Vacuum tank trailer

Abstract

To provide a vacuum tank trailer that is able to prevent a hose from being broken or detached, has a simple configuration, and is easy to manufacture at a low cost.SOLUTION: A tractor 2 and a trailer 3 of a vacuum tank trailer 1 are relatively rotatably connected. A vacuum pump 6 and a tractor-side pipe 7 are disposed in the tractor 2, and one end 7a of the tractor-side pipe 7 is connected to the vacuum pump 6. A tank 8 and a trailer-side pipe 9 are disposed in the trailer 3, and one end 9d of the trailer-side pipe 9 is connected to the tank 8. The other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 are connected by a flexible hose 10. The other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 is located directly above a connecting portion 5 of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 or located closer to a rear-part side of the vacuum tank trailer 1 than a position directly above the connecting portion 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum tank trailer. [Background technology]

[0002] A vacuum tank trailer equipped with a tank for storing a fluid has a vacuum pump connected to the tank. Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum tank trailer in which a tractor and a trailer are connected, in which a vacuum pump arranged on the tractor is connected to a tank arranged on the trailer. In this vacuum tank trailer, a part of the connection between the vacuum pump and the tank is formed by a hose, and a rotary joint is provided in a part of the piping on the trailer side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-61013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vacuum tank trailer described in Patent Document 1, a rotary joint is provided in a part of the piping on the trailer side, so that the tractor and the trailer can move relative to each other without removing the hose. However, since a rotary joint is provided, the configuration is complicated, the cost is high, and the manufacturing process is complicated. If a rotary joint is not provided, the hose may be damaged or come off when the tractor tries to rotate significantly relative to the trailer. If an attempt is made to prevent the hose from being damaged or come off by making the hose very long, when the tractor is positioned in a straight line with the trailer and when the tractor is rotating significantly relative to the trailer, the hose that is longer than necessary may protrude outside the vehicle body and get in the way.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum tank trailer that does not require complex mechanisms such as rotary joints, allows the tractor to rotate widely relative to the trailer without removing the hose, reduces the risk of the hose being damaged or coming loose, and is simple in structure, low cost, and easy to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a vacuum tank trailer having a tractor and a trailer, the tractor and the trailer being connected so as to be rotatable relative to one another, a vacuum pump and a tractor side piping are arranged on the tractor, one end of the tractor side piping is connected to the vacuum pump, a tank and a trailer side piping are arranged on the trailer, one end of the trailer side piping is connected to the tank, the other end of the tractor side piping and the other end of the trailer side piping are connected by a flexible hose, and the other end of the trailer side piping is located directly above the connection part between the tractor and the trailer, or is located toward the rear of the vacuum tank trailer rather than directly above the connection part. The tractor and the trailer may be connected to each other so as to be capable of relative rotation by a kingpin provided on the trailer being rotatably fitted into a recess of a coupler provided on the tractor. The vacuum pump may be disposed at a position of the tractor that does not overlap with a range in which the trailer can rotate. The hose may have a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 540 mm or more in a maximum curved state. The other end of the trailer side pipe and the other end of the tractor side pipe may be located at different height positions. The other end of the trailer side piping may be located at a higher position than the other end of the tractor side piping. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a vacuum tank trailer is obtained that does not require a complex mechanism such as a rotary joint, allows a tractor to rotate widely relative to the trailer without removing the hose, prevents the hose from being damaged or coming off, and is simple in structure, low-cost, and easy to manufacture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vacuum tank trailer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. 1 in a straight traveling state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. 1 going around a curve. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the rotational movement range of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a side view for explaining the opening directions of the tractor side piping and the trailer side piping. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of the opening direction of the tractor side piping and the trailer side piping. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view of a vacuum tank trailer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing a rotating state of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view showing the rotating state of the trailer of the vacuum tank trailer of the comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a side view of a vacuum tank trailer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view showing a rotating state of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a modified example of the vacuum tank trailer shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vacuum tank trailer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vacuum tank trailer 1 going straight, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vacuum tank trailer 1 turning a curve. The vacuum tank trailer 1 has a tractor 2 and a trailer 3. The tractor 2 and the trailer 3 are connected by a kingpin 5 provided on the trailer 3 being rotatably fitted into a recess 4a (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of a coupler 4 provided on the tractor 2. Since the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 can rotate relatively around the kingpin 5, the tractor 2 can go straight while being positioned in a straight line with respect to the trailer 3 as shown in FIG. 2, and can also turn while the tractor 2 rotates with respect to the trailer 3 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0010] A vacuum pump 6 and a tractor-side pipe 7 are arranged in the tractor 2. The tractor-side pipe 7 is made of a metal pipe, one end 7a of which is connected to the vacuum pump 6, and the other end 7b of which faces the trailer 3. A tank 8 and a trailer-side pipe 9 are arranged in the trailer 3. The trailer-side pipe 9 is configured by connecting a pair of metal pipe parts 9a, 9b and a flexible hose-like part 9c located between the metal pipe parts 9a, 9b. One end 9d of the trailer-side pipe 9 is connected to an inlet / outlet part 8a provided in the tank 8, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 faces the tractor 2. The inlet / outlet part 8a of the tank 8 contains a float inside (not shown), and opens and closes an opening connected to the one end 9d of the trailer-side pipe 9 depending on the position of the float floating in a fluid such as a liquid (which may contain mud, sand, etc.) in the tank 8. That is, depending on the amount of fluid in the tank 8, a state where the fluid can flow between the inlet / outlet portion 8a and the trailer side piping 9 and a state where the fluid cannot flow are switched. In general, the tank 8 is configured to be rotatable so that the front portion is lifted upward from the trailer 3 while the rear portion remains placed on the trailer 3, and this movement is made possible by the elastic deformation of the hose-shaped portion 9c in the trailer side piping 9.

