The invention relates to a large cargo carrier for transporting and storing goods according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
Large cargo carriers of this type include a pallet shaped base element which for example has the dimensions of Europol industrial pallets, also designated Euro pallets. Standard dimensions for the plan forms of such large cargo carriers are for example 800×600 mm, 1200×800 mm, 1200×1000 mm, and 1200×1600 mm. These dimensions form an optimum geometry for transportation in a truck or TEU standard container with respect to logistics and space utilization.
The height of such large cargo carriers computed from the contact surface of the large cargo carrier on the ground up to the upper edge of the sidewalls is typically 750 mm, 850 mm, 975 mm or 1000 mm, wherein these dimensions do not represent any limitations.
Thus, for the known large cargo carriers, there is a fixed determination to a height that is predetermined by the dimensions of the plate shaped base element in combination with the side walls. From DE 10 2004 012 198 A1, it is also known to arrange a removable transport frame which includes four circumferential sidewalls. Thus, the transport frame as a whole can be disengaged from the base element and replaced as required. It is a disadvantage that this is associated with substantial complexity.
Thus it is an object of the invention to provide a large cargo carrier which can be configured for different heights in a simple manner.
The object is achieved by a large cargo carrier with the features of the characterizing portion of claim 1 and by a kit with the features of claim 8, wherein advantageous embodiments are characterized by the features of the dependent claims.
The large cargo carrier according to the invention is characterized by at least one pedestal element, preferably, however, four circumferentially arranged pedestal elements which are respectively configured so that they are disengageably attached at the plate shaped base element or an edge bar that is arranged thereon, in particular integrally configured therewith and protrude in upward direction beyond the pallet support surface and wherein at least one sidewall is disengageably attached at the pallet shaped base element.
Through pedestal elements with different heights, a height increase of the large cargo carrier for particular heights is possible with otherwise identical components, wherein the height increase is for example 10 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, etc. Thus, particular heights of a side of a large cargo carrier of for example 750 mm, 870 mm, 975 mm and 1000 mm or even higher can be achieved, wherein these dimensions do not limit the scope of the invention. Thus, an additional time-, cost-, and development-complexity for producing large cargo carriers with different heights can be avoided.
Thus particularly preferably the sidewall is configured so that it is directly attachable in a disengageable manner at the pallet shaped base element or the edge bar attached thereto and the sidewall is also attachable in a disengageable manner at the pedestal element. Through the flexible connection of the sidewall with the base element, namely directly or elevated through the pedestal element, this yields a decisive advantage in that various heights are achievable in a simple manner.
The upper edges of the sidewalls arranged on the attachment frame are thus preferably joined flush so that a height of the large cargo carrier is achieved that is even over the sidewalls. Four circumferentially arranged pedestal elements thus form an attachment frame or pedestal frame. Through the attachment frame, the large cargo carrier is adaptable through pedestal elements with different heights and otherwise constant components to heights of for example 750 mm, 870 mm, 975 mm, and 1000 mm, wherein these dimensions do not limit the scope of the invention, and the large cargo carrier is advantageously stackable together with typical wood pallet carriers in a cargo bay of a truck when standard dimensions are used.
The large cargo carrier can include a circumferential edge bar or also plural edge bars which extend respectively over a side of the large cargo carrier which can be adjacent to one another in the corner portions of the large cargo carrier.
The edge bars are thus preferably configured with different heights wherein, however, two edge bars that are respectively configured with identical heights and/or two edge bars adjoining one another in a corner are configured with different heights. For sidewalls that are supported so that they are foldable, this advantageously yields a folding sequence, wherein the sidewalls which are associated with the lower edge bars are folded in first and the sidewalls which are attached at the higher edge bars are folded over them.
Two pedestal elements that are respectively adjacent to one another are attachable at one another in a disengageable manner preferably through a plug-in mechanism that acts in a direction parallel to the base or base element and which is preferably provided on both sides laterally at the base element. The plug-in mechanism thus provides a form locking connection between the pedestal elements, wherein an additional attachment safety can be achieved through threaded connections or similar through plug-in grooves and plug-in pinions configured complementary thereto. The plug-in mechanism thus facilitates a quasi puzzle shaped joining of the pedestal elements into a circumferential attachment frame.
Thus the plug-in mechanism preferably includes a dove tail structure with approximately trapezoid attachment grooves and respective attachment pinions, whereas also fir tree connections or triangular or circular or circular segment structures are feasible, wherein, however, form locking surfaces that are at a slant angle are preferred, wherein the form locking surfaces are characterized by particularly high strength with respect to transversal or tension forces when the pedestal elements move relative to one another.
