ES1322302U - TRANSITION PIECE FOR TRAILER TARP OPENING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

Transition piece (1) for a tarpaulin opening system of a truck trailer intended for the transport of goods, comprising at least one lower and/or upper rail for guiding a trolley (6) of the tarpaulin, with a longitudinal rail (2) on the side of the trailer and a transverse rail (3) on the front of the trailer adjacent to the cabin of the truck, the rails (2, 3) being interrupted at their meeting corner, where said transition piece (1) comprises a body with a first end (11) with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the transverse rail (3) of the trailer, and with a second end (12) with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the longitudinal rail (2), said transition piece (1) comprising at least one projection (111, 121) at each end (11, 12) that adjusts to the section geometry of the rails (2, 3) for its coupling in its position of (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

TRANSITION PIECE FOR TRAILER TARP OPENING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention relates to the transportation systems sector, particularly to the design of components for truck trailers used for the distribution of goods, and more specifically, it relates to rails for the movement of wheeled carts that allow the opening of the trailer canvas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of freight transport and distribution, truck trailers play a fundamental role in product distribution logistics. These generally large vehicles must have efficient and robust systems for handling and protecting the goods during transport. In the specific case of beverage transport, the need to keep the cargo safe, accessible, and protected during the journey is reflected in the design of the trailers, especially with regard to the tarpaulin opening and closing system that allows access to the transported products.

Many truck trailers used for beverage transport employ roll-out tarps that cover the load on the sides of the trailer. To facilitate access to the load, the tarp must be easy to open and close, using a system that allows it to slide along the rails located on the lower and/or upper edges of the trailer. In this system, wheeled carts connected to the tarp run along these rails, allowing the tarp to be opened or closed efficiently and quickly.

However, on other occasions, the rails are also located at the rear, and as is common in Latin American truck trailers, at the front of the truck trailer.

In many trailer models, the rail system used to support the carts has different geometries along the length of the trailer. The longitudinal rail, located along the long end of the trailer, generally has a complex geometry. This geometry is designed to offer strength and stability, adapting to the trailer's characteristics. However, its complexity has the disadvantage that it does not allow for easy bending, which prevents easy turning or transition between the long end of the trailer and the rear or front end of the trailer. This rail is configured to ensure the secure attachment of wheeled carts over long distances, but its rigidity prevents turning at the rear or front of the trailer.

In the rear or front areas of the trailer, where the curtain must follow a curved path, a track with a simpler geometry is used. This track allows the curtain to follow the curve without difficulty. Although this profile is more suitable for these areas of the trailer, it presents a discontinuity in its transition with the longitudinal track. Because it is simpler in design, it does not offer the same retention capacity or stability as wheeled carriages, which causes a misalignment in the rolling when moving from one track to another.

The difference in track geometries poses several practical problems in a tarpaulin-opening system. One of the main drawbacks is that wheeled trolleys moving along these tracks encounter difficulties when trying to move between them. When the trolley moves from the longitudinal (complex) track to the transverse (single) track, the transition geometry between the two profiles is not smooth or continuous enough, which can cause friction and obstacles, and even the tarpaulin trolley to exit the track.

These jams not only slow down the process of opening or closing the tarp, but also increase wear on the cart wheels, as they must cope with abrupt changes in track geometry. Furthermore, jams and friction increase the effort required to move the tarp, which can affect operational efficiency, delaying loading and unloading times and generating higher energy consumption.

The constant friction and stress generated by traffic jams in the passage of trolleys also negatively impact the system's durability. The components of the curtain-opening system, such as the trolley rails and wheels, experience faster wear. This can result in premature failure or the need to replace parts more frequently, leading to additional maintenance costs and vehicle downtime, negatively impacting the efficiency of the trailer's logistics operation.

Currently, there are various methods and devices to address these problems, but none have completely solved the issue of smooth transitions between rails with different geometries. Some solutions involve the use of improvised or customized transition pieces, which do not always guarantee a proper fit, leading to additional alignment and stability issues.

The main problem with these discontinuities is that wheeled carts that must move between these tracks with different geometries often encounter obstacles or resistance that impair their movement. This can cause jams, excessive friction, premature wheel wear, and a reduction in the efficiency of the tarpaulin-opening system.

In view of the aforementioned disadvantages of current solutions, it is clear that a solution is needed that facilitates the smooth passage of carriages between rails of different geometries, while ensuring greater durability and reliability of the system.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

In order to meet this objective and solve the technical problems discussed so far, in addition to providing additional advantages that may be derived later, the present invention relates to a transition piece for a tarpaulin opening system of a truck trailer intended for the transport of goods, comprising at least one lower and/or upper rail for guiding a tarpaulin cart, with a longitudinal rail on the side of the trailer and a transverse rail on the front of the trailer adjacent to the truck cabin, interrupted at their meeting corner, where said transition piece comprises a body with a first end with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the transverse rail of the trailer, and with a second end with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the longitudinal rail, said transition piece comprising at least one projection at each end that adjusts to the section geometry of the rails for coupling it in its assembly position to provide continuity to the lower and/or upper rail of the trailer.

