JP7662859B2 - Cargo loader, controller, controller operation method, and cooperative control method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a dolly system, a cargo loader, and the like .

Dollies are one type of aircraft ground support equipment (GSE) used for the ground handling of aircraft. Dollies are equipment used to transport aircraft cargo. Examples of dollies include container dollies (see Patent Document 1) for transporting containers and pallet dollies (Patent Document 2) for transporting pallets.

When loading and unloading cargo onto an aircraft, a cargo loader such as a high lift loader is attached to the cargo entrance of the aircraft's cargo hold. A cargo loader is an on-board work device that is installed on an aircraft to load and unload cargo.

Cargo to be loaded onto an aircraft is transported to the cargo loader by a dolly. Cargo on the dolly is transferred to the cargo dolly by hand. The cargo loader transports the cargo transferred from the dolly to the cargo hold of the aircraft. Cargo to be unloaded from the aircraft is removed from the cargo hold and transported to the dolly by the cargo loader.

Patent Document 3 discloses a trailer for transporting air containers. The trailer for transporting air containers in Patent Document 3 loads and unloads air containers from the width direction of the vehicle body via a dolly and transports them via roads outside the airport, and is not a dolly.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-348840 JP 2008-230404 A JP 2021-133865 A

Conventionally, handling of cargo on a dolly has been done manually, which places a heavy burden on the workers. For example, the workers need to perform physical tasks such as pushing the cargo on the dolly . Generally, one cargo weighs several hundred kilograms or more, which places a heavy burden on the workers.

Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the burden on workers when handling cargo using a dolly .

Certain aspects of the present disclosure are a cargo loader, a controller, a method of operating the controller, and a coordinated control method. Another aspect of the present disclosure is a dolly system. The disclosed dolly system is used to transport cargo on an aircraft, and transfers the cargo between a cargo loader installed on the aircraft and the cargo.

The disclosed dolly system may include a plurality of dollies connected in series via a connecting portion, and one or more controllers for controlling the plurality of dollies. Each of the plurality of dollies may include a loading surface on which the cargo is placed, and a transfer drive device that generates a drive force for transferring the cargo placed on the loading surface to another dolly connected adjacent to the plurality of dollies based on a signal from the controller.

The plurality of dollies may include one or more first dollies that are cargo transfer points for the cargo loader.

The first dolly may be equipped with a rotation drive device that changes the orientation of the cargo placed on the loading surface by horizontally rotating the loading surface of the first dolly based on a signal from the controller, and changes the transfer direction of the transfer drive device.

Further details are described in the embodiments below.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a dolly system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dolly system and cargo loader, as well as a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the cargo hold. FIG. 3 is a data structure diagram showing on-board data. FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the dolly system, the cargo loader, and the like. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the second dolly. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the first dolly. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the first dolly. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a cargo loader. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the loading/unloading process. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of unloading. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of unloading. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mounting. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mounting.

＜1. Overview of Dolly System etc.＞

(1) The system according to the embodiment may be a dolly system used to transport cargo for an aircraft and to transfer the cargo between the aircraft and a cargo loader mounted on the aircraft. The dolly system according to the embodiment may include a plurality of dollies connected in series via a connecting portion, and one or a plurality of controllers that control the plurality of dollies.

Each of the dollies may include a loading surface on which the cargo is placed, and a transfer drive device that generates a driving force for transferring the cargo placed on the loading surface to another dolly connected adjacently among the dollies based on a signal from the controller. In this case, the cargo can be transferred to the other dolly by the transfer drive device, reducing the burden on the worker.

The multiple dollies may include one or more first dollies that are cargo transfer points for the cargo loader. The first dolly may be equipped with a rotation drive device that horizontally rotates the loading surface of the first dolly based on a signal from the controller to change the orientation of the cargo placed on the loading surface and change the transfer direction by the transfer drive device. In this case, the orientation of the cargo can be changed by the rotation drive device, reducing the burden on the worker.

(2) The multiple dollies may include one or more second dollies that are not the loading/unloading points. The one or more controllers may be configured to execute at least one of a loading process and an unloading process for dolly control. The loading process may include controlling at least the loading drive device of the second dolly so that the cargo placed on the second dolly is transferred to the first dolly. The unloading process may include controlling at least the loading drive device of the first dolly so that the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to the first dolly is transferred to the second dolly. In this case, loading or unloading of cargo becomes easier.

(3) The multiple dollies may include one or more second dollies that are not the transfer points. The one or more controllers may be configured to execute at least one of a loading process and an unloading process to control the multiple dollies. The loading process may include controlling at least the transfer drive device of the second dolly so that the cargo loaded on the second dolly is transferred to the first dolly, controlling the rotation drive device so that the transfer direction faces the cargo loader located to the side of the first dolly when a sensor that detects that the cargo is loaded on the first dolly detects that the cargo has been transferred to the first dolly, and controlling the transfer drive device of the first dolly to transfer the cargo transferred to the first dolly to the other aircraft support equipment after the transfer direction faces the cargo loader. The unloading process may include controlling the rotation drive device so that the transfer direction faces the cargo loader located to the side of the first dolly, controlling the rotation drive device so that the transfer direction faces another adjacent dolly when a sensor that detects that cargo is placed on the first dolly detects that the cargo has been transferred from the cargo loader to the first dolly, and controlling at least the transfer drive device of the first dolly to transfer the cargo transferred to the first dolly to the second dolly after the transfer direction faces the other adjacent dolly. In this case, loading or unloading of cargo becomes easier.

(4) The controller may be configured to perform at least one of the following: during the loading process, to the controller of the cargo loader, data used to control the rotation of the cargo in the cargo loader; and during the unloading process, to receive from the controller of the cargo loader, data used to control the rotation by the rotation drive device. In this case, the cargo can be rotated in coordination with the cargo loader.

(5) In the loading process, the one or more controllers may control the transfer drive devices based on cargo data for identifying one or more cargo items loaded on the dollies and loading instruction data indicating the positions at which the cargo items should be loaded on the aircraft. In this case, the controller can identify the order in which the cargo items should be loaded and identify the transfer drive devices that should be operated according to the positions at which the cargo items should be loaded.

In the loading process, the one or more controllers may control the transfer drive device and the rotation drive device based on cargo data (cargo identification data) for identifying one or more cargo items loaded on the multiple dollies and loading instruction data indicating the position at which the cargo items should be loaded on the aircraft.

In the loading process, the one or more controllers may control the lock drive device of the dolly based on cargo data (cargo identification data) for identifying one or more cargo items loaded on the dollies and loading instruction data indicating the position at which the cargo items should be loaded on the aircraft. In this case, the controller can identify the lock to be operated according to the position at which the cargo items should be loaded and operate the lock appropriately.

(6) In the loading process, the controller may control the direction of rotation by the rotary drive device based on data indicating the orientation of the cargo loaded on the dolly and loading instruction data indicating the position where the cargo should be loaded on the aircraft. In this case, the rotary drive device can be operated appropriately depending on the position where the cargo should be loaded.

(7) During the unloading process, the controller may control the direction of rotation by the rotary drive device based on data for identifying the orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader. In this case, the cargo can be rotated in the appropriate orientation.

(8) Each of the dollies may be provided with a lock for securing cargo placed on the loading surface, and a lock drive device for causing the lock to perform locking and unlocking operations based on a signal from the controller.

The lock may be configured to lock the cargo at a position that corresponds to the size of the cargo. The controller may control the lock drive device so that the cargo is locked at a position that corresponds to the size of the cargo, based on data for identifying the size of the cargo placed on the loading surface.

The controller can control the direction of rotation by the rotary drive device based on position identification data for identifying whether the cargo loader is located to the right or left of the first dolly.

The dolly according to the embodiment is a dolly that is used in conjunction with another dolly to transport cargo for an aircraft. The dolly may include a loading surface on which the cargo is placed, a transfer drive device that generates a drive force for transferring the cargo placed on the loading surface to the other dolly that is connected to it, and a controller that controls the transfer drive device and is capable of communicating with a controller provided in the other dolly. The dolly system or dolly according to the embodiment may include a controller that controls the operation of the dolly system or dolly. The dolly system or dolly may be capable of communicating with a controller of a loader. The loader according to the embodiment may include a controller that controls the operation of the loader. The controller of the loader may be capable of communicating with a controller of the dolly system or dolly.

The dolly may be equipped with the above-mentioned rotation drive device. The dolly is preferably configured so that the above-mentioned loading surface can be rotated horizontally even by human power. The dolly is preferably configured so that cargo placed on the loading surface can be transferred in the transfer direction even by human power.

＜2. Examples of dolly systems＞

The following describes a cargo loading/unloading system 10 and a cargo loading/unloading method using a dolly system 100 according to an embodiment, with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) show a dolly system 100 according to an embodiment. The dolly system 100 is configured by connecting multiple dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 in series in the front-rear direction. As an example, each dolly D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 is non-self-propelled and is towed by a towing vehicle such as a towing tractor 150 while connected. The dolly may be self-propelled. As an example, the towing tractor 150 is operated by a human driver. The towing tractor 150 may be automatically driven and travel automatically without a driver.

In the illustrated dolly system 100, the dollies are numbered D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 in order from the dolly closest to the towing tractor 150. The illustrated dolly system 100 is configured by connecting six dollies, but it may be configured by connecting fewer or more than six dollies. In other words, the number of dollies connected is not particularly limited. Furthermore, each of the multiple dollies is configured to be connected and disconnected to other dollies or the towing tractor.

In the following, in the dolly system 100, the front-to-rear direction, which is the direction in which the dolly is connected, is defined as the Y direction, the towing tractor 150 side is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side. The direction perpendicular to the X direction (left-right direction) on a horizontal plane is defined as the Y direction. When looking at the front side of the dolly system 100 from the rear side, the left hand side is referred to as the left side, and similarly, the right hand side is referred to as the right side. The horizontal plane is the XY plane. The up-down direction (vertical direction) is defined as the Z direction. The Z direction is perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

The dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 can carry cargo items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Note that in Figures 1(A) and (B), only one cargo item is carried on one dolly, but multiple cargo items may be carried on one dolly.

In the embodiment, the cargo is, as an example, a Unit Load Device (ULD). A ULD is a storage device dedicated to an aircraft. A ULD is standardized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Examples of ULDs include containers and pallets. A pallet is a flat ULD on which cargo such as cardboard boxes is loaded. The cargo loaded onto the pallet is covered with a special net. This net secures the cargo to the pallet. The size of the pallet is standardized so that it fits the size of the cargo hold floor of the aircraft 300.

A container is a box-shaped ULD in which transported goods are loaded. In the following, we will use a container as an example of cargo, but the cargo may also be a pallet or other cargo.

The size and shape of containers are standardized so that they fit the size and shape of the floor and walls of the cargo hold of aircraft 300. There are various types of containers, such as LD-3 and LD-4. LD-3 is a relatively small container with the longitudinal direction of the rectangular bottom of the container (Y direction in Figures 1 (A) and (B)) being about 147 cm. LD-4 is a relatively large container with the longitudinal direction of the rectangular bottom of the container (Y direction in Figures 1 (A) and (B)) being about 236 cm.

The container has an opening for loading and unloading transported goods. The opening is opened and closed, for example, by a door provided on the container. The opening and door are provided on only one of the longitudinal side surfaces, surface A, that rise from the two longitudinal sides (the two sides in the Y direction in Figures 1(A) and (B)) of the rectangular bottom surface of the container.

The multiple containers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are placed on the dolly system 100 so that the faces A on which the openings are provided face in the same direction. In Figs. 1(A) and (B), as an example, the containers are placed so that face A faces the left side of the dolly system 100. As the faces A of the containers placed on the dolly system 100 face in the same direction, it becomes easier to load and unload transported goods into the multiple containers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 at the baggage handling area (unpacking area) of the airport.

There are three types of container shapes: a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a shape with a lower inclined surface S on only one side in the container's longitudinal direction (Y direction), and a shape with lower inclined surfaces on both sides in the container's longitudinal direction (Y direction). In the following, a shape with a lower inclined surface S on only one side in the longitudinal direction will be referred to as a one-sided overhang, and a shape with lower inclined surfaces on both sides in the longitudinal direction will be referred to as a two-sided overhang. Figures 1(A) and (B) show containers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 with a one-sided overhang as examples.

The one-side overhang and the two-side overhang are intended to conform to the shape of the cargo hold 310 of the aircraft 300. FIG. 1(D) shows two one-side overhang containers 1 and 2 arranged side by side in the cargo hold 310 of the aircraft 300. As shown in FIG. 1(D), the lower inclined surfaces S of the containers 1 and 2 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the aircraft 300. For example, in FIG. 1(D), the container 1 mounted on the left side of the cargo hold 310 has the lower inclined surface S on the left side, and the container 2 mounted on the right side of the cargo hold 310 has the lower inclined surface S on the right side. This arrangement allows the containers 1 and 2 to be arranged according to the shape of the cargo hold 310 of the aircraft 300, improving loading efficiency. Note that in the arrangement of FIG. 1(D), for example, when the surface A of the container 1 faces the rear of the aircraft 300, the surface A of the container 2 needs to face the front of the aircraft 300.

