Vehicle transporter

Abstract

To provide a vehicle transporter which enables transported vehicles having various ground heights to be placed into a loading platform.SOLUTION: A vehicle transporter 10 includes: a loading platform 4 on which transported vehicles are placed from the rear; a tail gate 5 which is provided at a rear end of the loading platform 4 so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a fallen position; stoppers 15 each of which is configured so as to enable state change between a locking state where the stopper 15 locks the tail gate 5 in the upright position and a non-locking state where the stopper 15 releases the locking in the upright position; and operation levers 16 each of which is provided at the loading platform 4 side in a manner that enables downward rotation so as to switch the stopper 15 between the locking state and the non-locking state. The operation lever 16 is in an upright rotation position when switching the stopper 15 to the locking state and in a downward rotation position when switching the stopper 15 to the non-locking state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle transporter. [Background technology]

[0002] The car carrier described in Patent Document 1 includes a body frame, a tilt frame that is tilted downward toward the rear relative to the body frame, and a loading platform that is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the tilt frame. The loading platform moves rearward relative to the tilted tilt frame and is lowered to the ground. Cars are loaded onto or unloaded from the loading platform. The loading platform is then returned onto the tilted tilt frame, the tilt frame assumes a horizontal position, and the loading platform returns to the state where it is mounted on the body frame.

[0003] The bed has a bed body on which an automobile is placed and a tailgate attached to the rear end of the bed body. The tailgate is rotatable between an upright position in which it stands up from the rear end of the bed body and a collapsed position in which it is tilted backward of the bed body. The tailgate is in the upright position when the vehicle is traveling and when loading and unloading from the bed, and is in the collapsed position when an automobile is loaded onto or unloaded from the bed that has been lowered to the ground.

[0004] A locking device is provided on a loading platform having a tailgate to lock the tailgate in an upright position when the vehicle is traveling or when loading or unloading is being performed, in order to prevent the tailgate from falling over from an upright position when the vehicle suddenly starts moving or when the loading platform tilts during loading or unloading. The locking device has a hook, a stopper, and an operating lever provided on the loading platform body.

[0005] The hook is rotatably provided on the side of the bed body. An engagement pin on the tailgate side can engage with the hook. The engagement pin is fixed to one end of an arm, the other end of which is rotatably provided on the tailgate. The stopper is rotatably provided on the side of the bed body at a position where it can abut against the hook. The operating lever is attached to the stopper and can be raised and lowered and rotated together with the stopper.

[0006] When the tailgate is in an upright position, if the operating lever is rotated downward with the engagement pin on the tailgate engaged with the hook on the cargo bed body, the stopper comes into contact with the hook, restricting the rotation of the hook. This locks the tailgate in the upright position (see FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1). If the operating lever is rotated upward from this state, the contact between the stopper and the hook is released, and the tailgate is unlocked from the upright position. This allows the tailgate to be placed in a downright position (see FIG. 7 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5087351 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In the car carrier of Patent Document 1, when the tailgate is lowered and a car is loaded onto the bed body, the operating lever of the locking device is in an upright rotated position. Therefore, the cars that can be loaded onto the bed body are limited to cars with a ground clearance that does not interfere with the operating lever. For this reason, it is desirable to be able to load and transport cars with low ground clearance (such as sports cars) on the bed body.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a vehicle transporter capable of loading vehicles having various ground clearances on its platform. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) The vehicle transporter of the present invention comprises a loading platform on which a vehicle to be transported is placed from the rear, a tailgate provided at the rear end of the loading platform so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a lying-down position, a locking member configured to be changeable between a locked state in which the tailgate is locked in the upright position and an unlocked state in which the tailgate is unlocked from the upright position, and an operating lever provided on the loading platform side so as to be rotatable up and down in order to switch the locking member between the locked state and the unlocked state, wherein the operating lever is in an upright rotation position when the locking member is switched to the locked state and in a lying-down rotation position when the locking member is switched to the unlocked state.

