Unloading assist device

Abstract

To provide an unloading assist device which can inhibit piling of cargos in a free roller conveyor.SOLUTION: An unloading assist device includes: a housing; a drive conveyor which is provided at the housing and may transport cargos; moving means which may move the housing; a control device which can control the drive conveyor and the moving means; and a piling prevention plate which is located at the downstream side in a transport direction of the drive conveyor and may change a transport angle of a cargo transported from the drive conveyor to a free roller conveyor relative to the free roller conveyor. The piling prevention plate inclines so as to get close to the free roller conveyor from the upstream to the downstream in the transport direction relative to the free roller conveyor and is located at a higher level than the free roller conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unloading aid. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Unloading assistance devices that assist manual unloading of cargo from the bed of a truck or a container are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-218379 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-196260 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-78126 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The unloading assist devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not take into consideration the retention of cargo on the free roller conveyor.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an unloading assistance device that can prevent cargo from accumulating on a free roller conveyor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An unloading assistance device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: An unloading auxiliary device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, comprising: A housing and a drive conveyor provided in the housing and capable of transporting luggage; A moving means capable of moving the housing; A control device capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; a retention prevention plate that is located downstream in the conveying direction of the drive conveyor and that is capable of changing a conveying angle of the luggage conveyed from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor with respect to the free roller conveyor; Equipped with The retention prevention plate is The conveyor is inclined relative to the free roller conveyor so as to approach the free roller conveyor from the upstream to the downstream in the transport direction, and is located above the free roller conveyor. Effect of the Invention

[0007] Advantageous Effects of Invention The unloading assist device of one aspect of the present invention can prevent cargo from accumulating on a free roller conveyor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an unloading assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the unloading aid of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the unloading aid of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining a usage mode of the unloading assist device of FIG. 1. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a first modified example of the unloading aid of FIG. 1; [Figure 5B] 5B is a partial side view showing the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A in a state in which the retention prevention plate is held in an upright position along the vertical direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a second modified example of the unloading assist device of FIG. 1; [Figure 7] 5B is a first flowchart illustrating an example of unloading using the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A. [Figure 8] 5B is a second flowchart illustrating an example of unloading using the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A. [Figure 9]5B is a third flowchart illustrating an example of unloading using the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A. [Figure 10] 5B is a fourth flowchart illustrating an example of unloading using the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A. [Figure 11] FIG. 5B is a side view showing a modified example in which the free roller conveyor is an expandable conveyor, illustrating how the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A is carried into the bed of a truck. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing the state following the step in FIG. 11 in which the unloading assist device in FIG. 5A is installed on the bed of a truck. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing the process following FIG. 12, in which the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A is used to transport luggage. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a process following FIG. 13, in which the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A is moved to the rear side of the bed of the truck. [Figure 15] 15 is a diagram showing the process following FIG. 14, in which the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A is used to transport luggage. [Figure 16] 15, showing how the unloading assist device of FIG. 5A is removed from the bed of the truck. [Figure 17] 5B is a fifth flowchart illustrating an example of unloading using the unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description does not limit the present invention, but is essentially merely illustrative, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The drawings are schematic, and the ratios of dimensions do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones.

[0010] An unloading assist device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 2, a drive conveyor 7, a moving means including a pair of wheels, and a control device 33, as shown in FIGS.

[0011] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the drive conveyor 7 is provided in the housing 2 and configured to be capable of transporting luggage. The moving means is configured to be capable of moving the housing 2 along a free roller conveyor (for example, a floor surface conveyor 105 or an expandable conveyor 105A described later). In this embodiment, the drive conveyor 7 is configured to transport the luggage placed thereon from the left side to the right side in Fig. 1. The moving means includes a pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and a pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B as a pair of wheels, and a wheel drive mechanism that drives the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B. The wheel drive mechanism includes drive motors 31A, 31B. The control device 33 is provided in the housing 2.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 33 is configured to be able to control the drive motors 31A, 31B and the conveying motor 30 based on an operation command from the operation unit 34. In this embodiment, the control device 33 includes a processor and a storage unit. The processor includes, for example, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC. The storage unit is configured, for example, as an internal recording medium or an external recording medium. The internal recording medium includes a non-volatile memory, etc. The external recording medium includes a hard disk (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk device, etc. The control device 33 is connected to a power supply unit 32 provided in the housing 2. The power supply unit 32 includes a battery 32a (for example, a lithium ion battery) configured to be rechargeable. Since the power supply unit 32 is a so-called cordless power supply, the unloading auxiliary device 1 can be easily moved to the back of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100.

