GB2586481A

GB2586481A - Cargo handling systems

Info

Publication number: GB2586481A
Application number: GB1911935.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Murray James; Moffatt Ben; Neugebauer James; Southey Bruce; Craven Richard; Barker Will
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2019-08-20
Filing date: 2019-08-20
Publication date: 2021-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2039-08-20
Also published as: GB2586481B; GB201911935D0; CN112406672A; DE102020121824A1

Abstract

A motor vehicle cargo handling system 5 comprising a load floor with a plurality of rollers configured to rotate to convey items of cargo over the load floor in longitudinal and/or lateral directions, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable to control the conveyance of the items of cargo over the load floor; a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being 10 handled by the cargo handling system; and a controller configured to identify one or more items of cargo being handled by the system and the delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into one or more respective positions, wherein the respective positions 15 are determined according to the delivery locations and/or positions in the delivery sequence of the one or more items of cargo.

Description

Cargo handling systems

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to cargo handling system for motor vehicles

Background

It is often difficult for a user of a commercial vehicle to access all of the areas of a cargo compartment of the motor vehicle in which items of cargo may be stored, e.g. whilst standing outside of the vehicle. In particular, when the cargo compartment is fully loaded with cargo items, it may be difficult or impossible to reach over items of cargo to access a particular item that has been loaded at the far end of the cargo compartment.

In such cases, the user may have to unload some or all of the other items within the cargo compartment in order to unload the particular item placed at the far end of the cargo compartment, e.g. via a door opening into the cargo compartment.

Statements of Invention

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a motor vehicle cargo handling system, the system comprising: a load floor comprising a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey items of cargo over the load floor in longitudinal and/or lateral directions of the cargo handling system, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the items of cargo over the load floor; a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system; and a controller configured to: identify one or more, e.g. a plurality of, items of cargo being handled by the system and delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into one or more respective positions, e.g. desirable positions, on the load floor, wherein the respective positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or positions in the delivery sequence of the one or more items of cargo The items of cargo may be positioned automatically in desired positions on the load floor, e.g. without manual intervention from the user after loading the items onto the cargo handling system.

The items of cargo may be positioned on, e.g. directly on, the rollers and may be conveyed over the load floor by contacting the rotating the rollers directly. Additionally or alternatively, the cargo handling system may comprise one or more belts or chains, each of the belts or chains being arranged about two or more of the rollers to form one or more conveyor belts extending across the load floor. The items of cargo on the load floor may be positioned so as to contact the conveyor belts. The items of cargo may thereby be conveyed over the load floor by the one or more conveyor belts, e.g. driven by the rollers.

The controller may be configured to determine which of the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system may be, e.g. is expected to be, the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system. For example, the controller may be configured to determine a location and/or a planned or predicted route of the motor vehicle, e.g. in which the cargo handling system is installed. The item of cargo expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system may be determined based on the location and/or planned or predicted route.

The load floor may comprise an area defining a cargo unloading area from which the items of cargo can be unloaded from the cargo handling system. For example, the cargo unloading area may be an area of the load floor, from which items of cargo can be unloaded from the cargo handling system, e.g. via a door opening of the motor vehicle.

The controller may be configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the item of cargo, determined to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded, towards, e.g. into, a cargo unloading area of the cargo handling system.

The controller may be configured to determine a planned or predicted delivery sequence of a plurality of, e.g. two, more than two or each of, the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system. The controller may be further configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items such that the plurality of items of cargo are arranged according to the planned or predicted delivery sequence. For example, the items of cargo may be arranged such that items at subsequent positions in the delivery sequence are further from a cargo unloading area of the load floor than items of cargo earlier in the delivery sequence.

The controller may be configured to determine whether the motor vehicle, in which the cargo handling system is installed, is in transit, e.g. between locations in which items of cargo are to be loaded and/or unloaded from the motor vehicle. For example, the controller may be configured to receive information from a speedometer or navigation system of the motor vehicle indicating the vehicle's speed. The controller may be configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items of cargo when the motor vehicle is in transit.

The system may further comprise a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off, e.g. above and/or to the side of, the load floor. For example, the cargo rack may comprise one or more shelves, hooks, clips or clamps arranged above and/or to the side of the load floor for storing items of cargo.

