In vehicle cargo storage unit conveyor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570198-B2
Application number	US-202318366341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 16, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A system for moving cargo includes an in-vehicle conveyor system mounted in a vehicle cargo space, the in-vehicle conveyor system comprising one or more rails. The rails may be mounted to walls, floor, or ceiling of the vehicle cargo space. The system also includes one or more cargo storage units attached to the in-vehicle conveyor system. Each of the one or more cargo storage units is secured to the rails such that the one or more cargo storage units are raised with respect to a floor of the vehicle cargo space and define a circuit as based on a travel path of the one or more cargo storage units. Upon instruction, the cargo storage units are movable along the circuit to move a specified cargo storage unit to a predetermined location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system configured to move a cargo, the system comprising:
an in-vehicle conveyor system mounted in a vehicle cargo space, the in-vehicle conveyor system comprising one or more rails, the rails mounted to at least one of: walls, a floor, and a ceiling of the vehicle cargo space; one or more cargo storage units attached to the in-vehicle conveyor system, each of the one or more cargo storage units secured to the rails such that the one or more cargo storage units are raised with respect to the floor of the vehicle cargo space and defining a circuit as based on a travel path of the one or more cargo storage units, wherein, upon instruction to the one or more cargo storage units, the one or more cargo storage units are movable along the circuit to move a specified cargo storage unit to a predetermined location; and an anti-sway system mounted to at least one of: the rails, the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the vehicle cargo space and, wherein the anti-sway system is configured to inhibit swinging or rotation of free ends of the one or more cargo storage units.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction is a manual instruction or based on delivery data of packages loaded in the specified cargo storage unit, and wherein the instruction is based on at least one of: a location information, a predetermined path or route, and a GPS data of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle conveyor system is provided.

3 . The system of 1 , wherein the predetermined location is a front portion of the circuit or a rear portion of the circuit.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the rails are provided as a monorail track, dual rail track, or combinations thereof.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more cargo storage units comprises one or more shelves.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more shelves are unevenly spaced to define package cavities in the one or more cargo storage units of varying sizes.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cargo storage units are rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the rails.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cargo storage units are each individually secured to the rails via one or more trolleys.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more trolleys comprise a hook, a ball joint, a gear and a barrel, a hanger frame, or combinations thereof.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle conveyor system is manually driven, power driven, belt driven, cable driven, or chain driven.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the one or more cargo storage units comprises one or more bumpers.

12 . A device configured to move a cargo, the device comprising:
an in-vehicle conveyor system mounted in a vehicle cargo space, the in-vehicle conveyor system comprising one or more rails comprising legs and corner portions in the vehicle cargo space, the rails mounted to at least one of: walls, a floor, and a ceiling of the vehicle cargo space and comprising one or more cargo storage units removably attached to the rails such that the one or more cargo storage units are raised with respect to the floor of the vehicle cargo space; an actuator driving movement of the one or more cargo storage units to various positions along a circuit defined by a travel path of the one or more cargo storage units, wherein, upon instruction, the actuator moves specified cargo units to predetermined locations along the circuit; and an anti-sway system mounted to at least one of: the rails, the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the vehicle cargo space and, wherein the anti-sway system is configured to inhibit swinging or rotation of free ends of the one or more cargo storage units.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the rails comprise two elongated side legs, two short ends, and corner portions between a respective elongated side leg and short end.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the circuit includes one or more sub-circuits defined within the circuit corresponding to shorter travel paths for one or more cargo storage units when compared to the travel path.

15 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the rails further comprise a split rail forming a short loop circuit as a sub-circuit within the circuit as a shorter travel path for the one or more cargo storage units when compared to the travel path.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-sway system is configured to be moved in a deployed position and a stored position, wherein:
in the deployed position, the anti-sway system is configured to inhibit swinging or rotation of free ends of the one or more cargo storage units, and in the stored position, the anti-sway system is moved away from the one or more cargo storage units.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-sway system comprises a plurality of railings extending from the vehicle cargo space to restrict the movement of the one or more cargo storage units.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Farquhar Mark
• Phillips Brian
• Munroe Jeanene F
• Katz Evan
• Dodamani Praveen
• Mate Nilesh
• George Gegi
• Calvert Kyle
• Veine Eric
• Wroblewski Krzysztof
• Redwood Stephen
• Sarode Vishal
• Armbruster Chris
• Gasparotto Kevin
• Showich Andrew
• Johnson Christopher D
• Muthyala Sumanth
• Roggow Aaron
• Marouf Salim
• Smith Lea Thomas
• Mollica Anthony
• Currie Michael
• Elie Erik
• Scott Jason

Classifications

• B60P1/36

  using endless chains or belts thereon · CPC title

• B60P1/6481 Primary

  Specially adapted for carrying different numbers of container or containers of different sizes · CPC title

• B60P3/007 Primary

  for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles · CPC title