Supporting container using lashing system

Abstract

To provide a lashing system for appropriately distributing tension load to a container and lashing elements locking and supporting the container on a vessel.SOLUTION: A lashing system for supporting a container arranged on each other includes at least a top unit lashing element 19 and a bottom unit lashing element 20, the top unit lashing element is composed to be connected from a top end to a top unit container, the bottom unit lashing element is composed to be connected from a top end to the bottom unit container, at least one portion of at least one of the top unit lashing element and / or the bottom unit lashing element is flexible and at least one of the top unit lashing element and / or the bottom unit lashing element is composed to stretch more in the long direction than the other of at least the top unit lashing element and / or the bottom unit lashing element when the lashing system is in a tension position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates generally to lashing systems, and more particularly to supporting containers positioned on top of each other using lashing systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Container lashing bars are used on cargo ships to provide additional support to stacked containers on the ship's deck. The lashing bars provide support, especially when the ship heels in rough weather and each container stack tilts sideways. Typically, there is a lashing bar connected to two containers placed on top of each other in a container stack. In this situation, the lashing bar and the container lock are subjected to large tensile loads. The function of the lashing bars can be improved to utilize their overall load capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. The scope of protection sought for various embodiments of the present disclosure is indicated by the independent claims.

[0004] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lashing system for supporting containers placed on top of each other, thereby enabling optimal distribution of tensile loads to the containers and the lashing system locking and supporting the containers on the ship. When a ship heels heavily and the container stack tilts sideways, the container locks may tie the containers together, and the lashing elements may provide additional support to the container stack. With regard to the lashing elements and the container locks attached to the same container as the lashing elements, it may be beneficial to utilize the load-bearing capacity of all these components simultaneously, rather than just one or two. To increase the weight of a container, it may be possible to utilize the fully combined load-bearing capacity of two lashing elements and a container lock. This means that heavier containers can be allowed in the container stack on the ship's deck, and therefore more cargo can be carried on the same ship. This may have a positive impact on ship productivity. Furthermore, when a ship's container-carrying capacity can be used more effectively, greenhouse gas emissions per ton of cargo carried can be reduced. The necessary components for the presented system may be easy to manufacture, and conventional manufacturing methods may be applicable. In addition to new vessels, older existing vessels can also be easily modified to apply the presented lashing system.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a lashing system for supporting containers arranged on top of each other is disclosed. The lashing system may include at least an upper lashing element and a lower lashing element, where the upper lashing element may be configured to be connected to the upper container from an upper end and the lower lashing element may be configured to be connected to the lower container from an upper end, and at least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element may be flexible, and at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element may be configured to stretch longitudinally more than the other of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element when the lashing system is in a tensioned position. An economical lashing system may maximize the combined strength capabilities of the lashing elements and the container lock.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper lashing element may be more longitudinally elongated than the lower lashing element, which may allow the lower lashing element and the container lock to participate in the load when the upper lashing element is more elongated than the lower lashing element.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the lashing system may further include a container lock, an upper corner piece of the lower container, and a lower corner piece of the upper container; the upper container and the lower container may be connected together with the container lock; the container lock may be configured to be located between the lower corner piece of the upper container and the upper corner piece of the lower container; and the longitudinal extension distance D in the tensioned position may be approximately equal to the slack S between the container lock and the lower corner piece of the upper container and the upper corner piece of the lower container. The longitudinal extension difference D may be the extension distance between the upper lashing element and the lower lashing element in the tensioned position. The longitudinal extension difference D may indicate how much the upper lashing element stretches more than the lower lashing element. This may make it possible to eliminate the slack S between the container lock and the container corner piece, and thus allow the load to be divided more evenly by the loading system.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the sag is S=EB=F+D3, where E is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the lower corner piece of the upper container and the top surface of the upper corner piece of the lower container, B is the thickness of the flange of the container lock, D3 is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the lower corner piece and the top surface of the flange, and F is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the upper corner piece.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper end of the upper lashing element may be configured to be attached to the lower corner piece of the upper container, and the upper end of the lower lashing element may be configured to be attached to the upper corner piece of the lower container or the lower corner piece of the lower container, which may allow for better attachment of the containers.