[0013] The operation unit 34 has, for example, a plurality of switches. The plurality of switches include, for example, a drive switch for driving / stopping the drive conveyor 7, a speed switch for changing the conveying speed of the drive conveyor 7, a travel switch for moving (for example, forward, backward, or rotating) the unloading auxiliary device 1, and an emergency stop switch for instantly stopping the unloading auxiliary device 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows an example of a usage mode of the unloading assist device 1. In FIG. 3, the unloading assist device 1 is used for manual unloading from the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 to the transfer conveyor 104 and the sorting conveyor 103 of the berth 102 (an example of an unloading location). A non-driven floor surface conveyor 105 is provided on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100. In this embodiment, the floor surface conveyor 105 is an embedded conveyor embedded in the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100. Note that the floor surface conveyor 105 is not limited to an embedded conveyor, and may be any conveyor disposed on the floor surface of the loading platform. As shown in FIG. 1, the floor surface conveyor 105 has a plurality of free rollers 105a arranged along the transport direction of the baggage 200. Each free roller 105a is held rotatably with a part of it protruding from the floor surface 101a. The unloading assistance device 1 can also be used on things other than the bed 101 of the truck 100 (for example, a container with a built-in conveyor in the floor).

[0015] 2, the housing 2 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view along the vertical direction (i.e., the up-down direction in FIG. 1), and is configured so as to be positionable on the floor surface 101a. A drive conveyor 7 is provided on the upper part of the housing 2 in the vertical direction. The drive conveyor 7 may be built into the housing 2.

[0016] 1, the drive conveyor 7 includes, as an example, two conveyors (hereinafter referred to as a first drive conveyor 8 and a second drive conveyor 9), and is configured so that when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the drive conveyor 7 is located above the floor surface conveyor 105. The first drive conveyor 8 is located upstream of the second drive conveyor 9 in the transport direction.

[0017] The first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are configured to be drivable by a transport motor 30 (see FIG. 3) provided in the housing 2. The transport motor 30 includes, for example, a small, high-output coreless motor. The first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are inclined with respect to the floor surface 101a so as to approach the floor surface 101a from the upstream to the downstream in the transport direction. In this embodiment, the first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are configured so that the inclination angle of the first drive conveyor 8 with respect to the floor surface 101a is smaller than the inclination angle of the second drive conveyor 9 with respect to the floor surface 101a.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a support roller 16 is provided at the end of the second drive conveyor 9 on the downstream side in the conveying direction for supporting the second drive conveyor 9 in a state in which the second drive conveyor 9 is movable relative to the floor surface 101a.

[0019] As an example, the second drive conveyor 9 is configured such that its upstream end in the conveying direction is rotatably connected to the first drive conveyor 8 and can be held in an upright state along a substantially vertical direction.

[0020] In this embodiment, the unloading auxiliary device 1 includes a non-driven conveyor 6. As shown in Fig. 1, the non-driven conveyor 6 is provided in the housing 2, and is adjacent to the upstream side of the driven conveyor 7 in the conveying direction.

