JP7743801B2 - Vehicle transport device and vehicle transport method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle transport device and a vehicle transport method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle transport device for transporting vehicles. This vehicle transport device has two pairs of arms that abut against each wheel of the vehicle to be transported, and each arm is hydraulically driven to clamp and lift the wheel in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0142488

However, in vehicle transport devices like the one in Patent Document 1, which are configured to lift the vehicle by clamping each wheel of the vehicle to be transported between a pair of arms, little progress has been made in studying the configuration for lifting the vehicle to be transported an appropriate distance. As a result, there is a risk that the wheels will interfere with the ground when transporting the vehicle depending on the road surface's unevenness or slope. A vehicle transport device that can prevent wheels from interfering with the ground is desired.

The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle transport device for transporting a vehicle in a lifted state, the vehicle transport device including: a carriage inserted under the vehicle during transport; an arm group provided on the carriage and abutting against each wheel of the vehicle so as to sandwich the wheel in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the arm group including two pairs of arms; an arm actuator connected to the arm group and operable to switch between a support state in which the arms abut against the wheels and a release state in which the arms do not abut against the wheels; and an elevator for raising and lowering the carriage, wherein abutment portions of the two pairs of arms that abut against the wheels in the support state have shapes that follow the outer shape of the wheels, and the abutment portions of the arms are configured as a series of multiple planes with different inclination angles with respect to a surface on which the vehicle is placed.
In the vehicle transport apparatus of the above aspect, the arm may have a wedge shape that becomes thinner toward the center of the wheel along the front-rear direction.
In the vehicle transport device of the above form, the lifting device is an air suspension device that adjusts the height of the bogie section by changing the volume of an air spring, and the vehicle transport device further includes a rotating shaft provided in the bogie section at a position rearward of approximately the center in the fore-and-aft direction, and a retaining member whose front end is connected to the rotating shaft and whose rear end is connected to a wheel of the bogie section, and the air spring includes a rear air spring attached on the retaining member, and the rotating shaft may be the center of rotation of the retaining member that rotates when the rear air spring is inflated.
In the vehicle transport apparatus of the above aspect, a plurality of the rear air springs may be provided, and the plurality of rear air springs may be provided in series along the front-rear direction.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle transport method for transporting a vehicle in a lifted state by a vehicle transport device, wherein the vehicle transport device includes a carriage unit, an arm group including two paired arms provided on the carriage unit, an arm actuator connected to the arm group and operating to switch between a support state in which the arms abut against wheels of the vehicle and a release state in which the arms do not abut against the wheels, and an elevating device for raising the carriage unit, wherein abutment portions of the two paired arms that abut against the wheels in the support state have shapes that follow the outer shape of the wheels, and the abutment portions of the arms have a shape that is inclined at different angles relative to a surface on which the vehicle is placed, and and the vehicle transport device may include an inserting step of inserting the carriage section under the vehicle when transporting the vehicle; a supporting step of driving the arm actuator after the inserting step and supporting the wheels by clamping them with the arms in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a stopping step of stopping the driving of the arm actuator after the supporting step; a lifting step of lifting the carriage section by the lifting device in a state where the driving of the arm actuator is stopped by the stopping step; and a moving step of moving the vehicle transport device to transport the vehicle after the lifting step.