The transition piece smooths the passage of the trolleys between the two rails with different geometries, ensuring that no jams or excessive friction occur. The smooth transition prevents the trolleys from stopping or becoming misaligned when moving from the longitudinal to the transverse area of the trailer. This results in a smoother and more efficient curtain opening system, which increases loading and unloading speeds and reduces downtime. It also minimizes wheel wear and reduces stress during curtain movement, improving the overall durability of the system.

Preferably, according to the invention, the second end of the transition piece comprises a fixing reinforcement that projects from the upper part of said end and is inserted in correspondence with the upper geometry of the longitudinal rail.

The inclusion of a fixing reinforcement projecting from the top of the transition piece provides greater stability and support during operation. This reinforcement ensures that the piece does not shift or become loose during the operation of the curtain opening system, preventing potential failures or unwanted movement of the piece. By keeping the piece fixed in position, the system is guaranteed to operate consistently and without interruptions, contributing to the long-term reliability of the trailer and reducing costs associated with component maintenance or repair. This configuration also allows for easy installation and adjustment, as the transition piece easily adapts to trailer rails without the need for specialized tools, also facilitating system maintenance.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the transition piece comprises a transition rail with a continuous transition surface between the lower part of the first end and the lower part of the second end, and with at least one lateral stop and inner guide rib in correspondence with the stop rib of the rails.

Thanks to the stop rib in the transition section, which acts as a limit, preventing the carriages from slipping off their path, ensuring they remain correctly aligned at all times. This stop rib provides greater safety in the running system, minimizing the risk of misalignment or failure. It also helps keep the carriages perfectly aligned as they transit between rails. This significantly reduces the likelihood of carriages deviating, which could cause jams or additional friction. It thus optimizes the performance of the tarpaulin-opening system and improves operating practices, reducing the effort required to move the tarpaulin and extending the life of the components.

The invention also contemplates that an upper transition rib is arranged in the transition piece in correspondence with an upper transition rib of the longitudinal rail.

Thanks to this upper rib, a better fit is ensured between the transition piece and the more complex longitudinal rail. This is not necessary in the transverse rail, since, having a simpler geometry, it does not have any upper rib, allowing for a simple interference fit.

Additionally, preferably, the transition piece in at least one of the projections comprises a hollow geometry.

This reduces the overall weight of the transition piece without compromising its structural strength. It also makes handling easier during installation and maintenance, resulting in a simpler and more cost-effective process. At the same time, the weight reduction contributes to a lower overall trailer load, which can result in greater energy efficiency for the truck during transport, as less energy is required to move the trailer.

More preferably, the body of the transition piece is made of a high-strength plastic material, especially those manufactured by 3D printing, but it can also be made by injection or cast metal.

Given this, the use of plastic materials offers several benefits. 3D printing allows for precise customization of the part design, ensuring a perfect fit between the rails and the transition piece. Furthermore, plastic is a lightweight material, which contributes to reducing the overall weight of the system. 3D printing also significantly reduces production costs and enables the rapid manufacture of replacement parts. This facilitates greater flexibility in production and maintenance.

Other configurations and advantages of the invention can be deduced from the following description and the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To better understand the subject matter of the invention, a preferred embodiment is shown in the attached figures, which are subject to additional changes that do not distort its purpose. In this case:

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a transition piece between the longitudinal and transverse rails.

Figures 2 and 3 show perspective views of a transition piece.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a cross rail.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a longitudinal rail.

Figure 6 shows an elevation view of the transition piece arranged on the longitudinal rail with the canvas trolley with wheels.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A non-limiting practical embodiment of the present invention is described below. Other embodiments, which introduce additional changes that do not distort its purpose, are not entirely ruled out.

The present invention relates to a transition piece (1) for a tarpaulin opening system on a truck trailer used for the transport of goods. The trailer tarpaulin opening system is composed of a set of rails arranged in the different parts of the trailer, which allow a tarpaulin trolley (6) to be guided along the structure of the vehicle. Specifically, the rail system includes a longitudinal rail (2) arranged on the side of the trailer, and a transverse rail (3) arranged at the front and/or rear of the trailer. These rails, which guide the movement of the tarpaulin trolley (6), are interrupted at their meeting corner. The transition piece (1) is placed precisely in that intersection area of the rails (2, 3), serving to connect and give continuity to the tarpaulin guidance system between the longitudinal (2) and transverse (3) rails. The transition piece (1) facilitates the smooth and continuous passage of the trolley (6) that transports the tarpaulin, allowing its movement without friction or interruptions along the entire length of the rails (2, 3).

The transition piece (1) comprises a structural body with two defined ends. A first end (11) has a section whose geometry, at least in its lower part, corresponds to the geometry of the transverse rail (3) of the trailer (figure 2). Similarly, a second end (12) has a section whose geometry, at least in its lower part, corresponds to the geometry of the longitudinal rail (2), thus ensuring a proper fit between the transition piece (1) and the rails (figure 3). To facilitate this coupling, the transition piece (1) has a projection (111) at the first end (11) and a projection (121) at the second end (12), which adjust to the section geometry of the rails (2, 3) to allow precise assembly and a continuous transition between both rails, and ensure that the transition piece (1) remains firm during use, thereby improving the stability and safety of the tarpaulin guidance system.