For four circumferential pedestal elements, preferably two respective opposite pedestal elements are configured identical and/or two pedestal elements that are adjacent to one another are configured different in order to facilitate assembly. Thus, the pedestal elements can join one another and be attachable at one another in the corner portion or in the lateral portion of the large cargo carrier.
According to one embodiment, preferably the two pedestal elements that are opposite one another and which are associated with the shorter side of the large cargo carrier have U-shape, this means they are configured U-shaped with a base which extends over a shorter side of the large cargo carrier and corner portions that are adjacent thereto and they are configured with legs that extend in a shortened manner over portions of the adjacent longer sides of the large cargo carrier. The two pedestal elements that are associated with the longer sides and arranged opposite to one another respectively extend over the remaining intermediary portion of the longer side of the large cargo carrier which has a size approximately between half the length of the longer side and four-fifths of the length of the longer side.
Accordingly, preferably two of the four pedestal elements are run on both sides over the corners of the large cargo carrier and only join the two other pedestal elements in the side portions. Thus, embodiments are facilitated in which only two pedestal elements are being used that are arranged adjacent to one another which yields for example the advantage that the large cargo carrier can also be configured with side windows or reach-in openings. Through the support over the corners, the U-shaped base elements contact three edge bars that are adjacent to one another in a stable manner, so that a stacking of additional large cargo carriers on the large cargo carrier is facilitated.
It is an additional advantage that this facilitates a particularly simple assembly of the pedestal frame on the large cargo carrier. According to a preferred embodiment, the pedestal elements that are configured U-shaped include support grooves and are placed onto the edge bars first. Thus the pedestal elements are supported by the support on three sides in a stable manner. The two other pedestal elements can thus be easily inserted through the plug in mechanism.
The pedestal elements are attachable at one another in a disengageable manner at the edge bars or at the base element of the large cargo carrier preferably through an exertion mechanism through form locking, wherein the attachment can be reinforced through bolted connections or similar. The plug in mechanism advantageously includes a structure with trapezoid plug in grooves and trapezoid plug in pinions, for example configured as a dove tail connection.
Thus, it is particularly preferred when the pedestal element is secured against lifting from above through protruding shoulders at the plug in grooves, wherein the plug in mechanism of the pedestal element reaches behind the plug in mechanism.
In the plug in grooves, furthermore in all embodiments certainly hinge bolt receivers and hinge bolts can be arranged in the plug in pinions so that the pedestal elements and/or the sidewalls are supported foldable.
In one embodiment of the invention, it is also advantageous to configure the pedestal elements compatible with one another so that it is possible to attach plural pedestal elements above one another and at one another and to eventually close them through circumferential sidewalls. The attachment frame or pedestal frame formed by four circumferential pedestal elements is thus arrangeable between the frame formed by the sidewalls that are attached at one another and the frame formed by the edge bars of the base element or also arrangeable on the top side or on the bottom side at a second attachment frame formed by the base elements.
In another aspect of the invention, a kit for a large cargo carrier includes a pallet shaped base element and at least one sidewall that is attachable in a disengageable manner and a pedestal element which is configured so that it is disengageably attached at the pallet shaped base element or at an edge bar that is arranged at the base element, in particularly integrally configured therewith and protruding upward beyond the pallet support surface and wherein the at least one sidewall is disengageably attachable at the pedestal element wherein the large cargo carrier is adaptable to different heights of preferably 750 mm, 870 mm, 975 mm, and 1000 mm.
The kit can be assembled in a few manual steps to form a large cargo carrier and can be disassembled in a few manual steps into the particular components without damages to the particular components being caused. Thus it is important that assembling or disassembling can be done as often as possible. This is facilitated in that, preferably, components are used for the kit which are configured as described supra so that a large cargo carrier as described supra can be produced from the kit. Thus the kit can be sold in volume saving packaged units which is an advantage over assembled large cargo carriers.
The pedestal elements are preferably provided in different heights that are adjusted to one another so that the height of the large cargo carrier is adjustable in increments through respective placement of the pedestal elements; this means that the large cargo carrier is adaptable to the different heights in a simple manner.
