Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DIRECT DRIVING OF DOORS FOR MULTI-DOOR TRAILER
BACKGROUND
(a) Field
[0001] The subject matter disclosed generally relates to
devices for
containers for transporting and delivering merchandise. More particularly, the
subject matter disclosed relates to the operation of bay doors for such
containers.
(b) Related Prior Art
[0002] In existing trailers comprising multiple lateral bay
doors, the bay
doors must be hand operated. Such trailers are, for example, used for delivery
of
crates of beverages. During delivery rounds, bay doors must be manually opened
and closed multiple times. Manual operation of such bay door is often the
cause
of unnecessary fatigue and injuries among delivery personnel.
[0003] There is therefore a need for improved systems for
operating the
opening and closure of bay doors on multi-door trailers.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to an embodiment, there is provided a door
opening
system for a merchandise container comprising a plurality of bay doors, the
door
opening system comprising: a wheel in frictional contact with a bay door of
the
plurality of bay doors; and a motor connected in driving arrangement with the
wheel; wherein the motor drives the wheel to rotate and thereby to control a
movement of the bay door of the plurality of bay doors between a closed
position
and an open position.
[0005] According to an aspect, the wheel comprises a
plurality of wheels,
wherein each wheel is in frictional contact with a respective one of the
plurality of
bay doors.
[0006] According to an aspect, the door opening system,
further comprises
a door axle on which each one of the plurality of wheels is fixed, wherein the
door
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axle is in driving arrangement with the motor and extends a length which
covers at
least a portion of two bay doors of the plurality of bay doors.
[0007] According to an aspect, the door opening system
further comprises:
a driving axle which is an output from the motor; a driving sprocket fixed to
the
driving axle; a driven sprocket fixed to the door axle; and a main driving
chain
connecting the driving sprocket to the driven sprocket; wherein the motor
drives
the driving axle to rotate the door axle and thus to rotate the wheel.
[0008] According to an aspect, the door opening system
further comprises:
a dividing wall between neighbor bay doors; and a bearing assembly mounted to
the dividing wall, wherein the door axle extends through the bearing assembly
and
hence through the dividing wall.
[0009] According to an aspect, the door opening system
further comprises:
a door axle on which the wheel is fixed, the door axle in driving arrangement
with
the motor to cause the door axle to rotate and hence to rotate the wheel; a
fixture
mounted to the bay door; and a reel and line assembly fixed to the door axle,
wherein the reel and line assembly is attached to the fixture, whereby upon
rotation
of the door axle, the reel and line assembly will rotate and pull the bay door
from
the closed position to the open position.
[0010] According to an aspect, the wheel comprises two
wheels associated
to each bay door of the plurality of bay doors.
[0011] According to an aspect, the reel and line assembly
comprises a cable
or a strap attached to the fixture.
[0012] According to an aspect, the wheel comprises an axis
of rotation and
is compressible allowing for variation in a distance of the axis of rotation
to the bay
door while keeping the wheel in frictional contact with the bay door.
[0013] According to an aspect, the wheel comprises two
wheels to control
the movement of the bay door of the plurality of bay doors.
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[0014] According to an aspect, the door opening system,
further comprises
a cable or a strap which is attached to the bay door and which is in driving
engagement with the motor, whereby, upon activating the motor, the cable or
strap
pulls up on the bay door to move it from the closed position to the open
position.
[0015] According to an aspect, the door opening system
further comprises
a position detection system comprising a door-mounted position detection
component and a body-mounted position detection component, wherein when the
door-mounted position detection component is in close proximity to the body-
mounted position detection component, a signal indicative of a monitored
position
being reached is triggered.
[0016] According to an embodiment, there is provided a
merchandise
container comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis, the body comprising:
a
side wall; and a plurality of bays in the side wall; a plurality of bay doors
adapted
to controllably close the plurality of bays that comprises neighbor bay doors,
wherein the body comprises a dividing wall extending between the neighbor bay
doors; and a door opening system comprising: a wheel in frictional contact
with a
bay door of the plurality of bay doors; and a motor connected in driving
arrangement with the wheel; wherein the motor drives the wheel to rotate and
thereby to control a movement of the bay door of the plurality of bay doors
between
a closed position and an open position.
[0017] According to an aspect, the merchandise container
further comprises
a door axle on which the wheel is fixed, wherein the door axle is in driving
arrangement with the motor and extends a length which covers at least a
portion
of two bay doors of the plurality of bay doors.
[0018] According to an aspect, the merchandise container
further
comprises: a driving axle which is an output from the motor; a driving
sprocket
fixed to the driving axle; a driven sprocket fixed to the door axle; and a
main driving
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chain connecting the driving sprocket to the driven sprocket; wherein the
motor
drives the driving axle to rotate the door axle and thus to rotate the wheel.
[0019] According to an aspect, the merchandise container
further
comprises: a dividing wall between neighbor bay doors; and a bearing assembly
mounted to the dividing wall, wherein the door axle extends through the
bearing
assembly and hence through the dividing wall.
