Tail gate device

Abstract

To provide a tail gate device which can secure safety on a floor plate when a worker works at a dark place in the tail gate device including safety fences configured to be changed between a standing state and a folded state at end edges in a vehicle width direction on a cargo handling surface of the floor plate forming a part of the tail gate device.SOLUTION: A tail gate device 130 includes safety fences 20, 30 configured to be changed between a standing state and a folded state at end edges in a vehicle width direction on a cargo handling surface 4 of a floor plate 2 forming a part of the tail gate device 130. Light emitters L1, L2 are disposed along at least each end edge in the vehicle width direction of the floor plate 2. When the floor plate 2 is brought into an opening operation state, light emitting modes of the light emitters L1, L2 are changed according to whether the safety fence 20 or 30 is in the standing state or the folded state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tailgate apparatus equipped with a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state at a vehicle width direction edge portion of a loading surface of a floor plate that constitutes a part of the tailgate apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] The bed of a truck, a vehicle used for transporting cargo, is mounted on a chassis consisting of wheels, a ladder-type frame, a suspension mechanism, etc., so there is a significant difference in height between the floor of the vehicle and the ground, which makes it difficult to load and unload cargo.

[0003] In order to improve the workability in loading and unloading cargo onto and from the above-mentioned cargo bed and to reduce the burden on workers, a tailgate device is provided at the cargo entrance formed at the rear of the truck. The tailgate device can be opened from an upright storage state to a working state and includes a floor plate that can be raised and lowered between the ground and the floor of the cargo compartment.

[0004] In recent years, it has been proposed to provide side guards on the floor plate to prevent loads from accidentally falling off or falling off the side edges of the floor plate during work (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] The applicant has also proposed a technology in which light-emitting elements are arranged on the side edges of a floor plate so that the side edges can be easily seen when working at night or in dark places, thereby enabling workers to easily recognize the widthwise edges of the floor plate (see Patent Document 2).

[0006] Furthermore, when performing loading and unloading work on a floor plate in an operational state, a worker may lose his balance, and if a safety fence that the worker can grab with his hands is installed in such a case, the worker will be able to work with peace of mind.Therefore, the applicant has proposed a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state at the vehicle width edge of the loading surface of the floor plate, which is disposed at the cargo entrance of a vehicle and constitutes part of a tailgate device that is opened from an upright stored state to an operational state and raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor of the luggage compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-030628 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-006246 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2023-014722 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When the above-mentioned safety fence is installed on the floor plate of the tailgate device, the safety fence is designed to have a relatively small (thin) thickness so that it does not get in the way when the floor plate is stored in an upright state. Here, when opening the floor plate of the tailgate device and starting work on the floor plate, if the interior light is turned on to brighten the cargo compartment, the difference in light between the inside and outside of the cargo compartment becomes large, and the safety fence folded on the floor plate becomes inconspicuous, making it important to ensure the safety of workers moving on the floor plate. This is not limited to nighttime work, but can also occur during the day depending on the location where cargo is loaded and unloaded.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a tailgate device that is equipped with a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state at the vehicle width direction edge of the loading surface of the floor plate that constitutes part of the tailgate device, and that ensures safety on the floor plate even when working in a dark place. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned main technical problems, the present invention provides a tailgate device that is arranged at the cargo loading / unloading entrance of a vehicle's luggage compartment, and is equipped with a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state at the vehicle width edge of the loading surface of a floor plate that is opened from the stored state to be put into an operating state, and that is raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor of the luggage compartment, and in which an light-emitting element is arranged along at least the vehicle width edge of the loading surface, and which changes the light emission mode of the light-emitting element depending on whether the safety fence is in the upright state or the folded state when the floor plate is opened to be put into an operating state.

[0011] The light emitter is preferably turned off when the floor plate is in the stored state. Also, the light emitter is preferably set to have a light emission mode different from the light emission mode when the floor plate is not being raised or lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment. Furthermore, the light emitter is preferably set to have a light emission mode different between the case where the floor plate is being raised and the case where the floor plate is being lowered when the floor plate is being raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment.

