Conveying carriage with positioning function

Abstract

To further improve a convenience when adding a positioning function to a conveying carriage.SOLUTION: A conveying carriage includes at least a load carrying platform with wheels. A positioning terminal is provided at any one of the corner, side face and recess of the load carrying platform. The positioning terminal can be also stored in a storage provided on a housing structured so as to be freely attachable to and detachable from the load carrying platform. A projecting portion that projects in the external direction of the load carrying platform is provided on the housing, and the projecting portion may be provided at a different height from the height at which the storage for the positioning terminal is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle with a positioning function. [Background technology]

[0002] The applicant previously developed a logistics pallet with a positioning function (Non-Patent Document 1). This pallet is equipped with a GPS tracker on the pallet itself, making it possible to track the pallet's current location. This has proven popular because it prevents pallets from being lost at the rental location, which increases the recovery rate at the end of the rental period and reduces the amount of compensation that lessees have to pay in the event of loss.

[0003] The applicant therefore came up with the idea of ​​adding a positioning function to temporary equipment used at construction sites, etc., particularly to transport vehicles such as six-wheeled carts. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] https: / / fabcross.jp / topics / gps_iot / 20171005_nikkenlease_01.html "Providing a collection service by equipping logistics pallets with GPS trackers -- Nikken Lease Industries" Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, adding a positioning function to a transport vehicle has at least one of the following problems. (1) If most of the components of the transport cart are made of metal such as aluminum, the radio waves transmitted from the positioning terminal may be blocked by the cart body, causing problems in reception by the receiver. (2) Since transport carts are prone to being handled relatively roughly when loading items onto them or during transport, there is a concern that the positioning terminal may be damaged or malfunction due to factors such as collisions with surrounding objects.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a more convenient means for providing a positioning function to a transport vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a transport cart having at least a loading platform with wheels, characterized in that a positioning terminal is provided in any of the corners, sides, or recesses provided in the top surface of the loading platform. In the present invention, the positioning terminal may be detachably provided on the platform. The present invention may further comprise a housing having a storage section capable of storing the positioning terminal, the housing being configured to be detachable from the platform. In the present invention, the housing may be provided with a protruding portion that protrudes outwardly from the loading platform, and the protruding portion may be provided at a height different from a height at which the storage portion is provided. In the present invention, the housing may be provided with a window section through which the positioning terminal accommodated in the accommodating section can be viewed. In addition, the present invention may be configured so that the loading platform has a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view with four corners, the housing is configured to be detachable at each of the four corners, and the positioning terminal is accommodated in one of the housings. In addition, the present invention may use a radio wave type RFID tag or a beacon terminal as the positioning terminal. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, at least one of the following effects can be obtained. (1) By installing the positioning terminal in any of the corners, sides, or recesses on the top surface of the loading platform, it is possible to minimize interference factors such as radio waves emitted from the positioning terminal. (2) By configuring the positioning terminal so as to be detachably attached to the platform directly or via a housing, the positioning function can be easily added to and removed from the transport vehicle. (3) By providing a protruding portion on the housing, it is possible to secure a protective space for the positioning terminal housed inside the housing, and to secure a protective space for the hands of an operator who uses a push member to be inserted into the loading platform. (4) Providing a window in the housing makes it easy to see through the window whether the positioning terminal is accommodated in the housing and to visually confirm the identification information attached to the surface of the positioning terminal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of a housing according to Configuration Example 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle to which a housing according to a first configuration example is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle equipped with a housing according to a second configuration example. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle equipped with a housing according to configuration example 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle equipped with a housing according to configuration example 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a transport platform vehicle equipped with a housing according to configuration example 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0011] <1> Overall configuration (Fig. 1) The transport vehicle A according to the present invention is configured to include at least a platform 10 and a positioning terminal 20. In the present invention, the type of transport vehicle A is not particularly limited, but in the embodiment described below, an aluminum six-wheeled vehicle used for transporting materials and equipment used in construction work is assumed. The details of each part will be explained below.

[0012] <2> Cargo platform (Fig. 1) The loading platform 10 is a portion for carrying an object to be transported. The loading platform 10 generally has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and each of the four corners 15 of the loading platform 10 has an insertion hole 12 on the upper surface thereof for inserting a push member such as a single pipe (not shown in FIG. 1) that an operator can hold on to when manually pushing the transport cart A. In addition, six wheels 11 are provided on the bottom side of the loading platform 10, and six recesses 13 are provided on the top side of the cart body for accommodating the wheels 11 of the transport carts A to be stacked when multiple transport carts A are stacked.

