Container door lock assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door lock assembly for a road-transportable bulk container, comprising a rotatable locking rod, which is rotatably connected to a door of the bulk container and a locking element, which is, in a locked configuration, configured to engage with the container. The door lock assembly further comprises a lever arm, which is to be actuated by a person for rotating the locking rod to open and close the container door, and a releasable connection between the lever arm and the locking rod, which can be brought in an engaged state, in which the lever arm and the locking rod are connected so as to convert movements of the lever arm into rotations of the locking rod, and a the disengaged state, in which the lever arm and the locking rod are disconnected so as to inhibit conversion of rotations of the locking rod into movements of the lever arm.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a bulk container door lock assembly for a road-transportable bulk container, e.g. for use in bulk containers for transport over road, such as bulk containers transportable by means of trucks. The present invention further relates to such a road-transportable bulk container with such a door lock assembly and to the use of such a bulk container door lock assembly.State of the art

[0002] At present road-transportable bulk containers are widely used to transport goods, e.g. bulk goods via road. Such containers are typically transported on trucks with rear-facing loading devices, such as hook-lift, chain-lift or cable-lift container loaders. During loading, such loaders typically lift a front end of the container at an appropriate lifting attachment, in order to lift the container to an upward angle, after which it can be pulled onto the truck.

[0003] At their back ends, the containers typically comprise doors, via which the containers can be emptied, or even loaded. These doors are normally held closed when goods are disposed in the container by means of door lock assemblies, of which an example is disclosed in DE20019309U1.

[0004] In case it is desired to empty the container whilst loaded on a truck, a truck driver standing behind the truck will need to open the door lock assembly, of which a lever arm is conveniently disposed at about the height of the driver's eyes, in order to be grasped by the truck driver. This may lead to a potential risk of injuries, since the door lock assembly may be arranged under tension as a result of the loading of the container, for example as a result of the load being forced against the container walls and container doors. During unlocking of the doors, the lever arm may open abruptly as a result of the built-up forces, may swing away from the container door and may injure the driver standing behind it.

[0005] At present, several other solutions have been proposed, such as catch elements, configured to limit movements of the lever arm during unlocking. However, these may still allow a limited degree of movement, which could still lead to injuries.Object of the invention

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a bulk container door lock assembly that is more safe to operate, to mitigate a risk of injuries as much as possible, or at least to provide an alternative door lock assembly.Detailed description

[0007] The present invention provides a container door lock assembly for a road-transportable container as claimed in claim 1. The door lock assembly may be included in road-transportable bulk containers, which are typically transported by road and may, amongst others, carry bulk goods like sand, debris, manure and waste. However, the present invention may also be utilized in marine shipping containers, such as known 20-feet and 40-feet ISO shipping containers, which are transportable by road as well. In the following, the wording of road-transportable container and road-transportable bulk container are used interchangeably.

[0008] The door lock assembly is configured to hold rear doors of a road-transportable bulk container in a closed position when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly may be configured to connect the doors to each other when closed and / or may be configured to connect the doors to other parts of the container, such as the container floor. When the door lock assembly is brought into its unlocked configuration, the doors are no longer locked and can thus be opened.

[0009] To this effect, the door lock assembly comprises a locking rod that is configured to be connected to the container door in a rotatable manner, so as to be rotatable relative to the door about its longitudinal axis. The rotational position of the locking rod may determine the configuration of the door lock assembly, i.e. being locked or unlocked.

[0010] The locking rod may be aligned vertically, so that its longitudinal axis of rotation may be aligned parallel to a vertical direction. Alternatively, the locking rod may be aligned horizontally.

[0011] The locking element is connected to the locking rod in a fixed manner, so that a rotation of the locking rod will correspond to a rotation and / or displacement of the locking element. Vice versa, the fixed connection will imply that movements of the locking element will effect rotations of the locking rod.

[0012] The locking element is configured to engage with the bulk container. This engagement may be with parts of a container body itself, such as the side walls or floor of the container. Alternatively or additionally, the locking element may interlock with another door of the container, i.e. this second door being different from the door to which the locking rod is connected. For example, two different locking elements may be attached to a single locking rod, of which a lowermost locking element may be disposed at a lower end of the locking rod, which may be configured to engage with a counter element attached to the floor of the container. An uppermost locking element may be disposed at a top end of the locking rod and may, for example indirectly via a coupling mechanism, be configured to engage with another door of the container.

[0013] The lever arm is configured to be actuated by a person, e.g. by the truck driver. The lever arm serves to increase the torque that can be exerted by the person for closing the doors, when the locking rod is to be rotated from the unlocked state to the locked state. To this effect, the lever arm may be located centrally along the length of the locking rod, for example in between the lowermost and uppermost locking element.

[0014] The present invention is, compared to existing door lock assemblies, characterized in that the lever arm is no longer fixedly connected to the locking rod, i.e. no longer requiring all rotations of the locking rod to be coupled to movements, e.g. swinging of the lever arm and vice versa. Instead, the lever arm is connected to the locking rod via a releasable connection. This means that, depending on a state of the connection, the lever arm can be connected to the locking rod to transfer all movements and / or rotations between them or that they can be functionally disconnected to prevent rotations of the locking rod to be transferred into swinging of the lever arm and / or to prevent swinging of the lever arm to be transferred into rotations of the locking rod.

[0015] In case it is desired to transfer movements of the lever arm onto the locking rod, for example during closing of the container, the releasable connection can be arranged in an engaged state. In the engaged state, a (temporary) rigid connection may be provided between the lever arm and the locking rod. Such an engaged state would correspond to the rigid lever arms that are known from the prior art.

[0016] To avoid injuries during opening, the releasable connection can be brought in a disengaged state. In the disengaged state, it may be prevented that rotations of the locking rod are transferred into movements of the lever arm. Should the built-up forces in the container doors tend to rotate the locking rod, the releasable connection will prevent that these rotations will result in uncontrolled swinging of the lever arm.

[0017] However, the releasable connection may not necessarily need to prevent the opposite from occurring. Hence, even in the disengaged state of the releasable connection, it may still be allowed that movements of the lever arm are transferred into rotations of the locking rod. This may for example occur at the onset of opening of the container doors, when a truck driver would pull the lever arm to move the locking elements out of engagement.

[0018] However, the disengaged state will safeguard that further rotations initiated from the locking rod are transferred towards the lever arm. For example, during closing of the container doors, the releasable connection may be in the engaged state and the locking rod can be rotated in a clockwise direction as a result of a clockwise movement of the lever arm.