[0012] The light emitter may be arranged at the vehicle width direction edge of the floor plate as well as at the vehicle front-rear direction edge of the floor plate. The light emitter may be an elongated LED with a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the longitudinal direction, and may be accommodated in a translucent synthetic resin holding member having a U-shaped cross section and arranged at a predetermined position. The light emitter may be accommodated in the holding member and attached to the floor plate by a mounting bracket that accommodates the holding member. The light emitter may be composed of a plurality of light emitters with different light emission modes, and may be stacked and accommodated in a direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the floor plate. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The tailgate device of the present invention is arranged at the cargo loading / unloading entrance of the luggage compartment of a vehicle, and is configured to be in an upright stored state and then opened from the stored state to be in an operating state, and is equipped with a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state at the vehicle width edge of the loading surface of a floor plate that is raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor of the luggage compartment, and light-emitting elements are arranged along at least the vehicle width edge of the loading surface, and when the floor plate is opened to be in an operating state, the light emission mode of the light-emitting elements is changed depending on the upright state and the folded state of the safety fence.Therefore, when a safety fence that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state is arranged on the floor plate of the tailgate device, the light emission mode of the light-emitting elements arranged along at least the vehicle width edge of the loading surface of the floor plate is changed depending on the upright state and the folded state of the safety fence, calling attention to the safety fence on the floor plate, and the state of the safety fence can be intuitively grasped, ensuring safety when working on the loading surface of the floor plate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] (a) is an oblique view of a vehicle to which the safety fence and light-emitting body of this embodiment are applied, in which the safety fence installed on the floor plate of the tailgate device is in a folded state, and (b) is an oblique view of the safety fence shown in (a) in an upright state. [Diagram 2]1(a) is an enlarged perspective view of a light-emitting means disposed on the floor plate shown in FIG. 1(b), and FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of the first safety fence in a folded state; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of the first safety fence in an upright state. FIG. [Diagram 5] (a) A cross-sectional view showing the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting body when the first safety fence is in a folded state, in the light-emitting means arranged on the right edge portion, and (b) a cross-sectional view showing the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting body when the first safety fence is in an upright state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a tailgate device configured based on the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 100 having a box-shaped loading platform 110 (shown by a two-dot chain line) that constitutes a loading space. As shown in FIG. 1(a), a tailgate device 130 including a floor plate 2 that is raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the loading space of the box-shaped loading platform 110 is disposed at a cargo entrance that is opened and closed by an opening and closing door 120 at the rear of the box-shaped loading platform 110 of the vehicle 100. When no loading and unloading work is being performed in the vehicle 100, the floor plate 2 is in a stored state in which it stands up along the opening and closing door 120 that closes the cargo entrance, and when loading and unloading work is being performed, it is opened in the direction shown by the arrow R1 in FIG. 1(a) to be in a substantially horizontal working state. Note that the X direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 1 is the vehicle front-rear direction, the Y direction is the vehicle width direction, and the Z direction is the up-down direction, and these XYZ directions are assumed to be common directions in the following drawings as well. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, an example is shown in which the opening / closing door 120 that opens and closes the cargo entrance / exit of the box-type cargo platform 110 is composed of two double doors, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the double doors may be divided into four opening / closing doors, or a part or the entire opening at the rear of the box-type cargo platform 110 may be opened and closed by the illustrated floor plate 2.

[0017] The loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 is generally rectangular, and includes a front edge 6 and a rear edge 8 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a right edge 10 and a left edge 12 constituting the vehicle width direction edges. A first safety fence 20 and a second safety fence 30 are disposed on the right edge 10 and the left edge 12 so as to face each other in the vehicle width direction (Y direction in the figure) as safety fences that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state on the floor plate 2. The first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are made of, for example, alloy steel, and are safety fences that can be changed between a folded state in which they are folded on the loading surface 4 constituting the upper surface of the floor plate 2 as shown in FIG. 1(a) and an upright state in which they are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows R2 and R3 as shown in FIG. 1(b). When the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in the upright position, the opening and closing door 120 at the rear of the box-shaped loading platform 110 is opened in advance (omitted in FIG. 1(b)).

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, long light emitting means 82A, 82B are disposed at least along the vehicle width direction edge portions of the floor plate 2 in this embodiment, more specifically, along the right edge portion 10 and the left edge portion 12. Fig. 2(a) shows an enlarged view of the light emitting means 82A disposed along the right edge portion 10. For convenience of explanation, details of the first support base 40 and the second support base 50 (described later) that support the first safety fence 20 are omitted in Fig. 2(a), and only plate members 41, 51 that constitute parts of the first support base 40 and the second support base 50 are shown.