[0011] The other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 are connected by a flexible hose 10. The other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 connected to the hose 10 is located at the connecting portion between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, i.e., directly above the kingpin 5. Even if the tractor 2 is positioned in a straight line with respect to the trailer 3 as shown in FIG. 2, or even if the tractor 2 is rotated relative to the trailer 3 as shown in FIG. 3, the relative position of the kingpin 5 with respect to the tractor 2 does not change. Therefore, the linear distance between the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 located directly above the kingpin 5 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 arranged on the tractor 2 is substantially constant regardless of the posture of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3. The hose 10 connecting the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 is not pulled excessively even if the tractor 2 rotates relative to the trailer 3, and the hose 10 is unlikely to be damaged or come off. The length of the hose 10 is preferably a straight-line distance between the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7, with a margin allowing the hose 10 to bend smoothly without coming into strong contact with the tank 8 or other components (not shown). Although it depends on the diameter and hardness of the hose 10, it is preferable that the hose 10 is configured so as not to bend excessively for a hose 10 having a general diameter (about 4 inches (about 102 mm) to 6 inches (about 152 mm)) and general hardness. Specifically, a hose 10 having a diameter of 4 inches (about 102 mm) and a general hardness preferably has a length such that the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 540 mm or more even when bent to the maximum, a hose 10 having a diameter of 5 inches (about 127 mm) and a general hardness preferably has a length such that the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 630 mm or more even when bent to the maximum, and a hose 10 having a diameter of 6 inches (about 152 mm) and a general hardness preferably has a length such that the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 780 mm or more even when bent to the maximum. However, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to make the hose 10 longer than necessary, and the length can be kept to a level that does not cause the hose 10 to protrude outside the vehicle body and become a hindrance.The end of the hose 10 is located at the center of relative rotation between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, and the flexibility of the hose 10 allows for relative rotation between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, so no rotary joint is required. As a result, the structure is simple, costs can be reduced, and manufacturing is easy. Furthermore, even when the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 are inclined relative to each other in the vertical direction, such as when the vacuum tank trailer 1 travels on a slope, i.e., when the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 are at different angles to the ground, the flexible hose 10 bends, allowing for smooth travel.

[0012] In this embodiment, the range in which the trailer 3 can rotate relative to the tractor 2 is a range in which the tank 8 does not abut against the driver's seat portion 2a of the tractor 2, as shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the state in which the trailer 3 is located at one end of the range in which the trailer 3 can rotate relative to the tractor 2 is shown by a solid line, and the state in which the trailer 3 is located at the other end is shown by an imaginary line (two-dot chain line). The vacuum pump 6 is arranged in an area A (schematically shown by a dot pattern in FIG. 4) that does not overlap with the range in which the trailer 3 can rotate, avoiding a position of the tractor 2 that overlaps with the range in which the trailer 3 can rotate. As a result, even if the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2, the vacuum pump 6 is not damaged, and damage to the tractor-side piping 7 connected to the vacuum pump 6 is also suppressed.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9, which are connected to both ends of the hose 10, are preferably located at different height positions. If the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 are located at the same height, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 and the hose 10 is bent, the hose 10 is bent two-dimensionally within a plane including the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9, i.e., within a single plane of equal height, so that the hose 10 is likely to bend. Therefore, the hose 10 may be damaged, or the flow resistance may be increased locally in a part of the hose 10, hindering the smooth flow of the fluid (here, air) in the hose 10. 1, if the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 are at different heights, the hose 10 will bend three-dimensionally, and the hose 10 will bend smoothly and less likely to bend with a radius of the curved portion of 540 mm or more (when the diameter of the hose 10 is 4 inches (approximately 102 mm)) to 780 mm or more (when the diameter of the hose 10 is 6 inches (approximately 152 mm)), depending on the diameter and hardness of the hose 10. This prevents the hose 10 from being damaged, and prevents the smooth flow of the fluid (here, air) in the hose 10 from being hindered due to localized increased flow resistance in a part of the hose 10.

