This application is the National Stage of International PCT Application No. PCT/CN2015/083396 filed on Jul. 6, 2015, which claims the benefit of priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201410640576.4, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on Nov. 13, 2014, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to the field of container, and especially relates to a connecting mechanism and a collapsible container comprising the same.
The dry cargo container is a large-scale vessel among the containers that is most widely used and has gotten the largest usage, in which the containers of 20 feet, 40 feet and 40 feet in height obtain the most common application, and the corresponding transport vehicles, ships and handling equipments all have been standardized. The conventional dry cargo container is of a fixed type in its structure, which provides many advantages, such as simple structure, low cost, light weight, high strength, good rigidity, easy maintenance, easy loading and unloading, however, there are also obvious drawbacks. The dry cargo containers often needs to be stacked and temporarily stored in an empty state after its goods is unloaded, but due to the conventional dry cargo container of a fixed structure has a bulky volume, it will take up a lot of storage space, causing a greater storage cost. When transporting goods from one location to another one, there is frequently the transfer of the empty containers, since the conventional dry cargo container of a fixed structure is bulky in its volume, although the weight of an empty container is not large, the truck or container ship has the same loading capacity when transporting the empty container as that when transporting the loaded container, and the loading capacity can not be increased due to the light weight of the empty containers. This makes the transportation cost irreducible, causing a huge wastage.
As the conventional dry cargo container has the above drawbacks, there exits a high need for the arrangement capable of overcoming the problem of empty container transportation, its leading driving force is to significantly reduce the transportation and storage cost, and its secondary driving force is the environmental issues and the tendency of low-carbon expanding economy. The collapsible container can significantly reduce the empty container transportation expenses and empty container storage cost, thus it has gotten widespread concern around the world and the continued development of many professional corporations. After several decades of endeavors, many forms of collapsible containers have been developed, and a large number of patents have been applied for correspondingly, but so far, there isn't yet one of them that has been applied in large quantities. The main reason is that the problems brought by the folding functionality of the collapsible container have not been finely solved, primarily: its structural stability, sealability, operability and the like. Therefore, it is necessary to continue the research and development to propose an acceptable solution.
The mechanized folding and assembling of the containers could save considerable manpower, and also could enormously promote the folding and assembling efficiency, satisfies actual demands when the container is in use, this makes the collapsible container practical, and the customers are more receptive to such a new mode of collapsible containers. However, in prior art, there are still problems in the mechanized folding and assembling aspects of the collapsible container, which needs to propose a new solution.
In this SUMMARY section, a series of simplified concepts are introduced which will get a further detailed description in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION section. The SUMMARY section of the present invention does not intend to define the critical features and the essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor intend to determine the protection reach of the claimed technical solution.
To overcome the above problems, the present invention discloses a connection mechanism for a collapsible container, the collapsible container comprises a top cover and a chassis, the four corners of the top cover is provided with a top corner piece which is connected with a top cover corner pillar, and the four corners of the chassis is provided with a bottom corner piece which is connected with a chassis corner pillar, characterized in that the connecting mechanism comprises:
A crook lug located at one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar; and
A crook locking plate rotatablely provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with a crook part cooperating with the crook lug.
Alternatively, the crook lug extends and protrudes from the outer end face of the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.
Alternatively, the connecting mechanism further comprises a crook locking plate shaft by means of which the crook locking plate is hinged with the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.
Alternatively, the connecting mechanism further comprises an elastic element, one end of which abuts against the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar and the other end of which abuts against the crook locking plate.
Alternatively, the crook locking plate is provided with a groove for receiving the elastic element, and the elastic element abuts against the bottom surface of the groove.
Alternatively, the connecting mechanism further comprises a stopper mechanism detachably connected with the crook locking plate.
Alternatively, the stopper mechanism is provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.
Alternatively, the stopper mechanism comprises a first stopper and a first stopper shaft, the first end of the first stopper is provided with a hole through which the first stopper shaft passes to be hinged with the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the second end of the first stopper is provided with a stopper crook cooperating with the second end of the crook locking plate.
Alternatively, at least one of the second end of the crook locking plate and the second end of the first stopper is provided with a first guiding inclined plane.
Alternatively, the stopper mechanism is provided at the outer end face of the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.
Alternatively, the stopper mechanism comprises a second stopper and a second stopper shaft, the first end of the second stopper is provided with a hole through which the second stopper shaft passes to be hinged with the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the second stopper cooperates with the crook locking plate.
Alternatively, the connecting mechanism further comprises stop block for restraining the second stopper, and the stop block is provided at the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.
Alternatively, the second end of the second stopper is provided with a handle.
Alternatively, at least one of the first end of the crook locking plate and the crook lug is provided with a second guiding inclined plane.
Alternatively, the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with an operating panel laterally protruding from the crook locking plate.
Alternatively, the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with an operating panel laterally protruding from the crook locking plate, and the operating panel cooperates with the second stopper.