[0011] According to the present invention, when the locking member releases the lock on the tailgate from the upright position and is in the unlocked state, the operating lever is in the lowered rotation position. Therefore, when the tailgate is lowered from this state to load a transported vehicle onto the bed, even a transported vehicle with a relatively low ground clearance can be loaded onto the bed without interfering with the operating lever. This allows transported vehicles with various ground clearances to be loaded onto the bed.

[0012] (2) In the vehicle transporter of (1) above, the lying-down rotation position is preferably a position in which the operating lever is lying down toward the front of the loading platform relative to the standing-up rotation position. In this case, when loading a vehicle onto the platform, if the lever is in the upright position due to an operator's erroneous operation, the vehicle may hit the lever. However, even if the vehicle hits the lever, the lever will fall toward the front of the platform, that is, toward the loading direction in which the vehicle moves on the platform. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle from interfering with the lever and being damaged. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the vehicle transporter of the present invention, vehicles having various ground clearances can be loaded onto the platform. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a vehicle transporter according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state during traveling. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle transporter, showing a state in which the loading platform is moved rearward relative to the tilt frame in a horizontal position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a side view of the vehicle transporter, showing a state in which the tilt frame is moving rearward while tilting rearwardly downward. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle transporter, showing the loading platform moved to a rearward position relative to the tilt frame which is in the middle of tilting. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle transporter, showing the state in which the platform is in a rearward position relative to the tilt frame in an inclined posture and in contact with the ground. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the rear of the cargo bed, showing the tailgate in an upright position. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of the rear of the cargo bed, showing the tailgate in a lowered position. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of the locking device, showing the hook in a first state and the stopper in a locked state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view of the locking device showing the stopper in an unlocked state. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a side view of the locking device, showing a state in which the hook is rotated. [Figure 12] 4 is a side view of the locking device, showing the hook in a second state. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the stopper and the hook located immediately before the locked state. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the stopper and the hook in a locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 are side views of a vehicle transporter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle transporter 1 is a cargo vehicle that transports transported vehicles such as automobiles. Hereinafter, in this specification, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle transporter 1 is referred to as the "front-to-rear direction", and the up-to-down direction of the vehicle transporter 1 is referred to as the "up-to-down direction". The left-to-right direction when the vehicle transporter 1 is viewed from the front or rear is referred to as the "vehicle width direction". Of the "vehicle width direction", the direction from the center of the vehicle transporter 1 in the left-to-right direction to the right or left is referred to as the "outer side in the vehicle width direction", and the direction from the right or left side in the left-to-right direction to the center is referred to as the "inner side in the vehicle width direction".

[0016] [Overall configuration] 1 to 5, a vehicle transporter 1 includes a vehicle body frame 2, a loading / unloading device 3, a bed 4, and a tailgate (stepping board) 5. A transported vehicle can be placed on the bed 4 from the rear thereof. The loading / unloading device 3 is a device for loading and unloading the bed 4 between the ground and the vehicle body frame 2. At the rear end of the bed 4, a ground contact roller 4a that comes into contact with the ground is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. A pair of ground contact rollers 4a are provided in the vehicle width direction of the bed 4 (see also FIG. 8). The tailgate 5 is attached to the rear end of the bed 4.

[0017] The loading / unloading device 3 has a tilt frame 6 and a drive mechanism 7. The tilt frame 6 is provided on the body frame 2 and extends in the front-rear direction of the body frame 2. The rear of the tilt frame 6 is placed on a guide roller 8 provided at the rear end of the body frame 2. The guide roller 8 is rotatable about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction relative to the body frame 2.

[0018] The drive mechanism 7 (see FIG. 3) has a hydraulic cylinder 7a and an arm 7b. When the hydraulic cylinder 7a is extended, the arm 7b stands up relative to the vehicle body frame 2. When the arm 7b stands up, the tilt frame 6 tilts downward toward the rear with the guide roller 8 as a fulcrum, and moves rearward while sliding on the guide roller 8. In other words, the drive mechanism 7 can move the tilt frame 6 rearward while tilting it downward toward the rear relative to the vehicle body frame 2 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). When the hydraulic cylinder 7a is contracted from a state in which the tilt frame 6 is in an inclined position (see FIG. 5), the arm 7b falls down, and the tilt frame 6 returns to a horizontal position (see FIG. 1) while moving forward.

