Vehicle storage and transportation device, ship with the same, and control method for vehicle storage and transportation device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle storage and transportation device capable of effectively storing and transporting vehicles in a ship, in consideration of launching the vehicle traveling on or through water into the sea and lifting / recovering it from the sea.SOLUTION: A vehicle storage and transportation device 3 is connected to a launch / lifting device 7 to launch and / or lift multiple vehicles 5, which travel on or through water, between the sea and the device, and stores the vehicles 5 in a ship 1 and transports them. The vehicle storage and transportation device 3 comprises multiple belt conveyors 11 with the longitudinal direction dimension in which only one vehicle 5 can be transported, a transportation path 9 where each belt conveyor 11 is arranged lengthwise in the longitudinal direction and arranged so that the vehicle 5 can be delivered between the adjacent belt conveyors 11 in the longitudinal direction, and a control part to deliver the vehicle 5 between the launch / lifting device 7 and the belt conveyor by driving each belt conveyor 11 separately.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle accommodating and transporting device that accommodates and transports a plurality of vehicles that travel on or underwater on a ship, a ship equipped with the same, and a method for controlling the vehicle accommodating and transporting device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A lifting device is known that loads a small vessel onto a ship, launches it into the sea, and lifts it from the sea (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6942312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The lifting device described in Patent Document 1 is designed to launch or lift one small boat, but does not disclose how the stored small boat is stored and transported on a ship.

[0005] When accommodating multiple vehicles that travel on or underwater, such as small boats, on a ship, it is necessary to accommodate the vehicles efficiently, taking into consideration the launching of the vehicles into the sea and the lifting of the vehicles from the sea.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle storage and transportation device that can efficiently store and transport vehicles on a ship, taking into account the launching into the sea of ​​vehicles traveling on or underwater and the recovery from the sea, as well as a ship equipped with the same, and a method for controlling the vehicle storage and transportation device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle storage and transportation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle storage and transportation device that is connected to a loading and retrieval device that loads and / or retrieves multiple vehicles traveling on or underwater between the sea and the sea, and stores and transports the vehicles on a ship, and is equipped with a plurality of conveyors having a longitudinal dimension sufficient to transport only one of the vehicles, a transport path in which each of the conveyors is arranged in a vertical row in the longitudinal direction and the vehicles can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction, and a control unit that drives each of the conveyors individually to transfer the vehicles between the loading and retrieval device.

[0008] A ship according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned vehicle storage and transportation device.

[0009] A control method for a vehicle storage and transportation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for a vehicle storage and transportation device that is connected to a loading and / or retrieval device that loads and / or retrieves multiple vehicles traveling on or underwater between the sea and the sea, and stores and transports the vehicles on a ship, wherein the vehicle storage and transportation device comprises a plurality of conveyors having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one of the vehicles, and a transport path in which each of the conveyors is arranged in a vertical row in the longitudinal direction and the vehicles can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction, and each of the conveyors is driven individually to transfer the vehicles between the loading and retrieval device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] Taking into consideration the launching of vehicles traveling on or underwater into the sea and the lifting up of vehicles from the sea, the vehicles can be efficiently accommodated on the ship and transported. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a ship equipped with a vehicle storage transport device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of the belt conveyor of FIG. [Diagram 3]13 is a plan view showing the operation of the vehicle housing and transporting device when loading. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the operation of the vehicle storage and transportation device during lifting. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle storage and transport device showing the transfer of vehicles between transport paths. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a vehicle housing and transporting device which is a modified example of the device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 shows a ship 1 equipped with a vehicle storage and transportation device 3 according to this embodiment. A vehicle 5 transported by the vehicle storage and transportation device 3 is a watercraft that travels on or underwater, and may be manned or unmanned.

[0013] The vehicle storage and transport device 3 is connected to a loading and unloading device 7 provided at the stern 1a of the ship 1 so as to be able to hand over the vehicle 5. The loading and unloading device 7 loads and unloads the vehicle 5 between the ship and the ocean. The loading and unloading device 7 may be of any type, but may be of a belt conveyor type or a lift type. It is also possible to provide a loading device that only loads the vehicle 5 and a unloading device that only unloads it, and use them appropriately. The loading and unloading device 7 may be provided at the ship's side 1b or at the bow 1c.

[0014] The vehicle storage and transport device 3 has two transport paths 9 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the ship 1. The transport paths 9 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the ship 1. A loading and unloading device 7 is disposed at the rear end side (stern 1a side) of each transport path 9. Note that, although the transport paths 9 are arranged in two rows in this embodiment, they may be arranged in one row or three or more rows.

[0015] In each transport path 9, a plurality of belt conveyors (conveyors) 11 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, three belt conveyors 11 are shown in a vertical row, but two or four or more may be arranged vertically. Note that, although this embodiment shows the belt conveyor 11 as an example of a conveyor for transporting the vehicle 5, the conveyor is not limited to a belt type as long as it is a conveyor that can transport the vehicle 5, and for example, a conveyor using a chain may be used.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the ship 1 can accommodate as many vehicles 5 as the number of belt conveyors 11 (six in Fig. 1). Therefore, if the number of belt conveyors 11 is increased, more vehicles 5 can be accommodated on the ship 1.

[0017] As shown simply in Fig. 2, each belt conveyor 11 includes a drive roller 11a, a driven roller 11b disposed opposite the drive roller 11a, and an endless belt 11c wound around the drive roller 11a and the driven roller 11b. An electric motor (not shown) is connected to the drive roller 11a. The electric motor is driven and controlled by a control unit, so that the feed speed, feed amount, feed direction, etc. of the belt 11c can be adjusted. The control unit controls each belt conveyor 11 individually.

[0018] Each belt conveyor 11 is provided with a detection sensor 11d that detects whether or not a vehicle 5 is placed on the belt 11c. The detection sensor 11d may be of any type as long as it can detect that a vehicle 5 is placed on the belt 11c, but may be, for example, a sensor that detects the weight on the belt 11c, an optical sensor that detects the presence of the vehicle 5 by blocking a light path when the vehicle 5 is placed on the belt 11c, or an image sensor that captures an image of the belt 11c. The output of the detection sensor 11d is transmitted to the control unit.

[0019] The length of the belt conveyor 11 in the longitudinal direction (the running direction of the belt 11c) is a dimension that allows only one vehicle to be transported. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the length is preferably equivalent to the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle 5, and is preferably shorter than the length that allows two vehicles 5 arranged in the longitudinal direction to be placed thereon (for example, twice the length of the vehicle 5).

[0020] The distance between the belt conveyors 11 is set to a distance that allows the vehicle 5 to be handed over to and from another longitudinally adjacent belt conveyor 11. In other words, the distance between the belt conveyors 11 that are longitudinally adjacent is set to a distance that allows the vehicle 5 sent out from one belt conveyor 11 to be received by the other belt conveyor 11.

[0021] The control unit is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a computer-readable storage medium. A series of processes for realizing various functions is stored in a storage medium or the like in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU reads this program into the RAM or the like and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The program may be installed in a ROM or other storage medium in advance, may be provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or may be distributed via a wired or wireless communication means. The computer-readable storage medium may be a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like.

[0022] <When inserted> Next, a method for inserting the vehicles 5 using the vehicle accommodation transport device 3 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that in Fig. 3, for the sake of simplicity, only one transport path 9 is shown.

[0023] In the figure, four belt conveyors 11 are arranged in a vertical row, and from the bow 1c (see Figure 1) side, they are called the first belt conveyor 11(1), the second belt conveyor 11(2), the third belt conveyor 11(3), and the fourth belt conveyor 11(4).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3(a), it is assumed that two vehicles 5 are placed on the first belt conveyor 11(1) and the second belt conveyor 11(2), respectively.

[0025] When a command to insert the vehicle 5 is input to the control unit, the control unit drives the second belt conveyor 11(2) on which the vehicle 5 located closest to the stern 1a is placed toward the stern 1a, and also drives the third belt conveyor 11(3) at the same speed as the second belt conveyor 11(2). As a result, the vehicle 5 is transferred from the second belt conveyor 11(2) to the third belt conveyor 11(3).

[0026] When the vehicle 5 is delivered to the third belt conveyor 11(3) and detected by the detection sensor 11d (see FIG. 2), the control unit receives the detection signal and drives the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) at the same speed as the third belt conveyor 11(3). As a result, the vehicle 5 is delivered to the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0027] Thereafter, the vehicle 5 is transferred from the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) to the loading / unloading device 7 (see FIG. 1) and is loaded into the sea.

[0028] <When hoisting> Next, a method for lifting a vehicle 5 using the vehicle storage transport device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that in Fig. 4, similarly to Fig. 3, only one row of transport paths 9 is shown for the sake of simplicity.

[0029] When the vehicle 5 is pulled up from the sea by the loading and unloading device 7 (see FIG. 1) on the stern 1a side, the control unit receives a signal for the unloading operation and drives the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) located closest to the stern 1a (the loading and unloading device 7 side) toward the bow 1c. As a result, the vehicle 5 is delivered to the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) as shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0030] When the detection sensor 11d (see FIG. 2) detects that the vehicle 5 has been placed on the fourth belt conveyor 11(4), the control unit receives the detection signal and drives the third belt conveyor 11(3) at the same speed as the fourth belt conveyor 11(4). As a result, the vehicle 5 is transferred from the fourth belt conveyor 11(4) to the third belt conveyor 11(3).

[0031] Then, when the detection sensor 11d (see FIG. 2) detects that the vehicle 5 has been placed on the third belt conveyor 11(3), the control unit receives the detection signal and drives the second belt conveyor 11(2) at the same speed as the third belt conveyor 11(3). As a result, the vehicle 5 is transferred from the third belt conveyor 11(3) to the second belt conveyor 11(2) as shown in FIG. 4(b).

[0032] Since the first belt conveyor 11(1) already contains a vehicle 5 and cannot contain any more vehicles 5 on the bow 1c side, the control unit determines that the second belt conveyor 11(2) is the storage location and stops driving the second belt conveyor 11(2) so that the vehicle 5 stops at a predetermined position on the belt 11c (see Figure 2).

[0033] <Change of transport route 9> Next, a method for transferring the vehicle 5 to the adjacent transfer path 9 using the vehicle storage transfer device 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0034] 5 shows two rows of transport paths 9, as shown in FIG 1. One (the left side in the figure) is called the first transport path 9(1), and the other (the right side in the figure) is called the second transport path 9(2).

[0035] As shown in Fig. 5, the second belt conveyor 11(2) of both conveying paths 9(1), 9(2) can rotate about the center of the longitudinal direction of the second belt conveyor 11(2) when viewed in a plan view. The figure shows a state where it has rotated 90°. The rotation of the second belt conveyor 11(2)1 is performed by a command from the control unit.

[0036] By rotating the second belt conveyors 11(2) of both conveying paths 9(1), 9(2) by 90 degrees, the conveying directions of the second belt conveyors 11(2) of both conveying paths 9(1), 9(2) are aligned. This allows the vehicle 5 to be transferred between the first conveying path 9(1) and the second conveying path 9(2).

[0037] In addition, the rotating belt conveyor 11 is not limited to the second belt conveyor 11(2), and other belt conveyors 11 may also be made to rotate.

[0038] <Modification of Fig. 5> Fig. 5 can be modified as shown in Fig. 6. That is, instead of the rotation angle being 90° as shown in Fig. 5, the rotation angle may be less than 90° as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, even if the rotation angle is about 60°, the vehicle 5 can be handed over between the transport paths 9(1) and 9(2). This makes it possible to reduce the distance between the transport paths 9(1) and 9(2) compared to Fig. 5, where the rotation angle is 90°. However, the third belt conveyor 11(3) of the second transport path 9(2) needs to have a larger longitudinal dimension than the other belt conveyors 11 in order to have a distance that allows the vehicle 5 to be handed over from the second belt conveyor 11(2). In contrast, in the case of the 90° rotation angle shown in Figure 5, the longitudinal dimensions of each belt conveyor 11 can be made the same, so the device can be constructed simply.

[0039] The effects of the present embodiment described above are as follows. The storage and transportation device 3 installed on the ship 1 launches the vehicle 5 placed on the belt conveyor 11 into the sea via the connected launching and lifting device 7, and stores the vehicle 5 lifted from the sea in the belt conveyor 11.

[0040] Belt conveyors 11, each having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one vehicle 5, are arranged in a vertical line to form the transport path 9. This allows a plurality of vehicles 5 to be accommodated on the ship 1 by placing a vehicle 5 on each belt conveyor 11.

[0041] Since each belt conveyor 11 is controlled individually, the position of each vehicle 5 can be adjusted individually, compared to a case in which a plurality of vehicles 5 are placed on one belt conveyor.

[0042] When a vehicle 5 is to be taken out or brought in, the adjacent belt conveyors 11 are appropriately driven to hand over the vehicle 5, so that only one vehicle 5 can be taken out or brought in. In this case, since there is no need to move the other vehicles 5, the change in the center of gravity in the longitudinal direction of the ship 1 can be kept small. In contrast, when multiple vehicles 5 are placed on one belt conveyor, the multiple vehicles 5 are moved simultaneously, which results in a large change in the center of gravity in the longitudinal direction of the ship 1.

[0043] Dividing the belt conveyor 11 into multiple parts allows the weight of each component, such as the belt 11c and rollers 11a and 11b, to be reduced. In addition, since the load per belt conveyor 11 can be reduced, an alternative means, such as a manual handle, can be used to operate the belt conveyor 11 in the event of a breakdown.

[0044] Even if a belt conveyor 11 located away from the loading / unloading device 7 breaks down, transportation can be continued using the belt conveyors 11 located closer to the loading / unloading device 7 than this belt conveyor 11.

[0045] Since each belt conveyor 11 is controlled by the detection sensor 11d that detects the vehicle 5, the carrying-in and carrying-out of the vehicle 5 can be automated.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, only one vehicle 5 closest to the launching and recovery device 7 can be transported and launched into the sea. This reduces the power required for transportation and prevents the center of gravity of the ship 1 in the longitudinal direction from changing significantly.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4, only one vehicle 5 lifted from the launching and recovering device 7 can be transported to the ship. This allows the power required for transportation to be reduced, and the center of gravity of the ship 1 in the longitudinal direction does not change significantly.

[0048] 5 and 6, a rotating belt conveyor 11 is provided to transfer the vehicle 5 to the adjacent conveying path 9. Even if one conveying path 9 breaks down, the vehicle 5 can be loaded and unloaded using the other conveying path 9.

[0049] The vehicle accommodating transport apparatus and the ship equipped with the same, as well as the method for controlling the vehicle accommodating transport apparatus, described in each of the embodiments described above, can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0050] A vehicle storage and transportation device (3) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle storage and transportation device that is connected to a loading and / or unloading device (7) that loads and / or unloads multiple vehicles (5) traveling on or underwater between the sea and the ship (1), and is configured to store and transport the vehicles. The vehicle storage and transportation device includes a plurality of conveyors (11) having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one of the vehicles, a transport path (9) in which the conveyors are arranged in a vertical row in the longitudinal direction and the vehicles can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction, and a control unit that drives each conveyor individually to transfer the vehicles between the loading and unloading device.

[0051] The storage and transport device installed on the ship launches the vehicles placed on the conveyor into the sea via the connected launching and unloading device, and / or stores the vehicles unloaded from the sea into the conveyor. A conveyor, each of which can carry only one vehicle, is arranged in a vertical line to form a conveying path, allowing multiple vehicles to be accommodated on the ship by placing a vehicle on each conveyor. Since each conveyor is controlled individually, the position of each vehicle can be adjusted individually, compared to a case in which a plurality of vehicles are placed on one conveyor. When a vehicle is to be taken out or brought in, the adjacent conveyors are appropriately driven to hand over the vehicle, so that only one vehicle can be taken out or brought in. In this case, since there is no need to move other vehicles, the center of gravity of the ship 1 in the longitudinal direction does not change significantly. In contrast, when multiple vehicles are placed on one conveyor, the multiple vehicles are moved simultaneously, which causes a significant change in the center of gravity of the ship in the longitudinal direction. By dividing the conveyor into multiple parts, the weight of each part can be reduced. In addition, the load on each conveyor can be reduced, so that an alternative means such as a manual handle can be used in the event of a breakdown. Even if a conveyor distant from the loading / unloading device breaks down, transportation can be continued using a conveyor in an area closer to the loading / unloading device than the broken conveyor.

[0052] The vehicle storage and transporting device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is, in the first aspect described above, provided with a detection sensor (11d) for detecting whether or not the vehicle is placed on each of the conveyors, and the control unit controls each of the conveyors based on the detection sensor.

[0053] Since each conveyor is controlled by a detection sensor that detects the vehicle, the loading and unloading of the vehicle can be automated.

[0054] In the vehicle storage and transporting device of the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first or second aspect described above, the control unit sequentially drives each of the conveyors starting with the conveyor on which the vehicle is placed that is closest to the loading and retrieval device, to transport the vehicle to the loading and retrieval device.

[0055] Only one vehicle closest to the launch and recovery device can be transported and launched into the sea.

[0056] A vehicle storage and transporting device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is, in any one of the first to third aspects, characterized in that the control unit receives the vehicle retrieved from the loading and retrieval device on the conveyor closest to the loading and retrieval device, and drives each conveyor in sequence to transport the vehicle to the ship.

[0057] Only one vehicle can be lifted from the launch and recovery device and transported to the ship.

[0058] A vehicle storage and transporting device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, provided with two or more transport paths in parallel, each of which has at least one rotating conveyor that is capable of rotating approximately around its center in the longitudinal direction when viewed in a plane, and the control unit transfers the vehicle between adjacent transport paths by rotating each of the rotating conveyors of adjacent transport paths to align the transport directions of the rotating conveyors with each other.

[0059] By providing a rotating conveyor, vehicles can be handed over to the adjacent transport path, so that even if one transport path breaks down, vehicles can be loaded and unloaded using the other transport path.

[0060] A ship according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes any one of the vehicle storage transport devices described above.

[0061] A control method for a vehicle storage and transportation device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a vehicle storage and transportation device that is connected to a loading and / or retrieval device that loads and / or retrieves multiple vehicles traveling on or underwater between the sea and the sea, and stores and transports the vehicles on a ship, wherein the vehicle storage and transportation device comprises a plurality of conveyors having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one of the vehicles, and a transport path in which each of the conveyors is arranged in a vertical row in the longitudinal direction and the vehicles can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction, and each of the conveyors is driven individually to transfer the vehicles between the loading and retrieval device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 ship 1a stern 1b Ship side 1c bow 3 Vehicle storage and transport device 5 Vehicles 7 Loading and lifting device 9 Transport Path 9(1) First conveying route 9(2) Second conveying route 11 Belt conveyor (conveyor) 11a Drive roller 11b Driven roller 11c Belt 11d Detection sensor 11(1) First conveyor belt 11(2) Second conveyor belt 11(3) Third conveyor belt 11(4) 4th Belt Conveyor

Claims

1. A vehicle storage and transportation device that is connected to a launching and recovering device that launches and / or recovers a plurality of vehicles traveling on or underwater between the sea and the sea, and that stores and transports the vehicles on a ship, A plurality of conveyors each having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one of the vehicles; a transport path in which the conveyors are arranged in a vertical line in the longitudinal direction and the vehicle can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction; A control unit that drives each of the conveyors individually to transfer the vehicle between the loading and unloading device; A vehicle storage and transportation device comprising:

2. a detection sensor for detecting whether or not the vehicle is placed on each of the conveyors; The vehicle housing and transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls each of the conveyors based on the detection sensors.

3. 3. The vehicle storage and transportation device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sequentially drives each of the conveyors starting from the conveyor on which the vehicle is placed that is closest to the loading and retrieval device, to transport the vehicle to the loading and retrieval device.

4. The vehicle storage and transportation device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit receives the vehicle retrieved from the loading and retrieval device on the conveyor closest to the loading and retrieval device, and sequentially drives each conveyor to transport the vehicle to a ship.

5. Two or more of the transport paths are provided in parallel, Each of the transport paths includes at least one rotating conveyor that is rotatable about a center of the longitudinal direction when viewed in a plan view, 3. The vehicle storage and transport device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transfers the vehicle between the adjacent transport paths by rotating the rotating conveyors of the adjacent transport paths so that the transport directions of the rotating conveyors are aligned with each other.

6. A ship comprising the vehicle storage and transportation device according to claim 1.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle storage and transport device that is connected to a launching and recovering device that launches and / or recovers a plurality of vehicles traveling on or underwater between the sea and the sea, and that stores and transports the vehicles on a ship, comprising the steps of: The vehicle housing and transport device is A plurality of conveyors each having a longitudinal dimension capable of transporting only one of the vehicles; a transport path in which the conveyors are arranged in a vertical line in the longitudinal direction and the vehicle can be transferred between adjacent conveyors in the longitudinal direction; Equipped with A control method for a vehicle storage and transport device, which drives each conveyor individually to transfer the vehicle between the loading and unloading device and the vehicle storage and transport device.

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