LOCKING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS

Abstract

A locking device for containers on a vehicle chassis, having a housing, a plug-in pin which is mounted displaceably in the housing and/or a rotary pin which is mounted rotatably in the housing, wherein the plug-in pin and/or the rotary pin can be moved between an open position and a locked position. The invention was based on the problem of providing a locking device for containers which is triggered automatically by way of the loading operation. According to the invention, the problem is solved by the fact that a spring element which interacts with a triggering element acts on the plug-in pin or the rotary pin, wherein the triggering unit has at least one sensing bolt which protrudes out of the housing in the direction of a container fitting in the open position.

Claims

1. A locking device for a container on a vehicle chassis, comprising: a housing, a plug-in pin which is mounted displaceably in the housing and/or a rotary pin which is mounted rotatably in the housing, wherein the plug-in pin and/or the rotary pin can be moved between an open position and a locked position, wherein a spring element which interacts with a triggering element acts on the plug-in pin or the rotary pin, wherein the triggering element has at least one sensing bolt which protrudes out of the housing in the direction of a container fitting in the open position.

2. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a vertical sensing bolt, which is arranged axially parallel or with a slanting with respect to the rotary pin, so that a jam-free pushing is possible.

3. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a vertical sensing bolt, which is able to rotate about a first swivel axis (y.sub.1).

4. The locking device according to claim 2, wherein the vertical sensing bolt and the rotary pin extend through a common top wall of the housing.

5. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a horizontal sensing bolt, which is mounted axially parallel or at a slant to the plug-in pin, enabling a jam-free pushing.

6. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a horizontal sensing bolt, which is mounted rotatably about a second swivel axis (y.sub.2).

7. The locking device according to claim 6, wherein the second swivel axis (y.sub.2) is oriented at right angles to an axial extension of the plug-in pin.

8. The locking device according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal sensing bolt and the plug-in pin extend through a common end wall of the housing.

9. The locking device according to claim 5, wherein the triggering element comprises a catching hook, against which the vertical sensing bolt and/or the horizontal sensing bolt pushes with its side facing away from the container fitting.

10. The locking device according to claim 9, wherein the rotary pin or the plug-in pin is held in the open position against the pretensioning of the spring element by the catching hook.

11. The locking device according to claim 9, wherein a catching element is formed on the rotary pin or the plug-in pin, which engages behind the catching hook in the open position.

12. The locking device according to claim 11, wherein the catching element is fashioned with a rounded or inclined striking surface on its side facing the catching hook, against which the catching hook pushes during the return swiveling of the rotary pin or the plug-in pin from the locked position to the open position and slides along this until reaching the open position.

13. The locking device according to claim 11, wherein upon pushing of the vertical sensing bolt or the horizontal sensing bolt into the housing the catching hook is released from the operative engagement with the catching element and the spring element moves the plug-in pin and/or the rotary pin into the locked position.

14. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary pin is engaged, free of twisting, by an activating lever, with which the rotary pin can be brought out of the locked position into the open position and thus the spring element can be placed in a pretensioned position.

15. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is a torsion spring, which is held at its first end fixed to the housing and at its second end connected to the rotary pin.

16. The locking device according to claim 15, wherein the torsion spring is arranged coaxially to a section of the rotary pin.

17. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is a compression spring, which engages by its first end with the plug-in pin and is braced by its second end immovably against the housing.

18. The locking device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a vertical sensing bolt, which is able to rotate about a first swivel axis (y.sub.1).

19. The locking device according to claim 18 wherein the vertical sensing bolt and the rotary pin extend through a common top wall of the housing.

20. The locking device according to claim 19, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a horizontal sensing bolt, which is mounted axially parallel or at a slant to the plug-in pin, enabling a jam-free pushing, wherein the at least one sensing bolt is a horizontal sensing bolt, which is mounted rotatably about a second swivel axis (y.sub.2), and wherein the second swivel axis (y.sub.2) is oriented at right angles to an axial extension of the plug-in pin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] For a better understanding, the invention shall now be explained more closely with the aid of 11 figures. There are shown:

[0037] FIG. 1: a side view of a first embodiment of the invention for container loading from above in the open position of rotary and plug-in pin;

[0038] FIG. 2: a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for container loading from above and vertical sensing bolt pushed into the housing;

