MOBILE CROSS-DOCK WITH DROP FRAME TRAILER

Abstract

A mobile cross-dock includes a drop-frame trailer including: a first deck having a first height above the ground; a second deck having a second height above the ground that is greater than the first height, the second deck being located in a front portion of the trailer above a coupler assembly; side doors arranged on at least one longitudinal side wall of the drop-frame trailer; a back door on a back-end of the drop-frame trailer; a nose door on a front-wall of the drop-frame trailer; and a conveyor mounted longitudinally within the drop-frame trailer and extending from the back door towards the nose door.

Claims

1.-20. (canceled)

21. A method of operating a mobile cross-dock, the method comprising: positioning a first trailer at a location, the first drop-frame trailer comprising: a nose door, a rear door, and a first conveyor mounted longitudinally within the first trailer and extending from the rear door towards the nose door, positioning a second trailer in front of the first trailer such that the nose door of the first trailer is adjacent a rear door of the second trailer, the second trailer comprising a second conveyor mounted longitudinally within the second trailer and extending from the rear door of the second trailer towards a nose door of the second trailer; and extending the first conveyor through the nose door of the first trailer to meet the second conveyor of the second trailer through the rear door of the second trailer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: conveying objects between the first trailer and the second trailer along the first conveyor and the second conveyor.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising: positioning a delivery truck adjacent to a side door of the first trailer; and transferring a package from the second trailer by the first conveyor and the second conveyor through the nose door of the first trailer to the delivery truck.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein positioning the first trailer comprises: aligning a first height of a first deck of the first trailer that is substantially the same as a floor height of a transport vehicle.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein an interior, bottom portion of the nose door is recessed by at least a thickness of the first conveyor.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first height is about 34.5 inches, wherein a second height of a second deck of the second trailer is about 27 inches, and wherein a difference between the first height and the second height is about 7.5 inches.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first conveyor extends 26 to 38 above the first deck.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the first conveyor extends from the rear door to the nose door.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first conveyor is mounted on a floor of the second deck.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein positioning the first trailer comprises: coupling the first trailer using a kingpin of a coupler assembly, wherein the kingpin is attached to a bottom surface of the second deck at a position in a range of 30 to 36 from the nose door of the mobile cross-dock and centered relative to the side walls.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupler assembly comprises a landing gear attached to a corner where the first deck and the second deck meet.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein extending the first conveyor through the nose door of the first trailer to meet the second conveyor of the second trailer through the rear door of the second trailer comprises: extending the first conveyor into the mobile cross-dock from an external location using an external support that is external to the mobile cross-dock.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein extending the first conveyor into the mobile cross-dock from an external location using an external support that is external to the mobile cross-dock comprises: adjusting one or more support structures of the first trailer to maintain a substantially level conveyor path between the first conveyor and the second conveyor.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein extending the first conveyor through the nose door of the first trailer to meet the second conveyor of the second trailer through the rear door of the second trailer comprises: stabilizing the first trailer using landing gear prior to extending the first conveyor through the nose door of the first trailer.

35. A mobile cross-dock comprising: a trailer comprising: a first deck having a first height above the ground; a second deck having a second height above the ground that is greater than the first height, the second deck being located in a front portion of the trailer above a coupler assembly; a nose door on a front-wall of the drop-frame trailer; and conveying means mounted longitudinally within the drop-frame trailer and extending from the back door towards the nose door, wherein an interior, bottom portion of the nose door is recessed by at least a thickness of the conveying means.

36. The mobile cross-dock of claim 35, wherein the trailer further comprises a rear door.

37. The mobile cross-dock of claim 36, further comprising: a second trailer comprising: second conveying means mounted within the second trailer and extending from the rear door of the first trailer towards a nose door of the second trailer.

38. The mobile cross-dock of claim 37, wherein the first conveying means is configured to meet the second conveying means through the rear door of the second trailer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C depict side views of an example of a mobile cross-dock.

[0038] FIGS. 2A and 2B respectively depict rear and front views of the mobile cross-dock of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0039] FIG. 2C depicts an extended cross-dock system including the mobile cross-docks of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0040] FIGS. 3A and 3B respectively depict top and bottom views of the mobile cross-dock of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0041] FIGS. 4A and 4B depicts two perspective views of the mobile cross-dock of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0042] FIGS. 5A and 5B depict side views of another example of a mobile cross-dock.

[0043] FIG. 6 depicts a package loading system 600 that includes the mobile cross-dock of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0044] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Cross-docking refers to methods for efficiently distributing products without needing to store the products in warehouses for long periods of time. For example, a cross-dock receives incoming objects, the objects are sorted at the cross-dock, and then the objects are loaded directly onto outgoing vehicles. A mobile cross-dock is a cross-docking facility that can move, e.g., has wheels and can be attached to a vehicle for transport.