[0019] The drive mechanism 7 further has a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the loading platform 4 in the front-rear direction along the tilt frame 6. The moving mechanism has a power transmission member such as a chain connected to the loading platform 4, and can move the loading platform 4 in the front-rear direction along the tilt frame 6. This moving mechanism can move the loading platform 4 between a forward position (FIG. 1) and a backward position (FIGS. 4 and 5) with respect to the tilt frame 6 in a horizontal or inclined position. When the loading platform 4 is moved backward with the tilt frame 6 in an inclined position, the ground roller 4a at the rear end of the loading platform 4 rotates while in contact with the ground, so that the loading platform 4 can be moved smoothly.

[0020] When the vehicle transporter 1 is traveling (see FIG. 1), the tilt frame 6 is in a horizontal position, the loading platform 4 is in a forward position, and the tailgate 5 is in an upright position relative to the loading platform 4.

[0021] 6 and 7 are side views showing the rear of the cargo bed 4. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the tailgate 5 is attached to the rear end of the cargo bed 4 so as to be rotatable about an axis 9 extending in the vehicle width direction. The tailgate 5 is rotatable between an upright position (Fig. 6) in which it stands up from the rear end of the cargo bed 4 and a laid-down position (Fig. 7) in which it is laid down behind the cargo bed 4. The tailgate 5 of this embodiment is manually rotated.

[0022] [Locking device configuration] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the rear of the loading platform 4. In Fig. 8, the loading platform 4 and the tailgate 5 are shown by two-dot chain lines for the sake of convenience. In Figs. 6 to 8, the vehicle transporter 1 is equipped with locking devices 10 that lock and unlock the tailgate 5 in an upright position. The locking devices 10 are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the rear of the loading platform 4. Each locking device 10 has an arm 11, an engagement pin 12, a link (guiding member) 13, a hook (engagement member) 14, a stopper (locking member) 15, and an operating lever 16.

[0023] A rear end 11a of the arm 11 is rotatably attached to a longitudinal midpoint of a side surface of the tailgate 5. A front end 11b of the arm 11 is located outside the cargo bed 4 in the vehicle width direction. An engagement pin 12 is fixed to the front end 11b of the arm 11. The engagement pin 12 is attached to the front end 11b of the arm 11.

[0024] The link 13 is made of, for example, a plate member curved into an L shape. One end 13a of the link 13 is rotatably connected to a side surface of the cargo bed 4. The other end 13b of the link 13 is rotatably connected to a front intermediate portion of the arm 11. When the tailgate 5 is in an upright position, the other end 13b of the link 13 is located forward of the one end 13a. When the tailgate 5 is in a laid-down position, the other end 13b of the link 13 is located rearward of the one end 13a.

[0025] When the tailgate 5 in the upright position starts to tilt backward, the link 13 guides the arm 11 linked to the tailgate 5, and moves the engagement pin 12 upward. In other words, when the tailgate 5 in the upright position starts to tilt backward, the arm 11 and the engagement pin 12 move backward together, but the link 13 guides the arm 11 to make the engagement pin 12 describe a predetermined trajectory. This trajectory is an upwardly convex circular arc trajectory, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figures 6 and 7.

[0026] When the tailgate 5 is in the upright position, the engagement pin 12 is located at the front end of the arc trajectory. When the tailgate 5 is in the laid-down position, the engagement pin 12 is located at the rear end of the arc trajectory. When the tailgate 5 begins to tilt backward from the upright position, the engagement pin 12 first moves diagonally upward and backward. As the tailgate 5 tilts backward, the engagement pin 12 moves diagonally upward and backward, and then moves diagonally downward and backward. When the tailgate 5 tilts backward to the laid-down position, the engagement pin 12 moves rearward, and the arm 11, from its rear end 11a to its front end 11b, assumes a position that is aligned with the fore-and-aft direction of the cargo bed 4 and the tailgate 5.