[0020] According to an embodiment, there is provided a door
opening
system for a merchandise container comprising a bay door, the door opening
system comprising: a wheel in frictional contact with the bay door; and a
motor
connected in driving arrangement with the wheel; wherein the motor drives the
wheel to rotate and thereby to control a movement of the bay door between a
closed position and an open position.
[0021] According to an aspect, the door opening system
further comprises:
a driving axle on which the wheel is fixed, the driving axle in driving
arrangement
with the motor to cause the driving axle to rotate and hence to rotate the
wheel; a
fixture mounted to the bay door; and a reel and line assembly fixed to the
driving
axle, wherein the reel and line assembly is attached to the fixture, whereby
upon
rotation of the driving axle, the reel and line assembly will rotate and pull
the bay
door from the closed position to the open position.
[0022] According to an aspect, the wheel comprises two
wheels associated
to the bay door.
[0023] According to at least one aspect, the wheel includes
a compressible
inner spoke, the inner spoke having an helicoidal shape thereof.
[0024] According to an aspect, the wheel is compressible
allowing for
variation in a distance of an axis of rotation to the bay door while keeping
the wheel
in frictional contact with the bay door.
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[0025] According to an embodiment, there is provided a
wheel adapted to
exert movement to a bay door through frictional contact, the wheel has a hub,
a
rim, and deformable spokes extending helicoidally between the hub and the rim.
[0026] According to an embodiment, there is provided a pair
of wheel
adapted to contact a bay door next to the bay door slidable railing to help
slide the
bay door in the railing.
[0027] Features and advantages of the subject matter hereof
will become
more apparent in light of the following detailed description of selected
embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized,
the
subject matter disclosed and claimed is capable of modifications in various
respects, all without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the
drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and
not as
restrictive and the full scope of the subject matter is set forth in the
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] Further features and advantages of the present
disclosure will
become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination
with
the appended drawings, in which:
[0029] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a
merchandise container
comprising a series of bays closed by bay doors on shown the side wall of the
merchandise container in accordance with an embodiment;
[0030] Fig. 2 is an internal view of a merchandise
container and components
of the door opening system comprising with a motor mounted to the ceiling of
the
merchandise container in accordance with an embodiment;
[0031] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of components of a
position detecting
system in accordance with an embodiment;
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[0032] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the components of a
position detecting
system in a mounting configuration according to an embodiment, with the door
illustrated in an intermediary position;
[0033] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of components of the
door opening
system comprising the intermediate axle mounted to an internal part of the
body
of the merchandise container;
[0034] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the components of
the door opening
system comprising the intermediate axle and a door axle;
[0035] Fig. 7 and 8 are perspective views of components of
the door
opening system comprising the motor, the driving axle, the intermediate axle
and
a door axle;
[0036] Fig. 9 is a side perspective view of the merchandise
container to
which are mounted bay doors and a door opening system in accordance with an
embodiment;
[0037] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the merchandise
container to which
are mounted the bay doors and a door opening system in accordance with another
embodiment;
[0038] Fig. 11 is a close-up perspective view of the system
for pulling up the
bay doors of in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 10;
[0039] Fig. 12 is a top perspective schematic of a door
opening system
mounted to a merchandise container, with the top of the merchandise container
removed from the view;
[0040] Fig. 13 is a schematic of the electric circuit of
the door opening
system in accordance with an embodiment;
[0041] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of components of the
door opening
system comprising the motor, the driving axle, the door axle and wheels
according
to another embodiment;
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[0042] Figs. 15A and 15B are perspective views of a small
axle and a wheel
in accordance with an embodiment. The wheel has been compressed on Fig. 15B;
[0043] Figs. 16A and 16B, are perspective views of a wheel
mounted on a
wheel sleeve, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0044] Fig. 17 is a front view of a closed bay door of the
door opening
system shown in Fig. 14;
[0045] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the upper part of
the door opening
system shown in Fig. 14;
[0046] Figs. 19A and 19B are perspective view of two
neighbor bay doors
and the door opening system mounted on the dividing wall, according to an
embodiment;
[0047] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an assembly
comprising a wheel, a
wheel sleeve, a small axle and a sleeve according to an embodiment;
[0048] Figs. 21A and 21B are perspective view of a reel and
line assembly,
according to an embodiment; and
[0049] Fig. 22 and 23 are perspective views of two halves
of a case for a
reel and line assembly before the two havles being joined around the reel and
line
assembly.
