Cargo handling assistance device

Abstract

To provide a small-sized cargo handling assistance device that can handle high lifts.SOLUTION: A cargo handling assistance device 1, which assists loading / unloading work, comprises a main body section 2 and a chain bucket section 30. The main body section 2 detects the weight of a loading object 8 suspended from one end of a link chain 4, and assists in lifting and lowering the object by driving a lifting motor section 20. The chain bucket section 30 houses the other end of the link chain 4. The main body section 2 and the chain bucket section 30 are suspended independently from a structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a loading and unloading assistance device used in the manufacturing field for production and assembly, transportation, etc. The loading and unloading assistance device balances the weight of a loading object with the assistance of a motor, for example, so that the loading and unloading object can be moved up and down with a small operating force. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, in factories where industrial products are assembled, loading devices have been used to suspend and raise and lower heavy objects such as tools, work equipment, finished products, and semi-finished products. Among these loading devices, some loading devices are used that generate an assisting force to create a balanced state for heavy objects and allow workers to move the objects up and down to any height with a light operating force. Such loading devices that generate an assisting force use a motor to create a balanced state. In this balanced state, the worker applies a small external force to the object to move it smoothly, which is different from devices that simply use an electric motor to move the object up and down. In other words, the load of the object and the operating force applied thereto are detected and calculated by, for example, a load detector, and fine balance control is performed by an AC servo motor connected to a rotation angle detector.

[0003] Such a loading / unloading assistance device may be used to carry out loading / unloading operations in warehouses or factories that have very high ceilings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-128365 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When the loading and unloading assistance device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used by suspending it from a traveling rail on a relatively high ceiling, for example, over 10 m, it is necessary to increase the length of the chain that is the suspending rope. This increases the weight of the chain, and the weight that the loading and unloading assistance device must bear increases, making it necessary to increase the size of the device. In addition, the chain bucket that stores the wound chain must also have a larger volume, and in order to maintain the posture of the loading and unloading assistance device due to the increased chain load, it is necessary to increase the rigidity, leaving room for improvement.

[0006] In view of such problems, the present invention aims to provide a loading and unloading assistance device that can be compact even when used for a high lift. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the loading and unloading assistance device of the present invention comprises: A loading assistance device that assists in lifting and lowering loading objects, The chain bucket includes a main body and a chain bucket. The main body is Suspended by the structure, The device includes a locking member, a chain, a lifting / lowering actuator, a weight detector, a position detector, and a controller. The locking member locks the cargo, The chain is connected at one end to the locking member; The lifting operation unit winds a chain and lifts and lowers the locking member by being driven by a lifting motor. The weight detection unit detects the weight applied to the lifting / lowering unit and transmits a weight signal. The position detector detects the position of the locking member and transmits a position signal; The control unit receives and stores the weight signal transmitted from the weight detection unit, and generates an assisting force for balancing the load held by the holding member to the lifting operation unit. The chain bucket portion is configured to house the other end of the chain and be suspended from a structure independently of the main body portion.

[0008] The chain bucket unit has a bucket weight detection unit and transmits a bucket weight signal to the control unit. The control unit is configured to control the lifting and lowering of the cargo based on at least the weight signal and the bucket weight signal.

[0009] The structure also has rails and a trolley, and the main body and the chain bucket are suspended from the trolley and configured to be movable along the rails.

[0010] In addition, the structure is a jib structure, the main body portion is movable along the jib arm, and the chain bucket portion is configured to be suspended from a fixed jib support.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the loading and unloading assistance device of the present invention comprises: A loading and unloading assistance device that assists loading and unloading work, The chain bucket includes a main body and a chain bucket. The main body detects the weight of the cargo suspended from one end of the chain and assists in lifting by driving the lifting motor. The chain bucket section stores the other end of the chain. The main body and the chain bucket are suspended independently from a structure. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the loading and unloading assistance device of the present invention, it is possible to provide a loading and unloading assistance device which can be suspended from a traveling rail on a high ceiling and enables loading and unloading work at a high lift. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo object according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a main body of the cargo handling assistance device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the cargo handling assistance device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo object according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo object according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device and a cargo according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] A loading assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a loading assistance device 1 and a loading object 8 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The loading assistance device 1 includes a main body 2 and a chain bucket unit 30. The main body 2 raises and lowers the loading object 8. The locking member 7 is a member that locks and suspends the loading object 8. The locking member 7 is a hanging hook that locks to a part of the loading object 8. A grip portion 6 is provided vertically above the locking member 7, covering the periphery of the locking member 7. The grip portion 6 is a member that an operator holds when moving the locking member 7 and the loading object 8. One end of the link chain 4 is connected to the locking member 7. The link chain 4a is an end of the link chain 4 that is connected to the locking member 7. The link chain 4 is wound around the load sheave 21 of the lifting operation unit 3.