[0027] [Hook] 9 to 12 are side views of the locking device 10. In Figs. 9 to 12, the arm 11 is shown by a two-dot chain line for convenience (the same applies to Figs. 13 and 14). In Fig. 9, the hook 14 of the locking device 10 is provided on the side surface of the loading platform 4, forward of the other end 13b of the link 13. The hook 14 is attached to the side surface of the loading platform 4 so as to be rotatable about an axis 17 extending in the vehicle width direction. The hook 14 has a protruding portion 14a protruding rearward, an engagement groove 14b and a receiving portion 14c formed below the protruding portion 14a, and an abutted portion 14d formed from above the protruding portion 14a to the front.

[0028] The engagement groove 14b is a groove into which the engagement pin 12 on the arm 11 can engage, and is formed adjacent to the lower side of the protrusion 14a and opening to the rear of the hook 14. The hook 14 is rotatable between a first state (FIG. 9) in which the engagement groove 14b opens horizontally rearward, and a second state (FIG. 12) in which the engagement groove 14b opens diagonally upward and rearward.

[0029] One end of an elastic member 21 is attached to the hook 14. The other end of the elastic member 21 is attached to the side surface of the cargo bed 4. The elastic member 21 is, for example, a tension coil spring, and biases the hook 14 in a direction to put it into the second state. When the hook 14 is in the first state, it abuts against a restricting pin 23 fixed to the side surface of the cargo bed 4. The restricting pin 23 restricts the hook 14 in the first state from rotating in the direction opposite to the direction in which the hook 14 rotates to the second state.

[0030] The receiving portion 14c is a portion that receives the engagement pin 12 when the hook 14 is in the second state. The receiving portion 14c is formed on the opposite side (lower side) of the protruding portion 14a across the engagement groove 14b. In other words, the engagement groove 14b is formed between the protruding portion 14a and the receiving portion 14c. The receiving portion 14c protrudes rearward beyond the protruding portion 14a.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 9, when the hook 14 is in the first state, the protrusion 14a presses the engagement pin 12 engaged with the engagement groove 14b from above. This restricts the upward movement of the engagement pin 12. The engagement pin 12 is also supported from below by the receiving portion 14c. This restricts the downward movement of the engagement pin 12. Therefore, the engagement pin 12 is sandwiched between the protrusion 14a and the receiving portion 14c and held in a state engaged with the engagement groove 14b. In other words, the tailgate 5 is held in an upright position.

[0032] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, when the hook 14 is in the second state, the engagement pin 12 that is attempting to move upward from the engagement groove 14b cannot be held down from above by the protrusion 14a. In other words, the hook 14 in the second state allows the engagement pin 12 to move upward. In other words, the tailgate 5 becomes rotatable from the upright position to the lying down position. Also, when the hook 14 is in the second state, the engagement pin 12 becomes engageable with the engagement groove 14b from above. The engagement of the engagement pin 12 with the engagement groove 14b brings about a state in which the tailgate 5 side is engaged with the hook 14. In other words, the tailgate 5 becomes rotatable from the lying down position to the standing position.

[0033] The abutted portion 14d of the hook 14 is a portion with which the stopper 15 abuts. The abutted portion 14d has a first abutted surface (abutted surface) 14e located at the front upper portion and a second abutted surface 14f located at the rear upper portion. The first abutted surface 14e and the second abutted surface 14f are formed continuously. The first abutted surface 14e is a concave curved surface. The first abutted surface 14e of this embodiment is a concave arc surface. The second abutted surface 14f is a convex curved surface. The second abutted surface 14f of this embodiment is a convex arc surface.