[0050] It will be noted that throughout the appended
drawings, like features
are identified by like reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0051] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly
to Figs. 1, 2, 10
and 13, a door opening system 100 is adapted to open and close doors of a
merchandise container 20. The merchandise container 20 may be either box truck
with a merchandise container or a hauled merchandise container. In accordance
with an embodiment, doors are bay doors 52. In accordance with a further
embodiment, doors are side-by-side disposed bay doors 52, a.k.a. neighbor bay
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doors closing side-by-side neighbor bays 50. According to an embodiment, the
merchandise container 20 comprises a floor 39, a roof 32 and side walls 36, as
a
front wall 31 and a rear wall 33, each comprising an interior face (27) and an
exterior face (29). According to an embodiment, the merchandise container 20
has
a longitudinal axis defined by the normal moving or hauling direction of the
merchandise container 20, with a plurality of side-by-side bay doors 52 being
disposed along a side of the merchandise container 20 with respect of the
longitudinal axis of the merchandise container 20. Thus, the bay doors 52 are
used
to close bays 50, a.k.a. openings, on a side wall 36 of the merchandise
container
20.
[0052] The door opening system 100 of the merchandise
container 20
comprises a motor 102, namely an electric motor, driven by a vehicle-mounted
power source 30 (Fig. 13). According to another embodiment, the vehicle-
mounted
power source 30 is a vehicle battery (not shown) of a box truck comprising a
powertrain 25 such as an internal combustion engine, or according to another
embodiment (not shown), the battery (i.e., power source 30) of a merchandise
container-hauling vehicle.
[0053] According to an embodiment (depicted on Fig. 2), the
motor 102 is
mounted to the roof 32 of the merchandise container 20. According to an
embodiment (depicted on Fig. 12), the motor is mounted to the dividing wall 38
extending inwardly between two neighbor bays 50. According to a further
embodiment (not shown), the motor 102 is mounted to the interior of one of the
front wall 31 and the rear wall 33.
[0054] According to an embodiment (schematically shown in
Fig. 13), the
power transmitted to the motor 102 is transmitted from the power source 30
through the electrical circuit 35 of the merchandise container 20 and through
a
control circuit 40 that controls when the motor 102 is powered, based on the
state
of the vehicle (e.g., running, stopped with the powertrain 25 of the vehicle
in an
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idle mode, the electric circuit switched to an auxiliary-running state with
the
powertrain 25 shut off, and the whole vehicle shut off).
[0055] The control circuit 40 may further comprise
indicators 42 such as
visual indicators 44 (e.g., lights) indicating the state of the bay doors 52
(e.g., open,
close, in operation) to the operator of the vehicle, for instance in the cabin
of the
vehicle. The control circuit 40 may further comprise interlock circuits 46
preventing
operations (e.g., the merchandise container 20 from advancing) when a
particular
state (e.g., bay doors 52 being open) is detected. The control circuit 40
further
comprises controls 48, such as switches or push buttons, operable by the
operator
to activate the motor 102 to open or close the bays 50 as further described,
with
the location and number of controls 48 depending on the design and intent of
the
merchandise container 20. According to an embodiment, control 48 is a remote
control for operating the bay doors 52 at a distance. The control circuit 40
further
comprises a position detection system 140 comprising one or more position
detection components to detect position(s) of the bay doors 52 as will be
explained
below. The position detection system 140 will be further discussed below.
[0056] Referring additionally to Figs. 7 and 9,
particularly in combination
with Fig. 12, there is shown the motor 102 which comprises a gear box with a
driving axle 104 to which is mounted a driving sprocket 106. A main driving
chain
108 is mounted on the driving sprocket 106, and on a driven sprocket 116 to
which
is secured an intermediate axle 114. The driving chain 108, via the driven
sprocket
116, drives the intermediate axle 114.
[0057] The intermediate axle 114 extends along an axis
parallel to the side
wall 36 and the roof 32 of the merchandise container 20, and thus the general
plane of the bay doors 52. The length of the intermediate axle 114 extends
about
at least part of all of the bay doors 52. Typically, the intermediate axle 114
is
mounted about the top of the bay doors 52, optimizing the clearance associated
with the bays 50.
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[0058] Individual driving sprockets 118 are secured to the
intermediate axle
114 and each of the driving sprockets 118 drives one of the counter balance
134
as discussed below. On each of the counter balances 134 is secured a driven
sprocket 128 which is driven by the corresponding driving sprocket 118 via
individual door driving chains 130. The individual door driving chains 130
hence
each engage a driven sprocket 128 and a corresponding driving sprocket 118.
[0059] Accordingly, the power from the motor 102 is
transmitted to all the
counter balances 134 by the main driving chain 108, which drives the
intermediate
axle 114, driving the individual door driving chains 130 which in turn
controls the
operation of each of the bay doors 52 to open and close at the same time.
Hence
a single intermediate axle 114 is used to drive a plurality of counter
balances 134.
[0060] According to an embodiment, bay doors 52 linked to
the same motor
102 will always open and close at the same time. However, one must note that a
merchandise container 20 may be equipped with a plurality of motors 102 and
bay
doors 52, for example bay doors 52 on each side of the merchandise container
20,
with a motor 102 controlling the opening and closing of the bay doors 52
located
on a first side of the merchandise container 20, and a second motor 102
controlling
the opening and closing of the bay doors 52 located on a second side of the
merchandise container 20.
