JP7709307B2 - Vehicle transport vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle transporter, and in particular to a vehicle transporter that includes a tilt frame supported at the rear of a vehicle body so that it can be tilted and moved back and forth, a lift device that forcibly tilts the tilt frame, a body that has a vehicle mounting section on which other vehicles can be placed and can slide in the fore-and-aft direction on the tilt frame, a fore-and-aft drive device that forcibly slides the body on the tilt frame, and a control device that can control the fore-and-aft drive device and the lift device.

The above-mentioned vehicle transporter is known in the art, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In this known vehicle, the tilt angle of the tilt frame is detected by a tilt angle sensor, and when the detected angle reaches a predetermined angle, the operation of the front/rear drive device and the lift device is switched.

Patent No. 3648075

However, the vehicle transporter in Patent Document 1 uses a limit switch (i.e., a proximity sensor consisting of a dog and a sensor body that detects the approach of the dog) installed between the tilt frame and the swing arm (hoist arm) as the tilt angle sensor. This means that the dog and sensor body must be attached separately to the hoist arm and tilt frame, making the installation process complicated and requiring fine adjustments to the relative positions of the dog and sensor body.

In order to solve the above problem, instead of the limit switch, it is possible to install a tilt angle sensor on the tilt frame that has a detection axis and is capable of detecting the tilt angle of the tilt frame by itself based on a comparison of the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction with the acceleration of gravity. However , in this case, there is another disadvantage in that since the change in the tilt angle of the tilt frame is relatively small, angle detection by comparing the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction with the acceleration of gravity cannot be performed with high accuracy.

The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a vehicle transporter that does not have the above-mentioned inconveniences even when using an inclination angle sensor that has a detection axis and utilizes a comparison between acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and gravitational acceleration, and that can solve all the problems of the conventional structure at once.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle transporter including a tilt frame supported on the rear of a vehicle body so as to be tiltable and movable forward and backward, a lift device for forcibly tilting the tilt frame, a body having a vehicle mounting section on which another vehicle can be placed and capable of sliding in the forward and backward directions on the tilt frame, a forward and backward drive device for forcibly sliding the body on the tilt frame, and a control device capable of controlling the forward and backward drive device and the lift device, wherein the lift device includes a lift cylinder having one end pivotally connected to the vehicle body so as to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body, and an intermediate portion pivotally connected to the other end of the lift cylinder so as to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body. Both devices have a hoist arm, one end of which is pivotally connected to the vehicle body and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the tilt frame so that the angle of the hoist arm changes more than the angle of the tilt frame when the lift device is operated.The hoist arm is provided with a tilt angle sensor having a detection axis and detecting the tilt angle of the hoist arm based on a comparison of the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction with the acceleration of gravity.When the control device detects that the tilt angle of the tilt frame is a predetermined angle from the detection angle of the tilt angle sensor, the control device switches the operation of the front/rear drive device and the lift device.

In addition to the first feature , the present invention has a second feature that the hoist arm has a pair of side plates that sandwich the lift cylinder from the left and right, and a top plate that covers the space sandwiched between the side plates from above when the hoist arm is in a traveling position, and the inclination angle sensor is installed on the inner surface of the hoist arm facing the space.

According to a first feature, in a vehicle transporter, a lift device for tilting a tilt frame has a hoist arm that changes its angle larger than the angle change of the tilt frame when the lift device is operated, and a tilt angle sensor having a detection axis and detecting the tilt angle of the hoist arm based on a comparison between acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and gravitational acceleration is provided on the hoist arm , and when the control device detects that the tilt angle of the tilt frame is a predetermined angle from the detection angle of the tilt angle sensor, it switches the operation of the front-rear drive device and the lift device. As a result, when the tilt frame is tilted by the lift device, the tilt angle sensor can detect the tilt angle of the hoist arm that changes its angle larger than the angle change of the tilt frame based on a comparison between acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and gravitational acceleration, and therefore it can be accurately detected from the detection angle that the tilt angle of the tilt frame is the predetermined angle at which the operation switching should be performed. Moreover, since the tilt angle sensor alone needs to be attached to the hoist arm , the installation work is significantly simplified compared to the conventional structure using a proximity sensor having two parts, a dog and a sensor body, and fine adjustment work between the two parts is also unnecessary. As a result, while taking advantage of the advantages of a tilt angle sensor that has a detection axis and detects the tilt angle by comparing the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction with the acceleration of gravity, it is possible to overcome its disadvantages and detect the tilt angle of the tilt frame with sufficient accuracy.

According to the second feature, the hoist arm is equipped with a pair of side plates that sandwich the lift cylinder from the left and right, and a top plate that covers the space between the side plates from above when the hoist arm is in the traveling position. The inclination angle sensor is installed on the inner surface of the hoist arm facing the space, so the top plate and both side plates that provide strength for the hoist arm can also be used as rain covers for the inclination angle sensor. Therefore, a dedicated rain cover to cover the inclination angle sensor is not required, which contributes to cost reduction.

