clutch is provided to prevent damage to the lifting drive 10 or the stanchion drive 11. If, for example, the substructure 2 is filled with an incompressible load L, e.g. hard coal, the superstructure 1 cannot be completely lowered without damage to the superstructure 1. Therefore, the overload protection 19 decouples the lifting drive 10 or the stanchion drive 11 above a certain force or torque, so that it spins, thereby preventing costly damage to the lifting drive 10 or the stanchion drive 11.

[0149] In Fig. 4, 20 designates one of the distance sensors, which is arranged in the corner area of ​​the substructure 2 and which records a measured value for the distance of the superstructure 1 to the substructure 2 in the area of ​​the stanchions 6, 7, 8, 9. The recorded measured value is transmitted to a controller 27 in order to determine, on the one hand, whether the maximum permissible travel height has been reached or exceeded, and, on the other hand, to regulate the speed at which the superstructure 1 is displaced towards the substructure 2.

[0150] In Fig. 4, 29 denotes a closing sensor, which is arranged in the corner area of ​​the body 1 and which detects a measured value for the distance of the (open) roof 3 to a corner area of ​​the body 1. It is also possible to design the closing sensor 29 as a contact sensor or limit switch, which detects the presence of the end-running part 30 in the lowered closed position 31. The detected measured value is transmitted to a controller 27 to determine whether the roof 3 is closed and thus a state has been reached in which participation in road traffic is permitted.

[0151] Conveniently, when the closing sensor 29 and the distance sensor 20 each indicate that the roof 3 is completely closed and that the body 1 is completely lowered as shown in Fig. 5, an indicator, for example an LED, can be activated or deactivated to indicate to a driver that the vehicle is ready to drive.

[0152] Furthermore, the lifting drive 10 or the stanchion drive 11 of the superstructure 1 can preferably be locked by means of a locking arrangement 21 via a movable latch 25 as soon as the vehicle is ready to move. The readiness to move is characterized in that the superstructure 1 has a fully closed position 31, as shown in Fig. 5. After the superstructure 1 has been lowered to a certain height, the controller 27 sends a signal to the locking arrangement 21, whereby the lifting drive 10 or the stanchion drive 11 is switched off and locked via the latch. Thus, the superstructure 1 cannot be displaced accidentally and / or in an undesirable situation, e.g., in strong winds or when the external pressure conditions change, which may occur, for example, when entering a tunnel.

[0153] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a body 1 with a body 1a for a substructure 2 or a trailer 2 according to Fig. 1, wherein the two longitudinal beams 4; 5 are now driven via a scissor kinematics SL so as to be vertically displaceable relative to the substructure 2. The body 1 is shown in Fig. 6 in a fully closed position 31.

[0154] The scissor kinematics SL is arranged at one end in an area of ​​the front wall V and at the other end in an area of ​​the rear wall R. Via a coupling kinematics 12, the two longitudinal beams 4; 5 are articulated to the respective scissor kinematics SL, which is designed as a lifting scissor.

[0155] Fig. 7 to Fig. 10 show a structure 1 raised via the scissor kinematics SL according to Fig. 6, wherein in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 the roof 3 is shown in an open position 3a and in Fig. 10 the structure 1 and the roof 3 are shown in an inclined position.

[0156] In order to completely release the substructure 2, it is possible to install the roof 3 by means of extendable longitudinal beams 4a; 5a in an area outside the substructure

[0157] 2, as shown in Fig. 11. Here, the two longitudinal beams 4; 5 have telescopic elements 4a; 5a, whereby the folded roof

[0158] 3 can be arranged completely outside the substructure 2. The roof 3 is thus positioned behind the rear wall R above the substructure 2 in order to ensure the largest possible opening 3a for filling the substructure 2. It is understood that the roof 3 can also be arranged in this way in an area of ​​the front wall V, since the two longitudinal beams 4; 5 have telescopic extension rails 4a; 5a on both of their end faces.