The system may further comprise a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack. For example, the cargo racking mechanism may comprise a movable portion of the cargo rack, the movement of which transfers the item of cargo being stored on the cargo rack onto the load floor. The controller may be configured to operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the identified item of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor.

The controller may be configured to determine one or more items of cargo expected to be the next items to be unloaded from the cargo handling system. The controller may be further configured to operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the one or more items of cargo expected to be unloaded next from the cargo rack to the load floor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a motor vehicle cargo handling system, the system comprising: a load floor comprising a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey items of cargo over the load floor in longitudinal and/or lateral directions of the cargo handling system, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the items of cargo over the load floor; and a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off, e.g. above and/or to the side of, the load floor.

The system may further comprise a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack.

A cargo compartment for a motor vehicle may comprise the above-mentioned cargo handling system.

The cargo compartment may be integrally formed with, or mounted on, a body, frame, chassis or structure of the motor vehicle. Alternatively, the cargo compartment may be separate from the motor vehicle. For example, the cargo compartment may be loaded onto a load bed of the vehicle or may form a trailer to be towed behind the motor vehicle.

The cargo compartment may comprise one or more body or frame panels defining a cargo space within which items of cargo can be stored to be transported by the motor vehicle. The cargo compartment may comprise a door opening for loading/unloaded items of cargo into/from the cargo space. The cargo unloading area of the load floor may be an area of the load floor from which items of cargo can be unloaded from the cargo handling system via the door opening.

The controller may be configured to convey the item of cargo, identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded, towards the door opening of the cargo compartment.

The cargo handling system, e.g. the load floor and the controller of the cargo handling system, may be configured to convey the item of cargo, identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded, through an opening, e.g. a door opening, in a body panel of the cargo compartment. The item of cargo may be conveyed through the opening when it is determine that the item of cargo is ready to be unloaded. For example, when it is determine that the motor vehicle has reached a delivery location of the item of cargo According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provide a method for a motor vehicle cargo handling system, the motor vehicle handling system comprising: a load floor, wherein the load floor comprises a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey an item of cargo over the load floor in a longitudinal and/or lateral direction of the load floor, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the item of cargo; and a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system, wherein the method comprises: identifying one or more items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system and a delivery location or order in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; controlling the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into respective positions, wherein the positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or order in the delivery sequence of the one or more identified items of cargo.

The cargo handling system may comprise a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off the load floor. The cargo handling system may further comprise a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack. The method may further comprise operating the cargo racking mechanism to move one or more of the identified items of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor, e.g. from the cargo rack to the load floor.

To avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and repetition of text in the specification, certain features are described in relation to only one or several aspects or embodiments of the invention. However, it is to be understood that, where it is technically possible, features described in relation to any aspect or embodiment of the invention may also be used with any other aspect or embodiment of the invention. In particular, the features described in relation to the first mentioned aspect may be combined with the features of the other aspects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle cargo handling system according to arrangements of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle cargo handling system according to another arrangement of the present disclosure; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle cargo handling system according to another arrangement of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle comprising a cargo handling system according to arrangements of the present disclosure.

Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a cargo handling system according to arrangements of the present disclosure; and Figure 6 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle comprising a cargo handling system according to another arrangement of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

With reference to Figure 1, a motor vehicle cargo handling system 2, according to arrangements of the present disclosure, comprises a load floor 10. As shown in Figure 1, items of cargo 4 may be placed on the load floor for storage during transport in the motor vehicle in which the cargo handling system 2 is installed.

The motor vehicle cargo handling system 2 further comprises a sensor 20 configured to identify the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system 2. For example, the sensor 20 may comprise a light sensor or an image capture sensor configured to read a barcode, QR code, or other visual code on the items of cargo. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 20 may comprise a near field communication device configured to read a near field communication tag provided on the items of cargo 4. Additionally or alternatively again, the sensor 20 may comprise any other sensor capable of identifying the items of cargo based on one or more other identifying characteristics of the items of cargo.

