DE9218398U1 - Locking device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a locking device for the loading compartment door of a truck body according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

From FR-OS 2 615 471 a locking device for the loading compartment door of a truck body is known, in which the loading compartment door is locked against opening by a locking element. On both sides of the loading compartment door, a first locking element is arranged on the front and rear wall, which has a shaft that can be moved in a guide and has an operating handle at the end. A second locking element, which faces the shaft and provides a receptacle for the shaft, is arranged on the loading compartment door. In the locked state, the shaft of the first locking element engages in the

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&igr;"5§&Igr;? Oppenheim jr. SCie. .Cologne (bank code 370 302 00) account no. 10 **; jDeJitsche Bank AG, Cologne (bank code 37&Ogr;7&Ogr;&Ogr;6&Ogr;) account no. 1165018 " Postgiro Cologne (bank code 37010050) account no. 654-5&Ogr;&Ogr;

second locking element and thus prevents the opening of the loading compartment door. The locking device must first be released by hand or with a servomotor before the loading compartment door can be opened. It is also necessary to choose a design for the loading compartment door that is very free of play so that the shaft can be inserted into the opening provided for it.

DE-OS 40 34 270 discloses a locking device for the loading area door of a truck body, in which the loading area door is pressed against an abutment by its own weight and which has a drive device that opens and closes the loading area door. The loading area door is divided into several side wall parts arranged horizontally one above the other and connected by a joint, the uppermost of which is connected at a right angle to a roof part that can be swiveled up and extends from the front wall to the rear wall of the truck body. The lowest side wall part has a lower longitudinal edge that engages in an associated groove in the truck body. Additional one-armed levers are arranged on the divided side wall as guide parts that engage in or reach behind associated guide elements when the side wall is closed. In this locking device, the longitudinal edge and groove must be coordinated in terms of shape. It also requires an essentially linear movement sequence of the lower side wall part during the closing movement. Furthermore, the drive device must move the door to be closed precisely into position. If this position is not reached or missed, the joints between the side wall parts may bend and the longitudinal edge may not engage in the groove or may not engage without play. Therefore, there is a risk that the loading area door is not properly closed.

It is the object of the invention to create a closure device that does not require a separate closure process and ensures defined closing even in the case of transverse forces.

The object is achieved according to the invention with the features of claim 1.

The locking device according to the invention has interlocking catch elements on the loading compartment door and on the abutments, which engage with one another in the final phase of closing the loading compartment door and, as the closing movement increases, center the loading compartment door in the closed position under the force of the drive device. When the loading compartment door is completely closed, the catch elements are completely in mutual engagement and prevent the loading compartment door from opening. The drive device, which causes the opening and closing movement of the loading compartment door, presses the catch elements firmly against one another.

The catch elements interlock before the loading area door is finally closed. As a result, the loading area door is guided by the catch elements towards its closed position during the closing movement and is safely centered in its closed position. The catch elements hold the loading area door firmly closed in the closed position and prevent it from rattling.

Preferably, the loading compartment door is a lift-and-swing door which is hinged along at least one of its two longitudinal edges and preferably along

both longitudinal edges. The abutment is then arranged at the level of the floor of the truck body or attached to the floor of the truck body. This ensures that the entire side wall opening of the truck body is closed. However, it is also possible for the abutment to be arranged on a side wall section that can be swung up from the floor of the truck body and which is brought into the closed position with the lifting and swinging door.

The interlocking catch elements are advantageously at least one catch wedge and at least one catch pocket for receiving at least one catch wedge, one part of which is optionally arranged on the loading compartment door and the other part on the abutment. The wedge shape of one catch element allows a play-affected closing movement of the loading compartment door without manual intervention being necessary to bring the two parts together. The wedge shape of the catch wedge is suitable for engaging in the catch pocket before the loading compartment door is closed and, as they move further towards each other, being centered by it in the direction of the closed position. The catch pocket, which is mounted slightly higher, requires that, when the catch wedge is already caught, it and the loading compartment door connected to it be forced into the closed position by means of force. The force for this is applied by the drive device of the loading compartment door. Even if the drive device is switched off, the loading compartment door remains pressed and held securely. To open the loading compartment door again, it is necessary to overcome the holding force of the catch elements by the drive device.

The catch wedge is advantageously hollow. During the closing movement, which brings the catch wedge into engagement with the associated catch pocket, the limits of the catch wedge can be pressed towards one another due to an acting closing force.

The invention is explained in more detail using an embodiment.

