VEHICLE DECK MASS LIFTING SYSTEM FOR VESSELS

Abstract

 Provided is a system for lifting multiple vehicle decks using a single actuator, and provides a system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship including a main rod that is arranged to pass through a first vehicle deck, a second vehicle deck,..., and a Nth vehicle deck (in this case, N is a natural number greater than 2) which are continuously arranged; an actuator that moves the main rod forward or backward in an arranged longitudinal direction; and a first deck lifter, a second deck lifter,..., and an Nth deck lifter that are arranged at positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck, respectively, and selectively fixed to the main rod to raise or lower the vehicle deck at positions arranged according to the forward or backward movement of the main rod.

Description

Field of the disclosure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system for lifting a parking deck mounted on a ship transporting a vehicle, and more particularly, to a system for lifting a plurality of decks using a single actuator.

Related Art

[0002] A ro-ro ship is called a ship transporting cargoes in a way that may load cargoes of a vehicle or container with its own mobility onto a transport device such as a truck or trailer and roll-on or roll-off the cargoes through a ramp from a stern or tonnage.

[0003] These ro-ro ships may load and transport medium and large heavy equipment from vehicles of different sizes, i.e., passenger cars. In this case, when a fixed deck is used, a volume of a cargo hold is wasted depending on a total height of a vehicle to be transported, causing a problem in that the overall cargo load is reduced.

[0004] In order to prevent this problem, Korean Patent Nos. 10-0979554, 10-1977611, 10-1996903, 10-1417954, and the like have been disclosed.

[0005] In No. 10-1996903, since the scissor lifting frame is mounted on a diesel vehicle, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the scissor lifting frame operates as it moves between decks, thereby causing environmental problems and time-consuming problems, such as exhaust gas filling up the cargo hold during movement and lifting operations.

[0006] On the other hand, in No. 10-1977611, one or four sets of hoisting devices should be provided for each deck, which causes problems such as an increase in installation cost and an excessive number of maintenance points as the number of devices increases.

Related Art Document

Patent Document

[0007] 

(Patent Document 0001) Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-0979554 Published Date September 02, 2010

(Patent Document 0002) Korean Patent No. 10-1977611 Published Date May 13, 2019

(Patent Document 0003) Korean Patent No. 10-1996903 Published Date July 05, 2019

(Patent Document 0004) Korean Patent No. 10-1417954 Published Date July 10, 2014

[0008] The present disclosure provides a system for lifting a plurality of decks using a single actuator.

SUMMARY

[0009] To solve the above problem, a system for lifting a plurality of vehicle decks using a single actuator is provided.

[0010] The system comprises a main rod that is arranged to pass through a first vehicle deck, a second vehicle deck,..., and a Nth vehicle deck (in this case, N is a natural number greater than 2) which are continuously arranged; an actuator that moves the main rod forward or backward in an arranged longitudinal direction; and a first deck lifter, a second deck lifter,..., and an Nth deck lifter that are arranged at positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck, respectively, and selectively fixed to the main rod to raise or lower the vehicle deck at positions arranged according to the forward or backward movement of the main rod.

[0011] In this case, the main rod may comprise a protruding fixed block that is used for fixing the first deck lifter, the second deck lifter,..., and the Nth deck lifter at the positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck, respectively.

[0012] In addition, the first deck lifter is a device for hosting the first vehicle deck by connecting end portion of the first vehicle deck with a plurality of wire ropes and may comprise a rope end block that is selectively fixed to the fixed block and moving according to a movement direction of the main rod, a plurality of wire ropes that have one end portion fixed to the rope end block and the other end portion fixed to a corner of the first vehicle deck, and a plurality of rope sheaves that switches a traveling direction of the plurality of wire ropes.

[0013] In addition, the rope end block is a form in which the main rod passes through a central portion and may comprise the plurality of wire ropes fixed on a rear surface thereof and a first lever selectively blocking a passage of the fixed block provided on a front surface thereof based on an actuating direction of the main rod for raising the first vehicle deck.

