Apparatus, system and method for determining the location of containers on a container ship

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling element (20) for fastening a first corner fitting (22) of a first container (25) to a second corner fitting (26) of a second container (23, 44) in order to prevent at least a horizontal displacement relative to one another. In order to improve safety during the transport of containers on a vehicle, in particular on a container ship, the coupling element (20) according to the invention is characterized by a sensor (29, 32) designed to detect the state of the coupling element (20) and a transmission unit (28) designed to transmit an identification signal and a status signal (38) representative of the detected state of the coupling element (20). The present invention further relates to an arrangement of containers (23, 43) and such a coupling element (20), as well as a container ship (46) in which the containers (23, 43) are fastened by such a coupling element (20), as well as a method for monitoring status data of the coupling element (20) and / or the containers (43).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting member for securing a first corner fitting of a first container to a second corner fitting of a second container to prevent at least horizontal displacement relative to one another. The present invention also relates to an arrangement of containers and such connecting members, and to a stack of containers, each stacked one above the other. A plurality of slots are provided with stacked containers, bottom connecting members (35) and connecting members (20). The present invention relates to a container ship having a stacked structure, in which, in a stacked state, the bottom container is fixed to the container foundation by floor tie members and the top container is stacked on top of said bottom container but is fixed to each other at their corner fittings by tie members at least against horizontal displacement. Finally, the present invention relates to a method for determining the position of containers on a container ship. [Background technology]

[0002] Such coupling elements are known, for example, from EP 1 534 612 B1 or WO 2014 / 032659 A1, which documents in particular describe so-called fully automatic twistlocks (FAT).

[0003] Remotely operated connecting members and methods for using them are described in WO2006 / 025790A1, WO 2008 / 153494 A1 and WO 2018 / 172518 A1 It is known from

[0004] The coupling element according to the present invention is generally suitable for the transport of containers on vehicles. However, the present invention particularly relates to the maritime transport of containers on container ships. On these container ships, containers are transported as container stacks on the ship's hull (below deck) or on deck (above hatch covers). Containers stacked below deck are guided by cell guides and do not require any special fastening. Only when 20-foot containers are loaded into a stowage space for 40-foot containers do they need to be secured against horizontal displacement by a twist stacker. For the purposes of this disclosure, "horizontal" always means a direction parallel to the plane of the ship's deck, while "vertical" means a direction perpendicular thereto.

[0005] Containers loaded on the deck are interconnected by suitable coupling elements. Specifically, in a container stack, two containers stacked one on top of the other are connected to each other at their corner fittings by coupling elements so that they are secured both against horizontal displacement relative to each other and against lifting of each upper container from the respective lower container (securing / connecting against lifting forces). In practice, the bottom container, and sometimes even the higher containers, are further secured with lashing rods with the aid of lashing bridges. However, coupling elements are often the only securing device for higher containers, especially against loss during maritime transport. In practice, fully automatic coupling elements (fully automatic twistlocks - FAT) and semi-automatic coupling elements (semi-automatic twistlocks - SAT) are used. Semi-automatic coupling elements are also used in combination with midlocks when 20-foot containers are stacked in slots for 40-foot containers. As already mentioned, examples of fully automatic coupling elements are known from EP 1 534 612 B1 or WO 2014 / 032659 A1. The invention can be used to advantage both in connection with twiststackers used below deck and with twistlocks, midlocks and bottomlocks used above deck. The fixing means according to the invention can therefore be a twiststacker, a bottomstacker, a fully or semi-automatic or manual twistlock, midlock or bottomlock.

[0006] During container loading, stevedores first insert one coupling element with an upper coupling projection into each of the four bottom corner fittings of the container to be loaded, thereby pre-locking the projections. This ensures that the coupling element is securely coupled to each of the bottom corner fittings of the container to be loaded. The container is then lifted onto the ship's deck by a crane (container gantry) and placed on top of the already loaded container. During this process, the lower coupling projections hook into the four top corner fittings of the already loaded container. In the now stacked state, the lower coupling projections engage with the top corner fittings of the now-loaded bottom container, thus securing the now-loaded top container against loss during maritime transport. In the context of this disclosure, this state is referred to as a coupled or interlocked state.

[0007] Similarly, the containers in the bottom layer can also be secured to the container foundation. However, in practice, this process involves the use of appropriate connecting members (bottom stackers below the deck and bottom locks above the deck), which essentially correspond to the twist stackers, twist locks, or midlocks used between containers, but are initially inserted "upside down" into the foundation. Next, each container in the bottom layer is loaded. The container foundation itself is welded onto the ship's deck or hatch cover. The bottom stackers or bottom locks generally remain permanently attached to the foundation. When the bottom container is loaded, the upper connecting protrusions of the bottom locks engage and interlock with the bottom corner fittings of the lower container. The bottom container is then secured against both horizontal displacement and lifting forces. WO 2016 / 126163 A2 discloses a bottom lock with a weight sensor used to detect the weight of the load on it as the bottom lock's status. The sum of the weight measurements of all four bottom locks connected to the bottom container results in the weight of each stack (the sum of the weights of all containers in the container stack). The weight of a loaded container results from the difference between the stack weights before and after the newly loaded container is loaded. In this way, it is possible to determine exactly how much a particular container in a particular position in a particular container stack weighs. Ship managers can compare this information with the stow plan or bill of lading that exists for each ship.

[0008] Unfortunately, in practice, individual containers or entire container stacks loaded on deck are lost during maritime transport. This can be caused, for example, by non-compliance with the allowable container weight for a particular slot and, as a result, by the impermissible transmission of forces into corner fittings and connecting members. Preventing this is the aim of the above-mentioned WO2016 / 126163A2.

