Patent Application
20230146867
The invention relates to a lifting device for the transportation of a vehicle, in particular of a trailer and/or motor vehicle, comprising a support structure which is suitable for releasable or firm connection to the vehicle, in particular to a vehicle underbody of the vehicle, and comprising at least one lifting unit which is provided to lift the vehicle in a lifting direction from a lowered vehicle position, in which the vehicle rests on a ground surface, into a completely or partially lifted vehicle position.
The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular to a motor vehicle or a trailer, having a lifting device according to the invention as well as to a method for the transportation of a vehicle by means of such a lifting device.
The term vehicle below is understood to mean all self-driven vehicles, in particular motor vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, tracked vehicles or other commercial vehicles, but also to any designs of trailers which do not have a separate drive.
Vehicles, i.e., motor vehicles or trailers, are used not only in road traffic but also off-road, in open, sometimes rough terrains, for the transport of vehicle occupants and/or goods, but also for construction or rescue work and/or for surveying of the terrain. When driving off-road, it can happen that the wheels, chains or other drive means which are usually provided for the transportation of the vehicle, for example, on a muddy or sandy ground surface, but also on ice or snow, spin due to lack of traction and can no longer transport the vehicle. It is precisely in the case of sand or mud that it can moreover happen that the wheels of the vehicle dig in, which also results in transportation no longer being possible. Another challenge when driving off-road consists in overcoming obstacles, for example, an elevation or a ledge. Depending on the height of the obstacle, driving across the obstacle is not at all possible using the conventional wheel drive, or, when an attempt to drive across is made, the vehicle underbody may bottom out, whereby the vehicle becomes stuck on the obstacle and can no longer be transported.
For example, from DE 26 06 399 A1, an all-terrain vehicle is known, on the bottom underside of which, that is to say on the vehicle underbody, hydraulic cylinders designed as lifting cylinders are pivotably arranged, the bearing axles of which extend transversely to the vehicle longitudinal direction. By means of the hydraulic cylinders attached on the vehicle, transportation, supporting and lifting of the vehicle are to be enabled. The control of the lifting cylinder can take place automatically or manually from the vehicle interior. However, using the described device, an actual or complete lifting of the all-terrain vehicle is not possible, as a result of which it is impossible to overcome obstacles. For transportation, the wheels must still rest on the ground surface and actually roll. The lifting cylinder is used only for pushing the vehicle, as a result of which a lateral transportation can also not be implemented.
A supporting steering device and a walking device for a vehicle are known from CN 103 434 498. The supporting steering device comprises a hydraulic cylinder which is pivotably connected at its lower end to a bottom plate for resting on the ground surface and at its upper end to a rotating plate arranged on the motor vehicle. Thereby, the supporting steering device, if it is not in use, can be brought in contact with the vehicle underbody, and, if necessary, it can be pivoted out, wherein the motor vehicle is lifted into a lifted position in which all four wheels lose contact with the ground surface. Subsequently, the vehicle can be rotated 180° by means of the rotating plate, for example, to perform a “U-turn.” In addition, the motor vehicle is provided with a running device which includes four separate “feet” which are supposed to enable a running movement due to the pivoting of multiple plates and arms about respective pivot axles connecting said plates and arms to one another. On the one hand, such a “walking” transportation is complicated in terms of control technology and nearly impossible to perform on an uneven or slippery ground surface. In addition, such transportation also leads to intense rocking of the motor vehicle, which decreases the comfort for the vehicle occupants.
Overall, the devices disclosed in the prior art are often not very reliable in use or implemented in a complicated and expensive manner, whereby in particular the only limited existing installation space on the vehicle underbody is completely occupied and/or the ground clearance is considerably influenced. In addition, the described devices are also not suitable for the transportation of heavy motor vehicles having a total weight of more than several tons, such as, for example, trucks, since the movable components, in particular the deployable or pivotable components, are not suitable for accommodating the transverse forces and bending moments occurring here.
Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages from the prior art and to create a lifting device for the transportation of a vehicle, in particular of a trailer or of motor vehicle, which in particular makes it also possible to free a heavy vehicle, in particular a heavy trailer or a heavy motor vehicle having a weight of at least several tons, such as, for example, trucks, all-terrain vehicles, tracked vehicles or other commercial vehicles or trailers, from an immobilized state, to overcome obstacles and to further increase the maneuverability overall.
The aim is achieved by a lifting device according to claim 1, by a vehicle having a lifting device according to claim 12, and by a method according to claim 15.
A lifting device according to the invention of the type described in further detail at the beginning is characterized in that the support structure comprises one or more guide rails as well as one or more guide rods which are guided linearly in the guide rails, wherein the guide rails are indirectly or directly connected to the vehicle and the guide rods are indirectly or directly connected to at least one lifting unit, so that, in the lifted vehicle position, the guide rails, together with the vehicle, can be moved linearly relative to the ground surface, in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or in the vehicle longitudinal direction y, and, in the lowered vehicle position, the guide rods, together with the at least one lifting unit, can be moved linearly relative to the ground surface, in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or in the vehicle transverse direction y.
However, alternatively, according to the invention, the guide rods can also be indirectly or directly connected to the vehicle, and the guide rails can be indirectly or directly connected to at least one lifting unit, so that, in the lifted vehicle position, the guide rods, together with a vehicle, can be moved linearly relative the ground surface, in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or in the vehicle transverse direction y, and, in the lowered vehicle position, the guide rails, together with the at least one lifting unit, can be moved linearly relative to the ground surface, in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or in the vehicle transverse direction y.
Thus, according to the invention, a lifting device is provided, which comprises at least one lifting unit and a support structure, wherein the support structure includes one or more guide rails and guide rods guided therein. Only the guide rails (or alternatively the guide rods) are connected to the vehicle itself, preferably to its underbody or to another supporting component of the vehicle. This connection can be implemented as firm or else releasable to enable subsequent retrofitting of a vehicle or, if necessary, assembly and disassembly also in the case of repair. Likewise, an indirect connection via adapter pieces is possible.
The at least one lifting unit, which is driven, for example, via one or more linear actuator(s) such as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, electrically deployable actuators or other linear actuator principles known from the prior art, makes it possible for the vehicle to be lifted from its lowered position with its wheels, chains or other drive means on the ground surface into a completely lifted vehicle position (also operating position) in which the wheels, chains or other drive means are not in contact with the ground surface or into a partially lifted vehicle position in which a portion of the wheels, chains or other drive means is not in contact with the ground surface and for the vehicle to be put down again. For the transportation of the vehicle, the at least one lifting unit is connected to one or more guide rods (or alternatively guide rails) of the support structure. The guide rods are guided in the guide rails and, together with the at least one lifting unit, can be moved relative to the guide rails and consequently also relative the vehicle. Depending on the orientation of the support structure, a linear displacement of the lifting unit relative to the vehicle in a direction in a plane parallel to the underbody, in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or the vehicle transverse direction y, is enabled.
According to the invention, in the lifted vehicle position, a relative movement between guide rail and guide rod leads to a displacement of the guide rail with the vehicle attached thereto with respect to the ground surface, while the lifting unit supported on the ground surface as well as the guide rod itself remain stationary in their original position. Vice versa, in the lowered vehicle position, in which the vehicle rests on the ground surface, a relative movement between guide rail and guide rod leads to a displacement of the guide rod, together with the lifting unit attached thereto, with respect to the ground surface, while the vehicle, together with the guide rail, remains stationary in its original position.
In this way, a vehicle can be transported by repeated lifting, displacement, lowering, without the need to use the separate drive of the vehicle. Advantageously, the vehicle can thus be freed from an “immobilized” position and/or moved over obstacles. Likewise advantageously, the implementation of the lifting device by guide rods guided in guide rails enables a particularly stable design, whereby the absorption of high transverse forces and/or high bending moments is enabled, so that particularly heavy vehicles having a weight of at least several tons, such as, for example, trucks, all-terrain vehicles, tracked vehicles or other commercial vehicles or trailers, can also be lifted and transported.
