Storage system for a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle and method for monitoring a piece number and/or a volume of a commodity located in a receiving unit in a commercial motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913825-B2
Application number	US-202117383105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2021
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage system (1) for a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle. In order to make commercial motor vehicles available that can be utilized more productively and more effectively, the storage system (1) exhibits at least one weighing machine with counting scale (5), capable of being fixed in the loading space, and at least one indicating unit (7), assigned to the weighing machine with counting scale (5), for indicating a piece number of bulk commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5) and/or for indicating a volume of a liquid commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage system ( 1 ) for a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle, comprising:
a first plurality of weighing machines and a second plurality of weighing machines each with a counting scale ( 5 ) capable of being fixed in the loading space,
a first plurality of indicating units ( 7 ) and a second plurality of indicating units ( 7 ) each assigned to a corresponding one of the first plurality of weighing machines and the second plurality of weighing machines for indicating a piece number of a plurality of bulk commodities each located on the corresponding one of the first and second plurality of weighing machines and/or for indicating a volume of a plurality of liquid commodities located on the corresponding one of the first and second plurality of weighing machines,
a first shelf ( 3 ) and a second shelf ( 4 ) disposed on top of one another inside the vehicle and being capable of being fixed in the loading space, wherein the first and second shelves are configured such that the first plurality of weighing machines are fixed on the first shelf and the second plurality of weighing machines are fixed on the second shelf, wherein each of the first plurality of indicating units are arranged on the first shelf on one of the first plurality of weighing machines, and wherein each of the second plurality of indicating units are arranged on the second shelf on one of the second plurality of weighing machines, and
a first and a second plurality of bulk-commodity-receiving and/or liquid-commodity-receiving units ( 6 ) each for one of the first and second plurality of weighing machines.

2. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of the indicating units ( 7 ) takes the form of an e-paper display.

3. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of the indicating units comprises a central indicating unit which has been set up to indicate for all of the weighing machines, wherein the system further comprising at least one evaluation-electronics module connected to the weighing machines with the counting scale ( 5 ), on the one hand, and to the central indicating unit ( 8 ), on the other hand, which has been set up to drive the central indicating unit ( 8 ) for the purpose of indicating an information signal assigned to a particular weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) if by means of this weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) it has been registered that the corresponding piece number of the bulk commodity or the corresponding volume of the liquid commodity on this weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) falls short of a predetermined minimum value.

4. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , further comprising at least one microphone connected to the drive electronics for entering voice commands, the drive electronics having been set up to evaluate the voice commands and to drive the indicating unit ( 7 ) assigned to the respective weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) and/or the central indicating unit ( 8 ) as a function of voice commands.

5. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , further comprising at least one data interface connected to the drive electronics for wireless communication with a data network.

6. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second pluralities of weighing machines exhibits an electronics module which has been set up to receive and evaluate an item of information relating to an instantaneous travel speed of the commercial motor vehicle, so that a measurement by the weighing machines with counting scale ( 5 ) is undertaken only when the commercial motor vehicle has been at a standstill for longer than a period of time of predetermined length.

7. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , further comprising at least one triaxial gyroscope ( 9 ) which is capable of being fixed to either of the first and second shelves ( 3 , 4 ) and which is connected to the electronics module of the respective weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ), the electronics module having been set up to evaluate measurement signals of the gyroscope ( 9 ), so that the measurement by means of the respective weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) is undertaken only when amplitudes of oscillations of the shelf ( 3 , 4 ) are smaller than a predetermined amplitude.

8. The storage system ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the electronics module has been set up to correct a result of the measurement by the respective weighing machine with the counting scale ( 5 ) as a function of a state of inclination of the shelf ( 3 , 4 ) registered by the gyroscope ( 9 ).

9. A method for monitoring a piece number of a bulk commodity located in one of a plurality of a-receiving units ( 6 ) and/or for monitoring a volume of a liquid commodity located in the one of the plurality of receiving units ( 6 ), wherein a first plurality of the receiving units are located on a first shelf in a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle and a second plurality of the receiving units are located on a second shelf in the loading space of the vehicle, the first and second shelves being oriented one on top of the other, the method comprising
registering the piece number of the bulk commodity or the volume of the liquid commodity by a weighing machine with a counting scale ( 5 ), the weighing machine being one of a plurality of weighing machines with counting scales comprising a first plurality of weighing machines each disposed on the first shelf and a second plurality of weighing machines each disposed on the second shelf, and
indicating by a first indicating unit ( 7 ) of a plurality of indicating units comprising a first plurality of indicating units and a second plurality of indicating units each assigned to a corresponding one of the first and second pluralities of weighing machines.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the piece number of the bulk commodity or the volume of the liquid commodity is indicated additionally by a central indicating unit ( 8 ) which piece numbers of bulk commodities and/or volumes of liquid commodities are indicated simultaneously for several weighing machines with counting scale ( 5 ).

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein an information signal assigned to a particular weighing machine with the counting scale ( 5 ) is indicated by means of one of the indicating units ( 7 ) and/or the central indicating unit ( 8 ) if by means of this weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) it has been registered that the piece number of the bulk commodity or the volume of the liquid commodity on this weighing machine with counting scale ( 5 ) falls short of a predetermined minimum value.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the indicating unit ( 7 ) assigned to the respective weighing machine with the counting scale ( 5 ) and/or the central indicating unit ( 8 ) is/are driven as a function of voice commands.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein results of measurements by the weighing machines with counting scale ( 5 ) are communicated to a computer network in wireless manner via a data network.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the measurement by each of the weighing machines with the counting scale ( 5 ) is undertaken only when a sensor registers that the commercial motor vehicle has been at a standstill for longer than a period of time of predetermined length.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the measurement by each of the weighing machines with the counting scale ( 5 ) is undertaken only when a sensor registers that amplitudes of oscillations of one

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kuck Detlef
• Grein Marcel
• Holz Alexandra
• Martinius Moritz
• Rege Ramola

Classifications

• G01G19/4144 Primary

  for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems · CPC title

• B60P3/228

  Measuring or indicating means, e.g. of level, volume, weight · CPC title

• G01G19/08

  for incorporation in vehicles · CPC title

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• G01G23/3735

  using a digital network · CPC title