[0019] As can be seen from Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b) showing the AA cross section of Fig. 2(a), the light emitting means 82A includes a bracket 821 that houses and holds the light emitting bodies L1 and L2. The bracket 821 is long and includes a base portion 821a that is placed on the upper surface of the floor plate 2 and fixed by an appropriate fixing method such as screwing, and a first wall portion 821b and a second wall portion 821c that are erected on the base portion 821a and extend perpendicular to the loading surface 4 along the right edge portion 10. The light emitting bodies L1 and L2 are also long light emitting bodies formed with the same length as the bracket 821, and are stacked and housed in a direction perpendicular to the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 in a recess 821e formed by the base portion 821a, the first wall portion 821b, and the second wall portion 821c, and are held. In the illustrated embodiment, the light-emitting body L1 stacked on the upper side is fixed to the light-emitting body L2 and the second wall portion 821c via an adhesive tape or the like.

[0020] The light emitters L1 and L2 in this embodiment are formed, for example, of a rod-shaped member of suitable synthetic resin having a rectangular cross section and flexibility. The light emitters L1 and L2 are light emitters in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in series inside the rod-shaped member, and the light emitting elements are, for example, LEDs. The light emitters L1 and L2 are housed and held in a long holding member 86 made of a translucent synthetic resin and having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and are held in a recess 821e of the bracket 821 while being housed and held in the holding member 86. The light emitter 82B disposed on the left end edge portion 12 of the floor plate 2 also has the same configuration as the light emitter 82A described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The light emitters L1 and L2 in this embodiment are selected from light emitting elements having different light emission modes, and for example, the light emitting element constituting the light emitter L1 is a blue LED, and the light emitting element constituting the light emitter L2 is a red LED.

[0021] In this embodiment, as can be seen from Figs. 2(a) and (b), the first wall 821b of the bracket 821 is formed so as to be lower than the second wall 821c, and the lower first wall 821b side is disposed on the center side of the floor plate 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first wall 821b of the bracket 821 may be formed at the same height as the second wall 821c, and the above-mentioned light emitters L1 and L2 may be entirely accommodated in the recess 821e formed by the first wall 821b and the second wall 821c. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the light emitter 82A (82B is also similar) is formed so as to protrude upward with respect to the loading surface 4. This also functions as a side guard that prevents the load from accidentally falling off or falling off the vehicle width direction edge of the floor plate 2 during work.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, in addition to the above-mentioned light emitting means 82A, 82B, light emitting means 84A, 84B are arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction edge of the floor plate 2, more specifically, along the front edge 6 and rear edge 8. When arranging the light emitting means 84A, 84B along the front edge 6 and rear edge 8, a linear mounting groove (not shown) extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2. Then, the above-mentioned light emitting bodies L1, L2 are entirely accommodated in the mounting groove so that no step is generated on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2. When accommodating the light emitting bodies L1, L2 in the mounting groove, it is preferable to accommodate them in a holding member 86 made of a translucent synthetic resin and having a U-shaped cross section, as with the above-mentioned light emitting means 82A, 82B, and fit them into the mounting groove. The arrangement of the light emitting means 84A, 84B along the front edge 6 and the rear edge 8 of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction is optional and can be omitted. When the light emitting bodies L1, L2 are not mounted in the mounting grooves, the mounting grooves can be blocked by mounting only the above-mentioned holding member 86, thereby preventing dust and the like from entering the mounting grooves. As described above, the light emitting elements constituting the light emitting bodies L1, L2 are most preferably LEDs, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be selected from any suitable well-known light source.

[0023] The above-mentioned light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B are configured to receive electricity from a battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 100 via a control means (not shown), and change their light emission modes depending on the states of the above-mentioned floor plate 2, first safety fence 10, and second safety fence 20. The changes in the light emission modes will be described in detail later.