The sensor 20 may be arranged to scan items of cargo on the load floor 10, e.g. which have previously been loaded into the cargo handling system. In some arrangements, the sensor 20 may be configured to scan more than one, or each of the items of cargo 4 on the load floor 10 substantially simultaneously. In some arrangements, the sensor 20 may be configured to determine respective locations of the items of cargo within the cargo compartment, e.g. which are identified by the scanner 20.

In other arrangements, the sensor 20 may be for identifying, e.g. scanning, items that are being loaded or unloaded to and from the load floor. For example, a user of the motor vehicle cargo handling system 2 may scan an item of cargo as it is loaded onto the load floor and, optionally, when it is unloaded from the load floor 10.

The motor vehicle cargo handling system 2 further comprises a controller 100 configured to control the operation of the cargo handling system 2, e.g. the load floor 10 and the sensor 20, as described below.

As depicted in Figure 1, the load floor 10 may be substantially rectangular in plan. The load floor may be shaped such that the shape of the load floor substantially corresponds to the shape of the floor of a cargo compartment of the motor vehicle in which the load floor 10 is installed. The load floor 10 may define a lateral direction X, and a longitudinal direction Y of the cargo handling system, e.g.in lateral and longitudinal directions of the load floor 10 respectively.

At least a portion of the load floor 10 may define a cargo unloading area 11 from which the items of cargo can be unloaded from the cargo handling system. For example, the cargo unloading area may be an area of the load floor, from which items of cargo can be unloaded from the cargo handling system 2, e.g. via a door opening of the motor vehicle in which the cargo handling system is installed.

The load floor 10 comprises a plurality of rollers 12 rotatably mounted on the load floor 10. As depicted in Figure 1, the items of cargo 4 loaded onto the load floor 10 may be placed onto, e.g. in direct contact with, the rollers 12. The rollers 12 may comprise a grip surface forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the rollers, e.g. that the items of cargo contact when placed on the rollers 12.

When the rollers 12 in contact with the items of cargo are held stationary, the items of cargo may be prevented from sliding over the load floor by virtue of friction between the items of cargo and the grip surfaces of the rollers 12. The rollers 12 may be selectively rotatable in order to convey the items of cargo 4 over the load floor, e.g. in the lateral and/or longitudinal directions X, Y of the load floor.

As depicted, the rollers 12 may be arranged into a plurality of rows 13 of rollers, each row comprising a plurality of rollers spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction X of the load floor. The rollers in a particular row of rollers may be configured to rotate about a common axis, e.g. extending in a direction parallel with the lateral direction X. Additionally or alternatively, the rollers 12 may be arranged into a plurality of columns 15 extending in the longitudinal direction Y of the load floor. The rollers 12 provided in each column 15 may be spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction Y of the load floor.

The load floor 10 may comprise one or more motors 14 configured to drive the rotations of the rollers 12. As depicted in Figure 1, the motors 14 of the load floor may be configured to drive the rotation of the rollers 12 provided in one of the rows 13 of rollers. For example, one motor may drive the rotations of all of the rollers in a particular row. The load floor 10 may comprise a motor 14 associated with each of the rows 12 of rollers, e.g. one motor for each row. Couplings 16, such as drive shafts may be arranged to operatively couple the rollers to the motor 14.

In alternative arrangements, the motors may be configured to drive the rotation of the rollers 12 provided in one of the columns 15 of rollers, e.g. all of the rollers in a particular column. The load floor 10 may comprise a motor associated with each column of rollers.

In further alternative arrangements, each of the motors 14 may be associated with one, e.g. a single, roller or a group of rollers 12, not forming a particular row or column of the rollers.

When one or more motors 14 of the load floor are configured to drive a plurality of the rollers 12, couplings 16 between the motors 14 and one or more of the rotors 12 may be selectively decoupleable from one or more of the rollers 12, so that one or more of the rollers 12 associated with the motors 14 can be held stationary whilst others of the rollers 12 are rotated.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the items of cargo are positioned on the rollers 12, in direct contact with the rollers, such that the items of cargo are conveyed over the load floor 10 due to their direct contact with the grip surfaces of the rollers. However, in other arrangements, the cargo handling system 2 may comprises one or more belts or chains, each of the belts or chains being arranged about two or more of the rollers to form one or more conveyor belts extending across the load floor 10, e.g. in the lateral and/or longitudinal directions X, Y of the load floor. The items of cargo loaded onto the load floor may be positioned so as to contact the conveyor belts. The items of cargo may thereby be conveyed over the load floor by the one or more conveyor belts, e.g. being driven by the rollers. The items of cargo may be in contact with the conveyor belts in addition to or as an alternative to being in contact with the rollers.