[0034] [Stopper] 9 to 12, the stopper 15 is provided on the side surface of the loading platform 4, forward and above the hook 14. The stopper 15 is attached to the loading platform 4 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 18 extending in the vehicle width direction. The stopper 15 has an abutment surface 15b that can abut against the hook 14. The abutment surface 15b is formed at a position away from the rotation center (center of the shaft 18) X of the stopper 15 on the radially outer side. The abutment surface 15b abuts against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14 in the first state (FIG. 9). The abutment surface 15b in this embodiment is a convex arc surface.

[0035] The stopper 15 is configured to be able to change between a locked state (FIG. 9) and an unlocked state (FIGS. 10 to 12). The stopper 15 of this embodiment is rotatable with respect to the platform 4 between the locked state and the unlocked state.

[0036] In the locked state, the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 abuts against the first abutment surface 14e of the hook 14 in the first state. In this state, frictional force is generated between the abutment surface 15b and the first abutment surface 14e, so that the hook 14 with the engagement pin 12 engaged therewith is restricted from rotating from the first state. In other words, the tailgate 5 is locked in the upright position.

[0037] In the unlocked state, the abutment between the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 and the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14 is released. In this state, the hook 14 is permitted to rotate, and the engagement pin 12 is allowed to move upward. That is, the lock of the tailgate 5 in the upright position is released. When the stopper 15 is in the unlocked state, it abuts against a regulating pin 24 fixed to the side surface of the loading platform 4. The regulating pin 24 regulates the stopper 15 in the unlocked state from rotating in the opposite direction to the direction in which it rotates to the locked state. In the locking device 10 of the above embodiment, the hook 14 and the stopper 15 are provided on the loading platform 4 side, and the arm 11 and the engagement pin 12 are provided on the tailgate 5 side, but these may be provided in reverse. That is, the hook 14 and the stopper 15 may be provided on the tailgate 5 side, and the arm 11 and the engagement pin 12 may be provided on the loading platform 4 side.

[0038] [Abutting surface] Fig. 13 is a side view showing the stopper 15 and hook 14 located just before the locked state. Fig. 14 is a side view showing the stopper 15 and hook 14 in the locked state. In the rotation range from just before the locked state (Fig. 13) to the locked state (Fig. 14), the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 is formed to abut against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14.

[0039] The contact surface 15b has an initial contact portion 151 that contacts the first contact surface 14e at the beginning of the rotation range, and an end contact portion 152 that contacts the first contact surface 14e at the end of the rotation range. The initial contact portion 151 continues to contact the first contact surface 14e throughout the entire rotation range. The end contact portion 152 does not contact the first contact surface 14e at the beginning of the rotation range.

[0040] 13, a distance L2 from a contact final portion 152 of the contact surface 15b to the rotation center X of the stopper 15 is longer than a distance L1 from an abutment initial portion 151 with the first abutted surface 14e of the contact surface 15b to the rotation center X of the stopper 15. Since the contact surface 15b of the present embodiment is a convex arc surface as described above, the contact surface 15b is formed such that the distance L to the rotation center X gradually becomes longer from the contact initial portion 151 toward the contact final portion 152.

[0041] As described above, when the stopper 15 rotates from Fig. 13 to Fig. 14, the contact end portion 152 of the stopper 15 abuts against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14, so that the stopper 15 is gradually and strongly pressed against the hook 14. The pressing force causes the stopper 15 and the hook 14 to elastically deform, so that the stopper 15 rotates to the locked state shown in Fig. 14. For convenience, Fig. 14 shows a state in which the stopper 15 and the hook 14 rotate without elastically deforming.

[0042] [Operation lever] The operating lever 16 is used when an operator switches the stopper 15 between a locked state (Fig. 9) and an unlocked state (Fig. 10). The operating lever 16 is provided on the stopper 15 on the side of the loading platform 4. The operating lever 16 has a fixed portion 16a that is fixed to the stopper 15 and a gripping portion 16b that is gripped by the operator.

[0043] The fixed portion 16a is fixed to the outer surface 15e of the stopper 15 by welding or the like in the locked state. The outer surface 15e faces diagonally upward and rearward when the stopper 15 is in the locked state, and faces diagonally upward and forward when the stopper 15 is in the unlocked state. Therefore, the fixed portion 16a is fixed to the outer surface 15e which faces generally upward in both the locked and unlocked states of the stopper 15. The fixed portion 16a is disposed so as to extend along the front-rear direction of the outer surface 15e. The grip portion 16b is bent from the front end of the fixed portion 16a and extends in a direction away from the stopper 15.

[0044] The operating lever 16 can be raised and lowered around an axis 18 together with the stopper 15. By raising and lowering the operating lever 16, the stopper 15 is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state. The operating lever 16 of this embodiment is in an upright rotation position (FIG. 6) when the stopper 15 is switched to the locked state, and is in a laid-down rotation position (FIG. 7) when the stopper 15 is switched to the unlocked state.

[0045] In the upright rotation position, the grip portion 16b of the operating lever 16 is in an upright state above the cargo bed 4. In the lying-down rotation position, the grip portion 16b of the operating lever 16 is in a lying-down state along the front-to-rear direction of the cargo bed 4. In this embodiment, when the operating lever 16 is in the lying-down rotation position, the grip portion 16b is in a lying-down state toward the front of the cargo bed 4 relative to the upright rotation position.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, the operating levers 16 of the locking device 10 provided on both the left and right sides (in the vehicle width direction) of the loading platform 4 are linked by a connecting shaft 19. The connecting shaft 19 extends in the vehicle width direction below the upper surface of the loading platform 4. Both ends of the connecting shaft 19 are connected to shafts 18 that rotatably support the left and right stoppers 15, respectively. When the connecting shaft 19 (shaft 18) rotates, the left and right operating levers 16 rotate integrally with the left and right stoppers 15. As a result, when one of the left and right operating levers 16 is rotated by an operator, the other also rotates in conjunction with the left and right operating levers 16. Therefore, the operability of the operating levers 16 can be improved with a simple configuration.

[0047] [Locking device operation] Next, the operation of the locking device 10 will be described. First, the operation of unlocking the tailgate 5 from the upright position will be described. In FIG. 9, the engagement pin 12 is engaged with the engagement groove 14b of the hook 14, and the hook 14 is in the first state. The operating lever 16 is in the upright rotation position, and the stopper 15 is in a locked state in which the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 abuts against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14. In this state, the hook 14 cannot be rotated to the second state. In other words, the stopper 15 restricts the hook 14 from rotating to the second state. Therefore, the hook 14 does not rotate on its own due to vibrations or the like while the vehicle transporter 1 is traveling. It will not rotate on its own due to vibrations while driving.

[0048] The operator rotates the operating lever 16, which is in the upright rotation position, in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 9 to the lying down rotation position. By this rotation operation of the operating lever 16, the stopper 15 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 18 and enters the unlocked state, as shown in FIG. 10. In this state, the abutment between the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 and the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14 is released. This allows the hook 14 to rotate from the first state to the second state. In other words, the lock of the tailgate 5 in the upright position by the stopper 15 is released.

[0049] 10, the arm 11 receives a load that causes the tailgate 5 in an upright position to fall forward. Due to this load of the tailgate 5, the engagement pin 12 on the arm 11 side is in a state in which it presses down the receiving portion 14c of the hook 14. Therefore, in this state, the biasing force of the elastic member 21 acts on the hook 14, but the hook 14 is maintained in the first state.

[0050] When the worker starts to tilt the tailgate 5 backward from the upright position, the engagement pin 12 on the arm 11 side starts to move diagonally upward and backward, pushing up the protrusion 14a of the hook 14, which was in the first state, as shown in Figure 11. This upward pushing force of the engagement pin 12 causes the hook 14 to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 11 toward the second state.

