WO2001028846A1

WO2001028846A1 - Device intended for the prevention of theft of trailers

Info

Publication number: WO2001028846A1
Application number: PCT/NL2000/000760
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hubertus Jan Jansingh
Original assignee: Hubertus Jan Jansingh
Priority date: 1999-10-19
Filing date: 2000-10-19
Publication date: 2001-04-26
Also published as: NL1013342C2; AU1559201A

Abstract

Device intended for the prevention of theft of trailers (1), characterized by a housing (43, 104) which is mountable on the trailer (1) and is provided with a blocking element (5, 105) which can be brought from a releasing position into a blocking position, the device (11) further comprising a blocking element lock for locking the blocking element (5) in the blocking position.

Description

Title: Device intended for the prevention of theft of trailers

The invention relates to a device intended for the prevention of theft of trailers, more in particular truck trailers.

Truck trailers are often parked on parking lots or on public roads, waiting to be picked up by a tractor and to be transported to a next destination. In recent years, it has regularly happened that trailers were stolen by unauthorized persons using a tractor. Not only is the expensive trailer lost itself in this way, but also the goods contained inside are lost. In practice, so-called kingpin locks are already known per se. A drawback of these kingpin locks is that they are difficult to position and remove. The object of the invention therefore is to provide a device through which the above described problem can be solved.

To that end, the invention provides a device characterized by a housing, which can be mounted on a trailer which is to be protected, the device being provided with a blocking element which can be brought from a releasing position into a blocking position, the device being further provided with a blocking element lock for locking the blocking element in the blocking position.

Trailers can be subdivided into semitrailers and full trailers. Generally, a semitrailer is provided with two axles which are located near to each other. The front side of the semitrailer is provided with a disc-plate having a so-called kingpin. The kingpin provides the connection between the semitrailer and the tractor. With the disc plate, the semitrailer rests on the tractor. With full trailers, the axles are located at a larger distance from each other. The front axle is rotatably mounted on the undercarriage. To that end, the front axle is bearing-mounted in a so-called mill. With semitrailers, the device according to the invention is preferably mounted on the underside of the disc plate. When the blocking element is in the blocking position and the blocking element lock locks the blocking element in the blocking position, coupling the semitrailer to the tractor is impossible because the kingpin cannot be engaged with the tractor. This makes picking up the semitrailer impossible. With full trailers, the device is preferably mounted on the mill. The full trailer as such may then be picked up by a tractor, but, as soon as a bend has to be followed, the mill of the full trailer will tend to pivot relatively to the undercarriage, so that the front axle can indeed follow the bend. However, when the blocking element of the device is in the blocking position, such a pivotal movement will be prevented in that the blocking element engages a fixed part of the undercarriage of the full trailer. In this manner, therefore, negotiating bends is made impossible, so that a thief will not get far with the full trailer.

According to a further elaboration of the invention, it is particularly favorable when the blocking element lock can be energized automatically, for instance with a pneumatic, electric or mechanical drive, or combinations thereof. Optionally, the drive can be connected to a control with the aid of which the driver can lock and unlock the device. For this purpose, use can be made, for instance, of a PIN-code, a key or like identification possibility. Further, the control can cause the blocking element lock to be automatically brought in the blocking position, for instance five minutes after uncoupling of the trailer. Optionally, the control can be provided with a wireless communication device, such as, for instance, a cell phone, so that the blocking element lock can be operated from an exchange. After arriving at or leaving the trailer, the driver can then contact the exchange with his cell phone, after which the exchange can call the cell phone of the control and pass a code to it, which has as a result that the control locks or unlocks the device, respectively. Naturally, the invention also relates to a trailer provided with a device according to claims 1 - 13.

