Container stacking storage system loading trolley

Abstract

A container stacking storage system loading trolley that includes a chassis and a height-adjustable container seat that includes a receiving region with a container contact surface, wherein a lifting device that operates in a lifting direction is arranged between the chassis and the container seat. The container stacking storage system operates in an economical manner, whereby a bearing arrangement is arranged between the container seat and the chassis, which bearing arrangement enables a movement of the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis.

Claims

1. A container stacking storage system loading trolley comprising: a chassis; a container seat configured to be adjustable relative to the chassis, said container seat comprising a receiving region having a container contact surface; a lifter configured to operate in a lifting direction, said lifter being arranged between the chassis and the container seat; a fixer configured to fix the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis; the fixer being releasable and being configured to store the container seat in a floating manner, whereby the fixer is configured to be released when the container seat is lifted; a bearer arranged between the container seat and the chassis, said bearer being configured to enable a movement of the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis.

2. The loading trolley according to claim 1, wherein the lifter comprises a first lifting drive and a second lifting drive, the second lifting drive being configured to act on an unlocker for holding elements of a container stacking storage system, wherein the second lifting drive forms a part of the fixer.

3. The loading trolley according to claim 2, wherein the unlocker comprises multiple unlocking elements arranged in the region of corners of the container seat, wherein at least some of the unlocking elements comprises a centerer that is directed towards the receiving region.

4. The loading trolley according to claim 3, wherein the unlocker is in operative connection with the plurality of pins.

5. The loading trolley according to claim 3, wherein the centerer is sloped relative to the lifting direction.

6. The loading trolley according to claim 3, wherein the unlocker protrudes past the container contact surface in the receiving region in a transport position of the container seat.

7. The loading trolley according to claim 3, wherein the container seat comprises edge bars that bound the container contact surface.

8. A container stacking storage system loading trolley comprising: a chassis; a container seat configured to be adjustable relative to the chassis, said container seat comprising a receiving region having a container contact surface; a lifter configured to operate in a lifting direction, said lifter being arranged between the chassis and the container seat; a fixer configured to fix the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis, the fixer being releasable; a bearer arranged between the container seat and the chassis, said bearer configured to enable a movement of the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis; the fixer comprising a plurality of pins comprising at least one pin running parallel to the lifting direction, said at least one pin being arranged in a bore that is stationary transversely to the lifting direction, wherein the at least one pin comprises a first section with a first diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the bore and a second section with a second diameter that corresponds to the diameter of the bore, wherein between the first section and the second section a transition section is provided in which the diameter of the at least one pin increases from the first diameter to the second diameter.

9. A container stacking storage system loading trolley comprising: a chassis; a container seat configured to be adjustable relative to the chassis, said container seat comprising a receiving region having a container contact surface, the container seat being mounted on a base plate and the lifter interacts with the base plate; a lifter configured to operate in a lifting direction, said lifter being arranged between the chassis and the container seat; a ball roller is arranged between the base plate and the container seat; a bearer arranged between the container seat and the chassis, said bearer configured to enable a movement of the container seat transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a loading trolley for a container stacking storage system in a perspective illustration,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of a container seat with a base plate,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the base plate,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the container seat in a perspective illustration from below,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a fixing device in a fixing position,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the fixing device during release, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows the fixing device in a released position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

(10) FIG. 1 schematically shows a loading trolley 1 for a container stacking storage system that is not illustrated in greater detail.

(11) The loading trolley 1 comprises a chassis 2 having multiple wheels 3 with which the loading trolley can be moved on a flooring or another surface.

(12) The loading trolley 1 furthermore comprises a height-adjustable container seat 4, the height of which can be changed relative to the chassis 2 by a lifting device 5, of “lifter.” The lifting device 5 comprises a traction chain with which the container seat 4 can be moved in a lifting direction. The lifting direction thereby normally corresponds to the direction of gravity.

(13) The container seat 4 comprises a container contact surface 6 on which a container that is not illustrated in greater detail can be placed. The traction chain is driven by an electric motor or another actuator that can be hydraulically or pneumatically embodied. The traction chain thus forms a part of a lifting drive.

(14) The container seat 4 is arranged on a base plate 7 which is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3. The base plate 7 comprises multiple ball roller arrangements 8, or rollers. Each ball roller arrangement 8 comprises a ball 9 that is held in a cage 10 which is attached to the base plate 7.

(15) Next to each ball roller arrangement 8, a bore 11 is arranged which forms a part of a fixing device that is described further below.