[0014] In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 4, as described above, the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 faces the trailer 3 side, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 faces the tractor 2 side, but the configuration is not limited to this. In Fig. 5, the periphery of each pipe 7, 9 is divided into four regions: an upper region I in front of the vehicle (tractor side), an upper region II in the rear of the vehicle (trailer side), a lower region III in front of the vehicle, and a lower region IV in the rear of the vehicle. The other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 may open toward any of the four regions I to IV. The opening direction of the other end 7b, 9e of each pipe 7, 9 may be horizontal, vertical, or oblique, and may be at any angle relative to the horizontal direction. However, if the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 opens toward region III, the hose 10 connected to the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 must extend downward in front of the vehicle, then curve and extend upward, and then extend rearward, resulting in a very complicated shape with repeated curves, which is not easy to realize. Therefore, it is preferable that the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 opens toward any of regions I, II, or IV. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable that the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 opens toward region II, or opens horizontally toward the rear of the vehicle between regions II and IV.

[0015] Similarly, if the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 opens toward region IV, the hose 10 connected to the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 must extend downward behind the vehicle, then curve and extend upward, and then extend forward, resulting in a very complicated shape with repeated curves, which is not easy to realize. Therefore, it is preferable that the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 opens toward any of regions I, II, or III. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable that the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 opens toward region I, or opens horizontally toward the front of the vehicle between regions I and III.

[0016] Specific examples of the opening directions of the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 are shown in FIG. 6. In the example shown in FIG. 6(A), the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 opens horizontally toward the rear of the vehicle between regions II and IV, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 opens vertically upward between regions I and II. In the example shown in FIG. 6(B), the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 opens vertically upward between regions I and II, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 opens horizontally toward the front of the vehicle between regions I and III. In the example shown in FIG. 6(C), both the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 open vertically upward between regions I and II. In the example shown in Fig. 6(D), the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 opens vertically upward between areas I and II, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 opens obliquely toward area I above the front of the vehicle. In the example shown in Fig. 6(E), the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 opens obliquely toward area II above the rear of the vehicle, and the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 opens obliquely toward area I above the front of the vehicle.

[0017] As shown in various examples in Figs. 1 to 4 and Figs. 6(A) to 6(E), the opening directions of the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 can be set arbitrarily. Since the twisting manner of the hose 10 differs depending on the opening directions of the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9, it is preferable to determine the opening directions of the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 so that the twisting state and the amount of twisting of the hose 10 are at a preferable level. In general, it is preferable that the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 opens facing the trailer 3 side or vertically upward, and it is preferable that the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 opens facing the tractor 2 side or vertically upward. In addition, if the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 are both open horizontally or obliquely at an angle close to horizontal, the hose 10 extends horizontally from the connection portion with the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 with almost no extension in the up-down direction, so that when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2, the hose 10 is in a relatively simple curved state, and the possibility of the hose 10 being damaged or coming off is small. On the other hand, if the other end 7b of the tractor-side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side pipe 9 are both open vertically or obliquely at an angle close to vertical, the hose 10 is in a curved state that does not spread out much in the lateral direction when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2, so that the hose 10 is prevented from being damaged or coming off, and the hose 10 is prevented from protruding significantly outside the vehicle body. Taking into consideration the tendency of the hose 10 to bend, the optimal opening directions of the other end 7b of the tractor side pipe 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer side pipe 9 can be determined.

[0018] [Second embodiment] FIG. 7 is a side view showing a vacuum tank trailer 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing the rotated state of the trailer 3 of this vacuum tank trailer 1. In the vacuum tank trailer 1 of this embodiment, the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 connected to the hose 10 is located on the opposite side of the tractor 2, that is, on the rear side of the vacuum tank trailer 1, rather than directly above the connecting portion (kingpin 5) between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3. In FIG. 8, the state in which the trailer 3 is positioned in a straight line relative to the tractor 2 is shown by solid lines, and the state in which the trailer 3 is rotated to both sides relative to the tractor 2 is shown by imaginary lines (two-dot chain lines). For convenience, the hose 10 is omitted in FIG. 8. With reference to FIG. 8, when considering the linear distance between the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 to which both ends of the hose 10 are connected, the distances L2 and L3 when the trailer 3 rotates to both sides relative to the tractor 2 are shorter than the distance L1 when the trailer 3 is positioned linearly next to the tractor 2. That is, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 from the state in which the trailer 3 is positioned linearly next to the tractor 2, the distance between the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 becomes shorter. Therefore, when the trailer 3 is positioned linearly next to the tractor 2, the hose 10 connected to connect the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 is not subjected to excessive pulling force even if the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2. Therefore, the hose 10 is unlikely to be damaged or come off even if the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0019] FIG. 9 shows a comparative example for comparison with this embodiment. In the vacuum tank trailer of the comparative example, the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 connected to the hose 10 is located closer to the tractor 2, i.e., closer to the front of the vacuum tank trailer 1, than directly above the connecting portion (kingpin 5) between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3. In FIG. 9, similar to FIG. 8, the state in which the trailer 3 of the comparative example is positioned in a straight line relative to the tractor 2 is shown by solid lines, and the state in which the trailer 3 is rotated to both sides relative to the tractor 2 is shown by imaginary lines (two-dot chain lines), with the hose 10 omitted. Considering the linear distance between the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 to which both ends of the hose 10 are connected and the other end 7b of the tractor side piping 7, the distances L2 and L3 when the trailer 3 is rotated to both sides relative to the tractor 2 are longer than the distance L1 when the trailer 3 is positioned in a straight line relative to the tractor 2. That is, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 from a state in which the trailer 3 is positioned in a straight line relative to the tractor 2, the distance between the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor side piping 7 becomes longer. Therefore, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 while the trailer 3 is positioned in a straight line relative to the tractor 2, the hose 10 connected to connect the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 and the other end 7b of the tractor side piping 7 receives a large pulling force. As a result, there is a high possibility that the hose 10 will be damaged or come off. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0020] In the configuration in which the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is located directly above the connecting portion (kingpin 5) between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 as in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, and in the configuration in which the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is located further to the rear of the vacuum tank trailer 1 than directly above the kingpin 5 as in the second embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 8, the hose 10 is not subjected to excessive pulling force and is less likely to be damaged or come off, compared to the configuration in which the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is located further to the front of the vacuum tank trailer 1 than directly above the kingpin 5 as in the comparative example shown in Figure 9.

[0021] [Third embodiment] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a vacuum tank trailer 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view showing a rotating state of the trailer 3 of the vacuum tank trailer 1. In the vacuum tank trailer 1 of this embodiment, the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 connected to the hose 10 is located at a higher position than the other end 7b of the tractor side piping 7 and is arranged near the top of the tank 8. In this configuration, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 and the hose 10 is curved as shown in FIG. 11, the curved hose 10 is located above the tank 8 and does not interfere with the corner 8b of the tank 8. If the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is arranged at a low position, for example, at a position below the center in the height direction of the tank 8, when the trailer 3 rotates relative to the tractor 2 and the hose 10 is curved, the curved hose 10 may get caught on the corner 8b of the tank 8, and the hose 10 may be damaged or come off. However, in this embodiment, the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is disposed at a higher position, so that the curved hose 10 does not move above the tank 8 and get caught on the corner 8b of the tank 8, thereby preventing the hose 10 from being damaged or coming off. The other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] 10 and 11 show a configuration in which the trailer-side piping 9 extends linearly from the other end 9e to one end 9d and is connected to the entrance / exit portion 8a, but is not limited to such a configuration. The trailer-side piping 9 may be configured such that a pair of metal pipe portions 9a, 9b and a flexible hose-like portion 9c located between the metal pipe portions 9a, 9b are connected to each other, as in the first and second embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 8. That is, even in a configuration in which the metal pipe portion 9b descends from the other end 9e and extends toward the rear of the vehicle and is connected to the hose-shaped portion 9c at the rear of the vehicle, the hose-shaped portion 9c rises from the bottom to the top of the vehicle and is connected to the metal pipe portion 9a, and one end 9d of the metal pipe portion 9a is connected to the entrance / exit portion 8a from the rear of the vehicle, as shown in Figures 1, 7, etc., if the other end 9e of the trailer side piping 9 is in a high position as described above, when the hose 10 is bent, it escapes above the tank 8 and does not get caught on the corner 8b of the tank 8, thereby preventing the hose 10 from being damaged or coming off.

