Method for transferring cargo from a cargo receiving portion of a vehicle, and vehicle for carrying out said method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858762-B2
Application number	US-202017635056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2020
Priority date	Aug 16, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

According to a method for transferring a cargo from a cargo receiving portion of a vehicle onto a cargo take-up station, the vehicle is controlled by a vehicle control unit such that the vector of the velocity of the vehicle is modified immediately before, or upon its arrival at the cargo take-up station and the vehicle is oriented by the vehicle control unit and/or by at least one guide system positioned in the region of the cargo take-up station before the arrival of the vehicle at the cargo take-up station, such that the trajectory of the cargo that is moving away from the cargo receiving portion as a result of the modification in the velocity vector, ends at a receiving region of the cargo take-up station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for transfer of cargo ( 2 ) from a cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) of a vehicle ( 1 ) to a cargo take-up station ( 11 ), wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) is controlled by a vehicle control unit in such a way that the vector of the velocity of the vehicle ( 1 ) is changed immediately before or upon arrival at the cargo take-up station ( 11 ) by braking the vehicle ( 1 ) and/or changing the direction of the velocity of the vehicle ( 1 ) and the vehicle ( 1 ), before arrival at the cargo take-up station ( 11 ), is oriented by the vehicle control unit and/or by at least one guide device disposed in the region of the cargo take-up station ( 11 ) in such a way that the trajectory of the cargo ( 2 ) moving away from the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) due to the change of the velocity vector of the vehicle ( 1 ) ends in a receiving area ( 14 ) of the cargo take-up station ( 11 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) is driven by the vehicle control unit against the cargo take-up station ( 11 ).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) is driven by the vehicle control unit against the cargo take-up station ( 11 ) without being braked.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) is driven by the vehicle control unit at a sharp angle against the cargo take-up station ( 11 ).

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of friction of the surface ( 3 a ) of the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) is reduced before arrival at the cargo take-up station ( 11 ).

6. A vehicle for performance of the method according to claim 5 with a cargo receiving portion ( 3 ), which is disposed on a chassis ( 4 ),
wherein the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) is designed to be open or openable along at least one side rim,
wherein the vehicle has a vehicle control unit, and
wherein the surface ( 3 a ) of the cargo-receiving portion ( 3 ) is designed such that its coefficient of friction at the surface of contact with the cargo ( 2 ) is variable.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is arranged such that, for cargo delivery, the control unit generates a control signal for reduction of the coefficient of friction.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein, for reduction of the coefficient of friction of the contact surface, at least one mechanical release element is provided, which can be actuated by physical contact with the cargo take-up station ( 11 ).

9. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) has at least one support face ( 8 ) with a multiplicity of openings ( 9 ) and wherein bearing elements ( 10 ) are disposed in the region of the openings ( 9 ), wherein the support face ( 8 ) is designed to be relatively displaceable, at least in vertical direction, with respect to the bearing elements ( 10 ).

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the bearing elements ( 10 ) are designed as rotatably mounted rollers or balls.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the bearing elements ( 10 ) are designed to be stud-shaped or plank-shaped.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the bearing elements ( 10 ) have a different coefficient of friction compared with the support face ( 8 ).

13. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) has a rim boundary ( 6 ) along at least one side rim, the upper rim ( 6 a ) of which can be positioned, by relative motion with respect to the surface ( 3 a ) of the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ), at the level of the surface ( 3 a ) of the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ) or below the level of the surface ( 3 a ) of the cargo receiving portion ( 3 ).

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Behling Jan
• Rotgeri Mathias
• Emmerich Jan Soeren
• Hoening Dirk
• Klokowski Patrick
• Hammermeister Christian
• Ten Hompel Michael

Classifications

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/646

  Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path · CPC title

• B65G67/24 Primary

  Unloading land vehicles · CPC title

• B60P1/52 Primary

  using rollers in the load-transporting element · CPC title

• G05D1/0225

  involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027) · CPC title