The controller 100 may be configured to control the operation of the one or more motors 14 and/or the one or more couplings 16 between the motors 14 and the rollers 12, in order to control the rotation of each of the rollers 12 of the load floor 10.

As detailed above, rotation of the rollers 12 can convey items of cargo 4 placed on the rollers over the load floor. The controller 100 may thereby be operable to control the movement of the items of cargo 4 over the load floor 10.

The rollers 12 may further comprise a plurality of sub-rollers 12a. The sub-rollers 12a may be pivotally mounted on the rollers 12. The sub-rollers 12a may be mounted on the rollers, such that the sub-rollers 12a are rotatable about respective axes extending in directions perpendicular to the axis of the roller on which they are mounted. Items of cargo placed on the rollers 12 may be in contact the sub-rollers 12a. In some arrangements, the grip surfaces of the rollers 12 may be formed on the sub-rollers 12a.

In the arrangements shown in Figure 1, the sub-rollers 12a are arranged around the periphery of the rollers 12.

The motors 14 and/or the couplings 16 between the motors 14 and the rollers 12 may be controllable in order to drive rotations of the sub-rollers 12a, e.g. together with and/or separately from driving the rotations of the rollers 12. In some arrangements, the load floor 10 may comprise additional motors, e.g. provided on the rollers 12, for driving the rotation of the sub rollers 12a.

The controller 100 may be configured to control the operation of the additional motors.

The controller 100 may thereby be configured to control the conveyance of the items of cargo 4 over the load floor 10 in two directions of the load floor 10, e.g. two substantially perpendicular directions, by driving the rotations of the rollers 12 and sub-rollers 12a respectively.

In the arrangement depicted in Figure 1, the rollers 12 are arranged in substantially the same orientations, such that axes of the rollers 12 are substantially parallel with one another. However with reference to Figure 2, in other arrangements the orientations of the rollers 12 may differ from one another.

In the arrangement, shown in Figure 2, the rollers 12 are arranged in a chevron or herringbone pattern. In particular, the rollers 12 in a first column 15a of the rollers are arranged with their axis in a first orientation and the rollers 12 in a second column 15b of rollers are arranged with their axes in a second orientation, at an angle relative to the first orientation. In some arrangements, the second orientation may be substantially perpendicular to the first orientation. As depicted, the columns 15 of rollers may alternate from being arranged with their axes in the first orientation and in the second orientation, e.g. across the width of the load floor in the lateral direction X. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the controller 100 may be configured to rotate rollers 12 arranged with their axes in the first orientation in order to convey items of cargo 4 in a direction perpendicular to the first orientation and may be configured to rotate rollers 12 arranged with their axes in the second orientation in order to convey items of cargo 4 in a direction perpendicular to the second orientation.

In such arrangements, the sub-rollers 12a may be freely rotatable, so that the items of cargo can move over the rollers 12 in the direction perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the sub-rollers 12a, by virtue of the free rotation of the sub-rollers 12a.

Although in the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the rollers are arranged in a chevron or herringbone pattern, it will be appreciated that the rollers 12 may be arranged in other alternative patterns such that a first plurality of the rollers 12 are arranged with their axes of rotation in the first orientation and a second plurality of the roller are arranged with their axes of rotation in the second orientation, so that movement of items of cargo over the load floor can be controlled in two directions by selectively driving rotations of the differently orientated rollers 12. For example, the rollers 12 may be arranged to form a square or diamond pattern of rollers, e.g. in a plan view of the load floor 10.