[0024] Returning to FIG. 1, the first safety fence 20 is provided with an upright member 24 whose position changes by 90 degrees with respect to the floor plate 2 between the upright state and the folded state. The upright member 24 includes a first upright member 24A on the rear side of the vehicle and a second upright member 24B on the front side of the vehicle. The second safety fence 30 is also provided with a configuration substantially similar to that of the first safety fence 20 described above, and includes an upright member 34 whose position changes between the folded state and the upright state. The upright member 34 includes a first upright member 34A on the rear side of the vehicle and whose position changes by 90 degrees between the folded state and the upright state, and a second upright member 34B on the front side of the vehicle.

[0025] The first safety fence 20 is provided with a first support base 40 arranged behind the right edge 10 of the floor plate 2 and supporting one end side (the side that becomes lower when erected) of the first standing member 24A, and a second support base 50 arranged in front and supporting one end side (the side that becomes lower when erected) of the second standing member 24B. Similarly, the second safety fence 30 is provided with a first support base 60 arranged behind the left edge 12 of the floor plate 2 and supporting one end side (the side that becomes lower when erected) of the first standing member 34A of the second safety fence 30, and a second support base 70 arranged in front and supporting one end side (the side that becomes lower when erected) of the second standing member 34B.

[0026] The first safety fence 20 also includes a first handrail section 22 that connects the other end side (the upper side when erected) of the first standing member 24A to the other end side (the upper side when erected) of the second standing member 24B. The first standing member 24A and the second standing member 24B are connected by a horizontal member 26 in addition to the first handrail section 22. The first safety fence 20 also includes a fence extension section 27 that extends from the first standing member 24A toward the rear of the vehicle, and a first disengagement mechanism 28 that will be described later.

[0027] Similarly to the first safety fence 20, the second safety fence 30 also includes a second handrail portion 32, which is a connecting member that connects the other end side (the side that becomes the upper side when erected) of the first standing member 34A and the other end side (the side that becomes the upper side when erected) of the second standing member 34B. The first standing member 34A and the second standing member 34B are connected by a horizontal member 36 in addition to the second handrail portion 32. Furthermore, the second safety fence 30 includes a fence extension portion 37 that extends from the second standing member 34B toward the rear side of the vehicle, and a second disengagement mechanism 38 that has a configuration similar to the first disengagement mechanism 28 described above.

[0028] The above-mentioned first safety fence 20 and second safety fence 30 are safety fences proposed by the present applicant and disclosed in detail in Patent Document 3, which is publicly known, and since the structure of these safety fences does not constitute a key part of the present invention, further detailed explanation of the structure will be omitted.

[0029] Here, in the first safety fence 20 shown in Fig. 1, by pulling an end of a first disengagement mechanism 28 formed of a belt-like member arranged on the first safety fence 20, the rod connecting bar 29 is pulled up toward the first handrail section 22. As a result, a locking mechanism (detailed description will be omitted) arranged on the first support base 40 and the second support base 50 is released by an extension member (not shown) connected to the rod connecting bar 29, and the first safety fence 20 can be opened in the direction indicated by the arrow R2 on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 as shown in Figs. 1(b) and 4 from a folded state in which the first safety fence 20 is folded on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 as shown in Figs. 1(a) and 3 to an upright state on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2. When the first disengagement mechanism 28 is released and the first safety fence 20 is in an upright state, the first upright member 24A and the second upright member 24B are locked on the first support base 40 and the second support base 50, and the first safety fence 20 is prevented from falling toward the floor plate 2.

[0030] The second safety fence 30 described above also has a similar configuration to the first safety fence 20, and the rod connecting bar 39 is pulled toward the second handrail portion 32 by pulling the second engagement release mechanism 38 formed of a belt-like member arranged on the second safety fence 30 shown in FIG. 1. This releases the lock mechanism (not shown) arranged on the first support base 60 and the second support base 70 (details not explained) by an extension member (not shown) connected to the rod connecting bar 39, and the second safety fence 30 can be brought from a folded state in which the second safety fence 30 is folded on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 as shown in FIG. 1(a) to an upright state relative to the loading surface 4 as shown in FIG. 1(b) in the same manner as the first safety fence 20 described above. When the second engagement release mechanism 38 is released and the second safety fence 30 is brought into an upright state, the first upright member 34A and the second upright member 34B are locked on the first support base 60 and the second support base 70, and the second safety fence 30 is prevented from falling toward the floor plate 2.