[0159] To enable unloading of the substructure 2 via a flap 2c arranged in the rear wall R, Fig. 12 shows a scissor kinematics SL located outside the flap 2c. Thus, the flap 2c can be opened and closed without obstructions, whereby free access to the loading space 2a of the substructure 2 is provided when the flap 2c is open. It is understood that the rear wall R can also be designed as a pivoting flap or at least a door that can provide access to the loading space 2a of the substructure 2. The shortened scissor kinematics SL from Fig. 12, which is arranged in an area above the rear wall, is designed in its function for raising and lowering the body 1 according to the scissor kinematics SL from Fig. 6. In Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, the body 1 is shown in a horizontal position 26 raised via the scissor kinematics SL and in an inclined position, with the roof 3 closed.The structure 1 is tilted via the two pivot axes A; B, as shown in Fig. 13.

[0160] According to Fig. 11, in Fig. 14, the two longitudinal members 4; 5 have telescopic extension rails 4a; 5a, allowing the folded roof 3 to be relocated to an area outside the substructure 2. This makes it possible to create a combination of scissor kinematics SL for lifting the body 1 and telescopic longitudinal members 4; 5. As a result, the largest possible opening 3a of the roof 3 is released for the substructure 2, as well as a relocation of the flap 2c for unloading.

[0161] Shortened scissor kinematics SL can be used on both sides, namely in a

[0162] Area above the front wall V and in an area above the rear wall R of the substructure 2, resulting in a compact and space-saving design of the lower housing 2 and the drive for the superstructure 1. This arrangement with regard to the shortened scissor kinematics SL on both sides is shown in Fig. 15. Here, it is possible, for example, to integrate an additional flap in the front wall.

[0163] Fig. 16 shows an alternative arrangement of the shortened scissor kinematics SL corresponding to Fig. 15. Here, in the longitudinal direction of the lower house 2, both scissor kinematics SL are located above the respective side wall 2d; 2e, thereby achieving increased stability of the structure 1.

[0164] Corresponding to Fig. 11 and Fig. 14, Fig. 17 also shows a superstructure 1 having telescopic longitudinal members 4a; 5a, allowing the folded roof 3 to be positioned outside the opening 3a of the lower body. In this respect, the superstructure 1 is designed to be stable and robust thanks to the SL sidewall scissor kinematics, and it also provides the option of moving the roof 3 completely outside the lower body 2, allowing loading from above to be carried out as far as possible without any obstructive elements, such as bows.

[0165] It is understood that the telescopic or extendable longitudinal beams 4a; 5a can be integrated for raising and lowering regardless of the drive type of the body 1. Consequently, it is possible to use the telescopic or extendable longitudinal beams 4a; 5a with stanchions 6; 7; 8; 9 as well as with SL scissor kinematics and combinations of the aforementioned.

[0166] Fig. 18 shows, corresponding to the above Fig. 16, an alternative embodiment of a superstructure 1 for a substructure 2 with an eccentric lever device 24, which serves to lower and lock the superstructure 1. The eccentric lever device 24 comprises a toggle lever joint kinematics, whereby the superstructure 1 can be manually displaced downwards. In this case, high low-tension forces can be permanently applied to a load L. Furthermore, the eccentric lever device 24 comprises an integrated locking mechanism, whereby the lowered superstructure 1 can be brought into a driving-ready position. The eccentric lever device 24 is preferably arranged in the four corners of the substructure 2 in order to ensure a uniform and complete lowering of the superstructure 1 towards the substructure 2.

[0167] It is understood that the eccentric lever device 24 can be integrated into the body 1a for a substructure 2, regardless of the drive type of the body 1.

[0168] The eccentric lever device 24 can also serve as an independent lifting / lowering device and / or as an independent locking device for the body 1 for compressing a load L.

[0169] Fig. 19 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a raised body 1 with a body 1a for a substructure 2 or a trailer 2. The substructure 2 from Fig. 19 essentially corresponds to the substructure 2 from the previous embodiments. The body 1 comprises a first longitudinal member 4 and a second longitudinal member 5, which are aligned parallel to one another. Furthermore, the longitudinal members 4; 5 are arranged above the substructure 2 in its longitudinal direction. Movable bows 14 are connected to the longitudinal members 4; 5 transversely to the longitudinal members 4; 5. By means of slides 15; 16, which are each arranged at the end of the bows 14, the bows 14 can be moved along the two longitudinal members 4;

[0170] 5 in a direction toward the front wall V or in a direction toward the rear wall R of the substructure 2. Furthermore, a foldable tarpaulin 13, which is not shown for reasons of clarity, is connected to the bows 14.

[0171] In order to be able to displace the superstructure 1 in a direction away from the substructure 2, the superstructure 1 has a multi-joint kinematic system designed as a four-joint arrangement 32. In this third exemplary embodiment, the four-joint arrangement 32 is pivotally connected at one end to the substructure 2 at its side walls 2d; 2e, and at the other end, the four-joint arrangement 32 is pivotally connected to the two longitudinal members 4; 5. Furthermore, the superstructure 1 comprises at least one spring device 23, wherein each longitudinal member 4; 5 has at least one tension spring connected to the substructure 2.

[0172] The end section 30 and the opposite bow 14 have a pull-cable device 33 with a crank. For reasons of clarity, only one pull-cable device 33 is shown in an area of ​​the front wall V of the substructure 2. Using the pull-cable device 33, it is possible to manually move the superstructure 1 either in a direction toward the rear wall R of the substructure 2 to raise the superstructure 1 or in a direction toward the front wall V of the substructure 2 to lower the superstructure 1.

[0173] The four-bar linkage 32 provides a defined displacement path for the body 1, both during raising and lowering of the body 1. The spring device 23, with its tension springs, supports the displacement of the body 1, so that lowering the body 1 and thus compressing a load L is effortless for a user. Furthermore, the spring device 23 supports the raising of the body 1 by braking the body 1, thus providing a type of soft-close device. As a result, when raising the body 1, it is slowed down shortly before reaching an end position and brought into the end position with little noise. This can also be provided for lowering the body 1.

[0174] Fig. 20 shows the structure 1 from Fig. 19 for a substructure 2 in a raised position, wherein the roof 3 is folded, thus releasing an opening 3a so that the substructure 2 can be loaded from above with a load L. A special feature is that the folded roof 3 is located outside the substructure 2, thereby releasing the largest possible opening 3a of the substructure 2 for loading with a load L. Advantageously, no extendable longitudinal members 4a; 5a are required to arrange the folded roof 3 outside the substructure 2.

[0175] In Fig. 21, corresponding to Fig. 19, an alternative embodiment of the multi-joint kinematics of the body 1 is shown. The multi-joint kinematics comprises several links 34, which are articulated at one end to the substructure 2 in an area of ​​the side walls 2d; 2e, and at the other end to the respective longitudinal members 4; 5. The links 34 have a parallelogram link kinematics 34, whereby the body 1 has a defined displacement path when raised or lowered. According to Fig. 19, a spring device 23 and a traction cable device 33 can also be used in the embodiment shown in Fig. 21.

[0176] Fig. 22 shows the body 1 of Fig. 21 in a horizontal position, with the folded roof 3 located outside the substructure 2, thereby releasing the largest possible opening 3a of the substructure 2 for loading from above with a load L.

[0177] A fourth exemplary embodiment of a body 1 with a body 1a for a substructure 2 or a trailer 2 is shown in a perspective view in Fig. 23. The substructure 2 essentially corresponds to the preceding embodiments. The body 1 essentially comprises an embodiment which is shown, among other things, in Fig. 19 and has been described above. In Fig. 23, the body 1 is shown in a raised and horizontal position relative to the substructure 2. The body 1 has a multi-joint side kinematics 35 which is articulated at one end in a region of the front wall V and in a region of the rear wall R of the substructure. At the other end, the multi-joint side kinematics 35 is articulated at the end to the longitudinal members 4; 5, whereby the body 1 is displaceably connected to the substructure 2.

[0178] Fig. 24 shows the fourth embodiment from Fig. 23, wherein the superstructure 1 is first raised relative to the substructure 2 via the multi-joint lateral kinematics 35 and then folded downwards by approximately 90°, so that the side wall 2d and the superstructure 1 are arranged essentially parallel to one another. This completely exposes an upper opening of the substructure 2, so that no interfering elements hinder loading the substructure 2 with a load L. The multi-joint lateral kinematics 35 can be operated manually, for example, via a traction cable device 33, or can be operated automatically via a lifting drive 10 to move the superstructure 1.

[0179] Regardless of the type of drive used to raise or lower the body 1, certain forces act on the longitudinal members 4; 5 and the bows 14, which require tolerance compensation so that the body 1 can be tilted, raised and lowered accordingly.

[0180] Fig. 25 shows a schematic front view of the structure 1. Two stanchions 6; 7; 8; 9, each with a lifting drive 10 or stanchion drive 11, are shown schematically as an example of the drive. The stanchions 6; 7; 8; 9 have a stanchion lower part I and a stanchion upper part II. The respective stanchion lower part I is connected to the substructure 2, whereby the substructure 2 is not shown in Fig. 25 for reasons of clarity.

[0181] The respective stanchion upper part II is connected to one of the two longitudinal beams 4; 5 via a coupling kinematics 12. Furthermore, each longitudinal beam 4; 5 comprises a longitudinal beam base part 17 and a longitudinal beam guide part 18. The longitudinal beam base part 17 is directly connected to the respective stanchion drive 11; furthermore, the longitudinal beam base part 17 contains a pin arranged transversely to the longitudinal beams 4; 5, to which the longitudinal beam guide part 18 is displaceably connected via a corresponding eye. Consequently, both longitudinal beams 4; 5 are displaceable in the transverse direction, for example, to compensate for a change in length.

[0182] Furthermore, both longitudinal members 4; 5 have bows 14; 14a which can be moved via slides 15; 16. The slides comprise rollers which roll or slide in the guideways of the longitudinal members 4; 5 and can thus fold the roof 3, among other things, whereby a roof opening 3a is released for loading the substructure 2. When the body 1 is moved, e.g. when the substructure 2 is inclined in the longitudinal direction, a tensile force acts on the bows 14; 14a in sections, which is compensated for by a change in the length of the bows 14; 14a via a telescopic bow shaft 14a. The bows 14; 14a can thus be dynamically changed in their length by means of an extendable or telescopic element, which advantageously results in tolerance compensation when the structure 1 is displaced, whereby the structure 1 can be displaced smoothly and quietly.

[0183] Furthermore, in Fig. 25, a bow 14' or an extendable bow 14a' is shown in dashed lines in an initial position which the bow 14'; 14a' assumes in a horizontal arrangement in a horizontal plane 26 of the body 1.

[0184] Instead of a tarpaulin 13 or a mesh panel, roof elements D can be arranged between the bows 14 of the openable roof 3, as shown in Fig. 26 and Fig. 27, which can be folded together in an accordion-like manner. The roof elements D are hingedly connected to the bows 14, whereby, when the roof 3 is closed, they lie flat next to one another in a plane and cover the roof opening 3a. Due to the greater rigidity of the roof elements D compared to a tarpaulin 13, the roof elements D can exert a higher compression force F on a load L within the substructure 2.

[0185] Fig. 26 shows a perspective schematic view of the openable roof 3 of the superstructure 1, wherein on the one hand the closed roof 3 with the roof elements D that can be arranged in one plane is shown in sections, and on the other hand the folded, open roof 3 with the partially raised roof elements D is shown. The roof elements D are usually moved via rollers or slides that are connected to the bows 14 and that can be moved along the two longitudinal members 4; 5. In a front area of ​​the superstructure 1, a traction cable device 33 connected to a bow 14 is shown, with which a user can move the roof 3 with the articulated roof elements D by pulling the traction cable device 33 and can thus open or close the roof 3 depending on a pulling direction of the traction cable device 33.

[0186] Fig. 27 schematically shows a section of a side view of the longitudinal member 5 from Fig. 26. The roof elements D have alternating lifting beams 14b and bows 14. When the roof 3 is open, the lifting beams 14b are displaced upwards, and the bows 14 remain connected at the bottom to the two longitudinal members 4; 5.

[0187] Fig. 28 shows a liftable superstructure 1 with a superstructure body 1a for a substructure 2 according to Fig. 2. The difference, however, is that the foldable roof 3, in an open state, exposes an opening 3a of the substructure 2 and comprises bows 14 pointing downwards towards the loading area 2b of the substructure 2. This alternative arrangement of the bows 14 advantageously provides the possibility of compressing the load L in the substructure 2 at an early stage of filling it with load L. The downwardly projecting bows 14 press onto the load L from above, whereby it is compacted in the loading space 2a of the substructure 2. Furthermore, the superstructure 1 can thus be manufactured in a space-saving and compact manner, which enables use in a hall or barn with a low ceiling.

[0188] For the sake of clarity and comprehensibility, Fig. 29 schematically shows the raised superstructure 1 with the superstructure body 1a for a substructure 2 in a view from behind onto the rear wall R. The substructure 2 is supported on wheels W. The rear wall R with the flap 2c is arranged above the wheels W. The flap 2c is shown as a rectangle with a dashed line. An upper edge of the rear wall R is also shown as a dashed line, which defines the maximum height of the substructure 2. The load L, which is located inside the substructure 2, clearly projects beyond the rear wall R and thus the entire substructure 2.

[0189] In Fig. 29 it is thus clearly shown that the load L can be filled in a manner that protrudes above the substructure 2, which illustrates the economic interest of compressing the load L and thus utilizing the entire loading space 2a of the substructure 2.

[0190] The substructure 2 has, for example, on the left side wall 2d, a stanchion 7 with a lifting drive 10 or with a stanchion drive 11. The stanchion 7 comprises a stanchion lower part I and an upper part II. The stanchion lower part I serves for connection to the substructure 2 and via the stanchion upper part II the stanchion 7 is connected to the longitudinal member 5 by means of a coupling kinematics 12. The right side wall 2e of the substructure 2 comprises, for example, a scissor kinematics SL, which is connected at its upper end to the longitudinal member 4. Between the two longitudinal members, among other things, bows 14, traverse elements 22 and an end run part 30 are arranged, to which a tarpaulin 13 or a net panel can be connected.

[0191] To compress the load L, both longitudinal members 4; 5 are moved downwards onto the substructure 2 via the stanchion drive 11 and the scissor kinematics SL until a certain height of the roof 3 or the superstructure 1 is reached, which is sufficient for the substructure 2 to be ready for driving. The compression of the load L can also be carried out in several sub-steps so that the hollow space in the load L is reduced as much as possible.

[0192] The invention works as follows:

[0193] First, the roof 3 of the superstructure 1 is opened to provide access or an opening 3a to the loading space 2a of the substructure 2. This is followed by filling from above with a load L that has a low density and a high proportion of voids. Such a load L is a bulk material, such as hay or straw. If the load L protrudes above the substructure 2, the superstructure 1 is raised, for example, by means of the stanchions 6, 7, 8 and 9 via the respective stanchion drive 11. The roof 3 is then closed and lowered onto the load L, so that the load L is compressed into the loading space 2a. This process can be repeated several times until the load L has a reduced proportion of voids and is compressed as tightly as possible. This ensures that the loading space 2a is filled as completely as possible, so that transport is economical and efficient.Finally, the body 1 and the roof 3 are locked to the substructure 2. Furthermore, the driver is notified of the vehicle's readiness to drive via a locking sensor 29 of the substructure 2.

[0194] The invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments in which the body is raised before closing the roof, allowing the roof to be closed despite the load projecting upwards. It is understood that if the load does not project upwards, raising the body is not necessary to close the roof, so that after loading from above, the substructure, for example, a semi-trailer, is immediately ready for departure by closing the roof.