[0009] The berthing time for handling cargo on container ships is of great economic importance to container ship operators. On the one hand, demurrage is often calculated directly according to the berthing time, and on the other hand, container ship operators make money by transporting goods, not by berthing. Therefore, reducing berthing time is desirable in many respects. To this end, the above-mentioned WO2006 / 025790A1 , WO 2008 / 153494 A1 and , WO 2018 / 172518 A1 teaches a coupling element or combination of coupling elements that can be remotely unlocked at the appropriate time. To do this, after installation on a container by dock workers, the coupling element is manually assigned to this container and provided with a unique identifier. Furthermore, a safety device can be attached to the container and assigned via the identifier. Thus, on the one hand, the unlocking or partial cancellation A signal for the safety device can be sent to the connecting member of the specified container, while a message from the safety device can also be sent to the base.

[0010] When transporting goods in containers on a container ship, it is essential for safety and reliability that the containers loaded on deck are securely interlocked by their interlocking members. In fact, it is possible that, when containers are loaded, one or more of the four interlocking members may not actually interlock properly with the associated corner fittings of the containers below. Stevedoring personnel or ship crew members cannot reliably recognize this through purely visual inspection, especially in the case of taller container stacks. Therefore, the Conver-OSR semi-automatic twistlock CV-12 is equipped with a red plunger on its stop plate, which retracts completely into the stop plate when the twistlock's lower stowage cone is fully rotated into the interlocking position, making it invisible when viewed from below along the container stack. However, in the case of an incompletely rotated lower interlocking lug, the plunger remains visible. However, this plunger only indicates that the lower stowage cone has been fully rotated into the interlocking position. Thus, it is still unclear whether the twistlock is securely interlocked with the top corner fitting of the lower container. Furthermore, this system cannot be used with mid-lock or fully automatic interlocking members because it does not have a movable lower interlocking lug. Also, when two 20-foot containers are loaded one after the other into the slot of a 40-foot container, there is no space between them. Approximately 76mm ( 3 inches ) Therefore, even in the case of similar equipment, visual control would not be possible anyway, since such plungers would be completely invisible from mid-lock or fully automatic coupling elements. However, even at the accessible end faces of the container stack, visual inspection would be very time-consuming and prone to errors.

[0011] Furthermore, in practice, single container fires have already occurred, for example, due to damage to refrigeration units or spontaneous combustion of cargo. For example, spontaneous combustion of a charcoal cargo on the container ship MSC KATRINA in the Elbe Estuary on November 30, 2015, and on the LUDWIGSHAFEN EXPRESS in the Red Sea on February 21, 2016, were reported in investigation reports 455 / 15 and 58 / 16 by the Federal Maritime Accident Investigation Office (BSU). Furthermore, on January 3, 2019, a fire broke out in a container loaded on deck while the ship YANTIAN EXPRESS was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Such fires can spread to adjacent containers unnoticed by the ship's crew, as happened on the YANTIAN EXPRESS, and can occur especially on larger container ships. The practical difficulty of detecting such fires at present lies in the fact that smoke rarely penetrates the container due to its enclosed nature, and normal winds rapidly dilute even the slightest smoke. Additionally, fires in containers can develop over a very long period of time, and are only noticed when the fire leaves the affected container. In particular, if a container catches fire in the forward area far from the bridge, the fire may not be detected immediately. This can destroy a significant portion of the cargo itself, as well as cause considerable damage to the ship's structure due to the heat of the fire. This is especially true for containers stowed below deck. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 1534612

[0013] [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2014 / 032659

[0014] [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2006 / 025790

[0015] [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2016 / 126163 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] The object of the present invention is thus to further develop a coupling element, an arrangement, a container ship and a method of the above-mentioned type so as to improve safety during the transport of containers on a vehicle, in particular a container ship. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] This object is achieved by a coupling element according to claim 1, an arrangement according to claim 5, a container ship according to claim 8 and a method according to claim 13. Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0018] According to the present invention, the connecting member is a distance sensor configured to detect a distance to the first corner fitting and / or the second corner fitting; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit an identification signal for identifying the sensor and a distance signal representing the detected distance to the first corner fitting and / or the second corner fitting. Indeed, the identification signal and the distance signal can theoretically be transmitted separately. However, in practice, a common transmitting unit is installed to simultaneously transmit a unique identifier for each signal. In other words, the identification signal is a unique identifier by which the connecting member is identified, and is usually Distance and Thus, in practice, there is no true separation between the distance signal and the identification signal; rather, they are transmitted as a unified signal.

[0019] According to this invention, it is known which fastening element provides a status signal based on the identification signal. If the status signal indicates a condition requiring intervention by the ship's crew, crane operator, or stevedore, the cause can be specifically eliminated or countermeasures can be taken. In doing so, the crew or stevedore can be specifically guided to the corresponding connecting element, and thus the defect can be safely and quickly corrected. According to this invention, the sensors and transmitting units are integrated into the connecting element. This means that every time the connecting element is inserted into a container corner fitting, each sensor and associated transmitting unit are also inserted at the same time. No additional labor is required for separate installation. In addition, conventional containers can be used without conversion. Container ships can be retrofitted by simply replacing the connecting element and incorporating the associated electronics. A coupling member is assumed to be correctly interlocked if the distance measured by the distance sensor is within a precisely defined range. Within this range, correct interlocking can be assumed based on experience or technical specifications, particularly the vertical clearance between the lower coupling projection and the top corner fitting of the lower container, which is structurally defined for the specified coupling member used. In this way, the distance sensor can be used to reliably determine whether each container is correctly interlocked or interlocked for anchoring or securing. If a container is determined to be incorrectly interlocked, the signal transmitted by the distance sensor not only transmits but also identifies the respective distance to the associated container corner fitting, so that its assigned spatial position in the container stack can be inferred. The signal transmitted by the distance sensor provides reliable information about where, specifically, a particular coupling member is incorrectly interlocked. Thus, defective interlocking can be detected and corrected already during loading of the container ship. The distance sensor can be designed to accurately measure the existing actual distance. Alternatively, the distance sensor can be designed to digitally detect, for example, whether a predetermined distance is below a vertical clearance specified by the design. In the latter case, the distance sensor can be designed, for example, as a limit switch.

[0020] According to further developments, further sensors may be provided that can be configured to detect further conditions, such as temperature and / or open or closed state of the connecting member and / or acceleration and / or a predetermined gas, as respective conditions of the connecting member.