[0031] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned first safety fence 20 is in an upright state, by pulling the first disengagement mechanism 28, the locked state of the first upright member 24A and the second upright member 24B on the first support base 40 and the second support base 50 is released, and the fence can be folded down onto the floor plate 2. Similarly, when the second safety fence 30 is in an upright state, by pulling the second disengagement mechanism 38, the locked state of the first upright member 34A and the second upright member 34B on the first support base 60 and the second support base 70 is released, and the fence can be folded down onto the floor plate 2.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, a posture sensor 92 is provided on the first support base 40 of the first safety fence 20 to determine whether the first safety fence 20 is in an upright state or a folded state. As can be seen from Figure 1, a posture sensor 94 is provided on the first support base 60 of the second safety fence 30 to determine whether the second safety fence 30 is in an upright state or a folded state, similar to the posture sensor 92 shown in Figures 3 and 4. The signals of the posture sensors 92 and 94 are transmitted to a control means (not shown) that controls the tailgate device 130. The positions at which the posture sensors 92 and 94 are provided are not limited to the first support bases 40 and 60 described above, and they may be provided on the second support bases 50 and 70 sides. Furthermore, the means for determining whether the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in an upright or folded state is not limited to the posture sensors 92, 94 described above, but may also be a proximity sensor that detects the proximity state between the first handrail portion 22 of the first safety fence 20 and the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2, and a proximity sensor that detects the proximity state between the first handrail portion 32 of the second safety fence 30 and the floor plate 2.

[0033] The tailgate device 130 of this embodiment has substantially the configuration described above, and the functions and actions of the tailgate device 130 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0034] When a worker performs cargo handling work, the worker operates a control means (not shown) of the tailgate device 130 to open the floor plate 2 from a storage state in which the floor plate 2 stands up along the opening and closing door 120 that opens and closes the cargo carrying-in / out entrance at the rear of the box-shaped loading platform 110 of the vehicle 100, to a working state as shown by an arrow R1 in Fig. 1(a). Note that when the floor plate 2 is in the storage state, the above-mentioned light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B do not emit light.

[0035] When the floor plate 2 is opened to be in a working state, the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state. As described above, the attitude sensor 92 is disposed on the first support base 40 of the first safety fence 20, and the attitude sensor 94 is disposed on the first support base 60 of the second safety fence 30, and the signals of the attitude sensors 92, 94 are sent to the control means of the tailgate device 130. If the control means determines that the floor plate 2 is opened to be in a working state and that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state, attention is required for the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 that are in a folded state on the floor plate 2, so that the light emitting element of the light emitting means 82A emits light from the light emitting body L2, which is constituted by a red LED, as shown in FIG. 5(a). At this time, the light emitting body L2 of the light emitting means 82B, 84A, and 84B is also similarly caused to emit light.

[0036] The light emitters L2 of the light emitters 82A and 82B are accommodated in the recesses 821e of the bracket 821, the light emitters L2 of the light emitters 84A and 84B are accommodated in the mounting grooves, and the light emitters L1 are stacked on the light emitters L2. Here, the holding member 86 that accommodates the light emitters L2, the synthetic resin that forms the light emitters L1, and the holding member 86 that accommodates the light emitters L1 are all made of translucent materials. As a result, the light emitted from the light emitters L2 can be seen by the worker through the protective member 86 and the light emitters L1. That is, the light of the red LED of the light emitters L2 that is seen by the light emitters 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B allows the worker to recognize that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state on the floor plate 2 and that caution is required. Furthermore, the light from the light emitting element L2 shines onto the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 via the light emitting element L1, and also functions as lighting that illuminates the feet of workers on the loading surface 4. Note that the light emitted by the light emitting element L2 does not need to be limited to light emitted when working in a dark place such as at night, and it is preferable to emit light even when work is performed in a bright place, and safety is further improved by alerting workers.

[0037] Here, when the worker operates the first disengagement mechanism 28 of the first safety fence 20 and the second disengagement mechanism 38 of the second safety fence 30 according to the above-mentioned procedure to set the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 in the upright state on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 as shown in Fig. 1(b), the above-mentioned posture sensors 92, 94 detect that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in the upright state. When the posture sensors 92, 94 detect that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in the upright state, as shown in Fig. 5(b), in the light emitting means 82A, the light emitting body L2 is turned off and the light emitting body L1 is turned on. At the same time, in the light emitting means 82B, 84A, and 84B, the light emitting body L2 is turned off and the light emitting body L1 is turned on in the same manner.

