Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for loading and/or unloading a transport cargo hold, in particular on a good vehicle, comprising at least one transport unit, by means of which goods units, particularly several thereof, may be simultaneously transported. According to the invention, the costs of said device may be reduced and the flexibility increased, whereby the transport unit may at least partly be introduced into the transport cargo hold.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP02/04413, filed Apr. 22, 2002, which designated the United States and was not published in English. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Field of the Invention 
   The invention is based on an apparatus for loading and/or unloading a transport compartment, in particular, a commercial motor vehicle, having at least one conveying unit by which, in particular, a plurality of goods units can be conveyed simultaneously. 
   Apparatuses of the generic type for loading and unloading transport compartments of commercial motor vehicles, using conveyor belts, are known. The apparatuses have a first conveyor belt installed in a loading region and a second conveyor belt installed in the transport compartment. To load a transport compartment, a plurality of goods units to be transported is placed on the conveyor belt installed in the loading region. The conveyor belts in the loading region and transport compartment are, then, driven synchronously and the goods units are conveyed into the transport compartment. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for loading and/or unloading a transport compartment that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that is inexpensive and can be used flexibly and efficiently. 
   With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for at least one of loading and unloading goods units to and from a transport compartment, including at least one conveying unit being at least partly inserted into the transport compartment and simultaneously conveying a plurality of goods units therein. 
   The invention is based on an apparatus for loading and/or unloading a transport compartment, in particular, of commercial motor vehicles, with at least one conveying unit through which, in particular, a plurality of goods units can be conveyed simultaneously. 
   It is proposed that the conveying unit be capable of being inserted at least partly into the transport compartment. The transport compartment can be loaded and/or unloaded completely with a large number of goods units in a few operations, preferably, in one operation, in a short time. Waiting times in loading regions can be reduced, and the level of utilization of commercial vehicles can be increased and, in particular, costly re-equipment of transport compartments with additional special apparatuses can be avoided. Furthermore, advantageous loading and/or unloading of numerous different standard transport compartments and, as a result, particularly flexible use is achieved. The apparatus according to the invention can be used in different areas of application appearing expedient to those skilled in the art, such as when loading and unloading rail containers, ship&#39;s containers, and so on, but, in particular, when loading and unloading commercial motor vehicle transport compartments, which can, frequently, be loaded only in their longitudinal direction. 
   The conveying unit can be constructed as a freely movable unit that has its own drive or can be moved manually or through separate conveying measures, for example, by a lift truck and so on. However, in accordance with another feature of the invention, the conveying unit is, particularly advantageously, installed in a loading region. Simple control of the conveying unit can be achieved and, in particular, existing buildings in the loading region can be used to store parts of the conveying unit, for example, to store a guide and/or support unit, a drive unit, and so on. 
   If the conveying unit has at least one gripping unit and at least one lifting unit, by which the goods units can be lifted off their base, the goods units can be conveyed into and out of the transport compartment, regardless of floor conditions and, possibly, without a ramp. Flexible handling can be achieved. The gripping unit can be implemented in various ways appearing expedient to those skilled in the art, for example, through the gripping unit, a force-fitting and/or form-fitting connection with the goods units can be produced, and in this case the gripping unit can be driven electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically, and/or manually. A force-locking connection is one that connects two elements together by force external to the elements, as opposed to a form-locking connection, which is provided by the shapes of the elements themselves. If the gripping unit is configured as a clamping unit, various goods units can be gripped simply without the latter having to be configured accordingly with holding elements. 
   It is conceivable that, using a single gripping unit in the loading/unloading direction, a plurality of goods units, possibly stacked, can be picked up by a single gripping unit. However, if at least two gripping units are provided one after the other in the loading/unloading direction, the goods units can be gripped particularly exactly and securely, specifically, in particular, if a gripping unit is provided for each goods unit in the loading/unloading direction or for each transverse row. Furthermore, small gripping units can be implemented that, for example, in the event of damage or to adapt to changing boundary conditions, such as transport compartments of different lengths, can be replaced, added and/or removed flexibly. 