[0021] A critical temperature rise and / or temperature gradient indicates a container fire in the vicinity of the connecting member, which sends a status signal. Thus, considerable safety benefits can be achieved with the system according to the invention in the transportation of containers on container ships. Other possible applications of the invention include the measurement of acceleration, so that the setting down of an upper container on a lower container or container foundation is detected, or unacceptable acceleration values ​​and therefore unacceptable forces acting on the connecting member during maritime transportation are detected, or the detection of the escape of a predetermined gas from a container. For example, the presence of a ripening gas as a predetermined gas indicates that loaded fruit is ripening too quickly and is at risk of spoiling, or is already spoiled. Naturally, the predetermined gas could also be smoke gas, which indicates a fire.

[0022] One or more of the aforementioned or other sensors can be assigned to a connecting element according to the present invention. For example, the connecting element may be equipped with a distance sensor and a temperature sensor. Additionally or alternatively to one of these sensors, a gas sensor and / or a sensor for detecting the open or closed state of the connecting element may be provided. In this way, one or more dangerous conditions of the container or its securing devices can be detected early and repaired if necessary. Each connecting element coupled to the first container can be equipped with the same sensor, e.g., a distance sensor, or with a different sensor or combination of sensors. For example, the connecting element of each corner fitting may be equipped with a distance sensor, but only one of these connecting elements may be additionally equipped with a temperature sensor, or two diametrically opposed connecting elements may each be additionally equipped with a temperature sensor. In this way, interlocking defects are monitored at each connecting element, but equipping only one or two of these connecting elements with additional temperature sensors may be sufficient for early fire detection. However, advantageously, all connecting elements have the same design, so that the stevedore does not have to pay attention to which connecting element is inserted into which corner fitting. Additionally, one or more additional sensors may also be or are attached directly to the container.

[0023] Advantageously, the sending unit may be designed as a transceiver unit, and in this way it may also receive a command to send a signal, for example a wake-up signal or an identification signal and / or a status signal or a signal containing both a status and an identification.

[0024] To save power for the one or more sensors and the transmitting unit, they should be switched off or put into sleep mode when not needed. To this end, according to a further development of the invention, the connecting element has an activation means designed for activation and deactivation. This can in particular be a sensor configured to detect the insertion of the connecting element into a corner fitting. For this purpose, a proximity sensor is suitable, for example, to detect the insertion of the connecting element into a corner fitting of the container to be loaded. Alternatively, the activation means can be a sensor that detects the removal of the connecting element from a box, or so-called bin. Manual activation of the activation means by the stevedore is also possible, but is not preferred due to its susceptibility to error and the additional effort involved.

[0025] The arrangement according to the invention is formed by a container and at least one connecting element according to the invention inserted into one of its bottom corner fittings. This arrangement also achieves the above-mentioned advantages. Preferably, one connecting element according to the invention is inserted into each bottom corner fitting. Indeed, for certain applications, it may be sufficient to insert a connecting element according to the invention into only one of the four corner fittings that are always present in practice, or, for example, to insert one connecting element according to the invention into each of two diametrically opposed corner fittings and state-of-the-art connecting elements into the remaining three or two corner fittings. Examples of this are temperature measurement for fire detection, or gas measurement for fire detection (smoke gas) or also for fire gas detection. However, this requires two different types of connecting element to be provided on board, which is prone to errors. These disadvantages are overcome if a connecting element according to the invention is inserted into each corner fitting. This may be necessary for certain applications, such as detecting the correct interlocking of the connecting elements. In any case, the result is closer and thus more reliable monitoring.

[0026] According to a further development of the arrangement, the container has an additional transmitting unit designed to transmit data related to conditions such as temperature and / or the presence of a specific gas and / or malfunction of the container's aggregates and / or cargo within the container. Consequently, desirable conditions such as temperature and the presence of a specific gas, or correct or defective functioning of the refrigeration unit, can be detected by sensors mounted directly on the container or even arranged within the container, e.g., on the cargo or pallets. These sensors are connected to an additional transmitting unit that transmits the collected data. This allows for even faster reporting of any dangers, such as fires, or malfunctions to the ship's management. It is understood that the additional transmitting unit may also be designed to receive signals, similar to the transmitting unit in the connecting element according to the present invention. Furthermore, cargo condition data can be transmitted externally via the ship's network, e.g., via mobile and / or satellite communications, e.g., to the cargo or container owner.

[0027] The container ship according to the present invention comprises at least one bottom connecting member configured to detect a change in weight, a connecting member according to the present invention inserted into at least one corner fitting of each upper container, and at least one base unit configured to receive and transmit signals of the connecting member. On a container shipThe present invention is characterized in that at least one connecting member according to the present invention is provided on a top corner fitting of a lower container. When at least one connecting member according to the present invention interlocks with the top corner fitting of the lower container, a corresponding sensor sends a signal. At approximately the same time, at least one bottom connecting member (bottom stacker or bottom lock) detects a weight change. This determines which container stack the newly loaded container is placed on. By simply counting the weight change, the location of the container and therefore its designated position (bay, row, and arrangement) on the container ship can be determined. In this way, reports of defective or even dangerous conditions arising from a designated connecting member can be linked to the location of a specific container. The ship's crew, or if a report occurs during the loading / unloading process, loading personnel can be directed to the container to investigate the report.

[0028] The bottom connector typically detects the event of a new container being placed on the stack. A reliable indication of this is a change in the weight of the container stack, i.e., the mere fact of a weight change, without necessarily having to be quantified. This can be detected, for example, by a piezoelectric element in the bottom connector. As a result of the change in stack weight associated with placing a new container on the stack, the piezoelectric element sends a current impulse, signaling the event of a new container being loaded. However, if the change in stack weight is also quantified, for example, a bottom connector according to WO 2016 / 126163 A2 can be used, so that in addition to the mere fact that a container has been placed on the stack, the specific gravity of the newly placed container on the stack can be determined by subtracting the stack weight before and after the new container is loaded, and compared, if necessary, with the bill of lading and / or container weights authorized at each loading location.