(1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle transport device that transports a vehicle in a lifted state, the vehicle transport device including: a carriage that is inserted under the vehicle during transport of the vehicle; an arm group that is provided on the carriage and that supports each wheel of the vehicle by abutting the wheel so as to sandwich the wheel in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and includes two pairs of arms; an arm actuator that is connected to the arm group and operates to switch between a support state in which the arms abut the wheels and a release state in which the arms do not abut the wheels; and an elevator that raises and lowers the carriage, wherein abutment portions of the two pairs of arms that abut against the wheels in the support state are shaped to follow the outer shape of the wheels.
According to the vehicle transport device of the above embodiment, the wheels are supported by the arms, and the carriage is raised by the lifting device, so the vehicle can be lifted beyond the size of the arms. This ensures a sufficient clearance between the ground and the wheels, thereby minimizing interference between the wheels and the ground during vehicle transport. Furthermore, the portions of the paired arms that contact the wheels in a supported state are shaped to conform to the outer shape of the wheels, thereby increasing the contact area between the arms and the wheels. This reduces the amount of deformation of the wheels below the arms, effectively minimizing interference between the wheels and the ground even when the lifting device is used to raise the vehicle only a small amount.
(2) In the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, the abutment portion of the arm may be configured as a series of multiple planes having different inclination angles with respect to the installation surface of the vehicle. According to the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, the abutment portion configured as a series of multiple planes having different inclination angles allows the arm to be shaped to suit the wheel.
(3) In the vehicle transport apparatus of the above aspect, the lifting device may be an air suspension device that adjusts the height of the bogie unit by changing the volume of an air spring. According to the vehicle transport apparatus of the above aspect, the height of the bogie unit can be easily adjusted by driving the air suspension device having the air spring.
(4) In the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, a plurality of the air springs may be provided under the carriage unit. According to the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, by providing a plurality of air springs, it is possible to increase the output of the lifting device and the lifting stroke of the carriage unit.
(5) In the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, the arm actuator may be an electric actuator having a rotary drive source and transmitting a driving force from the rotary drive source to the arm via a screw shaft. According to the vehicle transport device of the above aspect, by configuring the arm actuator as an electric actuator, there is no environmental risk due to oil leakage, as occurs with hydraulic cylinders.
(6) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle transport method, in which a vehicle is transported in a lifted state by a vehicle transport device, the vehicle transport device including a carriage unit, an arm group including two paired arms provided on the carriage unit, an arm actuator connected to the arm group and operating to switch between a support state in which the arms abut against wheels of the vehicle and a release state in which the arms do not abut against the wheels, and an elevating device that raises the carriage unit, wherein abutment portions of the two paired arms that abut against the wheels in the support state are oriented along an outer shape of the wheels. and includes an inserting step of inserting the carriage section under the vehicle when transporting the vehicle, a supporting step of driving the arm actuator after the inserting step and supporting the wheels by clamping them with the arms in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a stopping step of stopping the driving of the arm actuator after the supporting step, a raising step of raising the carriage section by the lifting device with the driving of the arm actuator stopped by the stopping step, and a moving step of moving the vehicle transport device to transport the vehicle after the raising step.
According to the vehicle transport method of the above embodiment, the wheels are supported by the arms during the supporting step, and the carriage is raised by the lifting device during the raising step, allowing the vehicle to be lifted beyond the size of the arms. This ensures a sufficient clearance between the ground and the wheels, thereby minimizing interference between the wheels and the ground during vehicle transport. Furthermore, the portions of the paired arms that contact the wheels in the supported state are shaped to conform to the outer shape of the wheels, thereby increasing the contact area between the arms and the wheels. This reduces the amount of deformation of the wheels downward from the arms, effectively minimizing interference between the wheels and the ground even when the lifting device is used to raise the vehicle only a small distance. Furthermore, the raising step is performed after the drive of the arm actuator is stopped during the stopping step, thereby reducing the pressure applied by the arms to the wheels, thereby further minimizing wheel deformation.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a vehicle transport device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams illustrating an example of an operation in which the vehicle transport device lifts a vehicle. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the wheel is supported by the arm, and is a side view showing an enlarged contact portion between the arm and the wheel. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the arm actuator. FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing the internal configuration of the arm actuator. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure for transporting a vehicle. 10A and 10B are top views of the vehicle transport device, illustrating an example of an operation for supporting a vehicle. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a lifting device provided in a vehicle transport apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

A. First embodiment:
A1. Overall configuration of vehicle transport device:
1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a vehicle transport device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle transport device 10 includes a main body 100, a carriage 200, a first arm group 211, a second arm group 212, a first arm actuator 221, and a second arm actuator 222. The main body 100 is provided at one longitudinal end of the carriage 200 on the side where the first arm group 211 is provided.

The vehicle transport device 10 supports a four-wheeled vehicle by inserting the carriage unit 200 under the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212 provided on the carriage unit 200 abut against the front and rear wheels of the vehicle, respectively. The carriage unit 200 is then raised to transport the vehicle while it is lifted.