[0014] Meanwhile, the first deck lifter may further comprises a stopper that suppresses a progress of the rope end block so that the first vehicle deck maintains a set height even in a state in which the rope end block is released from the fixed block.

[0015] Further, the rope end block may have a second lever selectively supported by the stopper on the rear surface.

[0016] According to the system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship according to the present disclosure,
it is possible to relatively reduce the installation cost, and to reduce the operating cost according to the reduction of the maintenance area.

[0017] In addition, it is possible to reduce the number of operating personnel due to automation. That is, it is possible to save manpower and secure safety because basically one actuator may perform all the operations by automation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] 

FIG. 1 is a photograph illustrating that lifting of a deck is made by a conventional method.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship according to the present disclosure viewed from the top.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship illustrated in FIG. 2 viewed from the side.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a rope end block.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the rope end block according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram describing a deck anchor arranged on a pillar.

FIG. 7 is a diagram describing an arrangement of the vehicle deck along a hull.

FIG. 8 is an embodiment of a connecting bogie.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. At this time, it is noted that like reference numerals denote like elements in appreciating the accompanying drawings. Moreover, detailed descriptions related to well-known functions or configurations will be ruled out in order not to unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure. For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship according to the present disclosure viewed from the top and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the system of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship illustrated in FIG. 2 viewed from the side.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a system 1000 of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship according to the present disclosure is a system that uses a single actuator M to lift a plurality of vehicle decks D-1, D-2, and D-N, and comprises a main rod R an actuator M and deck lifters P, P-1, P-2, and P-N.

[0022] The main rod R is arranged to pass through a first vehicle deck D-1, a second vehicle deck D-2,.., and an Nth vehicle deck D-N that are continuously arranged (where N is a natural number greater than 2).

[0023] The main rod R may be arranged on a fixed deck G positioned above the first vehicle deck D-1, the second vehicle deck D-2,..., and the Nth vehicle deck D-N.

[0024] The fixed deck G is a deck fixed to a hull without being lifted, and the first vehicle deck D-1, the second vehicle deck D-2, and the N-th vehicle deck D-N are decks that may move up and down according to the total height of the vehicle to be transported. The main rod R may be implemented as a wire made of a steel wire or may be implemented as a steel bar or section steel depending on operating conditions. The main rod R has a length corresponding to a length of the decks to be lifted. That is, the main rod R is arranged at a length of N vehicle decks.

[0025] The actuator M moves the main rod R forward or backward in the arranged longitudinal direction. The actuator M may be implemented in a form in which a motor and a gear are combined, and implemented in a hydraulic cylinder form, and implemented in such a way that a cylinder shaft directly pushes or pulls the main rod R. The actuator M may be appropriately selected from among various methods according to a weight of the vehicle deck to be lifted in addition to the example shape.

[0026] In the case of lowering actuating of the vehicle decks D-1 to D-N, it is possible to use a type in which the actuator M is actuated only in a pulling direction (right -> left as shown) because it may be lowered by the weight of the vehicle deck itself.

[0027] The deck lifter P raises or lowers the vehicle deck at the arranged position according to the forward or backward movement of the main rod R.

[0028] In the present disclosure, the deck lifter P is not directly actuated by power to raise the deck by winding a wire rope, and only the deck lifter P serves to change the direction of the force so that the longitudinal movement of the main rod R becomes the height movement of the deck (I <-> II).

[0029] The deck lifter P is provided according to the number of vehicle decks. The deck lifter for hosting the first vehicle deck D-1 is represented by an identification code P-1, the deck lifter for hosting the second vehicle deck D-2 is represented by an identification code P-2, and the deck lifter for hosting the Nth vehicle deck D-N is represented by an identification code P-N, but P-1 to P-N are all the same configuration, and therefore, unless there is a special reason, it will be described with the representative identification code 'P'. Similarly, the vehicle deck will be described with a 'D', which is a representative identification code.