[0019] Should it be desired to open the doors, the releasable connection will be brought to the disengaged state. Subsequently, the lever arm can be pulled in a counterclockwise direction to rotate the locking rod in the counterclockwise direction as well. This will initiate the opening of the doors. In case built-up forces are present in the doors, the locking rod may rotate in the counterclockwise direction faster than the lever arm is pulled by the truck driver. These fast rotations will then not be transmitted towards the lever arm by the releasable connection and will not be converted into movements of the lever arm, to therewith inhibit uncontrolled movements of the lever arm.

[0020] As a result, the selective transmitting or inhibiting of mutual rotations and / or movements between the lever arm and the locking rod, as provided by the releasable connection, mitigates the risk of injuries.

[0021] In an embodiment, the releasable connection is a freewheel connection. A freewheel connection according to the invention is to be understood as a connection between the locking rod and the lever arm that is capable of transmitting mutual rotations in one rotation direction, whereas rotations in the opposed rotation direction are not transmitted, so that movements of the lever arm will not effect a rotation of the locking rod. Such a freewheel connection does not necessarily require manual activation to switch between transmitting the movements or not.

[0022] The freewheel connection may comprise engagement elements between the lever arm and the locking rod that can be selectively connected and disconnected, depending on the net rotary movement of the locking rod and lever arm combined. They may be connected in case the lever arm is pulled, whereas they may disconnect when the locking rod tends to rotate faster than the movement of the lever arm, i.e. during uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0023] Such a freewheel connection may function in a manner comparable to a rear wheel hub of a bicycle, where rotations actuated by the bicycle chain are transferred to the rear wheel, whereas the chain can be held stationary during cycling, thus not being subjected to the rotations of the rear wheel. Similarly, the present releasable connection may allow movements of the lever arm to be transferred to the locking rod during opening of the container doors, whereas rotations of the locking rod will not be transferred towards the lever arm.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the bulk container door lock assembly comprises two of the freewheel connections to which is referred above. A first one of the freewheel connections is a closure freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a first, e.g. clockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a second, e.g. counterclockwise direction, opposite to the first direction, and a second one of the freewheel connections is an opening freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the second , e.g. counterclockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the first, e.g. clockwise direction.

[0025] The two freewheel connections can each be selectively actuated, depending on whether it is desired to bring the door lock assembly in the locked configuration or in the released configuration. As such, no manual switching of a releasable connection is required. Instead, an operator can decide which of the freewheel connections to rotate, in order to bring the lock assembly either in the engaged state or the released state.

[0026] The opening freewheel connection and the closure freewheel connection operate in opposed direction. As a result, clockwise rotation of the opening freewheel connection may effect rotation of the locking rod to bring the lock assembly in the released state and clockwise rotation of the closure freewheel connection may not effect rotation of the locking rod, or vice versa.

[0027] In a further embodiment, the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection are attached to the locking rod above each other. Both of the freewheel connections thereby act on the same locking rod, but operate in reverse directions. Both freewheel connections may be integrated in a single housing, but may both be accessible externally, to allow interaction of the lever arm with both freewheel connections.

[0028] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the lever arm is selectively connectable to and removable from the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection. According to this embodiment, only a single lever arm is needed to operate both freewheel connection. The lever arm may thereby be insertable in an aperture of the closure freewheel connection and in an aperture of the opening freewheel connection.

[0029] In an embodiment, the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection each comprise a one-way bearing. Such one-way bearings may be constructed as ball bearings that allow transmission of rotation in one direction only, prohibiting rotation in the opposite direction. As such, a one-way bearing may function in a manner comparable to a rear wheel hub of a bicycle, where rotations actuated by the bicycle chain are transferred to the rear wheel, whereas the chain can be held stationary during cycling, thus not being subjected to the rotations of the rear wheel.

[0030] In an embodiment, the releasable connection further comprises a selector for shifting between the engaged state and the disengaged state. Such a selector may be beneficial, since a truck driver can select the state of the releasable connection based on the required behaviour of the door lock assembly. The truck driver may, for example, operate the selector to bring the door lock assembly to the engaged state during closing of the container doors and to the disengaged state during opening.

[0031] The selector may, for example, be embodied as an exposed pawl that can be grasped by the truck driver to be moved between both states. The selector may further comprise an indexing mechanism inside the releasable connection that can be operated by the pawl, which indexing mechanism may selectively engage with the locking rod and the lever arm.

[0032] In an embodiment, the releasable connection comprises a ratchet mechanism, comprising a selector pawl for shifting the ratchet mechanism between the engaged state and the disengaged state. The ratchet mechanism according to this embodiment may operate in a manner similar to ratchet tools, that can be arranged in a tightening and loosening state. In the present embodiment, such a tightening state may correspond to the engaged state of the door lock assembly, so that clockwise operation of the lever arms will effect closure of the container doors. During opening of the doors, the ratchet mechanism will be brought in the disengaged state by the selector pawl, e.g. corresponding to the loosing state of a ratchet tool, whereby counterclockwise operation of the lever arms will effect counterclockwise rotation of the locking rods. Uncontrolled counterclockwise rotations of the locking rod, following from built-up forces, will not be transferred towards the lever arm.

[0033] The ratchet mechanism of this embodiment may be beneficial, as it may be relatively convenient to operate by a truck driver. Furthermore, the selector pawl may additionally provide that the lever arm and the locking rod can be fixedly connected to each other temporarily, for example during transportation of the container on a truck. This may counteract opening of the container doors at moments when no such opening is desired.

[0034] In a further embodiment, the ratchet mechanism is, in the engaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in a first direction, e.g. a clockwise direction, onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in an opposed second direction, e.g. a counterclockwise direction.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the engaged state of the door lock assembly may be utilized when the container doors need to be closed. Then, a truck driver may push against the lever arm to effect movement thereof, whereby the locking rod will be rotated accordingly.

[0036] In an alternative or additional embodiment, the ratchet mechanism is, in the disengaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction.

[0037] Similarly, the disengaged state according to this embodiment may allow that uncontrolled rotations can be prevented from being transferred towards the lever arm, which may especially occur during opening of the container doors.

[0038] In an embodiment, the ratchet mechanism comprises a gear, and the selector pawl is selectively engaged with the gear in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction in the engaged state and in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction in the disengaged state.

[0039] According to this embodiment, one of the locking rod and the lever arm will be attached to the gear and another one of the locking rod and the lever arm will be associated with the selector pawl. This implies that any rotary torque exchanged between the locking rod and the lever arm will pass through the gear and the selector pawl. This torque can be transmitted when the gear and the selector pawl are engaged, thus resulting in transfer of movements of the lever arm into rotations of the locking rods when the door lock assembly is in the engaged state.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the gear is associated with the locking rod and the selector pawl is associated with the lever arm. The gear may thereby be configured to rotate along with the locking rod upon rotation thereof, i.e. upon rotation of the locking rod relative to the container doors. The selector pawl may move along with the lever arm. This may be convenient for operation, since the truck driver will need to grasp the lever arm to effect closing or opening of the container doors. This means that a selector pawl associated and moved along with the lever arm will be convenient to reach by the truck driver.