Further elaborations are described in the subclaims and will be further clarified in the following with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a tractor with semitrailer; Fig. 2 shows a detail A of the side view represented in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a cross sectional view on line III-III from Fig. 4 of a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a cross sectional view on line IV- IV from Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 shows a cross sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a truck comprising a semitrailer 1 and a tractor 2. The semitrailer 1 is provided with a so-called disc-plate 3 with which the semitrailer 1 rests on a coupling disc 14 of the tractor. The tractional connection between the tractor 2 and the semitrailer 1 is effected with the aid of a so-called kingpin, which is connected to the semitrailer 1 and which is not shown in the present figures. When "picking up" a semitrailer, the tractor 2, with the coupling disc 14, is driven underneath the disc-plate 3, whereby the connection between the tractor 2 and the semitrailer 1 is automatically effected. When this connection has been effected, the supports 10, supporting the semitrailer 1, can be collapsed. Fig. 2 shows, in more detail, the part of the tractor 2 and the semitrailer 1 at their point of connection.

In Fig. 2 a possible position of the device 11 according to the invention is represented at the underside of the disc 3. Further, a control panel 9 on the semitrailer 1 is shown, with the aid of which the device can be brought from a blocking positing to an unblocked position, vice versa. The device 11 will be further clarified with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The device is provided with a housing 4, in which a blocking element 5 is arranged. The blocking element 5 is movable from a releasing position, represented in Fig. 3, to a blocking positing, represented in Fig. 4. In this blocking position, the blocking element 5 can be locked by means of a locking bolt 6. The locking bolt 6 is arranged to be movable, with the help of the piston-cylinder assembly 8, in Fig. 3 in the left and the right direction.

Further, in the housing 4, a relay 16 is arranged, comprising a relay pin 17. The relay is connected to the control 9 and serves to prevent the locking bolt 6 from being moved out of the locking position. To this end, to retract the relay pin 17, first the relay 16 has to be energized. Only then can the piston-cylinder assembly 8 be energized to bring the locking bolt from the locking position to the unlocking position. When the locking element 6 is in the extreme left position in Fig. 3, it extends above the head 5a of the blocking element 5. Thus, it is clamped between the housing 4 and the head 5a of the blocking element 5. As a consequence, the blocking element 5 can no longer move upwards. In the releasing position, as is shown in Fig. 3, the locking bolt 6 is in a position to the right of the blocking element 5. The piston-cylinder assembly 8 is connected to a pneumatic pressure source 12, generally available in the trailers for the purpose of the power brakes. This connection is effected via valves 13, which can be operated with a control 9. Depending on the opening or closing of one of the valves 13, the piston 14 of the piston-cylinder assembly 8 is moved to the left or to the right, for operating the locking bolt 6.

Optionally, for instance, the inward stroke of the piston 14, i.e., the stroke bringing the locking bolt 6 in the unlocking position, can be energized by a spring instead of by pneumatic pressure. Even when the pressure in the pressure source 12 has fallen out, the device can then be released by operating the relay 16 to retract the relay pin 17.

The control 9 can be mounted on the outside of the trailer as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. It is preferred, however, that only a control panel of the control is mounted on the exterior of the tractor 1 while the control itself is mounted inside the tractor 1 at a position which is not accessible to thieves. With the help of the control panel, a PIN-code or identification code can be entered into the control.

When the locking bolt 6 is in the locking position, the blocking element 5 cannot be moved upwards. If an unauthorized person should still try to pick up the semitrailer 1 with the aid of a tractor 2, the head 5a of the blocking element 5 would move against the coupling disc 14 of the tractor 2, so that the kingpin of the semitrailer 1 does not engage with the tractor 2. Effecting a connection between the semitrailer 1 and the tractor 2 is thereby prevented. However, when the locking bolt 6 is in the unlocking position, the blocking element 5 can move upwards under the influence of a force exerted on it. The disc plate 3 will then move over the coupling disc 14 at the correct level during pick-up, whereby a normal connection between the semitrailer 1 and the tractor 2 can be effected.