Show it:

Fig. 1 a truck body with a lockable loading area door with catch elements,

Fig. 2 shows the cross section of a catch element according to detail II of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view of Fig. 2 from the direction of arrow III.

In Fig. 1, a truck body is shown which, when closed (right half), has an elongated box shape that extends from the front wall 12 to the rear wall. The bed base 10 of the truck body runs between the front wall 12 and the rear wall, to which two side walls 16a, 16b are connected at the sides. A roof wall 18 of the truck body has a fixed central first roof part 20 that extends from the front wall 12 to the rear wall, and two second roof parts 22a, 22b that are laterally connected to the first roof part 20 via a joint 21a or 21b. The side wall 16a or 16b, which is divided in two in the longitudinal direction, engages the second roof part 22a or 22b, the upper side wall part 24a or 24b of which is connected to the first roof part 20.

24b is attached at right angles to the second roof part 22a or 22b and which is connected to the lower side wall part 26a or 26b via a horizontal knee joint 25a or 25b. Guide elements 28 are arranged at the front and rear on the underside of the lower side wall part 26a or 26b, which are guided along vertical guide rails 30, which are attached to the four corner posts of the structure. The guide elements 28 ensure that the lower side wall part is guided vertically at its lower edge over the entire height.

Piston-cylinder units 32 serve as drive devices for operating the loading compartment door formed by the second roof part 22a or 22b and the upper side wall part 24a or 24b and the lower side wall part 26a or 26b. The piston-cylinder units 32 are supported on the cylinder side on supports 40, which are attached to the corner posts. On the piston rod side, the piston-cylinder units 32 engage lever arms 44a or 44b, which are attached to the second roof parts 22a or 22b in the area of the joint 21a or 21b to the first roof part 20. The second roof part 22a or 22b forms with the lever arm 44a or 44b a two-armed lever around the joint 21a or 21b. The two piston-cylinder units 32 are arranged directly below the roof and generally run horizontally. In the area below the first roof part 20, the piston rods 38 overlap.

If the piston-cylinder unit 32 (left in Fig. 1) is extended from its rest position, in which the side wall 16b (right in Fig. 1) is closed, it moves

the piston rod 38 only moves forward a short distance, but in doing so opens the side wall 16b. In the opening position, which releases the side wall 16a (in Fig. 1 left), the position of the piston-cylinder unit 32 is only slightly changed (in Fig. 1 right).

In order to securely close the loading area door, it has a series of catch wedges 52 on its lower edge, which engage with catch pockets 54, which are attached slightly below the platform floor 10 on the outside of the truck body, in the manner of catch elements. A catch element 50, which consists of a catch pocket 54 and a catch wedge 52, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The catch pocket 54 is located below the level of the platform floor 10 on a flange 56 that projects vertically downwards from the platform floor 10 of the truck body. The catch pocket 54 forms a hollow space that tapers downwards in a wedge shape and is open at the top, which is delimited on the outside by a sloping wall 55 and on the inside by the flange 56. The catch pocket 54 is delimited at the front and rear ends by triangular end walls 57.

The catch wedge 52, which is firmly connected to the lower side wall part 26b, engages in the catch pocket 54. The catch wedge 52 consists of a material strip, preferably made of steel, which is bent into a wedge adapted to the inner contour of the catch pocket 54. One end 52a of the material strip forms the top of the hollow catch wedge, which tapers downwards. This end is attached to the underside of the side wall part 26b. The other end 52b of the material strip forms a web which projects above the end 52a and is attached to the outside of the lower side wall part 26b.

During the closing movement of the loading area door, the lower end of the lower side wall part 26b is moved downwards along the vertical guides 30. The second roof part 22b pivots about the axis 21b and causes the side wall 16b to unfold to the side of the truck body, in which the knee joint 25b is stretched as the operation progresses and is moved downwards along a defined curve. The catch wedges 52 are aligned downwards in the direction of the catch pockets 54 as the closing movement increases.

When the loading compartment door 2 6b is almost closed - shown in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 1 and designated as 16', the catch wedges 52 are received in the catch pockets 54 and can no longer slip out. The catch pockets 54 thus form an adjusting guide in the vertical direction for the catch wedges 52, which are arranged on the underside of the lower side wall part 26b.

The catch elements therefore ensure, on the one hand, that the loading area door, which is a lifting and swinging door here, evenly follows the closing movement over its entire length, which is determined by the lower side wall part 26b due to the guide elements 28 at the front and rear. Due to the wedge shape, which facilitates mutual gripping, any play in the door initially has no negative effect on the closing security. In the almost closed state of the loading area door, in which the catch wedge 52 and the catch pocket 54 engage with each other in a form-fitting manner, the position of the door is determined precisely and without play. From this position, the piston-cylinder unit 32 is moved against the opening direction.