[0021] The non-driven conveyor 6 has a plurality of free rollers and is configured not to be driven by a drive motor or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the non-driven conveyor 6, like the driven conveyor, is inclined with respect to the floor surface 101a so as to approach the floor surface 101a from the upstream to the downstream in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, the non-driven conveyor 6 is configured so that its inclination angle with respect to the floor surface 101a is smaller than the inclination angle of the first driven conveyor 8 with respect to the floor surface 101a. The baggage 200 placed on the non-driven conveyor 6 is conveyed toward the driven conveyor 7 by its own weight. As shown in FIG. 2, the non-driven conveyor 6 has substantially the same dimension in the width direction (for example, the vertical direction in FIG. 2) as the driven conveyor 7.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B face each other in the width direction of the floor surface conveyor 105 (for example, the direction penetrating the paper surface in Fig. 1 or the up-down direction in Fig. 2) when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a. The pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B are provided at a position overlapping with the non-driven conveyor 6 in a plan view along the vertical direction. The pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B are provided at a position overlapping with the first driven conveyor 8 in a plan view along the vertical direction.

[0023] 2, the distance between the pair of driving wheels 21A, 21B in the width direction is W1, the distance between the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B in the width direction is W2, and the dimension of the floor conveyor 105 in the width direction is WC. The pair of driving wheels 21A, 21B and the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B are configured to satisfy "W1>WC and W2>WC." In other words, the unloading auxiliary device 1 is configured so that the distance (W1, W2) between the wheels facing each other in the width direction of the pair of wheels is wider than the width (WC) of the floor conveyor 105.

[0024] 1, the lowermost position of the drive conveyor 7 in the vertical direction (in this embodiment, the lowermost position of the end of the second drive conveyor 9 on the downstream side in the conveying direction) is L1, the lowermost position of the housing 2 in the vertical direction is L2, and the uppermost position of the floor conveyor 105 in the vertical direction is L3. The housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 are configured to satisfy "L1>L3 and L2>L3". In other words, the unloading auxiliary device 1 is configured to be able to move the housing 2 along the floor conveyor 105 when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, without the housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 contacting the floor conveyor 105.

[0025] The unloading aid 1 has the following features:

[0026] The unloading auxiliary device 1 is configured such that the distance (W1, W2) between the pair of wheels facing each other in the width direction is wider than the width (WC) of the floor conveyor 105, and when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the housing 2 can be moved along the floor conveyor 105 without the housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 coming into contact with the floor conveyor 105. With this configuration, when used for unloading using the floor conveyor 105 arranged on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101, it is possible to realize the unloading auxiliary device 1 that can move smoothly on the floor conveyor 105 without coming into contact with the floor conveyor 105.

[0027] The unloading auxiliary device 1 can optionally employ one or more of the following configurations. If one or more of the following configurations are included in the above embodiment, they can be optionally deleted, and if they are not included in the above embodiment, they can be optionally added. By employing such a configuration, when used for unloading using a floor surface conveyor 105 arranged on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101, it is possible to more reliably realize an unloading auxiliary device 1 that can move smoothly on the floor surface conveyor 105 without coming into contact with the floor surface conveyor 105. When the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the drive conveyor 7 is located above the floor surface conveyor 105. The pair of wheels includes a pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and a pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B. The moving means includes a wheel drive mechanism that drives the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B. The unloading auxiliary device 1 includes a non-driven conveyor 6 provided in a housing 2. The non-driven conveyor 6 is adjacent to the upstream side of the driven conveyor 7 in the transport direction of the luggage.

[0028] The unloading assist device 1 can have the following configuration.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5A, the unloading auxiliary device 1 may include a retention prevention plate 5. The retention prevention plate 5 is located downstream of the drive conveyor 7 in the conveying direction, and is configured to be able to change the conveying angle of the luggage 200 conveyed from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105 with respect to the floor conveyor 105. The retention prevention plate 5 is, for example, a substantially rectangular plate, and when the housing 2 is located on the floor conveyor 105, is inclined so as to approach the floor conveyor 105 from the upstream to the downstream in the conveying direction with respect to the floor conveyor 105, and is located vertically above the floor conveyor 105. By including the retention prevention plate 5 in the unloading auxiliary device 1, the luggage 200 can be smoothly moved from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105. This makes it possible to prevent retention of the luggage 200. In this embodiment, the retention prevention plate 5 is configured so that the inclination angle with respect to the floor conveyor 105 is smaller than that of the drive conveyor 7. This makes it possible to more reliably achieve smooth movement of luggage 200 from drive conveyor 7 to floor conveyor 105.