[0023] [Variations] The vacuum tank trailer 1 of the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the first to third embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 8, 10 to 11. As described above, as long as the other end 9e of the trailer side pipe 9 is located directly above or further rearward from the connecting portion (kingpin 5) between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, the shapes of the hose 10, the tractor side pipe 7, and the trailer side pipe 9, and the position of the other end 7b of the tractor side pipe 7 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the hose 10 may be a horizontal U-shape. With this configuration, the hose 10 has a large excess length, and the hose 10 is less likely to receive an excessive pulling force. In the configuration shown in Fig. 12, a part of the tractor side pipe 7 is bent, and the other end 7b is located directly above the kingpin 5 and faces the tractor 2 side, like the other end 9e of the trailer side pipe 9. According to this configuration, the connection portions of the hose 10 and the other end 7b of the tractor-side piping 7 and the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 are both positioned to overlap the kingpin 5, which is the center of relative rotation between the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, so that the hose 10 is less likely to twist unnaturally. Note that in the modified example shown in Fig. 12, the other end 9e of the trailer-side piping 9 can also be positioned toward the rear of the vacuum tank trailer 1 rather than directly above the kingpin 5, as in the second embodiment.

[0024] [effect] According to the present invention, a semi-trailer type vacuum tank trailer 1 equipped with a tank 8 and a vacuum pump 6 can be easily realized. The semi-trailer type vacuum tank trailer 1 can obtain a loading capacity of about 2 to 3 times that of a truck type vacuum vehicle equipped with a tank 8 and a vacuum pump 6, so that a large amount of fluid can be transported at one time. Therefore, the semi-trailer type vacuum tank trailer 1 of the present invention can transport the same amount of fluid with fewer round trips compared to a truck type vacuum vehicle. As a result, the semi-trailer type vacuum tank trailer 1 of the present invention can reduce the number of vehicles and drivers compared to a truck type vacuum vehicle, and shorten the driver's working hours, which contributes to resolving labor (manpower) shortages and improving working conditions. In addition, it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the semi-trailer type vacuum tank trailer 1 can be easily manufactured at low cost, does not require complex mechanisms such as rotary joints, and has a simple configuration, allowing the tractor 2 to rotate widely relative to the trailer 3 without removing the hose 10, thereby achieving the effects of reducing the risk of the hose 10 being damaged or coming off. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 Vacuum Tank Trailer 2 Tractor 2a Driver's seat area 3. Trailer 4 Coupler 4a Recess 5. Kingpin 6 Vacuum Pump 7 Tractor side piping 7a One end 7b Other end 8. Tank 8a Entrance / exit section 8b Corner 9 Trailer side piping 9a, 9b Metal pipe section 9c Hose-shaped part 9d One end 9e Other end 10 Hose A Field

Claims

1. A vacuum tank trailer having a tractor and a trailer, The tractor and the trailer are connected to each other so as to be capable of rotating relative to each other, A vacuum pump and a tractor-side pipe are disposed in the tractor, and one end of the tractor-side pipe is connected to the vacuum pump, a tank and a trailer-side piping are arranged in the trailer, and one end of the trailer-side piping is connected to the tank; A vacuum tank trailer, characterized in that the other end of the tractor side piping and the other end of the trailer side piping are connected by a flexible hose, and the other end of the trailer side piping is located directly above the connection part between the tractor and the trailer, or is located toward the rear of the vacuum tank trailer rather than directly above the connection part.

2. 2. The vacuum tank trailer according to claim 1, wherein the tractor and the trailer are connected to each other so as to be capable of rotating relative to each other by a kingpin provided on the trailer being rotatably fitted into a recess of a coupler provided on the tractor.

3. 3. The vacuum tank trailer according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump is arranged at a position that does not overlap with a range of rotation of the tractor and the trailer.

4. 3. The vacuum tank trailer according to claim 1, wherein the hose has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 540 mm or more in a maximum curved state.

5. 3. The vacuum tank trailer according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the trailer-side pipe and the other end of the tractor-side pipe are located at different height positions.

6. 6. The vacuum tank trailer according to claim 5, wherein the other end of the trailer side piping is located at a higher position than the other end of the tractor side piping.

Images