[0061] According to yet another embodiment, a merchandise
container 20
is equipped with multiple motors 102 on a same side to operate multiple bay
doors
52. According to such an embodiment, each of the motors 102 may control one or
a plurality of bay doors 52.
[0062] According to an embodiment, the driving axle 104 is
a short driving
shaft extending from the motor 102. The intermediate axle 114 is a single-
piece
shaft extending over about the length of the merchandise container 20. In
fact, the
intermediate axle 114, regardless being made of a single piece or multiples
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combined as a rigid assembly, must be long enough to cover the distance
between
the driven sprockets 128 of the bay doors 52 that must be opened concurrently.
[0063] The intermediate axle 114 is mounted to the body of
the merchandise
container 20 about its extremity in-between two bay doors 52. The intermediate
axle 114 is mounted to the body 22, specifically the dividing wall 38
extending
between the two neighbor bays 50, through bearing assemblies 112 (shown in
Fig.
5). According to an embodiment, the door axles 124 are mounted to the body 22
of the merchandise container 20 along a common axis. According to an
embodiment, the bearing assemblies 112 are mounted to the dividing wall 38.
[0064] According to an embodiment, the counter balance 134
comprises an
inner axle 152 and an outer casing 154. The inner axle 152 is rigidly mounted
to
the body, about the door guiding rails 56 of a bay door 52, independent from
another counter balance 134. The outer casing 154 is mounted to the inner axle
152 to freely spin around the inner axle 152, with or without a biasing means
mounted thereto the inner axle 152 and the outer casing 154. To each of the
bay
50, a counter balance 134 is associated a driving sprocket 118 and a driven
sprocket 128 transmitting the same rotation movement from the intermediate
axle
114 to all of the door axles 124 connected to the same motor.
[0065] An operator may disconnect the bays doors 52 from
the motor 102
to manually operate the bay doors 52. The driving sprocket 118 is releasably
attached to a linking ring 115 fixedly mounted to the intermediate axle 114,
resulting in a releasable sprocket / releasable axle combination. A pin 117
releasably links the driving sprocket 118 to the linking ring 115, resulting
in the
driving sprocket 118 rotating with the intermediate axle 114 when the pin 117
is in
place, and rotating freely relative to the intermediate axle 114 when removed.
A
cotter pin 119 mounted to the pin 117 secures the pin 117 in place when the
pin
117 passes through the driving sprocket 118 and secures the linking ring 115.
According to an embodiment, the linking ring 115 is secured to the
intermediate
axle 114 using a radial screw 113 mounted to the linking ring 115 and
contacting
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the surface of the intermediate axle 114. Alternatively, the linking ring 115
is
secured to the intermediate axle 114 using a clamping solution. The linking
ring
115 could also be secured to the intermediate axle 114 by welding.
[0066] According to an embodiment, the driving sprocket 106
and the
driving axle 104 are mounted as a releasable sprocket / releasable axle
combination.
[0067] The rotation axes of the driving axle 104, the
intermediate axle 114
and the counter balances 134 are parallel to each other. Such a configuration
allows the transmission of movement through driving chains 108, 130.
[0068] According to an embodiment, the driving sprocket
106, the driven
sprocket 116 and the driving chain 108 joining the driving sprocket 106 to the
driven sprocket 116 define a main driving combination. According to an
embodiment, an alternative main driving combination comprises one of plurality
of
gears, or pulleys and a strap joining the pulleys.
[0069] According to an embodiment, a driving sprocket 118,
a driven
sprocket 128 aligned with the driving sprocket 118 and the driving chain 130
joining
the driving sprocket 118 to the driven sprocket 128 define a door-driving
combination, with each door-driving combination driving a distinct bay door
52.
According to an embodiment, an alternative main door-combination comprises one
of plurality of gears, or pulleys and a strap joining the pulleys.
[0070] Referring now additionally to Figs. 5, 6, 8 and 12.
The bay doors 52
of the bays 50 are operated by sliding them upward and inward to open them.
Guiding rails 56, mounted to the body 22 of the merchandise container 20 about
the sides of the bay doors 52, guide the displacement of the bay door 52,
through
rollers 58 extending from the sides of the bay doors 52 and being guided
within the
guiding rails 56 when the bay doors 52 open or close. Over each of the bay
doors
52, when in a closed position, is the door axle 124 mounted to the body 22 of
the
merchandise container 20, with the bay door 52 being linked to the door axle
124
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through a foot cable 60 attached to a foot fixture 62 located about the bottom
of
the inner face of the bay door 52.
[0071] According to other embodiments, door connection
means different
from the above foot cable 60 may be used to connect the door axles 124 to the
bay doors 52, with the door connection means being used to at least one of
pull
the bay doors 52 upward or push the bay doors 52 downward. Finally, based on
embodiments, the door connection means may involve a rigid connection
communicating displacement of the one of the bay doors 52 and the door
connection means to the other regardless of the movement direction.
