Title: A Load Transport Bin

Technical field of the invention

This invention relates to a load transport bin.

Background to the invention

The inventor invented a load transport bin as described in

PCT/ZA06/000088. This bin, for transporting and off-loading a load, includes: a load bearing floor part of which at least a portion slopes downward to a side of the floor when the bin is mounted on a vehicle, in use, the vehicle being in a horizontal position; and an enclosure part having a wall, this part being configured so that the lower end of the wall is complementary to the floor, with the two parts together, in use, defining a bin, and wherein the enclosure part, or part thereof, is liftable upward away from the floor part.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved or simplified load transport bin described in the abovementioned patent application.

General description of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a bin for transporting and off-loading a load, which includes: a generally flat load bearing floor part; an enclosure part having a wall, this part being configured so that the lower end of the wall is generally complementary to the floor, with the two parts together, in use, defining a bin; a lifting arrangement for lifting the enclosure part, or part thereof upward away from at least a part of the floor part; and a tilting arrangement for tilting the floor part, or part thereof, when the enclosure part, or part thereof, is lifted away from the floor part.

The lifting arrangement may include a mechanical advantage means for lifting the enclosure part, or part thereof, upward away from the floor.

The mechanical advantage means may be configured to lift either side of the enclosure part generally upward. In another embodiment, the mechanical advantage means may be configured to lift the enclosure part generally perpendicularly away from the floor.

The tilting arrangement may include a mechanical advantage means for tilting the floor part, or part thereof, to a side of the floor. The side of the floor would be understood to be side which would correspond to a side of a vehicle or trailer fitted with the bin.

The lifting arrangement and tilting arrangement may be configured to cooperate to lift the enclosure part, or part thereof, on one side thereof and to tilt the floor part on that side of the enclosure part downwards. It will be appreciated that a load can be unloaded by sliding off the tilted floor through an opening formed between the lowered floor part and a lower edge of the lifted enclosure part. In other words, the enclosure part and floor part is lifted, in use, on opposite sides thereof to create a gap and a sliding surface to unload a load.

The bin may include an enclosure guide for guiding the enclosure part relative to the floor part.

The enclosure guide may include two guide parts, a rod and complementary sleeve, with one guide part fixed to the floor part and the other guide part to the enclosure part.

The enclosure guide part which is fixed to the floor part may include a pivot point to allow the lifting of one side of the enclosure part.

The bin may include a floor guide for guiding the floor part pivot relative to a ^: chassis όfa vehicle.

With regard to the embodiment wherein the mechanical advantage means may be configured to lift the enclosure part generally perpendicularly away from the floor. The bin may include a floor and enclosure part with a single pivot point and guide for tilting the bin sideways and guiding the enclosure part relative to the floor part.

In a similar embodiment, from the point of view of requiring a single pivot point and/ or guide, the bin may be provide with a hinged side door, which opens when the floor is tilted to that side, thereby eliminating the need of the mechanical advantage means for lifting the enclosure part away from the floor.

The enclosure guide may include two guide parts, a rod and complementary sleeve, with one guide part fixed to the floor part and the other guide part fixed to the enclosure part.

The mechanical advantage means may include a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder and rod arrangement, or preferably an air spring system. An air spring will be understood to include an inflatable air bag lift.

The mechanical advantage means may include two pairs of cylinder and rod arrangements, or air springs, each pair being positioned proximate an opposed wall of the enclosure part at the outside of the bin.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a load bin of a simple mechanical design, with the same advantages as that of the previously mentioned invention of the inventor together with the advantage that the floor part is flat and horizontal during load carrying, which improves balance as well as minimum loss of load bed space. Also advantageously, the load bin previously invented and described by the inventor needs to turn around to offload the entire load on one side, whereas this improved load does not. The need for a ridge or sloping floor part is also reduced or eliminated to increase the load carrying- capacity of the bin. It will also' be appreciated tKaf the ^{^}

balance of the vehicle will also be less affected during unloading in the case of the opposite tilting of the enclosure part and the floor part.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a rear view of a bin for transporting and offloading a load, in its transporting state, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a rear view of the bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in its off-loading state; Figure 3 shows diagrammatically a rear view of another embodiment of a bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in its transporting state, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 shows diagrammatically a rear view of the bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in its off-loading state: Figure 5 shows diagrammatically a rear view of an even further embodiment bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in its transporting state, in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically a rear view of the bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in its off-loading state.

Referring now to the drawings, the bin for transporting and off-loading a load, in accordance with the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The bin for transporting and off-loading a load 10 includes a generally rectangular flat surfaced load bearing floor part 12 and an elongate enclosure part 14 having two pairs of opposed walls. The enclosure part 14 is configured so that the lower end of the walls is generally complementary to the floor part's surface, with the two partslδgether, in use, defining a bin 10.

The bin further includes a lifting arrangement 16 in the form or two pairs of air springs bearing on the floor part 12 and the enclosure part 14, one pair on the left side 16.1 and one pair on the right side 16.2 for lifting the enclosure part, or part thereof upward away from the floor part. It will be appreciated that either side of the enclosure part 16 can be lifted.

The bin further includes a tilting arrangement 18 in the form or two pairs of air springs bearing on the floor part 12 and the chassis 20 of a trailer. One pair is on the left side 18.1 and the other pair on the right side 16.2 for tilting the floor part about a pivot axis 21 , when the enclosure part, or part thereof, is lifted away from the floor part.

The lifting arrangement 16 and tilting arrangement 18 is configured to cooperate to lift the enclosure part 14 on one side thereof, on the left side shown in figure 2, and to tilt the floor part 12 on that side of the enclosure part downwards to off load a load 22 by sliding of the tilted floor through an opening formed between the lowered floor part 12 and a lower edge of the lifted enclosure part 14. In order to off-load the load on the right hand side the opposite lifting and tilting is performed.

The bin 10 includes an enclosure guide 24 for guiding the enclosure part relative to the floor part. The enclosure guide 24 includes two guide parts, a rod 26 and complementary sleeve 28, with the rod part pivotably fixed to the floor part 12 and the sleeve fixed to the enclosure part 14. The pivot point of the rod 26 is aligned with the pivot axis 21 of the floor part 12.

The bin also includes a floor part guide 30 for guiding the floor part 12 pivot relative to the chassis 20 of a vehicle.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the embodiment wherein the mechanical advantage means is configured to lift the enclosure part 14 generally perpendicularly away from the floor 12. This bin 10 includes a floor

and enclosure part with a single pivot point 21 and guide 24 for tilting the bin sideways and guiding the enclosure part relative to the floor part.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, an embodiment also requiring only a single pivot point and guide, the bin 10 is provided with a hinged side door 32, which opens when the floor 12 is tilted to that side, thereby eliminating the need of the mechanical advantage means for lifting the enclosure part 14 away from the floor.

It shall be understood that the examples are provided for illustrating the invention further and to assist a person skilled in the art with understanding the invention and are not meant to be construed as unduly limiting the reasonable scope of the invention.