Typically, the vehicle transport device 10 inserts the carriage unit 200 from the front of the vehicle. That is, the first arm group 211 abuts against the front wheels of the vehicle, and the second arm group 212 abuts against the rear wheels of the vehicle, thereby supporting the vehicle. However, the carriage unit 200 may also be inserted from the rear of the vehicle to support the vehicle.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which the main body unit 100 is provided will be referred to as the first direction in terms of the orientation of the vehicle transport device 10, with the rear of the first direction being referred to as the second direction, the left of the first direction being referred to as the third direction, and the right of the first direction being referred to as the fourth direction. Furthermore, in the following, the wheels of the vehicle positioned in the first direction when the cart unit 200 is inserted underneath the vehicle will also be referred to as the "first wheels," and the wheels of the vehicle positioned in the second direction will also be referred to as the "second wheels."

Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the operation of the vehicle transport device 10 lifting the vehicle 1. Figure 2 shows the configuration of the vehicle transport device 10 and the vehicle 1 viewed from the side. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body unit 100 includes drive wheels 110 that provide the traveling function of the vehicle transport device 10, and an elevator device 120 that provides the lifting function of the cart unit 200. The drive wheels 110 and the elevator device 120 are typically each operated by an actuator.

In the first embodiment, the lifting device 120 is configured as a so-called air suspension system, and these mechanisms enable the bogie section 200 to be raised and lowered. The air suspension system uses air springs 11, 12 as suspension springs. In addition to the air springs 11, 12, it also includes an air compressor (not shown) for generating compressed air and a surge tank (not shown) for storing high-pressure or low-pressure air. The air compressor and surge tank are housed in the towing section. The air suspension system adjusts the height of the bogie section 200 by changing the volume of the air springs 11, 12. As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, the air suspension system includes a front air spring 11 provided in the main body section 100 and a rear air spring 12 provided at a rear position of the bogie section 200. Both the front air spring 11 and the rear air spring 12 are provided below the bogie section 200 so that the bogie section 200 can be raised and lowered.

The rear air springs 12 are mounted on retaining members 14 connected to the bottom of the bogie section 200. The retaining members 14 are plate- or box-shaped members. The front ends of the retaining members 14 are connected to a rotation shaft 15 located on the bogie section 200 slightly rearward of the approximate center of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction. The connection points with the rotation shaft 15 serve as the center of rotation when the retaining members 14 rotate from a horizontal position to a diagonal position lowered rearward as the rear air springs 12 expand. This connection point also functions as a fulcrum when the rear air springs 12 expand and function as a point of application. At this time, the bogie section wheels 230 function as points of application of the force generated by the expansion of the rear air springs 12. The rear ends of the retaining members 14 are connected to the bogie section wheels 230.

The main body 100 also includes a power source and a control device, which are not shown in Figure 1. The power source supplies power to the various actuators provided on the vehicle transport device 10. Typically, a battery serving as the power source is electrically connected to each actuator via a wire harness to supply power. In the following description, the power source is assumed to be a battery, and power is supplied to each actuator via a wire harness.

The control device outputs control signals to drive and control the various actuators provided on the vehicle transport device 10. The actuators operate in accordance with the control signals. The control device is configured to be able to transmit information to each actuator. Typically, the control device is electrically connected to each actuator via a wire harness. However, other methods may also be used. For example, the control device may be configured to transmit information via wireless communication or optical communication.

The control device may be a device provided external to the vehicle transport device 10. In this case, the control device is configured to be able to transmit information to each actuator via communication.

Referring again to Figure 1, the first arm group 211, the second arm group 212, the first arm actuator 221, and the second arm actuator 222 are provided on the carriage section 200. Note that Figure 1 shows a simplified external shape of the arms.

The first arm group 211 includes arm AM11, arm AM12, arm AM13, and arm AM14. Arm AM11 and arm AM13 form a pair and abut against each other so as to sandwich the first wheel (e.g., the left front wheel). Arm AM12 and arm AM14 form a pair and abut against each other so as to sandwich the first wheel (e.g., the right front wheel).

The second arm group 212 includes arm AM21, arm AM22, arm AM23, and arm AM24. Arm AM21 and arm AM23 form a pair and abut against each other so as to sandwich the second wheel (e.g., the left rear wheel). Arm AM22 and arm AM24 form a pair and abut against each other so as to sandwich the second wheel (e.g., the right rear wheel).