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a vehicle transporter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembly of a tilt frame and a subframe equipped with a front-rear drive device and a lift device; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the subframe; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tilt frame; FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tilt frame; 6-6 line enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 7-7 line enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the portion indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9 is a view taken along the arrow 9 in FIG. 5A is a view taken along the line 10A in FIG. 5, (B) is a view taken along the line 10B in FIG. 5, and (C) is a view taken along the line 10C in FIG. 5. 1A is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pivotal connection portion of a lift device to a subframe, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which the lift angle is 0, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the lift angle is at a maximum angle. A cross-sectional view of a main part of the hoist arm (a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11(A)) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the unloading process of a vehicle transporter; 13(A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the arrow 14A in FIG. 13(e), and FIG. 13(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the arrow 14B in FIG. 13(f). Control block diagram of a vehicle loading device mounted on a vehicle transporter Flowchart of vehicle transporter unloading process (first control example) Flowchart of the loading process of the vehicle transporter (first control example) Flowchart of the vehicle transporter unloading process (second control example) Flowchart of the loading process of the vehicle transporter (second control example)

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

First, referring to Figures 1 to 15, an example structure of an embodiment will be described. The body F of the vehicle transporter V comprises a chassis frame Fm that forms the skeleton of the vehicle, extends in the fore-and-aft direction, and has front and rear wheels suspended at its front and rear portions, and a subframe Fs that is fixed (for example, by welding, bolting, etc.) to the chassis frame Fm and extends in the fore-and-aft direction. The chassis frame Fm and the subframe Fs each have a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend in the fore-and-aft direction, and a number of horizontal frames that connect the vertical frames at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction, and are formed in a roughly ladder-like shape.

A pair of left and right roller support brackets 11 protrude from the rearmost horizontal frame of the subframe Fs, and as can be seen in FIG. 7, a pair of left and right rollers 12 are rotatably supported on the roller support brackets 11 to support the undersides of a pair of left and right vertical frames 21 of the tilt frame T (described later) so that they can slide back and forth.

A vehicle loading device A for loading and unloading other vehicles transported by a vehicle transporter V is mounted on the vehicle body F. This vehicle loading device A includes a tilt frame T supported at the rear of the vehicle body F so as to be tiltable and movable forward and backward, a lift device L for forcibly tilting the tilt frame T, a body B having a vehicle mounting section on which another vehicle V' can be placed and capable of sliding in the forward and backward directions on the tilt frame T, a chain transmission type forward and backward drive device D having a chain 26 fixed to the body B for forcibly sliding the body B on the tilt frame T, a sensor device S for detecting the sliding position of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, and a control device C capable of controlling the forward and backward drive device D and the lift device L based on the detection result of the sensor device S.

Next, specific examples of vehicle loading device A will be described in order, mainly with reference to Figures 2 to 14.

First, as can be seen in Figure 4, the tilt frame T is formed in a ladder shape with a pair of vertical frames 21 spaced apart from one another on the left and right, and multiple horizontal frames 22 that connect the vertical frames 21 at intervals from front to back. Each vertical frame 21 is made of a channel material with a U-shaped cross section with an opening facing outward, and rollers 33 (see Figures 6 and 10), which will be described later and are used to smoothly slide the front of the body B back and forth on the tilt frame T, are rollably received within the vertical frames 21.

The ends of the rearmost horizontal frame 22 extend further outward than the vertical frame 21, and a pair of roller support brackets 28 protrude from the extending portions. Guide rollers 29 (see Figures 4 and 7), which will be described later and are used to smoothly slide the body B back and forth on the tilt frame T, are supported rotatably on the roller support brackets 28.

Furthermore, a ground bracket 51 is provided at the middle of the rearmost horizontal frame 22, protruding downward on the inside side of the guide roller 29. A ground roller 52 is rotatably supported on this ground bracket 51 to smoothly move the lower rear end of the tilt frame T back and forth relative to the ground when the tilt angle of the tilt frame T is at its maximum and the body B is lowered to the ground (see Figures 13 and 14 (B)).

The front end of the tilt frame T supports a rotating drive shaft 23f for driving the chain 26 of the front-rear drive device D so that it can rotate freely, and the motor M that drives the rotating drive shaft 23f is fixed on the same axis as the rotating drive shaft 23f.

The front-rear drive device D includes a pair of left and right front sprockets 24 fixed at a distance from each other at the middle of the rotary drive shaft 23f, a pair of left and right rear sprockets 25 rotatably supported on the rear end of the tilt frame T via rotary driven shafts 23r (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the left and right front sprockets 24, a chain 26 wound between the front and rear sprockets 24, 25, and a connecting device J that connects the upper side of each chain 26 to the body B.

When the motor M rotates, the body B synchronizes with the movement of the upper side of the chain 26 linked to the motor M via the coupling device J, and as a result, the body B can be moved forward and backward in response to the rotation of the motor M. In this case, the amount of rotation (i.e., the number of rotations, the rotation angle) of the rotary drive shaft 23f is proportional to the amount of sliding of the body B in the forward and backward directions relative to the tilt frame T. Therefore, if the amount of rotation of the rotary drive shaft 23f as the rotary shaft is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS described later, it is possible to detect the sliding distance of the body B from the forward limit relative to the tilt frame T.

The rotary drive shaft 23f is rotatably supported by a bearing bracket 21b fixed to the front end of each vertical frame 21 of the tilt frame T. As is clear from FIG. 8, the bracket base of each bearing bracket 21b is connected (e.g., bolted) to a front end wall plate 21a fixed (e.g., welded) to the front end of each vertical frame 21. In addition, rear end wall plates 21c that connect the left and right vertical frames 21 to each other are fixed (e.g., welded) to the rear ends of the frames.

Thus, the front end wall plate 21a releasably engages with the roller 33 and functions as a front stopper that determines the forward limit of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, and the rear end wall plate 21c releasably engages with the roller 33 and functions as a rear stopper that determines the backward limit of the body B relative to the tilt frame T.