   In a further refinement of the invention, it is proposed that the gripping unit be operatively connected to a guide and/or support unit that belongs to the conveying unit and can be inserted into the transport compartment, which means that advantageous guidance and positioning of the goods units can be achieved. The guide and/or support unit can be formed of various components or subassemblies appearing expedient to those skilled in the art, such as a guide frame and so on. However, the guide and/or support unit is, particularly preferably, formed by one or more beams, for example, with a double T section, by which a particularly space-saving construction can be implemented. If the guide-unit is configured in one piece with a support unit, additional components, installation space, installation effort, and costs can be saved. 
   If the guide and/or support unit is disposed above a holding region of the gripping unit, an advantageously narrow construction can be achieved, specifically in that lateral support and/or guide parts can be avoided. The guide and/or support unit can in this case be mounted in a frame or, advantageously, in a building ceiling that is frequently already present, for example, of a storage building, by which, again, additional components and installation space can be saved. In principle, however, the guide and/or support unit can also be disposed at the side of a pick-up region of the gripping unit. 
   Furthermore, it is proposed that the gripping unit be mounted such that it can be displaced on the guide and/or support unit, for example, through antifriction bearings or sliding bearings. Loading by the weight of the goods units during the insertion of the guide and/or support unit into the transport compartment can be avoided, and inexpensive mounting of the guide and/or support unit can be implemented. Furthermore, on the guide and/or support unit, at its end pointing in the direction of the transport compartment, a supporting element can, advantageously, be provided, for example, a supporting foot that can be extended telescopically and that can be extended following the insertion of the guide and/or support unit into the transport compartment and before the conveyance of the goods units. Large moments acting on the guide and/or support unit on account of long lever arms can be avoided, and an inexpensive construction can be achieved. 
   If the gripping unit has at least a second degree of freedom of movement in addition to a first degree of freedom of movement, the apparatus can be matched flexibly to a position of the transport compartment and/or to a position of the goods units provided. The gripping unit can be configured such that it can be pivoted about one or more axes and moved translationally in one or more directions. Here, the gripping unit can be configured to be mounted appropriately on the guide and/or support unit and/or the guide and/or support unit can be configured to be mounted appropriately. If the gripping unit can be moved transversely over a crossmember, a number of goods units provided transversely with respect to the loading/unloading direction can, in particular, be gripped simply and conveyed. Corresponding crossmembers can be implemented particularly simply if the guide and/or support unit is mounted on a building ceiling. Instead of a crossmember, it is, in principle, also conceivable to construct a floor element of a loading region to be moved in various directions in order to bring goods units into a gripping region of the conveying unit. 
   The gripping unit can be configured such that it can be driven about various axes and in various directions and/or mounted such that it can, advantageously, be moved freely or floating, at least with respect to one degree of freedom of movement, during the loading and/or unloading operation so that the gripping unit can automatically adapt, at least to a limited extent, to a position of the transport compartment and also to a position of the goods units provided. To achieve the situation where the gripping unit is freely movable with regard to at least one degree of freedom of movement, it can be expedient to decouple the gripping unit at least partly from a drive unit that could hamper free movement as a result of resistance forces. 
   If at least one goods unit can be supported by supporting rollers, specifically, in particular, on a floor of the transport compartment and/or on a floor of the loading region, complicated mounting of a support unit can be avoided. The support unit can be assisted or completely replaced in its function by the supporting rollers. Instead of supporting rollers, anti-bending units are also conceivable, for example, having a plunger that acts on the support unit and is driven hydraulically, pneumatically, and/or electrically. Anti-bending units are known, in particular, from the calendering engineering sector. 
   With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a In a commercial motor vehicle, an apparatus for at least one of loading and unloading goods units to and from a transport compartment of the vehicle, the apparatus including at least one conveying unit at least partly inserted into the transport compartment and simultaneously conveying a plurality of goods units therein. 
   With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an apparatus for at least one of loading and unloading goods units to and from a transport compartment in a loading and unloading direction, the goods units having a base, the apparatus including at least one conveying unit being at least partly inserted into the transport compartment and simultaneously conveying a plurality of goods units therein and having at least two gripping units disposed one after another in the loading and unloading direction for insertion into the transport compartment, at least two lifting units for lifting the goods units off of their base, and at least one guide and support unit operatively connected to the gripping unit. 