(16) The base plate 7 comprises guide elements 12 with which it is guided in corresponding guides 13 that are attached to the chassis 2. The guides 13 are thereby arranged on braces 14 that run vertically.

(17) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which corresponding guides 12 are provided on all four corners of the base plate 7. FIGS. 2 and 3 show a modified embodiment in order to demonstrate that, in principle, only two guides 12 that are preferably arranged at diagonally opposing corners of the base plate 7 are necessary.

(18) The container seat 4 rests on the ball roller arrangements 8. The ball roller arrangements 8 thereby form a bearing device or arrangement that enables a movement of the container seat 4 transversely to the lifting direction relative to the chassis 2.

(19) A movement of this type can, however, be blocked by the fixing device already mentioned above. Therefore, the fixing device can be regarded as a “movement blocker.” The fixing device is releasable in order to enable the movement of the container seat 4 relative to the base plate 7, and thus relative to the chassis 2. For this purpose, the fixing device comprises a pin arrangement having at least one pin 15. In the present exemplary embodiment, however, corresponding pins 15 are provided at all corners of the container seat 4. Each pin 15 enters into the aforementioned bore 11.

(20) As can be seen in FIG. 5, each pin 15 comprises a first section 16 with a first diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the bore 11, for example 10 mm to 30 mm smaller. Each pin 15 furthermore comprises a second section 17 that has a second diameter that corresponds to the diameter of the bore 11. The second section 17 exhibits a small amount of play relative to the bore 11, that is, the second diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bore 11. The play is, however, only large enough that a movement of the pin 15 in the bore 11 is enabled. Between the first section 16 and the second section 17, a transition region 18 is provided in which the diameter of the pin 15 expands from the first diameter towards the second diameter.

(21) The container seat 4 comprises an unlocking device that comprises one unlocking element 19-22 each at the four corners of the container seat. The unlocking elements 19-22 are attached to a frame arrangement having two frames 23, 24. The frames 23, 24 are connected to a second lifting drive 25 with which the frames 23, 24, and therefore the unlocking elements 19-22, can be lifted and lowered relative to the container seat 4, and therefore relative to the base plate 7.

(22) If the unlocking elements 19-22 are lifted, they can open and/or keep in an open position holding elements, which are not illustrated in greater detail, of a container stacking storage system until a container being removed has been lowered with the container seat 4. The pins 15 are connected to the frame 23 and are also lifted in tandem in a lifting of the unlocking elements 19-22. In this manner, the pins 15 move from the position illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the container seat 4 is fixed transversely to the lifting direction relative to the base plate 7, into the position illustrated in FIG. 7, in which the container seat 4 is mounted in a floating manner relative to the base plate 7.

(23) In this position, a movement of the container seat 4 transversely to the lifting direction relative to the base plate 7 is possible, namely in the order of a few centimeters, for example, 1 to 3 cm.

(24) The unlocking elements 19-22 comprise a centering surface arrangement. The centering surface arrangement comprises a surface 26 that is sloped relative to the lifting direction. If the container seat 4 is moved towards a container from below, for example, at a point for placement into or removal from storage, then the unlocking elements 19-22 have first been moved away from the base plate 7 and the unlocking elements 19-22 come into contact with the container with the sloped surface 26. It is thus possible to align the container seat 4 with the container.

(25) As can be seen in FIG. 2, the container seat comprises at the edges thereof edge bars 27-30 which prevent a container resting on the container seat 4 from being able to slide off of the container seat 4 during transport out of the stacking storage system or into the stacking storage system.

(26) FIG. 6 shows the situation during the lowering of the unlocking elements 19-22. The pin 15 is centered in the bore 11 by the transition region 18 so that the container seat 4 once again has a defined position relative to the base plate 7.

(27) The container seat 4 also comprises notches 31, 32, wherein the opening of the notches 31, 32 is preferably directed in the rolling direction of the wheels 3. It is thus possible to transfer a container that is resting on the container seat 4 to a delivery station, wherein it is merely necessary that the delivery station comprise two prong-like projections that can enter into the notches 31, 32 when the loading trolley 1 is moved thereto accordingly. The container seat 4 can then be lowered so that the container can be transferred to the delivery station. The receipt of a container from a corresponding receiving device can also be realized in this manner. For this purpose, the loading trolley 1 is driven into the receiving device without a container. If the lifting device 5 then lifts the container seat 4, the container comes free of the receiving device and can then be transported away together with the loading trolley 1.

(28) The foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is to be understood that the words that have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.