[0039] FIG. 3: a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for container loading from above in locked position of rotary and plug-in pin;

[0040] FIG. 4: a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for front loading of the container in open position of rotary and plug-in pin;

[0041] FIG. 5: a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for front loading of the container and horizontal sensing bolt pushed into the housing;

[0042] FIG. 6: a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for front loading of the container in locked position of rotary and plug-in pin;

[0043] FIG. 7: a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 for container loading from above in locked position of rotary and plug-in pin;

[0044] FIG. 8: a side view of a second embodiment of the invention for exclusive container loading from above in the open position of rotary pin;

[0045] FIG. 9: a side view of a third embodiment of the invention for exclusive front loading of the container in the open position of the plug-in pin;

[0046] FIG. 10: a horizontal section through a fourth embodiment of the invention with spring element engaging the plug-in pin and

[0047] FIG. 11: a side view of a fifth embodiment of the invention with swivel mounted vertical and horizontal sensing bolt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] FIGS. 1 to 3 show in side view a locking device for containers with a container fitting 6 approaching successively from above.

[0049] The locking device for containers comprises a boxlike housing 1 with a top wall 10 and two end walls 11 arranged at its sides. By means of other side walls and a bottom wall, not shown, the housing 1 is closed up.

[0050] The housing 1 is traversed entirely by a rotary pin 3, whose upper end 21 passes through the top wall 10 and passes into a mushroom-shaped locking head 22. The locking head 22 when a container is set down protrudes from a bottom side 6a into the container fitting 6 and after a swiveling motion of around 90° secures the container, especially against being lifted off. The lower end 23 of the rotary pin 3 protrudes downward from the housing 1.

[0051] In the embodiment shown, besides the described rotary pin 3 there is also present another locking means in the form of a plug-in pin 2, in order to also handle containers with a gooseneck tunnel if necessary. These containers are not set down from above onto the locking device for containers by their container fitting 6, but instead pushed forward from the side, the corresponding container fitting 6 having an opening to receive the plug-in bolt 2. The loading process and the components of the locking device for containers which are involved will be explained more closely in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0052] As is seen especially in FIG. 10, the rotary pin 3 comprises a gear segment 19 projecting in the radial direction, which stands in permanent engagement with a rack segment 2b formed on the plug-in pin 2. In this way, the rotary pin 3 and the plug-in pin 2 form a gearing and are forcibly coupled together.

[0053] Due to the forcible coupling of rotary pin 3 and plug-in pin 2, it is enough in the first embodiment per FIGS. 1 to 7 to connect one spring element 4 to the rotary pin 3 or the plug-in pin 2. Insofar as the spring element 4 interacts with the rotary pin 3, it can be designed as a torsion spring 16, applying its restoring force to the rotary pin 3. The first end 16a of the torsion spring 16 is fixed stationary to or directly on the housing 1 and the opposite, second end 16b is fixed to the rotary pin 3 (see FIG. 7). The torsion spring 16 develops its restoring force especially effectively when it is shoved coaxially onto the lower end 23 of the rotary pin 3.

[0054] Inside the housing 1 is arranged a triggering element 5, comprising at least one sensing bolt 7 and one catching hook 12. Since the at least one sensing bolt 7 is supposed to sense both a vertical and a horizontal approaching of the container fitting 6, a vertical sensing bolt 8 and a horizontal sensing bolt 9 are provided. The vertical sensing bolt 8 and the horizontal sensing bolt 9 are each placed displaceably inside the housing 1 and protrude through corresponding bores from the housing 1. The vertical sensing bolt 8 emerges from the top wall 10 and the horizontal sensing bolt 9 from the adjoining end wall 11. Thanks to the protrusion of the vertical sensing bolt 8 relative to the top wall 10, the bottom side 6a of the container fitting 6 when the container is set down at first strikes against the vertical sensing bolt 8 and pushes this into the housing 1 until it is flush with the top wall 10 of the housing 1.

[0055] Thanks to the protrusion of the horizontal sensing bolt 9 relative to the end wall 11, a side surface 6b of the container fitting 6 when the container is loaded from the side at first strikes against the horizontal sensing bolt 9 and pushes this into the housing 1 until it is flush with the end wall 11 of the housing 1.

