IP Library Granted Patent US 12686322
Granted Patent B2
US 12686322 · App. 18/567,704 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Container locking device and container locking method

Inventor: Heinz-Ruediger Metternich (Eversen-Heide, DE)
Assignee: Hamburger Patent Schmiede GmbH
B60P7/132
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686322
App. No.
18/567,704
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A container locking device on a vehicle (F), for locking a container to be transported on a loading surface of the vehicle and having a corner fitting, comprising a lock housing ( 1 ), a locking bolt ( 2 ) and a drive ( 3 ), said locking bolt ( 2 ) having a shaft ( 20 ) and a locking head ( 21 ) which, in the unlocked state, can be introduced via an opening in the corner fitting of the container and, in the locked state, secures the container via projections engaging behind the opening in the corner fitting, the locking bolt ( 2 ) with its shaft ( 20 ) being mounted so as to be both axially movable in the lock housing ( 1 ) and also rotatable about its axis. A wedge slide ( 4 ) is mounted in the lock housing ( 1 ) so as to be movable to and fro laterally, that is to say perpendicularly to the axis of the locking bolt ( 2 ), and can be driven by the drive ( 3 ), and the wedge slide ( 4 ) has a lead-in slope which engages with the locking bolt ( 2 ) during the lateral movement of the wedge slide ( 4 ) and allows the locking bolt ( 2 ) an axial movement and a rotary movement about 90°, a horizontal lock bolt ( 7 ) being mounted in the lock housing ( 1 ) so as to be axially and horizontal movable. The invention also relates to a container locking method for said container locking device.

Claims (28)

1 . A container locking device on a vehicle (F), adjustable between a locked state for locking a container with a corner fitting ( 9 ) to be transported on a loading surface ( 13 ) of the vehicle (F) and an unlocked state in which the container can be loaded and unloaded, comprising a locking housing ( 1 ), a locking bolt ( 2 ) and a drive ( 3 ), wherein

the locking bolt ( 2 ) has a shaft ( 20 ) and a locking head ( 21 ), which in the unlocked state the locking bolt ( 2 ) can be inserted via an opening in the corner fitting ( 9 ) of the container and in the locked state the locking bolt ( 2 ) secures the container via projections engaging behind the opening in the corner fitting ( 9 ),

the locking bolt ( 2 ) is mounted with the shaft ( 20 ) of the locking bolt ( 2 ) both axially displaceable and rotatable about an axis in the locking housing ( 1 ),

a wedge slide ( 4 ) is mounted in the locking housing ( 1 ) so that the wedge slide ( 4 ) can be moved back and forth laterally, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt ( 2 ), and can be driven by the drive ( 3 ),

the wedge slide ( 4 ) has a ramp which engages with the locking bolt ( 2 ) during the lateral movement of the wedge slide ( 4 ) and gives the locking bolt ( 2 ) an axial movement and a rotational movement through 90°,

a horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) is mounted in the locking housing ( 1 ) so that the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) can move axially and horizontally, wherein a gooseneck container in a loaded state of the gooseneck container is arranged on the vehicle (F) with its corner fitting ( 9 ) horizontally adjacent and flush to the locking housing,

the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) has a free end ( 71 ) which, in an unlocked state of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ), does not protrude laterally beyond the locking housing ( 1 ) and, in a locked state of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ), engages in a lateral opening in the corner fitting ( 9 ) of the gooseneck container and secures the gooseneck container via the opening, and

the wedge slide ( 4 ) either

a) is mounted so that the wedge slide ( 4 ) can move back and forth in the horizontal direction of movement of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) and is connected to the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ),

or

b) is mounted so that the wedge slide ( 4 ) can move back and forth in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) and the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) is operatively connected to the wedge slide ( 4 ) via a wedge drive ( 8 ).

2 . The container locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive ( 3 ) has a double-acting pneumatic cylinder ( 30 ) with a laterally movable piston rod ( 31 ), the piston rod ( 31 ) being operatively connected to the wedge slide ( 4 ) in such a way that the first part of the stroke movement of the drive ( 3 ) is a first idle stroke and in the second part of the stroke movement the lateral movement of the wedge slide ( 4 ) takes place.

3 . The container locking device according to claim 2 , wherein a safety locking device is arranged on the locking housing ( 1 ), which has a spring-loaded lock ( 51 ) which is designed to intrude in the lateral movement path of the wedge slide ( 4 ).