Furthermore, although in the arrangement shown in Figure 2 each of rollers is arranged at an angle relative to the lateral and longitudinal directions X, Y of the load floor, in other arrangements, one or more of the rollers 12 may be arranged with their axes parallel with the lateral direction X and/or one or more of the rollers 12 may be arranged with their axes parallel with longitudinal direction Y of the load floor.

With reference to Figure 3, in another arrangement of the present disclosure, the rollers 12 may be substantially spherical and may be movably mounted on the load floor 10, such that the rollers 12 are selectively rotatable about a plurality of axes, e.g. about axes in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the load floor. In some arrangements, the rollers 12 may be omnidirectional rollers, e.g. rotatable about any desirable axis. The one or more motors 14 may be controllable by the controller 100 to drive the rotation of the rollers 12 about one or more respective axes in order to convey an item of cargo over the load floor 10 in a desired direction.

With reference to Figure 4, the cargo handling system 2 may be installed into the cargo compartment 410 of a motor vehicle 400, in order to handle items of cargo 404 that are loaded into the cargo compartment 410 to be transported by the motor vehicle 400.

The load floor 10 of the cargo handling system may form a floor of the cargo compartment 410.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the cargo compartment 410 is integrated into the body of the motor vehicle 400. In particular, the motor vehicle 400 comprises one or more body frame panels 420, such as side and ceiling panels, defining an interior of the motor vehicle. Portions of the body frame panels 420 at least partially define the cargo compartment 410. The cargo compartment 410 may further comprise a door opening 412 for loading/unloaded items of cargo into/from the cargo space.

When the cargo compartment 410 is integrated into the body of the motor vehicle, the door opening 412 may be a rear or side door opening of the motor vehicle, e.g. into the interior of the motor vehicle. The cargo unloading area 11 may be arranged adjacent, e.g. immediately adjacent, to the door opening 412.

In other arrangements, the cargo compartment 410 may be a separate structure from the motor vehicle and may be mounted on a chassis or frame structure of the motor vehicle, e.g. on a load bed of the motor vehicle. Alternatively, the cargo compartment 410 may be loaded onto or integrated into a trailer to be towed behind the motor vehicle.

With reference to Figure 5, the controller 100 may be configured to control the operation the motor vehicle cargo handling system 2 according to a cargo handling method 500.

The cargo handling method 500 comprises a first step 502, in which one or more items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system are identified, e.g. using the sensor 20.

The controller 100 may be configured to determine delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo. The delivery locations and/or delivery sequence may be stored in a memory accessible to the controller 100, and the controller 100 may determine the delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence of the identified item of cargo by referring to the information stored in the memory.

The controller 100 may be further configured to determine a location of the identified items of cargo within the cargo compartment of the vehicle in which the cargo handling system 2 is installed, e.g. on the load floor 10. As described above, the sensor 20 may be capable of determining the locations of the identified items of cargo, and the controller 100 may use the sensor 20 to determine the locations. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 100 may be configured to track the position of the identified items of cargo on the load floor 10, e.g. based on the rotations of the rollers 12. For example, the sensor 20 may be used to scan a particular item of cargo when the item of cargo is loaded onto the load floor and the controller 100 may track subsequent rotations of the rollers 12 in order to determine the location of the scanned item of cargo in the cargo compartment.

In other arrangements, the cargo handling system 2 may comprise one or more further sensors, such as pressure sensors, proximity/distance sensors and/or image capture sensors, e.g. cameras or 3D cameras, configured to determine or track the positions of items of cargo within the cargo compartment.

The method 500 comprises a second step 504, in which the rotations of the plurality of rollers 12, and optionally the sub-rollers 12a, are controlled, in order to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into one or more desirable positions. The respective desirable positions of the items of cargo may be determined according to the delivery locations and/or positions in the delivery sequence of the one or more items of cargo.

For example, when an item of cargo is loaded onto the load floor 10 and the controller 100 determines that the item of cargo is the last item of cargo to be delivered accordingly to a cargo delivery sequence, the controller 100 may control the rotations of the plurality or rollers 12 to convey the item of cargo into a position towards the back of the cargo compartment, e.g. away from a door opening into the cargo compartment, so that the item of cargo doesn't obstruct other items of cargo being loaded or unloaded from the cargo compartment.

