DE20212907U1 - Variable ramp - Google Patents

Description

Description

The invention relates to a loading aid in the form of a variable ramp on a commercial vehicle, for example a semi-trailer, to facilitate loading and unloading of the commercial vehicle.

Loading ramps on commercial vehicles are known in the state of the art.

For example, DE 299 170 49 shows a loading ramp for forklifts. This ramp is attached to a commercial vehicle and serves both to close the loading area while driving and as an easy way to load and unload the vehicle by driving in and out with a forklift.

The length of the ramp is limited by the height of the commercial vehicle. The vehicle must also have a certain loading area height in order to have sufficient space for the supporting axle structure and wheels under the loading area and to enable loading on conventional, high loading ramps.

The disadvantage is that, due to the limited length of the ramp and the necessary construction height, a large gradient must be overcome when loading from street level. In addition, there is a crest at the transition from the ramp to the loading area, which can lead to conventional loading machines, such as forklifts or pallet trucks, which have only a small ground clearance for stability reasons, touching the ground when driving into the commercial vehicle.

Especially with modern forklift trucks that have sensors on the underbody, this leads to a not insignificant

··· Series-·1 ·· ·

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 12.08.02*" Variable ramp Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

Damage; in addition, excessive signs of wear also occur on the commercial vehicle at the transition between the ramp and the vehicle interior.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a loading ramp which, despite its compact design, has as low a gradient as possible when loading has to be carried out from the road surface and which can also avoid the crest at the transition from the ramp to the vehicle interior.

The well-known advantages of loading at conventional loading ramps are not restricted.

This task is solved by ensuring that the ramp attached to the commercial vehicle can be bent at least once.

This design ensures that the length of the ramp when extended is significantly greater than that of a state-of-the-art ramp. When driving, however, the ramp does not require significantly more space than a state-of-the-art loading ramp.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention 0, the ramp in the extended state when resting on the road has an angle of inclination which is less than 10°.

Accordingly, with the same commercial vehicle construction height and the same height of the loading area of the commercial vehicle, the gradient that must be overcome for loading can be significantly smaller, for example with a ramp that is bent once, than with a ramp according to the state of the art. For a low-bed semi-trailer with a loading area height of 92 0 mm and a total height of 4000 mm, for example, there is a possible ramp length of 2 x (4000-920) = 6160 mm and thus a ramp gradient of arcsin(920/6160) = 8.6°, if the boundary conditions are assumed that the ramp is not

.:.Page --2* ·..* :

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 12.08.02 ** **"

Variable ramp

Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

may protrude above the vehicle and it is attached at the bottom at the level of the loading ramp, for example by means of a folding hinge.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ramp is supported between the support on the ground and the hinge on the vehicle.

Particularly if the ramp is very long, the problem can arise that the ramp bends under the weight of the vehicle loading it, for example a forklift truck, which causes the gradient on the last part of the ramp to increase disproportionately. A stiffened design of the ramp to compensate for this would increase the weight of the commercial vehicle and thus reduce the permissible load. By providing support in the middle part of the ramp, the invention ensures that the cantilevered parts of the ramp are no longer than in the conventional design and therefore do not need to be made stronger. If the support is provided at several points on the ramp, the cantilevered distance can be further reduced, which can result in strength and weight advantages.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the support described above can be changed in length.

The variable length can be advantageous in order to always provide suitable support for loads with different loading heights, e.g. due to curbs or different country standards.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the above-described change in the length of the support is also possible when the ramp is loaded; yet another embodiment

• ft«. · · t «

'· S

· S

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 08/12/02

Variable ramp

Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

The shape of the ramp allows part of the ramp to be raised to a horizontal position.

This embodiment can be used to solve the problem posed by the crest between the interior of the vehicle and the ramp. If, for example, a forklift or pallet truck drives on the ramp between the attachment to the commercial vehicle and the support, the ramp can be raised on the support while it rotates in the hinge attached to the commercial vehicle. This can reduce or even completely prevent the bending of the travel path at the crest if the support raises the part of the ramp facing the vehicle to the same height as the floor of the commercial vehicle. This has advantages in terms of eliminating the risk of the pallet truck or forklift hitting the ground when entering the commercial vehicle, and loading can be carried out with less vibration due to the lack of a crest. This can make loading easier, especially with goods that are sensitive to shocks.

Since the inclination of the part of the ramp on the commercial vehicle side is not achieved by means of devices suspended from the vehicle body, but the frictional connection to the ground is achieved by a separate support suspended close to the load, even a very large weight can be lifted onto the ramp without any problems using the construction according to the invention. The vehicle chassis is subjected to significantly less leverage when lifting the load. For example, it is easily possible to lift even a loaded forklift truck weighing over 20 tons into a horizontal position using the construction according to the invention.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the support is integrated into the ramp. It is certainly possible to provide a support which, for example,

Soap-'4 " *

[File.ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 12.08.02 Variable ramp Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

It is manually placed underneath the ramp before unfolding it or while it is being extended in order to support the ramp. However, the support is expediently connected to the ramp in such a way that it is also automatically unfolded and set up when it is unfolded. This makes the operation of the ramp according to the invention significantly easier.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the support integrated into the ramp can be folded down when not in use. When driving, the foldable support can disappear, for example, into recesses between the individual parts of the loading ramp. This protects it during travel.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ramp can also be folded out only partially, whereby in particular the individual parts of the ramp remain layered on top of each other.

A ramp that is (too) long can be disadvantageous, particularly when shunting several commercial vehicles in a relatively small space, for example when loading at conventional factory ramps. The ramp according to the invention can therefore also be used when it is partially folded in. In this case, the supports do not have to be extended, as mentioned above.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ramp can be placed on or against a loading ramp in the folded state without the height offset increasing significantly when driving onto the ramp.

For example, the ramp can be laid flat on a loading ramp of a factory hall in the folded state, like a ramp from the state of the art. It still fulfils all the functions known in the state of the art,

"Stffe-5

•UV'·} &Ggr;

V'} &Ggr;

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 08/12/02 ** ****

Variable ramp

Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

For example, it is possible to drive from the factory loading ramp onto the ramp of the commercial vehicle without any problems.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the ramp can be extended and retracted using energy.

Although it is conceivable to operate the ramp manually, operation with, for example, mechanical (commercial vehicle engine), electrical (commercial vehicle battery or generator) or hydraulic energy makes its use considerably easier.

The ramp according to one of the above embodiments can be conveniently controlled from a control panel. From this control panel, the required commands can be given manually or (semi-)automatically in a manner known per se to various actuators that trigger the desired movement of the ramp. -It is advantageous if the ramp can also be controlled remotely, so that it is possible, for example, to trigger the desired functions from different locations such as the driver's cab of the commercial vehicle, a control station, a forklift truck standing on the ramp, or others, without having to leave the respective location.

Further advantageous embodiments are apparent from the subclaims.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1 shows a low-bed semitrailer with a ramp according to the invention in the fully extended position for loading from the road surface in a side view,

Fig. 2 a low-bed semitrailer with a ramp according to the invention in the position with horizontal ramp part in the

•soap - 8 ·· ·

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 12.08.02 Variable ramp Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

side view,

Fig. 3 shows a low-bed semitrailer with a ramp according to the invention in the position on a conventional loading ramp in a side view.

Fig. 1 shows a rear section of a commercial vehicle trailer 1 with a ramp according to the invention unfolded. In the embodiment shown, the ramp consists of a vehicle-side ramp part 2 to which a support 4 is attached and which is connected to a ramp part 3 facing away from the vehicle via a folding mechanism 5, for example a hinge 5.

The ramp part 2 is connected to the trailer 1 in a manner known per se via hinges 7 (not described in detail here) and actuators (not shown), for example hydraulic pistons or electric motors, so that it can be pivoted against the trailer 1 in the hinges 7. Furthermore, it can be locked in a manner known per se, particularly in the vertical state, in order to prevent the load from falling out during travel.

0 The ramp part 3 is attached to the ramp part 2 via hinges and actuators in a similar way to the attachment of part 2 to the trailer 1. The ramp part 3 can be pivoted in relation to the ramp part 2 in the hinge 5. A locking of the ramp part 3 either in relation to the ramp part 2 or in relation to the vehicle frame is also provided in order to prevent the ramp part 3 from swinging uncontrollably, particularly when driving.

In addition, a movable support 4 is attached to the ramp part 2 near the hinge 5 to the ramp part 3. This support 4 can be extendable in a manner known per se, for example mechanically by means of a screw thread or hydraulically by means of a piston, in order to support the ramp parts 2,

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 12.08.02***** *·.'»&iacgr;».

Variable ramp

Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

3 against the ground. In addition, the support can be folded down in order to disappear between the ramp parts when the ramp parts 2, 3 are in the vertical position, i.e. when the commercial vehicle is driving or parking. This support 4 can also be designed in such a way that it can be locked by a method known in the prior art.

This design ensures that the greater length of the ramp does not lead to greater deflection than in the state of the art, even under load, since the unsupported length is equal to or smaller than the length of a conventional ramp.

In Fig. 2, the same construction is shown in the same view. However, the support 4 is now extended so far that the ramp part 2 forms a flat surface with the loading area of the trailer. This eliminates the hump when driving into the trailer, prevents a forklift or pallet truck from hitting it, and ensures gentler, less-vibrating handling of the load, the trailer and the forklift.

Fig. 3 shows the same construction in the same view. However, in the example of Fig. 3, in order to approach a loading ramp 6 of a factory hall, the ramp is not fully unfolded, so that the ramp parts 2 and 3 remain folded together and the support 4 remains between the ramp parts.

The ramp part 2 is in such a way that it rests against the loading ramp 6 in such a way that a largely flat, continuous surface is created from the loading ramp 6 over the ramp part 2 to the loading area of the trailer. A forklift or pallet truck can then drive into the trailer on this flat surface for loading and unloading, as described above with reference to Fig. 2.

[File:ANM\ME8403B1.DOC] 08/12/02

Variable ramp

Meusburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Eging am See

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the invention can also be attached to the loading area of a conventional truck instead of to a tractor-trailer.

In summary, the invention achieves the following:

A multi-part ramp (2,3) is attached to a commercial vehicle. The ramp can be partially or fully unfolded. If it is partially unfolded, it can be used like a conventional ramp on loading ramps 6 of factory buildings. If it is fully unfolded, it can be supported in the middle by a support 4. In this case, either an overall lower incline can be achieved when entering the loading area or, according to another embodiment, the incline when entering the loading area can be further reduced by extending the support 4 under load, so that the crest when entering the commercial vehicle is reduced and a loaded forklift truck is thus prevented from touching it.

Reference number: Commercial vehicle 1 Vehicle-side ramp section 2 Ramp part facing away from the vehicle 3 support 4 Folding mechanism, hinge between 2.3 5 Loading ramp (of a factory building) 6 Vehicle side hinge 7

Claims (16)

1. Loading ramp ( 2 , 3 ) for commercial vehicles, preferably low-bed semi-trailers ( 1 ), which is attached to the commercial vehicle via a hinge ( 7 ), characterized in that the loading ramp can be bent at least once in a hinge ( 5 ) and can be supported near the bend via a support ( 4 ). 2. Loading ramp according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading ramp in the unfolded state forms a small angle of inclination, preferably of less than 10 degrees, with the ground. 3. Loading ramp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support ( 4 ) is variable in length. 4. Loading ramp according to claim 3, characterized in that the change in length of the support ( 4 ) is also possible when the loading ramp is loaded. 5. Loading ramp according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the part ( 2 ) of the loading ramp facing the commercial vehicle ( 1 ) can be brought into the horizontal position by the support ( 4 ). 6. Loading ramp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support ( 4 ) is firmly connected to the loading ramp ( 2 ). 7. Loading ramp according to claim 6, characterized in that the support is foldable relative to the loading ramp. 8. Loading ramp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading ramp can be used when the part which is remote from the vehicle in the unfolded state of the loading ramp is folded in. 9. Loading ramp according to claim 8, characterized in that the loading ramp can be placed on or against a loading ramp in the folded state without the height offset increasing significantly when driving onto the loading ramp. 10. Loading ramp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading ramp is moved by energy. 11. Loading ramp according to claim 10, characterized in that the loading ramp is operated by hydraulics. 12. Loading ramp according to claim 10, characterized in that the loading ramp is electrically operated. 13. Device for controlling a loading ramp according to one of the preceding claims. 14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the device is remotely controllable. 15. Commercial vehicle ( 1 ) with a loading ramp according to one of claims 1 to 12. 16. Commercial vehicle according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises a device for controlling a loading ramp according to one of claims 13 or 14.