[0029] Two or more containers Connecting memberIf the bottom lock is equipped with connecting elements according to the present invention and the sensors are state sensors, distance sensors that detect the correct interlocking of the connecting elements, then these connecting elements are automatically detected as being connected to a particular container as soon as this container is placed on the lower container and the connecting elements interlock. As already explained above, the bottom lock then detects a change in weight in direct time relation to the signal from the connecting elements according to the present invention that they are interlocked. If the distance sensor of one of these connecting elements fails, no signal is transmitted that the connecting elements are interlocked. This must then be investigated by the stevedore or the ship's crew. There is also the further disadvantage that this connecting element is not recognized as being connected to the container. If the connecting elements have other sensors, such as temperature sensors, additional temperature signals are transmitted. However, these cannot be assigned to a specific container. This means that unacceptable temperatures cannot therefore be tracked in a targeted manner. Therefore, it is desirable for the connecting elements assigned to a container to be recognized as a group, even if this is not possible by simply placing the newly loaded upper container on the lower container.

[0030] For this purpose, according to a further development of the container ship according to the invention, at least three spatially separated positioning units can be distributed on the container ship so that each connecting element according to the invention can be positioned during the lifting of one of the containers on the ship. With the at least three spatially separated positioning units, the positions of the connecting elements according to the invention can be detected, for example by trilateration, and for example their paths can be traced during the lifting of the containers on the ship. Connecting elements according to the invention with the same movement pattern are inserted into corner fittings of the same container and can thus be detected as a group. Connecting memberIf one of the distance sensors fails, it will still be recognized as being coupled to a particular container. This also works if two or three distance sensors fail, as long as the distance sensor is functioning correctly for at least one of the linking members and all linking members are transmitting their identification.

[0031] The base units can be used as location units, and these base units are also provided for receiving and forwarding link member signals. A separate location unit is not required as well.

[0032] It is also advantageous if at least one base unit is designed to transmit signals to the connecting element. This makes it possible to send commands to at least one connecting element according to the invention, such as an interrogation signal used to interrogate data measured by a sensor. Also, to save power, it may be useful to put the connecting element into sleep mode during a voyage and only activate it at certain time intervals to interrogate data. The base unit can transmit a corresponding activation / deactivation signal to the connecting element, possibly combined with the interrogation signal.

[0033] According to a further embodiment of the container ship according to the invention, a relay unit is installed for each predetermined group of base units to receive and possibly transmit all signals transmitted from and / or to this group of base units and forward them to the processing unit. This makes it possible to cover longer distances than would otherwise be possible due to the range of the base units. Also, separate relay units are not required, since certain base units distributed throughout the ship can also act as relay units. The processing unit can preferably be an on-board computer.

[0034] The method according to the invention for determining the position of a container on a ship comprises the following steps: inserting a coupling element according to any one of claims 1 to 4 into at least one of the bottom corner fittings of the container to be loaded, and lifting the container to be loaded onto the already loaded container; Steps and Detecting the deferral of a container that is being loaded on top of an already loaded container Distance Signal to the base unit; transmitting an identification signal from the coupling member to the base unit along with a distance signal; Detecting a weight change of a bottom connecting member connecting the bottom container of the container stack to the container foundation and transmitting a weight change signal to a base unit, which then forwards the signal to a processing unit, in particular an on-board computer; Time difference between the distance signal and the weight change signal determining whether the connecting member is coupled to the same container stack as the bottom connecting member based on the The position of the container to be loaded within the stack is determined by counting the weight change measured by the bottom connecting member. As already mentioned above, in practice all transmitted signals always contain an identifier with which the connecting member or the bottom connecting member identifies itself.

[0035] The method according to the invention has the same advantages as those already described for the coupling element according to the invention and the container ship according to the invention. Since each coupling element already transmits its identification signal before a new container to be loaded is placed on an already loaded container, correct interlocking can be immediately confirmed, for example during the loading process. This allows stevedores, crane operators and / or ship's crew to react immediately if successful or correct coupling / interlocking is not reported and to bring about correct coupling / interlocking by appropriate intervention.

[0036] According to an advantageous further development of the method according to the invention, Distance signals and possibly signals from further sensorsAlternatively, data from sensors coupled with additional transmitting units can be detected or collected periodically and / or on demand by the processing unit, particularly during transport of the container, and status and / or alarm signals and indications of the position of the coupled coupling members can be initiated to reconfirm correct coupling / interlocking or another condition in case of doubt, or to improve safety by continuous monitoring. For example, temperature can also be measured continuously or periodically to allow for early detection of, for example, fires. Other status data can also be measured continuously or periodically to allow early detection of dangerous changes in condition.

[0037] During the lifting of a container onto a ship, the linkage members coupled to the container, and, if applicable, other sensors on the container, can be detected as a group based on their movement patterns during the lifting. In this way, it can be ensured that a change of state associated with an event always applies to all four linkage members of the group and, if applicable, to additional sensors arranged on the container.

[0038] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to an example of an embodiment shown in the drawing, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 shows a front view of a connecting member having features of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 shows the insertion of the connecting element according to FIG. 1 into the bottom corner fitting of the container to be loaded. [Figure 3] Shows the container being loaded during lifting. [Figure 4] Indicates that the container to be loaded is placed on top of an already loaded container. [Figure 5] 2 shows a weight-time graph of the weight change of a container stack during loading of the containers and the signal from the connecting member according to FIG. 1; [Figure 6]Shows a container stack consisting of two containers stacked on top of each other during a ship voyage. [Figure 7] Indicates unloading of containers. [Figure 8] 1 shows a weight-time graph of the weight change of a container stack during unloading of the containers. [Figure 9] 2 shows the removal of the connecting member according to FIG. 1 from the bottom corner fitting of the unloaded container; [Figure 10] 2 shows an arrangement of containers and connecting members according to FIG. 1; [Figure 11] The loading of the arrangement according to FIG. 8 onto a container ship is shown in cross section. [Figure 12] The loading according to FIG. 9 is shown in a top plan view. [Figure 13] 9 shows the placement of the arrangement according to FIG. 8 on an already loaded container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an example of a coupling element 20 according to the present invention, a so-called fully automatic twistlock (FAT). Specifically, the coupling element 20 according to this embodiment is based on the fully automatic twistlock disclosed in WO 2014 / 032659 A1. Consistent with conventional coupling elements, the coupling element 20 has an upper coupling protrusion 21, which a stevedore inserts into a bottom corner fitting 22 of a container 23 to be loaded, thereby pre-engaging the protrusion therein (FIG. 2). The coupling element 20 also has a lower coupling protrusion 24, which engages with a top corner fitting 26 of an already loaded container 25 when the container 23 to be loaded is placed on top of the already loaded container 25 (FIG. 4). In the context of this disclosure, the newly loaded or just loaded container 23 is referred to as the upper container 23, and the already loaded container 25 is referred to as the lower container 25. In this case, a stop plate 27 is provided between the connecting lugs 21 and 24, which, in the connected state, rests on the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25, on which in turn rests the bottom corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23.

