Patent Publication Number: US-6666634-B1

Title: Positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform of a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Containers are usually positioned on a platform of a vehicle, such as a cargo ship, through extension rods and positioning assemblies. A conventional positioning assembly includes a container-connecting unit connected to an extension rod, and a platform-connecting rod that has an externally threaded portion engaging the container-connecting unit and that has a connecting end portion connected to a fitting of the platform of the vehicle. 
     Although the conventional positioning assembly can achieve its intended purpose, in actual use, due to undesired movement of the containers on the platform caused by repeated swaying of the ship on the sea surface, the container-connecting unit of the conventional positioning assembly tends to loosen rotatably such that the conventional positioning assembly is rendered ineffective. Even if a positioning nut is disposed threadedly on one end of the platform-connecting rod of the conventional positioning assembly, the container-connecting unit can still rotate out of the platform-connecting rod, thereby rendering the conventional positioning assembly similarly ineffective. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a positioning assembly that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to the present invention, a positioning assembly is adapted for positioning a container on a platform, and comprises an elongated container-connecting unit, a platform-connecting rod, and a limiting seat. The container-connecting unit includes an upper end adapted to be connected to the container, a lower end with a lower connecting seat that has a threaded hole formed therethrough, and two parallel support rods extending from the upper end to the lower end along a longitudinal direction of the container-connecting unit and connected fixedly to the lower connecting seat. The platform-connecting rod is adapted to be connected to the platform, and includes an externally threaded portion engaging the threaded hole in the lower connecting seat of the container-connecting unit, and an upper end surface that is formed with a limiting stud, which has a non-circular cross-sectioned engaging stud portion. The limiting seat is mounted slidably along the container-connecting unit, and has a bottom surface that abuts against the upper end surface of the platform-connecting rod. The limiting seat is formed with a limiting hole therethrough, which has a non-circular cross-sectioned engaging hole portion that engages fittingly the engaging stud portion of the limiting stud so as to arrest rotation of the externally threaded portion of the platform-connecting rod within the threaded hole in the lower connecting seat of the container-connecting unit, thereby positioning the platform-connecting rod relative to the container-connecting unit. The limiting seat is movable relative to the platform-connecting rod so as to disengage the engaging stud portion from the engaging hole portion, thereby permitting rotation of the platform-connecting rod within the threaded hole in the lower connecting seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partly exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a positioning assembly according to the present invention, illustrating a container-connecting unit, a platform-connecting rod, and a limiting seat of the first preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment in an assembled state; 
     FIG. 3 is a top schematic sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating how a non-circular cross-sectioned engaging hole portion of the limiting seat engages fittingly an engaging stud portion of a limiting stud of the platform-connecting rod, and how support rods of the container-connecting unit extend respectively through through holes in the limiting seat; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment in a state of use; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of a positioning assembly according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of the third preferred embodiment of a positioning assembly according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  4 , the first preferred embodiment of a positioning assembly  10  according to the present invention is adapted for positioning a container  9  on a platform  11  of a vehicle, such as a cargo ship (not shown), and is shown to comprise an elongated container-connecting unit  5 , a platform-connecting rod  7 , and a limiting seat  6 . 
     The container-connecting unit  5  includes an upper end  52 , a lower end  53 , and two parallel support rods  51 . The upper end  52  is adapted to be connected to the container  9 , and has an upper connecting seat  522  formed with a through hole  521  for extension of an extension rod  8  therethrough. The extension rod  8  has an enlarged lower end, which has a diameter substantially larger than that of the throughhole  521  in the upper connecting seat  522 . The lower end  53  of the container-connecting unit  5  has a lower connecting seat  532  formed with a threaded hole  531  therethrough. The support rods  51  extend from the upper end  52  to the lower end  53  along a longitudinal direction of the container-connecting unit  5 , and are connected fixedly to the lower connecting seat  53 . 
     The platform-connecting rod  7  is adapted to be connected to the platform  11 , and includes an externally threaded portion  71  engaging the threaded hole  531  in the lower connecting seat  532  of the container-connecting unit  5 , an inverted-U connector  72  provided on a lower end  711  of the externally threaded section  71 , and an upper end surface  712  that is formed with a limiting stud  73 , which has a non-circular cross-sectioned engaging stud portion  731 . In this embodiment, the engaging stud portion  731  has a hexagonal cross-section. 