[0046] With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a mobile cross-dock 100 includes a trailer 102 having a first deck 104 and a second deck 106 and wheels 105, which make the cross-dock 100 mobile. Trailer 102 is a drop frame trailer, e.g., the height of the trailer drops from the second deck 106 to first deck 104.

[0047] The first deck 104 and second deck 106 are separated by a height H1, e.g., a distance as measured along a vertical direction parallel to the double-ended arrow in FIG. 1A. For example, the first deck 104 can have a first height above the ground, e.g., a road under the trailer 102, that is a typical height for a transport vehicle floor, e.g., 27 inches, and the second deck 106 can have a second height that is higher. In some implementations, the second height is a height that is typical for a loading dock, e.g., 48 inches. The difference between the first and second height is the height H1, e.g., 7.5 inches. The first deck 104 and second deck 106 meet at a corner 108, where a coupling assembly can attach (as will be explained with more detail with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B).

[0048] The trailer 102 includes multiple side doors 111 arranged on the sidewalls 110, e.g., walls that extend in the longitudinal direction, of the trailer 102. In some implementations, there are three to seven side doors 111. FIG. 1A depicts the sidewall 110 with the side doors 111 in a closed position, and FIG. 1B shows a second sidewall 110 (opposite the first sidewall) with the side doors 111 in an open position.

[0049] In some implementations, the side doors 111, e.g., the side doors 111 above the first deck 104 can be opened manually, e.g., are roll-up doors, sliding doors, or pivoting doors. In some implementations, the side doors 111 above the second deck 106 are hinged, e.g., swinging, doors. Portions of the sidewalls 110 above both the first deck 104 and second deck 106 include side doors 111. In some implementations, the side doors 111 are about 4 feet wide and 7 feet tall. In this specification, an element having a dimension of about some value means the dimension element is in a range of 1% to 10%, e.g., 1%, 5%, or 10%, of the value. In some implementations, the spacing between side doors 111 can be selected to accommodate transport vehicles parking next to each other while being loaded, e.g., the spacing between the side doors 111 in the longitudinal direction can be about the width of a transport vehicle (9 to 12 feet).

[0050] The trailer 102 includes a conveyor 112, e.g., a roller bed conveyor belt, extending from a front-wall 115 of the trailer 102 to a back-end 114 of the trailer 102. The conveyor 112 extends longitudinally, e.g., parallel to the longitudinal sidewalls 110, at a fixed height from the ground, e.g., the height H2 between the ground marked by a dashed line in FIG. 1B of the conveyor 112 is substantially constant. Consequently, the height of the conveyor 112 relative to the first deck 104 and second deck 106 is different.

[0051] In general, the height H3 of the conveyor 112 above the first deck 104 is generally greater than the height of the conveyor 112 above the second deck 106. For example, the height H3 can be selected to be a convenient height, e.g., 26 to 38, for a human or a robotic device (such as robotic device 127 visible in FIG. 4B) within the trailer 102 picking up objects off of the conveyor 112. In some implementations, supports 113 attached to the first deck 104 support the conveyor 112 above the first deck 104. In some implementations, the second deck 106 supports the conveyor 112, e.g., the conveyer 112 is embedded within a floor 119 (visible in FIG. 4B) of the second deck 106.

[0052] In some implementations, the conveyer 112 is unpowered, e.g., not electrically powered, and the force of gravity causes the conveyer belt to translate through space. In some implementations, the conveyer is both manually and automatically, e.g., programmed, powered.

[0053] In some implementations, the conveyer 112 is not rigidly mounted to the first deck 104 or the second deck 106. Rather, the conveyer 112 extends from an external location 107, e.g., a building, into the mobile cross-dock 100 and is supported by an external support 109, e.g., a support structure in the building as shown in FIG. 1C. For example, the conveyer 112 can be provided at a time-of-use, e.g., when the mobile cross-dock 100 is operating, by extending into the mobile cross-dock from either the rear door 118 or nose door 116.

[0054] With reference to FIG. 2A, the front-wall 115 of the trailer 102 includes a nose door 116. With reference to FIG. 2B, the back-end 114 of the trailer 102 includes a rear door 118. In some implementations, the back-end 114 of the trailer 102 includes handles 120. In some implementations, the nose door 116 has a width of about 4 feet and a height of about 8 feet. In some implementations, the rear door 118 includes both a swing door and a rollup door, where the rollup door is visible when the swing door is swung open.