[0041] In an embodiment, the door lock assembly further comprises a rotary hinge between the lever arm and the locking rod. This rotary hinge will serve to guide mutual rotations between the lever arm and the locking rod, especially during uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the rotary hinge comprises a circular through opening in the lever arm through which the locking rod extends. The opening of the rotary hinge will thereby surround the locking rod, for example both having concentric sliding bearing surfaces facing each other.

[0043] The circular through opening may further house the gear and / or selector pawl, if present, which may be beneficial for shielding these components against damaging, thus improving reliability of the door lock assembly.

[0044] In an embodiment, the door lock assembly further comprises a lever arm catch, configured to be attached to the bulk container, for example to the container door, and to hold the lever arm in a secured position relative to the bulk container.

[0045] The lever arm catch may form an additional safety measure, especially during transporting of the container, as it may prevent the door lock assembly from being opened when such opening is not desired.

[0046] The lever arm catch will hold the lever arm in place. At least with the door lock assembly in the engaged state, this holding of the lever arm will also yield that the locking rod is held stationary in its closed position, thus allowing the doors to remain closed.

[0047] This holding of the locking rod may nonetheless also occur when the lever arm is held with the door lock assembly in the disengaged state, depending on the direction in which rotations of the locking rod are allowed relative to the lever arm.

[0048] In an embodiment, the locking element comprises a door clamp, which is configured to engage with a second container door, for example to latch behind a locking notch provided on the second container door. The door clamp is connected to the locking rod, for example being provided as the uppermost locking element. The door clamp may allow absorption of larger forces acting on the container doors, compared to when the doors are only connected to the container floor.

[0049] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a road-transportable bulk container, comprising: a container floor, one or more container walls attached to the container floor, an one or more container doors, for example rear containers doors, which are rotatably connected to the container walls, for example rotatable about a vertical axis, characterized in that the bulk container further comprises the bulk container door lock assembly according to any of the preceding claims, which is attached to one of the container doors, wherein the locking rod is rotatably connected to the container door, and wherein the locking element is, in the locked configuration, configured to engage with the container floor, the container wall and / or another one of the container doors, e.g. with one or more locking notches thereof.

[0050] The bulk container according to the second aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the features and / or benefits disclosed herein in relation to the door lock assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, for example as recited in the claims.

[0051] The container according to this second aspect comprises a floor, one or more walls and one or more doors. Typically, such containers are open at the top and comprise two opposed side walls and one front wall, whereas the rear is provided with two doors that can be opened upon rotation about a vertical axis for emptying the container.

[0052] The door lock assembly is connected to at least one of the container doors. Optionally, all doors are provided with such a door lock assembly. The door lock assembly may engage with the container floor and / or with another container door, so as to secure a position of the doors and to hold the doors closed.

[0053] Compared to existing containers with door lock assemblies, the present container may allow for safe operation by truck drives, since it may prevent the lever arm from swinging as a result of uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0054] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides the use of a bulk container door lock assembly as disclosed herein on a road-transportable bulk container, for example as disclosed herein, for providing improved safety when opening container doors of the bulk container.

[0055] The use according to the third second aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the features and / or benefits disclosed herein in relation to the door lock assembly according to the first aspect of the invention and / or in relation to the bulk container disclosed herein, for example as recited in the claims.Brief description of drawings

[0056] Further characteristics of the invention will be explained below, with reference to embodiments, which are displayed in the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of a bulk container according to the present invention, Figure 2 schematically depicts an embodiment of a bulk container door lock assembly according to the present invention, Figure 3 shows a close-up view on the releasable connection of the door lock assembly in figure 2, Figure 4 schematically shows another embodiment of the bulk container door lock assembly according to the present invention, and Figure 5 shows a close-up on the releasable connection of the assembly in figure 4.

[0057] Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to corresponding components or to components that have a corresponding function.Detailed description of embodiments

[0058] Figure 1 schematically depicts a rear view on an embodiment of the bulk container according to the present invention, to which is referred with reference numeral 100. The container 100 is displayed from the rear in figure 1, showing two rear doors 101 that are each connected to a respective side wall 102 of the container 100 via four hinges. The container 100 further comprises a floor 103 and is open at a top end to allow bulk goods to be arranged in an interior of the container 100 that is defined between the side walls 102, floor 103 and doors 101.

[0059] The container 100 further comprises a door lock assembly 1, which is shown in detail in figure 2. The door lock assembly 1 is configured to hold the doors 101 in a closed position, as shown in figure 1, when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly 1 thereby connects the doors 101 to each other when closed and connects the doors 101, e.g. the left door 101 in figure 1, to the container floor 103. When the door lock assembly 1 is brought into its unlocked configuration, the doors 101 are no longer locked and can thus be opened.

[0060] The door lock assembly 1 comprises a locking rod 10 that is connected to the door 101 in a rotatable manner, so as to be rotatable relative to the door 101 about its longitudinal axis L, aligned in a vertical direction.

[0061] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises two locking elements 21, 22 that are connected to the locking rod 10 in a fixed manner, so that a rotation of the locking rod 10 will correspond to a movement of the locking elements 21, 22. Vice versa, the fixed connection implies that movements of the locking elements 21, 22 will effect rotations of the locking rod 10.

[0062] The locking elements 21, 22 are configured to engage with the container 100. In particular, the lowermost locking element 21 is disposed at a lower end of the locking rod 10 and is configured to engage with a counter element 23 attached to the floor 103 of the container 100.

[0063] The uppermost locking element 22 is disposed at a top end of the locking rod 10 and is configured to engage with another door 101 of the container 100, e.g. the right door 101' in figure 1. The uppermost locking element 22 comprises a door clamp that latches behind a locking notch provided on the second door 101'. The door clamp allows absorption of larger forces acting on the container doors 101, compared to when the doors are only connected to the container floor 103.

[0064] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a lever arm 30 that is connected to the locking rod 10. In existing door lock assemblies, such a connection was a fixed connection. In the present embodiment, the lever arm 30 is connected to the locking rod 10 via a releasable connection 40. In figure 1, the releasable connection 40 and its location is shown schematically. In figures 2 and 3, an example of the releasable connection 40 is shown in further detail.

[0065] The lever arm 30 is configured to be actuated by a person and serves to increase the torque that can be exerted by the person for closing the doors 101, when the locking rod 10 is to be rotated from the unlocked state to the locked state. To this effect, the lever arm 30 is located centrally along the length of the locking rod 10, in between both locking elements 21, 22.