   With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method of at least one of loading and unloading a transport compartment, including the steps of providing an apparatus for at least one of loading and unloading goods units to and from the transport compartment with at least one conveying unit and at least partly inserting the conveying unit into the transport compartment and simultaneously conveying a plurality of the goods units therein. 
   With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method of at least one of loading and unloading a transport compartment with goods units having a base, including the steps of providing an apparatus for at least one of loading and unloading the goods units to and from the transport compartment in a loading and unloading direction with at least one conveying unit, disposing at least two gripping units one after another in the loading and unloading direction on the conveying unit, providing the conveying unit with at least two lifting units for lifting the goods units off of their base, operatively connecting at least one guide and support unit to the gripping units, and at least partly inserting the conveying unit and at least one of the gripping units into the transport compartment and simultaneously conveying a plurality of the goods units therein. 
   Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
   Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an apparatus for loading and/or unloading a transport compartment, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
   The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially side elevational side view of an apparatus according to the invention during a loading operation before the insertion of a support beam into a transport compartment; 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  following the insertion of the support beam into the transport compartment; 
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  after the loading operation; 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  before a lifting operation; 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 4  after the lifting operation; 
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  when gripping new goods units; 
       FIG. 7  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational top view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with supporting rollers; 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 7  before a lifting operation along the line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 7  after a lifting operation along the line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with a separately insertable support beam before a loading operation; 
       FIG. 11  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 10  following the insertion of the support beam into a transport compartment; 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 11  with the supporting foot extended; 
       FIG. 13  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 12  after the loading operation; and 
       FIG. 14  is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional and partially elevational side view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 7  with a freely movable conveying unit. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a schematically illustrated apparatus for loading and unloading transport compartments  10 , specifically, commercial motor vehicles  11 . The apparatus includes a conveying unit  13  that is installed in a loading region  12  and by which a plurality of goods units  16  can be conveyed simultaneously from the unloading region  12  into the transport compartment  10 . 
   The conveying unit  13  has a support beam  20  that is mounted through a guide unit  32  and through crossmembers  27  on a building ceiling  23  of a storage building, not specifically illustrated. The conveying unit  13  has a double T section, on which ten clamping units  17  are fixed one after another in the loading/unloading direction. The support beam  20  is disposed above a holding region  22  of the clamping units  17 . The clamping units  17  have two substantially vertically aligned legs  28 ,  29  and a crossbeam  30 , on which the legs  28 ,  29  are mounted such that they can be moved toward each other and driven hydraulically ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ). 
   The crossbeam  30  is connected to the support beam  20  through a hydraulic reciprocating cylinder  31  that forms a lifting unit  18 , by which the goods units  16  in the clamping units  17  can be lifted off their base (B). It is also possible to provide a lifting unit between the legs  28 ,  29  or to configure the support beam  20  such that it can be lifted by a central lifting unit. 
   To load the transport compartment  10 , goods units  16  provided with the clamping units  17 , disposed beside one another in three rows and stacked threefold above one another, are traveled over. In the process, the support beam  20  with the guide unit  32  is moved in the crossmembers  27  fixed to the building ceiling  23 , transversely with respect to the loading/unloading device  19 , in front of or behind the goods units  16  provided, and, then, moved over the goods units  16  in the longitudinal direction in the guide unit  32  (see  FIG. 6 ). Given sufficiently high buildings, it would also be conceivable for the clamping units  17  to be raised by a lifting unit until the clamping units  17  can be moved transversely over the goods units  16  provided. 
   Once the legs  28 ,  29  of the clamping units  17 , come to lie in their desired position laterally beside the goods units  16 , the goods units  16  are gripped by the clamping units  17 , to be specific, preferably, nine goods units  16  or one transverse row of goods units  16  per clamping unit  17  or, in the case of an overlapping gripping technique, eighteen goods units  16 . 