[0041] The connecting member 20 has a transmitting unit 28 having an identifier capable of identifying the connecting member 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmitting unit 28 is disposed on the upper connecting projection 21. However, the transmitting unit 28 may be accommodated in any other suitable arrangement on the connecting member 20. The connecting member 20 further has one or more sensors for detecting each state of the connecting member 20. In this embodiment, the connecting member 20 has a distance sensor 29. The distance sensor 29 can measure the distance to the lower container 25. In this case, the distance sensor 29 is arranged on the stop plate 27, i.e., on its bottom surface 30. The distance sensor 29 measures the distance from the bottom surface 30 of the stop plate 27 to the top surface 31 of the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 (see FIGS. 4 and 6 ). The distance sensor 29 may alternatively be arranged on the lower connecting projection 24, and then measure the distance to, for example, the bottom of the corner fitting 26. Other suitable locations for the distance sensor 29 are contemplated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure.

[0042] The signal transmitted by the distance sensor 29, including the distance to the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25, may be a specified current distance (e.g., in mm) or a simple yes / no signal as to whether the distance is within a range indicating correct connection between the connecting member 20 and the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25. The distance sensor 29 itself may be an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor, or any other sensor suitable for measuring distance. A simple limit switch or piezoelectric element as the distance sensor 29 is sufficient to detect the yes / no signal, and the distance sensor is activated when the connection is correct, i.e., for example, when the distance sensor 29 is resting on the top corner fitting 26 (or on the bottom of the corner fitting 26 if the distance sensor is arranged on the lower connecting projection 24).

[0043] In addition to the distance sensor 29, the linking member 20 may include one or more other sensors, as indicated above. In this case, the linking member may include a temperature sensor 32 and a further distance sensor 332. In this case, a temperature sensor 32 is also arranged on the bottom surface 30 of the stop plate 27 to measure the temperature of the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25, which can be used, for example, for fire alarm purposes. A further distance sensor 29 is arranged on the shank 34 of the upper connecting projection 21 to measure the distance to the edge of the slot in the bottom corner fitting 22 of the upper container 23. This can be used to detect the insertion of the connecting member 20 into the corner fitting 22, and this signal can be used to activate the transmitting unit 28 and other sensors 29, 32. Alternatively or in addition to the above sensors 29, 32, other / further sensors, such as gas sensors or accelerometers, may be provided, depending on the desired application. The gas sensor may, for example, be configured to detect smoke gases indicative of a fire, or ripening gases indicative of spoilage of the loaded food, or other gases harmful to the environment or health. The accelerometers may be used to detect accelerations induced by ship motions (rolling, pitching, yaw) during maritime transport and thus forces acting on the connecting members 20 and corner fittings 22, 26, and even on the cargo transported in the container. A further or alternative indication of such forces is provided by load changes measured by a bottom lock 35 configured for this purpose. An example of such a bottom lock 35 is known from WO 2016 / 126163 A2, already mentioned at the beginning. Furthermore, additional / further sensors may be used to collect and transmit data from within the container, for example, for pallet monitoring or refrigerated container monitoring.

[0044] On a container ship, the coupling member 20 described above is used as follows.

[0045] After delivery of the new container 23 to be loaded to the quay, said container is lifted by a container crane so that stevedores can insert one connecting element into each of the bottom corner fittings 22, which are always four in practice, of the (top) container 23 to be loaded (FIG. 2). At least one of these connecting elements is a connecting element 20 according to the invention. In practice, however, a connecting element 20 according to the invention is always inserted into all four bottom corner fittings 22, if only to avoid errors resulting from two different types of connecting element and / or to increase measurement density. For safety reasons, measurement of the correct interlocking of the connecting element 20 with the top corner fittings 26 of the already loaded container 25, onto which the top container 23 will be placed during loading, should already be carried out on all four pairs of top and bottom corner fittings 22, 25 by means of a connecting element 20 according to the invention.

[0046] In practice, the coupling members 20 are part of the container ship and, unless they are needed to secure the container during the voyage, are actually carried by the ship in specially provided boxes called bins. Stevedores remove the coupling members 20 from one of these bins and insert them into the bottom corner fittings 22 (Figure 2). To save power, the coupling members 20 are put into hibernation mode while in the bin and are not inserted into the bottom corner fittings 22. They are woken up by an activation signal. This signal can be, for example, a first distance measurement by a distance sensor 29 as soon as the stop plate 27 of the coupling member 20 approaches or comes to rest on the top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25. In the latter case, the distance sensor can simply be a piezoelectric element that, upon coming to rest, sends a current surge as an activation signal, thus simultaneously signaling correct interlocking.

[0047] However, in the case of the connecting element 20 according to FIG. 1, a further distance sensor 33 serves to activate the connecting member 20. Therefore, a further distance sensor 33is also referred to as an activation sensor 33 in the context of this disclosure. This activation sensor 33 detects when the upper connecting projection 21 of the connecting member 20 is inserted into the bottom corner fitting 22, and the connecting member 20 is activated by this signal. The activation sensor 33 may then be a piezoelectric element, which sends a current surge as an activation signal when the shank 34 hits the edge of the slotted hole in the corner fitting 22.

[0048] Based on this disclosure, the activation sensor 33 Further suitable positions for the activation sensor 33 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the activation sensor 33 may be designed to already detect the removal of the connecting member 20 from the bin and send an activation signal. In all mentioned cases, the connecting member has already been activated by the activation sensor 33, so that a signal can already be sent during the lifting of the container 23 on board the container ship. This variant is particularly important with regard to further developments of the invention, which will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 10 to 13.

[0049] The array formed by the new (top) container 23 to be loaded and the connecting member 20 is lifted onto the container ship (FIG. 3) and placed on top of one of the already loaded (bottom) containers 25 (FIG. 4). FIG. 4 specifically shows the placement of the top container 23 on the lowest bottom container 25. As already mentioned, this container is connected to the container base in the usual way with a bottom lock 35, in this case configured for weight measurement, for example, according to WO 2016 / 126163 A2. As the top container 23 is placed on the bottom container 25, the weight of the container stack (stack weight) changes. This change in stack weight is detected by the bottom lock 35, and a corresponding weight signal 36 is transmitted to a base unit 37 together with the identifier of each bottom lock from which the weight signal 36 is emitted, preferably several of which are distributed at appropriate locations on the ship. The positions of the bottom locks 35 on the ship are known. In practice, they always remain on the container base. The distance sensors 29 of the connecting members 20 detect the distance to each top corner fitting 26 of the lower container 25 in an instantaneous temporary connection and transmit corresponding distance signals 38 by the transmitting unit 28 to the base unit 37. In this way, it is possible to detect whether the connecting members 20 are properly interlocked with the corner fittings 26. Along with the distance signal, the transmitting unit 28 also transmits an identification signal (ID) so that the distance signal can be assigned to a specific ID and thus to a specific connecting member 20, without it being already known where this connecting member is located. In practice, the distance signal, like all other status signals transmitted by the connecting member 20, already contains the identification signal. The determination of which container stack the newly loaded (top) container 20 is connected to and in which position the container is located is based on a weight measurement by the bottom lock 35. This is shown in the diagram according to FIG. 5.

[0050] The horizontal axis of the diagram according to FIG. 5 represents the time axis, while the vertical axis represents the stack weight (the sum of the loads on the individual bottom stackers 35) of a particular container stack represented by the bottom stacker 35. Stepped The weight progression 39 is shown in Figure 5. As soon as the top container 23 is placed on the bottom container 25, the stack weight changes suddenly by the weight of the top container 23. In immediate time relation (though not necessarily at exactly the same time), the transmitting units 28 of the connecting members 20 of the newly loaded containers transmit their distance signals, as shown by the group of four dots 40 in Figure 5. Each dot represents the time of the distance signal of one of the connecting members 20. For comparison, a second group of dots 41 is shown, representing a distance signal from a connecting member 20 transmitted at an earlier time. Because of the time distance to the weight increase after line 39, these must belong to different container stacks. In this way, the newly loaded container 23 can be determined to which of the container stacks on the container ship it is attached to. The placement of the newly loaded container 23 within the stack can also be determined by simply counting the weight change measured by the bottom stacker 35. The stack weight is initially "zero." When the bottom container of the stack is loaded (the bottom layer container), the stack weight will first undergo an abrupt change by its weight, while the second layer container will follow with a second abrupt change by its weight, etc. During this process, the connecting member 20 inserted into the bottom corner fitting 22 of the newly loaded (top) container 23 will interlock with the top corner fitting 26 of the top already loaded (next bottom) container 25, as indicated by the corresponding distance signal 38.

[0051] The signals sent to the base unit 37 are relayed by the base unit to a CPU 42, such as an on-board computer of the container ship, and evaluated by said CPU. The measurements or resulting alarm signals are then transmitted to the ship's management and / or isThe signal is displayed to the crew and / or other stevedores and / or crane operators so that they can respond accordingly. The base units 37 distributed on the ship may be hardwired to the CPU or may transmit their signals wirelessly. To bridge distances longer than the range of the base units 37 allows, a relay unit may be provided that receives and forwards the signal from one of the base units 37. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the base units 37 double as relay units among themselves. If the range of one of the base units 37 is not sufficient to reach the CPU 42 directly, it transmits its signal to another reachable base unit 37, which, if necessary, forwards the signal to the CPU 42 via further base units 37.

[0052] After installation, i.e. in particular during the vessel voyage, the sensors detect and then transmit by the transmitting unit 28 to the base unit 37, depending on the desired application, the signals reach the CPU 42, if necessary via further base units 37, as described above. In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 of the connecting member 20 comprising a distance sensor 29 and a temperature sensor 32, the distance and temperature are measured continuously or periodically and transmitted by the transmitting unit 28 via one or more base units 37 to the CPU, where they are processed for display to the vessel manager.

[0053] The base units 37 may have their own power source, for example by a battery, or may be connected to the container ship's power source. As already clear from the above, the base units 37 are strategically distributed on the container ship according to the range of the radio signal.

[0054] Based on the signals detected by the CPU 42 and displayed to the ship's management, the malfunction can be investigated immediately and in a targeted manner, since it can indicate not only the type of malfunction but also which of the loaded containers the malfunction occurred from. In this way, the cause of a faulty interlocking, for example, can be investigated already during loading. Ideally, correct interlocking / interlocking can be achieved by simply lifting the upper container 23 again and placing it back on the lower container 25. If this fails, the affected container can be unloaded again to correct the problem. As mentioned above, the distance sensor 29 may be activated at various other times during the maritime transport to warn of unintended unlocking during the maritime transport. Similarly, other sensors, such as the temperature sensor 32, provide continuous or periodic data that is transmitted by the transmitting unit 28 to alert the ship's risk management.

[0055] The transmitting unit 28 may be configured as a transceiver unit which receives signals from the CPU 42 via one or more base units 37. In this way, measurements can also be made on demand and transmitted to the CPU 42. In order to save power, it is possible, in particular, to put the connecting elements 20 into a hibernation or sleep mode by a hibernation signal and, where appropriate, to periodically wake them up by a wake-up signal from the CPU 42 and retrieve the measurement data.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows the unloading of the cargo, i.e., the upper container 23, known in container 23 terminology as discharging. The container is lifted from the lower container 25 by a container crane and automatically unlocked by the fully automatic coupling element 20. The semi-automatic twist locks (SAT) or manual twist locks must first be unlocked by the stevedore. From this point on, no signal transmission is required. However, the bottom lock 35 still detects the weight change. The corresponding weight progression 39 over time is shown in the diagram according to FIG. 8. It can thus be seen that the container stack has become one layer smaller. If a new container 23 is now loaded to replace the just-unloaded (discharged) container 23, then its position as well as its connection to this container stack are again known based on the procedure described above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0057] After unloading (discharging) the upper container 23, the connecting members 20 are again detached from the corner fittings 22 (FIG. 9), so that they can be put into hibernation or sleep mode again by the activation sensor 33 and loaded into the bin.

[0058] A further development of the invention described in this regard is shown in Figures 10 to 13, where identical parts are given the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 to 9. Figure 10 shows an arrangement consisting of a container 43 and a connecting member 20 inserted into its bottom corner fitting 22. However, the container 43 also has at least one additional transmitting unit 44 of its own. The transmitting unit can also be coupled to additional sensors, or sensors arranged within the container 43, to record status data on or within the container. This may also be a temperature sensor and / or a gas sensor and / or an accelerometer. Furthermore, sensors may be used to monitor aggregate functions on the container, such as a refrigeration unit, or data within the container. Such data within the container may be, for example, data used to monitor the cargo and / or data used by, for example, a shipowner, to track and / or monitor the cargo. Furthermore, a signal from at least one transmitting unit 44 is transmitted to the CPU 42 via one of the base units 37 along with an identification signal (ID) for the transmitting unit 44. In practice, the signal from the transmitting unit 44 includes the identification signal. At least one additional transmitting unit 44 may be permanently attached to the container 43 or may be manually attached by stevedores before the container 43 is loaded onto the container ship. In the former case, the transmitting unit 44 and its associated sensors must be activated separately, while in the latter case, they may be activated automatically during attachment to the container 43.

[0059] The container 43 is now lifted onto the container ship 46 by a container crane, also called a container gantry 45. This process is shown in Figures 11 and 12. .Ko Container 47 standing in the area of ​​container gantry 45 The accumulation 1. In addition to the container 43 to be loaded, it is shown.

[0060] According to this embodiment, the container ship 46 is provided with four location units on its long side facing the quay. It will be understood that the container ship 46 will also have location units on its other long side when the container ship docks at the quay, sometimes on one long side and sometimes on the other long side, and this is regularly the case in practice. According to this embodiment, some of the base units 37 already on board the ship are advantageously used again as location units.

[0061] The base unit 37, which functions as a location unit, continuously measures the distances between the four connecting members 20 and the transmitting units 44 attached to the container 43 by transmitting and receiving signals between each transmitting unit 28, 44 and the base unit 37. In this way, the positions of the connecting members 20 and the transmitting units 44 can be determined, for example, by trilateration or also by triangulation. For this purpose, at least three base units 37, which function as location units, are required. However, as shown, preferably four base units 37 are used for this purpose.

[0062] Based on this successive positioning, a movement pattern can be determined for each of the four linking members 20 and also for the transmitting unit 44. In FIG. 11, four different positions 43 of the container 43 during lifting are shown. I , 43 II , 43 III and 43 IV is shown as an example. The four connecting members 20 and transmitting units 44 have the same movement pattern among themselves and can thus be recognized as a group by being recognized as being coupled to the same container 43. In this way, it is also known which container 43 in which container stack and to which position in the container stack the transmitting unit 44 is coupled. Defects detected on the basis of signals from this transmitting unit 44 can then be investigated and corrected in a targeted manner.

[0063] Even in the case of new containers 23 being loaded without additional transmitting units 44, the grouping can be advantageously used, as described above. If the distance sensor 29 fails on one, two, or three of the connecting members 20, the distance signal 38 will not be emitted from the distance sensor when the upper container 23 is placed on the lower container 25. It is then unclear which container 23 the associated connecting member 20 is connected to and, consequently, where it is located on the ship. However, when the connecting members 20 are grouped together as described above, the distance signal 38 of one of the connecting members 20 is sufficient to determine which container 23 it is connected to. The absence of the distance signal 38 will result in an error message attributable to the faulty distance sensor 29, which must be investigated. However, the function of other sensors, such as the temperature sensor 32, on the associated connecting member 20 and the corresponding data exchange with the CPU 42 are not necessarily hindered, and the connecting member can continue to be used for other purposes, such as fire detection.

[0064] In extreme cases, due to the grouping, it may even be possible to determine the location of a particular container 23, 43 based solely on its movement pattern, without any distance sensors 29 at all. Due to the dimensions of the container gantry 45, only one container 23, 43 can be loaded into a particular bay at a time. Simultaneous loading of containers 23, 43 into adjacent bays is practically impossible. Here, the movement pattern can be detected at least as long as the container is still moving along the quay. This means that the bay into which the container is loaded is known. If a bottom lock 35 belonging to a loading location for a container stack in this bay transmits a weight signal 36 within a certain time window, then this indicates that this container 23, 43 is attached to this container stack.

[0065] When unloading a container 43 or 23, the procedure is again as described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. There is no need to track the movement pattern of the linking member 20 and, where applicable, the sensor 44.

[0066] The above described technique is not limited to twistlocks or midlocks for containers loaded above deck, it can be advantageously used for any type of coupling member, for example for twiststackers for containers loaded below deck.

[0067] It is understood that in the present invention there is a relationship between features described in relation to process steps on the one hand and features described in relation to the corresponding apparatus on the other hand, and thus a described process feature should also be considered an apparatus feature inherent in the present invention, even if this is not explicitly mentioned, and vice versa.