[0030] 5A includes a positioning member 28 located downstream in the conveying direction of the retention prevention plate 5. The positioning member 28 extends downward from the end 25b downstream in the conveying direction of the retention prevention plate 5, and is configured to be able to enter between two adjacent free rollers 105a among the multiple free rollers 105a that make up the floor surface conveyor 105. This allows the retention prevention plate 5 to be appropriately positioned with respect to the floor surface conveyor 105.

[0031] As an example, the retention prevention plate 5 is connected to the second drive conveyor 9 via the bracket 26. The retention prevention plate 5 and the bracket 26 are connected by inserting the pin 25c provided on the retention prevention plate 5 into the bearing hole 26a provided on the bracket 26. In other words, the retention prevention plate 5 is connected to the bracket 26 in a state in which it can rotate around the pin 25c toward the second drive. As shown in FIG. 5B, the unloading auxiliary device 1 can be configured so that the retention prevention plate 5 is held in an upright state along the vertical direction. In the unloading auxiliary device 1 of FIG. 5A, a support roller 17 is provided near the end 25b of the retention prevention plate 5 on the downstream side in the conveying direction to support the retention prevention plate 5 in a state in which it can move relative to the floor surface 101a.

[0032] The retention prevention plate 5 may be configured as shown in FIG. 6. An imaginary straight line extending vertically through the rotation axis CP of the free roller 105b with which the luggage 200 conveyed from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105 via the retention prevention plate 5 first comes into contact is designated as L4. In the unloading auxiliary device 1 shown in FIG. 6, the retention prevention plate 5 is configured such that when the housing 2 is positioned on the floor conveyor 105, a vector V1 indicating the inclination direction of the retention prevention plate 5 intersects with the imaginary straight line L4 above the rotation axis CP. With this configuration, when the luggage 200 comes into contact with the free roller 105b, the free roller 105b rotates in a direction that sends the luggage downstream (clockwise direction in FIG. 6), and the luggage 200 can be more reliably moved from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105 smoothly. If vector V1 contacts virtual line L4 below rotation axis CP, free roller 105b will rotate in the opposite direction, causing a force to act in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of luggage 200, resulting in the luggage getting stuck and unable to be conveyed.

[0033] In the unloading auxiliary device 1 shown in Fig. 6, a gap 106 is formed between the drive conveyor 7 and the retention prevention plate 5. The gap 106 has a size of, for example, 25 mm or more in the conveying direction. This prevents the user's fingers from being pinched between the drive conveyor 7 and the retention prevention plate 5.

[0034] An example of unloading using unloading auxiliary device 1 equipped with retention prevention plate 5 shown in FIG. 5A will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIGS.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, when the truck 100 arrives at the berth 102, a worker attaches the transfer conveyor 104 to the truck 100 (step S1).

[0036] The worker unloads the cargo 200 from the truck 100 to a position about 3 m from the truck door, and ensures a space in which the unloading assist device 1 can work (step S2).

[0037] The worker removes the transfer conveyor 104 from the truck 100, and moves the unloading assist device 1 placed on the lifter together with the lifter to the vicinity of the truck 100 (step S3).

[0038] The worker raises the lifter and places the unloading assist device 1 on the bed 101 of the truck 100 (step S4).

[0039] The worker sets up the unloading assist device 1 in parallel with and across the floor surface conveyor 105 on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 (step S5).

[0040] After installing the unloading auxiliary device 1, the worker drops the folded rear part of the driving conveyor 7 (i.e., the second driving conveyor 9) so that it touches the floor conveyor 105 (step S6). At this point, the retention prevention plate 5 is kept standing in the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the worker operates the forward switch of the operating unit 34 of the unloading auxiliary device 1 to move the unloading auxiliary device 1 to just before the unloading location, and attaches the transfer conveyor 104 to the truck 100 (step S7).

[0042] The worker operates the speed switch of the operation unit 34 to set the speed of the drive conveyor 7 in accordance with the packing state (for example, size, weight, and loading position) of the baggage 200 (step S8).