The controller 100 may be configured to control the rotations of the rollers 12 such that the items of cargo are arranged on the load floor 10 in an order corresponding to the delivery sequence. For example, items of cargo that are earlier in the delivery sequence may be positioned closer to the cargo unloaded area 11 or the door opening into the cargo compartment and items of cargo at subsequent positions in the delivery sequence may be positioned further from the cargo unloaded area 11 or the door opening.

The controller 100 may be configured to determine which of the items being handled by 30 the cargo handling system 2 may be the next item of cargo to be unloaded form the cargo compartment, e.g. which item of cargo is expected to be unloaded from the cargo compartment next.

The controller 100 may refer to a delivery schedule stored in the memory accessible to the controller in order to determine the next item of cargo to be delivered. Additionally or alternatively, the controller may be configured to determine one or more delivery locations associated with the one or more identified items of cargo and may determine which item of cargo may be the next item of cargo to be delivered based on the delivery locations.

The sensor 20 may be configured to determine the delivery location of the identified items of cargo, e.g. by reading the delivery location from a visual code on the item of cargo or from a near field communication tag on the item of cargo. Alternatively, the delivery locations may be stored in the memory accessible to the controller, and the controller may determine the delivery locations of the identified items of cargo by reading the delivery locations from the memory.

The controller 100 may determine a location and/or a planned or predicted route of the motor vehicle in which the cargo handling system is installed. For example, the controller 100 may receive position and/or navigation information from a navigation system, such as a satellite navigation system, provided on the vehicle and may determine the location and/or route of the vehicle based on the navigation information.

The item of cargo expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system may be determined based on the location and/or planned or predicted route of the motor vehicle and the delivery locations associated with the items of cargo.

For example, based on which item of cargo is associated with a delivery location closest to the location of the vehicle and/or that will be the next delivery location to be reached along the route of the vehicle.

The controller 100 may be configured to control the rotations of the rollers to convey the next item of cargo to be delivered towards or into the cargo unloading area 11, e.g. towards the door opening of the cargo compartment. In some arrangements, the controller 100 may control the rotations of the rollers to convey the identified item of cargo, e.g. the next item of cargo to be delivered, through the door opening.

During a journey of the motor vehicle comprising the cargo handling system 2, it may be desirable for one or more items of cargo to be loaded into cargo compartment, in addition to one or more items being unloaded from the cargo compartment. In other words, the delivery schedule of the motor vehicle may comprise one or more collections in addition to deliveries.

When the vehicle arrives at a collection location, at which a further item of cargo is to be loaded into the cargo compartment, e.g. onto the load floor 10, it may be desirable for a space to be available on the load floor in a suitable position for the item of cargo to be loaded onto the load floor. For example, it may be desirable for a space to be available in the cargo unloading area 11 for loading the further item of cargo.

The controller 100 may be configured to determine whether a next stop in the delivery sequence of the vehicle is for a collection or a delivery. The controller 100 may be configured to control the rotations of the rollers 12 to convey the items of cargo to create a space in the cargo unloading area 11, if the next stop is for a cargo collection.

It may be desirable for the rollers 12 to remain stationary during loading and unloading of items of cargo to and from the load floor 100. Accordingly, the controller 100 may be configured to control the rollers 12, and optionally the sub-rollers 12a, to remain stationary when the motor vehicle, in which the cargo management system is installed, is not in transit, e.g. is stationary at a delivery or collection location.

Nevertheless, it may be desirable for the items of cargo 4 to be in the desired positons when the vehicle arrives at a delivery or collection location. The controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the motor vehicle, in which the cargo handling system is installed, is in transit. For example, the controller may receive information indicating a speed of the motor vehicle. The controller 100 may be configured to control the rotations of the rollers 12 to convey the items of cargo into the desired locations when the motor vehicle is in transit.

Additionally or alternatively, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the motor vehicle is in transit based on whether a door into the cargo compartment is open or closed. For example, if the door into the cargo compartment is closed, it may be determined that the motor vehicle is in transit.