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the support state in which a pair of arms AM11, AM13 supports a wheel, and is a side view showing an enlarged contact area 20 between the arm AM and the wheel FW. As shown in Figure 3, the contact area 20 of the arms AM11, AM13 that contacts the wheel FW is composed of a series of multiple planes 21, 22, and 23 with different inclination angles relative to the installation surface, so as to roughly follow the side shape of the wheel FW. Note that Figure 3 uses the example of arm AM11 and arm AM13 that contact the first wheel FW (e.g., the left front wheel) on either side, but the shapes of the contact areas 20 for all other arms AM12, AM14, AM21, AM23, AM22, and AM24 are similar. As described above, the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212 support the vehicle by contacting their respective wheels.

The first arm actuator 221 is an actuator that is connected to the first arm group 211 and operates to switch between a support state in which the first arm group 211 contacts the first wheel and a release state in which the first arm group 211 does not contact the first wheel. The second arm actuator 222 is an actuator that is connected to the second arm group 212 and operates to switch between a support state in which the second arm group 212 contacts the second wheel and a release state in which the second arm group 212 does not contact the second wheel. Hereinafter, except when distinguishing between the first arm actuator 221 and the second arm actuator 222, these will be collectively referred to as "arm actuators."

Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the arm actuator (first arm actuator 221 or second arm actuator 222). The upper part of Figure 4 shows the arm AM and arm actuator in the released state, and the lower part of Figure 4 shows the arm AM and arm actuator in the supported state. The arm actuator has a rod RD that is connected to the arm AM at position CP, and a cylinder CL that stores this rod RD.

The arm actuator moves rod RD in the axial direction of cylinder CL. When rod RD is pushed out, arm AM rotates around position PV1, and cylinder CL rotates around position PV2. When rod RD is retracted, arm AM and cylinder CL rotate in the opposite direction. This causes arm AM to move from a released state to a supported state, or from a supported state to a released state.

Figure 5 is a simplified diagram showing the internal configuration of the arm actuator. The arm actuator is an electric actuator comprising a motor 31 as a rotary drive source, a ball screw, and the like. As shown in Figure 5, the arm actuator transmits driving force from the motor 31 as a drive source to a spline shaft 35 via multiple reduction gears 32, 33, and 34. A threaded portion 36 is formed on the outer periphery of the tip of the spline shaft 35. A guide bracket 37 connected to the rod RD is externally fitted onto this threaded portion 36. Therefore, as the motor 31 rotates, the guide bracket 37 slides relative to the spline shaft 35 in the axial direction of the spline shaft 35 (the direction of arrow A in Figure 5). In other words, as the motor 31 rotates, the rod RD moves in and out of the cylinder CL. The spline shaft 35 corresponds to a "screw shaft."

The arms AM constituting the first arm group 211 that abut the first wheel on the side where the main body unit 100 is provided (arms AM11 and AM12 in Figure 1, hereinafter also referred to as "fixed arms") are not connected to the first arm actuator 221, and are fixed in a state where they extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bogie unit 200 (third or fourth direction in Figure 1). The method of fixing will be described later.

A2. Vehicle transport method and vehicle transport operation by vehicle transport device 10:
Next, the vehicle transport method using the vehicle transport device 10 described above and the operation of the vehicle transport device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operational procedure for vehicle transport. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle transport method includes an insertion step (S101), a support step (S102), a stopping step (S103), a lifting step (S104), and a movement step (S105), and these steps are performed in order. Each step will be described below.
In the insertion step (S101), the bogie unit 200 is inserted under the vehicle 1. FIG. 7 is a top view of the vehicle transport device 10, showing an example of the operation of supporting the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle transport device 10 inserts the bogie unit 200 from the front of the vehicle 1. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 7, the vehicle transport device 10 releases the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212, and inserts the bogie unit 200 under the vehicle 1 from the front of the vehicle 1. At this time, the fixed arms (arms AM11 and AM12) come into contact with the first wheels (front wheels FW of the vehicle 1).

In the support step (S102), the arm actuator is driven to clamp and support the wheels FW and RW with the arms AM. As shown in the lower part of Figure 7, by placing the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212 in a support state, the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212 come into contact with the first wheel and the second wheel (the front wheel FW and rear wheel RW of the vehicle 1), respectively, and support the vehicle 1.