[0043] After setting the speed of the drive conveyor 7, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7 (step S9). At any timing of steps S7 to S9, the worker inserts the positioning member 28 between two adjacent free rollers 105a of the floor surface conveyor 105 to position the retention prevention plate 5.

[0044] After the drive conveyor 7 is driven, the worker transports the loaded luggage 200 (step S10). When the luggage 200 is placed on the non-drive conveyor 6, the loaded luggage 200 is automatically transported to the drive conveyor 7 by its own weight. The luggage 200 transported to the drive conveyor 7 is transported to the floor conveyor 105 on the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 by the drive of the transport motor 30. If there is a previously transported luggage 200 on the floor conveyor 105, the previously transported luggage 200 is pushed by the subsequently transported luggage 200 and moves toward the berth 102.

[0045] The worker repeats steps S7 to S10 to discharge the baggage 200 toward the berth 102 (step S11).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 9, the worker determines whether or not any cargo 200 is stuck on the drive conveyor 7 (step S12).

[0047] When it is determined that the luggage 200 is stuck on the driving conveyor 7, the worker places the luggage 200 on the non-driving conveyor 6 and uses the luggage 200 to manually push the stuck luggage 200 toward the berth 102 (step S13). At this time, the conveying force of the driving conveyor 7 is also applied to the luggage 200, so the load of manually pushing the luggage 200 is reduced.

[0048] If it is determined that the baggage 200 is not retained on the drive conveyor 7, the worker determines whether or not the baggage 200 is retained near the berth 102 (step S14).

[0049] When it is determined that the luggage 200 is accumulated near the berth 102, the worker temporarily suspends the unloading work and removes the accumulated luggage 200 (step S15). For example, when the unloading work is to be suspended for a long period of time, the unloading worker P1 operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to stop the drive conveyor 7. While the drive conveyor 7 is stopped, the sorting worker P2 removes the accumulated luggage 200 near the berth 102.

[0050] After steps S13 and S15, or if it is not determined in step S14 that luggage 200 is stranded near the berth 102, the worker confirms that all luggage 200 around the unloading auxiliary device 1 has been transported, and then operates the movement button on the operating unit 34 to move the unloading auxiliary device 1 forward (i.e., toward the back of the truck 100) (step S16).

[0051] 10, the worker determines whether or not all of the luggage 200 in the truck 100 have been transported toward the berth 102 (step S17). If it is not determined that all of the luggage 200 in the truck 100 have been transported toward the berth 102, the process returns to step S8, and the worker repeats steps S8 to S16.

[0052] When it is determined that all of the luggage 200 in the truck 100 has been transported toward the berth 102, the worker operates the drive button of the operation unit 34 to stop the drive conveyor 7 (step S18). At this time, there are no luggage 200 remaining on the non-drive conveyor 6 and the drive conveyor 7, but there is a possibility that luggage 200 remains on the floor conveyor 105.

[0053] After stopping the drive conveyor 7, the worker determines whether or not any baggage 200 remains on the floor conveyor 105 (step S19).

[0054] If it is determined that baggage 200 remains on the floor conveyor 105, the worker holds the retention prevention plate 5 in an upright position along the vertical direction and operates the movement switch of the operation unit 34 to move the unloading auxiliary device 1 backward (i.e., toward the berth 102) (step S20). As the unloading auxiliary device 1 moves toward the berth 102, the baggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105 is pushed and moved toward the berth 102 via the retention prevention plate 5. This reduces the burden on the worker during unloading.

[0055] After the luggage 200 on the floor conveyor 105 has been moved toward the berth 102, or if it is determined in step S19 that no luggage remains on the floor conveyor 105, the worker removes the transfer conveyor 104 from the truck 100, moves the empty lifter near the truck 100, and raises the lifter to the height of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 (step S21).

[0056] After lowering the lifter carrying the unloading assist device 1, the worker moves the unloading assist device 1 to the vicinity of the next unloading berth 102 (step S22), and the unloading is completed.