A sensor gear 71 having multiple dog teeth at a constant circumferential pitch is fixed concentrically to the right end of the rotary drive shaft 23f. As can be seen in FIG. 8, a proximity sensor body 70 capable of detecting the approach of the dog teeth of the sensor gear 71 is fixed to the end wall plate 21a of the right vertical frame 21 in particular. This proximity sensor body 70 outputs a detection signal that alternates between on and off each time the dog teeth approach to the control device C. The control device C counts, for example, on detection signals and calculates the amount of rotation of the rotary drive shaft 23f, and therefore the sliding distance of the body B from the forward limit relative to the tilt frame T, based on the number of counts and the distance between the dog teeth (pitch interval).

In the embodiment, the sensor gear 71 has different tooth widths of the dog teeth and circumferential spacing of the tooth grooves, but the tooth shape of the dog teeth (tooth width and tooth grooves) is set taking into account the sensitivity of the proximity sensor body 70 so that the duty ratio when the proximity sensor body 70 detects the approach of the dog teeth and outputs an ON signal is 50 (i.e., the ON/OFF interval is the same).

The control device C calculates the distance traveled by the body B from the forward limit based on the amount of rotation detected by the rotation amount sensor RS, and when the distance traveled reaches a predetermined distance, switches the operation of the front and rear drive device D and the lift device L in a control manner as described below. The detection result of the tilt angle sensor St is also taken into account in this operation switching, as described below.

Next, an example of the body B will be described. The body B comprises a rectangular, flat body main body 31, the upper surface of which serves as a vehicle placement section for placing another vehicle V' (see FIG. 1), a gate-shaped guard frame 36 erected at the upper front end of the body main body 31, and a gate hinge 37 journaled at the lower end of the body main body 31 so as to be able to rise and fall. Between the body main body 31 and the gate hinge 37, there is provided a clamp mechanism that can arbitrarily rotate the gate hinge 37 between an upright position and a lying-down position and can hold it in the upright position; however, as this is well known, a functional description will be omitted.

A receiving frame 33 is provided on the underside of the main body 31 so that its lower end can slide back and forth on the guide roller 29 and engage with it, projecting downward. A pair of receiving frames 33 are arranged on the left and right at positions corresponding to the guide rollers 29, and extend linearly in the front-to-rear direction.

As can be seen in Figures 6 and 10, a pair of roller support brackets 32 are provided on the left and right sides of the front underside of the main body 31, protruding downward, and the upper parts of triangular movable support plates 34 are pivotally connected to the roller support brackets 32 so that they can rotate relative to one another. The rollers 33, which are housed in the vertical frame 21 and arranged in parallel from front to rear, are supported rotatably on the lower part of the movable support plate 34, and a contact-type proximity sensor body 36 is provided protruding downward between the pivots of the front and rear rollers 33.

Furthermore, as can be seen in Figures 6 and 8, a pair of left and right connecting brackets 35 for connecting the chains protrude downward from the front underside of the main body 31, laterally centerward of the roller support brackets 32. Then, one end and the other end of the chain 26 are pin-connected to both front and rear ends of a connecting block 38b, which is connected between each pair of connecting brackets 35 via a connecting pin 38p. Thus, in this embodiment, the connecting device J is constituted by the connecting brackets 35, connecting block 38b, and connecting pin 38p.

In addition, a ground roller 39 that becomes the ground contact part when the body B touches the ground in a tilted position with the rear downward is rotatably supported at the rear end of the main body 31, so that the rear end of the body B can move smoothly backward on the ground in this tilted position.

The sensor device S further includes first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, and LSr that are independent of the rotation amount sensor RS and can directly detect the sliding position of the body B.

The forward limit sensor LSf, which serves as the first sensor, can detect the forward limit of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, and is composed of the proximity sensor main body 36 and a front dog df that can slidably engage with the detection portion of the proximity sensor main body 36. That is, at the same time that the body B reaches the forward limit, the detection portion of the proximity sensor main body 36 comes into sliding contact with the front dog df, and the proximity sensor main body 36 detects that the body B has reached the forward limit, and at the same time, a detection signal is output to the control device C.

The intermediate position sensor LSm also functions as a second sensor capable of detecting the dump lift start position at which the tilt frame T is tilted upward while the body B is being slid rearward to be lowered from the tilt frame T to the ground, and is composed of the proximity sensor main body 36 and an intermediate dog dm slidably engageable with the detection portion of the proximity sensor main body 36. That is, at the same time that the body B reaches the dump lift start position, the detection portion of the proximity sensor main body 36 slides against the intermediate dog dm from its front end, and the arrival of the body B at the dump lift start position is detected by the proximity sensor main body 36, and at the same time, a detection signal is output to the control device C.

The intermediate position sensor LSm also functions as a third sensor capable of detecting the dump lowering start position at which the tilt frame T is tilted downward while the body B is being slid forward from the ground to be loaded onto the tilt frame T, and like the second sensor, it is composed of a proximity sensor main body 36 and an intermediate dog dm. However, at the same time that the body B reaches the dump lowering start position, the detection portion of the proximity sensor main body 36 comes into sliding contact with the intermediate dog dm from its rear end, and the arrival of the body B at the dump lowering start position is detected by the proximity sensor main body 36, and at the same time, a detection signal is output to the control device C.