In the stopping step (S103), the drive of the arm actuator is stopped. Then, in the raising step (S104), with the drive of the arm actuator stopped in the stopping step (S103), the carriage unit 200 is raised by the lifting device 120. More specifically, the vehicle transport device 10 raises the vehicle 1 by raising the carriage unit 200 using the air springs 11 and 12 while supporting the vehicle 1 with the first arm group 211 and the second arm group 212.

In the moving step (S105), the vehicle transport device 10 is moved to transport the vehicle 1. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the bogie wheels 230 of the bogie unit 200 are configured so that they can roll on the ground even when the bogie unit 200 is raised. Note that multiple bogie wheels 230 may be provided at positions different from those shown in FIG. 2. The vehicle transport device 10 transports the vehicle 1 by moving the vehicle 1 in a lifted state.

(1) According to the vehicle transport device 10 of the first embodiment described above, the wheels FW and RW are supported by a pair of arms AM, and the carriage section 200 is raised by the lifting device 120, so the vehicle 1 can be lifted by a distance greater than the diameter of the arms AM. This ensures a sufficient distance between the ground and the wheels FW and RW of the vehicle 1, thereby reducing interference between the wheels FW and RW and the ground when the vehicle is being transported.

(2) Furthermore, the arm AM only supports the wheels FW, RW, and the vehicle 1 is lifted by raising the carriage unit 200 using the lifting device 120. For example, if the vehicle 1 is lifted by rotating the arm AM, the weight of the vehicle 1 is directly applied to the arm AM, requiring an arm actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder capable of high output. In contrast, in the vehicle transport device 10 of the first embodiment, the arm AM only supports the wheels FW, RW, and the vehicle 1 is lifted by raising the carriage unit 200 using the lifting device 120. This does not require a high output arm actuator, and an electric actuator can be used as the arm actuator. Using an electric actuator eliminates the environmental risk of oil leakage that occurs with hydraulic cylinders.

(3) Furthermore, the driving load of the electric actuator does not require a force to lift the vehicle 1, and only the force required to hold the wheels FW, RW by the arm AM is required. This reduces localized wear on the threaded portion 36 of the spline shaft 35, thereby improving the lifespan of the arm actuator.

(4) According to the vehicle transport device 10 of the above embodiment, the contact portions 20 of the two paired arms AM that come into contact with the wheels FW, RW in the supported state are shaped to follow the outer shapes of the wheels FW, RW, thereby increasing the contact area between the arms AM and the wheels FW, RW. This reduces the amount of deformation of the wheels FW, RW downward from the arms AM, effectively reducing interference between the ground and the wheels FW, RW even when the lifting amount by the lifting device 120 is small.

(5) Furthermore, by reducing the amount of deformation of the wheels FW and RW, damage to the wheels FW and RW and the wheels can be reduced.

B. Second embodiment:
Next, a vehicle transport apparatus 10 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . Components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The vehicle transport apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has multiple rear air springs (two in this embodiment: a first air spring 16 and a second air spring 17). For ease of understanding, the first air spring 16 and the second air spring 17 are illustrated in FIG. 8 with cross-hatching.

Figure 8 is a side view showing the configuration of the lifting device 120 provided on the vehicle transport device 10 in the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the first air spring 16 is provided on the holding member 14 in the vicinity of the rotation axis 15. The second air spring 17 is provided on the holding member 14 at a position farther from the rotation axis 15 than the first air spring 16. The first air spring 16 and the second air spring 17 are arranged in series in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 1.

In the second embodiment of the vehicle transport device 10, in addition to the first air spring 16, a second air spring 17 is provided at a position farther from the rotation axis 15 than the first air spring 16. This increases the output of the lifting device 120 and the lifting stroke of the carriage section 200 compared to a configuration with only the first air spring 16.

C. Other Embodiments:
(C1) In the vehicle transport device 10 of each of the above embodiments, the contact portion 20 of the arm AM that comes into contact with the wheels FW, RW is configured as a series of multiple flat surfaces 21, 22, 23 that have different inclination angles relative to the ground, but is not limited to this shape. The contact portion 20 may have any shape that generally follows the shape of the side surface of the wheels FW, RW, and may be formed as a curved surface or may be configured as a single flat surface.