[0056] A major aspect of the invention also concerns the orientation of the vertical sensing bolt 8 to the horizontal sensing bolt 9, whose axial movement axes x, z converge on each other and furthermore lie in a perpendicular plane. The vertical sensing bolt 8 and the horizontal sensing bolt 9 can therefore both push against the catching hook 12 after a corresponding pushing by a container fitting 6 inside the housing 1.

[0057] The catching hook 12 is mounted inside the housing 1 in rocker arm 24 able to turn about a horizontal axis and swivels upward upon experiencing a pushing force from the vertical sensing bolt 8 or from the horizontal sensing bolt 9.

[0058] In FIG. 1, the container fitting 6 is still at a distance from the vertical sensing bolt 8 and the rotary pin 3 is in an open position, in which the torsion spring 16 exerts a rotary restoring force on the rotary pin 3. The rotary pin 3 is configured with a radially projecting catching element 13 inside the housing 1. The catching element 13 engages with the catching hook 12 of the triggering element 5 and prevents a rotational movement in the direction of the spring force of the torsion spring 16. For this, the catching hook 13 is provided at one end with a curved or angular region 12a, which engages beyond the catching element 13. At the side away from the triggering element 5, the catching element 13 has a vertical wall section 13a against which the angular region 12 abuts.

[0059] In FIG. 2 the container fitting 6 has pushed the vertical sensing bolt 8 into the housing 1 approximately flush with the top wall 10, the container fitting 6 still being around 6 mm away from the top wall 10. The catching hook 12 already swivels up here and triggers the locking process for the catching element 13. In the embodiment shown, the vertical sensing bolt 8 tilts the catching hook 12 about a horizontal swivel axis, so that its angular region 12a is released from the vertical wall section 13a and the rotary pin 3 rotates thanks to the spring force of the torsion spring 16 into the locked position as represented in FIG. 3. Since the plug-in pin 2 is kinematically coupled to the rotary pin 3, the plug-in pin 2 is also in the locked position, even through no suitable container fitting 6 is present in the active region.

[0060] In the locked position of the rotary pin 3 with a container fully set down per FIG. 3, the catching hook 13 has already toggled back into the original position, so that it is possible to open the locking with the container set down and the sensing bolt 7 activated. The catching hook 13 is lifted only a little during the locking process and then falls back into the original position to make possible a later opening of the locking device. At the lower end 23 of the rotary pin 3 there is seen a firmly attached activating lever 15, which swivels together with the rotary pin 3 by around 90° relative to the position in FIG. 1 and is now to be seen in its full length. In order to prevent an inadvertent releasing of the locked position during transport, a catch 18 is arranged on the end wall 11 closest to the end of the activating lever 15, which is forced upward by the activating lever 15 upon swiveling into the locked position and again drops down by gravity into a fixed position. For the swiveling of the activating lever 15 back to the opening position of the rotary pin 3, the catch 18 must be manually lifted and the activating lever 15 swiveled through under the catch 18.

[0061] In the embodiment shown, the activating lever 15 is shoved into a complementary bore inside the lower end 23 of the rotary pin 3 and secured against slipping out by a grub screw 25. With the help of the activating lever 15 the rotary pin 3 can be swiveled back into the open position before an unloading of the container. In order for the catching hook 12 to be forced upward by the catching element 13 during this swiveling process and then the catching element 13 to swivel through under the catching hook 12 and the catching hook 12 to lie against the catching element 13 from above, the latter has an inclined or rounded striking surface 14 for the lifting of the catching hook 12.

[0062] FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate the approaching of a container fitting 6 belonging to a gooseneck container in the horizontal direction. The horizontal sensing bolt 9 is covered by a baffle plate 20 to enlarge the striking surface. The baffle plate 20 is secured rotatably to the end wall 11 of the housing 1 and lies loosely against the horizontal sensing bolt 9.

[0063] Upon further horizontal approaching of the container fitting 6 per FIG. 5, at first this pushes against the baffle plate 20, which shoves the horizontal sensing bolt 9 into the housing 1 and lifts the catching hook 12 out of contact with the catching element 13. In this way, the rotary pin, spring-loaded by the torsion spring 16 but not engaging with a container fitting 6, rotates into its locked position and also moves the rack section 2b of the plug-in pins 2 by means of its gear segment 19 (see FIG. 10).