Additional advantages and embodiments of the invention are described with reference to drawing figures, wherein elements with like configuration or function are designated with identical reference numerals, wherein:
The four circumferentially arranged and laterally adjoining pedestal elements 4a, 4b jointly form an attachment frame 7. It is apparent from
The first and second pedestal elements 4a, b respectively have an plug in mechanism at their bottom sides, wherein the plug in mechanism herein is configured for example with three to four plug in pinions 8a, 8b which are inserted into respective complementary plug in grooves 9a, 9b of the edge bars 3a, 3b. In this embodiment, the first pedestal elements 4a and the first edge bars 3a include first plug in pins 8a and first plug in grooves 9a which are configured differently from those of the second edge bars 3b and the second pedestal elements 4b which, however, is not mandatory.
The first and second pedestal elements 4a, 4b include another plug in mechanism on the top side which is configured as three or four plug in grooves 10a, 10b for receiving the plug in pinions of the sidewall which are not illustrated. The first and the second pedestal elements 4a, 4b extend respectively essentially over the entire width of the edge bars 3a, 3b and join approximately in the corner portion 11 of the pallet shaped base 2. As illustrated in particular in
At least over a portion, thus one-sixth to one-eighth of the length of the large cargo carrier 1, the upper edge of the edge bars 3b is configured as a rail 14 for adjusting the first pedestal elements 4a along the second edge bars 3b. Accordingly, the U-arms 13 of the pedestal elements 4a include support grooves 14a on their bottom sides, wherein the U-legs 13 contact the rails 14. The support grooves 14a are configured complementary with the rails 14, this means with U-shaped cross-section for reaching over the rails 14 and preferably defined on both sides of the rail 14 through skirts 15.
In
Subsequently, the first pedestal elements 4a are moved outward in a direction towards the first edge bars 3a, wherein the rails 14 slide in the support grooves 14a. Thus the skirts 15 support the guidance of the edge bar 3b on the rails 14. When the first pedestal elements 4a join the first edge bars 3a, the plug in protrusions or plug in pinions 8a interact with the plug in grooves 9a, so that the first pedestal elements 4a are displaceable in their entirety towards the edges of the large cargo carrier 1, this means they form a portion of the outer wall and terminate flush with the base element 2 or the first edge bar 3a.
Subsequently, as illustrated in
The edge bar 3a is configured double walled, thus it includes an inner edge bar section 17 and an outer edge bar section 18 and an upper wall section 19. In the portion of the plug in groove 9a, the inner edge bar section 17 is completely recessed. The recess of the inner edge bar section 17 in this embodiment includes a substantially rectangular section 20 and wing portions 21 extending on both sides in outward direction over the rectangular section 20. Alternative embodiments are feasible herein, for example also a trapezoid shape which is well known as a classic dove tail mechanism.
Two shoulders 23 for contacting the wings of the pedestal element are configured in the upper wall section 19 in the portion of the wing sections 21, so that a lifting of the pedestal elements in upward direction is prevented. The upper wall section 19 thus corresponding to the rectangular section 20 of the inner edge bar section 17 also includes a substantially rectangular upper wall recess 22. In the portion of the wing sections 21 of the inner edge bar section 17, the upper wall recess 22 thus extends over approximately ¼ of the width of the upper wall section 19 and in the portion of the rectangular section 20 of the inner edge bar section 17, the upper wall recess 22 extends over more than ¾ of the width of the upper wall section 19, wherein a respective shoulder 23 is configured on both sides of the rectangular recess 20 of the inner edge bar section 17. The wings of the pedestal element reach behind the shoulders 23 after assembling the plug in mechanisms, which secures the shoulders against a lift-off in upward direction.
Furthermore, the plug in mechanism optionally includes a contact element 24 configured as an arch which is arranged on an inside of the large cargo carrier in the outer edge bar section 18 in the portion of the rectangular section 20 of the inner edge bar section 17 and which envelops a bolt hole 25. Another number or shape of positioning elements than the three ramps 26 arranged adjacent to one another in an exemplary manner and oriented into the interior of the large cargo carrier 1 can be provided.
As apparent from
In
In this embodiment, the plug in mechanism 35 of the second pedestal element 4b includes a dove tail structure with two trapezes 38. Complementary thereto the plug in mechanism 36 of the first pedestal element 4a also includes a dove tail structure, thus a respective triangle 39 on the top side and on the bottom side and a trapeze 40 in the center which respectively form the four form locking surfaces 37. In the plug in mechanisms 35, 36, additional boreholes for bolted connections are arranged for additionally securing the attachment.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102010014349.9 | Apr 2010 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP10/03143 | 5/21/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/8/2012 |