[0015] The chain bucket section 30 includes a bucket 31, a guide section 32, a bucket weight detection section 33, an amplifier 34, and a fixture 35. A part of the link chain 4 hanging down from the load sheave 21 is stored in the bucket 31. The link chain 4b is an end of the link chain 4, and is fixed to the bucket 31 by, for example, a fixture 35. The fixture 35 also has the role of fixing, for example, the loop portion of the link chain 4 to the inner surface of the bucket 31, thereby maintaining the position of the link chain 4 inside the bucket 31. The bucket 31 has an opening on its side, and a guide section 32 is provided near this opening. The guide section 32 guides the link chain 4 so that the link chain 4 can smoothly enter and exit from the bucket 31.

[0016] The loading / unloading assistance device 1 is provided so as to be movable along rails 61 of a structure installed horizontally near the ceiling of a room, for example. In Fig. 1, the rails 61 are arranged in the x direction. Of course, the rails 61 may be suspended from a rail in the y direction perpendicular to the rails 61, allowing the device to move in the y direction.

[0017] The main body 2 is suspended by the suspension part 5 from the main body trolley 62 of the structure, and is movable in the x direction along the rail 61. The chain bucket part 30 is suspended by the chain bucket trolley 64, and is movable in the x direction along the rail 61. The main body trolley 62 and the chain bucket trolley 64 are connected by a coupler 63, and when the main body trolley 62 moves in the x direction, the chain bucket trolley 64 also moves following it. Of course, the main body trolley 62 and the chain bucket trolley 64 may be configured as an integrated unit. When the main body trolley 62 and the chain bucket trolley 64 are separated, there is an advantage that the maintenance of each is easy, and when the main body trolley 62 and the chain bucket trolley 64 are integrated, the cost can be reduced.

[0018] A bucket weight detection unit 33 and an amplifier 34 are arranged between the bucket 31 and the chain bucket trolley 64 that suspends the bucket 31. The bucket weight detection unit 33 is, for example, a load cell, which detects the weight of the chain bucket trolley 64 and the link chain 4 stored in the chain bucket trolley 64, amplifies the signal to a bucket weight signal by the amplifier 34, and transmits it to the control unit 51 of the main body 2. An analog / digital conversion circuit may also be added to the amplifier 34. The signals output from the bucket weight detection unit 33 and the amplifier 34 are transmitted to the control unit 51, for example, by a wiring cable passing through the chain bucket trolley 64 and the main trolley 62.

[0019] In the above-mentioned configuration, the worker uses the operation command unit 41 to move, for example, the cargo 8 placed on the floor 65a to the floor 65b.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main body 2 of the cargo handling assistance device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, with a portion thereof omitted, and an enlarged perspective view of the operation command unit 41. FIG.

[0021] The main body 2 has a cover, and accommodates therein a control unit 51, a lift motor unit 20, a lift actuator 3, a weight detector 18, a lift position detector 22, and the like.

[0022] The lift motor unit 20 is a drive source for operating the lift operating unit 3 to move the locking member 7 up and down by the link chain 4. A reducer is attached to the load side of the motor of the lift motor unit 20. This motor is, for example, an AC servo motor.

