Swing mechanism and transport vehicle

Abstract

To enable smooth traveling of a vehicle to be transported.SOLUTION: A swing mechanism includes a base part, a swing part, and a restoration mechanism. The swing part is swingably attached to the base part. The restoration mechanism is configured to, when a swing angle of the swing part is in a first range, generate a restoration force according to the swing angle of the swing part so as to return the swing part to a neutral state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a swing mechanism and a carrier vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Carrier vehicles such as electric tow trucks and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are configured to be connected to a vehicle to be transported such as a trolley and tow and transport the vehicle to be transported (Patent Document 1). The carrier vehicle and the vehicle to be transported are connected via a swing mechanism so that they can swing relative to each other so that the carrier vehicle can turn when transporting the vehicle to be transported.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the swing mechanism is in a swung state and the carrier vehicle tries to push the vehicle to be transported and travel, the vehicle to be transported may face a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction and may not be able to travel smoothly in the traveling direction.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a swing mechanism that enables smooth traveling of the vehicle to be transported.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The swing mechanism according to the first aspect includes a base portion, a swing portion, and a restoring mechanism. The swing portion is attached to the base portion so as to be swingable. The restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force corresponding to the swing angle of the swing portion so as to return the swing portion to a neutral state when the swing angle of the swing portion is within a first range.

[0007] According to this configuration, since the swing part is returned to the neutral state by the restoring mechanism, by connecting the carrier vehicle and the vehicle to be carried via this swing mechanism, it is possible to suppress the situation where the carrier vehicle faces a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction when pushing the vehicle to be carried and traveling. As a result, smooth traveling of the vehicle to be carried is enabled.

[0008] The swing mechanism according to the second aspect is configured as follows in the swing mechanism according to the first aspect. The restoring mechanism is configured not to generate a restoring force when the swing angle is in a second range where the swing angle is larger than the first range. Alternatively, the restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force smaller than the restoring force generated when the swing angle is in the first range when the swing angle is in the second range. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the difficulty of turning due to the restoring force.

[0009] The swing mechanism according to the third aspect is configured as follows in the swing mechanism according to the second aspect. The restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force that gradually decreases as the swing angle increases when the swing angle is in a third range between the first range and the second range.

[0010] The swing mechanism according to the fourth aspect is configured as follows in the swing mechanism according to any one of the first to third aspects. The restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force that increases as the swing angle increases when the swing angle is within the first range.

[0011] The swing mechanism according to the fifth aspect is configured as follows in the swing mechanism according to any one of the first to fourth aspects. The restoring mechanism includes a cam surface, a cam follower, and a biasing member. The cam surface is formed on one of the swing part and the base part. The cam follower abuts against the cam surface. The biasing member biases the cam follower along an imaginary straight line connecting the swing axis of the swing part and the cam follower.

[0012] The rocking mechanism according to the sixth aspect is configured as follows in the rocking mechanism according to the fifth aspect. The cam surface is formed on the rocking portion. The cam surface has a first cam surface. The first cam surface abuts on the cam follower when the rocking angle is within a first range. The distance from the rocking axis increases as the first cam surface moves away from the neutral point. The neutral point is the point where the cam follower contacts when the rocking portion is in the neutral state.

[0013] The rocking mechanism according to the seventh aspect is configured as follows in the rocking mechanism according to the fifth aspect. The cam surface is formed on the base portion. The biasing member is attached to the rocking portion. The cam surface has a first cam surface. The first cam surface abuts on the cam follower when the rocking angle is within a first range. The distance from the rocking axis decreases as the first cam surface moves away from the neutral point. The neutral point is the point where the cam follower contacts when the rocking portion is in the neutral state.

[0014] The rocking mechanism according to the eighth aspect is configured as follows in the rocking mechanism according to the sixth or seventh aspect. The cam surface has a second cam surface. The second cam surface abuts on the cam follower when the rocking angle is within a second range where the rocking angle is larger than the first range. The second cam surface is configured such that the tangent line at the point where the second cam surface abuts on the cam follower is orthogonal to the straight line connecting the contact point and the rocking axis.

[0015] The rocking mechanism according to the ninth aspect is configured as follows in the rocking mechanism according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects. The cam surface has a second cam surface. The second cam surface abuts on the cam follower when the rocking angle is within a second range where the rocking angle is larger than the first range. The distance between the second cam surface and the rocking axis is constant.