[0072] According to an embodiment, the guiding rails 56
extend from the
bottom of the bays 50 (about the floor 39 of the merchandise container 20) to
the
top of the bays 50 (depicted about the roof 32) and extend further to free
completely the bays 50 when the bay doors 52 are in an open position.
According
to an embodiment, the guiding rails 56 extend inwardly from the about the top
of
the bays 50 about and parallel to the roof 32. The intermediate axle 114 and
the
door axles 124 extend parallel to the roof 32 parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the
merchandise container 20 under the guiding rails 56. Thus, the guiding rails
56
extend between the axles (114, 124) and the roof 32.
[0073] According to an embodiment, the counter balance 134
comprises
biasing means (not shown, operating within the mounting of the door axles 124)
biasing the bay doors 52 toward an open position. When the bay doors 52 are
opening, the door axles 124 spin, winding up the foot cables 60 of each of the
bay
doors 52 around the corresponding counter balance 134. When the bay doors 52
are closing, the biasing means produces a force over the bay doors 52 toward
the
open position while the weight of the bay doors 52 overbalancing the force of
the
counter balances 134 resulting in downward movement of the bay doors 52 and
the cable 60 being kept under tension. During the closing phase, the motor 102
allows the driving chain 108 to turn and thus the bay doors 52 to return to a
closed
position.
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[0074] Now referring to Figs. 10 and 11, another embodiment
comprises a
strap 70 acting in a similar fashion as the foot cable 60 described before.
The strap
70 is attached at one extremity to the bay door 52 and at the other extremity
to the
counter balance 134 to pull the bay door 52 up as the strap 70 winds up around
the counter balance 134.
[0075] Referring now additionally to Figs. 3 and 4. The
bays 50 comprise a
position detection system 140 which is part of the control circuit 40. The
position
detection system 140 comprises a detectable door-mounted position detection
component 142 and body-mounted position detection component comprising of a
body-mounted detector 144. When the door-mounted position detection
component 142 is in the vicinity of the body-mounted detector 144, the body-
mounted detector 144 detects the presence of the door-mounted position
detection
component 142 and sends a signal to the control circuit 40 indicative of the
proximity of the door-mounted position detection component 142 to the body-
mounted detector 144 that is indicative of a position of the bay door 52,
triggering
the motor 102 to stop. Such a position detection system 140 is used for
detecting
at least one of the bay doors 52 having reached an open position and / or at
least
one of the bay doors 52 having reached a closed position.
[0076] The electrical system of the door opening system 100
further
comprises electric (not shown) part of the control circuit 40. The electric
relays are
electrically connected to a body-mounted detector 144, to switches (not shown)
and to the motor 102.
[0077] According to one embodiment, at least one of the
body-mounted
detector 144 and the detectable door-mounted position detection component 142
is present twice, mounted at different positions. Accordingly, when the first
combination of detectable door-mounted position detection component 142 and
body-mounted detector 144 is aligned (i.e., they are in close proximity or
approaching each other), the position detection system 140 associates that
state
with a first terminal door position (open or closed); and when the second
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combination of detectable door-mounted position detection component 142 and
body-mounted detector 144 is aligned, the position detection system 140
associates that state with the other terminal door position (the other of open
or
closed).
[0078] According to a specific embodiment, two (2) body-
mounted detectors
144 are mounted to the body 22 about the guide rails 56 detect the positions
of the
bay doors 52, with a signal from the first one of the body-mounted detectors
144
indicating an open position and a signal from the second one of the body-
mounted
detectors 144 indicating a closed position of the bay doors 52. According to
an
embodiment, the body-mounted detectors 144 detect changes in a magnetic flux
due to the approach of the detectable door-mounted position detection
component
142 to detect alignment of the detectable door-mounted position detection
component 142 with the body-mounted detector 144.
[0079] According to other embodiments, other technologies
may be used as
a position detection system 140 is a similar fashion, such as end-of-course
detectors which upon contact from a surface (a part of the body 22 of the
merchandise container 20 if mounted to a bay door 52, or a part of the bay
door
52 if mounted to the body 22 of the merchandise container 20), or optical
devices
which detect presence of objects in a monitored zone.
[0080] According to an embodiment, a biasing means (not
shown) is
mounted to at least one of the bay doors 52 providing compensation for the
weight
of the bay doors. The use of the biasing means being designed to minimize the
power required by the motor 102 The weight of the bay doors 52 is sufficient
to
return the bay doors 52 to the closed position.
[0081] According to an embodiment, a single biasing means
(similar to
counter balances 134) operates over all of the bay doors 52 interconnected
through a common intermediate axle 114. The force applied by the biasing means
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is thus communicated to the other bay doors 52 via the intermediate axle 114
powered by the same motor 102.
[0082] According to an embodiment, the door opening system
100 operates
without the presence of a counter balance 134.
[0083] The same principle applies to the position detection
system 140.
Since one bay door 52, of a series of bay doors 52, interconnected through a
common intermediate axle 114 may not move independently from other bay doors
52, a single (or main) position detection system 140 operating on a single bay
door
52 may be used to provide information on the state of all of the bay doors 52.
[0084] According to an embodiment, the biasing means
applies a force that
combines with the weight of the bay doors 52 to ease closing the bay doors 52.
Accordingly, the motor 102 operates in three (3) modes:
a) an opening mode. In this mode, the motor 102 pulls the driving chain 108 so
that the bay doors 52 move upwardly toward an open position;
b) an idle mode. In this mode, the motor 102 maintains the driving chain in
the
current position. Thus, the motor maintains the bay doors 52 in their
position,
preventing the movement of the bay doors 52 resulting from exterior forces;
and
c) a neutral mode. In this mode, the motor 102 allows movement of the driving
chain 108 resulting from exterior forces. Since the gravitational forces
applied on
the bay doors 52 are toward a closed position, the bay doors 52 in this mode
tend
to move towards the closed position. Once the bay doors 52 are detected as
being
closed, the motor 102 resets to the idle mode.
[0085] According to an embodiment, one or more additional
detectable
door-mounted position detection components 142 are mounted relative the bay
doors 52 to provide information on incoherent states of the bay doors 52, such
as
different signals from one body-mounted detector 144 being in conflict with
the
signal from another body-mounted detector 144. Such incoherence of the signals
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may be due, for instance, to a driving chain being broken resulting in a bay
door
52 being closed or stuck in mid-course while the others being open.
[0086] Now referring to Fig. 14, there is shown another
embodiment of a
door opening system. The door opening system 100B comprises a wheel 80B in
frictional contact with a, e.g., lateral bay door 52. The door opening system
100B
further comprises a reel 71B having a diameter substantially about the
operating
diameter of the wheel 80B, and a strap 70B attached to a fixture 76B (shown on
Fig. 17) located about the bottom of the inner face of the bay door 52. The
diameter
of the reel 71B being substantially the same as the diameter of the wheel 80B
to
attain a strap 70B rolling/unrolling speed analogous to the tangential speed
of the
wheel 80B. The door opening system 100B further comprises a motor 102 that is
in driving arrangement with the wheel 80B and the reel 71B. The motor 102
drives
one or more wheels 80B and the reel 71B to control the movement of the bay
door
52 between a closed position and an open position.
[0087] Still referring to Fig. 14, the motor 102 comprises
a gear box (not
numbered) which has, as the output of the motor 102, a driving axle 104B to
which
is mounted a driving sprocket 106B. A driving chain 108B is mounted on the
driving sprocket 106B, and on a driven sprocket 116B to which is secured a
small
axle 115B. As shown on Figs. 14, 19A, 19B and 20, a first wheel 80B is fixed
on
the small axle 115B, thereby defining the initial wheel. A sleeve 117B with
bolts
118B is used to fix the small axle 115B to a second axle 119B. Thus, the
resulting
assembly forms a door axle 114B, which comprises the small axle 115B, the
sleeve 117B, the bolts 118B and the second axle 119B. Therefore, the driving
chain 108B, via the driven sprocket 116B, drives the door axle 114B. The
sleeve
117B must be properly positioned and secured to eliminate any misalignment.
[0088] According to an embodiment, as shown on Figs. 19A
and 19B, the
small axle 115B passes through the dividing wall 38. A wheel 80B is fixed on
each
side of the small axle 115B and thus on each side of the dividing wall 38,
each
wheel 80B being in contact with a different bay door 52. A second axle 119B
can
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thus be fixed on each side of the small axle 115B using a sleeve 117B with
bolts
118B. The motor 102 therefore drives at least both doors via the small axle
115B.
[0089] According to an embodiment, the door axle 114B can
be composed
of more than two axles, secured with sleeves 117B and bolts 118B.
[0090] As with door axle 114 (shown on Fig. 2), the door
axle 114B extends
along an axis parallel to the side wall 36 and the roof 32 of the merchandise
container 20, and thus the general plane of the bay doors 52. The length of
the
door axle 114B extends about at least part of all of the bay doors 52.
Typically, the
door axle 114B is mounted about the top of the bay doors 52, optimizing the
clearance associated with the bays 50.
[0091] According to an embodiment, the door axle 114B is a
multi-piece
shaft extending over about the length of the merchandise container 20. In
fact, the
door axle 114B, regardless being made of a single piece or multiples pieces
combined as a rigid assembly, must be long enough to cover the distance
between
the driven sprocket 116B and at least a portion of (if not the entirety of)
the farthest
one of the bay doors 52 that must be opened concurrently.
[0092] As with door axle 114 (shown on Fig. 2), the door
axle 114B is
mounted to the body of the merchandise container 20 about its extremity in-
between two bay doors 52. The door axle 114B is mounted to the body 22,
specifically to the dividing wall 38 extending between the two neighbor bays
50,
through bearing assemblies 112B (shown in Fig. 14). According to an
embodiment,
the bearing assemblies 112B are mounted to the dividing wall 38.
[0093] An operator may disconnect the bays doors 52 from
the motor 102
to manually operate the bay doors 52.
[0094] According to an embodiment, a lock system (not
shown) is installed
to avoid any unwanted manual opening of the plurality of bay doors 52. The
lock
system is composed of a plurality of hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, each
piston
having the aim to block a specific bay door 52. When activated, the piston
comes
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to stand above the corresponding closed bay door 52, avoiding the bay door to
be
opened. When the bay door is closed the corresponding wheel 80B can be placed
in a way that an unwanted movement of the door can be restrained thanks to the
wheel's deformation.
[0095] According to an embodiment, the driving sprocket
106B and the
driving axle 104B are mounted as a releasable sprocket / releasable axle
combination.
[0096] The rotation axes of the driving axle 104B and the
door axle 114B
are parallel to each other. Such a configuration allows the transmission of
movement through the driving chain 108B.
[0097] According to an embodiment, the driving sprocket
106B, the driven
sprocket 116B and the driving chain 108B joining the driving sprocket 106B to
the
driven sprocket 116B define a main driving combination. According to an
embodiment, an alternative main driving combination comprises one of plurality
of
gears, or pulleys and a strap joining the pulleys.
[0098] Over each of the bay door openings is the door axle
114B, with the
bay door 52 being linked to the door axle 114B through a strap 70B attached to
a
fixture 76B located about the bottom of the inner face of the bay door 52. As
shown
on Fig. 17 (closed bay door), wheels 80B are also fixed on the door axle 114B.
Each of the bay doors 52 is then in contact with one or more wheels 80B, the
wheels 80B rotating with the bay doors 52, along with the strap 70B attached
to
the fixture 76B winding up or down the reel 71B, during opening and closing
phases and keeping the bay doors 52 in place during the idle phase. When the
door 52 is in the closed position, the wheels 80B also act as the locking
mechanism
for the door 52 by applying pressure on the top thereof.
[0099] According to an embodiment and as shown on Figs. 21A
and 21B, a
reel and line assembly 72B is shown in greater detail. In this embodiment, the
reel
71B is fixed to the second axle 119B. Side gears 73B are placed on each side
of
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the reel 71B to lock or release the reel 71B on the second axle 119B, allowing
to
adjust the tension on the strap 70B or to replace it. For each side gear 73B,
a pin
74B is inserted through the reel 71B from the opposite side of the reel 71B
and is
placed between the teeth of the side gears, avoiding any rotation of the reel
71B.
A cotter pin 75B is then inserted in the end of the pin 74B to hold it in
place.
[00100] According to other embodiments, the diameter of the
wheels 80B
must be slightly more than half the minimum distance between the center of the
door axle 114B and the surface of corresponding bay door 52. This diameter
must
also depend on the flexibility of the wheels 80B, to avoid slipping of the
wheels
80B on the bay doors 52.
[00101] According to an embodiment, the door axle 114B
extends parallel to
the roof 32 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the merchandise container 20
under
the guiding rails 56. Thus, the guiding rails 56 extend between the axle 114B
and
the roof 32.
[00102] According to an embodiment, when the bay doors 52
are closing, the
motor 102 drives the door axle 114B with the wheels 80B and the reel 71B. The
rotation of the wheel 80B, providing frictional contact with the bay doors 52,
produces a force resulting in downward movement of the bay doors 52. Along
with
the rotation of the wheel 80B, the weight of the bay doors 52 is used to
produce
an additional force resulting in downward movement of the bay doors 52. The
reel
71B fixed on the door axle 114B and the strap 70B attached to the fixture 76B
are
then useful for ensuring that bay doors 52 will clause correctly, completely
and
safely. The rotation of the wheels 80B providing frictional contact with the
bay
doors 52, together with the weight of the bay doors 52 and the resistance of
the
strap 70B winding down on the reel 71B, cause the bay doors 52 to move
downward in the rails 56 under control.
[00103] According to an embodiment, when the bay doors 52
are opening,
the door axle 114B spin, winding up the strap 70B on a reel 71B of each of the
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bay doors 52, and rolling the corresponding wheels 80B on the bay doors 52,
resulting in an upward movement.
[00104] According to an embodiment, the reel 71B with the
strap 70B form a
reel and line assembly 72B. The reel and line assembly 72B also acts as a
security
system to prevent the bay door 52 from falling. In another embodiment, a reel
and
line assembly (not shown) comprises a reel and a cable (such as cable 60 on
Fig.
6).
[00105] According to an embodiment depicted on Figs. 22 and
23, the reel
and line assembly 72B, except the portion of the strap 70B exiting the case,
is
protected by a case (unassembled parts of the case depicted through Figs. 22
and
23) mounted around the reel and line assembly 72B. The case comprises two
halves 77A and 77B that, when joined to each other, form a case that defines a
room 79 able to house the reel 71B; has an opening 78 through which the strap
70B travels as it unwind and rewind; and has side openings 69 for the second
axle
119B to extend therethrough. According to a preferred realization, the halves
77A
and 77B are joined using bolts and nuts or srews. According to other
embodiments, the halves 77A and 77B are joined using an alternative solution,
such as clipped to each other. According to an ambldiment, one of the halves
77A,
77B comprises a handle on its external face.
[00106] Now turning to Figs. 15A and 15B, there is a shown a
more detailed
view of the wheel 80B. It should be noted that wheel 80B is compressible. In
Fig.
15A, wheel 80B is slightly compressed under its own weight while Fig. 15B
shows
wheel 80B substantially compressed under added pressure. The fact that wheel
80B is compressible provides some variation in the distance of the driving
axle
114B from the interior of the bay door 52. The distance of the driving axle
114B
from the interior of the bay door 52, aka average operating radius of the
wheel
80B, must be less than the unstressed radius of wheel 80B in order to ensure
that
the wheel 80B is always in frictional contact with the bay door 52. The extra
friction
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also increases the traction of the wheel and allows the wheel to conform to
the
shape of the bay door 52 as it moves.
[00107] It is worth noting that the helicoidal bendable
spokes 86 (Figs. 16A-
B) of the wheel 80B are preferably adapted for exerting force in a direction
decreasing the radius of curvature of the spokes 86 when lowering the bay door
52 thus preventing jamming of the bay door 52 in the railing. Referring
additionally
to Fig. 18, the spokes 86 are directed downward on the bay door side; the
wheel
80B being thus adapted to exert a downward force to the bay door 52, insuring
that the bay door 52 will efficiently close regardless of the unlevel angle of
the
truck.
[00108] According to an embodiment, the wheel 80B is adapted
to exert
downward force to the bay door 52, while the reel and line assembly 72B (Fig.
14)
is adapted to pull up the bay door 52 and retain the bay door 52 is case the
wheel
80B slips over the surface of the bay door 52.
[00109] According to an embodiment and as shown on Fig. 15A,
15B, 16A,
16B, a wheel sleeve 81B is fixed on the small axle 115B using headless bolts
in
corresponding threaded holes in the wheel sleeve 81B on both sides of the
wheel
80B. According to an embodiment, there are four headless bolts and threaded
hole
combination in the wheel sleeve 81B on each side of the wheel 80B. The wheel
80B is mounted on the wheel sleeve 81B and fixed thereon using glue. The end
of the small axle 115B shown on Figs. 15A and 15B has been drilled to receive
the
bolt 118B to fix the small axle 115B to the sleeve 117B (as shown on Fig. 14).
[00110] According to an embodiment, and as shown on Fig. 19A
and 19B,
the small axle 115B passes through the dividing wall 38. For each bay door 52,
a
first wheel 80B is mounted on the small axle 115B which is located on each
side
of the dividing wall 38. Another wheel 80B is mounted on the second axle 119B.
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[00111] According to an embodiment and as shown on Fig. 18,
sensors 90B
allow to detect the position of the corresponding bay door 52. A sensor plate
91B
is also installed to protect these sensors 90B from any possible shocks.
[00112] Referring to the door opening system 100B of Fig. 14
in accordance
with an embodiment, the motor 102 operates in three (3) modes:
a) an opening mode. In this mode, the motor 102 pulls the driving chain 108B
so
that the bay doors 52 move upwardly toward an open position. Once the bay
doors
52 are detected by the sensors 90B as being open, the motor 102 resets to the
idle mode.;
b) an idle mode. In this mode, the motor 102 maintains the driving chain in
the
current position. Thus, the motor 102 maintains the bay doors 52 in their
position,
preventing the movement of the bay doors 52 resulting from exterior forces;
and
c) a closing mode. In this mode, the motor 102 pulls the driving chain 108B so
that
the bay doors 52 move downwardly toward a closed position. Once the bay doors
52 are detected by the sensors 90B as being closed, the motor 102 resets to
the
idle mode.
[00113] According to another embodiment, the output of the
motor 102 is the
axle on which the wheels 80B are mounted.
[00114] Referring particularly to Figs. 16A-B, according to
an embodiment
the wheel 80B is made of silica or polyurethane. The wheel 80B has an outer
unstressed diameter of its rim 82 of 7 inches. As shown on the Fig. 16B, the
outer
surface of the rim # of the wheel 80B comprises a texture to increase the
adherence of the wheel 80B on the corresponding bay door 52. Bendable spokes
86 extend helicoidally between the hub 84 and the rim 82. The hub 84, the
spokes
86 and the rim 82 preferably form a unibody.
[00115] While preferred embodiments have been described
above and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident to those skilled
in the
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art that modifications may be made without departing from this disclosure.
Such
modifications are considered as possible variants comprised in the scope of
the
disclosure
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