The blocking element 5 moves automatically downwards under the influence of a force of gravity. Therefore, when the tractor 1 is not hitched on, the locking bolt 6 can always be brought in the locking position. It is incidentally noted that in the present exemplary embodiment a spring 7 is arranged above the head 5a of the blocking element 5 to effect with more certainty that the blocking element 5 is always in the lowest position when no force from outside is exerted on the head 5a. Due to the head 5a having the shape of a part of a sphere, the supporting plate 14 can push the spherical head 5a gradually upwards during the pick-up of the semitrailer 1.

Although in the present exemplary embodiment the drive 8 of the locking bolt 6 is constructed as a piston-cylinder assembly, other drives are conceivable, such as, for instance, an electrical drive in the form of a stepping motor, servomotor or an electromagnet.

On the other hand, it is also possible that the blocking element itself is driven by a drive in order to move the blocking element from the blocking position into the releasing position and/or vice versa. Such an exemplary embodiment is represented in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a housing 104 and a blocking element 105, being pivotable about an axis 106. Optionally, a locking bolt can be pushed in the space 107 in order to prevent the blocking element (105) from pivoting about the pivot axis 106. For pivoting the blocking element 105, for instance a servomotor can be provided, driving the pivot 106.

The control of the drive of either the blocking pin 105 or the locking bolt 6 can be provided with a cell phone whose antenna 15 is represented in Fig. 3. Naturally, it is preferred that this antenna 15 is located beyond the reach of a thief, so that it cannot be vandalized. Using the cell phone, contact can be sought from a central exchange with the control 9 for the purpose of operating the blocking element 105, the locking bolt 6 and/or the relay 16, so that the device can be remotely brought from a blocked condition into an unblocked condition and vice versa. This prevents, for instance, the trailer 1 from being taken by a bribed truck-driver having sold his PIN-code to a third party for unsound purposes. The correct PIN-codes or identification codes need only be known in the exchange for bringing the device 11 in the unblocked condition.

It will be clear that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described, but that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device intended for the prevention of theft of trailers (1), characterized by a housing (43, 104) which is mountable on the trailer (1) and is provided with a blocking element (5, 105) which can be brought from a releasing position into a blocking position, the device (11) further comprising a blocking element lock for locking the blocking element (5) in the blocking position.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking element lock comprises a locking bolt (6) which is included in the housing (4), which locking bolt (6) can be brought in a locking position and in an unlocking position, the locking bolt (6) in the locking position making it impossible for the blocking element (5) to be moved out of the blocking position.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the blocking element (5) is positioned such that it automatically takes the blocking position.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the blocking element (5), under the influence of gravity, optionally in combination with a spring element (7), is forced into the blocking position.

5. A device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the blocking element is provided with a head (5a) and a pin (5b), the head (5a) extending outside the housing (4) in the blocking position and having the shape of a part of a sphere.

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking bolt (6) in the locking position extends above the head (5a) and at least partly around the pin (5b) of the blocking element (5).

7. A device according to any one of claims 2 - 6, characterized by a locking bolt drive (8) which operates the locking bolt (6).

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking bolt drive comprises a pneumatic piston/cylinder assembly.

9. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking bolt drive is an electrical drive, such as a stepping motor, a servomotor or an electromagnet.

10. A device according to claim 7, characterized by a relay (16) having a relay pin (17), which relay (16) is mounted in the housing (4) such that the locking bolt (6) in the locking position can be blocked and unblocked using the relay pin (17).

11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a blocking element drive by means of which the blocking element can be brought from the releasing position into the blocking position and/or vice versa.

12. A device according to any one of claims 7 - 11, characterized in that the locking bolt drive and/or the blocking element drive is connected to a control (9).

13. A device according to claim 12, characterized in that to the control (9) a wireless communication provision is connected, such as, for instance, a cell phone, so that the blocking element lock can be operated from an exchange.

14. A trailer provided with a device according to any one of claims 1-13.