[0066] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a lever arm catch 31, which is attached to the container door 101 and which serves to hold the lever arm 30 in a secured position relative to the door 101. The lever arm catch 31 thereby forms an additional safety measure, especially during transporting of the container 100, as it prevents the door lock assembly 1 from being opened when such opening is not desired.

[0067] In the present door lock assembly 1, the releasable connection 40 is provided, which means that the lever arm 30 is no longer fixedly connected to the locking rod 10, i.e. no longer requiring all rotations of the locking rod to be coupled to swinging of the lever arm and vice versa. Instead, the releasable connection 40 provides that, depending on a state of the connection 40, the lever arm 30 can be connected to the locking rod 10 to transfer all movements and rotations between them or that they can be functionally disconnected to prevent rotations of the locking rod 10 to be transferred into swinging of the lever arm 30 and to prevent swinging of the lever arm 30 to be transferred into rotations of the locking rod 10.

[0068] In case it is desired to transfer movements of the lever arm 30 onto the locking rod 10, for example during closing of the container doors 101, the releasable connection 40 is arranged in an engaged state. In the engaged state, a (temporary) rigid connection is provided between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10. To avoid injuries during opening of the doors 101, the releasable connection 40 can be brought in a disengaged state, in which it is prevented that rotations of the locking rod 10 are transferred into movements of the lever arm 30. Should any built-up forces in the container doors 101 tend to rotate the locking rod 10, the releasable connection 40 will prevent that these rotations will result in uncontrolled swinging of the lever arm 30.

[0069] For example, referring to figure 1, the releasable connection 40 may be in the engaged state during closing of the container doors 101, whereby the locking rod 10 can be rotated in a clockwise direction as a result of a clockwise movement of the lever arm 30. Should it be desired to open the doors 101, the releasable connection 40 will be brought to the disengaged state. Subsequently, the lever arm 30 can be pulled in a counterclockwise direction to rotate the locking rod 10 in the counterclockwise direction as well. This will initiate the opening of the doors 101. In case built-up forces are present in the doors 101, the locking rod 10 may rotate in the counterclockwise direction faster than the lever arm 30 is pulled by the truck driver. These fast rotations will then not be transmitted towards the lever arm 30 by the releasable connection 40 and will not be converted into movements of the lever arm 30, to therewith inhibit uncontrolled movements of the lever arm 30.

[0070] The releasable connection 40 is a freewheel connection with a ratchet mechanism, which internally comprises an engagement element between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10 that can be selectively connected and disconnected with a gear 41. The releasable connection 40 further comprises a selector, embodied as a selector pawl 42, for shifting between the engaged state and the disengaged state..

[0071] During use, the selector pawl 42 selectively forces the engagement element in engagement with the gear 41 in the clockwise direction in the engaged state of the releasable connection 40 and in the counterclockwise direction in the disengaged state thereof. This implies that any rotary torque exchanged between the locking rod 10 and the lever arm 30 will pass through the gear 31 and the selector pawl 42. The gear 41 is thereby associated with the locking rod 10 and the selector pawl 42 is associated with the lever arm 30. The gear 41 is thereby configured to rotate along with the locking rod 10 and the selector pawl 42 will move along with the lever arm 30.

[0072] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a rotary hinge between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10, which is provided at a circular through opening 43 in the lever arm 30 through which the locking rod 10 extends. This rotary hinge will serve to guide mutual rotations between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10, since the opening 43 of the rotary hinge will surround the locking rod 10 via concentric sliding bearing surfaces facing each other.

[0073] Figure 4 depicts an embodiment of the door lock assembly 1 that is similar to the one shown in figure 2, which comprises a different releasable connection 40'. The releasable connection 40' in figures 4 and 5 comprises a closure freewheel connection 44 and an opening freewheel connection 45, which each comprise a one-way bearing 46.

[0074] The closure freewheel connection 44 is movable into the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod 10 in a clockwise direction C. For bringing the assembly 1 in the locked configuration, the closure freewheel connection 44 should thus be rotated clockwise C. To this effect, the lever arm 30 should be inserted in an aperture 31A in the closure freewheel connection 44 after which it can be rotated. If the closure freewheel connection 44 were to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction C', no rotation of the locking rod 10 can be effected due to the freewheel action.

[0075] Similarly, the opening freewheel connection 45 can be rotated in the counterclockwise direction C' for bringing the assembly in the unlocked configuration, when the doors of the container are to be opened. The opening freewheel connection 45 is positioned right above the closure freewheel connection 44 and comprises a similar aperture 31B for receiving the lever arm 30.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0058]Figure 1 schematically depicts a rear view on an embodiment of the bulk container according to the present invention, to which is referred with reference numeral 100. The container 100 is displayed from the rear in figure 1, showing two rear doors 101 that are each connected to a respective side wall 102 of the container 100 via four hinges. The container 100 further comprises a floor 103 and is open at a top end to allow bulk goods to be arranged in an interior of the container 100 that is defined between the side walls 102, floor 103 and doors 101.

[0059]The container 100 further comprises a door lock assembly 1, which is shown in detail in figure 2. The door lock assembly 1 is configured to hold the doors 101 in a closed position, as shown in figure 1, when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly 1 thereby connects the doors 101 to each other when closed and connects the doors 101, e.g. the left door 101 in figure 1, to the container floor 103. When the door lock a...

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a bulk container door lock assembly for a road-transportable bulk container, e.g. for use in bulk containers for transport over road, such as bulk containers transportable by means of trucks. The present invention further relates to such a road-transportable bulk container with such a door lock assembly and to the use of such a bulk container door lock assembly.State of the art

[0002] At present road-transportable bulk containers are widely used to transport goods, e.g. bulk goods via road. Such containers are typically transported on trucks with rear-facing loading devices, such as hook-lift, chain-lift or cable-lift container loaders. During loading, such loaders typically lift a front end of the container at an appropriate lifting attachment, in order to lift the container to an upward angle, after which it can be pulled onto the truck.

[0003] At their back ends, the containers typically comprise doors, via which the containers can be emptied, or even loaded. These doors are normally held closed when goods are disposed in the container by means of door lock assemblies, of which an example is disclosed in DE20019309U1.

[0004] In case it is desired to empty the container whilst loaded on a truck, a truck driver standing behind the truck will need to open the door lock assembly, of which a lever arm is conveniently disposed at about the height of the driver's eyes, in order to be grasped by the truck driver. This may lead to a potential risk of injuries, since the door lock assembly may be arranged under tension as a result of the loading of the container, for example as a result of the load being forced against the container walls and container doors. During unlocking of the doors, the lever arm may open abruptly as a result of the built-up forces, may swing away from the container door and may injure the driver standing behind it.