[0038] In this embodiment, a blue LED is selected as the light-emitting element of the light-emitting body L1, and by emitting light from the light-emitting body L1, it is intuitively recognized that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are not folded onto the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2, which is a relatively safe state. In addition, since the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 is illuminated by the light-emitting body L1 stacked upward in the light-emitting means 82A, 82B, safety during loading and unloading work on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 is also ensured.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the light emission modes of the light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B are changed when the posture sensors 92, 94 detect that both the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in the upright state, but, for example, when the posture sensor 92 arranged on the first safety fence 20 detects that the first safety fence 20 is in the upright state, only the light emission mode of the light emitting means 82A arranged along the right edge portion 10 may be changed, and when the posture sensor 94 arranged on the second safety fence 30 detects that the second safety fence 30 is in the upright state, the light emission mode of the light emitting means 82B arranged along the left edge portion 12 may be changed. By doing so, it is possible to intuitively recognize that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 arranged on the left and right are in different states.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. When the floor plate 2 is opened to be in a working state, the method of changing the light emission state of the light emitter according to the standing state and the folded state of the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 includes various modified examples.

[0041] For example, when the floor plate 2 is open and in a working state, and the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state, instead of lighting the light-emitting body L2 as described above, the light-emitting body L2 may be made to flash. By making the light-emitting body L2 flash, it is possible to more reliably call the attention of the worker than when the light-emitting body L2 is simply turned on. Also, instead of lighting the light-emitting body L2, the light-emitting body L2 may be made to emit light in a flowing manner. The flowing light emission is a mode in which the lit parts move in a flowing manner by sequentially turning on and off a plurality of light-emitting element LEDs arranged in the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting body L2, and it is possible to more strongly recognize that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are folded on the floor plate 2 for the worker.

[0042] Furthermore, instead of the flowing light emission, it is also possible to strongly make it apparent that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state on the floor plate 2 by randomly blinking the multiple light-emitting elements LED that make up the light-emitting body L2.

[0043] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, when the floor plate 2 is opened to a working state, the light emission pattern is changed by turning on one of the light emitters L1 and L2 and turning off the other depending on the upright and folded states of the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30. However, the light emission pattern may also be changed by turning on one of the light emitters and turning off the other, or by turning on both.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to stacking the light-emitting bodies L1 and L2 in a direction perpendicular to the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but may be arranged in parallel with the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 to change the light emission mode. Also, only one type of light-emitting body (e.g., light-emitting body L1) may be arranged to change the light emission mode of the light-emitting body L1. In that case, for example, when the floor plate 2 is in a working state and the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state, the light-emitting body L1 may be made to blink, emit light in a flowing manner, or blink randomly, so that the worker recognizes that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are folded on the floor plate 2, and when the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in an upright state, the light-emitting body L1 may be turned on. Furthermore, the method of changing the light emission mode is not limited to the above-mentioned form, and for example, the light emission mode may be changed depending on the light intensity (brightness). Furthermore, when one light emitter can emit light of a plurality of colors, the light emission mode may be changed by changing the color of light emitted in a light emitting means having the one light emitter.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the above-mentioned change in the light emission mode, when the floor plate 2 of the tailgate device 130 is raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment of the box-type loading platform 110 by the operation of the worker, the light emission mode can be different from the light emission mode when the lifting and lowering operation is not performed. More specifically, when the floor plate 2 is performing the lifting and lowering operation, even if the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in an upright state, the light emitters L2 of the above-mentioned light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B are illuminated to call attention to other workers in the vicinity of the floor plate 2 or people passing by in the vicinity. In this case, the light emission mode is not limited to simply lighting the light emitter L2 as in the above, and can be selected from blinking, flowing light emission, random light emission, etc. When the lifting and lowering operation of the tailgate device 130 is stopped, the light emitter L2 is turned off and the above-mentioned light emitter L1 is illuminated.

