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EP-4741326-A1 - FEED LOADING BRIDGE FOR A THERMALLY INSULATED LOADING POINT, LOADING POINT EQUIPMENT PROVIDED THEREWITH AND LOADING POINT

EP4741326A1EP 4741326 A1EP4741326 A1EP 4741326A1EP-4741326-A1

Abstract

The invention relates in particular to a feedable loading bridge (10) for a loading point (12), comprising a base (16), a platform (18) movably mounted on the base (16), a feed lip (20) displaceable on the platform (18), and a sealing device (22) configured to seal a lower area (24) below the platform (18) against an external environment. To significantly improve energy savings, it is proposed that the sealing device (22) comprise an elongated, elastically compressible cushion structure (26) with a bellows (30) and a clamping device (31) for clamping the bellows (30), for example, having an elastically deformable body (32) arranged in the bellows (30), as well as a suction device (34) configured to compress the cushion structure (26) by drawing fluid from the bellows (30).

Inventors

  • STROET, FRANCISCUS JOHANNES
  • Koopman, Arie Pieter Cornelis

Assignees

  • Hörmann Alkmaar BV

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251016

Claims (15)

  1. A feeder loading bridge (10) for a loading point (12), comprising a base (16), a platform (18) movably mounted on the base (16), a feeder lip (20) displaceable on the platform (18) and a sealing device (22) designed to seal a lower area (24) below the platform (18) against an external environment, characterized in that the sealing device (22) has an elongated elastically compressible cushion structure (26) with a bellows (30) and a clamping device (31) for clamping the bellows (30) as well as a suction device (34) designed to compress the cushion structure (26) by drawing fluid from the bellows (30).
  2. Feed loading bridge (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that that the clamping device (31) comprises at least one or more of the following features: 2.1 at least one elastic body (32) or at least one elastic element (86, 90, 92, 94, 96) in the bellows (30); 2.2 an elastic core (90) in the bellows (30); 2.3 an elastic design of the bellows (30); and/or 2.4 a rubber-elastic skin (88) of the bellows (30) which forces the bellows (30) into its stretched rest position; 2.5 an elastic body (32) that completely fills the bellows (30); 2.6 at least one elastic body (32) or at least one elastic element (86, 90, 92, 94, 96) in the bellows (32) and at least one cavity or a shape element to influence the compression behavior of the cushion structure (26), in particular a compressed form of the cushion structure (26).
  3. Feeding loading bridge (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the sealing device (22) has at least one or more of the following features, 3.1 that a housing (50) open in the expansion direction or a U-shaped profile strip is provided as a support (28) in which the cushion structure (26) is arranged, and/or 3.2 that the bellows (30) is essentially gas-tight and/or 3.3 that the bellows (30) is held taut by the clamping device (31) when the suction device (34) is inactive; and/or 3.4 that the sealing device (22) is attached to an underside of the feed lip (20); and/or 3.5 that the bellows (30) and the suction device (34) are part of a common closed fluid volume (92); and/or 3.6 that the sealing device (22) has a fluid reservoir (94) for receiving fluid drawn from the cushion structure (26) during compression and for returning the fluid to the bellows (30) during expansion of the cushion structure (26).
  4. A loading bridge (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a loading bridge drive (42) for driving the movements of the platform (18) and the feed lip (20) and a loading bridge control (48) for controlling the loading bridge drive (42), wherein the suction device (34) is controlled depending on the control or movement of the loading bridge drive (42).
  5. Feed loading bridge (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that that the loading bridge control (48) is designed to control the suction device (34) for compressing the cushion structure 5.2.1 to activate depending on a movement of the feed loading bridge (10) and/or 5.2.2 to keep active during each movement of the feed loading bridge (10) and/or 5.2.3 to activate before movement of the feed loading bridge (10) and to deactivate after completion of the movement of the feed loading bridge (10).
  6. Feed loading bridge according to claim 5, characterized in that that the loading bridge control (48) is designed to control the suction device (34) for compressing the cushion structure 6.1 to activate depending on a movement of the feed lip (20) and/or 6.2 to keep actively engaged during each movement of the feed lip (20) and/or 6.3 to activate before movement of the feed lip (20) and to deactivate after completion of the movement of the feed lip (20).
  7. Feed loading bridge (10) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that , 7.1 that the suction device (34) is connected to the loading bridge drive (42) in such a way that the suction device (34) is switched on and/or off synchronously or with a time delay together with the loading bridge drive (42), and/or 7.2 that a power supply of the suction device (34) is coupled with a power supply of the loading bridge drive (42) in such a way that the suction device (34) is only supplied with energy when the loading bridge drive (42) a) is supplied with energy or b) is running or c) is in operational readiness.
  8. Loading point equipment (60) for a loading point (12) at a building (14), comprising a sliding loading bridge (10) according to one of the preceding claims and a thermally insulated outer gate (62) for the loading point (12), wherein the outer gate (62) has a thermally insulated gate leaf (66) and a gate guide (64) for guiding the gate leaf (66).
  9. Loading point equipment (60) according to claim 8, characterized in that the gate guide (64) 9.1 is designed for the arrangement in front of the sliding loading bridge (10) which is located in the building (14) in its resting state or 9.2 is designed to be arranged above the sliding loading bridge (10) so that the gate leaf (66) rests on the sliding loading bridge (10) in its resting state when in the intended use in the closed state.
  10. Loading point equipment (60) according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized by 10.1 an insulating panel (54) for thermal insulation of an underside of the loading point (12) and/or 10.2 a gate seal (82) for sealing a lateral and upper free space between the building (14) and a transport container (58) docking at the loading point (12).
  11. Loading point (12) for a building (14) or building (14) with a loading point (12), wherein the loading point (12) comprises a sliding loading bridge (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7 or a loading point equipment (60) according to one of claims 8 to 10.
  12. Loading point (12) or building (14) according to claim 11, with a lowered area (78) relative to a floor (76) of the interior of the building (14), in which the sliding loading bridge (10) is arranged, wherein the gate leaf (66) is in the closed state 12.1 is arranged in front of the sliding loading bridge (10) which is set back in the building (14) or 12.2 rests on the feeder loading bridge (10).
  13. Loading point (12) or building (14) according to claim 12, alternative 12.1, with a loading point equipment (60) according to claim 10, alternative 10.1, characterized by that the insulating panel (54) thermally insulates the lowered area (78) downwards and is arranged and designed such that the gate leaf (66) rests on the insulating panel (54) when closed and that the cushion structure (26) of the sealing device (22) rests on the insulating panel (54) during loading operation.
  14. Loading point (12) or building (14) according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that that the loading point (12) has an upper opening area (70) arranged above the sliding loading bridge (10) in the rest state and a lower opening area (74) through which the extended sliding loading bridge (10) can also pass in a lowered state, wherein the lower opening area (70) is laterally limited by stops (80) for the docking transport container (58) and is therefore narrower than the upper opening area (70), wherein the sealing device (22) is designed to close the lower opening area (74) below the sliding loading bridge (10) in the expanded state.
  15. Use of a sealing device (20) on a feed loading bridge (10) for a loading point (12), comprising a base (16), a platform (18) movably mounted on the base (16) and a feed lip (20) slidable on the platform (18), for sealing a lower area (24) below the platform (18) against an external environment, characterized in that the sealing device (22) has an elongated elastically compressible cushion structure (26) with a bellows (30) and a clamping device (31) for clamping the bellows (30) as well as a suction device (34) designed to compress the cushion structure (26) by drawing fluid from the bellows (30).