[0013] <3> Positioning terminal (Figure 1) The positioning terminal 20 is a terminal for acquiring the current position of the transport vehicle A. In the present invention, the type of the positioning terminal 20 is not particularly limited, and a suitable terminal can be used depending on the place where the transport vehicle A is used, its purpose, and the like. In addition, when the transport cart A of the present invention is used indoors, it is preferable to use an RFID tag or a beacon signal transmitter using other wireless standards as the positioning terminal 20 in combination with a receiver corresponding to the positioning terminal 20 (an RFID reader, a smartphone, a dedicated device permanently installed at the site, etc.). The positioning terminal 20 may be attached directly to the transporting platform A, or may be attached to the transporting platform A in a state where it is accommodated in a separate housing or covered with a cover.

[0014] <4> Location where positioning terminal is installed In the present invention, the positioning terminal 20 is provided at any one of the corners 15, the side surfaces 14, and the recesses 13 of the loading platform 10. This is to minimize the presence of obstacles between the positioning terminal 20 and the receiver. The transport vehicle A shown in FIG. 1 has a positioning terminal 20 provided at a corner portion 15 of the platform 10. As shown in FIG.

[0015] <5> Experimental Results A comparative experiment was conducted under the experimental conditions shown in Table 1 below to determine whether radio waves from the positioning terminal 20 could be received depending on the location of the positioning terminal 20 on the transport vehicle A.

[0016] [Experimental conditions] [Table 1] TIFF2025000265000002.tif97150

[0017] The experimental results of the comparative experiment related to Table 1 are shown in Table 2. [Table 2] TIFF2025000265000003.tif33150

[0018] The experimental results showed that reception performance was improved when the positioning terminal 20 was installed in the recess 13 or corner 15 of the loading platform 10 compared to when the positioning terminal 20 was installed on the bottom surface of the loading platform 10. It was also found that the reception performance was improved more when the positioning terminal 20 was provided in the corner 15 than when the positioning terminal 20 was provided in the recess 13 . This is believed to be because the reception performance differs depending on the degree of obstruction between the positioning terminal 20 and the receiver. In particular, when the positioning terminal 20 is provided on the bottom surface of the loading platform 10, the loading platform 10 is considered to be a large obstruction.

[0019] In this experiment, a comparative experiment was not conducted in which the positioning terminal 20 was installed on the side 14 of the cargo bed 10. However, since the degree of shielding between the positioning terminal 20 and the receiver is not significantly different from when the positioning terminal 20 is installed in the corner 15 of the cargo bed 10, it is considered that reception performance will be roughly equivalent to that when the positioning terminal 20 is installed in the corner 15.

[0020] Next, a configuration example of the transport vehicle according to the present invention will be described.

[0021] <6> Configuration example 1 (Fig. 2, Fig. 3) This configuration example assumes a configuration in which the positioning terminal 20 is accommodated in a housing and attached to a corner portion 15 of the loading platform 10.

[0022] <6.1> Housing The housing 30 according to this configuration example has a substantially sector shape with a central angle of approximately 270 degrees in a plan view. The housing 30 may be attached to each of the four corners 15 of the cargo bed 10, or may be attached to only one of the corners 15. When the housing 30 is attached to the corner 15 of the cargo bed 10, the arc-shaped surface on the front side of the paper in Figure 3(a) becomes the exposed side, and the L-shaped surface on the front side of the paper in Figure 3(b) becomes the contact surface facing the corner 15 of the cargo bed 10.

[0023] <6.2> Housing material The housing 30 may be made of any material as long as it does not interfere with reception of radio waves and the like from the positioning terminal 20 housed therein.

[0024] <6.3> Storage section / window section The housing 30 is provided with a receiving section 31 for receiving the positioning terminal 20 . In this embodiment, the accommodation portion 31 is a recess provided on the contact surface side of a region sandwiched between an upper extension portion 32A and a lower extension portion 32B, which will be described later. Furthermore, a window 33 is provided on the outside of the storage section 31, through which the outer surface of the stored positioning terminal 20 can be visually confirmed. By providing this window 33, it is possible to check whether the positioning terminal 20 is stored or not without removing the positioning terminal 20 from the housing 30. This is particularly beneficial in that it is easy to check which housing 30 the positioning terminal 20 is stored in when housings 30 are attached to all four corners 15 of the cargo bed 10 and the positioning terminal 20 is stored in one of the housings 30. Furthermore, by providing the window portion 33, the identification information attached to the surface of the positioning terminal 20 can be visually confirmed while the positioning terminal 20 is still housed in the housing 30.