[0010] According to exemplary embodiments of the first aspect, at least a portion of at least one of the upper and lower lashing elements may comprise an elastic element, elastic material or design configured to cause longitudinal extension when the lashing system is in a tensioned position, the advantage of which may be that the upper lashing element may extend longitudinally while the lower lashing element and / or the container lock may be subjected to higher loads.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper lashing element may comprise an upper lashing bar and an upper turnbuckle, and the lower lashing element may comprise a lower lashing bar and a lower turnbuckle. The turnbuckles may be used to connect the lashing bar to a lashing bridge or other structure and to adjust the length or tension of the lashing element.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper turnbuckle and / or the lower turnbuckle may comprise an elastic element, which may allow the length of the lashing element to be increased.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper lashing element comprises an upper fixing structure and the lower lashing element comprises a lower fixing structure attached directly or indirectly to a lashing bridge or deck of the ship, the upper fixing structure and / or the lower fixing structure comprising an elastic element, elastic material or design configured to allow longitudinal extension when the lashing system is in a tensioned position, which may allow the elastic element, elastic material or design configured to allow longitudinal extension to be located in an alternative location.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the upper and / or lower fixing structures may comprise holes with elastic elements inside which may allow longitudinal extension of the upper and / or lower lashing elements.

[0015] According to exemplary embodiments of the first aspect, the elastic element may be a spring, a rubber disc, an elastic material or an elastic component. Different types of elements may be used as elastic element.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the elastic material is steel or a glass fiber composite. Different materials may also be used as elastic material.

[0017] According to exemplary embodiments of the first aspect, at least a portion of at least one of the upper and / or lower lashing elements may be flexible, meaning that they are configured to quickly return to their original shape when a deforming force or pressure is removed. An advantage of elastic elements, elastic materials or designs configured to allow longitudinal extension is that they may allow for an increase and decrease in length, but may still be able to return to their original form after extension.

[0018] According to a second aspect, a lashing device is disclosed comprising at least one lashing system according to any of the above first aspects. The lashing device may allow for the simultaneous use of more than one lashing system.

[0019] According to a third aspect, a method for supporting containers arranged on top of each other using a lashing system is disclosed, the lashing system comprising at least upper and lower lashing elements, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing elements and / or the lower lashing elements is flexible. The method may include the steps of connecting the upper lashing element to the upper container from an upper end, connecting the lower lashing element to the lower container from an upper end, and causing at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element to be longitudinally stretched more than the other of the at least the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element when the lashing system is in a tensioned position. This may enable optimal distribution of tensile loads to the container, the container lock, and the lashing system locking and supporting the container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B schematically illustrate an example of a side view of a lashing device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B illustrate schematic diagrams of an example of a side view of a lashing system in a rest position according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 3] 3A and 3B schematically illustrate an example of a side view of the lashing system of FIG. 2 in a tensioned position according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B schematically illustrate an example of a cross-sectional side view of a locking device in a tensioned position according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of the embodiments and is not intended to represent the only manner in which the embodiments may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth functions of the embodiments and the sequence of steps or actions for constructing and operating the embodiments. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments.

[0024] Container lashing elements can be used on cargo ships to provide additional support for stacked containers on the ship's deck. Particularly when a ship is heeling in bad weather, each stack of containers can tilt sideways. In this situation, the lashing elements and container locks can be subjected to heavy tension loads. There may be two lashing elements connected to two containers placed on top of each other in a container stack. There may also be a lashing element attached to one end of a container, with one lashing element at each top and bottom corner, for example, in a stack of up to 11 containers. Lashing elements may be attached to the third and fourth containers calculated from the bottom of the stack, although other height options may also be used. For example, lashing elements may be attached to the container below the third and fourth containers.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, upper lashing elements may be attached to an upper container, and more rigid lower lashing elements may be attached to a lower container. The lower container may be located directly below the upper container, or there may be one or more intermediate containers between the upper and lower containers, to which the lower lashing elements may be attached. Depending on the size of the containers, particularly their lengths, lashing elements may be used at both ends of the container or only at one end. The lashing elements may comprise lashing bars and turnbuckles. The upper ends of the lashing bars may be attached to the container. The lower ends of the lashing bars may be attached to turnbuckles, which may be fixed to lashing bridges on the ship's deck. In some cases, the turnbuckles may also be fixed directly to the ship's deck.