The fourth sensor, the reverse limit sensor LSr, can detect the reverse limit of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, and is composed of a proximity sensor body 36 and a rear dog dr that can slidably engage with the detection portion of the proximity sensor body 36. That is, at the same time that the body B reaches the reverse limit, the detection portion of the proximity sensor body 36 comes into sliding contact with the rear dog dr, and the proximity sensor body 36 detects that the body B has reached the reverse limit, and at the same time, a detection signal is output to the control device C.

The front dog df is bolted to the front end of the tilt frame T (bearing bracket 21b in this embodiment), the middle dog dm to the middle part near the front end of the tilt frame T (bracket 21b' fixed to the underside of the middle part of the vertical frame 21 in this embodiment), and the rear dog dr to the rear end of the tilt frame T (bracket 21b'' fixed to the rear underside of the vertical frame 21 in this embodiment), each of which can be adjusted in position.

The control device C operates the notification means 80 to issue a notification as described below when a detection position that should be detected by any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr is not detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but is detected by any of the sensors LSf, LSm, LSr. Also, the control device C operates the notification means 80 to issue a notification as described below when a detection position that should be detected by any of the sensors LSf, LSm, LSr is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but not by any of the sensors LSf, LSm, LSr.

Furthermore, when the rotation amount sensor RS detects a predetermined limit position where the body B has traveled a predetermined distance beyond a detection position that should be detected by any of the sensors LSf, LSm, LSr, but the detection position is not detected by any of the sensors LSf, LSm, LSr, the control device C completely stops the front and rear drive device D and the lift device L, as described below.

The lift device L comprises a lift cylinder Lc, one end of which is pivotally connected p1 to a cylinder support bracket 14 fixed to the subframe Fs, and a hoist arm 40, the middle of which is pivotally connected p2 to the other end of the lift cylinder Lc. One end of the hoist arm 40 is pivotally connected p3 to a first arm support bracket 15 fixed to the subframe Fs, and the other end of the hoist arm 40 is pivotally connected p4 to a second arm support bracket 27 fixed to the tilt frame T.

The hoist arm 40 functions as a movable part whose angle changes more than the angle change of the tilt frame T when the lift device L is operated. An inclination angle sensor St capable of detecting the inclination angle of the hoist arm 40 as the movable part by a single sensor (i.e., without needing a dog such as a proximity sensor) is fixed to the hoist arm 40. This inclination angle sensor St changes the position of its detection axis with respect to a vertical line (i.e., the direction of gravity) when the hoist arm 40 tilts, and is configured to be able to detect the inclination angle of the hoist arm 40 by comparing the detectable acceleration in the detection axis direction that changes with the position change with the gravitational acceleration.

The hoist arm 40 of this embodiment includes a pair of side plates 41 that sandwich the lift cylinder Lc from the left and right, and a top plate 42 that covers a space 43 sandwiched between the side plates 41 from above when the hoist arm 40 is in the traveling position. An inclination angle sensor St is installed on the inner surface of the hoist arm 40 facing the space 43, and the detection signal of the inclination angle sensor St is output to the control device C.

The hoist arm 40 also has a bottom plate 45 that covers the tilt angle sensor St and the space 43 around it from below and connects the left and right side plates 41 when in the running position (see Figures 11(A) and 12). This bottom plate 45 can prevent objects (e.g., pebbles, water, etc.) splashed up from below from coming into contact with the tilt angle sensor St when the vehicle is running, and also functions as a reinforcing material for the hoist arm 40.

The control device C stores the detection value of the acceleration in the detection axis direction of the tilt angle sensor St when the tilt frame T, and therefore the hoist arm 40, is in the traveling posture (see FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) described later) as a reference value, and further stores the detection value of the acceleration in the detection axis direction of the tilt angle sensor St corresponding to the tilt angle of the hoist arm 40 when the tilt frame T is at a predetermined intermediate angle, for example, 12 degrees (see FIGS. 13(c) to 13(e) described later), and the detection value of the acceleration in the detection axis direction of the tilt angle sensor St corresponding to the tilt angle of the hoist arm 40 when the tilt frame T is at the maximum tilt (see FIG. 13(f) described later). The tilt angle of the hoist arm 40 is calculated by comparing the reference value with the detection value, and it can be detected from the calculated tilt angle that the tilt frame T has reached a predetermined intermediate angle (for example, 12 degrees) or the maximum tilt angle, so that the operation switching of the front-rear drive device D and the lift device L is performed in a control manner described later, taking into account the detection result.

A proximity sensor body 46 for detecting when the hoist arm 40 is at its maximum inclination is fixed to the first arm support bracket 15 on the subframe Fs, and this proximity sensor body 46 detects when the hoist arm 40 is at its maximum inclination by engaging with a dog 42d fixed to the top plate 42 of the hoist arm 40, and outputs the detection signal to the control device C. Thus, the proximity sensor body 46 and the dog 42d constitute the maximum inclination detection sensor LSt.

A control panel (not shown) containing a control device C including a microcomputer capable of controlling the operation of the front and rear drive device D and the lift device L is installed in the driver's cab of the vehicle transporter V. This control panel is provided with, for example, a main switch SWm for turning the power on and off, a stop switch SWe for temporarily stopping the front and rear drive device D and the lift device L, a lowering switch SWo for commanding the lowering process for lowering the body B from the tilt frame T to the ground, and a loading switch SWo for commanding the loading process for loading the body B from the ground onto the tilt frame T, so that they can be operated as desired. As is clear from FIG. 15, these switches SWm, SWe, SWo, and SWo are each connected to the control device C.