As such, when loading a container with one side overhang onto an aircraft 300, the container must be oriented appropriately depending on the location where it is loaded.

2, the aircraft 300 may, for example, have a forward cargo compartment 310 and an aft cargo compartment 320. The aft cargo compartment 320 is located aft of the forward cargo compartment 310. The cargo compartments 310 and 320 are provided inside the fuselage of the aircraft 301. An entrance for carrying cargo into the forward cargo compartment 310 may be called a forward cargo entrance 302A. As shown in FIG. 1(C), the forward cargo entrance 302 may be located, for example, forward of the wing 303. An entrance for carrying cargo into the aft cargo compartment 320 may be called a rear cargo entrance 302B. As shown in FIG. 1(C), the aft cargo entrance 302B may be located, for example, aft of the wing 303. The entrances 302A and 302B may also be used for carrying out cargo. The aircraft 300 may have one or more cargo entrances.

The front cargo entrance 302A and the rear cargo entrance 302B are generally provided on the right side of the aircraft 301. The right side of the aircraft 301 is the side on the right hand side of the aircraft 301 when viewed from the rear of the aircraft 300 facing forward.

The cargo compartments 310 and 320 are provided with cargo loading positions. For example, the cargo compartments 310 and 320 in FIG. 2 can be loaded with two cargo pieces arranged side by side in the forward and backward directions. Each loading position is loaded with one cargo piece (e.g., one container or one pallet). Each loading position is assigned a symbol indicating the loading position. For example, the forward cargo compartment 310 has 18 loading positions, and each loading position is assigned a symbol, 11L, 11R, 12L, 12R, 13L, 13R, 14L, 14R, 21L, 21R, 22L, 22R, 23L, 23R, 24L, 24R, 25L, and 25R. Additionally, the aft cargo compartment 320 has 14 loading positions, each of which is designated with the following symbols: 31L, 31R, 32L, 32R, 33L, 33R, 41L, 41R, 42L, 42R, 43L, 43R, 44L, 44R.

As shown in FIG. 2, when there is little spare space in the cargo holds 310, 320, when loading cargo, it is necessary to load the cargo into the cargo holds 310, 320 in the order in which it is loaded, starting with the cargo that is to be loaded at the loading position farthest from the loading entrances 302A, 302B.

Which cargo is to be loaded at which loading location is prepared in advance as a loading plan. The loading plan can be generated as loading data 401 (loading instruction data) by server 400, described below. The loading data 401 can be generated by a server at the departure airport of aircraft 300. The generated loading data 401 can be transmitted to a server at the arrival airport of aircraft 300. The loading data can be used for transporting cargo at either or both of the departure and arrival airports.

Figure 3 shows an example of onboard data 401. Onboard data 401 in Figure 3 shows the loading positions of cargo in the forward cargo bay 310 of aircraft 300 whose model is "xxxx". Onboard data 401 has loading position data 401B that shows the loading positions in the forward cargo bay 310. Note that onboard data 401 in Figure 3 does not show loading position 13R, where no cargo is loaded, among the loading positions in the forward cargo bay 310 shown in Figure 2.

Onboard data 401 has "ULD-ID" 401C. "ULD-ID" 401C is an ID (identification code) for identifying individual cargo, and in this case indicates the ID (identification code) of the ULD as cargo. "ULD-ID" 401C is expressed in the format XXXnnnnnYYY, for example.

XXX is the IATA ID CODE of the cargo. The IATA ID CODE is a three-letter code consisting of three alphabetical characters that indicates information about the cargo.

The first character of XXX indicates the type of cargo. For example, the first character of XXX indicates whether the cargo is a container or a pallet. In more detail, if the first character of XXX is, for example, "A", it indicates a "container (with airworthiness certificate)", "D" indicates a "container (without airworthiness certificate)", "R" indicates a "refrigerated container (with airworthiness certificate)", and "P" indicates a "pallet (with airworthiness certificate)". The first character of XXX can also be "M" or "R", which indicate a special container (SPECIAL CONTAINER).

The second character of XXX indicates the base size of the ULD. For example, if the first two characters of XXX are "A" it indicates "8 x 125", if they are "K" it indicates "60.4 x 61.5", if they are "L" it indicates "60.4 x 125", and if they are "M" it indicates "96 x 125". The size unit here is inches.

The third character of the XXX indicates the shape of the ULD (and where it can be loaded on an aircraft). For example, if the first three characters of the XXX are "E" or "N", it indicates a one-sided overhang, if they are "H" or "F", it indicates a two-sided overhang, and if they are "P", it indicates a rectangular prism.

nnnnn is a serial number consisting of 5 or 4 digits. YY is a 2-letter code (owner code) that indicates the owner of the cargo. For example, if it is NH, the owner is All Nippon Airways. The serial number is assigned by the ULD owner.

For example, if the ULD-ID is AKE12345NH, it indicates that the container (with airworthiness certificate) has an overhang on one side, a base size of 60.4 x 61.5 inches, a serial number of 12345, and is owned by All Nippon Airways. The ULD type of a container with a ULD-ID of "AKE" is "LD-3". The ULD-ID of a container with a ULD type of "LD-4" is "DQP".

In the loading data 401, loading position 401B corresponds to "ULD-ID" 401C. For example, loading data 401 in FIG. 3 indicates that cargo with a ULD-ID of DKN48611NH should be loaded at loading position 14L. Similarly, loading data 401 in FIG. 3 indicates the ULD-IDs of cargo to be loaded at 14R, 21L, 21R, 22L, and 22R. In reality, ULD-IDs are also associated with 11L-13L and 23L-25R, but are omitted in FIG. 3 for simplicity.

In the loading data 401 in FIG. 3, the cargo is divided into groups of one or more cargoes transported by one dolly system 100. The loading data 401 has an ID 401A (group identifier) that indicates the group. For example, cargo loaded from 11L to 13L is grouped as ID=#11, cargo loaded from 14L to 22R is grouped as ID=#12, and cargo loaded from 23L to 25R is grouped as ID=#13.

Onboard data 401 may have cargo data 401D associated with "ULD-ID" 401C. The cargo data 401D indicates the type of item being transported by the ULD, for example, the type of contents of a container or the type of load on a pallet. The cargo data 401D indicates whether the item is, for example, baggage, cargo other than baggage, or empty (no cargo). "Cargo" shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the item is "cargo other than baggage."

The loading data 401 may have a "dolly ID" 401E associated with a "ULD-ID" 401C. The "dolly ID" 401E indicates which of the multiple dollies constituting the dolly system 100 the cargo indicated by the ULD-ID should be loaded onto, or which dolly it is loaded onto (after the cargo has been loaded onto the dolly). In FIG. 3, D1 to D6 are shown as the "dolly ID" 401E. D1 to D6 in FIG. 3 correspond to the symbols D1 to D6 of each dolly in FIG. 1(A) and (B). For example, this indicates that the cargo "DKN48611NH" loaded at loading position 14L is loaded onto dolly D5, which is the fifth dolly from the front of the dolly system 100.

The loading data 401 may include loading order data 401F. The loading order data 401F indicates the order in which cargoes indicated by ULD-IDs are carried into the cargo hold of the aircraft (the order in which they pass through the loading entrance). As an example, the loading data 401 in FIG. 3 indicates that cargoes placed on dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 should be carried into the cargo hold. Note that the loading order does not have to be from the cargo at the head of the dolly system 100, but may be from the middle of the dolly system 100 in the fore-aft direction (for example, cargo on dolly D3). Also, while FIG. 3 shows the loading order within group ID=#12, the loading order for the entire cargo hold 310 may be shown.

As mentioned above, when loading cargo, the cargo must be loaded into the cargo holds 310, 320 in the order in which it is loaded, starting with the cargo furthest from the loading entrances 302A, 302B. Therefore, the loading order is determined according to the loading positions of the cargo. Note that which dolly the cargo is to be loaded on can be determined taking into account the loading order.

Note that the loading order data 401F does not need to exist as an explicit data item in the loading data 401. For example, the loading order may be indicated by arranging the data for each cargo item in the loading order in the loading data 401.

As shown in FIG. 1(C), when loading and unloading cargo onto and from the aircraft 300, the cargo loader 200 is attached to the cargo entrances 302A, 302B of the aircraft 300. The cargo loader 200, together with the dolly system 100, can constitute the cargo loading and unloading system 10 according to the embodiment. Here, "attaching" means that the cargo loader 200 is close enough to the aircraft 300 that cargo can be transferred between the cargo holds 310, 320 and the cargo loader 200, and it is not necessary for the cargo loader 200 and the aircraft 300 to be physically connected.

The cargo loader 200 is, as an example, a high lift loader. A high lift loader is also called a lower deck cargo loader. The cargo loader 200 may be a main deck cargo loader or other cargo loader.

As shown in FIG. 1(C), when the dolly system 100 is brought close to the high lift loader 200 attached to the front cargo entrance 302A, as an example, the towing tractor 150 moves from the front to the rear of the aircraft 300. Therefore, when viewed from the dolly system 100 that has arrived at the position of the high lift loader 200, the cargo loader 200 is located to the right of the dolly system 100. In this case, the transfer of cargo between the dolly system 100 and the cargo loader 200 is carried out on the right side of the dolly system 100.

When the dolly system 100 is brought close to the high lift loader 200 attached to the rear cargo entrance 302B, as an example, the towing tractor 150 moves from the rear of the aircraft 300 toward the front. Therefore, when viewed from the dolly system 100 that has arrived at the position of the loader 200, the loader 200 is located to the left of the dolly system 100. In this case, the transfer of cargo between the dolly system 100 and the loader 200 is carried out on the left side of the dolly system 100.

In this way, the loader 200 may be located on the left side or the right side of the dolly system 100. In other words, whether the loader 200 is located on the left or right side of the dolly system 100 depends on the case.

The dolly system 100 of the embodiment is capable of automatic transfer of cargo within the dolly system 100. That is, the dolly system 100 can automatically transfer the loaded cargo between the connected dollies. In this way, the dolly system 100 has an automatic transfer function for the loaded cargo. The automatic transfer function generates a driving force for transferring the cargo. Therefore, according to the dolly system 100 of the embodiment, the loaded cargo can be transferred from one dolly to another dolly among the multiple connected dollies without having to push the loaded cargo by human force. This reduces the burden on the worker.

When cargo can be transferred on the dolly system 100, a certain dolly can be used as a representative transfer point for the loader 200. That is, cargo placed on another dolly can be transferred to the loader 200 via the transfer point. For example, in FIG. 2, dolly D3 is parked close to the loader 200 and serves as a transfer point for the loader 200.

In this case, the dolly D3, which is the transfer point, can be parked close to the loader 200, and the cargoes 4, 5, and 6 placed on the dollies D4, D5, and D6, which are not the transfer point, can be transferred to the loader 200 via the dolly D3. Therefore, in order to transfer the cargoes 4, 5, and 6 on the dollies D4, D5, and D6 to the loader 200, it is not necessary to change the position of the dolly system 100 by operating the towing tractor 150 so that the dollies D4, D5, and D6 approach the loader 200 in order, or the number of times that operation is required is reduced. As a result, the workload of the driver of the towing tractor 150 is reduced. The driver whose workload has been reduced can, for example, use the terminal 500 as the worker P1 described later to operate the dolly system 100, etc. As a result, the number of people required for the work of loading and unloading cargo can be reduced.

The automatic transfer function of the dolly system 100 can also be used when transferring cargo placed on the dolly to the loader 200, or when transferring cargo transported by the loader 200 to the dolly. In this case, cargo can be transferred between the dolly system 100 and the loader 200 without having to push the cargo manually.

The dolly system 100 of the embodiment can automatically rotate cargo placed on the dolly horizontally. In other words, the dolly system 100 has an automatic rotation function for the cargo placed on it. The automatic rotation function generates a driving force for rotating the cargo. Therefore, according to the dolly system 100 of the embodiment, it is not necessary to rotate the cargo manually. As a result, the burden on the worker is reduced.

By rotating the cargo, it is possible to accommodate cases where the orientation of the cargo when loaded onto the aircraft 300 is different from the orientation of the cargo when placed on the dolly. For example, the bottom longitudinal direction of the cargo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 loaded onto the dolly system 100 faces the front-to-rear direction of the dolly system 100. On the other hand, the bottom longitudinal direction of the cargo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 loaded onto the aircraft 300 faces the left-to-right direction of the aircraft 300. The loader 200 must then transport the cargo to the cargo holds 310, 320 in the orientation in which it will be loaded onto the aircraft 300.

Therefore, when transferring cargo between the dolly system 100 parked parallel to the aircraft 300 and the loader 200, the cargo is rotated horizontally (e.g., rotated 90° horizontally) on the dolly system 100. This allows the cargo to be transferred to the loader 200 in the orientation it will have when loaded onto the aircraft 300. In addition, the cargo transferred from the loader 200 can be rotated horizontally on the dolly system 100 to change the orientation to one suitable for loading onto the dolly system 100.

The automatic transfer function within the dolly system 100 is realized, for example, by providing each of the multiple dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 that make up the dolly system 100 with a transfer drive device 160 (see FIG. 4). The transfer drive device 160 may be provided with, for example, a motor that generates a drive force for transfer. The transfer drive device 160 generates a drive force for transferring cargo placed on the loading surface of the dolly in the forward and backward directions of the dolly system 100. The transfer drive device 160 is configured to be able to switch the transfer direction between forward and backward. Therefore, cargo can be automatically transferred to the front of the dolly or to the rear of the dolly.

The automatic rotation function of the dolly system 100 is realized, for example, by equipping any one of the dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 with a rotation drive device 170 (see FIG. 4). The rotation drive device 170 may include, for example, a motor that generates a driving force for rotation.

The rotation drive device 170 horizontally rotates the loading surface on which the cargo is placed in the dolly. That is, the loading surface becomes a rotating surface. As the loading surface rotates, the cargo placed on the loading surface rotates horizontally. By rotating the loading surface, the rotation drive device 170 can change the transfer direction by the transfer drive device 160 within a horizontal plane. For example, the rotation drive device 170 can change the transfer direction from the front-to-back direction to the left-to-right direction.

As described above, according to the embodiment, the amount of manual work required for loading and unloading cargo can be reduced, and the burden on workers can be lightened. As a result, even with a small number of workers, cargo loading and unloading work can be handled. In addition, because the involvement of workers is reduced when loading and unloading cargo, work safety is improved.

In the embodiment, among the multiple dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6, the dolly equipped with the rotation drive device 170 is referred to as the first dolly 110. The first dolly 110 can function as a transfer point between the loader 200. The dolly system 100 needs to include at least one first dolly 110, but may include multiple first dollies 110. It is preferable that the number of first dollies included in the dolly system 100 is less than the number of all dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 that constitute the dolly system 100.

Of the multiple dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6, the dolly that does not have a rotation drive device 170 is referred to as the second dolly 120. The second dolly 120 can be a non-transfer point for the loader 200. Cargo placed on the second dolly 120 is transferred between the loader 200 and the second dolly 120 via the first dolly 110, which is a transfer point. The first dolly 110 may be used as a non-transfer point by not causing the rotation drive device 170 of the first dolly 110 to function.

In the dolly system 100 shown in FIG. 2, as an example, dollies D1 and D3 are first dollies 110 that can be transfer points, and dollies D2, D4, D5, and D6 are second dollies 120 that are not transfer points.

Figure 4 shows a cargo loading/unloading system 10 including a dolly system 100 including a first dolly 110 and a second dolly 120. The first dolly 110 includes a controller 175 that controls the above-mentioned transfer drive device 160 and rotation drive device 170. The first dolly 110 also includes a lock drive device 165 controlled by the controller 175. The transfer drive device 160, the rotation drive device 170, and the lock drive device 165 operate based on signals from the controller 175. Furthermore, the first dolly 110 includes various sensors 180. The sensors 180 are connected to the controller 175.

The second dolly 120 is equipped with a controller 175 that controls the transfer drive device 160 described above. Similarly to the first dolly 110, the second dolly 120 is equipped with a lock drive device 165 that is controlled by the controller 175. The transfer drive device 160 and the lock drive device 165 operate based on signals from the controller 175. Furthermore, the second dolly 120 is equipped with various sensors 180. The sensors 180 are connected to the controller 175.

In the embodiment, as an example, each of the multiple linked dollies includes a controller 175. That is, the dolly system 100 is controlled by the multiple controllers 175. The controller 175 may be configured by a computer including a CPU and a memory. The memory of the controller 175 includes program code that causes the CPU to execute instructions to operate as the controller 175.

The controller 175 has a communication unit. The controllers 175 of the multiple dollies can communicate with each other via the communication unit. This allows cooperative operation between the dollies. The controller 175 can also communicate with the terminal 500 and the loader 200, which will be described later, and other external devices. The other external devices are, for example, the server 400, which will be described later.

The communication of the controllers 175 may be, for example, wireless communication or wired communication. The communication between the controllers 175 may be P2P (peer-to-peer) communication in which the controllers 175 communicate directly with each other, or one of the multiple controllers 175 or another device may act as a communication access point to perform communication. Note that there may be only one controller 175 in total that controls the dolly system 100.

When the controllers 175 of the dollies communicate with each other by wire, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller of a certain dolly has communication cables 176A, 176B (communication lines) for communicating with the controller of the other dolly. The cables 176A, 176B extend from the controller 175 and may have connectors 177A, 177B at their ends. The connectors 177A, 177B are detachable from the connectors 177A, 177B of the other dolly. By providing the detachable connectors 177A, 177B, when the dollies are disconnected from each other by the connecting parts 103A, 103B described below, the connection of the communication cables 176A, 176B between the dollies can also be disconnected. The dollies that make up the dolly system 100 can be disconnected, and the connection of the communication cables 176A, 176B that connect them to each other so that they can communicate with each other can also be disconnected. Therefore, the dollies constituting the dolly system 100 can be stored in a disassembled state. Also, as needed, any number of dollies selected appropriately from a large number of dollies can be connected in any order to form the dolly system 100.

The communication cable provided in the dolly may include, for example, a first cable 176A and a second cable 176B. The first cable 176A has a first connector 177A. The second cable 176B has a second connector 177B.

The first connector 177A of a dolly can be connected, for example, to the second connector 177B of a dolly that is connected adjacent to the front side of the dolly. Also, the second connector 177B of a dolly can be connected, for example, to the first connector 177A of a dolly that is connected adjacent to the rear side of the dolly. Therefore, in multiple dollies connected in series by the connecting parts 103A, 103B, the communication cables 176A, 176B of each controller 175 provided in each dolly are connected in series. In other words, in this case, the multiple controllers 175 provided in the dolly system 100 are connected in series. Each controller 175 provided in the dolly system 100 can communicate with the other controllers 175 directly or indirectly via the other controllers 175.

The controller 175 of each of the multiple dollies 175 constituting the dolly system 100 can be set to indicate the location of the dolly equipped with that controller 175 in the dolly system 100. For example, the controller 175 of the dolly D1 that is the first from the front of the dolly system 100 is set to be located in the first position, and the controller 175 of the dolly D1 that is the sixth from the front of the dolly system 100 is set to be located in the sixth position. With such settings, each controller 175 can know the location of the dolly equipped with that controller 175 in the dolly system 100. Such settings may be set in the controller 175 by an operator via an operating device such as a terminal 500 described later, or may be automatically set by each controller 175 performing a process of recognizing the location in the dolly system 200 by communicating with each other between the controllers 175 that are connected to be able to communicate with each other.

The dolly system 100 may include a terminal 500. The terminal 500 may be used by a worker P1 for loading and unloading cargo. The terminal 500 may be, for example, a tablet computer or a portable terminal such as a smartphone. The terminal may be configured by a computer including a CPU and a memory. The memory of the terminal 500 includes program code that causes the CPU to execute instructions for operating as the terminal 500. The terminal 500 may operate, for example, as a remote controller for a worker to operate the dolly system 100. The terminal 500 may also operate as a main controller that collectively controls the controllers 175 included in each dolly. The terminal 500 may control the dolly system 100 and the loader 200 so that the dolly system 100 and the loader 200 operate in cooperation with each other. The terminal 500 may also operate as a reader for reading cargo data.

The terminal 500 includes a communication unit. The communication unit enables the terminal 500 to communicate with the dolly system 100, the loader 200, and other devices. The other devices are, for example, the server 400 described below. The terminal 500 preferably communicates by wireless communication. The terminal 500 may communicate with each of the multiple controllers 175 included in the dolly system 100, or may communicate with any one of the multiple controllers 175 if the multiple controllers 175 are capable of communicating with each other.

The cargo loading/unloading system 10 of the embodiment may include a server 400. The server 400 has cargo loading data 401. The loading data 401 is data indicating which cargo should be loaded at which position on the aircraft, or data indicating which cargo is loaded at which position on the aircraft. The decision of where to load the cargo is made taking into account the weight balance of the cargo on the aircraft. The loading data 401 is generated, for example, in the server 400 and transmitted to a device such as the controller 175, 275 or the terminal 500. The terminal 500 may control either or both of the dolly system 100 and the loader 200 based on the loading data 401. The controller 175 may control the dolly system 100 based on the loading data 401. The controller 275 may control the loader 200 based on the loading data 401. The loading data 401 will be described later.

In an embodiment, as an example, the onboard data 401 may be used to determine the rotation direction of the cargo in the dolly system 100 or the loader 200 so that the orientation of the cargo loaded onto the aircraft is appropriate. The onboard data 401 may also be used to determine the rotation direction of the cargo in the dolly system 100 or the loader 200 so that the orientation of the cargo unloaded from the aircraft is appropriate. The onboard data 401 may also be used to determine or identify the order in which the cargo is transferred from the dolly system 100 to the loader 200.

As described above, the cargo loading/unloading system 10 of the embodiment may include a loader 200. The loader 200 includes a transport drive device 260 for transporting cargo between the dolly and the cargo hold, and a controller 275 for controlling the transport drive device 260.

The controller 275 includes a communication unit. The controller 275 can communicate with the controller 175 of the dolly system 100. The controller 275 can also communicate with the terminal 500. The controller 275 may also be able to communicate with the server 400.

The communication between the controller 275 of the loader 200 and the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 may be, for example, communication by spatial optical transmission. Spatial optical transmission is data transmission that does not use a cable. Data transmission by spatial optical transmission may be, for example, serial transmission. The loader 200 and the dolly system 100 may each be equipped with a transmitting/receiving unit for spatial optical transmission. As an example, the dolly system 100 may be equipped with transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B. The transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B are connected to the controller 175. The transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B may be equipped, for example, in the first dolly 110 that is pulled up alongside the loader 290 and serves as a transfer point.

As another example, the loader 200 may include a transceiver unit 290. The transceiver unit 290 is connected to the controller 275. The transceiver unit 290 can communicate with either of the two transceiver units 190A, 190B. The transceiver unit 290 is provided, for example, at the rear end of the loader 200 so that it can communicate with the transceiver unit of the dolly system 100.

Spatial optical transmission becomes possible when the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 290 or the transmitting/receiving units 190B and 290 are installed facing each other. For example, when the transmitting/receiving unit 190A is installed on the front side of the first dolly 110, if the first dolly 110 rotates so that the front side of the first dolly 110 approaches the loader 200, the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 290 will be in a facing state. Also, when the transmitting/receiving unit 190B is installed on the rear side of the first dolly 110, if the first dolly 110 rotates so that the rear side of the first dolly 110 approaches the loader 200, the transmitting/receiving units 190B and 290 will be in a facing state.

The transmitting/receiving unit also functions as a sensor that detects that the loader 200 and the dolly system 100 are in close proximity, i.e., that the loader 200 and the dolly system 100 are in a position that allows cargo to be transferred between them. In other words, if the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 290 or the transmitting/receiving units 190B and 290 are able to communicate with each other, the controllers 175 and 275 can recognize that the loader 200 and the dolly system 100 are close enough to each other to transfer cargo. Also, the dolly system 100 may be equipped with only one transmitting/receiving unit, but if it is equipped with multiple transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B, it can detect which transmitting/receiving unit 190A or 190B is close to the loader 200 depending on which transmitting/receiving unit 190A or 190B is able to communicate.

The loader 200 may also include a rotation drive 270 for horizontally rotating the cargo on the loader 200. The rotation drive 270 is controlled by a controller 275. The loader 200 further includes various sensors 280. The sensors 280 are connected to the controller 275.

The loader 200 will be described below using a high lift loader as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, the high lift loader 200 includes, as an example, a vehicle front section 220 and a vehicle rear section 230. The vehicle front section 220 includes a lifting section BP that is attached to the cargo entrances 302A and 302B. The lifting section BP is height adjustable. The lifting section BP is also called a lifting platform BP. The height of the lifting platform BP is adjusted to match the height of the floor of the cargo compartments 310 and 320.

The front part 220 of the vehicle is equipped with a cab (not shown) that rises and falls together with the lifting part BP. The cab is used by the worker P2 to operate the high lift loader 200. The worker P2 is mainly responsible for tasks related to the transportation of cargo within the cargo holds 310, 320, the transfer of cargo between the cargo holds 310, 320 and the high lift loader 200, and the transportation of cargo on the high lift loader 200.

The rear vehicle 230 is equipped with a liftable deck MP provided behind the front vehicle 220. The liftable deck MP is used for loading and unloading cargo such as containers. The height of the liftable deck MP can be adjusted to the same height as the liftable platform BP of the front vehicle 220. The rear vehicle 230 is equipped with a work platform EP provided behind the liftable deck MP. The work platform EP is used, for example, for cargo transfer operations between a dolly. In other words, cargo is transferred between the work platform EP and the dolly.

Figure 2 shows an example of various sensors 180 provided on the first dolly 110 and various sensors 280 provided on the high lift loader 200. The sensors 180 provided on the first dolly 110 can also be provided on the second dolly 120 in the same way.

The first dolly 110 may be equipped with first sensors 181A and 181B that detect the dolly rotation state. The first sensors 181A and 181B are provided at both the front and rear ends of the first dolly 110. The first sensors 181A and 181B are, for example, distance sensors or proximity sensors, and detect the direction in which the dolly is rotating. The controller 175 can determine the direction in which the dolly is rotating based on the signals from the first sensors 181A and 181B. For example, as in the case of dolly D3 (first dolly 110) shown in FIG. 2, when the dolly is rotating, one of the first sensors 181A and 181B, sensor 181A, faces the right side of the dolly system 100 and is close to the loader 200, and the other sensor 181B faces the left side of the dolly system 100 and is on the opposite side of the loader 200. Therefore, the controller 175 can determine the rotation state of the dolly based on the difference in distance detected by the first sensors 181A and 181B.

The dolly rotation state may be understood by detecting the rotation angle by the rotation drive device 170. However, by providing the first sensors 181A, 181B, the controller 175 can confirm that the front or rear end of the dolly is actually close to the loader 200 by the rotation of the dolly. The controller 175 can control the transfer drive device 160 so that the cargo is transferred toward either the front or rear end of the dolly, whichever is closer to the loader 200. As a result, the cargo on the dolly is transferred to the loader 200.

The aforementioned transmitting/receiving unit 190A may be placed in the same position as sensor 181A. Also, the transmitting/receiving unit 190B may be placed in the same position as sensor 181B. Since the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B and the sensors 181A and 181B share a common role as sensors, the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B may be omitted, and the sensors 181A and 181B may be omitted.

The first dolly 110 may also include a second sensor 182, 182 that detects when the cargo has passed the front end of the dolly, and a third sensor 183, 183 that detects when the cargo has passed the rear end of the dolly. The second sensor 182, 182 may be configured as an optical sensor including a light-emitting element 182 and a light-receiving element 182. The third sensor 183, 183 may also be configured as an optical sensor including a light-emitting element 183 and a light-receiving element 183.

The loader 200 may be equipped with a first sensor 281 that detects the dolly rotation state. The first sensor 281 is, for example, a distance sensor or a proximity sensor, and detects whether the dolly is facing in the forward/backward direction or the left/right direction. The distance from the first sensor 281 to the dolly is different when the front and rear ends of the dolly are facing the left/right direction of the dolly system 100, as in the dolly D3 shown in FIG. 2, and when the front and rear ends of the dolly are facing the forward/backward direction of the dolly system 100. When the front and rear ends of the dolly are facing the left/right direction of the dolly system 100, as in the dolly D3 shown in FIG. 2, it is in a state suitable for transferring cargo from the loader 200 to the dolly system 100. Therefore, when the first sensor 281 detects that the front and rear ends of the dolly are facing the left and right directions of the dolly system 100, as in the dolly D3 shown in FIG. 2, the controller 275 of the loader 200 controls the conveying drive device 260 so that the cargo of the loader 200 is transferred to the dolly D3. This allows the cargo of the loader 200 to be appropriately transferred to the dolly D3.

The aforementioned transmitting/receiving unit 290 may be disposed in the same position as the sensor 281. Since the transmitting/receiving unit 290 and the sensor 281 share a common role as sensors, the transmitting/receiving units 190A and 190B may be omitted, and the sensors 181A and 181B may be omitted.

The loader 200 is equipped with second sensors 282, 282 that detect when cargo passes between the lifting deck MP and the work platform EP. The loader 200 is also equipped with third sensors 283, 283 that detect when cargo passes the rear end of the work platform EP (the end on the dolly system 100 side). The second sensors 282, 282 and the third sensors 283, 283 can each be configured as an optical sensor equipped with a light-emitting element 282, 283 and a light-receiving element 282, 283.

When cargo is unloaded from an aircraft, the cargo transferred from the cargo hold 310 to the loader 200 through the loading entrance 302A is automatically transported from the lifting platform BP to the work platform EP by the transport drive device 260, etc. During this transport, when the second sensors 282, 282 detect that the cargo has reached the space between the lifting deck MP and the work platform EP, the controller 275 controls the transport drive device 260 until the third sensors 283, 283 detect that the cargo has reached the rear end of the work platform EP. When the third sensors 283, 283 detect that the cargo has reached the rear end of the work platform EP, the controller 275 temporarily stops the transport of the cargo.

When the transport of the cargo is stopped, the controller 275 adjusts the position of the cargo in the width direction of the loader 200 as necessary. If there is a difference in the distance to the dolly detected by each of the two first sensors 281, 281 arranged side by side in the width direction, the controller 275 determines that the position of the dolly is shifted in the width direction of the loader 200. The controller 275 controls the width shifting drive device (not shown) of the work platform EP so that the cargo is adjusted in the width direction to reduce the shift.

After adjusting the widthwise position of the cargo, the controller 275 again operates the conveying drive device 260 to transfer the cargo from the work platform EP to the dolly D3.

When the second sensor 182 detects that the cargo has reached the front end of the dolly D3, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 so that the cargo is transferred onto the dolly D3. At this time, the controller 175 identifies the type of cargo (e.g., LD-3, LD-4) in advance, and controls the lock drive device 165 so that a lock (a lock on the front side in the transfer direction) for stopping the cargo on the dolly is set at a position according to the type (size) of the cargo. When the front end of the cargo in the transfer direction reaches the lock, the controller 175 controls the lock drive device 165 so that a lock on the rear side in the transfer direction of the cargo is set, and the cargo on the dolly D3 is fixed from both sides by both locks.

Then, the controller 175 rotates the cargo on the dolly D3 and transfers the cargo within the dolly system 100. The controller 175 determines the rotation direction of the cargo so that all cargo loaded on the dolly system 100 faces the same direction (see Figs. 1(A) and (B)), and controls the rotation drive device 170 so that the cargo rotates in the determined direction. When unloading (discharging) the cargo, the rotation direction of the cargo can be determined, for example, according to the direction of the door (direction of face A) of the cargo to be transferred to the dolly D3. Face A may face the front of the aircraft 300 or the rear of the aircraft 300 depending on the position where the cargo was loaded on the aircraft. Therefore, the cargo transferred from the cargo hold 310 of the aircraft to the loader 200 may have a door (face A) facing the front of the aircraft 300 and a door (face A) facing the rear of the aircraft 300.

The controller 175 can determine which direction the door of the cargo to be transferred to the dolly faces by, for example, identifying the orientation of the cargo on the loader 200 or the dolly D3 using an appropriate sensor or the like. For example, a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an IC tag such as an RFID is attached to the surface A of the cargo on which the door is provided. The controller 175 can determine that the door exists on the side of the loader 200 or the dolly D3 where one of the multiple readers provided on the loader 200 or the dolly D3 has successfully read the code or IC tag. The controller 175 may also determine the orientation of the cargo by performing image recognition processing on an image acquired by a camera provided in the dolly system 100, or may determine the orientation of the cargo by a proximity sensor or distance sensor provided in the dolly system 100.

In addition, when unloading cargo, instead of rotating the cargo with the dolly, the rotation drive device 270 of the loader 200 may rotate the cargo on the loader 200. The rotation drive device 270 can rotate the cargo so that all cargo transferred to the dolly system 100 faces the same direction. The controller 275 of the loader 200 grasps the direction of the cargo on the loader 200 using a sensor or the like provided on the loader, and controls the rotation drive device 270 so that the cargo rotates on the loader 200 as necessary to align the directions of the cargo. In this case, the directions of the cargo transferred to the dolly system 100 are aligned in a predetermined direction. As a result, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 can determine the direction of rotation by the rotation drive device 170 on the premise that the directions of the cargo transferred to the dolly D3 are aligned.

The controller 275 of the loader 200 can determine which direction the door of the cargo on the loader 200 faces by, for example, identifying the orientation of the cargo on the loader 200 using an appropriate sensor or the like. For example, a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an IC tag such as an RFID is attached to the surface A of the cargo on which the door is provided. The controller 275 can determine that the door exists on the side of the loader 200 where a reader that has successfully read the code or IC tag is located, among multiple readers provided on the loader 200. The controller 275 may also determine the orientation of the cargo by image recognition processing of an image acquired by a camera provided on the loader 200, or may determine the orientation of the cargo by a proximity sensor or distance sensor provided on the loader 200, as in the dolly 110. The controller 275, having determined the orientation of the cargo on the loader 200, transmits data indicating the orientation of the cargo to the controller 175 of the dolly system 100. The controller 175 can receive data indicating the orientation and determine the direction of rotation based on the received data.

The rotation direction of the cargo in the loader 200 or dolly system 100 may also be determined depending on the type of cargo when the cargo is unloaded. For example, the unpacking position of a container may differ for each airport depending on the container contents (whether it is baggage or cargo other than baggage). For example, at a certain airport, a container containing arriving baggage should be placed so that the container door faces the right side of the dolly system 100. Also, a container containing arriving cargo other than baggage should be placed so that the container door faces the left side of the dolly system 100. Therefore, the controller 175, 275 identifies the type of cargo based on the data indicating the type of cargo, and rotates the cargo so that it is in the appropriate orientation according to the type of cargo.

The type of cargo contents (transported goods) can be identified, for example, by reading the cargo ID from the aforementioned one-dimensional code or two-dimensional code or IC tag attached to the cargo. Based on the cargo ID, the controller 175 refers to the cargo loading data 401 to determine the type of cargo contents (contents), and determines the direction of rotation according to the type of contents.

The controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that after rotating the cargo on the dolly D3, the cargo is transferred to another dolly. The controller 175 also controls the lock drive device 165 so that, prior to the transfer to another dolly, the lock of the dolly D3 is lowered and the lock of the dolly to which the cargo is to be transferred in the dolly system 100 is raised. In this way, the controller 175 controls the locking operation to raise the lock and the lock release operation to lower the lock so that the transfer of the cargo is not hindered by the lock and the cargo is fixed in the dolly to which the cargo is to be transferred.

When loading cargo onto an aircraft, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 refers to the cargo loading data 401 and controls the transfer drive device 160 and the rotation drive device 170 so that the cargo loaded on the dolly system 100 is transferred to the loader 200 in order, starting with the cargo furthest from the cargo entrance 302. The controller 175 also controls the lock drive device 165 so that the necessary locking and unlocking operations are performed according to the transfer and rotation of the cargo.

When loading cargo onto an aircraft, the rotation direction of the cargo can be determined according to the orientation of the cargo (the orientation of face A) to be transferred to the loader 200. The controller 175 determines which direction the door of the cargo to be transferred to the loader 200 faces, for example by identifying the orientation of the cargo on the dolly using an appropriate sensor or the like. As with the case of unloading, the controller 175 can determine that the door is present on the side of one of the multiple readers installed on the dolly D3 that has successfully read the code or IC tag.

When loading cargo onto an aircraft, the direction of rotation of the cargo can also be determined depending on the type of cargo (type of container) and the loading position of the cargo in the cargo hold. If the type of cargo is one-sided overhanging, the cargo must be rotated in advance depending on the loading position of the cargo so that the lower inclined surface S follows the shape of the cargo hold.

The type of cargo (container type) can be identified, for example, by reading the container ID from the one-dimensional code or two-dimensional code or IC tag attached to the container. Based on the container ID, the controller 175 refers to the cargo loading data 401 to determine the type of container, and determines the rotation direction according to the type of container.

When loading cargo, the rotation of the cargo (for example, rotating a container with one-sided overhang to match the cargo hold shape) may be performed by the rotation drive device 270 on the loader 200. The controller 275 of the loader 200 grasps the orientation of the container on the loader 200, the type of container, and the cargo hold loading position of the container, and controls the rotation drive device 270 to rotate the cargo on the loader 200 as necessary so that the container shape matches the cargo hold shape. In this case, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 can determine the rotation direction by the rotation drive device 170 without considering the orientation of the container, the type of container, and the cargo hold loading position of the container. In other words, it is sufficient for the controller 175 to control the rotation of the rotation drive device 170 within the range necessary for transferring cargo between the dolly system 100 and the loader 200. When the rotation of the cargo is performed by the loader 200, the controller 275 of the loader 200 can detect the orientation of the cargo, for example, by an appropriate sensor provided in the loader 200. The controller 275 may also receive data indicating the orientation of the cargo from the controller 175.

When the third sensor 283 detects that cargo has been transferred from the dolly system 100 to the loader 200, the controller 275 of the loader 200 controls the transport drive device 260, etc. so that the cargo is transported into the cargo hold.

Figure 5 shows an example of the structure of the second dolly 120 that does not have a rotation drive device 170. Figure 5 shows one second dolly 120 alone. This second dolly 120 is used in conjunction with other dollies 110 and 120.

The dolly 120 has a vehicle body base 101. The vehicle body base has a pair of left and right front wheels 102A and a pair of left and right rear wheels 102B. At the front end (left end in FIG. 5) of the vehicle body base 101, a tow bar 103A, for example, is provided as a front connecting part 103A. At the rear end (right end in FIG. 5) of the vehicle body base 101, a tow bar 103B, for example, is provided as a rear connecting part 103B. The dolly 120 is connected to other dollies 110, 120 or towing tractor 150 via the connecting parts 103A and 103B.

The towbars 103A, 103B are mounted on the vehicle body base 101 so as to be rotatable horizontally. The vehicle body base 101 is equipped with a steering mechanism that operates so that the front wheels 102A are steered left and right by the towing force acting on the towbar 103A. By providing such a steering mechanism, the dolly 120 can travel following the towing direction of a towing vehicle such as the towing tractor 150.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), the dolly 120 has a loading section 105 that is provided on the vehicle body base 101 via a rotation mechanism 104. The upper surface of the loading section 105 is a loading surface 105A on which cargo such as containers is placed.

As shown in FIG. 5(B), the placement section 105 has rollers 106 on the placement surface 105A that are rotated by a transfer drive device 160. Cargo is placed on these rollers 106. The rollers 106 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction faces the left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 5) so that the cargo is transferred in the front-to-back direction (Y direction in FIG. 5). The cargo is automatically transferred as the rollers 106 are rotated by the transfer drive device 160. In FIG. 5(B), the rollers 106 are arranged so that the transfer direction T is the front-to-back direction (Y direction in FIG. 5).

The rollers 106 are normally connected to the transfer drive device 160 so that they are driven to rotate by the transfer drive device 160. However, the dolly 120 is configured so that this connection can be released. When an operator performs an operation to release the connection, the rollers 106 become rotatable. Once the rollers 106 are rotatable, the placed cargo can be pushed manually to transfer the cargo. In this way, if cargo can be transferred manually, cargo can be transferred even when the transfer drive device 160 is not operating.

The rotation mechanism 104 is configured to rotatably support the placement unit 105 relative to the vehicle body base 101 so that the placement unit 105 rotates horizontally. The rotation mechanism 104 has, for example, a rotation shaft having a vertical axis and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotation shaft. The rotation mechanism 104 supports the placement unit 105 so that it can rotate 360° on a horizontal plane. The rotation mechanism also has a holding mechanism (not shown) that positions the placement unit 105 at every 90° position and holds it so that it does not rotate. When rotating the placement unit 105, the worker simply releases the holding mechanism and manually rotates the placement unit 105. When the placement unit 105 rotates, the cargo placed on the placement surface 105A also rotates.

Figure 5 (C) shows the state in which the placement unit 105 has been rotated horizontally by 90° from the state in Figure 5 (B). The rotation of the placement unit 105 also changes the orientation of the rollers 106 by 90°, so that the transfer direction T becomes left-right (X direction in Figure 5). In this way, the second dolly 120 can change the transfer direction T by manually rotating the placement unit 105. As a result, even if the second dolly 120 does not have a rotation drive device 170, it can be used as a transfer point for the loader 200 in an emergency, etc. Note that if rotation of the placement unit 105 is not required in the second dolly 120, the placement unit 105 may be provided so as not to rotate.

The loading section 105 is equipped with locks 107, 108 for securing cargo. As shown in Figs. 5(A) and (B), the locks 107, 108 include a front lock 107 for locking the cargo at the front side of the dolly 120, and a rear lock 108 for locking the cargo at the rear side of the dolly 120. By locking the cargo from both the front and rear sides with the front lock 107 and the rear lock 108, the cargo can be secured so that it does not move on the dolly 120.

The locks 107 and 108 are provided at multiple positions to accommodate different sizes (bottom sizes) of cargo. For example, the front lock 107 has a front first lock 107A and a front second lock 107B. The rear lock 108 has a rear first lock 108A and a rear second lock 108B. The first locks 107A and 108A lock, for example, a relatively small LD-3 container. The second locks 107B and 108B lock, for example, a relatively large LD-4 container. Note that here, two locks, the first locks 107A and 108A and the second locks 107B and 108B, are provided to accommodate two different sizes, but three or more locks may be provided to accommodate three or more different sizes. Also, one lock may be moved on the loading surface 105A to accommodate different sizes.

The lock is in a locked state when it rises up from the placement surface 105A and protrudes from the placement surface 105A, and in an unlocked state when it is tilted down so that it does not protrude from the placement surface 105A. The placement section 105 is equipped with a lock drive device 165 that causes the lock to perform a locking operation to raise the lock and an unlocking operation to lower the lock. The lock drive device 165 may be equipped with, for example, an actuator that causes the lock to perform the locking operation and the unlocking operation. Furthermore, when it is necessary to move the lock to accommodate the size of the cargo, the lock drive device 165 may be configured to move the lock. In this case, the lock drive device 165 generates a driving force for moving the lock.

The loading section 105 is equipped with sensors 184, 185, and 186 for detecting cargo. As shown in FIG. 5(A) and (B), the sensors 184, 185, and 186 may include a front sensor 184, a rear sensor 185, and a deceleration sensor 186. These sensors 184, 185, and 186 may be configured, for example, by a proximity sensor or a distance sensor.

The mounting portion 105 of the second dolly 120 may also include the sensors 181A, 181B, 182, and 183 that the dollies D1 and D2 in FIG. 2 have, but the functions of these sensors 181A, 181B, 182, and 183 are as described above.

Sensors 184 and 185 detect the presence of cargo on loading surface 105A. Sensors 184 and 185 can also identify the size (bottom size) of the cargo on loading surface 105A.

The sensors 184 and 185 are provided at multiple positions to accommodate different sizes (bottom sizes) of cargo. For example, the front sensor 184 has a front first sensor 184A and a front second sensor 184B. The front sensor 184 is disposed near the front lock 107. More specifically, the sensor 184A is disposed near the lock 107A, and the sensor 184B is disposed near the lock 107B. The rear sensor 185 has a rear first sensor 185A and a rear second sensor 185B. The rear sensor 185 is disposed near the rear lock 108. More specifically, the sensor 185A is disposed near the lock 108A, and the sensor 185B is disposed near the sensor 108B.

The first sensors 184A, 185A detect, for example, the arrival of a relatively small LD-3 container. The second sensors 184B, 185B detect, for example, the arrival of a relatively large LD-4 container. Note that "arrival" here means that the cargo has arrived at a position where it should be locked by the locks 107, 108. Also, here, two sensors, the first sensors 184A, 185A and the second sensors 184B, 185B, are provided to accommodate two different sizes, but three or more sensors may be provided to accommodate three or more different sizes. Also, one sensor may be moved (together with the lock) on the loading surface 105A to accommodate different sizes.

When cargo to be loaded onto the dolly 120 is transferred from another dolly or loader 200, the controller 175 of the dolly 120 controls the lock drive device 165 so that the front lock in the transfer direction is set up before the cargo is transferred. For example, when cargo is transferred from left to right in FIG. 5 (from the front to the rear of the dolly 120), the controller 175 controls the lock drive device 165 to set up the rear lock 108, which is the front side in the transfer direction, to receive the cargo being transferred. In addition, the controller 175 identifies the type (size) of the cargo based on data indicating the type (size) of the cargo, and determines whether to set up the rear first lock 108A or the rear second lock 108B of the rear locks 108. For example, when cargo of LD-3 is transferred, the rear first lock 108A is set up.

The fact that the cargo on LD-3 has been transferred to the point where it is received by the rear first lock 108A is detected by the rear first sensor 185A provided near the rear first lock 108A. This allows the controller 175 to recognize that the cargo has arrived at the dolly 120. When it detects that the cargo has arrived, the controller 175 controls the lock drive device 165 to erect the front lock 107, which is on the rear side in the transfer direction. At this time, the controller 175 also controls the lock drive device 165 to erect the lock corresponding to the type (size) of the cargo, based on the data indicating the type (size) of the cargo. Here, the front first lock 107A is erected. As a result, the cargo on LD-3 that has been transferred is automatically secured from both sides by the locks 107A and 108A.

The sensor 186 is disposed approximately in the center of the dolly 120 in the front-to-rear direction. The sensor 186 detects that cargo transferred from another dolly or loader 200 has reached the position of the sensor 186. When the controller 175 detects that the cargo has reached the position of the sensor 186, it controls the speed of the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer speed decreases. This reduces the transfer speed of the cargo just before it is received by the rear first lock 108A (the lock on the front side in the transfer direction), thereby reducing the impact when the cargo comes into contact with the lock.

Figures 6 and 7 show an example of the structure of a first dolly 110 equipped with a rotation drive device 170. Figures 6 and 7 show one single first dolly 110. This first dolly 110 is used in conjunction with other dollies 110 and 120.

The first dolly 110 shown in Figures 6 and 7 has all the structure and functions of the second dolly 120 shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the structure and functions of the first dolly 110 that are common to the second dolly 120 will not be described.

Unlike the second dolly 120, the first dolly 110 includes a rotation drive device 170. The rotation drive device 170 is provided, for example, on the vehicle body base 101. The rotation drive device 170 includes, for example, a motor. The rotation shaft of the motor is connected to the rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism 104 via a mechanism such as an appropriate reducer. Therefore, when the rotation drive device 170 is driven, the mounting unit 105 automatically rotates via the rotation mechanism 104. The rotation drive device 170 can rotate the mounting unit 105 horizontally 360° and can stop the mounting unit 105 at a desired rotation angle. For example, the mounting unit 105 can be rotated 90° to orient the front-rear direction of the mounting unit 105 in the left-right direction.

As described above, since the first dolly 110 is equipped with the rotation drive device 170, there is no need to rotate the loading section 105 manually, and the burden on the worker is light. In addition, since the first dolly 110 is also equipped with the transfer drive device 160, there is no need to push the cargo manually for transfer, and from this perspective, the burden on the worker is also light.

In the state shown in FIG. 6, the loading direction T of the loading section 105 faces the front-to-rear direction of the dolly 110 (Y direction in FIG. 6). When the loading direction T faces the front-to-rear direction of the dolly 110, when the loading drive device 160 drives the cargo LD-3 on the dolly 110 to be loaded, the cargo LD-3 can be transferred to another dolly in front or behind. Alternatively, the cargo transferred from another dolly can be pulled into the dolly 110 by the loading drive device 160.

When the mounting section 105 is rotated 90° around the rotation axis C by the rotation drive device 170, it changes from the state shown in FIG. 6 to the state shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the transfer direction T of the mounting section 105 faces the left-right direction of the dolly 110 (X direction in FIG. 7). When the transfer direction T faces the left-right direction of the dolly 110, when the transfer drive device 160 drives the cargo LD-3 on the dolly 110 to transfer the cargo, the cargo can be transferred to the loader 200 on the left or right side. Alternatively, the cargo transferred from the loader 200 can be pulled into the dolly 110 by the transfer drive device 160.

The mounting unit 105 is normally connected to the rotation drive device 170 in a linked state so that it is driven to rotate by the rotation drive device 170. However, the dolly 110 is configured so that this link can be released. When an operator performs an operation to release the link, the mounting unit 105 becomes rotatable. Once the mounting unit 105 is rotatable, it can be rotated by pushing it manually. In this way, if the mounting unit 105 can be rotated manually, the transfer direction T can be changed even when the rotation drive device 170 is not operating.

The loading section 105 is equipped with sensors 187A and 187B for detecting cargo. The sensors 187A and 187B detect the orientation of the cargo on the dolly 110. In this case, the sensors detect the orientation of the one-side overhanging container LD-3. In a one-side overhanging container, the side on which the lower inclined surface S is formed on both sides of the long side of the container has a side that overhangs the container bottom, while the opposite side has a side that stands vertically relative to the container bottom, and the two containers have different shapes. As an example, the orientation sensors 187A and 187B detect the orientation of the container LD-3 by utilizing the fact that the shapes of both sides of the long side of the one-side overhanging container are different.

In Figure 6(A), container LD-3 shown in solid lines has an overhang in front of the dolly 110 (left side in Figure 6). In this case, face A on which the container door is located is on the left side of the dolly (the front side of the paper in Figure 6(A), and the lower side in Figure 6(B)). Note that container LD-3 shown in dotted lines in Figure 6(B) corresponds to container LD-3 shown in solid lines in Figure 6(A).

In Figure 6(A), container LD-3, shown by a dashed line, has an overhang at the rear of the dolly 110 (to the right in Figure 6(A)). In this case, face A on which the container door is located is to the right of the dolly (to the rear of the page in Figure 6(A)).

The container LD-3 may be placed on the dolly 110 in the orientation shown by the solid line or in the orientation shown by the dashed and dotted line. The locks 107 and 108 can lock the container LD-3 in the same way regardless of the orientation in which it is placed.

The illustrated orientation sensors 187A and 187B are provided to detect overhang in container LD-3, whose position is fixed by locks 107 and 108.

As an example, the direction sensors 187A and 187B include a direction sensor 187A arranged on the front side of the mounting unit 105 and a direction sensor 187B arranged on the rear side of the mounting unit 105. As shown in FIG. 6B, the direction sensor 187A may be configured by an optical sensor having a light-emitting element 187A and a light-receiving element 187A arranged on the left and right sides of the front side of the mounting unit 105. The direction sensor 187B may be configured by an optical sensor having a light-emitting element 187B and a light-receiving element 187B arranged on the left and right sides of the rear side of the mounting unit 105. The sensors 187A and 187B are attached to the mounting unit 105 via a support so that the sensors 187A and 187B are at a predetermined height position from the mounting surface 105A.

When there is an overhang in front of the dolly 110, such as container LD-3 shown by solid lines in Figure 6(A), the overhang is located between the front light-emitting element 187A and the front light-receiving element 187A. Therefore, the presence of an overhang in the front is detected by the front sensor 187A. At this time, container LD-3 is not located between the rear sensor 187B, so the sensor 187B does not detect container LD-3.

When there is an overhang on the rear side of the dolly 110, such as container LD-3 shown by the dashed line in Figure 6 (A), the overhang is located between the rear light-emitting element 187B and the rear light-receiving element 187B. Therefore, the rear sensor 187B detects the presence of an overhang on the rear side. At this time, container LD-3 is not located between the front sensor 187A, so sensor 187A does not detect container LD-3.

Therefore, the controller 175 can detect which way the overhang is located, i.e., the orientation of the container LD-3 on the dolly 110, by using the sensors 187A and 187B. Note that the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 may also detect the orientation of the container by reading the one-dimensional or two-dimensional code of the container, reading the IC tag, or by image recognition, as described above.

The controller 175 can determine the direction of rotation by the rotation drive device 170 based on the orientation of the cargo detected by the sensors 187A and 187B, and control the rotation drive device 170 to rotate in the determined direction. The direction of rotation can be determined based only on the orientation of the cargo detected by the sensors 187A and 187B, or based on the orientation of the cargo detected by the sensors 187A and 187B and other data. The other data can be, for example, the onboard data 401 for that cargo.

For example, when loading a container onto an aircraft, the controller 175 can determine the direction of rotation by the rotation drive device 170 based on the orientation of the container LD-3 detected by the sensors 187A and 187B and data for identifying the orientation of the container LD-3 when it is loaded onto the aircraft. For example, the loading data 401 indicating the loading position of the container LD-3 is used as the data for identifying the orientation when it is loaded. In this case, the container LD-3 automatically changes on the dolly 110 to the orientation when it is loaded onto the aircraft, and is transferred to the loader 200 in that orientation. Therefore, the loader 200 only needs to transfer the container LD-3 while keeping it in that orientation, and there is no need for the loader 200 to determine the orientation of the container or rotate the container.

When a container is unloaded from an aircraft, the controller 175 can determine the direction of rotation by the rotation drive device 170 based on the orientation of the container LD-3 detected by the sensors 187A, 187B after the container LD-3 is transferred from the loader 200 and on data for identifying the orientation of the container LD-3 on the dolly. For example, the onboard data 401 of the container LD-3 is used as the data for identifying the orientation of the container LD-3 on the dolly. The onboard data 401 includes data 401D (see FIG. 3) indicating the container contents (transported goods). When the orientation of the container LD-3 on the dolly differs depending on the contents, the rotation direction can be determined based on the data 401D included in the onboard data 401.

The controller 175 may obtain the orientation of the container LD-3 from an external device (e.g., the controller 275 of the loader 200 or the terminal 500). In this case, the dolly 110 does not need to be equipped with sensors 187A and 187B that detect the orientation.

The controller 175 may transmit the orientation of the container LD-3 detected by the sensors 187A, 187B to the outside (e.g., to the controller 275 of the loader 200 or the terminal 500). For example, the controller 275 of the loader 200 that receives the container orientation transmitted from the controller 175 can rotate the container on the loader 200 based on the received container orientation.

For example, the controller 275 may determine the direction of rotation by the rotation drive device 270 based on the received container orientation and data for identifying the orientation of the container LD-3 when loaded onto the aircraft, and control the rotation drive device 270 in that direction. In this case, the dolly controller 175 need only rotate the container so that it is transferred to the loader 200, without taking into account the orientation of the container when loaded onto the aircraft.

Figure 8 shows an example of the structure of the loader 200. In Figure 8, the work platform EP at the very end of the loader 200 in Figure 2 is shown. The dolly 110, which serves as the transfer point to the loader 200, is located behind the work platform EP (left side in Figure 8). The cargo 3 is transferred between the dolly 110 and the work platform EP.

As shown in FIG. 8(A), the work platform EP is equipped with wheels 202, 203 and rollers 206 that are rotated by a transport drive device 260. The cargo 3 is transported on the rollers 206. The transport drive device 260 transports the cargo 3 transferred from the dolly 110 toward the cargo hold. The transport drive device 260 also transports the cargo 3 removed from the cargo hold toward the dolly 110. Note that the rotation drive device 270 for rotating the cargo 3 is not shown in the work platform EP in FIG. 8(A), but the rotation drive device 270 may be provided.

As shown in Figures 8(A) to (E), the work platform EP is equipped with sensors 285A, 285B, 285C, 286A, and 286B.

The work platform EP may also include sensors 281, 282, and 283 shown in FIG. 2, but the functions of these sensors 281, 282, and 283 are as described above. The function and role of sensor 285A in FIG. 8 is the same as that of sensor 283 in FIG. 2, so either sensor 285A or sensor 283 may be omitted.

The sensor 285A detects that the cargo 3 has reached the rear end of the loader 200 (the work platform EP). The sensor 285A is, for example, a distance sensor or a proximity sensor.

Sensors 285B, 285C can detect the size of cargo 3 (LD-3 or LD-4). Sensors 285B, 285C are, for example, distance sensors or proximity sensors. Cargo 3A shown in FIG. 8(B) is, for example, an LD-4. The code "DQP" assigned to cargo 3A indicates that the container type is an LD-4. Cargo 3B shown in FIG. 8(C) is, for example, an LD-3. The code "AKE" assigned to cargo 3B indicates that the container type is an LD-3.

As shown in FIG. 8(B), when cargo 3A reaches the position of sensor 285A, cargo 3A is present above sensor 285C (and 285B). As shown in FIG. 8(C), when cargo 3B reaches the position of sensor 285A, cargo 3B is not present above sensor 285C, but cargo 3B is present above sensor 285B.

Therefore, when sensors 285A, 285B, and 285C all detect cargo, controller 275 determines that the type (size) of the cargo is LD-4. When sensors 285A and 285B only detect cargo, controller 275 determines that the type (size) of the cargo is LD-3. Note that in the case of Figure 8 (D), it is similarly determined that the cargo is LD-3.

The controller 275 can transmit data indicating the type (size) of cargo detected by the sensors 285A, 285B, and 285C to the controller 175 of the dolly system 100. The controller 175 can receive the data indicating the type (size) of cargo, and can operate the locks 107 and 108 corresponding to the size of the cargo on the dolly on which the cargo is placed, based on the received data.

As shown in Figures 8(C) and (D), sensors 285A, 285B, and 285C, together with sensors 286A and 286B, can detect the orientation of cargo 3. Sensors 286A and 286B are, for example, optical sensors.

In FIG. 8(C), sensor 286A detects cargo 3B at the position overhanging by lower inclined surface S, but sensor 286B does not detect cargo 3B. On the other hand, in FIG. 8(D), sensor 286A does not detect cargo 3C, but sensor 286B detects cargo 3C at the position overhanging by lower inclined surface S.

Therefore, when the cargo is an LD-3, controller 275 can determine the orientation of the container with one overhang depending on which of sensors 286A and 286B detects the cargo. If the cargo is an LD-3 with double overhangs, both sensors 286A and 286B detect the cargo, and if the cargo is a rectangular LD-3, neither sensor 286A nor 286B detects the cargo.

Figure 8 (E) shows another example of sensors 286A, 286B. In Figure 8 (E), sensors 286A, 286B are visual sensors such as cameras. Visual sensors 286A, 286B capture images of cargo 3D. Controller 275 recognizes the shape of cargo 3D by image recognition processing of the captured image. Controller 275 detects the position of lower inclined surface S by recognizing the shape of cargo 3D. Controller 275 detects the orientation of cargo 3D according to the position of lower inclined surface S.

The sensors 286A, 286B may capture an image of the ULD-ID ("AKE3344NH") assigned to the cargo 3D. In this case, the controller 275 can recognize that the ULD-ID is "AKE3344NH" by performing character recognition processing on the captured image. In other words, the controller 275 can detect the ULD-ID of the cargo 3D using the visual sensors 286A, 286B. Since the ULD-ID indicates the type, size, etc. of the cargo 3, the controller 275 can identify the type, size, etc. of the cargo 3 based on the detected ULD-ID.

Sensors 286A and 286B may also be cameras or other code readers. A code reader in this case is a device that reads a machine-readable code 3F, such as a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark).

The code 3F in a machine-readable format such as a barcode is configured to indicate, for example, the ULD-ID of the cargo 3, and is affixed by printing or the like to one side of the cargo 3. In this case, the controller 275 can detect the ULD-ID based on the read code 3F.

A machine-readable code such as a barcode may be provided, for example, on either side A of a container having a container door or the side opposite side A, or on both side A and the opposite side. A machine-readable code 3F such as a barcode may be configured to indicate which of multiple sides of the cargo the code is present on. In this case, the controller 275 can recognize the orientation of the cargo based on the position where the code was read and the side indicated by the read code.

In addition, an IC tag (RFID) may be attached to the cargo 3 instead of the code 3F. In this case, the sensors 286A and 286B may be IC tag (RFID) readers. The code 3F or IC tag may be read by the terminal 500 held by the worker P1.

The controller 275, which has identified the orientation of the cargo on the loader 200, can control the rotation drive so that the cargo faces the appropriate direction, just like the controller 175, which has identified the orientation of the cargo on the dolly 110. Note that the controller 275, like the controller 175, can refer to the onboard data 401 to orient the cargo in the appropriate direction. By orienting the cargo in the appropriate direction on the loader 200, the dolly system 100 does not need to determine the orientation of the cargo or rotate the cargo to orient it appropriately.

The controller 275 may also transmit data indicating the type, size, orientation, etc. of the cargo to the controller 175 of the dolly system 100. In this case, the cargo 3 can be rotated appropriately in the dolly system 100. In this case, the loader 200 does not need to have a cargo rotation function.

Figure 9 shows the loading/unloading process executed by one or more controllers 175. The loading/unloading process may include either a loading process or an unloading process (unloading process), or both. The loading process includes control for transferring cargo placed on the dolly system 100 to the loader 200 for loading onto the aircraft. The unloading process includes control for transferring cargo unloaded from the aircraft from the loader 200 to the dolly system 100.

The loading/unloading process begins after the dolly system 100 stops next to the loader 200.

In step S91, the controller 175 identifies whether to execute a loading process or an unloading process. The loading process is performed before the aircraft departs, and the unloading process is performed after the aircraft arrives. The identification in step S91 is performed based on the result of the worker P1 operating an operation device (not shown) provided in the dolly system 100 or a terminal 500 serving as a remote controller to select either loading or unloading. The controller 175 executes the identified process, either loading or unloading. The identification in step S91 may be performed based on a signal transmitted from another external device such as the server 400.

In step S92, the controller 175 identifies whether the loader 200 is located on the left or right side as viewed from the dolly system 100 parked near the loader 200. If the loader 200 is located on the left side of the dolly system 100, cargo transfer between the loader 200 is performed on the left side (see FIG. 1). On the other hand, if the loader 200 is located on the right side of the dolly system 100, cargo transfer between the loader 200 is performed on the right side (see FIG. 1). The controller 175 controls the rotation drive device 170, controls the transfer direction of the transfer drive device 160, controls the lock position by the lock drive device 165, and performs other operations according to the identified position of the loader 200.

The controller 175 can identify the position of the loader 200 using sensors such as sensors 181A and 181B (see FIG. 2). The position of the loader 200 can also be identified by having the worker P1 operate an operating device (not shown) provided in the dolly system 100 or a terminal 500 serving as a remote controller to input the position of the loader 200.

In step S93, the controller 175 acquires the on-board data 401 (see FIG. 3). The controller 175 may receive the on-board data 401 directly from the server 400. The on-board data 401 may also be received by one or both of the terminal 500 and the controller 275. The controller 175 may receive the on-board data 401 via the terminal 500 or the controller 275.

For example, the worker P1 operates the terminal 500 or an operating device provided in the dolly system 100 to select the aircraft on which the cargo will be loaded and unloaded (for example, inputting or selecting the aircraft model name), and obtains the onboard data 401 corresponding to that aircraft from the server 400, etc. Note that if the onboard data 401 is not required for loading and unloading the cargo (for example, when unloading the cargo and loading it onto the dolly system 100 without considering the loading position on the aircraft), the acquisition of the onboard data 401 may be omitted.

In step S94, the controller 175 acquires cargo data. The cargo data here is data for identifying the cargo being transferred between the dolly system 100 and the loader 200. In other words, when loading, the data is for identifying the cargo placed on the dolly system 100, and when unloading, the data is for identifying the cargo loaded on the aircraft or the cargo removed from the cargo hold of the aircraft and placed on the loader 200.

The cargo data is, for example, the ULD-ID that the cargo has. The ULD-ID indicates the type of cargo (size, etc.). The cargo may have a ULD-ID that is printed or affixed, a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code indicating the ULD-ID, or an IC tag that stores the ULD-ID. Such a ULD-ID is read by an appropriate sensor (reader) provided in the dolly system 100, a terminal 500 with a reading function, and sensors 286A and 286B provided in the loader 200.

The controller 175 can obtain detailed cargo data by referencing the loading data 401 based on the ULD-ID. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the controller 175 can identify the loading position 401B corresponding to the ULD-ID. The controller 175 can identify the transport item 301D corresponding to the ULD-ID. The controller 175 can identify the dolly ID 401E corresponding to the ULD-ID. The controller 175 can identify the loading order 401F corresponding to the ULD-ID.