[0016] The swing mechanism according to the 10th aspect is configured as follows in the swing mechanism according to the 8th or 9th aspect. The cam surface has a third cam surface. The third cam surface is disposed between a first range and a second range. The third cam surface abuts against the cam follower when there is a swing angle in the third range. The first cam surface is an arc-shaped concave toward the swing axis in a view in the swing axis direction. The third cam surface is an arc-shaped convex in a direction away from the swing axis in a view in the swing axis direction.

[0017] The carrier vehicle according to the 11th aspect includes a carrier vehicle body and a swing mechanism according to any one of the 1st to 10th aspects. The carrier vehicle body has a prime mover and drive wheels. The swing mechanism is attached to the carrier vehicle body.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, the vehicle to be transported can be stably towed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the swing mechanism 3 according to the present embodiment and the carrier 100 equipped with the same will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front refers to the direction in which the carrier 100 pulls the carried vehicle 101 forward, and the rear refers to the direction in which the carrier 100 pushes the carried vehicle 101 forward. That is, the right side of FIG. 1 is the front, and the left side of FIG. 1 is the rear.

[0021] <Carrier> FIG. 1 is a side view of the carrier 100. Note that FIG. 1 shows the carrier 100 before being connected to the carried vehicle 101. As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier 100 is configured to be connected to the carried vehicle 101 and pull the carried vehicle 101. Note that the carrier 100 can also travel by pushing the carried vehicle 101. The carrier 100 is driven by human power and the assist force of the prime mover 24. Note that the carrier 100 can also travel by human power only or the driving force of the prime mover 24 only. In the present embodiment, a cage car is exemplified as the carried vehicle 101, but the carried vehicle 101 can also be exemplified by a cart, a stretcher, a wheelchair, etc. other than the cage car.

[0022] The carrier 100 has a carrier body 2, a swing mechanism 3, and a clamp mechanism 4. The carried vehicle 101 pulled by the carrier 100 has a plurality of wheels 102.

[0023] <Carrier body> FIG. 2 is a side view of the state in which a part of the frame 21 of the carrier body 2 is removed in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier body 2 has a frame 21, an operation member 22, a drive wheel 23, a prime mover 24, a driven wheel 25, a battery 26, and a biasing member 27.

[0024] The operation member 22 is attached to the frame 21. The operation member 22 is configured to input human power forward or backward by the user. For example, a handle for the user to grip is attached to the tip of the operation member 22.

[0025] The drive wheel 23, the prime mover 24, the driven wheel 25, the battery 26, and the biasing member 27 are attached to the frame 21. The drive wheel 23 is driven by the prime mover 24. The prime mover 24 is, for example, an electric motor. The prime mover 24 is supplied with electric power from the battery 26.

[0026] The biasing member 27 is configured to bias the drive wheel 23 downward. The biasing member 27 is disposed between the swing mechanism 3 (specifically, the base portion 31) and the drive wheel 23. The biasing member 27 biases the swing mechanism 3 and the drive wheel 23 in a direction in which they move away from each other. The biasing member 27 is attached to the swing mechanism 3 at its upper end and to the frame 21 at its lower end. The biasing member 27 biases the drive wheel 23 downward via the frame 21. The biasing member 27 is, for example, a coil spring. The biasing member 27 is installed so as to be in a compressed state when the conveyed vehicle 101 is connected to the transport vehicle 100.

[0027] <Swing mechanism> The swing mechanism 3 is attached to the upper part of the transport vehicle body 2. The swing mechanism 3 is attached to the transport vehicle body 2 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The swing mechanism 3 has a base portion 31, a swing portion 32, an arm 36, and a restoring mechanism 37.

[0028] The base portion 31 is attached to the transport vehicle body 2. Specifically, it is attached to the transport vehicle body 2 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. Note that the base portion 31 is swingable in the vertical direction along a vertical plane extending in the front-rear direction. The base portion 31 is attached to the frame 21 via the first swing shaft 33. The first swing shaft 33 extends in the left-right direction. Also, the base portion 31 is attached to the frame 21 via the biasing member 27 and the like.