[0051] 12, when the hook 14 rotates to the second state, the second abutment surface 14f of the hook 14 abuts against the stopper 15. In this state, the counterclockwise rotation of the hook 14 is restricted. Also, the engagement between the engagement pin 12 of the arm 11 and the hook 14 is released.

[0052] When the operator tilts the tailgate 5 further backward, the arm 11 is guided by the link 13, and the engagement pin 12 moves backward away from the hook 14. This allows the tailgate 5 to be rotated to the lowered position. The hook 14 is held in the second state by the elastic force of the elastic member 21.

[0053] Next, the operation of changing the tailgate 5 from the lying down position to the standing position and locking it will be described. The worker rotates the tailgate 5 from the lying down position to the standing position. When the tailgate 5 takes the standing position, the arm 11 is guided by the link 13, so that the engagement pin 12 on the arm 11 side moves diagonally downward and forward. Then, the engagement pin 12 abuts against the receiving portion 14c of the hook 14 from above (the state shown in FIG. 12).

[0054] By the rotational movement of the tailgate 5 into the upright position, the engagement pin 12 pushes down the receiving portion 14c, forcing the hook 14 to rotate clockwise as shown in Figs. 12 to 11. At that time, the second abutment surface 14f of the hook 14 is released from abutment with the stopper 15. Then, with the tailgate 5 in the upright position, the hook 14 is in the first state (Fig. 10). As a result, the stopper 15 becomes rotatable from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0055] From the state shown in Fig. 10, the operator rotates the operating lever 16, which is in the lying-down rotation position, counterclockwise to the standing rotation position. By rotating the operating lever 16 in this manner, the stopper 15 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 18 as the center and enters a locked state, as shown in Fig. 9. As a result, the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 abuts against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14, so that the rotation of the hook 14 is restricted and the hook 14 is held in the first state. With the hook 14 held in the first state, the upward movement of the engagement pin 12 is restricted and the tailgate 5 is locked in the standing position.

[0056] When the operator rotates the operating lever 16 to the lowered rotation position, if the stopper 15 rotates to a position just before the locked state, as shown in Fig. 13, an initial contact portion 151 of the contact surface 15b of the stopper 15 starts to contact the first contacted surface 14e of the hook 14. However, at this point in time, an end contact portion 152 of the contact surface 15b of the stopper 15 does not contact the first contacted surface 14e of the hook 14.

[0057] When the operator further rotates the operating lever 16, the stopper 15 rotates to the locked state with the contact initial portion 151 abutting against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14. At the end of the rotation (FIG. 14), the contact final portion 152 of the stopper 15 begins to abut against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14. At the contact surface 15b of the stopper 15, the distance L to the rotation center X gradually increases from the contact initial portion 151 toward the contact final portion 152 as described above.

[0058] Therefore, as the stopper 15 approaches the locked state, the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 gradually presses more strongly against the first abutted surface 14e of the hook 14. As the pressing force of the abutment surface 15b against the first abutted surface 14e increases in this manner, the rotation resistance (frictional force) acting on the stopper 15 gradually increases. This increase in the rotation resistance is transmitted to the operating lever 16, so the operator can know that the tailgate 5 is locked in the upright position.

[0059] [Effects of the embodiment] When the stopper 15 is in an unlocked state in which the tailgate 5 is unlocked from the upright position, the operating lever 16 is in the lying-down rotation position. Therefore, when the tailgate 5 is laid down from this state to load a transported vehicle onto the loading platform 4, even a transported vehicle with a relatively low ground clearance can be loaded onto the loading platform 4 without interfering with the operating lever 16. This allows transported vehicles with various ground clearances to be loaded onto the loading platform 4.

[0060] When loading a vehicle to be transported onto the loading platform 4, if the operating lever 16 is in the upright rotation position due to, for example, an operator's erroneous operation, there is a risk that the vehicle to be transported will hit the operating lever 16. However, the operating lever 16 falls from the upright rotation position to the front side of the loading platform 4 to reach the lying-down rotation position. Therefore, even if the vehicle to be transported hits the operating lever 16, the operating lever 16 will fall toward the front side of the loading platform 4, that is, toward the loading direction in which the vehicle to be transported moves on the loading platform 4. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle to be transported from interfering with the operating lever 16 and being damaged.