Alternatively, the crook locking plate is provided at a location in contact with the unlock piece on the hoist bracket of the collapsible container, and when the collapsible container is in a folded state, the unlock piece on the hoist bracket contacts with the crook locking plate to disengage the crook locking plate from the crook lug.
The present invention also discloses a collapsible container comprising the above connection mechanism.
The connection mechanism of the present invention is convenient, fast and reliable to operate, and does not occupy the useful space of the container, does not affect the folding and sealing of the container and does not exceed the external dimensions of the container, and has no parts separated from the container, such a connection mechanism is especially suitable for the mechanized folding and assembling operations of the collapsible container.
In the following, a detailed description will be made about the advantages and features of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings of the present invention listed below are used as a part of the present invention herein for the understanding of the present invention. The drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and its description, so as to explain the principle of the present invention. In which,
The description hereinafter gives a large quantity of specific details so as to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, as obvious to the skilled in this art, the present invention may be implemented without one or more of these details. Some of the technical features well-know in this art are not described in other examples so as not to confuse with the embodiment of present invention.
A detailed structure would be proposed in the following description for the purpose of thorough understanding the embodiment of present invention. Apparently, the implementation of the embodiment of present invention is not limited to special details known by the skilled in this art. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail as follows, however, the present invention can also comprise other embodiments besides these detailed description.
As shown in
As shown in
The connection mechanism of the present invention comprises a crook lug 23 and a crook locking plate 21. The present invention will be explained hereinafter in the case that the crook locking plate 21 is located on the top cover corner pillar 122 and the crook lug 23 is located on the chassis corner pillar 112. Absolutely, the crook locking plate 21 may also be provided on the chassis corner pillar 112 while the crook lug 23 is provided on the top cover corner pillar 122.
As shown in
As shown in
The connection mechanism of the present invention could realize the automatic connection of the top cover 12 with the chassis 11 when the container is folded, and when assembling the container, only a simple or even no manual operation is needed, its operational efficiency is high. Due to the fact that the installation location of the connection mechanism is the existing space outside of the container of a general container (the space of a general container for assembling the door hinge, the structure of the collapsible container of the present invention makes this space unusable, and this space can be utilized by the connection mechanism of the present invention), therefore the connection mechanism does not affect the internal dimensions of the container. The present connection mechanism has a large strength, and can satisfy the suspended ceiling shipment for one unit formed by stacking four or more folded containers.
The connection mechanism of the present invention is convenient, fast and reliable to operate, and does not occupy the useful space of the container, does not affect the folding and sealing of the container and does not exceed the external dimensions of the container, and has no parts separated from the container, such a connection mechanism is especially suitable for the mechanized folding and assembling operations of the collapsible container.
Specifically, as shown in
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
The second end of the first stopper 251 has a stopper crook 2512, and in the present embodiment, the first stopper 251 is located above the crook locking plate shaft 22. The stopper crook 2512 may be connected with the second end of the crook locking plate 21 so as to reach the purpose of restricting the crook locking plate 21. Alternatively, at least one of the second end of the crook locking plate 21 and the first stopper 251 may be provided with a first guiding inclined plane, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
After the assembling of the collapsible container, the first stopper 251 can be manually disengaged from the crook locking plate 21, and under the action of the elastic element 24, the crook locking plate 21 rotates to its initial position.
As shown in the second embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
Before assembling the container, the crook locking plate 21 is manually rotated outward, then the handle 2532 is operated to rotate the second stopper 253 upwardly by an upward angle so as to abut against the stop block 1121, the second end of the second stopper 253 away from the second stopper shaft 254 rests against the crook locking plate 21. As shown in
By this time, the operating panel 216 of the crook locking plate 21 is required to be longer so as to in contact with the second stopper 253, so that the crook locking plate 21 is supported by the second stopper 253. By this time, the crook locking plate 21 disengages from the crook lug 23, thus the collapsible container may be assembled. As shown in
Alternatively, the crook locking plate 21 is provided at a location in contact with the unlock piece on the hoist bracket of the collapsible container, and when the collapsible container is in a folded state, the unlock piece on the hoist bracket contacts with the crook locking plate to disengage the crook locking plate 21 from the crook lug 23. The unlock piece is movable with respect to the hoist bracket.
As shown in
Now turn to
Undoubtedly, the sliding part 3′ may move together with the hoist bracket so as to contact or move away from the crook locking plate 21. The sliding part 3′ may also be configured to have its separate power supply, for example an air cylinder or an oil cylinder, so as to operate the crook locking plate 21 independent of the hoist bracket.
The swingable part 4 may swing from the location shown in
As shown in
The present invention has been described with the above embodiments thereof, however, it should be appreciated that the above embodiments are used only for the purpose of illustration and explanation, rather than limiting the present invention within the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, the skilled in this art would understand that the present invention is not restricted to the above embodiments; the teaching according to the present invention can also be altered and modified in various ways, all of which fall into the protective scope claimed by the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014 1 0640576 | Nov 2014 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2015/083396 | 7/6/2015 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2016/074490 | 5/19/2016 | WO | A |
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