[0023] This reducer reduces the rotational speed of the motor to a predetermined speed. The reducer is, for example, a wave gear reducer. The wave gear reducer has a wave generator, a flexspline, and a circular spline. The wave generator has a thin-walled ball bearing fitted on the outer periphery of an elliptical cam, and has an overall elliptical shape. The inner ring of the bearing is fixed to the elliptical cam, and the outer ring is elastically deformed via the balls. The flexspline is elastically deformable, with many external teeth formed on its outer periphery and fitted onto the wave generator so that the position of the flex in the circumferential direction changes with the rotation of the wave generator. The circular spline is provided with internal teeth on the outer periphery of the flexspline that engage with the external teeth of the flexspline. Power is then taken out and transmitted to an output shaft 15 connected to the flexspline as a rotational output. By using a reducer with minimal backlash, such as a strain wave gear reducer, for the reducer of this lift motor unit 20, it is possible to eliminate uncontrollable areas during switching when the motor frequently switches between forward and reverse rotation to move up and down, thereby achieving a smooth operation feel. Note that the reducer is not limited to a strain wave gear reducer.

[0024] The output shaft 15 is a rotating shaft that reduces the rotational speed of the motor using a reducer and outputs increased torque. It is connected to the lifting and lowering operating unit 3 and rotates the lifting and lowering operating unit 3 continuously in both forward and reverse directions.

[0025] The link chain 4 is a sling rope in which oval rings each consisting of a semicircular arc portion and a straight portion connected to the semicircular arc portion are crossed and connected alternately.

[0026] The lifting operation unit 3 includes a rotating member that rotates by power transmitted from the lifting motor unit 20, which is a drive source. In this embodiment, the rotating member of the lifting operation unit 3 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is connected to the output shaft 15 at the hollow portion, and the link chain 4 is wound around the outer cylindrical surface to wind up and pay out the link chain 4. The position at which the link chain 4 is wound is approximately vertically below the hanging unit 5 and is located close to the center of gravity of the main body unit 2. The link chain 4 is fitted into a pocket groove provided on the outer cylindrical surface of the load sheave 21 of the lifting operation unit 3 and wound approximately 180 degrees.

[0027] The lifting / lowering position detector 22 is connected to the anti-load side of the lifting motor unit 20. The lifting / lowering position detector 22 detects the rotation angle position of the motor. The lifting / lowering position detector 22 is, for example, an absolute encoder, which optically detects the rotation angle position of the motor and outputs a position value. Therefore, the lifting / lowering position detector 22 can detect the lifting / lowering position of the locking member 7.

[0028] Weight detection unit 18 is equipped with a strain body and a strain gauge affixed to the strain body. Weight detection unit 18 is hung from hanging section 5, which in turn suspends lifting / lowering operation unit 3. The strain body of weight detection unit 18 has a shape that elastically deforms so that it can detect the force transmitted from link chain 4 wound around lifting / lowering operation unit 3. The strain gauge is incorporated in a Wheatstone bridge circuit that converts the strain generated in the strain body according to the weight into an electrical signal, and weight detection unit 18 detects the weight applied to lifting / lowering operation unit 3, amplifies the signal with amplifier 19, and outputs the weight value.

[0029] The control unit 51 of the main body 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), other storage devices and input / output devices, and controls the vertical movement of the locking member 7 via the link chain 4. The control unit 51 also includes circuits that supply electricity to the electric and electronic components that make up the main body 2, the bucket weight detection unit 33, and the amplifier 34.

[0030] The control unit 51 of the main body 2 is disposed near the lifting operation unit 3 inside the main body 2. This control unit 51 receives a position value from the lifting position detection unit 22, a weight value from the weight detection unit 18, and a weight value from the bucket weight detection unit 33, and performs calculations based on these to control the lifting motor unit 20. The electrical equipment unit including the control unit 51 of the main body 2 is disposed inside a cover so that the main body 2 can be used in places where it is exposed to powder or water droplets.

[0031] In this embodiment, the lift position detector 22 is disposed on the anti-load side of the lift motor unit 20, but this is not limiting, and it may be provided on the output shaft 15, which is the output of the reducer, or on the lift actuator unit 3, or it may be provided on both. Furthermore, it is not limited to the optical type, and may be a magnetic type, a capacitance type, or the like.