[0064] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which a single sensing bolt 7 is provided in the form of a vertical sensing bolt 8, cooperating solely with the rotary pin 3. This embodiment is suitable only for vehicles which only transport standard containers without gooseneck tunnel. No horizontally displaceable plug-in pin 2 or corresponding horizontal sensing bolt 9 are required for this.

[0065] FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment, which is provided exclusively for the locking of containers with gooseneck tunnel and comprises a single sensing bolt 7 for this in the form of a horizontal sensing bolt 9, cooperating only with the plug-in pin 3. No vertically swivelable rotary pin 3 or corresponding vertical sensing bolt 8 are required for this application.

[0066] FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, in which a compression spring 17 is used as the spring element 4 in place of a torsion spring 16. The compression spring 17 produces a pretensioning solely by a translatory movement and is therefore not connected to the rotary pin 3, but instead to the plug-in pin 2. Preferably, the compression spring 17 is shoved coaxially onto a plug-in pin section 2a arranged exclusively in the housing 1 and bears with its first end 17a against the plug-in pin 2 and with its second opposite end 17b against the housing 1, especially against its end wall 11. The compression spring 17 here is always fully surrounded by the housing 1.

[0067] FIG. 11 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention, where instead of a vertical sensing bolt 8 and horizontal sensing bolt 9 mounted in longitudinal displacement relative to the housing 1 there are provided a vertical sensing bolt 8 and horizontal sensing bolt 9 which are rotatably mounted.

[0068] The vertical sensing bolt 8 is hinged by means of a first swivel axis y.sub.1 to the top wall 10 of the housing 1, in the open position of the rotary pin 3 it projects beyond the top wall 10, and when placed under load by a container fitting 6 it swivels into the housing 1. In this process, the vertical sensing bolt 8 performs a swivel movement u1 about the swivel axis y.sub.1. Thanks to the swivel movement u.sub.1 into the housing 1, the vertical sensing bolt 8 releases the catching hook 12 from an engaged position with the catching element 13 and the rotary pin 3 pretensioned by means of the spring element 4 swivels out from the illustrated open position into the closed position. The swivel axis y.sub.1 lies in a plane with the top wall 10.

[0069] In the same way, the locking device during a sideways approaching of a container fitting 6 releases at the horizontal sensing bolt 9, this being mounted able to rotate about a second swivel axis y.sub.2 relative to the end wall 11. The second swivel axis y.sub.2 enables a swivel movement u.sub.2 of the horizontal sensing bolt 9 into the housing 1, whereby the catching hook 12 releases the rotary pin 3. The swivel axis y.sub.2 lies in a plane with the end wall 11 facing the container fitting 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0070] 1 Housing

[0071] 2 Plug-in pin

[0072] 2a Plug-in pin section in housing

[0073] 2b Rack section of plug-in pin

[0074] 3 Rotary pin

[0075] 4 Spring element

[0076] 5 Triggering element

[0077] 6 Container fitting

[0078] 6a Bottom side of container fitting

[0079] 6b Side surface of container fitting

[0080] 7 Sensing bolt Triggering element

[0081] 8 Vertical sensing bolt

[0082] 9 Horizontal sensing bolt

[0083] 10 Top wall of housing

[0084] 11 End wall of housing

[0085] 12 Catching hook of triggering element

[0086] 12a Curved region of catching hook

[0087] 13 Catching element

[0088] 13a Vertical section of catching element

[0089] 14 Striking surface of catching element

[0090] 15 Activating lever

[0091] 16 Torsion spring

[0092] 16a First end of torsion spring

[0093] 16b Second end of torsion spring

[0094] 17 Compression spring

[0095] 17a First end of compression spring

[0096] 17b Second end of compression spring

[0097] 18 Catch of activating lever

[0098] 19 Gear segment

[0099] 20 Baffle plate

[0100] 21 Upper end of rotary pin

[0101] 22 Locking head of rotary pin

[0102] 23 Lower end of rotary pin

[0103] 24 Rocker

[0104] 25 Grub screw or clamping sleeve

[0105] u.sub.1 Swivel movement of vertical sensing bolt

[0106] u.sub.2 Swivel movement of horizontal sensing bolt

[0107] x Movement axis of horizontal sensing bolt

[0108] y.sub.1 First swivel axis of vertical sensing bolt

[0109] y.sub.2 Second swivel axis of horizontal sensing bolt

[0110] z Movement axis of vertical sensing bolt