Advantageous embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims and explained in further detail below.
Thus, the lifting device can comprise one or more guide rails and one or guide rods which are oriented parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or parallel to the vehicle transverse direction y, so that the guide rods are guided in the guide rails linearly in the vehicle longitudinal direction x and/or linearly in the vehicle transverse direction y.
Preferably, multiple, in particular two, guide rails with guide rods guided therein are indirectly or directly connected to the vehicle parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction x and parallel to one another, so that it is possible to transport the vehicle in the vehicle longitudinal direction x, forward or backward as desired. Additionally or alternatively, multiple, in particular two, guide rails with guide rods guided therein can be indirectly or directly connected to the vehicle parallel to the vehicle transverse direction y and parallel to one another, in order to be able to laterally transport the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction y.
In order to further increase the stability, it is also advantageous if, according to an embodiment, the support structure comprises at least two guide rails oriented parallel to one another with respective guide rods guided therein, wherein the guide rails are connected to one another via a rail connection piece and the guide rods are connected to one another via a rod connection piece to form a linearly extendible frame structure, and wherein the rail connection piece can be moved relative to the rod connection piece.
Due to the fact that two guide rails and two guide rods guided therein are each connected to one another via a rail connection piece or a rod connection piece in the manner of a frame, the ability of the support structure to absorb transverse forces and/or bending moments is further increased. The guide rods connected to one another via the rod connection piece can be deployed “in the manner of drawers” by means of linear actuators preferably located in between, which are designed, for example, as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, or are electrically driven.
Furthermore, it is advantageous for the operation if the guide rods are arranged within the guide rails and if at least two inner walls of the guide rails are designed as supporting or sliding surfaces on which the guide rods are supported when subjected to corresponding forces.
For example, the guide rods can be designed as completely closed or partially open pipes or supports having a rectangular, round or other suitable cross section. The guide rods guided in the interior of the guide rails have a complementary cross section and, depending on the direction of the acting forces and/or moments, they are supported on the corresponding inner walls of the guide rails. To the extent that the support structure, for example, in the lowered vehicle position, “hangs” under the vehicle, the weight of the lifting unit acts in the direction of the ground surface, while, in the lifted vehicle position, the weight of the vehicle itself acts in the direction of the ground surface. The guide rods can be supported on the upper and lower inner walls of the guide rails. The inner walls of the guide rails, which in the operating position of the vehicle are temporarily oriented, specifically parallel to the vehicle vertical axis z, laterally support the guide rods and thus prevent a tilting of the guide rods in the guide rails. At the same time, the inner walls of the guide rails are also used as sliding surfaces on which the guide rods slide when deployed or retracted.
As a rule, the at least one lifting unit is arranged under the support structure with respect to the vehicle vertical axis z. However, to save ground clearance, an advantageous embodiment provides that, with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction x, at least one lifting unit is oriented longitudinally with respect to the vehicle support structure and is connected to one or more guide rods in such a way that the support structure and the at least one lifting unit are arranged in a common plane, wherein the lifting unit extends either between mutually adjacent guide rails or is arranged longitudinally with respect to one or more guide rods.
Due to the fact that the lifting units are arranged in a plane with the support structure, before or after or in between or next to the support structure, the overall extension of the lifting device in the vehicle vertical axis z can be reduced, for example, in order to enable an attachment on vehicles with only little ground clearance.
It is possible that one or more lifting units are arranged exclusively on a vehicle longitudinal side or vehicle transverse side, wherein the vehicle can then be moved along the lifting direction h from the lowered vehicle position into an only partially lifted vehicle position.
Due to the fact that only a portion of the vehicle is lifted and the other portion, in particular the front or rear wheels, chains or other drive means, continue to rest on the ground surface, the vehicle can be transported in the manner of a wheelbarrow by deployment of the guide rods, wherein the lifting unit is supported on one vehicle side on the ground surface, and, on the respective other vehicle side, the rails, chains or other drive means resting on the ground surface roll or slide on the ground surface. With this embodiment variant, heavier loads can be lifted and/or transported, since both the support structure and also the lifting unit support only a portion of the vehicle weight.