     The limiting seat  6  is mounted slidably along the container-connecting unit  5 , and has a bottom surface  63  that abuts against the upper end surface  712  of the platform-connecting rod  7 . The limiting seat  6  is formed with a limiting hole  62  therethrough, which has a non-circular cross-sectioned engaging hole portion  621  that engages fittingly the engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73  so as to arrest rotation of the externally threaded portion  71  of the platform-connecting rod  7  within the threaded hole  531  in the lower connecting seat  532  of the container-connecting unit  5 , thereby positioning the platform-connecting rod  7  relative to the container-connecting unit  5 . In this embodiment, the engaging hole portion  621  has a hexagonal cross-section. The limiting seat  6  further has two through holes.  61  formed therethrough and located on two opposite sides of the limiting hole  62 . The through holes  61  in the limiting seat  6  are provided for extension of the support rods  51  therethrough so that the limiting seat  6  is slidable along the support rods  51 . The limiting seat  6  is movable relative to the platform-connecting rod  7  so as to disengage the engaging stud portion  731  from the engaging hole portion  621 , thereby permitting rotation of the platform-connecting rod  7  within the threaded hole  531  in the lower connecting seat  532 . 
     In use, after the platform-connecting rod  7  is connected to the container-connecting unit  5 , one end of the extension rod  8  is engaged to the upper connecting seat  521  of the container-connecting unit  5 , whereas the other end of the extension rod  8  is connected to a fitting (not shown) of the container  9 . At the same time, the inverted-U connector  72  of the platform-connecting rod  7  is engaged to a fitting (not shown) of the platform  11  of the cargo ship. Afterwards, the limiting seat  6  is lightly tapped, and due to its own weight, the limiting seat  6  slides downwardly along the support rods  51  until the engaging hole portion  621  of the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  engages fittingly the engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73  of the platform-connecting rod  7 , as best shown in FIG. 3, thereby positioning the platform-connecting rod  7  on the container-connecting unit  5 . Since each of the positioning assembly  10  and the extension rod  8  is in an inclined position, as shown in FIG. 4, the support rods  51  of the container-connecting unit  5  can restrain movement of the limiting seat  6  such that when the cargo ship repeatedly sways on the sea surface, the limiting seat  6  can maintain engagement with the limiting stud  73  of the platform-connecting rod  7 . Furthermore, since the inverted-U connector  72  of the platform-connecting rod  7  is connected fixedly and non-rotatably to the fitting of the platform  11  of the cargo ship, the limiting seat  6  and the connecting rod  7  cannot rotate relative to each other, thereby preventing movement of the externally threaded portion  71  of the platform-connecting rod  7  relative to the container-connecting unit  5 , and thereby positioning stably the container  9  on the cargo ship. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the positioning assembly  10  of the present invention in a state of actual use, wherein a plurality of the positioning assemblies  10  and a plurality of the extension rods  8  cooperate to stably position the containers  9  on the platform  11  of the cargo ship. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, the second preferred embodiment of the positioning assembly  10  according to the present invention is shown to be substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the platform-connecting rod  7  further includes a guide portion  74  that extends upwardly and convergingly from the non-circular cross-sectioned engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73 , thereby guiding movement of the engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73  into the engaging hole portion  621  of the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  when the limiting seat  6  moves downwardly toward the platform-connecting rod  7 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the third preferred embodiment of the positioning assembly  10  according to the present invention is shown to be substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  further has a downwardly diverging hole portion  622  at a lower end thereof so as to guide movement of the engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73  into the engaging hole portion  621  of the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  when the limiting seat  6  moves downwardly toward the platform-connecting rod  7 . 
     From the above description of the preferred embodiments of the positioning assembly  10  of the present invention, the advantages of the positioning assembly  10  of the present invention can be summarized as follows: 
     Due to coordination of the polygonal engaging hole portion  621  of the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  and the polygonal engaging stud portion  731  of the limiting stud  73  of the platform-connecting rod  7 , the container-connecting unit  5  and the platform-connecting rod  7  cannot rotate relative to each other, thereby preventing relative movement between the container-connecting unit  5  and the platform-connecting rod  7 , and thereby positioning stably the container  9  on the platform  11  of the cargo ship. Furthermore, due to the weight of the limiting seat  6 , it is only necessary to tap the limiting seat  6  so as to slide downwardly along the support rods  51  so that the limiting hole  62  in the limiting seat  6  can engage the limiting stud  73  of the platform-connecting rod  7 , thereby completing the positioning process, and thus making the positioning assembly  10  of the present invention simple and convenient to use. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.