The control device C is connected to the various sensors RS, LSf, LSm, LSr, and St described above, and receives the detection signals from each of them. The control device C is also connected to the motor M described above, an electromagnetic control valve VL for switching the extension/retraction operation provided in an on-board hydraulic control circuit (not shown) that operates the lift cylinder Lc to extend or retract, and a warning lamp 80 (see FIG. 15) that serves as a warning means for warning of malfunctions of the sensors.

Sensors may malfunction in the following ways. For example, in the rotation amount sensor RS, some of the dog teeth of the sensor gear 71 may be chipped, or the proximity sensor main body 70 may fail to detect some of the dog teeth (i.e., teeth skipping) due to vibration or shock of the tilt frame T. In addition to a malfunction of the proximity sensor main body 70 itself, a situation in which the attachment position of the proximity sensor main body 70 becomes misaligned and the dog teeth become unable to be detected or remain detected is also conceivable.

On the other hand, possible malfunctions of the forward limit sensor LSf, the intermediate position sensor LSm and the backward limit sensor LSr include, for example, a malfunction of the proximity sensor body 36 itself, or a misalignment of the mounting position of the proximity sensor body 36 or deformation or misalignment of the dogs df, dm and dr, which causes the proximity sensor body 36 to be unable to detect the dogs df, dm and dr or to detect them in a position different from the normal position.

In addition, as the notification means, a notification sound generator such as a notification buzzer or speaker may be used instead of or in addition to the notification lamp 80. The notification means may be provided in the control panel or outside the control panel.

Furthermore, the control panel may be provided in addition to the cab, or in a suitable location on the vehicle exterior panel outside the cab, or on the body B. At least the switches and notification means (notification lamp 80) of the control panel may be provided on a wired or wireless remote control.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

In the vehicle loading device A of the vehicle transporter V, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 13(a) in the traveling posture, a tilt frame T in a lying state is mounted on the subframe Fs, and further, a body B in a lying state at the forward limit is mounted on the tilt frame T. Then, another vehicle V' loaded on the body B can be transported by the vehicle transporter V.

The process of lowering body B (and therefore the other vehicle V' above it) from this traveling position to the ground is shown in chronological order in Figure 13.

To briefly explain the outline of this process, first, the forward rotation of the front-rear drive device D causes the body B to slide rearward from the forward limit relative to the tilt frame T. When this sliding causes the movement distance of the body B from the forward limit to reach a predetermined distance as shown in Fig. 13(b), this is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS, and based on the detection result, the control device C stops the front-rear drive device D and causes the lift device L to tilt the tilt frame T upward together with the body B.

The reason for tilting the tilt frame T upward after moving the body B backward a predetermined distance is to shift the center of gravity of the body B rearward, thereby reducing the load on the lift device L when tilting the tilt frame T upward around the guide rollers 12.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13(c), when the tilt angle sensor St detects that the tilt angle of the tilt frame T has reached a predetermined intermediate angle, the control device C stops the lift device L based on the detection result and resumes the forward rotation of the front-rear drive device D, causing the body B to slide backward again.

As the body B slides rearward, the rear end of the body B (more specifically, the ground contact roller 39) touches the ground as shown in FIG. 13(d), and the body B is then supported by both the ground and the tilt frame T, and slides further rearward in this supported state.

Then, when the body B reaches the rearward limit relative to the tilt frame T as shown in Fig. 13(e), this is detected by the rearward limit sensor LSr, and based on the detection result, the control device C stops the front-rear drive device D and tilts the tilt frame T upward again by the lift device L. After that, when the tilt angle sensor St detects that the tilt frame T has reached the maximum tilt angle as shown in Fig. 13(f), the control device C stops the lift device L based on the detection result. At this time, the ground contact roller 52 at the rear end of the tilt frame T is placed in a ground contact state as is clear from Fig. 14(B).

It is possible to load or unload the other vehicle V' onto or from the body B at any stage in Figures 13(d) to (f) above. When loading or unloading, the gate hinge 37 at the rear end of the body B is opened, and in this case the gate hinge 37 functions as a gangway to allow the other vehicle V' to enter smoothly. In contrast, when performing the steps in Figures 13(d) to (f) without loading or unloading the other vehicle V', the gate hinge 37 is held in the closed position because if it is left open, it may rub against the ground and be damaged.

In particular, in the state shown in FIG. 13(f), the body B, which is at its rearmost position relative to the tilt frame T, is in a substantially horizontal grounded state, so that another vehicle V' can smoothly enter the body B.

The loading process from the state shown in FIG. 13(f) to the state shown in FIG. 13(a) can be carried out by reversing the steps of the unloading process described above.

The specific control modes of the unloading process and loading process outlined above are explained in the flowcharts of Figures 16 to 19. Here, the flowcharts of Figures 16 and 17 correspond to a first control example in which proximity sensors (i.e., forward limit sensor LSf, intermediate position sensor LSm, and backward limit sensor LSr) are used in addition to the rotation amount sensor RS to detect the forward/backward sliding position of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, while the flowcharts of Figures 18 and 19 correspond to a second control example in which only the rotation amount sensor RS is used to detect the forward/backward sliding position of the body B relative to the tilt frame T, without using proximity sensors (i.e., forward limit sensor LSf, intermediate position sensor LSm, and backward limit sensor LSr).

The amount of rotation detected by the rotation amount sensor RS can be converted into the distance traveled by the body B from its forward limit, and in the following explanation of the control mode, this distance is simply referred to as the "detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS," and the unit of the figure is millimeters.