[0025] <6.4> Overhang In this embodiment, the housing 30 is provided with a protrusion 32 (upper protrusion 32A, lower protrusion 32B) that protrudes outward from the cargo bed 10 at a location displaced up or down in the height direction of the housing 30 from the position where the storage section 31 is provided. With this configuration, each protrusion 32A, 32B functions as a member that secures a space (first protective space C) to prevent other objects from directly colliding with the base of the housing 30 surrounding the storage section 31 when the transport cart A is in use. In addition, each protrusion 32A, 32B also functions as a member that secures a space (second protective space D) to prevent an operator's hands from being pinched between surrounding objects and the hand push member B when the operator is moving the transport cart A with his or her hands on the hand push member B inserted into the insertion hole 12.

[0026] <7> Configuration example 2 (Figure 4) In this configuration example, it is assumed that the positioning terminal 20 is accommodated in a housing 30 and attached to a corner portion 15 of the loading platform 10 . The housing 30 according to this configuration example is the same as the housing 30 according to the first configuration example except that the lower protruding portion 32B is omitted, and the housing 30 according to this configuration example has the same functions and effects as the first configuration example.

[0027] <8> Configuration example 3 (Figure 5) In this configuration example, it is assumed that the positioning terminal 20 is accommodated in a housing 30 and attached to a corner portion 15 of the loading platform 10 . The housing 30 according to this configuration example is the same as the housing 30 according to the first configuration example except that the upper protruding portion 32A is omitted and a storage opening 311 communicating with the storage portion 31 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 30. According to this configuration example, while achieving the same advantageous effects as those of the first configuration example, it is also possible to store and remove the positioning terminal 20 while keeping the housing 30 attached to the loading platform 10.

[0028] <9> Configuration example 4 (Figure 6) In this configuration example, it is assumed that the positioning terminal 20 is accommodated in the housing 30 and attached to the recessed portion 13 of the loading platform 10 . The housing 30 in this configuration example has an internal storage section 31 for the positioning terminal 20, and is composed of a metal fitting 34 extending laterally from the top of the housing 30 and bending downward, and a bolt 35 attached to the metal fitting 34. The housing 30 is clamped to a partition wall 131 in a recess 13 provided in the upper surface of the cargo bed 10 by the bolt 35, making it possible to freely attach and detach the housing 30. According to this configuration example, the positioning terminal 20 can be attached and detached simply by screwing the bolts 35, and the outer diameter of the transport vehicle A is not affected.

[0029] <10> Configuration example 5 (Figure 7) In this configuration example, it is assumed that the positioning terminal 20 is accommodated in the housing 30 and attached to the recessed portion 13 of the loading platform 10 . The housing 30 in this configuration example is configured with protrusions 36 on the top and bottom, and the housing 30 is pressed into the space between a partition wall 131 in a recess 13 provided in the upper surface of the cargo bed 10 and the frame that forms the side edge of the cargo bed 10, so that the protrusions 36 function as anti-slip members for the housing 30. According to this configuration example, the worker can perform the attachment and detachment work of the housing 30 simply by pushing or pulling out the housing 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] A: Transport cart 10: Cargo platform 11: Wheels 12: Insertion hole 13: Recess 131:Inner wall 14: Side 15: Corner 20: Positioning terminal 30: Housing 31: Storage unit 311: Entrance 32: Overhang 32A: Upper overhang 32B: Lower overhang 33: Window section 34: Metal fittings 35: Bolt 36: Protrusion B: Manual member C: First protected space D: Second protected space

Claims

1. A transport vehicle having at least a loading platform having wheels, A positioning terminal is provided in any one of the corners, the side, and the recessed portion provided on the top surface of the loading platform. A transport cart with positioning function.

2. The positioning terminal is detachably provided on the platform. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 1.

3. The positioning device further includes a housing having a storage section capable of storing the positioning terminal, The housing is configured to be detachably attached to the loading platform. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 1.

4. The housing is provided with a protruding portion protruding outwardly of the loading platform, The protruding portion is provided at a height different from a height at which the storage portion is provided. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 3.

5. The housing is provided with a window through which the positioning terminal accommodated in the accommodation section can be viewed. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 3.

6. The loading platform has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view having four corners, The housing is configured to be detachably attached to each of the four corners, The positioning terminal is accommodated in any one of the housings. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 3.

7. The positioning terminal is a radio-frequency RFID tag or a beacon terminal. The transport vehicle with positioning function according to claim 1.

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