Precisely in combination with the above-described embodiment variant, the connection of the at least one lifting unit to one or more guide rods or to one or more guide rails is advantageously designed to be fixed, so that the lifting direction h is always oriented substantially parallel to the vehicle vertical axis z.
When the vehicle is lifted on only one vehicle longitudinal side, for example, the front or rear vehicle longitudinal side, a rotation or a pivoting of the vehicle about a transverse axis arranged on the opposite vehicle longitudinal side takes place, and the vehicle is set up at a slant or tilted. By a rigid or fixed connection of the lifting unit to the support structure, more precisely to the guide rods, the lifting direction h which is directed orthogonally to the ground surface at the beginning also “rotates” and always extends parallel to the vehicle vertical axis z, and the vehicle is lifted by translation. Such a design further increases the stability of the overall system.
During travel, in order not to affect the normal vehicle operation, according to an alternative design of the invention, the connection of the at least one lifting unit to one or more guide rods or to one or more guide rails can be implemented by means of an articulation, so that the at least one lifting unit can be pivoted and/or rotated between a transport position and an operating position.
In this design, the at least one lifting unit and the guide rods or the guide rails can additionally be connected to one another via one or more pivot cylinders. By actuation of the pivot cylinders, the at least one lifting unit can be pivoted out of the transport position, in which the at least one lifting unit is arranged, for example, in the interior, in the storage space and/or on a loading surface of the vehicle, into the operating position, in which the at least one lifting unit is oriented for lifting and lowering the vehicle, or said lifting unit can be pivoted out of the operating position into the transport position. Depending on the predetermined space conditions, it can be advantageous that the articulation axis extends along or parallel to the guide rails or guide rods or is oriented transversely or orthogonally thereto.
A particularly compact or space-saving transport position, whereby, for example, the arrangement of the lifting device during normal vehicle operation in a passenger car trunk space is enabled, can be implemented according to an optional variant of the invention, in that one or more components of the at least one lifting unit and/or of the support structure, in particular lifting cylinders, lifting guides, guide rails, guide rods, linear rail actuators and/or pivot cylinders, are telescopically designed, so that the at least one lifting unit can be moved linearly between the transport position and an operating position and/or the vehicle in the lifted vehicle position can be moved linearly relative to the ground surface.
Thus, in particular a telescopic design of the guide rails and/or of the guide rods contributes not only to the facilitated transport of the lifting device but also to the transportation of the vehicle. By a telescopic design of the lifting units, additional space can be saved in the transport position. In combination with a design in which the at least one lifting unit is connected to one or more guide rods or to one or more guide rails by means of an articulation, the at least one lifting unit can thus be first linearly deployed, for example, from a transport position, and subsequently pivoted about the articulation axis into the operating position.
According to an advantageous variant of the invention, in order to achieve additional stability, the at least one lifting unit comprises a stopping means which stops the at least one lifting unit in a retracted, completely deployed or partially deployed position.
In the case of particularly heavy loads, when the vehicle is displaced by means of the support structure, very high forces act on the completely or partially deployed lifting unit. To be able to reduce the load on the lifting unit, said lifting unit can be designed with a stopping means, for example, a toothing, which, if necessary, stops the lifting unit in the desired deployed position.
Finally, it is also advantageous if the support structure is designed for indirect or direct attachment to one or more longitudinal and/or cross members of the vehicle underbody of the vehicle, wherein at least one wall of the longitudinal and/or cross member connected to the support structure is designed as supporting or sliding surface on which the guide rods of the support structure are supported when subjected to corresponding forces.
In this design, the load-bearing capacity of the vehicle underbody, in particular of the longitudinal and/or cross members there, of the vehicle to be transported itself is to be used. For this purpose, a wall of a longitudinal and/or cross member oriented downward with respect to the vehicle vertical axis z, in the direction of the ground surface, can replace an inner wall of a guide rail as supporting and/or sliding surface. In this case, the guide rail is partially open, designed, for example, as a U-profile. In particular, this embodiment variant is suitable for forming the device with a lower overall weight, in order not to exceed, for example, acceptable loads of the vehicle.