In the case of an embodiment specialized in the second control example, the proximity sensors (that is, the forward limit sensor LSf, the intermediate position sensor LSm, and the reverse limit sensor LSr) are omitted from the control block diagram shown in FIG.
[Unloading process according to the first control example]
When the main switch SWm on the control panel is pressed and then the lowering switch SWo is pressed, in step S1 the motor M of the front and rear drive device D starts rotating in the forward direction, sliding the body B backward. Next, in step S2 it is determined whether the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is 1100 or more, and if the result is YES, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether the intermediate position sensor LSm (second sensor) is ON.

If the answer is yes in step S3, proceed to step S4 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 1300. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S5 to cancel the alarm operation, and then proceed to step S6 to stop the motor M and extend the lift cylinder Lc. Next, proceed to step S7 to determine whether the detected angle of the tilt angle sensor St has reached a predetermined intermediate angle (for example, the tilt angle of the body B is 12 degrees). If the answer is yes, proceed to step S8 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and rotate the motor M forward again to slide the body B backward again. Next, proceed to step S9 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is 4200 or more. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S10 to determine whether the backward limit sensor LSr (fourth sensor) is on.

If the answer is yes in step S10, proceed to step S11 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 4400. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S12 to cancel the alarm operation, and then proceed to step S13 to stop the motor M and extend the lift cylinder Lc again. Next, proceed to step S14 to determine whether the detected angle of the tilt angle sensor St has reached the maximum tilt angle. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S15 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and end the process.

However, if the answer is no in step S4, the process proceeds to step S21, where the notification means 80 is activated and the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is corrected to the normal distance of 1,300, and then the process returns to step S6.

If the answer is no in step S11, proceed to step S22, activate the alarm means 80, correct the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS to the normal distance of 4,400, and then return to step S13.

If the answer is no in step S14, the process proceeds to step S23 to determine whether the maximum tilt detection proximity sensor LSt is on. If the answer is yes in step S23, the process proceeds to step S15, and if the answer is no, the process returns to step S14.

If the answer is no in step S3, the process proceeds to step S31 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 1300. If the answer is yes, the process proceeds to step S32 to activate the notification means 80 and then proceeds to step S33. In step S33, the process proceeds to step S34 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the limit distance of 1500. If the answer is yes, the process proceeds to step S34 to completely stop the motor M and the lift cylinder Lc. If the answer is no in both steps S31 and S33, the process returns to step S3.

If the answer is no in step S10, the process proceeds to step S36 to determine whether the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 4400. If the answer is yes, the process proceeds to step S32 to activate the notification means 80, and then proceeds to step S37 to activate the notification means 80, and then returns to step S13. If the answer is no in step S36, the process returns to step S10.

In the first control example of the unloading process described above, after step S32, the process proceeds to step S33 where it is determined whether or not a full stop is required, but as another control example (not shown), a control mode in which the process proceeds from step S32 to step S6 without proceeding to step S33 is also possible. In this other control example, even if it is determined in step S3 that the intermediate position sensor LSm is not detected, the notification means 80 is activated in step S32 in response to the rotation amount sensor RS detecting the normal distance 1300 in step S31, and then the process proceeds immediately to step S6, thereby continuing the subsequent processing procedure. Also, steps S2 and/or S9 may be omitted.
[Loading process according to the first control example]
When the loading switch SWi is pressed after the main switch SWm is pressed on the control panel, the lift cylinder Lc starts to contract in step S101, tilting the tilt frame T downward. Next, in step S102, it is determined whether the tilt angle sensor St has reached an intermediate opening angle (for example, the tilt angle of the body B is 12 degrees). If the answer is YES, the process proceeds to step S103, where the lift cylinder Lc is stopped and the motor M of the front-rear drive device D is rotated in the reverse direction to slide the body B forward relative to the tilt frame T.

Next, proceed to step S104 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is 1500 or less. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S105 to determine whether the intermediate position sensor LSm (second sensor) is on. If the answer is yes in step S105, proceed to step S106 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 1300. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S107 to cancel the alarm operation, and then proceed to step S108 to stop the motor M and retract the lift cylinder Lc.

Next, proceed to step S109 to determine whether the angle detected by the tilt angle sensor St has reached a minimum angle (e.g., 0 degrees). If the answer is yes, proceed to step S110 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and reverse the motor M again to slide the body B forward again. After that, proceed to step S111 to determine whether the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has fallen below 200, just before the forward limit. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S112 to determine whether the forward limit sensor LSf (first sensor) is on.

If the answer is yes in step S112, proceed to step S113, stop the lift cylinder Lc, and end the process.

However, if the answer is no in step S106, the process proceeds to step S121, where the notification means 80 is activated and the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is corrected to the normal distance of 1,300, and then the process returns to step S108.

If the answer is no in step S105, the process proceeds to step S131 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS is equal to or less than the normal distance of 1,300. If the answer is yes, the process proceeds to step S132 to activate the alarm means 80, and then proceeds to step S133. In step S133, the process proceeds to step S134 to completely stop the motor M and the lift cylinder Lc. If the answer is no in both steps S131 and S133, the process returns to step S105.