[0046] In addition, when the floor plate 2 is raised and lowered, if the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state, the light emitters L2 of the light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B are originally emitting light to draw attention to the fact that the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are on the floor plate 2, but it is preferable that the light emission mode during the raising and lowering operation is set to be different from the light emission mode at this time. For example, when the floor plate 2 is in a working state and is positioned at the height of the floor surface of the cargo compartment of the box-type cargo platform 110 and the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state, the light emitters L2 are turned on, and when the floor plate 2 starts to lower toward the ground surface by the raising and lowering operation, the light emitters L2 can be changed to flash, flash in a stream, flash randomly, etc.

[0047] The light emission manner of the light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B may be further changed depending on whether the floor plate 2 of the tailgate device 130 is rising or falling. For example, the light emission may be a flowing light emission when the floor plate 2 is rising or falling, and may be a blinking light emission when the floor plate 2 is falling.

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, the light emission state of the light emitters of the light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B arranged on the floor plate 2 can be changed depending on whether the first safety fence 20 and the second safety fence 30 are in a folded state or an upright state, whether the floor plate 2 is moving up and down between the ground surface and the floor surface of the cargo compartment of the box-type cargo platform 110, and whether the moving up and down is an upward movement or a downward movement. When the loading and unloading work on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2 is completed and the safety fence is folded and the floor plate 2 is raised to the stored state, all of the light emitters L1 and L2 of the light emitting means 82A, 82B, 84A, and 84B described above are turned off.

[0049] According to the above-described embodiment, when a safety fence (first safety fence 20 and second safety fence 30) that can be changed between an upright state and a folded state is arranged on the floor plate 2 that constitutes part of the tailgate device 130, the light emission mode of the illuminators arranged along the vehicle width direction edge portions (right edge portion 10, left edge portion 12) of the floor plate 2 can be changed depending on whether the safety fence is in the upright state or the folded state, allowing the state of the safety fence on the floor plate 2 to be intuitively recognized, thereby improving safety when working on the loading surface 4 of the floor plate 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 2: Floor plate 4: Loading surface 6: Front edge 8: Rear edge 10: Right edge 12: Left edge 20:First safety fence 22:First handrail part 24: Standing member 24A: First upright member 24B: Second standing member 26: Horizontal member 28:First disengagement mechanism 30:Second safety fence 32:Second handrail part 34: Standing member 34A: First upright member 34B: Second standing member 36: Horizontal member 38:Second disengagement mechanism 40:First support base 41: Plate member 50:Second support base 51: Plate material 60:First support base 70:Second support base 82A, 82B: Light emitting means 821: Bracket 821a: Base section 821b: First wall 821c:Second wall part 821e: Recess 84A, 84B: Light emitting means 92, 94: Attitude sensor 100:Vehicle 110: Box-shaped loading platform 120: Opening and closing door 130: Tailgate device L1: Light source L2: Light source

Claims

1. a safety fence which is disposed at a cargo carrying-in / out entrance of a luggage compartment of a vehicle, which is opened from a storage state into an upright storage state into a working state, and which is changed between an upright state and a folded state at an end portion in the vehicle width direction on a loading surface of a floor plate which is raised and lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment; A tailgate device in which an illuminator is arranged along at least the vehicle widthwise edge portion of the loading surface, and when the floor plate is opened to enter an operating state, the light emission mode of the illuminator is changed depending on whether the safety fence is in an upright or folded state.

2. 2. The tailgate apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter is turned off when the floor plate is in the stored state.

3. 2. The tailgate device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter emits light in a manner different from that when the floor plate is not being raised or lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment.

4. 4. The tailgate device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting element emits light in a different manner when the floor plate is raised or lowered between the ground surface and the floor surface of the luggage compartment, depending on whether the floor plate is ascending or descending.

5. 2. The tailgate apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitters are disposed at edge portions of the floor plate in the vehicle width direction as well as at edge portions of the floor plate in the vehicle front-rear direction.

6. The tailgate device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a long LED having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the longitudinal direction, and is housed in a translucent synthetic resin holding member having a U-shaped cross section and arranged in a predetermined position.

7. 7. The tailgate assembly of claim 6, wherein the light emitter is housed in the retaining member and is attached to the floor plate by a mounting bracket that houses the retaining member.

8. 8. The tailgate device according to claim 7, wherein the light emitter is constituted by a plurality of light emitters having different light emission modes, which are stacked and housed in a direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the floor plate.

Images