Container Locking Device with Toggle Lever and Sliding Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking devices for containers on road vehicles and railway wagons require significant breakout forces during unloading, making the process cumbersome, and lack a self-acting interlock mechanism for reliable locking and easy release.
Innovation Solution
A locking device with a slidably guided first locking lever and a toggle lever arrangement that pivots against spring force during loading, automatically engaging and disengaging with the container's corner fitting, and includes a blocking mechanism with spring-loaded detents for secure locking and low-force unloading, along with a sensor-activated trigger for automatic release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the locking lever is guided between a pivot shaft and a guide pin, then the container can be released during lifting, but significant breakout forces are required to lift the container
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lever is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, allowing it to pivot between locked and unlocked positions. The lever can actively engage with the corner fitting during loading and automatically disengage during unloading, transforming the system from static to dynamic operation and eliminating the need for high breakout forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device is designed to automatically lock during loading and automatically unlock during unloading without requiring external intervention. The lever self-actuates based on the container's position and weight, using the loading/unloading process itself to trigger the locking and releasing actions.
2Ease of operation
If two locking levers are arranged in a scissors arrangement and spring-biased toward the release position, then the device is freely insertable, but the closing force must overcome spring preload during loading
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-loaded during manufacturing to provide the necessary bias force. This preliminary action stores energy that automatically pushes the locking levers into the locked position during loading, eliminating the need for additional closing force during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring preload force is carefully calibrated during design to provide sufficient locking force during loading while allowing easy insertion during unloading. By adjusting the spring parameters, the system achieves both firm locking and easy release without requiring high operational forces.
3Reliability
If the locking lever is spring-biased toward the basic position, then the lever automatically returns to locked position, but the spring force creates resistance during loading
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lever system is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to overcome spring resistance during loading through the mechanical advantage of the lever geometry. The lever pivots smoothly against the controlled spring force, transforming the resistance into reliable automatic return to the locked position after loading is complete.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables simple, reliable locking during loading and effortless unloading with reduced manual effort, ensuring secure transport and easy re-loading by automatically adjusting the locking mechanism based on container position.
Implementation Method 1
a first locking lever which is pivotally mounted to pivot about an shaft oriented perpendicular to the axis of loading and unloading and which is spring-biased toward a basic position
Implementation Method 2
a toggle lever which is hinged with its free end on the end of the first locking lever which is distal from the corner fitting and is pivotally attached on its opposite end to a fixed point in the housing, such that the shaft of the first locking lever in its loading position is pushed in the direction to the corner fitting
Data Source
AI summary
A locking device (1) for locking a container (2) onto a loading surface, in particular for road vehicles or railway container wagons, with a first locking lever (11) which is arranged pivotably about an shaft (13) oriented perpendicularly to the loading and unloading direction (Z) and which is preloaded in the direction of a basic position of a spring (14), wherein the shaft of the first locking lever (11) is guided displaceably in the loading and unloading direction (Z), and a toggle lever (117) is provided, the toggle lever being coupled pivotably at one end to the first locking lever (11) and at the opposite end pivotably to a fixing point (102) in the housing (10) such that the shaft (13) of the first locking lever (11), in the loading position of said shaft, is displaced towards the corner fitting (20) and, in the basic position of said shaft, is displaced in the opposite direction.