In the above loading process, after step S132, the process proceeds to step S133 where it is determined whether or not a full stop is required. However, as another control example (not shown), it is also possible to proceed from step S132 to step S108 without proceeding to step S133. In this other control example, even if it is determined in step S105 that the intermediate position sensor LSm has not detected anything, the notification means 80 is activated in step S132 in response to the rotation amount sensor RS detecting the normal distance 1300 in step S131, and then the process proceeds immediately to step S108, thereby continuing the subsequent processing procedure. Also, steps S104 and/or S111 may be omitted.
[Unloading process according to the second control example]
When the main switch SWm on the control panel is pressed and then the lowering switch SWo is pressed, the motor M of the front and rear drive unit D starts rotating in the normal direction in step S201 to slide the body B backward. Next, the process proceeds to step S202 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 1300. If the result is YES, the process proceeds to step S203 to stop the motor M and extend the lift cylinder Lc.

Next, proceed to step S204 to determine whether the angle detected by the tilt angle sensor St has reached a predetermined intermediate angle (for example, the tilt angle of the body B is 12 degrees). If the answer is yes, proceed to step S205 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and rotate the motor M forward again to slide the body B backward again. After that, proceed to step S206 to determine whether the distance detected by the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 4400. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S207 to stop the motor M and extend the lift cylinder Lc again.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S208 to determine whether the angle detected by the tilt angle sensor St has reached the maximum tilt angle, and if so, the process proceeds to step S209 to stop the lift cylinder Lc, and the process ends.
[Loading process according to the second control example]
When the loading switch SWi is pressed after the main switch SWm is pressed on the control panel, the lift cylinder Lc starts to contract in step S211, tilting the tilt frame T downward. Next, in step S212, it is determined whether the tilt angle sensor St has reached an intermediate opening angle (for example, the tilt angle of the body B is 12 degrees). If the answer is YES, the process proceeds to step S213, where the lift cylinder Lc is stopped and the motor M of the front-rear drive device D is rotated in the reverse direction to slide the body B forward relative to the tilt frame T.

Then, proceed to step S214 to determine whether the detected distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has reached the normal distance of 1,300. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S215 to stop the motor M and extend the lift cylinder Lc again.

Next, proceed to step S216 to determine whether the angle detected by the tilt angle sensor St has reached a minimum angle (e.g., 0 degrees). If the answer is yes, proceed to step S217 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and reverse the motor M again to slide the body B forward again. After that, proceed to step S218 to determine whether the detection distance of the rotation amount sensor RS has become 0. If the answer is yes, proceed to step S219 to stop the lift cylinder Lc and end the process.

According to the embodiment described above, the front-rear drive device D, which forcibly slides the body B relative to the tilt frame T, has a rotary drive shaft 23f as a rotary shaft for driving the chain 26, and the amount of rotation of the rotary drive shaft 23f is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS. The movement distance of the body B from the forward limit is calculated based on this detected amount of rotation, and the operation of the front-rear drive device D and the lift device is switched when the movement distance reaches a predetermined distance. Therefore, the movement distance of the body B from the forward limit can be precisely detected by the rotation amount sensor RS, and the operation is appropriately switched based on the detection result.

This makes it possible to effectively reduce the risk of missed detection due to vibrations, impacts, etc. that the tilt frame T receives while the body B is sliding (and therefore the risk that the above-mentioned operation switching will not be performed) compared to the conventional structure in which multiple limit switches (proximity switches) are used to pinpoint detect multiple operation switching positions. Therefore, for example, this is effective in suppressing inconveniences such as missed detection during the unloading operation of the body B causing the body B to slide backward to the backward limit without tilting, or missed detection during the loading operation of the body B causing the body B to slide forward to the forward limit while remaining in an inclined state.

In addition to the rotation amount sensor RS, the sensor device S of the embodiment also includes a forward limit sensor LSf as a first sensor that detects the forward limit of the body B, a middle position sensor LSm as a second sensor that detects the dump lift start position while the body B is sliding backward to be lowered, a middle position sensor LSm as a third sensor that detects the dump lower start position while the body B is sliding forward to be loaded from the ground, and a backward limit sensor LSr as a fourth sensor that detects the backward limit of the body B.

If the detection position that should be detected by any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr is not detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but is detected by the sensor LSf, LSm, LSr, as is clear from the first control example (step S21 in FIG. 16, step S121 in FIG. 17), the control device C activates the notification means 80 to notify. As a result, a notification is issued in a situation where the detection results of any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr and the rotation amount sensor RS do not match, particularly in a situation where the detection position is not detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but is detected by any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr, making it easier to find malfunctions in the rotation amount sensor RS.

Also, as is clear from the first control example (step S32 in FIG. 16, step S132 in FIG. 17), when the above-mentioned detection position is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but not by any of the above-mentioned sensors LSf, LSm, LSr, the control device C activates the notification means 80 to notify. As a result, a notification is issued in a situation where the detection results of any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr and the rotation amount sensor RS do not match, particularly in a situation where the above-mentioned detection position is detected by the rotation amount sensor RS but not by any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr, making it easier to find a malfunction in any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, LSr.

In particular, when the above detection position is not detected by any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, and LSr, but the rotation amount sensor RS detects a predetermined limit position where the body B has gone a predetermined distance beyond the detection position, as is clear from the first control example (steps S33 and S34 in FIG. 16, steps S133 and S134 in FIG. 17), it is determined that a malfunction has occurred in either one of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, and LSr or the rotation amount sensor RS, and the front-rear drive device D and the lift device are automatically stopped. As a result, even if, for example, any of the first to fourth sensors LSf, LSm, and LSr misses the detection position and the body B slides excessively, the front-rear sliding movement of the body B and the tilting movement of the tilt frame T can be automatically stopped, further improving work safety.

