Systems and methods for improved cargo dolly for remote cargo holding pins for a cargo dolly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827264-B2
Application number	US-202318123857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2023
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

An improved cargo dolly for transporting cargo is described having a mobile dolly frame, a main shaft on the frame, a lever proximate to a first part of the frame (where the lever is movable relative to the frame and in responsive communication with the main shaft), a first set of transfer sprockets mounted to the main shaft, a secondary shaft rotatably disposed at a second part of the frame (where the first part is remote from the second part), a second set of transfer sprockets mounted to the secondary shaft, a chain disposed about the first set of transfer sprockets and the second set of transfer sprockets, and a locking pin having a first end fixed to the secondary shaft and a second end configured as an angled latch. Rotation of the lever responsively causes the locking pin to remotely rotate at the second part of the frame.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An improved cargo dolly having sensor-based actuation capabilities, the cargo dolly comprising:
a dolly frame having a top deck for supporting cargo;
a set of wheels attached to the dolly frame, wherein the set of wheels supports the dolly frame and rotates to allow movement of the dolly frame;
a set of cargo securing pins that are each disposed on the dolly frame and movable from a retracted position from below the top deck to a deployed position extending at least partially above the top deck;
a plurality of pin actuators corresponding to each of the cargo securing pins, each of the pin actuators being responsive to a control input to at least articulate the respective one of the cargo securing pins from the retracted position to the deployed position;
an electronics control module disposed on the dolly frame for remotely controlling deployment of each of the set of cargo securing pins by selectively generating the control input for each of the pin actuators;
a plurality of sensors coupled to the electronics control module, wherein a first of the sensors detects motion of the dolly frame and wherein a second of the sensors detects proximity of the dolly frame to an object on at least one side of the dolly frame;
wherein the electronics control module is programmatically configured to be operative to at least
receive sensor data from the sensors,
automatically actuate the pin actuators by generating the control input for the cargo securing pins when the sensor data indicates no movement of the dolly frame and the dolly frame is detected to be proximate a cargo loader.

2. The improved cargo dolly of claim 1 , wherein the second of the sensors detects proximity of the dolly frame to the cargo loader as the object on the at least one side of the dolly frame.

3. The improved cargo dolly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics control module comprises:
a weatherproof housing;
a processor disposed within the weatherproof housing;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory maintaining program code that programmatically configures operation of the electronics control module;
a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor;
a sensor interface coupled to the processor and connected to the sensors, the sensor interface receiving the sensor data from each of the first of the sensors, the second of the sensors, and the third of the sensors; and
an actuator interface coupled to the processor and connected to the pin actuators to provide the control input to the pin actuators to activate the pin actuators.

4. The improved cargo dolly of claim 3 , wherein the wireless transceiver receives location information on the desired logistics point from an external transceiver and provides the location information on the desired logistics point to the memory on the electronics control module.

5. The improved cargo dolly of claim 4 , wherein the external transceiver comprises a user access device operated by a logistics operator of a cargo tractor associated with the improved cargo dolly.

6. The improved cargo dolly of claim 4 , wherein the external transceiver comprises a central server associated with a plurality of ground support equipment, wherein the improved cargo dolly is part of the plurality of ground support equipment.

7. The improved cargo dolly of claim 3 further comprising a connection sensor coupled to the sensor interface and disposed on the dolly frame that detects when the dolly frame is connected to external ground support equipment.

8. The improved cargo dolly of claim 7 , wherein the electronics control module further comprises a user interface coupled to the processor, the user interface being operative to display a connection status generated by the processor based upon connection data received by the processor from the connection sensor.

9. The improved cargo dolly of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a display screen.

10. The improved cargo dolly of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a status indicator light.

11. The improved cargo dolly of claim 7 , wherein the electronics control module further comprises a speaker coupled to the processor, the speaker being operative to generate an audible connection status notification in response to an audible signal provided by the processor based upon connection data received by the processor from the connection sensor.

12. The improved cargo dolly of claim 7 , wherein the electronics control module is programmatically further operative to
receive connection status data from the connection sensor, wherein the connection status data indicates when the dolly frame is detected to be connected to external ground support equipment;
determine a permissive movement status for the cargo dolly based upon the connection status data; and
transmit a permissive move indicator message to an external transceiver based upon the permissive movement status for the cargo dolly, the permissive move indicator message including a recommendation on allowed movement of the cargo dolly based upon the connection status data.

13. The improved cargo dolly of claim 7 , wherein the electronics control module is programmatically further operative to:
receive pin status information from the pin actuators, wherein the pin status information reflects a position state of the cargo securing pins indicating one of the retracted position and the deployed position;
receive connection status data from the connection sensor, wherein the connection status data indicates when the dolly frame is detected to be connected to external ground support equipment;
determine a permissive movement status for the cargo dolly based upon the pin status information and the connection status data; and
transmit a permissive move indicator message to an external transceiver based upon the permissive movement status for the cargo dolly, the permissive move indicator message including a recommendation on allowed movement of the cargo dolly based upon the pin status information and the connection status data.

14. The improved cargo dolly of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of actuated chocks disposed on the dolly frame and coupled to the electronics control module, the actuated chocks being operative to deploy proximate at least one in the set of wheels in response to a chock signal from the electronics control module to prevent the at least one in the set of wheels from moving;
wherein the electronics control module is programmatically further operative to
receive connection status data from the connection sensor, wherein the connection status data indicates when the dolly frame is detected to be connected to external ground support equipment; and
activate the actuated chocks to prevent the at least one in the set of wheels from moving when the connection status data indicates the dolly frame is not connected to the external ground support equipment.

15. The improved cargo dolly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics control module is programmatically further operative to determine an alignment of the dolly frame relative to the cargo loader using at least proximity data from the second of the sensors, the alignment indicating whether the dolly frame is detected to be proximate the cargo loader.

16. The improved cargo dolly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a third of the sensors that detects location and wherein the electronics control module is programmatically further operative to determine an alignment of the dolly frame relative to the cargo loader using location data from the third of the sensors and proximity data

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Burch V Reuben F
• King Katherine
• McKinney Howard
• Prather Aaron
• Frommelt Kevin
• Khan Shaq

Classifications

• B62B5/0447 Primary

  using elements cooperating with a handle bar · CPC title

• B62B3/04

  involving means for grappling or securing in place objects to be carried; Loading or unloading equipment · CPC title

• B62B2501/04

  Production features · CPC title

• B62D53/00 Primary

  Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains (traction couplings other than fifth wheel coupling B60D {; tracked vehicles comprising at least two articulated parts B62D55/0655}) · CPC title

• B62D53/005

  Combinations with at least three axles and comprising two or more articulated parts (articulated buses B62D47/025) · CPC title