Claims

REQUIREMENTS 1. Superstructure for a substructure (2), such as a truck, trailer, semi-trailer, railway wagon, dump truck, or container, comprising a superstructure body (1a) and an opening roof (3), wherein the roof (3) is displaceable along the edges of two longitudinal beams (4; 5) of the superstructure body (1a), wherein the roof (3) in a closed state closes a roof opening (3a) between the two longitudinal beams (4; 5), wherein the roof (3) in an open state predominantly exposes the roof opening (3a) between the two longitudinal beams (4; 5), wherein each longitudinal beam (4; 5) is supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure (2) via at least one lifting arrangement (6, 7, 8, 9; SL), wherein the superstructure body (1a) is adjusted in height depending on a height adjustment of the lifting arrangement (6, 7, 8, 9;SL) is adjustable relative to the substructure (2) at least in its height, wherein at least one lifting drive (10) is provided which moves the superstructure body (1a) together with the roof (3) relative to the substructure (2) in height, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) applies a force (F) to compress a load (L) projecting beyond the substructure (2) in the substructure (2) by lowering the superstructure body (1a) with the closed roof (3) against the preload of the projecting load (L) onto the substructure (2).

2. Structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each longitudinal beam (4; 5) is supported in a height-adjustable manner relative to the substructure (2) via at least two stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9), that the stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9) form a stanchion lower part (I) associated with the substructure (2) and a The structure comprises a stanchion upper section (II) that is movable relative to the stanchion lower section (I) and associated with the longitudinal beam (4; 5), and the lifting drive (10) is designed as a stanchion drive (11) that moves at least one stanchion upper section (II) vertically relative to the associated stanchion lower section (I). The structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that a stanchion (6; 7; 8; 9) is arranged in each corner region of the substructure (2), and that each of the four stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9) has its own stanchion drive (11), and that each of the stanchion drives (11) can be actuated independently of the other stanchion drives (11). The structure according to claim 2 or 3 is characterized in that several stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9) can be moved vertically simultaneously.A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) is selected from the group comprising pneumatic drives, hydraulic drives, electric drives, spindle drives, rack and pinion drives, cable drives, driven scissor kinematics (SL), driven multi-link kinematics, and combinations thereof. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longitudinal beam (4; 5) is connected to the lifting drive (10) via a coupling kinematic (12) that enables tolerance compensation. A structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the coupling kinematic (12) is selected from the group comprising ball joints, joint connectors, slotted pin combinations, bolt-eye combinations, hinges, and combinations thereof. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that. characterized in that the openable roof (3) comprises a tarpaulin (13) made of weather-resistant material or a mesh sheet or a sheet-shaped material.

9. Structure according to claim 8, characterized in that the tarpaulin (13) or the net track is connected to each of the two longitudinal beams (4; 5) via several bows (14) with end-side slides (15; 16).

10. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the openable roof (3) has several interconnected roof elements (D) which can be folded together accordion-like to open the roof (3) and, when the roof (3) is closed, lie side by side to close the roof opening (3a).

11. Structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each longitudinal beam (4; 5) comprises a longitudinal beam base part (17) associated with the lifting drive (10) and a longitudinal beam guide part (18) associated with the roof (3), and that the longitudinal beam guide part (18) is displaceable at least in one direction transverse to the extent of the longitudinal beam (4; 5) with respect to the longitudinal beam base part (17).

12. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) comprises an overload protection (19) which prevents the assembly body (1 a) from being closed with a force exceeding a threshold value for the load on the roof (3).

13. Assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that the overload protection (19) is selected from the group comprising a slip clutch, a pressure sensor, a torque limiter, a current limiter, a temperature switch, a Pressure relief valve, a safety coupling and combinations thereof.

14. A structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distance sensor (20) is provided which emits a signal when the roof (3) is completely lowered.

15. Structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a locking arrangement (21) is provided which locks the lifting drive (10) or parts (I, II) displaced relatively by the lifting drive (10) when the roof (3) or the superstructure body (1a) is completely lowered or at least partially raised.

16. Structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a roof drive is assigned to the roof (3) which enables the roof (3) to be opened and closed.

17. Structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two longitudinal beams (4; 5) are connected to each other in the area of ​​at least one of their ends by a crossbeam element (22) which is preferably variable in length.

18. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the roof (3) is designed to be foldable for opening, that the folded roof (3) can be pushed together in an end region of the longitudinal beams (4; 5) while releasing the roof opening (3a), and that the folded roof (3) is positioned relative to the longitudinal beams (4; 5) protrudes upwards.

19. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the roof (3) is designed to be foldable for opening, that the folded roof (3) can be pushed together in an end region of the longitudinal beams (4; 5) while releasing the roof opening (3a), and that the folded roof (3) is opposite the longitudinal beams (4; 5) protrudes downwards.

20. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the superstructure body (1 a) can be lifted by the lifting drive (10) or manually, and that the superstructure body (1 a) compresses the load (L) during its lowering movement towards the substructure (2) under the load of its mass (M) and / or a spring device (23).

21. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the superstructure body (1 a) can be lowered by the lifting drive (10), and that the superstructure body (1 a) compresses the load (L) during its lowering movement towards the substructure (2) under the influence of the lifting drive (10).

22. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assembly body (1 a) has a projection for a manual clamping device (24), such as an eccentric lever device, and that the assembly body (1 a) can be displaced towards the substructure (2) by actuating the manual clamping device (24).

23. Use of a structure according to one of the preceding claims for compacting cargo (L) protruding above the substructure (2), in particular harvested crops.

24. Method for compressing a compressible load (L) extending above an upper opening (3a) of a substructure (2), wherein the substructure (2) has a superstructure (1) with an openable roof (3), comprising the steps Lifting the superstructure (1 ) with the roof (3) open relative to the substructure (2); Closing the roof (3) above the upper opening (3a) and above the protruding load (L); and Lowering the superstructure (1) with the roof (3) closed under compression of the load (L) until the substructure (2) is reached and the upper opening (3a) of the substructure (2) is closed. Method according to claim 24, characterized in that the raising and / or lowering of the superstructure (1) is carried out with a lifting drive (10) which causes a height adjustment of the superstructure (1) relative to the substructure (2). Method according to claim 25, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) is selected from the group comprising pneumatic drives, hydraulic drives, electric drives, spindle drives, rack and pinion drives, cable drives, driven scissor kinematics (SL), driven multi-link kinematics and combinations thereof.A method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that the structure (1) comprises two longitudinal beams (4; 5) arranged on either side of the upper opening (3a), and that the openable structure (1) comprises a foldable roof (3) which is slidable along the two longitudinal beams (4; 5). A method according to claim 27, characterized in that each longitudinal beam (4; 5) can be adjusted in height relative to the substructure (2) by at least two stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9). A method according to claim 28, characterized in that one or more of the stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9) are adjusted in height jointly or individually to raise and / or tilt the structure (1). A method according to any one of claims 28 to 29, characterized in that one or more of the stanchions (6; 7; 8; 9) are a. The stake drive (11) is assigned as a lifting drive (10) which causes the vertical displacement of a stake upper part (II) relative to a stake lower part (I), and that the stake drive (11) displaces the superstructure (1) in one direction onto the substructure (2) until the load (L) is compressed or a threshold value for the superstructure (1) the displacement force to be absorbed is reached. Method according to claim 30, characterized in that a latch (25) locks the upper part (II) of the stanchion relative to the lower part (I) of the stanchion when the superstructure (1) reaches the substructure (2) or when the superstructure (1) has a desired superstructure height, and after locking the stanchion drive (11) is switched off. Method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) comprises at least one first lifting drive unit (10a) and at least one second lifting drive unit (10b), each of which is supported at one end against the substructure (2) and at the other end against the superstructure (1), and that the at least one first lifting drive unit (10a) and the at least one second lifting drive unit (10b) introduce both tensile forces and compressive forces into the substructure (2) and the superstructure (1).Method according to one of claims 24 to 32, characterized in that before the step of lowering the structure (1 ), the structure (1 ) is in a horizontal plane (26) above the substructure. (2) is arranged. Method according to any one of claims 24 to 33, characterized in that, for opening or closing the roof (3), the structure (1) is inclined at an angle in the direction of the corresponding opening or closing movement. Method according to any one of claims 24 to 34, wherein characterized in that the substructure (2) has a flap (2c) for unloading the substructure (2), and that before opening the flap (2c) the roof (3) is opened and / or the superstructure (1) is lifted.