[0005] At present, several other solutions have been proposed, such as catch elements, configured to limit movements of the lever arm during unlocking. However, these may still allow a limited degree of movement, which could still lead to injuries.Object of the invention

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a bulk container door lock assembly that is more safe to operate, to mitigate a risk of injuries as much as possible, or at least to provide an alternative door lock assembly.Detailed description

[0007] The present invention provides a container door lock assembly for a road-transportable container as claimed in claim 1. The door lock assembly may be included in road-transportable bulk containers, which are typically transported by road and may, amongst others, carry bulk goods like sand, debris, manure and waste. However, the present invention may also be utilized in marine shipping containers, such as known 20-feet and 40-feet ISO shipping containers, which are transportable by road as well. In the following, the wording of road-transportable container and road-transportable bulk container are used interchangeably.

[0008] The door lock assembly is configured to hold rear doors of a road-transportable bulk container in a closed position when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly may be configured to connect the doors to each other when closed and / or may be configured to connect the doors to other parts of the container, such as the container floor. When the door lock assembly is brought into its unlocked configuration, the doors are no longer locked and can thus be opened.

[0009] To this effect, the door lock assembly comprises a locking rod that is configured to be connected to the container door in a rotatable manner, so as to be rotatable relative to the door about its longitudinal axis. The rotational position of the locking rod may determine the configuration of the door lock assembly, i.e. being locked or unlocked.

[0010] The locking rod may be aligned vertically, so that its longitudinal axis of rotation may be aligned parallel to a vertical direction. Alternatively, the locking rod may be aligned horizontally.

[0011] The locking element is connected to the locking rod in a fixed manner, so that a rotation of the locking rod will correspond to a rotation and / or displacement of the locking element. Vice versa, the fixed connection will imply that movements of the locking element will effect rotations of the locking rod.

[0012] The locking element is configured to engage with the bulk container. This engagement may be with parts of a container body itself, such as the side walls or floor of the container. Alternatively or additionally, the locking element may interlock with another door of the container, i.e. this second door being different from the door to which the locking rod is connected. For example, two different locking elements may be attached to a single locking rod, of which a lowermost locking element may be disposed at a lower end of the locking rod, which may be configured to engage with a counter element attached to the floor of the container. An uppermost locking element may be disposed at a top end of the locking rod and may, for example indirectly via a coupling mechanism, be configured to engage with another door of the container.

[0013] The lever arm is configured to be actuated by a person, e.g. by the truck driver. The lever arm serves to increase the torque that can be exerted by the person for closing the doors, when the locking rod is to be rotated from the unlocked state to the locked state. To this effect, the lever arm may be located centrally along the length of the locking rod, for example in between the lowermost and uppermost locking element.

[0014] The present invention is, compared to existing door lock assemblies, characterized in that the lever arm is no longer fixedly connected to the locking rod, i.e. no longer requiring all rotations of the locking rod to be coupled to movements, e.g. swinging of the lever arm and vice versa. Instead, the lever arm is connected to the locking rod via a releasable connection. This means that, depending on a state of the connection, the lever arm can be connected to the locking rod to transfer all movements and / or rotations between them or that they can be functionally disconnected to prevent rotations of the locking rod to be transferred into swinging of the lever arm and / or to prevent swinging of the lever arm to be transferred into rotations of the locking rod.

[0015] In case it is desired to transfer movements of the lever arm onto the locking rod, for example during closing of the container, the releasable connection can be arranged in an engaged state. In the engaged state, a (temporary) rigid connection may be provided between the lever arm and the locking rod. Such an engaged state would correspond to the rigid lever arms that are known from the prior art.

[0016] To avoid injuries during opening, the releasable connection can be brought in a disengaged state. In the disengaged state, it may be prevented that rotations of the locking rod are transferred into movements of the lever arm. Should the built-up forces in the container doors tend to rotate the locking rod, the releasable connection will prevent that these rotations will result in uncontrolled swinging of the lever arm.

[0017] However, the releasable connection may not necessarily need to prevent the opposite from occurring. Hence, even in the disengaged state of the releasable connection, it may still be allowed that movements of the lever arm are transferred into rotations of the locking rod. This may for example occur at the onset of opening of the container doors, when a truck driver would pull the lever arm to move the locking elements out of engagement.

[0018] However, the disengaged state will safeguard that further rotations initiated from the locking rod are transferred towards the lever arm. For example, during closing of the container doors, the releasable connection may be in the engaged state and the locking rod can be rotated in a clockwise direction as a result of a clockwise movement of the lever arm.

[0019] Should it be desired to open the doors, the releasable connection will be brought to the disengaged state. Subsequently, the lever arm can be pulled in a counterclockwise direction to rotate the locking rod in the counterclockwise direction as well. This will initiate the opening of the doors. In case built-up forces are present in the doors, the locking rod may rotate in the counterclockwise direction faster than the lever arm is pulled by the truck driver. These fast rotations will then not be transmitted towards the lever arm by the releasable connection and will not be converted into movements of the lever arm, to therewith inhibit uncontrolled movements of the lever arm.

[0020] As a result, the selective transmitting or inhibiting of mutual rotations and / or movements between the lever arm and the locking rod, as provided by the releasable connection, mitigates the risk of injuries.

[0021] In an embodiment, the releasable connection is a freewheel connection. A freewheel connection according to the invention is to be understood as a connection between the locking rod and the lever arm that is capable of transmitting mutual rotations in one rotation direction, whereas rotations in the opposed rotation direction are not transmitted, so that movements of the lever arm will not effect a rotation of the locking rod. Such a freewheel connection does not necessarily require manual activation to switch between transmitting the movements or not.

[0022] The freewheel connection may comprise engagement elements between the lever arm and the locking rod that can be selectively connected and disconnected, depending on the net rotary movement of the locking rod and lever arm combined. They may be connected in case the lever arm is pulled, whereas they may disconnect when the locking rod tends to rotate faster than the movement of the lever arm, i.e. during uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0023] Such a freewheel connection may function in a manner comparable to a rear wheel hub of a bicycle, where rotations actuated by the bicycle chain are transferred to the rear wheel, whereas the chain can be held stationary during cycling, thus not being subjected to the rotations of the rear wheel. Similarly, the present releasable connection may allow movements of the lever arm to be transferred to the locking rod during opening of the container doors, whereas rotations of the locking rod will not be transferred towards the lever arm.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the bulk container door lock assembly comprises two of the freewheel connections to which is referred above. A first one of the freewheel connections is a closure freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a first, e.g. clockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a second, e.g. counterclockwise direction, opposite to the first direction, and a second one of the freewheel connections is an opening freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the second , e.g. counterclockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the first, e.g. clockwise direction.

[0025] The two freewheel connections can each be selectively actuated, depending on whether it is desired to bring the door lock assembly in the locked configuration or in the released configuration. As such, no manual switching of a releasable connection is required. Instead, an operator can decide which of the freewheel connections to rotate, in order to bring the lock assembly either in the engaged state or the released state.