The invention therefore also relates to a vehicle, in particular to a motor vehicle or to a trailer, having a lifting device according to one of the above-described embodiment variants, wherein the one or more guide rails of the support structure are indirectly or directly connected firmly or releasably to the vehicle, wherein an attachment on the vehicle underbody and/or on the vehicle roof and/or to a vehicle loading surface and/or on the vehicle frame and/or on the vehicle body takes place.
Preferably, the lifting device is connected firmly or releasably to supporting components of the vehicle, although it can nonetheless be positioned in the desired position, in particular under the vehicle. Individual components of the device, in particular drive elements and/or fuel tanks but also an associated open-loop and/or closed-loop control device can also be accommodated within a storage space, a passenger compartment or on a loading surface of the vehicle.
In an advantageous embodiment, the one or more guide rails of the support structure are attached to one or more longitudinal members and/or cross members of the vehicle underbody of the vehicle, wherein at least one wall of the longitudinal member and/or cross member connected to the support structure is designed as supporting or sliding surface on which the guide rods of the support structure are supported when subjected to corresponding forces.
In the case in which the longitudinal members and/or cross members do not comprise a flat extending sliding surface along which the guide rods can slide, an adapter structure can advantageously be provided, which is arranged between the longitudinal members and/or cross members and the guide rods or the guide rails. The side of the adapter structure facing the guide rods or the guide rails preferably comprises a straight and flat sliding surface; the remaining sides can be supported on the longitudinal members and/or cross members and are advantageously designed to be complementary to their course.
In order not to affect the normal vehicle operation, it is advantageous that the at least one lifting unit in a transport position is arranged in a storage space and/or on a loading surface and/or on the roof and/or on the engine hood and/or on the trunk lid of the vehicle and/or on the vehicle front and/or on the vehicle rear and/or laterally on the vehicle.
In a development, the at least one lifting unit can be moved and/or pivoted by means of the support structure between the transport position and an operating position for the transportation of the vehicle, wherein one or more components of the at least one lifting unit and/or of the support structure are telescopically designed and/or the at least one lifting unit is pivotably or rotatably connected via an articulation to the support structure. In an arrangement of the at least one lifting unit on the vehicle front and/or on the vehicle rear, the articulation makes it possible to pivot the at least one lifting unit in in the transport position in order to avoid obstruction of the view.
Finally, the aim of the invention formulated at the beginning is also achieved by a method for the transportation of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle or trailer, by means of a lifting device according to one of the above-described embodiments.
Here, the vehicle is lifted by means of at least one lifting unit of the lifting device in a lifting direction from a lowered vehicle position, in which the vehicle rests on the ground surface, into a completely or partially lifted vehicle position, is displaced in the lifted vehicle position relative to the ground surface by means of mutually movable guide rails and guide rods of a support structure of the lifting device, and is lowered from the completely or partially lifted vehicle position into the lowered vehicle position by means of the at least one lifting unit of the lifting device.
Optionally, the at least one lifting unit can be deployed by means of the support structure from a transport position into an operating position and/or be pivoted out of the transport position into the operating position by means of an articulation connecting the at least one lifting unit and the support structure. After the transportation of the vehicle has taken place, the at least one lifting unit can naturally be correspondingly pivoted in and/or retracted from the operating position into the transport position.
Additional details, features, (sub) combinations of features, advantages and effects on the basis of the invention result from the following description of preferred embodiment examples of the invention and the drawings.
The figures are merely exemplary in nature and used only for the understanding of the invention. Identical elements are always provided with identical reference numerals, and for this reason, as a rule, they are also described only once. The represented embodiment variants are mostly symmetrical with respect to their longitudinal axis and partially symmetrical with respect to their transverse axis. For clarity, elements which are mirrored on these axes in the figures are always marked only once with a reference numeral.