[0032] Furthermore, the weight detection unit 18 only needs to be able to detect the weight applied to the lifting / lowering actuator 3, and may be of a rotary type structure that detects torque from the twist of a rotating shaft provided between the reducer and the lifting / lowering actuator 3, or of a flange or drum type structure that detects the reaction force received by the lifting / lowering motor unit 20. Furthermore, the weight detection unit 18 is not limited to the strain gauge type, and may be of a magnetostrictive type, a capacitance type, or the like.

[0033] The main unit transmitting / receiving unit 14 is disposed next to the circuit board of the control unit 51 of the main unit 2. The main unit transmitting / receiving unit 14 has an electronic circuit for communicating with the operation command unit 41 wirelessly.

[0034] The operation command unit 41 has, as operation means, for example, a hold button 44, a balance button 45, an up button 46, and a down button 47. The details of the operations will be described later.

[0035] 3 is a block diagram of an electronic circuit of the cargo handling assistance device 1 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. The cargo handling assistance device 1 includes a main body section 2 and an operation command section 41.

[0036] The control unit 51 of the main body 2 controls the entire main body 2. The control unit 51 of the main body 2 includes a drive circuit that drives the lift motor unit 20. The control unit 51 of the main body 2 receives the weight value applied to the lift actuator 3 from the weight detection unit 18, receives the position value of the rotation angle of the lift motor unit 20 from the lift position detection unit 22, receives the weight value applied to the bucket 31 from the bucket weight detection unit 33, and transmits and receives signals to and from the control transmission / reception unit 52. The control transmission / reception unit 52 and the control unit 51 of the main body 2 are connected by wire, and transmit and receive signals at high speed at extremely short time intervals.

[0037] The control transmission / reception unit 52 wirelessly communicates with the operation command transmission / reception unit 42 of the operation command unit 41. The control transmission / reception unit 52 and the operation command transmission / reception unit 42 are composed of electronic circuits that perform wireless communication, and may have a transmitter and receiver using radio waves, as well as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0038] The operation command control unit 43 controls the entire operation command unit 41. The operation command control unit 43 receives operation commands from each operation means (operation button) and transmits an operation command signal to the operation command transmission / reception unit 42. The operation command transmission / reception unit 42 then wirelessly transmits the operation command received from the operation command control unit 43 to the control transmission / reception unit 52. Identification information of the operation command unit 41 for pairing the operation command unit 41 and the main body unit 2 is added to the signal including this command.

[0039] Next, the role of each operation button, which is an operation means provided in the operation command unit 41, will be described. Each operation button is, for example, a push switch with momentary action, which is ON while pressed and automatically resets to OFF when released. When the worker presses the balance button 45, a balance command is sent from the operation command unit 41, and the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 receives this and starts balance control. When the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 receives the balance command from the operation command unit 41, it detects the weight value applied to the lifting and lowering operation unit 3 and stores the output weight value as a registered value. After this, the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 receives the weight value (load) and calculates a control value so that this is equal to the stored registered value, thereby controlling the lifting and lowering motor unit 20. In the present invention, this control is called balance control, and during the period when the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 is performing balance control, the members below the grip unit 6 (the locking member 7 and the cargo 8) are said to be in a balanced state. In other words, the control unit 51 of the main body 2 controls the lifting motor unit 20 by performing calculations so that the tension in the link chain 4 generated by the registered weight is the same as the tension in the link chain 4 generated by the detected weight; this control is called balance control.

[0040] If the worker applies a vertically downward external force to the grip portion 6, the locking member 7, or the cargo 8 during this balance control, the detected weight increases, so the control unit 51 of the main body 2 calculates a control value to bring the detected weight closer to the registered weight, and further controls the lifting motor unit 20 in the direction to pay out the link chain 4, so that the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 descend. On the other hand, if the worker applies a vertically upward external force to the grip portion 6, the locking member 7, or the cargo 8 during this balance control, the detected weight decreases, so the control unit 51 of the main body 2 calculates a control value to bring the detected weight closer to the registered weight, and further controls the lifting motor unit 20 in the direction to wind up the link chain 4, so that the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 ascend. When the worker stops applying the external force, the detected weight becomes equal to the registered weight, so that the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 immediately come to a stationary state. This control value includes, for example, acceleration.