4 . The container locking device according to claim 3 , wherein the safety locking device ( 5 ) has a release mechanism for the lock ( 51 ), which releases the lock ( 51 ) during the first idle stroke.

5 . The container locking device according to claim 3 , wherein an emergency release ( 6 ) is provided with which the form-fitting lock ( 51 ) of the safety locking device ( 5 ) can be unlocked.

6 . The container locking device according to claim 5 , wherein the emergency release ( 6 ) has two thrust elements ( 61 ) equipped with external threads, in which the first thrust element ( 61 ) can be screwed into a first threaded hole ( 54 ) in the safety locking device ( 5 ) and the second thrust element can be screwed in a second threaded hole in the locking housing ( 1 ), the first thrust element ( 61 ) releasing the safety lock and the second thrust element displacing the wedge slide ( 4 ) to open the safety lock.

7 . The container locking device according to claim 1 with alternative feature b), wherein the wedge drive ( 8 ) has a second driver ( 42 ) which engages in the wedge drive ( 8 ), the wedge drive ( 8 ) having an operating bevel ( 81 ), which cooperates with a bearing surface ( 72 ) of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) for axial movement of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ).

8 . The container locking device according to claim 7 , wherein a second idle stroke is formed between the second driver ( 42 ) and the wedge drive ( 8 ), which moves the wedge drive ( 8 ) when the wedge slide ( 4 ) is actuated, and on the operating bevel ( 81 ) there is a contact surface ( 82 ) arranged perpendicular to the direction of movement of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ), which blocks the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) with the bearing surface ( 72 ) of the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) in the locked state.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein in a first part of the stroke movement of the drive ( 3 ) an idle stroke is carried out and in a second part of the stroke movement the wedge slide ( 4 ) is moved, whereby when unlocking a container or gooseneck container from the locked into the unlocked state during the first part of the stroke movement in the idle stroke the safety lock ( 51 ) is released and then during the second part of the stroke movement the wedge slide ( 4 ) is moved back, whereby the locking bolt ( 2 ) is first raised and then turned back into the unlocked state and at the same time the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) is retracted.

10 . A method for locking a container with a corner fitting ( 9 ) on a vehicle (F) with a container locking device adjustable between a locked state for locking the container on a loading surface ( 13 ) of the vehicle (F) and an unlocked state in which the container can be unloaded or loaded, comprising:

placing a container with a corner fitting ( 9 ) on a loading surface ( 13 ) of a vehicle (F), and

locking the container with the corner fitting ( 9 ) using a container locking device comprising a locking housing ( 1 ), a locking bolt ( 2 ) and a drive ( 3 ), wherein

the locking bolt ( 2 ) has a shaft ( 20 ) and a locking head ( 21 ) which, in an unlocked state of the locking bolt ( 2 ), can be the container inserted via an opening in the corner fitting ( 9 ) of the container and, in a locked state of the locking bolt ( 2 ), secures the container via projections engaging behind the opening of the corner fitting ( 9 ),

the locking bolt ( 2 ) with the shaft ( 20 ) is both axially displaceable in the locking housing ( 1 ) and rotatable about an axis of the locking bolt ( 2 ),

a wedge slide ( 4 ) in the locking housing ( 1 ) can be moved back and forth laterally by the drive ( 3 ), i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt ( 2 ),

during the lateral movement of the wedge slide ( 4 ) by the drive ( 3 ) of the wedge slide ( 4 ), the locking bolt ( 2 ) first rotates axially by 90° when adjusting from the unlocked state to the locked state and then is lowered axially downwards towards the loading surface ( 13 ), and

when the locked state is reached, a spring-loaded safety lock ( 51 ) intrudes in the lateral movement path of the wedge slide ( 4 ) and the wedge slide ( 4 ) is prevented from being reset,

wherein simultaneously with the movement of the wedge slide ( 4 ), a horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) in the locking housing ( 1 ) is displaced axially and horizontally, wherein the horizontal locking bolt ( 7 ) secures the gooseneck container in a loaded state of the gooseneck container arranged on the vehicle (F) with the corner fitting ( 9 ) of the gooseneck container horizontally adjacent and flush to the locking housing ( 1 ), engaging in a lateral opening in the corner fitting ( 9 ) of the gooseneck container and securing the gooseneck container.