[0026] The opening freewheel connection and the closure freewheel connection operate in opposed direction. As a result, clockwise rotation of the opening freewheel connection may effect rotation of the locking rod to bring the lock assembly in the released state and clockwise rotation of the closure freewheel connection may not effect rotation of the locking rod, or vice versa.

[0027] In a further embodiment, the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection are attached to the locking rod above each other. Both of the freewheel connections thereby act on the same locking rod, but operate in reverse directions. Both freewheel connections may be integrated in a single housing, but may both be accessible externally, to allow interaction of the lever arm with both freewheel connections.

[0028] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the lever arm is selectively connectable to and removable from the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection. According to this embodiment, only a single lever arm is needed to operate both freewheel connection. The lever arm may thereby be insertable in an aperture of the closure freewheel connection and in an aperture of the opening freewheel connection.

[0029] In an embodiment, the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection each comprise a one-way bearing. Such one-way bearings may be constructed as ball bearings that allow transmission of rotation in one direction only, prohibiting rotation in the opposite direction. As such, a one-way bearing may function in a manner comparable to a rear wheel hub of a bicycle, where rotations actuated by the bicycle chain are transferred to the rear wheel, whereas the chain can be held stationary during cycling, thus not being subjected to the rotations of the rear wheel.

[0030] In an embodiment, the releasable connection further comprises a selector for shifting between the engaged state and the disengaged state. Such a selector may be beneficial, since a truck driver can select the state of the releasable connection based on the required behaviour of the door lock assembly. The truck driver may, for example, operate the selector to bring the door lock assembly to the engaged state during closing of the container doors and to the disengaged state during opening.

[0031] The selector may, for example, be embodied as an exposed pawl that can be grasped by the truck driver to be moved between both states. The selector may further comprise an indexing mechanism inside the releasable connection that can be operated by the pawl, which indexing mechanism may selectively engage with the locking rod and the lever arm.

[0032] In an embodiment, the releasable connection comprises a ratchet mechanism, comprising a selector pawl for shifting the ratchet mechanism between the engaged state and the disengaged state. The ratchet mechanism according to this embodiment may operate in a manner similar to ratchet tools, that can be arranged in a tightening and loosening state. In the present embodiment, such a tightening state may correspond to the engaged state of the door lock assembly, so that clockwise operation of the lever arms will effect closure of the container doors. During opening of the doors, the ratchet mechanism will be brought in the disengaged state by the selector pawl, e.g. corresponding to the loosing state of a ratchet tool, whereby counterclockwise operation of the lever arms will effect counterclockwise rotation of the locking rods. Uncontrolled counterclockwise rotations of the locking rod, following from built-up forces, will not be transferred towards the lever arm.

[0033] The ratchet mechanism of this embodiment may be beneficial, as it may be relatively convenient to operate by a truck driver. Furthermore, the selector pawl may additionally provide that the lever arm and the locking rod can be fixedly connected to each other temporarily, for example during transportation of the container on a truck. This may counteract opening of the container doors at moments when no such opening is desired.

[0034] In a further embodiment, the ratchet mechanism is, in the engaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in a first direction, e.g. a clockwise direction, onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in an opposed second direction, e.g. a counterclockwise direction.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the engaged state of the door lock assembly may be utilized when the container doors need to be closed. Then, a truck driver may push against the lever arm to effect movement thereof, whereby the locking rod will be rotated accordingly.

[0036] In an alternative or additional embodiment, the ratchet mechanism is, in the disengaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction.

[0037] Similarly, the disengaged state according to this embodiment may allow that uncontrolled rotations can be prevented from being transferred towards the lever arm, which may especially occur during opening of the container doors.

[0038] In an embodiment, the ratchet mechanism comprises a gear, and the selector pawl is selectively engaged with the gear in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction in the engaged state and in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction in the disengaged state.

[0039] According to this embodiment, one of the locking rod and the lever arm will be attached to the gear and another one of the locking rod and the lever arm will be associated with the selector pawl. This implies that any rotary torque exchanged between the locking rod and the lever arm will pass through the gear and the selector pawl. This torque can be transmitted when the gear and the selector pawl are engaged, thus resulting in transfer of movements of the lever arm into rotations of the locking rods when the door lock assembly is in the engaged state.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the gear is associated with the locking rod and the selector pawl is associated with the lever arm. The gear may thereby be configured to rotate along with the locking rod upon rotation thereof, i.e. upon rotation of the locking rod relative to the container doors. The selector pawl may move along with the lever arm. This may be convenient for operation, since the truck driver will need to grasp the lever arm to effect closing or opening of the container doors. This means that a selector pawl associated and moved along with the lever arm will be convenient to reach by the truck driver.

[0041] In an embodiment, the door lock assembly further comprises a rotary hinge between the lever arm and the locking rod. This rotary hinge will serve to guide mutual rotations between the lever arm and the locking rod, especially during uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the rotary hinge comprises a circular through opening in the lever arm through which the locking rod extends. The opening of the rotary hinge will thereby surround the locking rod, for example both having concentric sliding bearing surfaces facing each other.

[0043] The circular through opening may further house the gear and / or selector pawl, if present, which may be beneficial for shielding these components against damaging, thus improving reliability of the door lock assembly.

[0044] In an embodiment, the door lock assembly further comprises a lever arm catch, configured to be attached to the bulk container, for example to the container door, and to hold the lever arm in a secured position relative to the bulk container.

[0045] The lever arm catch may form an additional safety measure, especially during transporting of the container, as it may prevent the door lock assembly from being opened when such opening is not desired.

[0046] The lever arm catch will hold the lever arm in place. At least with the door lock assembly in the engaged state, this holding of the lever arm will also yield that the locking rod is held stationary in its closed position, thus allowing the doors to remain closed.

[0047] This holding of the locking rod may nonetheless also occur when the lever arm is held with the door lock assembly in the disengaged state, depending on the direction in which rotations of the locking rod are allowed relative to the lever arm.

[0048] In an embodiment, the locking element comprises a door clamp, which is configured to engage with a second container door, for example to latch behind a locking notch provided on the second container door. The door clamp is connected to the locking rod, for example being provided as the uppermost locking element. The door clamp may allow absorption of larger forces acting on the container doors, compared to when the doors are only connected to the container floor.

[0049] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a road-transportable bulk container, comprising: a container floor, one or more container walls attached to the container floor, an one or more container doors, for example rear containers doors, which are rotatably connected to the container walls, for example rotatable about a vertical axis, characterized in that the bulk container further comprises the bulk container door lock assembly according to any of the preceding claims, which is attached to one of the container doors, wherein the locking rod is rotatably connected to the container door, and wherein the locking element is, in the locked configuration, configured to engage with the container floor, the container wall and / or another one of the container doors, e.g. with one or more locking notches thereof.