With reference to Figure 6, the cargo handling system 2 may further comprise a cargo rack 600 for supporting items of cargo within the cargo compartment off the load floor 10. The cargo rack 600 may comprises a cargo shelf 610 arranged above and/or to one side of the load floor 10 on which items of cargo may be placed. Additionally or alternatively, the cargo rack 600 may comprise one or more hooks or clamps 620 arranged above and/or to the side of the load floor 10, which items of cargo can be secured too.

The cargo handling system 2 may further comprise a cargo racking mechanism 650 for moving items of cargo between the load floor 10 and the cargo rack 600. For example, when the cargo rack 600 comprises the cargo shelf 610, the cargo racking mechanism may comprise an actuator configured to engage the items of cargo and push against items of cargo to move the items of cargo off the shelf and onto the load floor 10.

Alternatively, the cargo racking mechanism 650 may comprise one or more rollers mounted on the cargo shelf for conveying the item of cargo off the self and onto the load floor, e.g. in the same way that the rollers 12 can convey the items of cargo over the load floor.

Alternatively again, the cargo racking mechanism 650 may be configured to change an orientation of at least a portion of the cargo shelf 610 such that the items of cargo slide over the cargo shelf by virtue of the orientation of the shelf or portion thereof and move onto the load floor.

When the cargo rack 600 comprises the hooks or clamps, the cargo racking mechanism 650 may be configured to selectively disengage the clamps or change the orientation of the hooks so that the items of cargo are released onto the load floor.

The controller 100 may be configured to control the operation of the cargo racking system to move the items of cargo between the cargo rack 600 and the load floor 10.

For example, the controller 100 may be configured to control the operation of the cargo racking mechanism 650 to move an item of cargo from the cargo rack 600 to the load floor 10 when it is determined that the item of cargo may be the next item of cargo to be unloaded for the cargo compartment.

Returning to Figure 5, the method 500 may comprise a third step 506, in which the cargo racking mechanism 650 is operated to move one or more items of cargo between the load floor 10 and the cargo rack 600. For example, the cargo racking mechanism may be operated to move the next item of cargo to be delivery from the cargo rack 600 onto the load floor 10.

In use of the cargo handling system 2 comprising the cargo rack 600, the items of cargo may be loaded initially onto the cargo rack 600. The items of cargo may then be moved from the cargo rack 600 onto the load floor when the motor vehicle 300 is within a threshold distance of the delivery location associated within the item of cargo, or when the item of cargo is expected to be delivery within a threshold period.

In other arrangements, the items of cargo may be moved from the cargo rack 600 onto the load floor 10 in order to create space on the cargo rack for the further item of cargo to be loaded onto the cargo rack, e.g. when it is determined that the motor vehicle is travelling to or arriving at a cargo collection location.

The following additional, numbered statements of invention are also included within the specification and form part of the present disclosure: Statement 1. A motor vehicle cargo handling system, the system comprising: a load floor comprising a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey items of cargo over the load floor in longitudinal and/or lateral directions of the cargo handling system, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the items of cargo over the load floor; a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system; and a controller configured to: identify one or more items of cargo being handled by the system and delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into one or more respective positions, wherein the respective positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or positions in the delivery sequence of the one or more items of cargo.

Statement 2. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine which of the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system is expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling 35 system.

Statement 3. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine a location and/or a planned or predicted route of the motor vehicle, wherein the item of cargo expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system is determined based on the location and/or planned or predicted route.

Statement 4. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 2 or 3, wherein the controller is configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the item of cargo, determined to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded, towards a cargo unloading area of the cargo handling system.

Statement 5. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding statements, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a planned or predicted delivery sequence of two, more than two or each of the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items such that the two, more than two or each of the items of cargo are arranged according to the planned or predicted delivery sequence.

Statement 6. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding statements, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the motor vehicle, in which the cargo handling system is installed, is in transit, wherein the controller is configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items of cargo when the motor vehicle is in transit.

Statement 7. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding statements, wherein the system further comprises a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off the load floor.

Statement 8. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 7, wherein the system further comprises a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack.

Statement 9. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 8, wherein the controller is configured to operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the identified item of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor.