Description

The invention relates to a sliding loading bridge, in particular for a thermally insulated loading point at a building. The invention further relates to loading point equipment for such a loading point, comprising such a sliding loading bridge and a thermally insulated exterior door. The invention further relates to a loading point of a building equipped with such a sliding loading bridge or loading point equipment. For technological background and clarification of terms, reference is made to the following literature, which describes loading bridges and loading dock equipment currently available on the market: [1] " "LOADING TECHNOLOGY", company brochure of Hörmann KG Sales Company, with the imprint "Status 12.2023 / Print 12.2023 / HF 86278 DE / SAP 368783 / G.XX / Printed on 100% recycled paper", downloaded on 22.10.2024 from https://www.hoermann.de/mediacenter/download/205067de/Verladetechnik.pdf?20241031123237 Industrial buildings, such as halls for trade and industry, are often equipped with loading docks for docking transport containers such as trucks, semi-trailers and trailers, swap bodies, or containers. Some of these buildings are temperature-controlled; for example, buildings for industrial production are heated or air-conditioned to room temperature, or they are storage buildings for temperature-controlled storage, such as cold storage facilities for chilled or frozen goods. Such buildings require a considerable amount of energy for temperature control. As described in [1], coordinated energy-efficient solutions at the loading dock offer enormous potential for savings. Energy-saving potential. For internal solutions, it is essential to effectively reduce heat loss through the steel structure of the loading bridges. Insulation beneath the loading bridge and gates running in front of it are currently state-of-the-art for energy savings in heated warehouses. With airlocks, the entire loading area is located outside the warehouse. A thermally insulated exterior door provides optimal protection for the warehouse outside of loading times. When the vehicle/container docks at the loading point, a gap is created above and to the side between the docking transport container (e.g. vehicle, swap body, container) and the building, which can be sealed in a proven energy-saving manner by means of, for example, well-known dock seals from [1]. Such loading points usually have loading bridges whose end section can be placed on the end edge of the transport container, thus enabling loading and unloading even with industrial trucks. The loading bridges are designed, for example, as extendable loading bridges (see [1], telescopic loading bridges) and have a platform that can be moved up and down to adapt to different heights of the docked transport container. Therefore, sufficient clearance must also be provided below the platform. Considerable efforts have already been made in the prior art to prevent thermal heat losses downwards via the loading bridge at loading points for temperature-controlled buildings. The following literature references are provided as examples: [2] DE 199 06 486 C1 [3] US 4 422 199 A1 [4] US 7 334 281 B2 [5] US 8 800 086 B1 [6] US 2004/0 205 913 A1 [7] US 2008/0 052 843 A1 [8] WO 2022/108443 A1 [9] WO 2024/177501 A1 Some of the solutions proposed are difficult to implement for telescopic loading bridges, requiring significant effort or limiting the loading bridge function; others offer only a low energy-saving potential. The invention aims to provide a sliding loading bridge, in particular for a loading point at a climate-controlled building, with which energy can be saved in a durable and reliable manner without impairing the loading bridge function. To solve this problem, the invention provides a sliding loading bridge according to claim 1. Loading point equipment and a loading point with such a sliding loading bridge are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims. According to a first aspect thereof, the invention provides a sliding loading bridge for a loading point, comprising a base, a platform movably mounted on the base, a sliding lip movable on the platform and a sealing device designed to seal a lower area below the platform against an external environment, characterized in that that the sealing device has an elongated elastically compressible cushion structure with a bellows and a clamping device for clamping the bellows, as well as a suction device designed to compress the cushion structure by drawing fluid from the bellows. The term "fluid" refers to any flowable medium, especially a gas or a liquid. For example, air is a fluid; however, it can also be or contain another gas or liquid. The clamping device is designed to hold the cushion structure and, in particular, the bellows in a rest position, i.e., especially without energy input, to be stretched. In some embodiments, the stretching device has an elastically d