[0055] In some implementations, either the nose door 116, the rear door 118, or both have a recess 125 on an edge of the nose doors 116 and rear doors 118 proximate to the corresponding deck. The recess 125 can be sized and accommodated to allow the conveyor 112 to extend through the respective door. For example, if the conveyor is 18 inches wide and 30 inches tall, e.g., has a certain thickness, the recess 125 can be 20 inches wide and 32 inches tall. In other words, the nose door 116 can be recessed by about 2 inches.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 2C, during operation of two mobile cross-docks 100 and 100, an object on one conveyor 112 can pass through the rear door 118 of a first mobile cross-dock and through a nose door 116on another conveyor 112of a second mobile cross-dock. Accordingly, the mobile cross-dock 100 can allow objects to pass to an adjacent mobile cross-dock. Multiple mobile cross decks can be configured such that the height of the conveyors 112 are substantially the same, allowing for a smooth transition from one conveyor to another. In other words, the two mobile cross-docks 100 are configured to mate with each other and form an extended cross-dock system 201.

[0057] As another example, the one conveyer 112 can convey packages through the nose door 116 through another nose door of a different type of vehicle, e.g., a different mode of transportation. For example, the other vehicle can be a box-truck.

[0058] With reference to FIG. 3A, a top surface 121 of the trailer 102 can be substantially rectangular. In some implementations, the corners on the front-wall 115 are rounded, and the corners on the back-end 114 are sharp. With reference to FIG. 3B, the bottom surface of the trailer 102 includes the first deck 104 and second deck 106. From the perspective of FIG. 3B, the corner 108 where the first deck 104 and second deck 106 meet separates the two decks.

[0059] In some implementations, the mobile cross-dock 100 includes a coupling assembly 122, such as a kingpin on a lower surface of the second deck 106. The kingpin can be located a distance D, e.g., 30 to 36, from the nose door and be centered between the sidewalls 110. The kingpin can be configured to couple to another vehicle or a component connected to another vehicle. Wheels 105 that at least partially support the weight of the trailer 102 are also visible from the perspective of FIG. 3B. In some implementations, the height of the wheels 105 is between the first and second heights of the first deck 104 and second deck 106, respectively. For example, the wheel 105 can have a height of 25 inches.

[0060] FIGS. 4A and 4B depict perspective views of the mobile cross-dock 100. The trailer 102 includes a coupling assembly 122 at the corner 108 where the first deck 104 and second deck 106 meet. In this example, the coupling assembly 122 includes a landing gear 123, which can unfold/fold to either be parallel to the first deck 104 or perpendicular to the first deck 104 to support the trailer 102. Together, the coupling assembly 122 and the wheels 105 can support the weight of the trailer 102 to maintain a stable configuration and level conveyor 112. When the coupling assembly 112 includes both a landing gear and a kingpin, the locations of the landing gear and kingpin differ.

[0061] The dimensions of the mobile cross-dock 100 can vary. For example, the trailer 102 can have a length between 20 feet and 60 feet, e.g., 28, 33 or 53. The trailer 102 can have a height in a range of 10 to 13.5 feet. In some implementations, the length of the trailer 102 can vary from 7 feet to 11 feet. The trailer 102 can have a width, e.g., the distance from one sidewall 110 to another sidewall 110, in a range of 5 to 8.5 feet.

[0062] As an example, FIGS. 5A and 5B depict side views of a mobile cross-dock 101 having different dimensions compared to mobile cross-dock 100. For example, the longitudinal length of the trailer 102 of mobile cross-dock 101 is less than the longitudinal length of the trailer 102 of the mobile cross-dock 100.

[0063] In this example, there are only side doors 111 in the sidewalls 110 above the first deck, e.g., the lower deck, on one side of the trailer 102, e.g., the side visible in FIG. 5B. In some implementations, the conveyor 112 extends longitudinally and only partially through the trailer 102. For example, the conveyor 112 can end before reaching the back-end 114 of the trailer 102. In some implementations, there is a nonzero height of the conveyor 112 above the second deck 106, e.g., less than a foot.

[0064] During operation, the mobile cross-dock 100 can supply multiple vehicles with packages. For example, FIG. 6 depicts a package loading system 600 including the mobile cross-dock 100 and multiple vehicles 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d. The rear end of the vehicle 602a-602d can be disposed proximate to the side doors 111, minimizing a distance between the conveyor 112 and the rear of the vehicle 602 used for loading packages. Due to the first deck 104 having a height similar to the height of the floors of the vehicle 602a-602d, additional apparatuses, such as ramps, can be avoided while loading packages from the mobile cross-dock 100 to the vehicle 602a-602d. Due to the spacing of the side doors being 111 being similar to the width of the vehicles 602, the vehicles 602 can be efficiently packed in space while loading, as well. The internal conveyer 112 can be programmed to deliver a package to in front of an appropriate side door 111, thereby minimizing a distance between a package and the side door 111 where the package will exit the mobile cross-dock 100. When the conveyer is not electrically programmed, the internal conveyer 112 can include components that are configured to be adjusted and/or controlled by humans.

[0065] It will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, other useful implementations could be achieved if steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different order and/or if components in the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the disclosure.