36. Method according to one of claims 24 to 35, characterized in that a control unit (27) controls at least one of the raising and lowering of the superstructure (1), opening and closing of the roof (3) and opening and closing of a flap (2c) of the substructure (2).

37. Method according to one of claims 24 to 36, characterized in that the step of lowering the structure (1) comprises several sub-steps in which the structure (1) is raised and lowered again.

38. Method according to one of claims 24 to 37, characterized in that the step of raising the superstructure (1 ) with the roof (3) open relative to the substructure (2) takes place after the substructure (2) has been loaded with cargo (L), preferably of bulkable and / or free-flowing crop material, preferably via the upper opening (3a).

39. Method according to one of claims 24 to 38, characterized in that the structure (1 ) has a load sensor (28) which detects a pressure or other parameters of the load (L) on the structure (1 ), and that the speed and / or the force with which the structure (1 ) is lowered is controlled depending on the parameter detected by the load sensor (28).

40. Method according to one of claims 24 to 39, characterized in that the structure (1) has a distance sensor (20) which detects a distance of the structure (1) from the substructure (2), and that the speed and / or the force with which the structure (1) is lowered depends on the The distance detected by the distance sensor (20) is controlled. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 40, characterized in that the structure (1) has a closing sensor (29) that detects whether the roof (3) is closed and / or whether the structure (1) is fully lowered, and that the closing sensor (29) delivers a corresponding road-readiness signal. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 41, further comprising a further step Loading cargo (L) into the cargo space (2a) of the substructure (2), which is performed before or after the step of lifting the structure (1) with the roof (3) open. Method according to claim 42, further comprising a further step Opening the roof (3), which precedes the step of lifting the superstructure (1) with the roof open (3) is carried out. Method according to claim 43, characterized in that opening the roof (3) comprises folding the roof (3), and closing the roof (3) comprises unfolding the roof (3). Method according to any one of claims 24 to 44, characterized in that the roof (3) comprises a tarpaulin (13) which at least partially comprises a cut-resistant material. Method according to any one of claims 24 to 45, characterized in that the roof (3) comprises a tarpaulin (13) which comprises a composite of several material layers. Method according to any one of claims 25 or 26 to 46, insofar as it relates to Claim 25, characterized in that the lifting drive (10) is telescopically extendable and retractable. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 47, characterized in that the roof (3) comprises at least one end section (30). A method according to claim 48, characterized in that the roof (3) is raised and / or lowered together with the end section (30). A method according to any one of claims 48 or 49, characterized in that, when the roof (3) is closed, the end section (30) moves and passes over a pile of the load (L) projecting beyond the substructure (2). A method according to any one of claims 24 to 50, characterized in that a preferably mechanical indicator shows a fully closed position (31) of the superstructure (1).A method according to any one of claims 27 or 28 to 51, insofar as it relates back to claim 27, characterized in that the raising and / or lowering of the superstructure (1) and the opening and / or closing of the roof (3) occur at least partially simultaneously. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 52, characterized in that at least one side wall (2d; 2e) extending upwards from a loading platform (2b) of the cargo space (2a) is inclined in a direction towards the loading platform (2b). A method according to any one of claims 24 to 53, characterized in that the superstructure (1) is configured according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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