[0029] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carrier 100, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the swing mechanism 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the swing part 32 is arranged behind the base part 31. The swing part 32 is attached to the base part 31 so as to be swingable in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the swing part 32 is attached to the base part 31 so as to be swingable in the left-right direction. The swing part 32 is attached to the base part 31 via the second swing shaft 34. The second swing shaft 34 extends in the vertical direction. The swing part 32 is swingable about the swing axis O. The swing axis O is coaxial with the central axis of the second swing shaft 34.

[0030] The arm 36 extends downward from the swing part 32. The arm 36 is fixed to the swing part 32. That is, the arm 36 swings integrally with the swing part 32. The arm 36 is fixed to the swing part 32 by bolts or the like. The arm 36 is constituted by a separate member from the swing part 32, but may be integrally constituted by one member with the swing part 32.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the swing mechanism 3 with a part of the base part 31 removed. FIG. 5 shows the swing mechanism 3 when the swing part 32 is in the neutral state (swing angle α = 0°). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the restoring mechanism 37 has a pair of cam surfaces 371, a pair of cam followers 372, and a pair of biasing members 373. The restoring mechanism 37 also has a pair of intermediate members 374. Note that the number of the cam surface 371, the cam follower 372, the biasing member 373, and the intermediate member 374 may be one instead of a pair, or may be more than two.

[0032] The cam surface 371 is formed on the swing part 32. Specifically, the cam surface 371 is formed on the surface of the swing part 32 facing the base part 31. That is, the cam surface 371 faces forward. The cam surface 371 has a first cam surface 371a, a second cam surface 371b, and a third cam surface 371c.

[0033] The cam follower 372 is in contact with the cam surface 371. The cam follower 372 presses the cam surface 371 by being biased by a biasing member. The cam follower 372 is attached to the intermediate member 374. The cam follower 372 is cylindrical. The cam follower 372 extends in the vertical direction. The cam follower 372 may or may not roll on the cam surface 371.

[0034] The biasing member 373 is attached to the base portion 31. The biasing member 373 biases the cam follower 372 along an imaginary straight line V connecting the swing axis O of the swing portion 32 and the cam follower 372. In the present embodiment, the biasing member 373 biases the cam follower 372 toward the swing axis O. For this reason, the cam follower 372 presses the cam surface 371 toward the swing axis O.

[0035] The biasing member 373 biases the cam follower 372 via the intermediate member 374. The biasing member 373 is, for example, a coil spring. The biasing member 373 extends in the front-rear direction. The biasing member 373 is preferably compressed when the swing portion 32 is in the neutral state, but may be at its natural length.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the swing mechanism 3 with a part of the base portion 31 removed. FIG. 6 shows the swing mechanism 3 when the swing angle α of the swing portion 32 is in the first range R1. Here, the swing angle α of the swing portion 32 is the swing angle of the swing portion 32 when the swing portion 32 is not swinging with respect to the base portion 31 and is set to 0°. When the swing portion 32 extends parallel along the front-rear direction, the swing angle of the swing portion 32 is 0°.

[0037] In the following description, the neutral state means the state of the swing portion 32 when the swing angle α is 0°. In FIG. 5, the swing portion 32 is in the neutral state. The first range R1 is a range where the swing angle α is from 0° to the first swing angle α1 on each of the left and right sides. The first swing angle α1 is, for example, 10 to 20°.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, when the swing angle α is within the first range R1, that is, when the swing angle α is between 0 and α1, the restoring mechanism 37 generates a restoring force to return the swing part 32 to the neutral state. The restoring force generated at this time corresponds to the swing angle α of the swing part 32. Specifically, the restoring mechanism 37 generates a restoring force that increases as the swing angle α increases. That is, the restoring force generated by the restoring mechanism 37 increases as the swing angle α increases.

[0039] When the swing angle α of the swing part 32 is within the first range R1, the cam follower 372 is in contact with the first cam surface 371a. That is, the restoring mechanism 37 is configured to generate a restoring force that increases as the swing angle α increases when the cam follower 372 is in contact with the first cam surface 371a.