[0050] The bulk container according to the second aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the features and / or benefits disclosed herein in relation to the door lock assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, for example as recited in the claims.

[0051] The container according to this second aspect comprises a floor, one or more walls and one or more doors. Typically, such containers are open at the top and comprise two opposed side walls and one front wall, whereas the rear is provided with two doors that can be opened upon rotation about a vertical axis for emptying the container.

[0052] The door lock assembly is connected to at least one of the container doors. Optionally, all doors are provided with such a door lock assembly. The door lock assembly may engage with the container floor and / or with another container door, so as to secure a position of the doors and to hold the doors closed.

[0053] Compared to existing containers with door lock assemblies, the present container may allow for safe operation by truck drives, since it may prevent the lever arm from swinging as a result of uncontrolled opening of the doors.

[0054] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides the use of a bulk container door lock assembly as disclosed herein on a road-transportable bulk container, for example as disclosed herein, for providing improved safety when opening container doors of the bulk container.

[0055] The use according to the third second aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the features and / or benefits disclosed herein in relation to the door lock assembly according to the first aspect of the invention and / or in relation to the bulk container disclosed herein, for example as recited in the claims.Brief description of drawings

[0056] Further characteristics of the invention will be explained below, with reference to embodiments, which are displayed in the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of a bulk container according to the present invention, Figure 2 schematically depicts an embodiment of a bulk container door lock assembly according to the present invention, Figure 3 shows a close-up view on the releasable connection of the door lock assembly in figure 2, Figure 4 schematically shows another embodiment of the bulk container door lock assembly according to the present invention, and Figure 5 shows a close-up on the releasable connection of the assembly in figure 4.

[0057] Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to corresponding components or to components that have a corresponding function.Detailed description of embodiments

[0058] Figure 1 schematically depicts a rear view on an embodiment of the bulk container according to the present invention, to which is referred with reference numeral 100. The container 100 is displayed from the rear in figure 1, showing two rear doors 101 that are each connected to a respective side wall 102 of the container 100 via four hinges. The container 100 further comprises a floor 103 and is open at a top end to allow bulk goods to be arranged in an interior of the container 100 that is defined between the side walls 102, floor 103 and doors 101.

[0059] The container 100 further comprises a door lock assembly 1, which is shown in detail in figure 2. The door lock assembly 1 is configured to hold the doors 101 in a closed position, as shown in figure 1, when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly 1 thereby connects the doors 101 to each other when closed and connects the doors 101, e.g. the left door 101 in figure 1, to the container floor 103. When the door lock assembly 1 is brought into its unlocked configuration, the doors 101 are no longer locked and can thus be opened.

[0060] The door lock assembly 1 comprises a locking rod 10 that is connected to the door 101 in a rotatable manner, so as to be rotatable relative to the door 101 about its longitudinal axis L, aligned in a vertical direction.

[0061] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises two locking elements 21, 22 that are connected to the locking rod 10 in a fixed manner, so that a rotation of the locking rod 10 will correspond to a movement of the locking elements 21, 22. Vice versa, the fixed connection implies that movements of the locking elements 21, 22 will effect rotations of the locking rod 10.

[0062] The locking elements 21, 22 are configured to engage with the container 100. In particular, the lowermost locking element 21 is disposed at a lower end of the locking rod 10 and is configured to engage with a counter element 23 attached to the floor 103 of the container 100.

[0063] The uppermost locking element 22 is disposed at a top end of the locking rod 10 and is configured to engage with another door 101 of the container 100, e.g. the right door 101' in figure 1. The uppermost locking element 22 comprises a door clamp that latches behind a locking notch provided on the second door 101'. The door clamp allows absorption of larger forces acting on the container doors 101, compared to when the doors are only connected to the container floor 103.

[0064] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a lever arm 30 that is connected to the locking rod 10. In existing door lock assemblies, such a connection was a fixed connection. In the present embodiment, the lever arm 30 is connected to the locking rod 10 via a releasable connection 40. In figure 1, the releasable connection 40 and its location is shown schematically. In figures 2 and 3, an example of the releasable connection 40 is shown in further detail.

[0065] The lever arm 30 is configured to be actuated by a person and serves to increase the torque that can be exerted by the person for closing the doors 101, when the locking rod 10 is to be rotated from the unlocked state to the locked state. To this effect, the lever arm 30 is located centrally along the length of the locking rod 10, in between both locking elements 21, 22.

[0066] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a lever arm catch 31, which is attached to the container door 101 and which serves to hold the lever arm 30 in a secured position relative to the door 101. The lever arm catch 31 thereby forms an additional safety measure, especially during transporting of the container 100, as it prevents the door lock assembly 1 from being opened when such opening is not desired.

[0067] In the present door lock assembly 1, the releasable connection 40 is provided, which means that the lever arm 30 is no longer fixedly connected to the locking rod 10, i.e. no longer requiring all rotations of the locking rod to be coupled to swinging of the lever arm and vice versa. Instead, the releasable connection 40 provides that, depending on a state of the connection 40, the lever arm 30 can be connected to the locking rod 10 to transfer all movements and rotations between them or that they can be functionally disconnected to prevent rotations of the locking rod 10 to be transferred into swinging of the lever arm 30 and to prevent swinging of the lever arm 30 to be transferred into rotations of the locking rod 10.

[0068] In case it is desired to transfer movements of the lever arm 30 onto the locking rod 10, for example during closing of the container doors 101, the releasable connection 40 is arranged in an engaged state. In the engaged state, a (temporary) rigid connection is provided between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10. To avoid injuries during opening of the doors 101, the releasable connection 40 can be brought in a disengaged state, in which it is prevented that rotations of the locking rod 10 are transferred into movements of the lever arm 30. Should any built-up forces in the container doors 101 tend to rotate the locking rod 10, the releasable connection 40 will prevent that these rotations will result in uncontrolled swinging of the lever arm 30.

[0069] For example, referring to figure 1, the releasable connection 40 may be in the engaged state during closing of the container doors 101, whereby the locking rod 10 can be rotated in a clockwise direction as a result of a clockwise movement of the lever arm 30. Should it be desired to open the doors 101, the releasable connection 40 will be brought to the disengaged state. Subsequently, the lever arm 30 can be pulled in a counterclockwise direction to rotate the locking rod 10 in the counterclockwise direction as well. This will initiate the opening of the doors 101. In case built-up forces are present in the doors 101, the locking rod 10 may rotate in the counterclockwise direction faster than the lever arm 30 is pulled by the truck driver. These fast rotations will then not be transmitted towards the lever arm 30 by the releasable connection 40 and will not be converted into movements of the lever arm 30, to therewith inhibit uncontrolled movements of the lever arm 30.