[0026] A lashing system can be an economical system that can maximize the combined strength capacity of the lashing elements and container locks in a configuration where two lashing elements are connected to two containers placed on top of each other in a container stack. This may be applied to one side of the container stack, and typically the other side may have a mirror image similar configuration. In many cases, the other end of the container stack may also have the same configuration.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the lower lashing element is stiffer than the upper lashing element.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, a commonly used lashing system has upper and lower lashing elements with two conventional lashing bars and turnbuckles, and the structure and load capacity of the upper and lower lashing elements may be identical. In this type of system, the upper lashing element may carry a larger tensile load than the lower lashing element. In some load cases, the upper lashing element may support the entire tensile load, while the container lock between the lower lashing element and the container corner may not have any tensile load at all. The tensile force may be mainly borne by the upper lashing element only.

[0029] The example in Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a lashing apparatus that may include one or more lashing systems 1. The purpose of the lashing system 1 is to secure and support containers on a ship's deck 16. The lashing system 1 may be attached to one side of a container stack 15 at one end. A similar lashing system 1 may be attached to the other side, often at the other end, of the same container stack 15. In total, there may be hundreds, or even thousands, of similar lashing systems 1 installed on a ship. The lashing elements 19, 20 may include lashing bars 3, 6 and turnbuckles 9, 10, which may be typical lashing components, although other types of lashing components may also be used for the same purpose. Containers 5, 8, 17 may be arranged on top of each other in the same vertical line to form a single container stack 15. Multiple container stacks 15 may exist side by side longitudinally on a ship.

[0030] Figure 1 shows an example of a lashing arrangement for one bay on the deck 16 of a container ship, with a lashing bridge 13 fixed to the deck 16 of the ship. A container stack 15 may comprise containers 5, 8, 17 on top of each other. The container stack may stand on a hatch cover 18 resting on the deck 16. Lashing bars 3, 6 may be attached to the containers 5, 8.

[0031] The example in Figure 2 shows schematically an example of a side view of the lashing system 1 in a rest position when the ship is loaded and the container stack 15 is vertically upright. In this position, the tension forces acting on the lashing system 1 may be very small and the main force component in the container stack 15 may be compressive forces caused by the weight of the containers 5, 8, 17.

[0032] The example in Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of the lashing system 1 in a tensioned position. This is a situation in which a ship may heel and the container stack may tilt sideways. On one side of the container stack, the container locks 2 and the upper container lower corner pieces 4 may be pulled upward and sideways by the upper container 5, while on the other side of the stack 15, the container corners may be compressed downward. This is because some slack S, i.e., free space around the container lock contact surfaces, may exist for practical reasons such as manufacturing tolerances and clearance to allow for manual installation. In the tensioned position, the lashing system 1 may be subjected to tension caused by the tilting container stack 15. At the same time, the lashing system 1 on the other side of the container stack 15 may be subjected primarily to downward compression and may not be subjected to any load. When the ship heels to the other side, the load in the lashing system 1 may also shift from one side to the other.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment, a lashing system 1 for supporting an upper container 5 and a lower container 8 arranged on top of each other is disclosed. The lashing system 1 may include at least an upper lashing element 19 and a lower lashing element 20. The upper lashing element 19 may be configured to be connected to the upper container 5 from an upper end, and the lower lashing element 20 may be configured to be connected to the lower container 8 from an upper end. At least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing element 19 and / or the lower lashing element 20 may be flexible or elastic. According to an exemplary embodiment, flexible or elastic may mean that a material, part, or element may be configured to return to its original shape when a deforming force or pressure is removed.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the upper lashing elements 19 and / or the lower lashing elements 20 may be configured to extend longitudinally more than the other of the upper lashing elements 19 and / or the lower lashing elements 20 when the lashing system 1 is in a tensioned position.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper lashing element 19 may extend longitudinally more than the lower lashing element 20. In this way, the lower lashing element 20 may carry part of the load. Furthermore, the container lock 2 may also carry part of the load.

[0036] According to an exemplary embodiment, the lashing system further includes a container lock 2, a lower corner piece 4, and an upper corner piece 7. The upper container 5 and the lower container 8 may be connected together with the container lock 2. The container lock 2 may be installed between the containers 5, 8 arranged on top of each other. The container lock 2 may be configured to be located between the lower corner piece 4 of the upper container 5 and the upper corner piece 7 of the lower container 8. The longitudinal extension distance D may be approximately equal to the slack S between the container lock 2 and the lower container corner piece 4 of the upper container 5 and the upper container corner piece 7 of the lower container 8.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal stretch differential D is the stretch distance between the upper lashing element 19 and the lower lashing element 20 in the tensioned position. The longitudinal stretch differential D may indicate how much the upper lashing element 19 can stretch more than the lower lashing element 20.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper end of the upper lashing element 19 may be configured to be attached to the lower corner piece 4 of the upper container 5, and the upper end of the lower lashing element 20 may be configured to be attached to the upper corner piece 7 of the lower container 8 or the lower corner piece of the lower container 8. The lower container may have an upper corner piece 7 and a lower corner piece.

[0039] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper lashing element 19 comprises an upper lashing bar 3 and an upper turnbuckle 9, and the lower lashing element 20 comprises a lower lashing bar 6 and a lower turnbuckle 10. The upper end of the upper turnbuckle 9 may be attached to the lower end of the upper lashing bar 3, and the upper end of the lower turnbuckle 10 may be attached to the lower end of the lower lashing bar 6, respectively. Similarly, the lower end of the upper turnbuckle 9 may be attached to the upper fixing structure 11, and the lower end of the lower turnbuckle 10 may be attached to the lower fixing structure 12, respectively. The upper fixing structure 11 and the lower fixing structure 12 may be attached to a lashing bridge 13 or other fixing structure of the ship. The lashing bridge 13 may be a structure on the deck 16 of the ship, which may enable the lashing bars 19, 20 to be fixed to containers 5, 8, 17 that are optimally located higher up in the container stack 15.

[0040] According to an exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing element 19 and the lower lashing element 20 comprises an elastic element 14, elastic material, or design configured to increase in length or cause longitudinal extension when the lashing system 1 is in a tensioned position.

[0041] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper turnbuckle 3 and / or the lower turnbuckle 6 is provided with an elastic element 14. The elastic element may be located at the lower end of the upper turnbuckle 3, 6. However, other positions are also possible.

[0042] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper lashing element 19 comprises an upper fixing structure 11 and the lower lashing element 20 comprises a lower fixing structure 12 configured to be attached directly or indirectly to a lashing bridge 13 or deck 16 of the ship. The fixing structures may comprise elastic elements 14, elastic materials or designs configured to increase in length when the lashing system 1 is in a tensioned position.

[0043] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper fixing structure 11 and / or the lower fixing structure 12 are provided with holes provided with elastic elements 14. The upper turnbuckles 9 may be attached to the holes in the upper fixing structure 11, and the lower turnbuckles 10 may be attached to the holes in the upper fixing structure 12.

[0044] According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper fixing structure 11 has elastic elements 14 around the holes in the upper fixing structure 11. This may make the upper lashing elements 19 more flexible than the lower lashing elements 20, and therefore may also allow the lower lashing elements 20 and the container lock 2 to carry the load. Likewise, the upper fixing structure 11 may be made of an elastic material or may have a design that allows the upper lashing elements 19 to stretch more than the lower lashing elements 20.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment, the resilient element 14 may be a spring, a rubber disc, an elastic material, or an elastic component.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment, the resilient material is steel or a fiberglass composite.

[0047] When the containers are loaded onto the ship at port, the lashing elements 19, 20 may also be connected to the containers 5, 8, 17 and tightened with turnbuckles 19, 20. The stiffness of the elastic elements 14, elastic material, or design configured to cause longitudinal extension may be such that there is little or no deformation that can be caused by manual tightening of the turnbuckles 9, 10. When the container stack 15 is tilted sideways, the turnbuckles 9, 10 may experience high tensile forces from the lashing bars 3, 6, and the elastic elements 14, elastic material, or design configured to cause longitudinal extension may be completely deformed. Depending on the material and construction of the elastic elements 14, elastic material, or design configured to cause longitudinal extension, it may be practical to place a separate mechanical stop at the maximum deformation required for the lashing system 1.