In addition, in the onboard data 401, a group of cargo transported by one dolly system 100 is indicated by ID 401A. One group is the unit that is loaded and unloaded at one time by one dolly system 100. If the controller 175 obtains the ULD-ID of any cargo, it can recognize cargo that belongs to the same group as that cargo in the onboard data 401.

The cargo data may include data indicating the orientation of the cargo. The orientation of the cargo may also be detected by the dolly system 100, the loader 200, and the terminal 500. The orientation of the cargo may be acquired by the worker P1 inputting it into the terminal 500. Note that the orientation of the cargo on the dolly system 100 at the time of loading is a predetermined, specified orientation and may be known, so it may be included in the loading data 401 acquired in step S93.

In step S95, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160, the lock drive device 165, and the rotation drive device 170 for automatic transfer of cargo based on the data identified or acquired in steps S91 to S94. At this time, the controller 175 communicates with either or both of the loader controller 275 and the terminal 500 as necessary, and executes coordinated control for loading and unloading.

The order in which steps S91 to S94 are performed is not limited, and steps S91 to S94 can be performed in any order as necessary.

Figures 10 and 11 show an example of the procedure for unloading cargo from an aircraft. The dolly system 100, without any cargo loaded on it, is towed by a towing tractor 150 and travels toward the loader 200. As an example, as shown in Figure 10 (A), the dolly system 100 stops with the loader 200 located to the right of the dolly D3. Here, the dolly D3 is composed of the first dolly 110, and the dollies D1, D2, D4, D5, and D6 are composed of the second dolly 120. The dolly D3 is the transfer point, and the dollies D1, D2, D4, and D5 are non-transfer points. Note that while the dolly system 100 is traveling toward the loader 200, the locks 107 and 108 of all the dollies D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 that make up the dolly system 100 are raised and in a locked state. In the following, when locks 107 and 108 are up, they are referred to as "ON," and when they are down, they are referred to as "OFF." In FIG. 10(A), the locks of all dollies are ON.

In addition, in FIG. 10(A), two cargo items 1 and 2 that have been removed from the cargo hold of an aircraft are on the loader 200. Note that all of the cargo items described below are assumed to be LD-3 containers with one-side overhang. Since the cargo items 1 and 2 are on the loader 200 in the same orientation as when they were loaded onto the aircraft, the cargo item 1 that is first transferred to the dolly system 100 has its lower inclined surface S facing the dolly system 100 (the lower side of FIG. 10), and the next cargo item 2 has its lower inclined surface S facing the aircraft (the upper side of FIG. 10).

When the dolly system 100 is pulled up alongside the loader 200, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 executes the loading/unloading process (unloading process) shown in FIG. 9. The controller 175 executes steps S91 to S94. In step S95, the controller 175 controls the drive devices 160, 165, and 170. First, the controller 175 releases (OFF) the locks of all dollies.

The controller 175 turns on both locks 107 and 108 of dolly D3, which is the transfer point. The controller 175 also turns on the front lock 107 of dolly D1, which is at the forefront of the dolly system 100, and the rear lock 108 of dolly D6, which is at the rearmost, as shown in FIG. 10(B). Through steps S93 and S94, the controller 175 has already grasped data (such as the size of the cargo) relating to cargoes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 that are to be unloaded from the aircraft. The controller 175 turns on the lock at the position corresponding to the size of the cargo (same below). In this case, the container is LD-3, so locks 107A and 108A (see FIG. 5) on the dolly are turned on.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the controller 175 executes a 90° rotation R1 of the loading surface of the dolly D3, which is the transfer point. Here, the dolly D3 rotates 90° counterclockwise. As a result, the rear side of the dolly D3 faces the right side of the dolly system and is close to the loader 200, and the front side of the dolly D3 faces the left side of the dolly system and is located opposite the loader 200.

After the dolly D3 rotates, the controller 175 turns off the rear lock 108 of the dolly D3. This results in a state in which, of the locks 107, 108 of the dolly D3, the lock 108 closer to the loader 200 is OFF, and the lock 107 farther from the loader 200 is ON. With the lock 108 on the loader 200 side OFF, cargo 1 can be transferred from the loader 200 to the dolly D3. The lock 107 also receives the transferred cargo.

After receiving a signal from the controller 275 of the loader 200 indicating that cargo 1 has arrived at the rear end of the loader 200, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer direction by the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 is direction T1 (see FIG. 10(C)). The controller 275 of the loader 200 also controls the transport drive device 260 so that cargo 1, 2 is transported to the dolly D3 side. In this way, the transfer drive device 160 and the transport drive device 260 operate simultaneously in coordination, making it possible to smoothly transfer cargo from the loader 200 to the dolly D3.

When the sensor of the dolly D3 detects that the cargo 1 has been transferred to the dolly D3, the controller 175 turns on the lock 108 of the dolly D3 to secure the cargo 1. The transport drive device 260 of the loader 200 also stops temporarily.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10(D), the controller 175 controls the rotation drive device 170 of the dolly D3 to perform a 90° rotation R2 (clockwise rotation). This causes the transfer direction of the dolly D3 to face the other adjacent dollies D2 and D4.

The direction of rotation R2 is determined according to the orientation of the cargo 1 before rotation R2. Furthermore, the direction of rotation R2 of the cargo 1 is determined according to the orientation in which the cargo 1 should face in the dolly system 100. Here, it is identified based on the loading data 401, etc. that the contents of the cargo 1 are "cargo other than baggage" and that the lower inclined surface S should be placed facing the front of the dolly system (the same applies to other cargo below). Based on the above, the controller 175 determines the direction of rotation R2 to be "clockwise".

Then, as shown in FIG. 10(E), the controller 175 executes automatic transfer of the cargo 1 within the dolly system. Here, as an example, the controller 175 has set that the cargo transferred from the loader 200 will be placed on D6, D1, D5, D2, D4, and D3 in the order of transfer. Based on this setting, the controller 175 identifies that the transfer destination within the dolly system of the cargo 1 first transferred from the loader 200 is dolly D6.

The controller 175 turns OFF the lock 108 on the dolly D6 side, which is the destination of the transfer, out of the locks 107 and 108 on the dolly D3. This allows the cargo 1 to move in the direction toward the dolly D6.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10(D), the controller 175 drives and controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dollies D3, D4, D5, and D6 so that the cargo 1 is transferred from D3 to the dolly D6, which is the transfer destination. For example, the controller 175 first drives and controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 so that the cargo 1 is transferred in the transfer direction T2 toward the dolly D6. When the controller 175 detects by a sensor of the dolly D4 that the cargo 1 has entered the dolly D4, it operates the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D4 to pull the cargo 1 into the dolly D4. When the controller 175 detects by a sensor of the dolly D3 that the cargo 1 has disappeared from on the dolly D3, it stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3. Similarly, each transfer drive device 160 operates to transfer cargo 1 from dolly D4 to dolly D5, and from dolly D5 to dolly D6.

When the sensor of the dolly D6 detects that the cargo 1 has arrived at the dolly D6, the controller 175 stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D6 and turns on the lock 107 of the dolly D6. This fixes the cargo 1 on the dolly D6.

When the transfer of cargo 1 is complete, the controller 175 executes rotation R3 of dolly D3, which is the transfer point, in order to transfer the next cargo 2. In this case, rotation R3 is a 90° counterclockwise rotation. The controller 175 sends a signal to the controller 275 indicating that the next cargo is ready to be received. The controller 275 receives this signal and controls the drive of the transport drive device 260 to transfer cargo 2 to dolly D3. At this time, the next two cargoes 3 and 4 are simultaneously removed from the cargo hold of the aircraft (see Figures 10 (F) and (G)).

The controller 175 drives and controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 to pull the cargo 2 into the dolly. When it detects that the cargo has arrived at the dolly D3, it turns on the lock 108 of the dolly D3 and executes rotation R4 of the dolly D3 with the cargo secured by both locks 107 and 108 (see FIG. 10(G)). The rotation R4 here is a 90° counterclockwise rotation. This causes the transfer direction of the dolly D3 to face the other adjacent dollies D2 and D4. Also, the lower inclined surface S of the cargo 2 faces the front of the dolly system.

The controller 175 identifies that the destination of cargo 2 within the dolly system is dolly D1.

As shown in FIG. 10(G), the controller 175 turns OFF the lock 108 on the dolly D1 side, which is the destination of the transfer, out of the locks 107 and 108 on the dolly D3. This allows the cargo 1 to move in the direction toward the dolly D1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11(A), the controller 175 controls the drive devices 160 of the dollies D3, D2, and D1 so that the cargo 1 is transferred from the dolly D3 to the destination dolly D1. The controller 175 controls each drive device 160 so that the cargo 2 is transferred in the transfer direction T4 toward the dolly D1.

When the sensor of the dolly D1 detects that the cargo 1 has arrived at the dolly D1, the controller 175 stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D1 and turns on the lock 108 of the dolly D1. This fixes the cargo 1 on the dolly D1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11(B), the controller 175 turns ON the lock 108 of the dolly D5 on which the next cargo 3 is to be placed, and then executes rotation R5 to pull in the next cargo 3 from the loader 200.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11(C), the controller 175 executes rotation R6. The controller 175 also controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the cargo 3 is transferred in the transfer direction T to be transferred to the dolly D5. When the controller 175 detects that the cargo 3 has arrived at the dolly D5 using the sensor of the dolly D5, it turns on the lock 107 of the dolly D5, and the cargo 3 is fixed on the dolly D5.

Then, as shown in Figures 11(D) and 11(E), the next cargo 4 is transferred from the loader 200 to the dolly D2 via the dolly D3 using the same procedure as above.

As shown in FIG. 11(F), the next cargo 5 is transferred from the loader 200 to the dolly D4 via the dolly D3. As shown in FIG. 11(G), the next cargo 6 is transferred from the loader 200 to the dolly D3.

In this manner, the six cargo items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 unloaded from the aircraft are transferred to the dolly system 100. The dolly system 100 is towed by the towing tractor 150 and moves to the unloading area at the airport.

Figures 12 and 13 show an example of the procedure for loading cargo onto an aircraft. The dolly system 100, loaded with cargo items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, travels toward the loader 200. As an example, as shown in Figure 11 (A), the dolly system 100 first stops with the loader 200 positioned to the right of the dolly D1. While the dolly system 100 is traveling, the locks of all dollies are ON.

Here, dollies D1 and D3 are composed of the first dolly 110 and are transfer points. Dollies D2, D4, D5, and D6 are non-transfer points. Cargo 1 is loaded on dolly D1, cargo 2 is loaded on dolly D2, cargo 3 is loaded on dolly D3, cargo 4 is loaded on dolly D4, cargo 5 is loaded on dolly D5, and cargo 6 is loaded on dolly D6. Cargoes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all LD-3 containers with one-side overhang. On the dolly system 100, cargoes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all aligned, with the lower inclined surface S facing the front of the dolly system (the left side of FIG. 11(A)).

When the dolly system 100 is pulled up alongside the loader 200, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 executes the loading/unloading process (mounting process) shown in FIG. 9. The controller 175 executes steps S91 to S94. In step S95, it controls the drive devices 160, 165, and 170.

The controller 175 turns OFF the front lock 107 of dolly D1, which is the first transfer point. Through steps S93 and S94, the controller 175 has already grasped data (cargo type, size, orientation, loading position, etc.) regarding cargoes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 placed on the dolly system 100. The controller 175 turns ON the lock located in a position according to the size of the cargo (same below).

Then, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the controller 175 executes a 90° rotation R11 of the loading surface of the dolly D1, which is the transfer point. Here, the dolly D1 rotates 90° clockwise. As a result, the front side of the dolly D1 faces the right side of the dolly system and is close to the loader 200, and the rear side of the dolly D1 faces the left side of the dolly system and is located on the opposite side of the loader 200. Furthermore, due to the rotation R11, the lower inclined surface S of the cargo 1 faces the loader 200 side.

The direction of rotation R11 may be determined based on the orientation of the cargo 1 on the dolly D1 and the loading position of the cargo 1 on the aircraft (the same applies to the following rotations). When determining the direction of rotation, the type of cargo 1 may be taken into consideration. Depending on the type of cargo 1, the direction of rotation may be determined without taking into consideration the orientation of the cargo 1.

After the dolly D1 rotates, the controller 175 turns off the front lock 107 of the dolly D1. This results in a state in which, of the locks 107, 108 of the dolly D1, the lock 107 closer to the loader 200 is OFF, and the lock 108 farther from the loader 200 is ON. With the lock 108 on the loader 200 side OFF, cargo 1 can be transferred from the dolly D1 to the loader 200.

The controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer direction by the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D1 is the T11 direction. When the controller 275 of the loader 200 detects that cargo 1 has been transferred to the loader 200, it controls the drive of the transport drive device 260 to draw the cargo into the loader 200 and transport it to the cargo hold. In this way, the transfer drive device 160 and the transport drive device 260 operate simultaneously in coordination, making it possible to smoothly transfer from the dolly D1 to the loader 200.

As shown in FIG. 12(C), when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 1 has been completely transferred to the loader 200 and is no longer on the dolly D1, it starts transferring the cargo 2 onto the dolly D2. The controller 175 executes rotation R12 so that the dolly D1 can receive the cargo 2 from the dolly D2. Rotation R12 is a 90° clockwise rotation. This causes the transfer direction of the dolly D1 to face the adjacent dolly D2. Note that in this state, of the locks 107 and 108 of the dolly D1, the lock 107 closer to the dolly D2 is OFF.