[0070] The releasable connection 40 is a freewheel connection with a ratchet mechanism, which internally comprises an engagement element between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10 that can be selectively connected and disconnected with a gear 41. The releasable connection 40 further comprises a selector, embodied as a selector pawl 42, for shifting between the engaged state and the disengaged state..

[0071] During use, the selector pawl 42 selectively forces the engagement element in engagement with the gear 41 in the clockwise direction in the engaged state of the releasable connection 40 and in the counterclockwise direction in the disengaged state thereof. This implies that any rotary torque exchanged between the locking rod 10 and the lever arm 30 will pass through the gear 31 and the selector pawl 42. The gear 41 is thereby associated with the locking rod 10 and the selector pawl 42 is associated with the lever arm 30. The gear 41 is thereby configured to rotate along with the locking rod 10 and the selector pawl 42 will move along with the lever arm 30.

[0072] The door lock assembly 1 further comprises a rotary hinge between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10, which is provided at a circular through opening 43 in the lever arm 30 through which the locking rod 10 extends. This rotary hinge will serve to guide mutual rotations between the lever arm 30 and the locking rod 10, since the opening 43 of the rotary hinge will surround the locking rod 10 via concentric sliding bearing surfaces facing each other.

[0073] Figure 4 depicts an embodiment of the door lock assembly 1 that is similar to the one shown in figure 2, which comprises a different releasable connection 40'. The releasable connection 40' in figures 4 and 5 comprises a closure freewheel connection 44 and an opening freewheel connection 45, which each comprise a one-way bearing 46.

[0074] The closure freewheel connection 44 is movable into the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod 10 in a clockwise direction C. For bringing the assembly 1 in the locked configuration, the closure freewheel connection 44 should thus be rotated clockwise C. To this effect, the lever arm 30 should be inserted in an aperture 31A in the closure freewheel connection 44 after which it can be rotated. If the closure freewheel connection 44 were to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction C', no rotation of the locking rod 10 can be effected due to the freewheel action.

[0075] Similarly, the opening freewheel connection 45 can be rotated in the counterclockwise direction C' for bringing the assembly in the unlocked configuration, when the doors of the container are to be opened. The opening freewheel connection 45 is positioned right above the closure freewheel connection 44 and comprises a similar aperture 31B for receiving the lever arm 30.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0058]Figure 1 schematically depicts a rear view on an embodiment of the bulk container according to the present invention, to which is referred with reference numeral 100. The container 100 is displayed from the rear in figure 1, showing two rear doors 101 that are each connected to a respective side wall 102 of the container 100 via four hinges. The container 100 further comprises a floor 103 and is open at a top end to allow bulk goods to be arranged in an interior of the container 100 that is defined between the side walls 102, floor 103 and doors 101.

[0059]The container 100 further comprises a door lock assembly 1, which is shown in detail in figure 2. The door lock assembly 1 is configured to hold the doors 101 in a closed position, as shown in figure 1, when in a locked configuration. The door lock assembly 1 thereby connects the doors 101 to each other when closed and connects the doors 101, e.g. the left door 101 in figure 1, to the container floor 103. When the door lock a...

Claims

1. A container door lock assembly (1) for a road-transportable container (100), the door lock assembly comprising: - a rotatable locking rod (10), which is rotatably connectable to a door (101) of the container and which is, upon rotation, configured to bring the door lock assembly in a locked configuration and in an unlocked configuration, - a locking element (21, 22), which is fixedly attached to the locking rod and which is, in the locked configuration, configured to engage with the container, e.g. a wall (102), floor (103) or second container door (101') thereof, and - a lever arm (30), which is connected to the locking rod and which is adapted to be actuated by a person for rotating the locking rod between the locked and unlocked configuration to open and close the container door, characterized in that, the door lock assembly further comprises a releasable connection (40) between the lever arm and the locking rod, which can be brought in an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein, in the engaged state, the lever arm and the locking rod are connected so as to convert movements of the lever arm into rotations of the locking rod, and wherein, in the disengaged state, the lever arm and the locking rod are disconnected so as to inhibit conversion of rotations of the locking rod into movements of the lever arm.

2. The container door lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable connection is a freewheel connection.

3. The container door lock assembly according to claim 2, comprising two of the freewheel connections, wherein a first one of the freewheel connections is a closure freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a first, e.g. clockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in a second, e.g. counterclockwise direction, opposite to the first direction, and wherein a second one of the freewheel connections is an opening freewheel connection, which is in the engaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the second, e.g. counterclockwise direction and which is in the disengaged state upon rotation of the locking rod in the first, e.g. clockwise direction.

4. The container door lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection are attached to the locking rod above each other.

5. The container door lock assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lever arm is selectively connectable to and removable from the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection.

6. The container door lock assembly according to any one of the claims 3 - 5, wherein the closure freewheel connection and the opening freewheel connection each comprise a one-way bearing.

7. The container door lock assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the releasable connection further comprises a selector (42) for shifting between the engaged state and the disengaged state.

8. The container door lock assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the releasable connection comprises a ratchet mechanism, comprising a selector pawl (42) for shifting the ratchet mechanism between the engaged state and the disengaged state.

9. The container door lock assembly according to claim 8, wherein the ratchet mechanism is, in the engaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in a first direction, e.g. a clockwise direction, onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in an opposed second direction, e.g. a counterclockwise direction.

10. The container door lock assembly according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the ratchet mechanism is, in the disengaged state, configured to selectively transfer movements of the lever arm in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction onto the locking rod and / or configured to prevent transfer of rotations of the locking rod onto the lever arm in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction.

11. The container door lock assembly according to any of the claims 8 - 10, wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises a gear (41), and wherein the selector pawl is selectively engaged with the gear in the first, e.g. clockwise, direction in the engaged state and in the second, e.g. counterclockwise, direction in the disengaged state.

12. The container door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein the gear is associated with the locking rod and wherein the selector pawl is associated with the lever arm.

13. A road-transportable container (100), comprising: - a container floor (103), - one or more container walls (102) attached to the container floor, an - one or more container doors (101), for example rear containers doors, which are rotatably connected to the container walls, for example rotatable about a vertical axis, characterized in that, the container further comprises the container door lock assembly (1) according to any of the preceding claims, which is attached to one of the container doors, wherein the locking rod (10) is rotatably connected to the container door, and wherein the locking element (21, 22) is, in the locked configuration, configured to engage with the container floor, the container wall and / or another one of the container doors, e.g. with one or more locking notches thereof.

14. Use of a container door lock assembly (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 12 on a road-transportable container (100), for example according to claim 13, for providing improved safety when opening container doors (101) of the container.

Images