[0057] In step S20, instead of the retention prevention plate 5, the second drive conveyor 9 may be held upright along the vertical direction. In this case, the downstream end of the housing 2 in the transport direction comes into contact with the luggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105. In this way, the contact portion that can come into contact with the luggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105 may be the retention prevention plate 5 or another member (for example, the housing 2). By using the retention prevention plate 5 as the contact portion, the load on the worker involved in moving the unloading auxiliary device 1 can be reduced.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be embodied in various other aspects. For example, in the above, an example of the free roller conveyor is the floor surface conveyor 105 provided on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Figs. 11 to 16, the free roller conveyor may be an expandable conveyor 105A that can expand and contract in the conveying direction of the drive conveyor 7. The unloading auxiliary device 1 according to this modification is provided with a connecting means 10 (e.g., a stopper) that can connect the drive conveyor 7 and the expandable conveyor 105A on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the drive conveyor 7. Alternatively, the unloading auxiliary device 1 may be provided with a connecting means 10 that can connect the retention prevention plate 5 and the expandable conveyor 105A on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the drive conveyor 7. In this modification, the end of the expandable conveyor 105A that is remote from the drive conveyor 7 is connected to a fixed base 107 as shown in Figs. 12 to 16. The fixed base 107 is configured to be fixed onto the berth 102 so as not to move when the extendable conveyor 105A extends or retracts.

[0059] An example of unloading using unloading assist device 1 according to a modified embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 17.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11, when the truck 100 arrives at the berth 102, a worker carries the unloading assist device 1 and the extendable conveyor 105A into the truck 100 (step S31).

[0061] As shown in FIG. 12, a worker fixes the fixing base 107 onto the berth 102 (step S32).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 13, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7, and conveys the cargo 200 toward the fixed platform 107 via the extendable conveyor 105A (step S33).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 14, after transporting a certain amount of luggage 200, the worker extends the extendable conveyor 105A until the unloading assistance device 1 is positioned near the luggage 200 loaded on the loading platform 101 at the rear side of the truck 100 (step S34).

[0064] As shown in FIG. 15, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7, and conveys the cargo 200 toward the fixed platform 107 via the extendable conveyor 105A (step S35).

[0065] If the transportation of the cargo 200 in the truck 100 is not complete (NO in step S36), the worker performs steps S34 and S35 described above. On the other hand, if the transportation of the cargo 200 in the truck 100 is complete (YES in step S36), the worker moves the unloading auxiliary device 1 toward the fixed base 107 to retract the extendable conveyor 105A, as shown in Fig. 16, and carries the unloading auxiliary device 1 out of the truck 100 (step S37). This completes the unloading.

[0066] Any of the various embodiments described above may be appropriately combined to achieve the effects of each of the embodiments.

[0067] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading assistance device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, comprising: A housing and a drive conveyor provided in the housing and capable of transporting luggage; A moving means capable of moving the housing; A control device capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; a retention prevention plate that is located downstream in the conveying direction of the drive conveyor and that is capable of changing a conveying angle of the luggage conveyed from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor with respect to the free roller conveyor; Equipped with The retention prevention plate is The unloading auxiliary device is inclined so as to approach the free roller conveyor from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction and is positioned above the free roller conveyor.

[0068] According to a second aspect of the present invention, The free roller conveyor is The free roller conveyor includes a plurality of free rollers each having a rotation axis extending in a width direction of the free roller conveyor, The retention prevention plate is The present invention provides an unloading assistance device as described in the first aspect, in which a vector indicating the inclination direction of the stagnation prevention plate is configured to intersect with a virtual straight line extending vertically through the rotation axis of the free roller with which the cargo transported from the drive conveyor via the stagnation prevention plate first comes into contact, above the rotation axis.

[0069] According to a third aspect of the present invention, The drive conveyor is the conveyor is inclined toward the free roller conveyor from the upstream to the downstream in the conveying direction, The retention prevention plate is The unloading aid according to the first or second aspect has an inclination angle relative to the free roller conveyor smaller than that of the drive conveyor.

[0070] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, The unloading assist device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a gap is formed between the drive conveyor and the retention prevention plate.