[0040] The first cam surface 371a has a shape such that the distance from the swing axis O increases as it moves away from the neutral point N. Specifically, the first cam surface 371a is formed to be concave toward the swing axis O. The first cam surface 371a is arc-shaped in plan view. By configuring the first cam surface 371a in this way, the displacement of the biasing member 373 increases as the swing angle α increases, and the restoring force increases. Note that the neutral point N is the point where the first cam surface 371a is in contact with the cam follower 372 when the swing part 32 is in the neutral state.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, when the cam follower 372 is in contact with the first cam surface 371a at the neutral point N, no restoring force is generated. That is, the tangent line of the first cam surface 371a at the neutral point N is orthogonal to the straight line connecting the neutral point N and the swing axis O.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the swing mechanism 3 with a part of the base portion 31 removed. FIG. 7 shows the swing mechanism 3 when the swing angle α is in the second range R2. Note that the second range R2 is a range where the swing angle α is larger than the first range R1. That is, the swing angle α in the second range R2 is larger than α1. Specifically, the swing angle α in the second range R2 is in the range of the second swing angle α2 or more. The second range R2 is, for example, about α2 to 90° on each of the left and right sides. Note that the second swing angle α2 is, for example, 10 to 20°.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the restoring mechanism 37 is configured not to generate a restoring force when the swing angle α of the swing portion 32 is in the second range R2, that is, when the swing angle α is between α2 and 90°. When the swing angle α of the swing portion 32 is in the second range R2, the cam follower 372 is in contact with the second cam surface 371b. That is, the restoring mechanism 37 is configured not to generate a restoring force when the cam follower 372 is in contact with the second cam surface 371b.

[0044] The distance of the second cam surface 371b from the swing axis O is constant regardless of the swing angle α. That is, the second cam surface 371b is in an arc shape centered on the swing axis O. For this reason, the tangent line T of the second cam surface 371b at the point (hereinafter referred to as the contact point) in contact with the cam follower 372 is perpendicular to the straight line L connecting the contact point and the swing axis O. For this reason, when the cam follower 372 is in contact with the second cam surface 371b, no restoring force is generated.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the swing mechanism 3 with a part of the base portion 31 removed. FIG. 8 shows the swing mechanism 3 when the swing angle α is in the third range R3. Note that the third range R3 is a range between the first range R1 and the second range R2. The swing angle α in the third range R3 is larger than α1 and smaller than α2.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, when the swing angle α is in the third range R3, the restoring mechanism 37 generates a restoring force that becomes smaller as the swing angle α increases. When the swing angle α is in the third range R3, the cam follower 372 is in contact with the third cam surface 371c.

[0047] That is, when the cam follower 372 comes into contact with the third cam surface 371c, the restoring mechanism 37 generates a restoring force that becomes smaller as the swing angle α increases. The third cam surface 371c is arc-shaped and bulges in a direction away from the swing axis O in a plan view. The third cam surface 371c smoothly connects the first cam surface 371a and the second cam surface 371b.

[0048] <Clamping mechanism> As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the clamping mechanism 4 is attached to the carrier vehicle body 2 via the swing mechanism 3. The clamping mechanism 4 is attached to the tip (lower end) of the arm 36. The clamping mechanism 4 is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the arm 36. For example, the clamping mechanism 4 is fixed to the arm 36 by a plurality of bolts or the like, and the clamping mechanism 4 can be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the arm 36 by loosening the bolts.

[0049] The clamping mechanism 4 is configured to clamp the vehicle 101 to be transported. The clamping mechanism 4 clamps the outer peripheral portion of the vehicle 101 to be transported.

[0050] [Modification example] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that the following modification examples can basically be applied simultaneously.

[0051] (a) In the above embodiment, the base portion 31 of the swing mechanism 3 is attached to the carrier vehicle body 2 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, but it may be fixed to the carrier vehicle body 2. Also, in this case, the base portion 31 may be integrally formed with the carrier vehicle body 2. For example, the base portion 31 may be integrally formed by one member with the frame 21.

[0052] (b) In the above embodiment, the restoring mechanism 37 is configured not to generate a restoring force when the swing angle α is in the second range R2, but the configuration of the restoring mechanism 37 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the restoring mechanism 37 may be configured to generate a restoring force when the swing angle α is in the second range R2. Here, the restoring force generated when the swing angle α is in the second range R2 is smaller than the restoring force generated when the swing angle α is in the first range R1.

[0053] In this case, the second cam surface 371b is, for example, an arc-shaped surface that bulges in a direction away from the swing axis O. That is, the bulging direction of the second cam surface 371b is opposite to that of the first cam surface 371a.