In
Between the guide rails 110 and oriented parallel thereto at least one linear rail actuator is provided, in the exemplary embodiment variant three linear rail actuators 150 being provided, one end of which is supported on the rail connection piece 130 and the other end of which is supported on the rod connection piece 140. The linear rail actuators 150 can be designed, for example, as hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, electrolinear units, etc., and they are preferably actuated by the operator or by an open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit in order to move the support structure 100 from the completely retracted position shown here into a partially or completely deployed position (see
On the respective connection section 121 of the guide rods 120, in each case a lifting unit 200 is arranged, which is provided for lifting and lowering the vehicle 500 from a lowered vehicle position into a lifted vehicle position and vice versa. The lifting unit 200 substantially includes a lifting support 211 which is arranged on an upper section 210 of the lifting unit 200, which faces the vehicle 500, as well as a pivotable articulated traction foot 300 which is arranged on a lower section 220 of the lifting unit 200, which faces the ground surface 400. For deploying the lifting unit 200, one or more linear actuators 230 are supported on the lifting support 211 and on the traction foot 300. In the representation shown here, in each case two external linear actuators 230 are pivotably attached to the two longitudinal-side ends of the lifting support 211 and they are guided in each case by a linear guide 231 lying in between. The linear guides 231 are used for absorbing transverse forces and/or bending moments which could and can damage the linear actuators 230, and, like the guide rails 110 as well, can have different cross-sectional shapes, in particular a rectangular, circular, oval, T-shaped, U-shaped, double T-shaped, cross-sectional shape, etc. In the lower section 220 of the lifting unit 200, the traction foot 300 is pivotably articulated to the linear actuators 230, in order to be able to compensate for irregularities and/or gradients of the ground surface 400. In order to increase the friction between ground surface 400 and traction foot 300, the latter has a traction profile 310. In the completely retracted position of the lifting unit 200 shown here, lifting support 211, linear actuators 230 as well as traction foot 300 are oriented parallel to the guide rails 110 and to the guide rods 120 of the support structure 100, whereby the necessary installation space is reduced, in particular under the vehicle 500.
In order to completely stop the lifting unit 200 in a completely or partially deployed position, the linear guide 231 arranged between the linear actuators 230 can be designed with a stopping means 260. The stopping means 260 is designed here, for example, as toothing 261 which extends along a guide rod of the linear guide 231. A tooth anchor 262 having a counter-toothing designed to complementarily fit the toothing 261 is connected to the guide rail of the linear guide 231. In order to move the tooth anchor 262 into a position engaging in the toothing 261 and thus be able to stop the lifting unit 200 in the desired deployed position, if necessary, an actuator 263 or an electromagnet is connected to the tooth anchor 262 in order to pivot and/or to perform linear movements. Alternatively, the toothing 261 on the linear guide 231 and/or the counter-toothing on the tooth anchor 262 can be dispensed with, and a locking of the lifting unit alone can be implemented via static friction. In this case, it is also conceivable to attach the tooth anchor 262 alternatively or additionally to one or more linear actuators 230.
An exemplary movement course for the transportation of the vehicle 500, if said vehicle has become stuck, for example, on an unpaved ground surface, is diagrammatically sketched in
The described process can be repeated as many times as desired in order to negotiate the desired distance. By reversing the movement course, the transportation direction f can also be reversed. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to design the vehicle with lifting units on both longitudinal sides or transverse sides, whereby said vehicle can be transferred into a completely lifted vehicle position. In order to establish maximum friction between traction foot 300 and ground surface 400, it is appropriate to position the lifting units 200 in the vicinity of or as much as possible under the center of gravity of the vehicle.