[0048] In the tension position, the elastic element 14, elastic material, or design configured to cause longitudinal extension of the upper turnbuckle 9 may be deformed by the tension force of the upper container 5. The amount of deformation may be limited to the extent that the slack S between the contact surfaces of the container lock 2 and the lower corner piece 4 and upper corner piece 7 may be removed. The active component or mechanism that may enable the extension of the elastic element 14, elastic material, or design configured to cause longitudinal extension itself may be either stretched or compressed. In other words, for example, a spring or rubber disk may be used as an active component to make the lashing bars 3, 6 and turnbuckles 9, 10 longer or shorter when they may be subjected to tension force.

[0049] Due to the elastic elements 14, elastic material or design deformation configured to cause longitudinal stretching, the tensile force from the upper container 5 can be distributed not only to the upper lashing elements 19 but also to the lower lashing elements 20 and the container lock 2. The tensile force from the lashing bars 3, 6 can be transmitted via the turnbuckles 9, 10 and the upper and lower fixing structures 11, 12 to the lashing bridge 13 or other fixed structures of the ship.

[0050] The example of Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an example locking device in a tensioned position. The total vertical slack S is the sum of the vertical clearances or distances F and D3 (F+D3). The slack S may also be the difference between E and B in the tensioned position (EB). The longitudinal extension distance of at least one lashing element 19, 20 may be approximately equal to the slack S between the container lock 2 and the container bottom corner piece 4 of the upper container 5 and the container top corner piece 7 of the lower container 8.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment, a locking device for joining an upper container and a lower container stacked on top of each other is disclosed, the locking device comprising a lower corner piece 4 of the upper container 5, an upper corner piece 7 of the lower container 8, and a container lock 2 for locking the lower corner piece 4 of the upper container 5 and the upper corner piece 7 of the lower container 8 together. The lashing system 1 may comprise the locking device. The container lock 2 may also comprise a flange 21. The locking device in a tensioned position may be configured to satisfy the slack equation S=EB=F+D3, E is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the lower corner piece 4 of the upper container 5 and the top surface of the upper corner piece 7 of the lower container 8, B is the flange thickness of the container lock 21, D3 is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the lower corner piece 4 and the top surface of the flange 21; F is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the flange 21 and the top surface of the upper corner piece 7 .

[0052] The strength of the container 5, 8, 17 itself may set limits on the forces acting in different directions on various parts of the container 5, 8, 17. For this reason, as an example, replacing one lashing bar with an extra-strong lashing bar may not be possible, as the currently applied forces may already exceed the maximum limit. Therefore, the total bearing capacity can be increased simply by arranging several lashing elements 19, 20 to carry a high load at the same time.

[0053] The proposed lashing system can withstand a greater total tensile force than conventional lashing systems. This fact allows the weight of the containers in the stack to be increased. This means that heavier containers can be allowed in the container stack, and more cargo can be carried on the same ship. This can improve the efficiency of the ship.

[0054] Figure 5 shows an example of a method for supporting containers 5, 8, 17 arranged on top of each other using a lashing system 1, the lashing system 1 comprising at least an upper lashing element 19 and a lower lashing element 20, at least a part of at least one of the upper lashing element 19 and / or the lower lashing element 20 being flexible.

[0055] In operation 500, the method may include connecting the upper lashing element 19 to the upper container 5 from the top end.

[0056] In operation 510, the method may include connecting the lower lashing element 20 to the lower container 8 from the top end.

[0057] In operation 520, the method may include a step of longitudinally stretching at least one of the upper lashing element 19 and / or the lower lashing element 20 more than the other of the upper lashing element 19 and / or the lower lashing element 20 when the lashing system 1 is in a tensioned position.

[0058] Further features of the method result, for example, directly from the functionality of the lashing system 1 and / or the lashing device. As explained in connection with the various exemplary embodiments, different variants of the method can also be applied.

[0059] The lashing system 1 for supporting containers 5, 8, 17 arranged on top of one another may be configured to perform or cause to be performed any aspect of the method described herein.