[0054] (c) As shown in FIG. 10, the cam surface 371 may not have a third cam surface 371c. That is, in the restoring mechanism 37, there may be no third range R3 between the first range R1 and the second range R2.

[0055] (d) In the above embodiment, the cam surface 371 is formed on the swing portion 32 and the biasing member 373 is attached to the base portion 31, but the configuration of the restoring mechanism 37 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the cam surface 371 may be formed on the base portion 31 and the biasing member 373 may be attached to the swing portion 32.

[0056] In this case, the cam surface 371 is formed on the surface of the base portion 31 facing the swing axis O. The first cam surface 371a is recessed in the base portion 31 so as to be away from the swing axis O. The first cam surface 371a is arc-shaped in plan view. The first cam surface 371a is curved such that the distance from the swing axis O decreases as it moves away from the neutral point N.

[0057] The second cam surface 371b is arc-shaped with the swing axis O as the center. That is, the distance to the swing axis O of the second cam surface 371b is constant regardless of the swing angle α. The radius of curvature of the second cam surface 371b is larger than that of the first cam surface 371a.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0058] 2: Conveyor cart body 23: Driving wheel 24: Prime mover 3: Swing mechanism 31: Base portion 32: Swing portion 37: Restoration mechanism 371: Cam surface 371a: First cam surface 371b: Second cam surface 371c: Third cam surface 372: Cam follower 373: Biasing member 100: Conveyor cart

Claims

1. A base portion, A swing portion swingably attached to the base portion, A restoring mechanism configured to generate a restoring force according to the swing angle of the swing portion so as to return the swing portion to a neutral state when the swing angle of the swing portion is within a first range, A swing mechanism comprising the above.

2. The restoring mechanism is configured to not generate a restoring force or generate a restoring force smaller than the restoring force generated when the swing angle is within the first range when the swing angle is within a second range where the swing angle is larger than the first range, The swing mechanism according to Claim 1.

3. The restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force that gradually decreases as the swing angle increases when the swing angle is within a third range between the first range and the second range, The swing mechanism according to Claim 2.

4. The restoring mechanism is configured to generate a restoring force that increases as the swing angle increases when the swing angle is within the first range, The swing mechanism according to Claim 1.

5. The restoring mechanism, A cam surface formed on one of the swing portion and the base portion, A cam follower that contacts the cam surface, A biasing member that biases the cam follower along a virtual straight line connecting the swing axis of the swing portion and the cam follower, having the above, The swing mechanism according to Claim 1.

6. The cam surface is formed on the swing portion, The cam surface has a first cam surface that contacts the cam follower when the swing angle is within the first range, The first cam surface has a distance from the swing axis that increases as it moves away from the neutral point, which is the point of contact with the cam follower when the swing portion is in the neutral state, The swing mechanism according to Claim 5.

7. The cam surface is formed on the base portion, The biasing member is attached to the swing portion, The cam surface has a first cam surface that contacts the cam follower when the swing angle is within the first range, The first cam surface has a distance from the swing axis that decreases as it moves away from the neutral point, which is the point of contact with the cam follower when the swing portion is in the neutral state, The swing mechanism according to Claim 5.

8. The cam surface has a second cam surface that contacts the cam follower when the swing angle is within a second range where the swing angle is larger than the first range, When the second cam surface abuts against the cam follower, the tangent line at the point of contact with the cam follower is configured to be orthogonal to the straight line connecting the contact point and the swing axis. The swing mechanism according to claim 6.

9. The cam surface has a second cam surface that abuts against the cam follower when the swing angle is in a second range where the swing angle is larger than the first range. The second cam surface has a constant distance from the swing axis. The swing mechanism according to claim 6.

10. The cam surface has a third cam surface that abuts against the cam follower when the swing angle is in a third range disposed between the first range and the second range. The first cam surface is in an arc shape that is concave toward the swing axis when viewed in the swing axis direction. The third cam surface is in an arc shape that bulges in a direction away from the swing axis when viewed in the swing axis direction. The swing mechanism according to claim 8.

11. A transport vehicle body having a prime mover and drive wheels, The swing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, attached to the transport vehicle body, A transport vehicle comprising the same.

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