After rotation R12, the controller 175 drives and controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D2 to move the cargo 2 in the transfer direction T12. This causes the cargo 2 to be transferred to the dolly D1. At this time, when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 2 has entered the dolly D1, it also drives the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D1 to reliably draw the cargo 2 into the dolly D1. When the controller 175 detects through a sensor on the dolly D2 that the cargo 2 has disappeared from on the dolly D2, it stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D2.

As shown in FIG. 12(D), when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 2 has arrived at the dolly D1 through the dolly D1 sensor, it stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D1, turns ON the lock 107 of the dolly D1, fixes the cargo 2, and executes a counterclockwise 90° rotation R13. Then, the controller 175 turns OFF the lock 107 of the dolly D1. This allows the cargo 2 to move between the dolly D1 and the loader 200. In addition, the lower inclined surface S of the cargo 2 faces toward the left side of the dolly system, in the opposite direction to the cargo 1.

Then, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer direction of the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D1 is in the direction T13, and the cargo 2 is transferred to the loader 200 in the same manner as the cargo 1.

As shown in FIG. 12(E), the controller 275 of the loader 200 controls the transport drive device 260 and other devices so that the two cargo items 1 and 2, which are oriented in opposite directions to match the loading positions, are transported into the cargo hold of the aircraft.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12(E), the dolly system 100 is advanced by the towing tractor 150 to position the loader 200 to the right of the dolly D3, which is the second transfer point.

As shown in FIG. 12(F), the controller 175 turns off the front lock 107 of the dolly D3. Then, the controller 175 executes a 90° clockwise rotation R14 of the dolly D3.

After the dolly D3 rotates, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer direction by the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 is the direction T15. As a result, the cargo 3 is transferred to the loader 200. At that time, the transport drive device 260 of the loader 200 can also operate in the same way as in the case of cargoes 1 and 2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12(G), the controller 175 starts the transfer of the cargo 4. When the cargo 3 is transferred to the loader 200, the controller 175 executes a 90° clockwise rotation R15 of the dolly D3.

After rotation R15, the controller 175 drives and controls the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D4 to move the cargo 4 in the transfer direction T16. As a result, the cargo 2 is transferred from the dolly D4 to the dolly D3. At this time, when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 4 has entered the dolly D3, it also drives the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3 to reliably draw the cargo 4 into the dolly D3. When the controller 175 detects through the sensor of the dolly D4 that the cargo 4 has disappeared from on the dolly D4, it stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D4.

As shown in FIG. 13(A), when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 2 has arrived at the dolly D3 through the dolly D3 sensor, it stops the transfer drive device 160 of the dolly D3, turns on the lock 107 of the dolly D3, fixes the cargo 4, and then executes a counterclockwise 90° rotation R16. Then, the controller 175 turns off the lock 107 of the dolly D3. This allows the cargo 4 to be moved between the dolly D3 and the loader 200.

Then, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive device 160 so that the transfer direction is the direction T17. Through these processes, the cargo 4 is transferred to the loader 200 in the same way as other cargo.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the controller 275 of the loader 200 controls the transport drive device 260 and other devices so that the two cargo items 3 and 4, which are oriented in opposite directions to match the loading position, are transported into the cargo hold of the aircraft.

When cargo 4 is transferred to the loader 200, the controller 175 starts the transfer of cargo 5. First, the controller 175 executes a 90° clockwise rotation R17. The controller 175 also turns off the locks from dolly D3 to dolly D5, except for the lock 108 of dolly D3 and the lock 108 of dolly D5, which are located at both ends of the front-rear direction of dolly D3 to dolly D6. This allows the movement of cargo 5 from dolly D5 to dolly D3.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the controller 175 controls the transfer drive devices 160 of the dollies D5, D4, and D3 so that the cargo 5 is transferred from the dolly D5 to the dolly D3. The transfer direction at this time is the direction T18.

As shown in FIG. 13(C), when the controller 175 detects that the cargo 5 has arrived at the dolly D3, it executes a 90° clockwise rotation R18. Then, the controller 175 transfers the cargo 5 to the loader 200.

As shown in Figures 13(D) and 13(E), cargo 6 is also transferred in the same manner as cargo 5. That is, as shown in Figure 13(D), cargo 6 is transferred from dolly D6 to dolly D3. As shown in Figure 13(E), cargo 6 transferred to dolly D3 is rotated on dolly D3 and transferred to loader 200.

As shown in FIG. 13(F), the controller 275 of the loader 200 controls the transport drive device 260 and other devices so that the two cargo items 5 and 6, which are oriented in opposite directions to match the loading position, are transported into the cargo hold of the aircraft.

In this manner, the six cargo items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 on the dolly system 100 are loaded onto the aircraft. The dolly system 100 is towed by the towing tractor 150 and detached from the aircraft.

In the loading and unloading examples shown in Figs. 10 to 13, the cargo is not rotated on the loader 200, but the cargo may be rotated on the loader 200 to properly orient the cargo. In this case, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 may transmit data used to control the rotation of the cargo on the loader 200 to the controller 275 of the loader 200 during the loading process. During loading, the controller 275 of the loader 200 may obtain data used to control the rotation of the cargo by a sensor or the like provided on the loader 200. During unloading, the controller 175 of the dolly system 100 may receive data used to control the rotation by the rotation drive device 170 from the controller 175 of the loader 200. During unloading, the controller 275 of the loader 275 may obtain data used to control the rotation of the cargo by a sensor or the like provided on the loader 200.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

1: Cargo 2: Cargo 3: Cargo 3A: Cargo 3B: Cargo 3C: Cargo 3D: Cargo 3F: Code 4: Cargo 5: Cargo 6: Cargo 10: Cargo loading/unloading system 100: Dolly system 101: Vehicle body base 102A: Front wheels 102B: Rear wheels 103A: Front coupling section 103B: Rear coupling section 104: Rotation mechanism 105: Placement section 105A: Placement surface 106: Roller 107: Front lock 107A: Front first lock 107B: Front second lock 108: Rear lock 108A: Rear first lock 108B: Rear second lock 108B: Sensor 110: First dolly 120: Second dolly 150: Towing tractor 160 : Transfer driving device 165 : Lock driving device 170 : Rotation driving device 175 : Controller 180 : Sensor 181A : First sensor 181B : First sensor 182 : Second sensor 183 : Third sensor 184 : Sensor 184A : Front first sensor 184B : Front second sensor 185 : Rear sensor 185A : Rear first sensor 185B : Rear second sensor 186 : Deceleration sensor 187A : Orientation sensor 187B : Orientation sensor 200 : Cargo loader 202 : Wheel 203 : Wheel 206 : Roller 220 : Front of vehicle 230 : Rear of vehicle 260 : Conveyor driving device 270 : Rotation driving device 275 : Loader controller 280 : Sensor 281 : First sensor 282 : Second sensor 283 : Third sensor 285A : Sensor 285B : Sensor 285C : Sensor 286A : Visual sensor 286B : Visual sensor 300 : Aircraft 301 : Airframe 301D : Transported item 302A : Forward cargo entrance 302B : Rear cargo entrance 303 : Wing 310 : Forward cargo bay 320 : Rear cargo bay 400 : Server 401 : Onboard data 401B : Onboard position data 401C : ULD-ID
401D: Transport item data 401E: Dolly ID
401F: Loading order data 500: Terminal A: Surface BP: Liftable platform C: Rotation axis D1: Dolly D2: Dolly D3: Dolly D4: Dolly D5: Dolly D6: Dolly EP: Work platform MP: Liftable deck P1: Worker P2: Worker S: Lower inclined surface

Claims (8)

A means for detecting an orientation of the cargo on a cargo loader used for loading and unloading cargo on an aircraft;
A controller;
Equipped with
The controller:
When the cargo is unloaded, the orientation detected on the cargo loader is transmitted to a dolly having a rotation drive device that rotates the cargo so that all of the cargo transferred from the cargo loader faces the same direction; or, When the cargo is unloaded, the rotation drive device provided on the cargo loader is controlled based on the orientation detected on the cargo loader to rotate the cargo so that all of the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to the dolly faces the same direction; or
a cargo loader which, when loading the cargo transferred from a dolly to the cargo loader, detects on the cargo loader an orientation of the cargo, which is a one-sided overhang container having a lower inclined surface on only one of both longitudinal sides , and reads an ID for identifying the cargo from the cargo, determines the loading position of the cargo by referring to loading data in which the loading position of the cargo in the cargo hold of the aircraft is associated with the ID based on the ID, and controls a rotation drive device provided in the cargo loader based on the detected orientation and loading position , to rotate the cargo transferred from the dolly to the cargo loader so that the lower inclined surface of the cargo is oriented to follow the curved shape of the cargo hold of the aircraft on the left and right when the cargo is loaded at the loading position in the cargo hold. The cargo loader according to claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the cargo is detected by image recognition of an image captured of the cargo on the cargo loader. The cargo loader according to claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the cargo is detected by reading an IC tag or a code provided on the cargo on the cargo loader. When unloading cargo from an aircraft, a rotation drive device provided on a dolly to which the cargo is transferred from the cargo loader is controlled based on the orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader used for loading and unloading the cargo, and the cargo is rotated so that all the cargo on the dolly faces the same direction, or
When the cargo is unloaded, a rotation drive device provided on the cargo loader is controlled based on the orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader to rotate the cargo so that all the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to a dolly faces the same orientation, or
a controller for detecting, on the cargo loader, an orientation of the cargo, which is a one-sided overhang container having a lower inclined surface on only one of both longitudinal sides , when the cargo transferred from a dolly to the cargo loader is loaded, reading an ID for identifying the cargo from the cargo, determining the loading position of the cargo in the cargo hold of the aircraft by referring to loading data in which the loading position of the cargo is associated with the ID based on the ID, and controlling a rotation drive device provided in the cargo loader based on the detected orientation and loading position of the cargo, to rotate the cargo transferred from the dolly to the cargo loader so that the lower inclined surface of the cargo is oriented to follow the curved shape of the left and right sides of the cargo hold of the aircraft when the cargo is loaded at the loading position in the cargo hold. When unloading cargo from an aircraft, a rotation drive device provided on a dolly to which the cargo is transferred from the cargo loader is controlled based on the orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader used for loading and unloading the cargo from the aircraft, and the cargo is rotated so that all the cargo on the dolly faces the same direction, or
When the cargo is unloaded, a rotation drive device provided on the cargo loader is controlled based on the orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader to rotate the cargo so that all the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to a dolly faces the same orientation, or
A method of operating a controller, when loading the cargo transferred from a dolly to the cargo loader, detecting on the cargo loader an orientation of the cargo, which is a one-sided overhang container having a lower inclined surface on only one of both longitudinal sides , reading an ID for identifying the cargo from the cargo, determining the loading position of the cargo in the cargo hold of the aircraft by referring to loading data in which the loading position of the cargo is associated with the ID based on the ID, and controlling a rotation drive device provided in the cargo loader based on the detected orientation and loading position of the cargo, to rotate the cargo transferred from the dolly to the cargo loader so that the lower inclined surface of the cargo is oriented to follow the curved shape of the left and right sides of the cargo hold of the aircraft when it is loaded at the loading position in the cargo hold. detecting an orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader by a means for detecting an orientation of the cargo on the aircraft;
The controller
When the cargo is unloaded, a rotation drive device provided on a dolly to which the cargo is transferred from the cargo loader is controlled based on the detected orientation to rotate the cargo so that all the cargo on the dolly faces the same orientation, or
When the cargo is unloaded, a rotation drive device provided on the cargo loader is controlled based on the detected orientation to rotate the cargo so that all the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to a dolly faces the same orientation, or
the method including the steps of: when loading the cargo transferred from a dolly to the cargo loader, detecting on the cargo loader an orientation of the cargo, which is a one-sided overhang container having a lower inclined surface on only one of both longitudinal sides, reading an ID for identifying the cargo from the cargo, determining the loading position of the cargo by referring to loading data in which the loading position of the cargo in the cargo hold of the aircraft is associated with the ID based on the ID, and controlling a rotation drive device provided on the cargo loader based on the detected orientation and loading position , to rotate the cargo transferred from the dolly to the cargo loader so that the lower inclined surface of the cargo is oriented to follow the curved shape of the left and right sides of the cargo hold of the aircraft when the cargo is loaded at the loading position in the cargo hold. Identifying the size of the cargo by a means for identifying the size of the cargo;
The controller controls a lock drive device that operates a lock to fix the cargo at a position corresponding to the size of the cargo on a dolly to which the cargo is transferred from the cargo loader, based on the identified size of the cargo.
The method according to claim 6. A cooperative control method for a first controller provided in a cargo loader and a second controller provided in a dolly and capable of communicating with the first controller, comprising:
the first controller identifies an orientation of the cargo on the cargo loader;
The second controller controls a rotation drive device provided on the dolly based on the orientation of the cargo identified by the first controller to rotate the cargo transferred from the cargo loader to the dolly on the dolly so that all of the cargo on the dolly faces the same orientation.
Cooperative control methods.

Images