[0061] When the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15 is brought into abutment with the hook 14 engaged with the tailgate 5 side to lock the tailgate 5 in the upright position, the operator rotates the stopper 15 around the rotation center X from the unlocked state to the locked state using the operating lever 16. At that time, since the distance L2 from the abutment final portion 152 to the rotation center X is longer than the distance L1 from the abutment initial portion 151 to the rotation center X on the abutment surface 15b of the stopper 15, the abutment final portion 152 is pressed more strongly against the hook 14 than the abutment initial portion 151. This strong pressing force increases the rotation resistance acting on the stopper 15, and the increase in the rotation resistance is transmitted to the operating lever 16, allowing the operator to easily grasp that the tailgate 5 is locked in the upright position.

[0062] In addition, since the stopper 15 in the locked state strongly presses the hook 14 as described above, the hook 14 can be reliably restricted from rotating from the first state, thereby effectively preventing the tailgate 5 from tipping over from the upright position.

[0063] The contact surface 15b of the stopper 15 is formed so that the distance L to the rotation center X gradually increases from the contact initial portion 151 toward the contact final portion 152. As a result, the rotation resistance acting on the stopper 15 gradually increases as the stopper 15 approaches the locked state, so that the worker can easily grasp that the tailgate 5 is being locked in the upright position.

[0064] [others] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope of the claims and the meaning equivalent thereto.

[0065] For example, the tailgate 5 of the vehicle transporter 1 in the above embodiment is manually raised and lowered, but may be automatically raised and lowered by an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder. The operation lever 16 in the above embodiment is provided on both the left and right sides of the loading platform 4, but may be provided on only one of the left and right sides of the loading platform 4. In addition, the operation lever 16 in the lowered rotation position is lowered to the front side of the loading platform 4 relative to the upright rotation position, but may be lowered to the rear side of the loading platform 4 relative to the upright rotation position.

[0066] The operating lever 16 in the above embodiment is provided on the stopper 15 to rotate up and down, but is not limited to this. For example, the operating lever 16 may be provided on the side surface of the platform 4 in the vicinity of the stopper 15 so as to be capable of rotating up and down, and may directly or indirectly engage with the stopper 15 during the up and down rotation to switch the stopper 15 between a locked state and an unlocked state.

[0067] The contact surface 15b of the stopper 15 in the above embodiment is formed so that the distance L to the rotation center X gradually increases from the contact initial portion 151 toward the contact final portion 152, but is not limited to this. For example, a step may be provided between the contact initial portion 151 and the contact final portion 152 on the contact surface 15b, so that the distance L from the contact final portion 152 to the rotation center X suddenly increases at the step.

[0068] In the above embodiment, in the contact surface 15b of the stopper 15, the distance L2 from the contact final portion 152 to the rotation center X is longer than the distance L1 from the contact initial portion 151 to the rotation center X, but is not limited to this. For example, the distance L2 may be the same as the distance L1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 Vehicle transport vehicle 4 Cargo platform 5 Tailgate 15 Stopper (locking member) 16 Operating lever

Claims

1. A loading platform for the transported vehicle from the rear, a tailgate provided at a rear end of the loading platform so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a lying position; a locking member configured to be changeable between a locked state in which the tailgate is locked in the upright position and an unlocked state in which the tailgate is unlocked from the upright position; an operating lever provided on the loading platform side so as to be capable of raising and lowering in order to switch the locking member between the locked state and the unlocked state, The operating lever is set to an upright rotation position when the locking member is switched to the locked state, and is set to a lying down rotation position when the locking member is switched to the unlocked state.

2. 2. The vehicle transporter according to claim 1, wherein the lying-down rotation position is a position in which the operating lever is laid down to the front side of the loading platform relative to the standing-up rotation position.

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