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actuated, i.e. a pull is exerted on the lever arm 44a. This actuation in the closing direction is transferred via the second roof part 22a and the upper side wall part 24a to the lower side wall part 26a and the catch wedges 52 are pressed into the catch pockets 54. At the same time, the catch pocket 54 expands slightly and the material band of the catch wedge 52 is compressed. After the catch wedges 52 have been centered in the catch pockets 54 in this way, the piston-cylinder unit 32 is hydraulically locked so that it continues to press the loading area door into the closed position. At the same time, the catch wedges 52 are firmly clamped in position by the catch pockets 54. Catch pocket 54 and catch wedge 52 form a press fit. Jumping out of the catch pockets 54 is not possible without activating the piston-cylinder unit 32 again. The lock formed by the catch wedge 52 and catch pocket 54 is permanent and can withstand unwanted opening from the outside. Even when the trailer is parked, it is not easy to break it open from the outside. If the loading area door is to be opened again, the piston-cylinder unit 32 is activated in the opening direction and the catch wedges 52 are only pulled out of the catch pockets 54 at the beginning of the opening movement.

It is also possible to choose a different shape for the catch wedge 52 and catch pocket 54, provided that they can be operated together as catch elements. It is also possible to arrange the catch pocket 54 in the area of the lower end of the lower side wall part 2 6a, and the catch wedge 52 on the flange 56. In this case, the catch pocket 54 would be put over the catch wedge 52 in an open position, like the loading area door 16' in Fig. 1.

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and in doing so guide and center the loading compartment door towards its closed position. When the drive device is actuated, the catch pocket is placed on the catch wedge and the loading compartment door is closed. With such a combination, however, the catch wedges could protrude above the level of the platform floor 10 and hinder the loading of the truck body.

It is also possible to use the catch elements on a loading area door that is pressed into the closed position by a unit other than a piston-cylinder unit, e.g. by a chain running along the guide rails and engaging the guide elements 28. Finally, in addition to the pressing centering of the catch wedge 52 in the catch pocket 54, it is possible to provide a hole through both elements across the closing direction, through which a locking pin causes an additional closure of the loading area door.

Claims (12)

EXPECTATIONS 1. Locking device for the loading compartment door of a truck body, with a hydraulic drive device (32) for opening the loading compartment door, wherein engaging catch elements (52, 54) are provided on the loading compartment door and an abutment of the truck body, which engage with each other in the final phase of closing the loading compartment door and center the loading compartment door in the closed position with increasing closing movement,
characterized, that the drive device (32) has at least one hydraulic piston-cylinder unit which acts on the loading compartment door when it is closed and additionally presses the catch elements of the loading compartment door against those of the abutment. 2. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the catch elements (54) of the abutment are arranged in such a way that they engage precisely and without play with the catch elements (52) of the loading compartment door before the final closing of the loading compartment door and are pressed firmly against these catch elements (52) during the rest of the closing process. 3. Locking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the loading space door is a lifting-swinging door which is guided laterally along at least one vertical edge (30) of the truck body, and that the abutment is arranged at the level of the floor (10) of the truck body. 4. Locking device according to claim 3, characterized in that the lifting-swinging door is divided horizontally into side wall parts (24a, 26a; 24b, 26b) and has a roof part (22a; 22b) that can be pivoted upwards and projects at right angles from the side wall (16a; 16b). 5. Locking device according to claim 4, characterized in that the lifting-swinging door can be swung away to the side when opened and is arranged essentially above the truck body when the loading space opening is completely open. 6. Closure device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the guide of the side wall (16a; 16b) is provided at the lower end of the lower side wall part (26a; 26b) on both sides along two vertical edges (30) of the truck body. 7. Closure device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the hydraulic drive device (32) has piston-cylinder units which act on the upwardly pivotable roof part (22a; 22b). 8= Locking device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the drive device has a revolving chain which engages the loading compartment door. 9. Closure device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the catch elements comprise at least one catch wedge (52) and at least one catch pocket (54) for receiving one or - 13 - several safety wedges (52), one part of which is arranged on the loading compartment door and one part of which is arranged on the abutment. 10. Locking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the tip of the catch wedge (52) points in the direction of the closing movement of the loading compartment door. 11. Closure device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that an associated catch pocket (54) is provided for each catch wedge (52). 12. Closure device according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the catch wedge (52) is hollow.