In
For the lateral deployment, i.e., in the vehicle transverse direction y, of the transverse guide rod 120b out of the transverse guide rails 110b, one or more transverse linear actuators 172 are supported with one end thereof on the transverse guide rail 110b and with the other end thereof on the transverse guide rod 120b and are designed, for example, as hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, electrolinear units or according to another linear drive principle. By positioning of all the components necessary for deployment or retraction of the transverse guide rod 120b in the vehicle transverse direction y, any states of the longitudinal-side deployment can be combined independently of one another with any states of the transverse-side deployment. In the lifted vehicle position, during the transverse-side displacement of the vehicle 500, the subsystem for the transverse movement 170 must be rotatable with respect to the longitudinal guide rails 110a, in order to avoid material stresses which otherwise occur and which could lead possibly to destruction of components. In order to ensure that a rotation angle of the support structure 100 with respect to the subsystem for the transverse movement 170 returns to its starting state after the vehicle 500 has been transported, it is possible, for example, to provide pivoting linear actuators 173 and/or pivot springs 174 designed as traction-thrust springs and/or a pivot motor 175 indirectly or directly connected as rotating motor to the pivot bearing 171. In the representation, all three variants are shown purely as examples, wherein, in the practical implementation, only one of the variants should be used. In the embodiment shown according to
A diagrammatic perspective representation of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the lifting device 10 according to the invention can be obtained from
Since the supporting structure of the vehicle 500 almost completely absorbs forces and moments transmitted by the lifting units 200, the guide rails 110 and the guide rods 120, in the case of identical deployment path or displacement of the vehicle 500, can be designed to be shorter than in the previously described embodiments. However, in order to prevent, in the deployed state of the guide rods 120 out of the guide rails 110 and with simultaneously lowered vehicle 500 resting on the ground surface 400, the guide rods 120 from tipping over laterally in transverse direction y and/or downward in the direction of the ground surface 400, the guide rods 120 each comprise rail extensions 111 which are open upward in the direction of the vehicle underbody. The upper side of the rail extensions 111, directed in the direction of the vehicle underbody, has no guiding and/or supporting function; instead the lifting supports 211 are supported on the lower sides of the longitudinal member 510 of the vehicle 500, which face the ground surface 400.
From
In
In order to transfer a self-driving traction vehicle back into a position allowing maneuverability, according to the sixth embodiment in
The lifting units 200 described in the different embodiments can each also be designed as a more simply constructed vertical lifting unit, if the installation space available allows this. The use of other lifting units 200 known from the prior art, such as, for example, a scissor-type jack, is naturally also conceivable. In the following paragraphs, different exemplary designs of a traction foot 300 are explained in greater detail. Each of the explained designs can be combined both with a lifting unit 200 according to one of embodiment examples 1 to 5 and also with a lifting unit 200, designed as a vertical lifting unit according to embodiment example 6 or even with another lifting unit 200 known from the prior art, such as, for example, a scissor-type jack.
A diagrammatic perspective representation of a first exemplary embodiment of a traction foot 300, which is articulated to a lower section 220 of a lifting unit 200 designed as vertical lifting unit, can be obtained from
A second exemplary embodiment of a traction foot 300 is shown in
Finally, from
From
Thus,
The lifting device 10 represented in
An alternative embodiment of the lifting device 10, in which the articulation axes of two articulations 270 are oriented parallel and the pivoting cylinders 271 are oriented orthogonally to the guide rods 120 and the guide rails 110, can be obtained from
Alternatively, but not represented in the figures, an additional embodiment is conceivable, in which the respective vertical lifting units 201 are mounted so that they can be pivoted and/or rotated about an articulation axis of respective articulations 270, which is oriented orthogonally to the guide rods 120 and which protrudes from a plane predetermined by the support structure 100 or “stands” perpendicularly on the guide rods 120.
In all the previously described embodiments of the lifting device 10, it can be advantageous to telescopically design one or more components of the lifting units 200, of the vertical lifting units 201 and/or of the support structure 100, so that the lifting device 10, in particular the lifting units 200 and/or the vertical lifting units 201 can (also) be linearly moved between a compact or space-saving transport position and an operating position.
Such an exemplary embodiment, in which the lifting device 10 is shown in a pivoted-in and retracted transport position, can be obtained from
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2020 110 268.2 | Apr 2020 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/059162 | 4/8/2021 | WO |