[0068] Features of the invention described with reference to individual embodiments or variants, such as the type and design of the individual components of the system according to the invention, such as the distance sensor, the base unit 37 and the processing unit, on the one hand, and their spatial arrangement, or the respective implementation and order of the individual process steps, on the other hand, may also be present in other embodiments, unless otherwise indicated in the present description or the appended claims or unless it is obvious for technical reasons. Furthermore, not all such features of the individual embodiments, when described in combination, necessarily have to be always realized in each embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 20 Connecting member 21 (Top) Connecting protrusion 22 (Bottom) Corner fittings 23 (Upper) Container 24 (Bottom) Connecting protrusion 25 (lower) container 26 (Top) Corner fitting 27 Stop plate 28 Transmitting Unit 29 Distance Sensor 30 bottom 31 Top surface 32 Temperature Sensor 33 Start sensor 34 Shank 35 Bottom Rock 36 Weight signal 37 Base Unit 38 Distance Signal 39 Weight progression 40 point group 41 point group 42 CPU 43 Container 44 Transmitting unit 45 Container Gantry 46 Container Ship 47 Container

Claims

1. A connecting member (20) for fixing a first corner fitting (22) of a first container (23, 43) to a second corner fitting (26) of a second container (25) at least against horizontal displacement relative to each other, comprising: a distance sensor (29) configured to detect a distance to the first corner fitting (22) and / or the second corner fitting (26); a transmitting unit (28) configured to transmit an identification signal for identifying the distance sensor (29) and a distance signal (38) representing the detected distance to the first corner fitting (22) and / or the second corner fitting (26); It is possible to determine whether the containers are properly connected based on the distance signal (38). A connecting member (20) characterized by:

2. 2. The connecting element (20) according to claim 1, characterized by a further sensor (32) configured to detect further states of the connecting element (20), such as temperature and / or an open or closed state of the connecting element (20) and / or acceleration and / or the presence of a predetermined gas, as respective states of the connecting element (20).

3. 3. A coupling element (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transmitting unit (28) is configured as a transceiver unit for also receiving signals.

4. 4. A connecting element (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by an activation means (33) configured for activation and deactivation, and a sensor configured for detecting insertion of the connecting element (20) into a corner fitting (22).

5. An arranged container comprising at least one connecting member (20) described in any one of claims 1 to 4, connected to at least one of the first corner fittings (22) of the first container (23, 43).

6. 6. The array of containers according to claim 5, characterized in that one of the connecting members (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is coupled to each of the first corner fittings (22) of the first containers (23, 43).

7. 7. The arranged containers according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by an additional transmitting unit (43) on the container (43) configured to transmit data on the state, temperature and / or presence of a predetermined gas and / or malfunction of the aggregates of the container (43) and / or data related to the load in the container (43).

8. 1. A container ship comprising containers (23, 43, 25) stacked in a plurality of slots, each for one stack of containers (23, 43, 25) stacked on top of one another, a bottom connecting member (35), and a connecting member (20), wherein the lowest container (25) in its stacked state is fixed to the container base by said bottom connecting member (35), and the upper containers (23, 43) stacked on top are fixed to one another by said connecting member (20) with their corner fittings (22, 26), at least against horizontal displacement relative to one another, At least one of the bottom connecting members (35) is configured to detect a change in weight; The connecting member (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is inserted into at least one of the corner fittings (22) of each upper container (23, 43), and Container ship (46), characterized in that at least one base unit (37) is provided for receiving and transmitting said distance signal (38) and said identification signal of said connecting member (20).

9. 9. A container ship (46) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least three mutually distant positioning units are distributed on the container ship (46) so as to be able to position each of the connecting members (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 during the lifting of one of the containers (25) on the container ship (46).

10. 10. A container ship (46) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that at least one base unit (37) is further configured for transmitting signals to said coupling members (20).

11. 11. A container ship (46) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterised in that, in a plurality of base units, for a given group of base units (37), each relay unit (50) is provided for receiving, and, if applicable, transmitting, all signals sent to or from this group of base units (37) and forwarding these signals to the processing unit (42) and to the on-board computer.

12. Container ship (46) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further characterized by at least one arrangement according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

13. A method for determining the position of a container (23, 43) on a container ship (46) according to any one of claims 8 to 12, comprising the steps of:

5. Inserting the connecting member (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 into at least one bottom corner fitting (22) of the container (23, 43) to be loaded, and lifting the container (23, 43) onto the already loaded container (25); detecting the placement of the container to be loaded (23, 43) on the already loaded container (23, 43, 25) and transmitting a corresponding distance signal (38) to a base unit (37); The identification signal from the connecting member (20) is transmitted to the base unit (37) together with the distance signal (38); detecting a weight change at a bottom connecting member (35) connecting the bottom container (25) of the container stack to the container base and transmitting a weight change signal (36) to said base unit (37); transferring the identification signal from the connecting member (20), the distance signal (38) and the weight change signal (36) to a processing unit (42) and an on-board computer; determining whether the connecting member (20) is coupled to the same container stack as the bottom connecting member (35) based on a time difference between the distance signal (38) and the weight change signal (36); determining the position of the loaded container (23, 43) in the container stack by counting the weight change measured by the bottom connecting member (35).

14. A method as described in claim 13, characterized in that each connecting member (20) described in claim 4 is inserted into each of the corner fittings (22) of the upper container (23).

15. 15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, using distance signals (38), if applicable, and / or signals of further sensors (32) and / or data from sensors coupled to an additional transmitting unit (43), are detected periodically and / or prompted to the processing unit (42), in particular also during the transport of the containers (23, 43, 25), and an indication of the state and / or of an alarm signal and of the position of the coupled connecting element (20) is issued.

16. 15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the connecting members (20) associated with a particular container (25) are detected into a group by arranging signals transmitted by the connecting members (20) during the lifting of the container (25) on the container ship via trilateration or triangulation by at least three positioning units.

17. 17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the connecting members (20) connected to the container (25) are detected as a group due to their movement pattern during the lifting.

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