[0030] Each deck lifter P is arranged at a position corresponding to each vehicle deck. For example, each deck lifter P may be arranged on a lower surface of the fixed deck G at the position where each vehicle deck is arranged. In the drawing, the deck lifter P is disposed above corresponding to the center of the vehicle deck D, but it is only an example for convenience of description. The deck lifter P is arranged along a position where the main rod R is arranged.

[0031] The deck lifter P is selectively fixed to the main rod R and moves together according to the forward or backward movement of the main rod R.

[0032] The main rod R comprises N protruding fixed block RB used to fix a first deck lifter P-1, a second deck lifter P-2, and an Nth deck lifter P-N at positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck D-1, the second vehicle deck D-2, and the Nth vehicle deck D-N, respectively.

[0033] The fixed block RB is provided integrally with the main rod R. Considering the main rod R as a rope, the fixed block RB may be said to be a knot to prevent slipping.

[0034] The deck lifter P has a structure selectively coupled to the fixed block RB. For example, if all the heights of the first vehicle deck D-1 and the second vehicle deck D-2 to the Nth vehicle deck D-N need to be changed from a height of II to a height of I, the deck lifter P-1, the deck lifter P-2 and the deck lifter P-3 are all coupled to a fixed block RB-1, a fixed block RB-2 - a fixed block RB-N, respectively. When the main rod R is actuated in the pulling direction (right->left as illustrated) according to the actuating of the actuator M, the first vehicle deck D-1, the second vehicle deck D-2 ^∼ the Nth vehicle deck D-N are all lifted according to the movement of the deck lifter P-1, the deck lifter P-2, and the deck lifter P-3.

[0035] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a plurality of deck positions can be adjusted at a time by coupling the deck lifter of the vehicle deck requiring position adjustment to the corresponding fixed block.

[0036] Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of the deck lifter P will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0037] The deck lifter P is a device that connects end portions of the vehicle deck D with a plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d and hosts the vehicle deck D. Since the deck lifter P has to support the weight of the vehicle deck (D) when the height of the vehicle deck is moved (I <-> II), it is preferable to be arranged to move along the fixed structure of the ship, such as the fixed deck G.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the deck lifter P includes a rope end block 100, a plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d, a plurality of rope sheave 300h and 300v.

[0039] The rope end block 100 is selectively fixed to the fixed block RB and moves according to the moving direction of the main rod R. That is, the rope end block 100 is a block for moving along the main rod R.

[0040] The plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d each have one end portion fixed to the rope end block 100 (rear surface based on the pulling direction of the main rod R) the other end portion fixed to the vehicle deck D. In the drawing, four wire ropes are used, but this is only one embodiment to help understanding, and the number of wire ropes may be appropriately increased or decreased depending on the implementation environment (shape, size and weight of the vehicle deck) of the vehicle deck D.

[0041] The rope sheaves 300h and 300v are used to change a traveling direction of each wire rope 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d. The rope sheave 300h is for switching of a horizontal direction, and the rope sheave 300v is for switching of a vertical direction. One horizontal rope sheave and one vertical rope sheave per wire rope may be used. The illustrated wire arrangement form and the use form of the rope sheaved 300h and 300v are only one example for helping to understand and may be appropriately changed according to the implementation environment.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for describing the rope end block. Referring to FIG. 4, the rope end block 100 includes a structure (through hole 130) through which the main rod R selectively passes the central portion.

[0043] The rope end block 100 has the plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d fixed to the rear surface based on the actuating direction of the main rod R (right->left in the drawing).

[0044] The rope end block 100 includes a first lever 110 that selectively blocks the passage of the fixed block RB. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first lever 110 is illustrated as having a clamp shape, but in the present disclosure, the shape of the first lever 110 is not limited, and any structure that prevents the progress of the through hole 130 of the fixed block RB is applicable to the rope end block 100.

[0045] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the form of the rope end block 100, FIG. 4B describes the case in which the lifting of the vehicle deck is not required. The rope end block 100 is free from the movement of the main rod R. FIG. 4C describes the actuating of the rope end block 100 when the lifting of the vehicle deck is required.

[0046] According to the actuating of the first lever actuator 111, the first lever 110 has a shape that grips the main rod R, and the fixed block RB does not pass between the first levers 110 that has a grip shape, so the entire rope end block 100 moves along the movement of the main rod R (right->left). The vehicle deck (D) is actuated to rise by the plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d connected to the rope end block 100.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a top view of the rope end block according to an embodiment.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 5, the rope end block 100 is a form in which the main rod R passes through the central portion, and has the plurality of wire ropes 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d fixed to the rear surface thereof and the first lever 110 selectively blocking the passage of the fixed block RB provided on the front surface thereof based on the actuating direction of the main rod R for raising the first vehicle deck D-1. The first lever 110 may be implemented in the form of tongs. According to the actuating of the first lever actuator 111, the first lever 110 has a shape that grips the main rod R, and the fixed block RB does not pass between the first levers 110 that has a grip shape, so the entire rope end block 100 moves along the movement of the main rod R (right->left).

[0049] On the other hand, the deck lifter P may further include a stopper SP to suppress the progress (left - > right) of the rope end block 100 so that the first vehicle deck D maintains the set height even in a state in which the rope end block 100 is released from the fixed block RB. The left->right movement of the rope end block 100 is suppressed by the stopper SP

[0050] The rope end block 100 has a second lever 120 selectively supported by the stopper (SP) provided on the rear surface thereof. The second lever 120 is engaged with the stopper SP by the unfolding actuating of the second lever 120. It is possible to select whether the second lever 120 is switched to the opened/closed state according to the actuating of the second lever actuator 121, whether the second lever 120 passes through the stopper SP, or whether the second lever 120 stops progress by being supported by the stopper SP.

[0051] The rope end block 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 is only one of several possible forms, and the present disclosure is not limited to the form illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram describing the deck anchor arranged on a pillar. The deck anchor 400 is provided in a pillar (PIL) of the hull to fix the vehicle deck on the lower side surface of the deck in a support manner.

[0053] The deck anchor 400 includes a first pillar stopper 410, a second pillar stopper 420, and a stopper actuator 430.

[0054] The first pillar stopper 410 supports the vehicle deck D at a first height I, and the second pillar stopper 420 supports the vehicle deck D at a second height II. A third pillar stopper (not illustrated) for supporting the vehicle deck D to a third height III may be further provided according to the structure of the hull. The stopper actuator 430 actuates the first pillar stopper 410 and the second pillar stopper 420 through the wire rope 440. The first pillar stopper 410 and the second pillar stopper 420 has a form that they are in close contact with the pillar PIL so that the vehicle deck D may move up and down in the folded state, and support the lower surface of the vehicle deck D in the unfolded state.

[0055] The stopper actuator 430 may be implemented in a form that it is disposed perpendicular to the pillar and directly connected to the wire rope 400. As illustrated, the stopper actuator 430 may be installed on the fixed deck D in the horizontal direction and connected to the first pillar stopper 410 and the second pillar stopper 420 by switching the pulling direction through the rope sheave 450.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a diagram describing the arrangement of the vehicle deck along the hull. The width of the hull is reduced in the bow or stern section. In accordance with this, the arrangement of the vehicle deck changes.

[0057] The lifting system 100 according to the present disclosure further comprises a connecting bogie 500 that connects the main rods R in parallel to pass through the centers of the first vehicle deck D-1 and the second vehicle deck D-2 according to the arrangement form of the first vehicle deck D-1, the second vehicle deck D-2,..., and the Nth vehicle deck D-N along the hull.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 7, the vehicle decks arranged in hull zones '2-S4', '2-S2', '2-S1', and the like do not coincide with the vehicle decks of other parts of the centers thereof. In this part, the main rod R of the left part is connected in parallel with the main rod R of the right part through the connecting bogie 500.

[0059] FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the connecting bogie.

[0060] The connecting bogie 500 comprises a rim frame 520, a cross frame 510, a horizontal wheel C1, and a vertical wheel C2. The rim frame 520 is formed in a square or rectangular shape and has a size corresponding to the reduced width of the hull. That is, the rim frame 520 is formed to have a horizontal length corresponding to the width of the vehicle deck.

[0061] The cross frame 510 is a frame that diagonally connects each corner inside the rim frame 520 to prevent the shape of the rim frame 520 from being changed by the force applied to the main rod R. The horizontal wheel C1 and the vertical wheel C2 are provided to reduce friction caused by the connecting bogie (500) coming into direct contact with the hull. The horizontal wheel (C1) is arranged in the four corners of the rim frame 520 and is in close contact with the hull. If necessary, the hull in contact with the horizontal wheel C1 may be further provided with a rail.

[0062] In addition, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings are only specific examples provided in order to easily describe technical contents of the present disclosure and assist in the understanding of the present disclosure and are not to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present disclosure can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[Reference Signs]

[0063] 

1000: System of lifting a vehicle deck of a ship

R: Main rod

M: actuator

D, D-1, D-2, D-N: Vehicle deck

G: Fixed deck

P, P-1, P-2, P-N: Deck lifter

Claims

1. A system for lifting multiple vehicle decks using a single actuator, the system comprising:

a main rod that is arranged to pass through a first vehicle deck, a second vehicle deck,..., and a Nth vehicle deck (in this case, N is a natural number greater than 2) which are continuously arranged;

the actuator that moves the main rod forward or backward in an arranged longitudinal direction; and

a first deck lifter, a second deck lifter,..., and an Nth deck lifter that are arranged at positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck, respectively, and selectively fixed to the main rod to raise or lower the vehicle deck at positions arranged according to the forward or backward movement of the main rod.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the main rod may include a protruding fixed block that is used for fixing the first deck lifter, the second deck lifter,..., and the Nth deck lifter at the positions corresponding to the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck, respectively.

3. The system of claim 2, the first deck lifter is a device for hosting the first vehicle deck by connecting end portion of the first vehicle deck with a plurality of wire ropes and may include,

a rope end block that is selectively fixed to the fixed block and moving according to a movement direction of the main rod,

a plurality of wire ropes that have one end portion fixed to the rope end block and the other end portion fixed to a corner of the first vehicle deck, and

a plurality of rope sheaves that switches a traveling direction of the plurality of wire ropes.

4. The system of claim 3, the rope end block is a form in which the main rod passes through a central portion, and may include the plurality of wire ropes fixed on a rear surface thereof and a first lever selectively blocking a passage of the fixed block provided on a front surface thereof based on an actuating direction of the main rod for raising the first vehicle deck.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first deck lifter may further include a stopper that suppresses a progress of the rope end block so that the first vehicle deck maintains a set height even in a state in which the rope end block is released from the fixed block.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the rope end block has a second lever selectively supported by the stopper on the rear surface.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a deck anchor that is provided in a pillar of a hull to fix each of the vehicle decks in a support manner from lower side surfaces of the vehicle decks, and

wherein the deck anchor includes:

a first pillar stopper that supports the vehicle deck at a first height;

a second pillar stopper that supports the vehicle deck at the first height; and

a stopper actuator that actuates the first pillar stopper and the second pillar stopper from a deck support form to a deck passage shape, respectively.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a connecting bogie that connects the main rods in parallel so that the main rods pass through centers of the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck,..., and the Nth vehicle deck according to the arrangement of the first vehicle deck, the second vehicle deck, and the Nth vehicle deck along the hull.

Drawing