   Once the goods units  16  are fixed securely in the clamping units  17 , they are, respectively, lifted off their base (B) by the reciprocating cylinders  31  of the lifting unit  18 . Then, the support beam  20  with the clamping units  17  and the goods units  16  secured therein are introduced into the transport compartment  10  (from  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 2 ). The support beam  20  is displaced in the longitudinal direction in the guide unit  32 . To achieve a situation where the conveying unit  13  can match the position of the transport compartment  10 , the support beam  20  can move freely in the transverse direction in the crossmembers  27  during the insertion into the transport compartment  10 . To compensate for an angular offset, it is also conceivable to configure the support beam  20  such that it can be pivoted about a vertical and/or horizontal axis. 
   After the goods units  16  have been inserted into the transport compartment  10 , the goods units  16  are set down on a floor of the transport compartment  10  by the lifting unit  18 , and the clamping units  17  are opened. The support beam  20  with the clamping units  17  is, then, guided out of the transport compartment  10  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
   During an unloading operation of the transport compartment  10  (illustrated, for example, from  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 1 ), the support beam  20  with the empty clamping units  17  is guided over the goods units  16  in the transport compartment  10 , the clamping units  17  are closed, the goods unit  16  are lifted by the lifting unit  18  and, then, the support beam  20  with the clamping units  17  and the goods units  16  fixed therein is conveyed out of the transport compartment  10 . 
   A first alternative apparatus is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 to 9 , a second alternative apparatus is illustrated in  FIGS. 10 to 13 , and a third alternative apparatus is illustrated in  FIG. 14 . Substantially constant components are in principle numbered with the same reference symbols. Furthermore, with regard to constant features and functions, reference can be made to the description of the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 to 6 . The following description is substantially restricted to the differences with respect to the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 to 6 . 
   The apparatus in  FIGS. 7 to 9  has a conveying unit  14  in which supporting rollers  24  are fixed to a support beam  20  by U-shaped frames. Goods units  16  to be transported can be supported on a floor of a loading region  12  and on a floor of a transport compartment  10  by clamping units  17 , the support beam  20 , the U-shaped frames, and by the supporting rollers  24 . The support beam  20  is assisted in its supporting function by the supporting rollers  24  and is used substantially for lateral guidance. To achieve the situation where the clamping units  17  with the goods units  16  can follow a floor inclination, in particular, in the transport compartment  10 , the support beam  20  is mounted such that it can move freely in the vertical direction. 
   The apparatus in  FIGS. 10 to 13  has a conveying unit  15  in which clamping units  17  are mounted such that they can be displaced on a support beam  21 , to be specific, through antifriction bearings not specifically illustrated. To load a transport compartment  10 , firstly, the support beam  21  is inserted into the transport compartment  10  without the clamping units  17 . Fixed to the support beam  21 , at its end  25  pointing in the direction of the transport compartment  10 , is a supporting element  26  that is formed by a telescopic supporting foot  33  that can be extended hydraulically. 
   Once the support beam  21  has been inserted completely into the transport compartment  10  ( FIG. 11 ), the supporting foot  33  is extended as shown in  FIG. 12 . Then, the clamping units  17 , with the goods units  16  secured therein and lifted by a lifting unit  18 , are conveyed into the transport compartment  10  in a suspended manner along the support beam  21  ( FIG. 13 ). 
   After the goods units  16  have been set down by the lifting unit  18 , after the clamping units  17  have been opened, and after the supporting foot  33  has been retracted again, the support beam  21 , together with the clamping units  17 , is guided out of the transport compartment  10 . 
   The apparatus in  FIG. 14  has a freely movable conveying unit  34 , in which supporting rollers  24  are fixed to a support unit  35  through U-shaped frames. Goods units  16  to be transported can be supported on a floor of a loading region  12  and on the floor of a transport compartment  10  through clamping units  17 , the support unit  35 , the U-shaped frames, and the supporting rollers  24 . The conveying unit  34  can be driven with a non-illustrated integrated motor and can be controlled by radio, for example. In principle, however, it would also be conceivable for the conveying unit  34  to be moved by a lift truck or be moved manually.