The lift device L of the embodiment has a hoist arm 40 as a movable part whose angle changes more than the angle change of the tilt frame T when it is operated, and a tilt angle sensor St having a detection axis is installed on the hoist arm 40 to detect the tilt angle of the hoist arm based on a comparison of the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction with the acceleration of gravity, and when the control device C detects that the tilt angle of the tilt frame T is a predetermined angle from the detection angle of the tilt angle sensor St, it switches the operation of the front/rear drive device D and the lift device.

As a result, when the tilt frame T is tilted by the lift device L, the tilt angle sensor St can detect the tilt angle of the hoist arm 40, which changes in angle more than the angle change of the tilt frame T, based on a comparison between the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and the acceleration of gravity, and from the detected angle, it is possible to accurately detect that the tilt angle of the tilt frame T is the predetermined angle at which the above-mentioned operation switching should be performed. Moreover, since the tilt angle sensor St only needs to be attached to the hoist arm 40 by itself, the attachment work is extremely simplified compared to the conventional structure using a proximity sensor having two parts, a dog and a sensor body, and fine adjustment work between the two parts is also unnecessary. As a result, while taking advantage of the advantages of the tilt angle sensor St, which has a detection axis and detects the tilt angle by utilizing a comparison between the acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and the acceleration of gravity, it is possible to overcome its disadvantages and detect the tilt angle of the tilt frame T with sufficient accuracy.

Furthermore, the hoist arm 40 of the embodiment is equipped with a pair of side plates 41 that sandwich the lift cylinder from the left and right, and a top plate 42 that covers the space 43 sandwiched between the side plates 41 from above when the hoist arm 40 is in the traveling position, and since the inclination angle sensor St is installed on the inner surface of the hoist arm 40 facing the space 43, the top plate 42 and both side plates 41, which are used to obtain the strength of the hoist arm 40, can also be used as rain covers for the inclination angle sensor St. This eliminates the need for a dedicated rain cover to cover the inclination angle sensor St, thereby reducing costs.

As is clear from Figures 6 and 7, the vertical frame 21 of the tilt frame T is placed on the guide rollers 29 journalled at the rear of the subframe Fs, and on the horizontal frame at the front of the subframe Fs, so that the tilt frame T is prone to shaking due to vibration and impact, and therefore the tilt angle is also prone to fluctuating. In contrast, the lift cylinder Lc and hoist arm 40 of the lift device L have their base ends pivotally connected p1, p3 to the subframe Fs, so their respective tilt angles are less likely to fluctuate. Therefore, the tilt angle sensor St fixed to the hoist arm 40 can detect the tilt angle more accurately than a tilt angle sensor with a proximity sensor body provided on the tilt frame T.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various embodiments can be implemented within the scope of the present invention .

In addition , in the above embodiment, the lift cylinder Lc is connected to the tilt frame T via the hoist arm 40, but in the present invention, the lift cylinder Lc may be pivotally connected to the tilt frame T without using the hoist arm 40 (i.e., the hoist arm 40 may be omitted).

In the above embodiment, a chain-transmitted drive device is used as the longitudinal drive device D that drives the body B in the longitudinal direction relative to the tilt frame T, but in the present invention, the body may be driven longitudinally by other drive means, for example, a hydraulic cylinder.

B: Body C: Control device D: Front and rear drive device F: Vehicle body L: Lift device Lc: Lift cylinders p1 to p4: Pivot connection St: Tilt angle sensor T: Tilt frame V: Vehicle carrier V': Other vehicle 40: Hoist arm 41 as a movable part: Side plate 42: Top plate 43: Space

Claims (2)

A vehicle transporter including a tilt frame (T) supported on a rear portion of a vehicle body (F) so as to be tiltable and movable forward and backward, a lift device (L) for forcibly tilting the tilt frame (T), a body (B) having a vehicle placement section on which another vehicle (V') can be placed and capable of sliding in the forward and backward directions on the tilt frame (T), a forward and backward drive device (D) for forcibly sliding the body (B) on the tilt frame (T), and a control device (C) capable of controlling the forward and backward drive device (D) and the lift device (L),
The lift device (L) comprises a lift cylinder (Lc) having one end pivotally connected (p1) to the vehicle body (F) so as to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body (F), and a hoist arm (40) having an intermediate portion pivotally connected (p2) to the other end of the lift cylinder (Lc) so as to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body (F) and one end pivotally connected (p3, p4) to the tilt frame (T) so as to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body (F), and a hoist arm (40) whose angle changes more than the angle change of the tilt frame (T) when the lift device (L) is operated,
a tilt angle sensor (St) having a detection axis and detecting a tilt angle of the hoist arm (40) based on a comparison between an acceleration detectable in the detection axis direction and a gravitational acceleration , the tilt angle sensor (St) being provided on the hoist arm (40) ;
The control device (C) detects that the inclination angle of the tilt frame (T) is a predetermined angle from the detection angle of the inclination angle sensor (St), and switches the operation of the front/rear drive device (D) and the lift device (L). The vehicle transporter according to claim 1 , characterized in that the hoist arm (40) comprises a pair of side plates (41) that sandwich the lift cylinder (Lc) from the left and right, and a top plate (42) that covers a space (43) sandwiched between the side plates (41) from above when the hoist arm (40) is in a traveling position, and the inclination angle sensor (St) is installed on the inner surface of the hoist arm (40) facing the space (43).