[0041] Here, the weights detected by weight detection unit 18 are the lifting operation unit 3, link chain 4, grip unit 6, locking member 7, cargo 8, and external forces acting on these. Therefore, weight detection unit 18 cannot detect the weight of link chain 4 stored in bucket 31 and placed on bucket 31. Therefore, bucket weight detection unit 33 detects the weight of link chain 4 placed on bucket 31. Therefore, the weight of weight detection unit 18 changes depending on the amount of locking member 7 paid out from load sheave 21 even if the weight of cargo 8 does not change. Therefore, more specifically, control unit 51 performs balance control taking into account the amount of payout of link chain 4 based on the weight signal from weight detection unit 18 and the weight signal amplified by amplifier 34 from bucket weight detection unit 33.

[0042] Of course, control may be performed based on a position signal indicating the payout amount of link chain 4 from lifting / lowering position detection unit 22. Control unit 51 may also perform balance control based on the weight signal from weight detection unit 18, the weight signal from bucket weight detection unit 33, and the position signal from lifting / lowering position detection unit 22.

[0043] On the other hand, when the operator presses the hold button 44, the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 receives a hold command and executes hold control to hold the lifting operating unit 3 at its current position, and the hold control controls the lifting motor unit 20 to maintain the lifted positions of the locking member 7 and the cargo 8.

[0044] When the operator presses the up button 46 or the down button 47, the control unit 51 of the main body 2 receives this and controls the lift motor unit 20 to raise or lower the locking member 7. By continuously pressing the up button 46 or the down button 47, the operator can continuously raise or lower the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 by the lift motor unit 20. Whether the main body 2 is in the held state or the balanced state, when the operator presses the up button 46 or the down button 47, it will rise or fall, and when the operator releases the pressed up button 46 or down button 47, it will return to the held state.

[0045] 1, 3, and 4, the loading and unloading operation using the loading and unloading assistance device 1 will be described. With no loading object 8 suspended, the worker presses the balance button 45 of the operation command unit 41 to set the control unit 51 to a balanced state without a loading object. That is, the control unit 51 receives a weight signal indicating the weight of the locking member 7, the grip unit 6, a part of the link chain 4, and the lifting and lowering operation unit 3 from the weight detection unit 18, receives a bucket weight signal indicating the weight of the bucket 31 from the bucket weight detection unit 33, and receives a lifting and lowering position signal indicating the position of the locking member 7 from the lifting and lowering position detection unit 22, performs calculations based on these, and issues a control command to the lifting and lowering motor unit 20 so that the locking member 7 is in a balanced state.

[0046] Next, the worker grasps the grip portion 6 and lowers the locking member 7, causing it to lock onto the protrusion of the cargo 8 (Fig. 1). Then, when the worker continues to press the up button 46, the locking member 7 rises, and the cargo 8 eventually leaves the floor 65a (Fig. 4). When the worker presses the up button 46, balance control ends and manual operation becomes possible, and when the worker stops pressing the up button 46, the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 are held in that position.

[0047] The worker then presses the balance button 45 to set the control unit 51 to a balanced state with an object being loaded. Then, when the worker applies a vertical external force to any of the grip unit 6, the locking member 7, or the object 8, the object 8 moves in the direction of the applied external force. The worker moves the object 8 toward the floor 65b, which is the destination location. For example, the worker can move the object 8 to the position shown in FIG. 5 by gripping the grip unit 6 and applying external forces in the positive z and positive x directions. At this time, the external force in the positive x direction applied by the worker moves the main body unit 2 and the chain bucket unit 30 in the positive x direction.

[0048] After this, the worker lowers the cargo 8 to a position close to where it touches the floor 65b. Then, the worker continues to press the lowering button 47 to land the cargo 8 on the floor 65b. At this time, the control unit 51 releases the balance control and lowers the cargo 8. The worker lowers the locking member 7 to a height where it can be released from the cargo 8, and the locking member 7 is released from the cargo 8, completing the cargo handling operation.

