Container for the transport of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a container for transporting a vehicle therein, which is essentially rectangular in construction with a first and a second end face, two long sides, a bottom, and a top, wherein the container has a floor element, a frame structure, and at least two cover elements, wherein the at least two cover elements cover the end faces, the long sides, and the top of the container when in the closed state, and the floor element covers the bottom of the container, and wherein the frame structure builds on the floor element and, in the region of the top, the at least two cover elements are hinged to the frame structure in such a way that they can be swung upward away from the floor element when the container is in an open state.

Claims

1. An essentially rectangular container for transporting a vehicle, comprising: a first end face, a second end face, two long sides, a bottom, a top, a floor element, a frame structure, and at least two cover elements, wherein the at least two cover elements cover the end faces, the two long sides, and the top of the container when in a closed state, and the floor element covers the bottom of the container, and wherein the frame structure builds on the floor element and, in the region of the top, the at least two cover elements are hinged to the frame structure in such a way that they can be swung upward away from the floor element when the container is in an open state, and wherein the frame structure is rigidly and immovably attached directly to the floor element whether the container is in the closed state, the open state, or at any position therebetween.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover elements are hinged to the frame structure by at least one rotary element so as to be individually pivotable.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover elements are spring-loaded by gas spring elements with respect to the frame structure such that an opening motion of the at least two cover elements is at least supported in terms of force when being swung up into the open state, and the at least two cover elements are held in the open state by the force of the gas spring elements.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover elements can be locked by at least one locking element in such a manner that they cannot be swung up into the open state from the floor element when they are locked in the closed state.

5. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a ramp located at the first end face of the container, the ramp being pivotably attached to the floor element of the container such that, on the one hand it can be pivoted into the container so that it can be locked to the frame structure essentially perpendicular to the bottom, and on the other hand it can be pivoted outward so that it can serve as a ramp for driving a vehicle onto the floor element.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two cover elements has a service opening.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the floor element has a perforated drive-on device suitable for driving a vehicle onto so that a vehicle can be locked in place on the drive-on device.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the floor element has, on a long side, a pocket for a lifting element of an industrial truck.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the floor element has, at the second end face, at least one support element that can rotate about itself, on which the container can be moved when it is lifted at the first end face.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention shall be described in detail below on the basis of the embodiment explained by way of example.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the invention, in the open state.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic, perspective view of the container from FIG. 1 in the closed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The container 1 has a frame structure 5, which builds on the floor element 4 there, and which has, in the region of the top there, the at least two cover elements 2, 3 hinged in individually pivotable fashion to the frame structure 5 by means of a rotary element 6 extending in the longitudinal direction, so that the respective cover elements can be swung upward and away from the floor element 4, as shown in FIG. 1, when the container is in the open state. The pivoting motions of the individual cover elements 2, 3 are shown in FIG. 1 by corresponding double-headed arrows. Gas spring elements 7 spring-load the cover elements 2, 3 with respect to the frame structure 5 such that they can be held in position by force in the open state. The floor element 4 has a perforated drive-on device 12 suitable for driving a vehicle onto so that a vehicle can be locked in place on the drive-on device 12. On the long side of the floor element 4, a pocket 13 for a lifting element of an industrial truck is provided. Located at the first end face of the container is a ramp 9 that is pivotably attached to the floor element 4 of the container and that on the one hand can be pivoted into the container so that it can be locked to the frame structure essentially perpendicular to the bottom, and on the other hand can be pivoted outward so that it can serve as a ramp 9 for driving up onto the floor element 4. In the representation in FIG. 1, the ramp 9 is designed as multiple parts with two ramp elements apiece that are folding and are each associated with one side of a vehicle so that the ramp does not extend over the entire width of the container, instead being located solely in the region of the wheels of a corresponding vehicle driving up thereon. This permits a corresponding weight reduction.

(5) It should be noted that the frame structure 5 can be made of metal bars, which provide the requisite stability, wherein the frame structure 5 is rigidly attached to the floor element 4.

(6) The container from FIG. 1 is shown in the closed state in FIG. 2. Components with the same functions as in FIG. 1 are labeled with the same reference numbers, and are not discussed separately.

(7) Easily visible in FIG. 2 is the essentially rectangular design of the container according to the invention with a first end face 10 and a second end face 20, two long sides 30, a bottom 40, and a top 50. A locking element 8 locks the at least two cover elements 2, 3 such that they cannot be swung up into the open state from the floor element when they are in the closed and locked state shown. An additional service opening 11 in the region of the second end face 20 of the container 1 can also be seen in FIG. 2. Likewise visible in the representation in FIG. 2 is the embodiment of the rotatable support element 14 implemented as two rollers, by which means the container can be moved when it is lifted at the first end face 10.

(8) Even though at least one exemplary embodiment has been shown in the foregoing description, various changes and modifications may be made. The said embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to limit the scope of validity, the applicability, or the configuration of the container in any way. Rather, the foregoing description provides the person skilled in the art with a plan for implementation of at least one exemplary embodiment of the container according to the invention, wherein numerous changes may be made in the function and the design of the container from components described in the exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims and their legal equivalents.