The second end (12) of the transition piece (1) includes a fixing reinforcement (13). This reinforcement projects from the upper part of the end (12) and is inserted in correspondence with the upper geometry of the longitudinal rail (2). The incorporation of this reinforcement aims to provide greater stability and solidity in the assembly of the transition piece (1), which prevents any type of displacement or unwanted movement during the use of the canvas opening system. The reinforcement (13) contributes to the transition piece (1) being held firmly in place, even under the tensions generated by the movement of the canvas carriage (6), reducing the possibilities of unwanted movements that could compromise the opening of the canvas. Figure 1 shows said transition piece (1) before its coupling in the transverse (3) and longitudinal (2) profiles.

As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, to ensure that the canvas carriage (6) moves smoothly and continuously between the two rails, the transition piece (1) includes a transition rail (14). This transition rail has a surface that continuously connects the lower part of the first end (11) with the lower part of the second end (12). In this way, a smooth transition is achieved between the transverse rail (3) and the longitudinal rail (2), allowing the carriage (6) to move without any interruptions.

Furthermore, the transition rail (14) is provided with at least one lateral stop and inner guide rib (15), which interacts with the stop rib (16) present in the longitudinal and transverse rails (2, 3). These stop ribs (16) have the function of preventing the carriage (6) from moving in an uncontrolled manner or outside its path, keeping it correctly guided along the rails (2, 3) and avoiding any type of misalignment or failure in the system.

To complete the transition between the rails (2, 3), the transition piece (1) has an upper transition rib (17) that corresponds to an upper transition rib (18) of the longitudinal rail (2). These upper transition ribs make it possible to guarantee the continuity of the guidance system also in the upper part of the rails, which contributes to improving the stability and general alignment of the carriage (6) during its movement. This smoothness in the transition with the different elements that intervene, such as the transition ribs (17), the transition rail (14) and the lateral stop (15), can be seen more clearly in figure 6, where the correspondence between the longitudinal rail (2) and the geometry of the transition piece, which guides the wheels (7) during their sliding, can be seen.

In this practical embodiment of the invention, at least one of the projections (111, 121) of the transition piece (1) has a hollow geometry. This hollow geometry is implemented for reasons of design optimization, such as weight reduction without compromising the structural strength of the piece, for this purpose the transition piece (1) is preferably made of a lightweight material, more preferably a high-strength plastic material, manufactured by 3D printing.

The described canvas opening system is applicable to carts (6) with one or two pairs of wheels (7), two pairs of wheels (7) for the practical embodiment example of the figures, as can be seen in figure 1, and which are coupled to the longitudinal rail (2) for the movement of the canvas. The transition piece (1) is first fixed to the longitudinal rail (2) and then the transverse rail (3) is installed, which ensures efficient integration and easy assembly of the entire system. Furthermore, the transition piece (1) is fully compatible with carts (6) that have two or four pairs of wheels, which allows the system to be adapted to trailers of different configurations and types of load.

This modular and versatile design allows the transition piece (1) to be used in a wide range of applications, from small trailers to larger load capacity trailers, with efficient opening and closing of tarps in the transport of goods.

Although the rail is preferably located on one side of the truck, it could be arranged on both longitudinal and transverse sides.

Materials, dimensions, proportions and, in general, other accessory or secondary details that do not alter, change or modify the proposed essence may be variable.

Claims (4)

1. - Transition piece (1) for a tarpaulin opening system of a truck trailer intended for the transport of goods, comprising at least one lower and/or upper rail for guiding a trolley (6) of the tarpaulin, with a longitudinal rail (2) on the side of the trailer and a transverse rail (3) on the front of the trailer adjacent to the cabin of the truck, the rails (2, 3) being interrupted at their meeting corner, where said transition piece (1) comprises a body with a first end (11) with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the transverse rail (3) of the trailer, and with a second end (12) with a section with at least one lower part with a geometry corresponding to the lower guiding geometry of the longitudinal rail (2), said transition piece (1) comprising at least one projection (111, 121) at each end (11, 12) that adjusts to the section geometry of the rails (2, 3) for coupling it in its assembly position, to provide continuity to the lower and/or upper rail of the trailer. 2. - Transition piece (1) according to the previous claim, wherein the second end (12) comprises a fixing reinforcement (13) that projects from the upper part of said end (12) and is inserted in correspondence with the upper geometry of the longitudinal rail (2). 3. - Transition piece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a transition rail (14) with a continuous transition surface between the lower part of the first end (11) and the lower part of the second end (12), and with at least one lateral stop and internal guide rib (15) in correspondence with a stop rib (16) of the rails (2, 3). 4. - Transition piece (1) according to the previous claim, comprising an upper transition rib (17) at the second end (12) in correspondence with an upper transition rib (18) of the longitudinal rail (2).