(C2) In the vehicle transport device 10 of each of the above embodiments, an air suspension device is used as the lifting device 120, but as long as the carriage unit 200 can be raised and lowered, it may also be configured using other mechanisms, such as a hydraulic cylinder.

(C3) In the vehicle transport device 10 of the second embodiment described above, multiple rear air springs (first air springs 1616, second air springs 17) are arranged in series in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 1, but multiple air springs may be arranged in the width direction of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the number of air springs 11, 12 may be three or more. Furthermore, multiple front air springs 11 may be provided.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

1...vehicle, 10...vehicle transport device, 11, 12, 16, 17...air spring, 14...holding member, 15...rotating shaft, 20...contact portion, 21...flat surface, 31...motor (rotational drive source), 32...reduction gear, 35...spline shaft (screw shaft), 36...threaded portion, 37...guide bracket, 100...main body, 110...drive wheel, 120...lifting device, 200...cart unit, 211...first arm group, 212...second arm group, 221...first arm actuator, 222...second arm actuator, 230...cart unit wheels, AM11, AM12, AM13, AM14, AM21, AM22, AM23, AM24...arm, CL...cylinder, FW, RW...wheel, RD...rod

Claims (8)

A vehicle transport device that transports a vehicle in a lifted state,
a carriage portion that is inserted under the vehicle when the vehicle is transported;
an arm group provided on the bogie section, the arm group supporting each wheel of the vehicle by abutting the wheels so as to sandwich the wheels in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the arm group including two pairs of arms;
an arm actuator connected to the arm group and operable to switch between a support state in which the arms abut against the wheels and a release state in which the arms do not abut against the wheels;
a lifting device that lifts and lowers the carriage unit;
Equipped with
a contact portion of each of the paired arms that contacts the wheel in the supported state has a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the wheel ;
A vehicle transport device , wherein the contact portion of the arm is configured as a series of multiple planes having different inclination angles with respect to a mounting surface of the vehicle . 2. The vehicle transport device according to claim 1, wherein the arm has a wedge shape that decreases in thickness toward the center of the wheel along the front-rear direction. A vehicle transport device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lifting device is an air suspension device that adjusts the height of the carriage by changing the volume of an air spring. The vehicle transport device described in claim 3, wherein multiple air springs are provided under the carriage section. The vehicle transport device is
a rotation shaft provided at a position rearward of approximately the center of the carriage in the front-rear direction;
a holding member having a front end connected to the rotary shaft and a rear end connected to a wheel of the carriage unit;
Further provided with
the air spring includes a rear air spring mounted on the retaining member;
5. The vehicle transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotation axis serves as a rotation center of the holding member that rotates when the rear air spring is expanded. A plurality of the rear air springs are provided,
The vehicle transport apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of rear air springs are arranged in series along the front-rear direction. The arm actuator
7. The vehicle transport device according to claim 1, further comprising an electric actuator having a rotary drive source, the electric actuator transmitting a driving force from the rotary drive source to the arm via a screw shaft. A vehicle transport method for transporting a vehicle in a lifted state by a vehicle transport device, comprising:
The vehicle transport device includes a carriage unit, an arm group including two paired arms provided on the carriage unit, an arm actuator connected to the arm group and operating to switch between a support state in which the arms abut against wheels of the vehicle and a release state in which the arms do not abut against the wheels, and an elevator device that raises the carriage unit, wherein the two paired arms have a contact portion that abuts against the wheels in the support state, the contact portion of the arm having a shape that follows the outer shape of the wheel , and the contact portion of the arm is configured as a series of multiple planes having different inclination angles with respect to the installation surface of the vehicle,
an inserting step of inserting the carriage section under the vehicle when transporting the vehicle;
a supporting step of driving the arm actuator after the inserting step to sandwich and support the wheel with the arm in the front-rear direction of the vehicle;
a stopping step of stopping the driving of the arm actuator after the supporting step;
a raising step of raising the carriage unit by the lifting device while the driving of the arm actuator is stopped by the stopping step;
a moving step of moving the vehicle transport device to transport the vehicle after the lifting step;
A vehicle transport method comprising: