Mixer truck

Abstract

To inhibit forgetting to open a hopper cover when ready mixed concrete is placed into a mixer drum.SOLUTION: A mixer truck 100A includes: a hopper 30 having an opening into which ready mixed concrete is placed; a hopper cover 31 which opens or closes an opening of the hopper 30; and a mixer drum 10 into which the ready mixed concrete is placed through the hopper 30. The mixer vehicle 100A includes a controller 50A which exercises alarm control when the mixer truck 100A can wirelessly communicate with a wireless communication device 210A, having a communication range A1 set to a loading side 201 of the ready mixed concrete into the mixer drum 10, and the hopper cover 31 is closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refuse collection vehicle in which a shredder protrudes outward from a hopper when in use, but sounds an alarm if the shredder is not stored in the hopper with the parking brake released. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-227398 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Ready-mixed concrete is poured into the mixer drum of a mixer truck through a hopper. However, if an operator forgets to open the hopper cover due to an operational mistake, ready-mixed concrete will be fed into the mixer truck with the hopper cover still closed, causing the mixer truck and its surroundings to become dirty.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to prevent a hopper cover from being left open when pouring ready-mixed concrete. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a mixer truck having a hopper with an opening through which fresh concrete is poured, a hopper cover that opens and closes the opening of the hopper, and a mixer drum into which the fresh concrete is poured through the hopper, wherein the mixer truck is capable of wireless communication with a wireless communication device having a communication range set for the area where the fresh concrete is poured into the mixer drum, and is equipped with a controller that performs warning control when the hopper cover is closed.

[0007] According to this invention, when the mixer truck is within the communication range set for the ready-mixed concrete loading site and the hopper cover is closed, a warning can be issued to the user, thereby reducing the risk of forgetting to open the hopper cover when loading ready-mixed concrete.

[0008] The present invention is also characterized in that it includes a detector that detects the open / closed state of the hopper cover, and the controller is configured so that the detector detects the closed state of the hopper cover and performs warning control when the controller detects the closed state of the hopper cover based on a signal from the detector, or when the detector is configured to detect the open state of the hopper cover and the controller does not detect the open state of the hopper cover based on the signal from the detector.

[0009] According to this invention, an alarm is issued when a detector configured to detect the closed state of the hopper cover detects that the hopper cover is closed, or when a detector configured to detect the open state of the hopper cover does not detect that the hopper cover is open, thereby making it possible to appropriately issue an alarm when the hopper cover is in a closed state.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that it includes a detector for detecting the open / closed state of the hopper cover, and the detector is a sensor or switch for detecting only the fully closed state of the hopper cover or only the fully open state of the hopper cover.

[0011] According to this invention, a sensor or switch detects the fully closed or fully open state, which is part of the opening and closing state of the hopper cover, so that detection suitable for a hopper cover that can generally be switched between two states, fully closed and fully open, can be performed at low cost. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to these inventions, it is possible to prevent the hopper cover from being left open when pouring ready-mixed concrete. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a mixer truck according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a mixer truck at a ready-mix concrete input site with an enlarged view of the main parts. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a mixer truck according to a first modified example. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of control according to a first modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a mixer truck according to a second modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of control according to a second modified example. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the arrangement of the proximity sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] First, the overall configuration of a mixer truck 100A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The mixer truck 100A is a vehicle that transports so-called ready mixed concrete (hereinafter referred to as "ready mixed concrete") such as mortar or ready mixed concrete, and runs on the power of an engine (not shown). The driving source for running may be, for example, a running motor or an engine and a running motor. In the following description, a case where the mixer truck 100A is loaded with ready mixed concrete will be described.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the mixer truck 100A includes a driver's cab 1, a stand 2 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a mixer drum 10 rotatably mounted on the stand 2, a drum drive unit 20 that drives and rotates the mixer drum 10, a hopper 30 that guides ready mixed concrete fed from the outside into the mixer drum 10, and a chute 40 that guides ready mixed concrete discharged from the mixer drum 10 to a predetermined position.

[0017] The mixer drum 10 is a cylindrical container that rotates around a rotation axis C1. An opening 10a through which fresh concrete is charged and discharged is provided at the rear end of the mixer drum 10 on the rear side of the vehicle, and a drive shaft 11 extending outward along the rotation axis C1 is provided at the front end on the front side of the vehicle. The mixer drum 10 is supported by the frame 2 with the rear end side where the opening 10a is provided being raised higher than the front end side.

[0018] The drive shaft 11 of the mixer drum 10 is connected to a drum drive device 20. The drum drive device 20 includes a drive source and a reducer (not shown), and the drive shaft 11 of the mixer drum 10 is connected to the drive source via the reducer. The drive source may be, for example, an electric motor or a hydraulic motor, and the mixer drum 10 is rotationally driven in a forward or reverse direction by the drive source.

[0019] A pair of blades 12, 13 are arranged in a spiral shape along the inner wall surface of the mixer drum 10. Each blade 12, 13 is divided into a front blade 12a, 13a arranged on the front side of the vehicle and a rear blade 12b, 13b arranged on the rear side of the vehicle at the approximately middle part of the mixer drum 10. Each rear blade 12b, 13b is joined to the inner wall surface of the mixer drum 10 at the opening 10a and joined to a cylindrical seal pipe 14 arranged on the rotation axis C1 of the mixer drum 10. The seal pipe 14 is provided to smoothly guide the ready-mixed concrete charged into the hopper 30 into the inside of the mixer drum 10, and the ready-mixed concrete is charged into the inside of the mixer drum 10 through the hopper 30 and the seal pipe 14.

[0020] The hopper 30 is disposed above the opening 10a of the mixer drum 10 in order to guide the ready mixed concrete charged from above the mixer vehicle 100A into the mixer drum 10 through the seal pipe 14. A hopper cover 31 that covers the opening of the hopper 30 through which the ready mixed concrete is charged is provided on the upper part of the hopper 30 so as to be freely rotatable via a hinge 31a. Meanwhile, a chute 40 that guides the ready mixed concrete discharged from the mixer drum 10 to a predetermined position is disposed below the opening 10a of the mixer drum 10.

[0021] The mixer vehicle 100A has three operating states of the mixer drum 10: a stirring state in which the mixer drum 10 is rotated at a first rotation speed to stir the ready-mixed concrete in the mixer drum 10, a kneading state in which the mixer drum 10 is rotated at a second rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed to knead the ready-mixed concrete in the mixer drum 10, and a discharge state in which the mixer drum 10 is rotated in the opposite direction to the stirring and kneading states to discharge the ready-mixed concrete from an opening 10a.

[0022] In the mixing state, the mixer drum 10 is driven to rotate in a forward direction, which is a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the rear of the vehicle. In the mixing state, the blades 12, 13 rotate forward together with the mixer drum 10, so that the ready-mixed concrete in the mixer drum 10 moves to the front of the mixer drum 10 while being mixed. By rotating the mixer drum 10 in this way to mix the ready-mixed concrete, separation or solidification of the ready-mixed concrete is suppressed.

[0023] In the kneading state, the mixer drum 10 is rotated in the forward rotation direction at a second rotation speed that is faster than the first rotation speed of the mixer drum 10 in the agitating state. The kneading state is performed to knead the ready-mixed concrete before discharging it.

[0024] In the discharging state, the mixer drum 10 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction. In the discharging state, the blades 12, 13 rotate together with the mixer drum 10, so that the ready-mixed concrete moves to the rear of the mixer drum 10 while being agitated. By rotating the mixer drum 10 in the reverse direction in this manner, the ready-mixed concrete can be discharged from the opening 10a of the mixer drum 10. The ready-mixed concrete discharged from the opening 10a of the mixer drum 10 is guided to a predetermined position via the chute 40.

[0025] When fresh concrete is poured into the mixer drum 10 through the hopper 30, that is, when the fresh concrete is poured, the mixer drum 10 is rotated in the forward direction, which is the direction in which the fresh concrete is poured, at a higher speed than when the concrete is being mixed. This causes the poured fresh concrete to move quickly to the front of the mixer drum 10.

[0026] The mixer vehicle 100A further includes a motor 32 that rotates and drives the hopper cover 31, and a proximity sensor 60 that detects the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31. The hopper cover 31 is driven to open and close by the motor 32 to open and close the opening of the hopper 30. The motor 32 is an electric motor, and drives the hopper cover 31 from one of a fully closed state and a fully open state to the other in response to an opening / closing operation command from an opening / closing lever 33, which will be described later. Therefore, the hopper cover 31 can be switched between two states, the fully closed state and the fully open state.

[0027] The proximity sensor 60 is a non-contact sensor and detects a part of the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31 ranging from a fully closed state to a fully open state. In this embodiment, the proximity sensor 60 is provided for the hopper cover 31 in the fully closed state, and detects the fully closed state, which is a part of the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31. The proximity sensor 60 is provided on the side of the upper end of the hopper 30 (on the left side of the vehicle in FIG. 1). The proximity sensor 60 can be provided on the hopper cover 31 via a support member (not shown) such as a bracket. A dog 31b, which is a part to be detected by the proximity sensor 60, is provided on the side of the hopper cover 31 (on the left side of the vehicle in FIG. 1) in correspondence with the proximity sensor 60. The proximity sensor 60 detects the metal dog 31b, thereby detecting the fully closed state of the hopper cover 31.

[0028] The proximity sensor 60 configured in this manner detects the fully closed state, which is part of the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31, and can therefore perform detection suitable for the hopper cover 31, which can be switched between two states, fully closed and fully open, at low cost.

[0029] The proximity sensor 60 has a predetermined detection range, and detects the fully closed state of the hopper cover 31. The proximity sensor 60 detects only the fully closed state of the hopper cover 31. The fully closed state is a state where the opening degree is equal to or less than a predetermined opening degree including zero degrees, and in the case of the proximity sensor 60, the predetermined opening degree is determined by the detection range of the proximity sensor 60 and the installation state.

[0030] In this embodiment, the proximity sensor 60 and the dog 31b are provided near the hinge 31a with respect to the hopper cover 31 in the fully closed state, and are therefore provided at a position closer to the hinge 31a when viewed from the side of the vehicle. This increases the angle range of the hopper cover 31 that the proximity sensor 60 can detect as being in a closed state, so that even if the hopper cover 31 is somewhat lifted from the hopper 30, it can be detected as being in a fully closed state. In this way, the proximity sensor 60 is configured to detect only the fully closed state of the hopper cover 31.

[0031] The hopper cover 31 is considered to be in the open state when it is not in the closed state. Therefore, if the proximity sensor 60 does not detect the hopper cover 31, the hopper cover 31 is considered to be in the open state even if the hopper cover 31 is covering a part of the hopper 30 (the hopper cover 31 overlaps the hopper 30 when viewed from directly above). The open state of the hopper cover 31 includes the fully open state of the hopper cover 31.

[0032] 2 is a diagram showing the mixer truck 100A at a ready-mixed concrete feeding site 201 together with an enlarged main part. The ready-mixed concrete plant 200 is a ready-mixed concrete feeding facility, and has the ready-mixed concrete feeding site 201. The ready-mixed concrete plant 200 is equipped with wireless communication device 210A that performs wireless communication with the mixer truck 100A. The wireless communication device 210A is provided at the feeding site 201, and performs short-range wireless communication (for example, a short-range effective range of 10 m or less) with the mixer truck 100A.

[0033] The wireless communication device 210A has a communication range A1 set for the input field 201. The communication range A1 has, for example, a circular effective range centered on the wireless communication device 210A, and the input field 201 (the entire input field 201) is included in the communication range A1. Note that FIG. 2 shows the communication range A1 formed by the effective range (communication range in the specifications of the wireless communication device 210A) of the wireless communication device 210A. On the other hand, radio waves from the wireless communication device 210A are attenuated by obstacles such as buildings. For this reason, the actual communication range A1 is usually smaller than the illustrated communication range A1, and is not necessarily circular.

[0034] 2, the mixer vehicle 100A further includes a controller 50A which is a control device, an opening / closing lever 33 which is an operation unit for instructing the opening and closing operation of the hopper cover 31, a receiver 71 which is a communication device used together with the mixer vehicle 100A and performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A, and an alarm device 80 which issues a warning. The controller 50A, the opening / closing lever 33, the receiver 71, and the alarm device 80 are provided in the cab 1, for example.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 2, the hopper cover 31 constitutes an electric hopper cover module M independent of the controller 50A. The hopper cover 31, together with the motor 32 and the opening / closing lever 33, constitutes the electric hopper cover module M. For this reason, the opening / closing lever 33 is not connected to the controller 50A, but is connected to the motor 32 without passing through the controller 50A. Modularizing the electric hopper cover module M including the hopper cover 31 independent of the controller 50A facilitates the manufacture of the electric hopper cover module M. The electric hopper cover module M may further include a controller (different from the controller 50A) that controls the motor 32, a control circuit, and a sensor.

[0036] An opening / closing operation command for instructing the opening / closing operation of the hopper cover 31 is input from the opening / closing lever 33 to the motor 32. When the opening / closing lever 33 is operated to open, an opening operation command for instructing the opening operation of the hopper cover 31 is input from the opening / closing lever 33 to the motor 32, and the motor 32 drives the hopper cover 31 in the opening direction based on the input opening operation command. This causes the hopper cover 31 to rotate in the opening direction (opening operation). Note that the electric hopper cover module M is configured so that the motor 32 does not drive the hopper cover 31 in the opening direction even if the opening / closing lever 33 is operated to open when the hopper cover 31 is in the fully open state.

[0037] When the opening / closing lever 33 is operated to close, a closing operation command instructing the closing operation of the hopper cover 31 is input from the opening / closing lever 33 to the motor 32, and the motor 32 drives the hopper cover 31 in the closing direction based on the input closing operation command. This causes the hopper cover 31 to rotate in the closing direction (closing operation). Note that the electric hopper cover module M is configured so that the motor 32 does not drive the hopper cover 31 in the closing direction even if the opening / closing lever 33 is operated to close when the hopper cover 31 is in a fully closed state.

[0038] The receiver 71 is installed in the mixer vehicle 100A, and the wireless signal from the wireless communication device 210A is received by the receiver 71. Therefore, the mixer vehicle 100A having the receiver 71 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 210A when the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1. In Fig. 2, the wireless communication performed between the wireless communication device 210A and the receiver 71 is indicated by a two-dot dashed line.

[0039] The receiver 71 may be, for example, a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) and carried by the driver (user) of the mixer vehicle 100A. The mixer vehicle 100A has the receiver 71 even when the receiver 71 is not installed in the mixer vehicle 100A, such as when the receiver 71 is carried by the driver, but is used together with the mixer vehicle 100A. The mixer vehicle 100A has the receiver 71 when the receiver 71 is used together with the mixer vehicle 100A, and performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A by using the receiver 71 to perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A. A signal is input from the receiver 71 to the controller 50A, for example, by wireless communication.

[0040] The warning device 80 is connected to the controller 50A and controlled by the controller 50A to issue a warning. The warning device 80 is, for example, a display warning device that issues a warning by displaying a warning light, a screen, etc. The warning device 80 may be an audio warning device that issues a warning by sound such as an alarm sound or voice, or may be a combination of a display warning device and an audio warning device.

[0041] A proximity sensor 60 is also connected to the controller 50A. An analog signal is input from the proximity sensor 60 to the controller 50A as a signal indicating the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31. The analog signal goes into a detection output state when the hopper cover 31 is closed (i.e., when the proximity sensor 60 detects the hopper cover 31) and goes into a non-detection output state (a state below a predetermined output) when the hopper cover 31 is open (i.e., when the proximity sensor 60 does not detect the hopper cover 31).

[0042] The controller 50A is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an I / O interface (Input / Output Interface), etc. The RAM stores data for CPU processing, the ROM stores control programs and the like for the CPU in advance, and the I / O interface is used for inputting and outputting information to and from connected devices. The operation of the warning device 80 is controlled by operating the CPU, RAM, etc. in accordance with the program stored in the ROM. The controller 50A may also control the operation of the mixer drum 10 and other components.

[0043] The controller 50A is programmed to be capable of executing at least the processes necessary for executing the control according to the present embodiment and the modified example. The controller 50A may be composed of a plurality of microcomputers. The controller 50A may be configured as a single device, or may be divided into a plurality of devices, and each control according to the present embodiment may be distributed among the plurality of devices.

[0044] When the mixer vehicle 100A is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A, the controller 50A performs warning control when the hopper cover 31 is closed, and in the warning control, the controller 50A controls the alarm device 80 to give a warning. As a result, when the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1 set for the ready-mixed concrete feeding site 201 and the hopper cover 31 is closed, a warning can be given to the driver, which reduces the risk of forgetting to open the hopper cover 31 when feeding ready-mixed concrete.

[0045] In performing warning control when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state, the controller 50A performs warning control when it detects that the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60. This makes it possible to appropriately issue a warning when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state.

[0046] The controller 50A thus configured further includes a communication unit 50a to which a signal from the receiver 71 is input, a first determination unit 50b that determines whether the receiver 71 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 210A based on the signal from the communication unit 50a, a state determination unit 50c that determines the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60, and a warning unit 50d that performs warning control based on the determination results of the first determination unit 50b and the state determination unit 50c. Note that the communication unit 50a and the like of the controller 50A show the respective functions of the controller 50A as virtual units, and do not mean that they physically exist. In addition, the above functions are part of the control executed by the controller 50A, and the controller 50A also executes controls related to functions other than these as needed.

[0047] The communication unit 50a performs wireless communication with the receiver 71. The receiver 71 inputs (transmits) a communication result (signal) of the wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A to the communication unit 50a based on a wireless signal from the wireless communication device 210A. The communication result of the wireless communication is a signal indicating the communication state of the wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A, and is input from the receiver 71 to the communication unit 50a as a signal including, for example, the presence or absence of reception from the wireless communication device 210A and the signal strength of the wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A. The communication unit 50a inputs the input communication result to the first determination unit 50b. The communication unit 50a may input a different signal as the communication result to the first determination unit 50b instead of the input communication result itself.

[0048] The first determination unit 50b determines whether or not the receiver 71 is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A based on the communication result input from the communication unit 50a. When the first determination unit 50b determines based on the input communication result that the receiver 71 is receiving a signal from the wireless communication device 210A, the first determination unit 50b determines that the receiver 71 is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A. On the other hand, when the first determination unit 50b determines based on the input communication result that the receiver 71 is not receiving a signal from the wireless communication device 210A, the first determination unit 50b determines that the receiver 71 is not capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210A.

[0049] If it is determined that the receiver 71 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 210A, it is determined that the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1. If it is determined that the receiver 71 cannot wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 210A, it is determined that the mixer vehicle 100A is not within the communication range A1. Therefore, the first determination unit 50b determines whether or not the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1 based on the communication result of the wireless communication. The determination result (signal) of the first determination unit 50b is input to the warning unit 50d.

[0050] The state determination unit 50c determines whether or not the hopper cover 31 is in a closed state based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60. When the signal from the proximity sensor 60 is in an output state, the state determination unit 50c determines that the hopper cover 31 is in a closed state, thereby detecting the closed state of the hopper cover 31. On the other hand, when the signal from the proximity sensor 60 is in a non-output state, the state determination unit 50c determines that the hopper cover 31 is in an open state, thereby detecting the open state of the hopper cover 31. The determination result (signal) of the state determination unit 50c is input to the warning unit 50d.

[0051] The warning unit 50d performs warning control based on the judgment result of the first judgment unit 50b and the judgment result of the state judgment unit 50c when the receiver 71 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 210A and the state judgment unit 50c detects the closed state of the hopper cover 31 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60 (when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state). When the judgment result that the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state is input from the state judgment unit 50c to the warning unit 50d, the state judgment unit 50c detects the closed state of the hopper cover 31 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60. The same applies when the judgment result of the state judgment unit 50c determines that the hopper cover 31 is in the open state. Note that the state detection of the hopper cover 31 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60 is directly performed by the state judgment unit 50c.

[0052] Next, an example of the control performed by the controller 50A will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0053] In step S1A, it is determined whether the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1. Step S1A corresponds to the first determination unit 50b, and in step S1A, by determining whether the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1, it is determined whether the mixer vehicle 100A can communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication device 210A.

[0054] If the determination in step S1A is negative, it is determined that the mixer vehicle 100A is not within the communication range A1. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that the mixer vehicle 100A is not in the input field 201, and the process is temporarily terminated.

[0055] If the determination in step S1A is positive, it is determined that the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1. In this case, there is a possibility that ready-mixed concrete will be loaded into the mixer drum 10 of the mixer vehicle 100A at the loading site 201. On the other hand, if an operator forgets to open the hopper cover 31 when loading ready-mixed concrete, the ready-mixed concrete will be supplied with the hopper cover 31 closed, soiling the mixer vehicle 100A and its surroundings.

[0056] Therefore, if the determination in step S1A is positive, the process proceeds to step S5 corresponding to the state determination unit 50c, where it is determined whether or not the hopper cover 31 is closed based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60. If the determination in step S5 is negative, it is determined (detected) that the hopper cover 31 is open, and the process is temporarily terminated.

[0057] On the other hand, if the determination in step S5 is positive, it is determined (detected) that the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state. In this case, the process proceeds to step S10 corresponding to the warning unit 50d, and warning control is executed. As a result, when the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1 and the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state, a warning can be issued to the driver, which can prevent the driver from forgetting to open the hopper cover 31 when pouring ready-mixed concrete.

[0058] The warning control performed in step S10 can be enabled until the mixer vehicle 100A within the communication range A1 moves out of the communication range A1. For example, when the mixer vehicle 100A is within the communication range A1, the warning control may be stopped by the controller 50A when it is detected that the hopper cover 31 has changed from a closed state to an open state based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60. This is because it is considered unlikely that the hopper cover 31 opened in response to a warning will be closed again before the fresh concrete is poured in. In this case, it is possible to prevent a warning from being issued when the hopper cover 31 is closed within the communication range A1 after the fresh concrete is poured in.

[0059] (First Modification) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a mixer vehicle 100B according to a first modified example, similar to Fig. 2. The mixer vehicle 100B differs from the mixer vehicle 100A in that the mixer vehicle 100B performs pairing authentication, which is mutual authentication performed with a wireless communication device 210B.

[0060] The wireless communication device 210B is a wireless communication device capable of performing pairing authentication, and has a communication range A2. The communication range A2 has, for example, a circular effective range centered on the wireless communication device 210B, and the input site 201 is included in the communication range A2. The wireless communication device 210B performs short-distance wireless communication with the mixer vehicle 100B. For example, short-distance wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be performed.

[0061] The wireless communication device 210B performs wireless communication with the pairing authentication terminal 72. That is, in this example, the pairing authentication terminal 72 is used together with the mixer vehicle 100B as a communication device for performing wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B.

[0062] The pairing authentication terminal 72 is assigned to each mixer vehicle 100B in a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, in the pairing authentication, each mixer vehicle 100B can be identified. The pairing authentication terminal 72 is carried by the driver and used together with the mixer vehicle 100B. The mixer vehicle 100B has the pairing authentication terminal 72 and performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B using the pairing authentication terminal 72 when the pairing authentication terminal 72 is used together with the mixer vehicle 100B, thereby performing wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B. The pairing authentication terminal 72 may be installed in the mixer vehicle 100B.

[0063] When the pairing authentication terminal 72 of the mixer vehicle 100B becomes capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B, the controller 50B confirms that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2 based on the authentication result, which is the communication result of the wireless communication. In other words, by receiving the authentication result (signal) from the pairing authentication terminal 72, the controller 50B can confirm that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2.

[0064] Pairing authentication is performed when the mixer vehicle 100B enters the communication range A2. When pairing authentication is successful and a wireless communication connection with the wireless communication device 210B is established, the pairing authentication terminal 72 of the mixer vehicle 100B becomes capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B. In this case, as a result of authentication, a connection establishment signal indicating that a wireless communication connection between the pairing authentication terminal 72 and the wireless communication device 210B has been established is input from the pairing authentication terminal 72 to the controller 50B. The established connection is valid while the mixer vehicle 100B remains within the communication range A2. When it is confirmed based on the authentication result that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2 (that is, when a connection establishment signal is input and the mixer vehicle 100B is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B), the controller 50B performs warning control when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state.

[0065] In the controller 50B configured in this manner, the authentication result is input (transmitted) from the pairing authentication terminal 72 to the communication unit 50a. When a connection establishment signal is input as the authentication result, the communication unit 50a confirms that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2. In this case, the authentication result (connection establishment signal) input to the communication unit 50a is input to the warning unit 50d. The communication unit 50a may input a different signal as the authentication result to the warning unit 50d instead of the input authentication result itself.

[0066] When a connection establishment signal is input from the communication unit 50a as an authentication result (i.e., when it is confirmed that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2), the warning unit 50d performs warning control when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state based on the judgment result from the state judgment unit 50c. Therefore, while the controller 50B confirms that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2, it does not particularly judge whether the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2.

[0067] This is because by confirming that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2 based on the authentication result of pairing authentication, it is not necessary to determine whether the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2. In other words, since the pairing authentication terminal 72 in the mixer vehicle 100B substitutes for such a determination function, the controller 50B does not need to be provided with the first determination unit 50b (see FIG. 2).

[0068] Next, an example of control performed by the controller 50B will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is the same as the flowchart shown in Fig. 3, except that step S1B is provided instead of step S1A. Therefore, step S1B will be mainly described below.

[0069] In step S1B, it is confirmed that a connection establishment signal has been input from the pairing authentication terminal 72. This confirms that the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2, and that wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B is possible. Step S1B corresponds to the communication unit 50a.

[0070] After step S1B, the process proceeds to step S5, and if the determination in step S5 is positive, warning control is executed in step S10. Therefore, the controller 50B does not need to determine whether the mixer vehicle 100B is within the communication range A2 to issue a warning, which simplifies the control and prevents the hopper cover 31 from being left open when pouring in ready-mixed concrete.

[0071] (Second Modification) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a mixer vehicle 100C according to a second modified example, similar to Fig. 2. The mixer vehicle 100C includes a controller 50C, which differs from the controller 50B of the first modified example in that the controller 50C performs warning control when the signal strength W of the wireless communication between the mixer vehicle 100C and the wireless communication device 210B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1. A similar modification may be applied to the controller 50A of the mixer vehicle 100A.

[0072] In this example, the pairing authentication terminal 72 inputs (transmits) the signal strength W (signal) to the controller 50C in addition to the authentication result. The signal strength W decreases as the distance from the wireless communication device 210B increases. Therefore, if the signal strength W is used as a judgment parameter, it is possible to judge how close the mixer vehicle 100C is to the input site 201.

[0073] When a connection establishment signal is input as the authentication result (i.e., when the mixer vehicle 100C is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B), the controller 50C judges whether the signal strength W is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1 based on the input signal strength W. The predetermined value W1 is a judgment value for judging whether the mixer vehicle 100C is close to the input site 201 to a predetermined extent, and is set to the signal strength W in the vicinity of the input site 201, for example. Note that the mixer vehicle 100C being close to the input site 201 to a predetermined extent includes being closer to the input site 201 than the position where the mixer vehicle 100C is confirmed to be within the communication range A2.

[0074] The controller 50C performs warning control when the signal strength W is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1. When the mixer vehicle 100C is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 210B and the signal strength W is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1, the controller 50C performs warning control when the hopper cover 31 is in a closed state.

[0075] The controller 50C thus configured includes, in addition to the communication unit 50a, the state determination unit 50c, and the warning unit 50d, a second determination unit 50e that determines whether or not the signal strength W is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1. The authentication result and the signal strength W are input to the communication unit 50a from the pairing authentication terminal 72, and the authentication result and the signal strength W are input to the second determination unit 50e from the communication unit 50a. When a connection establishment signal is input from the communication unit 50a as the authentication result, the second determination unit 50e determines whether or not the signal strength W is equal to or greater than the predetermined value W1 based on the input signal strength W.

[0076] The second determination unit 50e inputs a determination result (signal) to the warning unit 50d. When the signal strength W is equal to or greater than the predetermined value W1, the second determination unit 50e inputs an intensity sufficient signal indicating that the signal strength W is equal to or greater than the predetermined value W1 to the warning unit 50d. When the intensity sufficient signal is input from the second determination unit 50e (i.e., when the signal strength W is equal to or greater than the predetermined value W1), the warning unit 50d executes warning control when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state based on the determination result from the state determination unit 50c.

[0077] Next, an example of the control performed by the controller 50C will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. This flowchart is the same as the flowchart shown in Fig. 5, except that step S3 is added between step S1B and step S5. Therefore, step S3 will be mainly described below.

[0078] When the input of the connection establishment signal is confirmed in step S1B, it is determined in step S3 whether the signal strength W is equal to or greater than a predetermined value W1. Step S3 corresponds to the second determination unit 50e, and if the determination in step S5 is negative, the process ends for the time being. In other words, in this case, even if a wireless communication connection is established by pairing authentication, since the mixer vehicle 100C is located away from the feeding site 201, it is determined that ready-mixed concrete will not be fed, and warning control is not executed.

[0079] On the other hand, if the determination in step S3 is positive, the process proceeds to step S5, and if the determination in step S5 is positive, warning control is executed in step S10. This allows a warning to be issued to the driver when the mixer vehicle 100C is near the input site 201. Therefore, the warning control can be executed more appropriately than when, for example, the hopper cover 31 is closed and warning control is executed because a wireless communication connection is established.

[0080] (Other variations) The communication result of the wireless communication input by the receiver 71 to the communication unit 50a may be, for example, an on / off signal that is turned on when the receiver 71 is receiving from the wireless communication device 210A and is turned off when the receiver 71 is not receiving from the wireless communication device 210A. In this case, even if the first determination unit 50c is not provided, the warning unit 50d can perform warning control based on the on signal of the on / off signal being input to the communication unit 50a when the hopper cover 31 is in the closed state.

[0081] The controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C may be connected by wire to the receiver 71 and the pairing authentication terminal 72. In addition, the communication units 50a of the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C may be configured to perform wireless communication with the wireless communication devices 210A and 210B.

[0082] The communication ranges A1 and A2 may be set to include a part of the input site 201. The communication ranges A1 and A2 may also be set to include the receiver 71 or the pairing authentication terminal 72 when at least the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C at the input site 201 are in a ready-mixed concrete input position where ready-mixed concrete can be input into the hopper 30. Considering the case where the receiver 71 and the pairing authentication terminal 72 are mobile terminals, it is preferable to set the communication ranges A1 and A2 to include at least the driver's cab 1 when the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C are in the ready-mixed concrete input position of the input site 201, or to include the entire mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C. This makes it possible to issue a warning to the driver if the hopper cover 31 of the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C that have arrived at the ready-mixed concrete input position is closed.

[0083] The wireless communication devices 210A and 210B may be, for example, NFC (Near Field Communication) tags, and the communication ranges A1 and A2 may be one-dimensional. Even in these cases, if the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication devices 210A and 210B, a part of the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C will be within the communication ranges A1 and A2.

[0084] In the mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C, the proximity sensor 60 may detect only the fully open state of the hopper cover 31 (a state of a predetermined opening degree or more including the fully open opening degree), as shown in FIG. 8, and the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C (alarm unit 50d) may be configured so that the proximity sensor 60 detects the open state of the hopper cover 31 and performs warning control when the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C do not detect the open state of the hopper cover 31 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 60. In this case, the hopper cover 31 is closed when the open state is not detected (when the hopper cover 31 is not in the open state). The predetermined opening degree for the fully open state can be set to an opening degree according to the detection range and installation mode of the proximity sensor 60 (i.e., an opening degree detectable by the proximity sensor 60), similar to the predetermined opening degree for the fully closed state.

[0085] In this case, too, detection suitable for the hopper cover 31, which can be switched between two states, a fully closed state and a fully open state, can be performed at low cost. In addition, in this case, the warning can be stopped when the hopper cover 31 is fully open based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60, so the warning can be stopped after confirming that there is no hindrance to the introduction of fresh concrete. Furthermore, in this case, the proximity sensor 60 can be disposed toward the front of the vehicle and away from the hopper 30, so that the proximity sensor 60 is less likely to become soiled with fresh concrete. In this case, the proximity sensor 60 can be provided so as to detect the hopper cover 31 (dog 31b) at a position closer to the opposite side of the hinge 31a (for example, at the position of the tip end on the opposite side of the hinge 31a as shown in the figure) with respect to the hopper cover 31 in the fully open state, as viewed from the side of the vehicle. In addition, the hopper cover 31 may stop in an intermediate state between the fully closed state and the fully open state, such as a state in which the hopper cover 31 covers part of the hopper 30, due to a malfunction of the electric hopper cover module M or interference between the hopper cover 31 and an obstructing object.

[0086] Instead of the proximity sensor 60, a limit switch may be used as a detector that partially detects the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31. In this case, too, detection suitable for the hopper cover 31, which can be switched between two states, fully closed and fully open, can be performed at low cost. From the standpoint of preventing malfunctions due to adhesion of fresh concrete, the non-contact type proximity sensor 60, which can detect within the detection range by detecting nearby metal, even if a small amount of fresh concrete is attached, is preferable to a contact type limit switch that detects by a movable detection part such as a detection lever that can become attached by the fresh concrete.

[0087] Instead of the proximity sensor 60, an opening sensor that detects the opening degree of the hopper cover 31 may be used as a detector that detects the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31. The opening sensor can be provided for the hopper cover 31 separately from the electric hopper cover module M that is independent of the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C. In the case of the opening sensor, the predetermined opening degree that defines the closed state can be 90 degrees, and the state in which the opening degree of the hopper cover 31 is 90 degrees or less can be the closed state, and the state in which the opening degree is greater than 90 degrees can be the open state. The opening sensor can detect both the closed state and the open state of the hopper cover 31, and when the closed state of the hopper cover 31 is detected based on a signal from the opening sensor, this corresponds to a case in which the open state of the hopper cover 31 is not detected based on a signal from the opening sensor at the same time. For this reason, the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C (alarm unit 50d) can also perform warning control in these cases using the opening sensor as a detector.

[0088] Generally, the proximity sensor 60 and limit switch are less expensive than the opening sensor and are therefore preferable in terms of cost. Also, since the hopper cover 31 constitutes the electric hopper cover module M independent of the controllers 50A, 50B, and 50C, by using the proximity sensor 60 and limit switch as a detector, it is possible to easily manufacture the electric hopper cover module M while at the same time performing detection suitable for the hopper cover 31, which can be switched between the two states of fully closed and fully open, at low cost.

[0089] The hopper cover 31 may be of a manual type. In this case, too, the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31 can be switched between the fully closed state and the fully open state.

[0090] The configuration, operation, and effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0091] Mixer trucks 100A, 100B, 100C have a hopper 30 having an opening through which ready-mixed concrete is poured, a hopper cover 31 which opens and closes the opening of the hopper 30, and a mixer drum 10 into which ready-mixed concrete is poured via the hopper 30. Mixer trucks 100A, 100B, 100C are capable of wireless communication with wireless communication devices 210A, 210B which have communication ranges A1, A2 set for a site 201 where ready-mixed concrete is poured into the mixer drum 10, and are equipped with controllers 50A, 50B, 50C which perform warning control when the hopper cover 31 is closed.

[0092] According to this configuration, when the mixer trucks 100A, 100B, 100C are within the communication ranges A1, A2 set for the ready-mixed concrete loading area 201 and the hopper cover 31 is closed, a warning can be issued to the user, thereby preventing the user from forgetting to open the hopper cover 31 when loading ready-mixed concrete.

[0093] The mixer vehicles 100A, 100B, 100C are provided with a proximity sensor 60 which is a detector for detecting the open / closed state of the hopper cover 31, and the controllers 50A, 50B, 50C are configured so that the proximity sensor 60 detects the closed state of the hopper cover 31, and perform warning control when the controllers 50A, 50B, 50C detect the closed state of the hopper cover 31 based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60. The controllers 50A, 50B, 50C are configured so that the proximity sensor 60 detects the open state of the hopper cover 31, and may perform warning control when the controllers 50A, 50B, 50C do not detect the open state of the hopper cover 31 based on a signal from the proximity sensor 60.

[0094] According to this configuration, an alarm is issued when the proximity sensor 60 configured to detect the closed state of the hopper cover 31 detects that the hopper cover 31 is closed, or when the proximity sensor 60 configured to detect the open state of the hopper cover 31 does not detect that the hopper cover 31 is open, thereby making it possible to appropriately issue an alarm when the hopper cover 31 is in a closed state.

[0095] The proximity sensor 60 detects only the fully closed state of the hopper cover 31. The proximity sensor 60 may detect only the fully open state of the hopper cover 31.

[0096] According to this configuration, the proximity sensor 60 detects the fully closed or fully open state, which is part of the opening and closing state of the hopper cover 31, so that detection suitable for the hopper cover 31, which can be switched between the two states of fully closed and fully open, can be performed at low cost.

[0097] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments merely show some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10··· mixer drum, 30··· hopper, 31··· hopper cover, 50A, 50B, 50C··· controller, 50d··· warning unit, 60··· proximity sensor (detector, sensor), 71··· receiver, 72··· pairing authentication terminal, 100A, 100B, 100C··· mixer vehicle, 201··· input site, 210A, 210B··· wireless communication device, A1, A2··· communication range

Claims

1. A mixer truck having a hopper having an opening through which fresh concrete is poured, a hopper cover that opens and closes the opening of the hopper, and a mixer drum into which the fresh concrete is poured through the hopper, and a controller that performs warning control when the hopper cover is in a closed state in a case where the mixer vehicle is capable of wireless communication with a wireless communication device having a communication range set for a site where fresh concrete is fed into the mixer drum. A mixer truck characterized by:

2. 2. The mixer vehicle according to claim 1, A detector is provided for detecting an open / closed state of the hopper cover, The controller performs warning control when the detector is configured to detect a closed state of the hopper cover and the controller detects the closed state of the hopper cover based on a signal from the detector, or when the detector is configured to detect an open state of the hopper cover and the controller does not detect the open state of the hopper cover based on the signal from the detector. A mixer truck characterized by:

3. 2. The mixer vehicle according to claim 1, A detector is provided for detecting an open / closed state of the hopper cover, The detector is a sensor or a switch that detects only the fully closed state of the hopper cover or only the fully open state of the hopper cover. A mixer truck characterized by:

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