Statement 10. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of statement 9, wherein the controller is configured to: determine one or more items of cargo expected to be the next items to be unloaded from the cargo handling system; and operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the one or more items of cargo expected to be unloaded next from the cargo rack to the load floor.

Statement 11. A cargo compartment for a motor vehicle, the cargo compartment comprising the cargo handling system of any of the preceding statements.

Statement 12. The cargo compartment of statement 11, wherein the controller is configured to convey the item of cargo identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded towards a door opening of the cargo compartment.

Statement 13. The cargo compartment of statement 11 or 12, wherein the cargo handling system is configured to convey the item of cargo identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded through an opening in a body panel of the cargo compartment.

Statement 14. A method for a motor vehicle cargo handling system, the motor vehicle handling system comprising: a load floor, wherein the load floor comprises a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey an item of cargo over the load floor in a longitudinal and/or lateral direction of the load floor, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the item of cargo; and a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system, wherein the method comprises: identifying one or more items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system and a delivery location or order in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; controlling the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into respective positions, wherein the positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or order in the delivery sequence of the one or more identified items of cargo.

Statement 15. The method of statement 14, wherein the cargo handling system further comprises a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off the load floor and a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack, wherein the method further comprises: operating the cargo racking mechanism to move one or more of the identified items of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although the invention has been described by way of example, with reference to one or more exemplary examples, it is not limited to the disclosed examples and that alternative examples could be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A motor vehicle cargo handling system, the system comprising: a load floor comprising a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey items of cargo over the load floor in longitudinal and/or lateral directions of the cargo handling system, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the items of cargo over the load floor; a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system; and a controller configured to: identify one or more items of cargo being handled by the system and delivery locations and/or positions in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into one or more respective positions, wherein the respective positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or positions in the delivery sequence of the one or more items of cargo.
2. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine which of the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system is expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system
3. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine a location and/or a planned or predicted route of the motor vehicle, wherein the item of cargo expected to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded from the cargo handling system is determined based on the location and/or planned or predicted route.
4. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the controller is configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the item of cargo, determined to be the next item of cargo to be unloaded, towards a cargo unloading area of the cargo handling system
5. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a planned or predicted delivery sequence of two, more than two or each of the items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system; and control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items such that the two, more than two or each of the items of cargo are arranged according to the planned or predicted delivery sequence.
6. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the motor vehicle, in which the cargo handling system is installed, is in transit, wherein the controller is configured to control the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey the items of cargo when the motor vehicle is in transit.
7. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off the load floor.
8. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack.
9. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the identified item of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor.
10. The motor vehicle cargo handling system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to: determine one or more items of cargo expected to be the next items to be unloaded from the cargo handling system; and operate the cargo racking mechanism to move the one or more items of cargo expected to be unloaded next from the cargo rack to the load floor.
11. A cargo compartment for a motor vehicle, the cargo compartment comprising the cargo handling system of any of the preceding claims.
12. The cargo compartment of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to convey the item of cargo identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded towards a door opening of the cargo compartment.
13. The cargo compartment of claim 11 or 12, wherein the cargo handling system is configured to convey the item of cargo identified as the next item of cargo to be unloaded through an opening in a body panel of the cargo compartment.
14. A method for a motor vehicle cargo handling system, the motor vehicle handling system comprising: a load floor, wherein the load floor comprises a plurality of rollers configured to rotate in order to convey an item of cargo over the load floor in a longitudinal and/or lateral direction of the load floor, wherein rotation of the rollers is controllable in order to control the conveyance of the item of cargo; and a sensor for identifying an item of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system, wherein the method comprises: identifying one or more items of cargo being handled by the cargo handling system and a delivery location or order in a delivery sequence associated with the identified items of cargo; controlling the rotations of the plurality of rollers to convey one or more of the identified items of cargo into respective positions, wherein the positions are determined according to the delivery locations and/or order in the delivery sequence of the one or more identified items of cargo.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cargo handling system further comprises a cargo rack for storing items of cargo off the load floor and a cargo racking mechanism for moving items of cargo between the load floor and the cargo rack, wherein the method further comprises: operating the cargo racking mechanism to move one or more of the identified items of cargo between the cargo rack and the load floor.