[0060] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or modified without losing the effect sought, and any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0061] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the precise features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0062] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or to multiple embodiments. Embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It will be further understood that reference to "an" or "an" item may mean one or more of those items.

[0063] The steps or actions of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the above-described embodiments may be combined with aspects of any of the other described embodiments to form further embodiments without losing the desired effect.

[0064] The term "comprising" is used herein to mean that the specified methods, blocks, or elements are included, but that such blocks or elements do not constitute an exclusive list and that the method or apparatus may include additional blocks or elements.

[0065] Although a subject may be referred to as a "primary" subject, a "secondary" subject, or a "tertiary" subject, this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance of the subjects. Rather, such attributes may be used only to distinguish between the subjects.

[0066] It will be understood that the above description is provided by way of example only, and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. While various embodiments have been described above in some detail, or with reference to one or more specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present specification.

Claims

1. 1. A lashing system for supporting containers arranged one on top of the other, said lashing system comprising: At least an upper lashing element and a lower lashing element Equipped with the upper lashing element is configured to be connected to an upper container from an upper end; the lower lashing element is configured to be connected to the lower container from an upper end; at least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element is flexible; 1. A lashing system, wherein at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element is configured to extend longitudinally more than at least the other of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element when the lashing system is in a tensioned position.

2. 10. The lashing system of claim 1, wherein the upper lashing element extends longitudinally more than the lower lashing element.

3. the lashing system further comprises a container lock, a lower corner piece of the upper container, and an upper corner piece of the lower container; the upper container and the lower container are connected to each other by the container lock configured to be positioned between the lower corner piece of the upper container and the upper corner piece of the lower container; 3. The lashing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the longitudinal extension distance in the tension position is approximately equal to the slack between the container lock and the lower container corner piece of the upper container and the upper container corner piece of the lower container.

4. The slack is S=E-B=F+D3, E is the vertical distance between the lower surface of the lower corner piece of the upper container and the upper surface of the upper corner piece of the lower container, B is the flange thickness of the container lock; D3 is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the lower corner piece and the top surface of the flange; 4. The lashing system of claim 3, wherein F is the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the flange and the top surface of the upper corner piece.

5. the upper end of the upper lashing element is configured to be attached to the lower corner piece of the upper container; 5. A lashing system according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the upper end of the lower lashing element is configured to be attached to the upper corner piece of the lower container or the lower corner piece of the lower container.

6. 3. A lashing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the upper and lower lashing elements comprises an elastic element, elastic material or design configured to induce longitudinal extension when the lashing system (1) is in the tensioned position.

7. The upper lashing element comprises an upper lashing bar and an upper turnbuckle; 3. A lashing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lower lashing element comprises a lower lashing bar and a lower turnbuckle.

8. 7. The lashing system according to claim 6, wherein the upper turnbuckle and / or the lower turnbuckle comprises the elastic element.

9. the upper lashing element comprises an upper fixing structure and the lower lashing element comprises a lower fixing structure attached directly or indirectly to a lashing bridge or deck (16) of the ship; 3. A lashing system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper securing structure and / or the lower securing structure comprise elastic elements, elastic materials or designs configured to allow longitudinal extension when the lashing system is in the tensioned position.

10. 10. The lashing system according to claim 9, wherein the upper fastening structure and / or the lower fastening structure comprises a hole provided with the elastic element.

11. 8. A lashing system according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the resilient element is a spring, a rubber disc, an elastic material or an elastic component.

12. 8. A lashing system according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the resilient material is steel or a glass fibre composite.

13. 3. A lashing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a part of at least said one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element is flexible, meaning that it is configured to return to its original shape when a deforming force or pressure is removed.

14. A lashing device comprising at least one lashing system according to claim 1 or 2.

15. 1. A method for supporting containers arranged on top of each other using a lashing system, said lashing system comprising: The method comprises at least an upper lashing element and a lower lashing element, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element is flexible, the method comprising: connecting the upper lashing element to an upper container from its upper end; connecting the lower lashing element to a lower container from an upper end; causing at least one of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element to be longitudinally stretched more than the other of the upper lashing element and / or the lower lashing element when the lashing system is in a tensioned position; A method comprising:

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