[0071] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, The unloading assist device according to any one of the first and fourth aspects is provided, wherein the housing is located on the free roller conveyor and is movable along the free roller conveyor by the moving means.

[0072] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, The unloading auxiliary device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided with a connecting means, on the downstream side in the conveying direction, for connecting the drive conveyor and the free roller conveyor.

[0073] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, The present invention provides an unloading assistance device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, which is provided with a contact portion capable of contacting the luggage located on the free roller conveyor when the housing located on the free roller conveyor is moved by the moving means.

[0074] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, The unloading assist device according to a seventh aspect is provided, wherein the retention prevention plate constitutes the contact portion.

[0075] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, A method for unloading a load on a loading platform to an unloading location using the unloading assistance device according to the first aspect, comprising the steps of: The unloading assist device is disposed between the load on the loading platform and the unloading location; The method includes, when the luggage on the loading platform remains on the free roller conveyor between the unloading auxiliary device and the unloading location after the luggage is loaded on the drive conveyor and transported toward the unloading location, moving the unloading auxiliary device toward the unloading location to move the luggage on the free roller conveyor to the unloading location. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Auxiliary equipment 2. Chassis 5 Retention prevention plate 6 Non-driven conveyor 7 Drive Conveyor 8. First drive conveyor 9. Second Drive Conveyor 10 Connection means 16, 17 Support roller 21A, 21B A pair of driving wheels 22A, 22B A pair of driven wheels 26 Bracket 28 Positioning member 30 Conveyor motor 31A, 31B Drive motor 32 Power supply section 32a battery 33 Control device 34 Control section 100 Tracks 101 Cargo Bed 102 Bath 103 Sorting Conveyor 104 Transfer Conveyor 105 Floor conveyor (an example of a free roller conveyor) 105A Expandable conveyor (an example of a free roller conveyor) 106 Gap 200 Baggage

Claims

1. An unloading auxiliary device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, comprising: A housing and a drive conveyor provided in the housing and capable of transporting luggage; A moving means capable of moving the housing; A control device capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; a retention prevention plate that is located downstream in the conveying direction of the drive conveyor and that is capable of changing a conveying angle of the luggage conveyed from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor with respect to the free roller conveyor; Equipped with The retention prevention plate is An unloading auxiliary device that is inclined relative to the free roller conveyor so as to approach the free roller conveyor from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction and is positioned above the free roller conveyor.

2. The free roller conveyor is The free roller conveyor includes a plurality of free rollers each having a rotation axis extending in a width direction of the free roller conveyor, The retention prevention plate is 2. The unloading assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein a vector indicating the inclination direction of the stagnation prevention plate is configured to intersect with a virtual straight line extending vertically through the rotation axis of the free roller with which the luggage transported from the drive conveyor via the stagnation prevention plate first comes into contact, above the rotation axis.

3. The drive conveyor is the conveyor is inclined toward the free roller conveyor from the upstream to the downstream in the conveying direction, The retention prevention plate is 3. An unloading aid as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclination angle relative to the free roller conveyor is smaller than that of the drive conveyor.

4. The unloading assist device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gap is formed between the drive conveyor and the retention prevention plate.

5. 3. The unloading assist device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is located on the free roller conveyor and is movable along the free roller conveyor by the moving means.

6. 3. The unloading auxiliary device according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting means on the downstream side in the conveying direction for connecting the drive conveyor or the retention prevention plate to the free roller conveyor.

7. 3. An unloading assist device as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising a contact portion capable of contacting the luggage located on the free roller conveyor when the housing located on the free roller conveyor is moved by the moving means.

8. The unloading aid according to claim 7 , wherein the retention prevention plate constitutes the contact portion.

9. A method for unloading a load on a loading platform at an unloading location using the unloading assistance device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: The unloading assist device is disposed between the load on the loading platform and the unloading location; The method includes, after the cargo on the loading platform is loaded onto the drive conveyor and transported toward the unloading location, if any cargo remains on the free roller conveyor between the unloading assist device and the unloading location, moving the unloading assist device toward the unloading location to move the cargo on the free roller conveyor to the unloading location.

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