[0049] 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams of a cargo handling assistance device 1 and a cargo 8 according to an example of the second embodiment of the present invention. The cargo handling assistance device 1 is suspended from a jib-structured structure. The structure has a jib support 73 and a jib arm 72. The jib support 73 is, for example, in the shape of a square or cylindrical column and is fixed to a floor 65a of a building or the like with bolts or the like. The jib support 73 has a bucket suspending part 74, and the bucket suspending part 74 suspends the bucket 31 via the bucket weight detection part 33.

[0050] On the other hand, the jib arm 72 is provided in a beam shape in one direction from the rectangular column surface of the jib pillar 73. The jib arm 72 is supported so as to be rotatable together with the jib pillar 73 at an angle θ within a regulated range. The longitudinal direction of the jib arm 72 is provided approximately parallel to the floor 65a. A jib rail 71 is disposed on the side of the jib arm 72. The main body trolley 62 suspending the main body 2 can move freely in the horizontal direction along the jib rail 71.

[0051] The main body 2 and the chain bucket portion 30 are similar to those in the first embodiment, so only the differences will be described.

[0052] A guide roller 37 is provided near the entrance / exit of the link chain 4 of the main body 2. The guide roller 37 changes the direction of the link chain 4c extending vertically downward from the lifting / lowering operating unit 3, and at the same time prevents the link chain 4 from falling off the load sheave 21.

[0053] Meanwhile, a tensioner 36 is disposed on the jib support 73 side. The tensioner 36 includes a guide roller 36a, an arm 36b, and a support shaft 36c. The tensioner 36 adjusts the posture and tension of the link chain 4c between the main body 2 and the chain bucket unit 30. The guide roller 36a is a so-called sprocket that winds up the link chain 4. The guide roller 36a is rotatable by a shaft attached to the arm 36b. It is preferable that the guide roller 36a is always biased in the rotational direction B by a torsion coil spring or the like.

[0054] The arm 36b is rotatable within a limited angular range by a support shaft 36c attached to the jib strut 73. The arm 36b is also biased in a rotational direction A around the support shaft 36c by a spring or the like.

[0055] The tensioner 36 acts to adjust the attitude and tension of the link chain 4 c between the main body portion 2 and the chain bucket portion 30 .

[0056] 6 and 7, the main body 2 and the chain bucket unit 30 are close to each other in the x direction. When the worker moves the main body 2 in the minus x direction as shown in Fig. 8, the chain bucket unit 30 does not move in conjunction with the main body 2 in the x direction, and the link chain 4c hangs down vertically. Therefore, the tensioner 36 works to pull the link chain 4c toward the bucket 31.

[0057] The position of the tensioner 36 may be adjustable along the z direction. Depending on the lifting height of the main body 2, the position of the tensioner 36 in the z direction can be set by a mechanism (not shown) so that the link chain 4 does not become an obstacle to the loading and unloading work. Of course, a modification may be made, such as providing the jib arm 72 with a means for detecting the x direction position of the main trolley 62, and adjusting the z direction position of the tensioner 36 by a linear actuator in conjunction with the x direction position of the main trolley 62.

[0058] A loading / unloading operation using the loading / unloading assistance device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8. With no loading object 8 suspended, the worker presses the balance button 45 of the operation command unit 41 to set the control unit 51 to a balanced state without a loading object. That is, the control unit 51 receives a weight signal indicating the weight of the locking member 7, the grip unit 6, a part of the link chain 4, and the lifting / lowering operation unit 3 from the weight detection unit 18, a bucket weight signal indicating the weight of the bucket 31 from the bucket weight detection unit 33, and a lifting / lowering position signal indicating the position of the locking member 7 from the lifting / lowering position detection unit 22, and performs calculations based on these to issue a control command to the lifting / lowering motor unit 20 so that the tension of the link chain 4 matches that when the balance button 45 was pressed.

[0059] Next, the worker grasps the grip portion 6 and lowers the locking member 7, causing it to lock onto the protrusion of the cargo 8 (FIG. 6). Then, when the worker continues to press the up button 46, the locking member 7 rises and the cargo 8 eventually leaves the floor 65a. When the worker presses the up button 46, balance control ends and manual operation becomes possible, and when the worker stops pressing the up button 46, the locking member 7 and the cargo 8 are held in that position.

[0060] The worker then presses balance button 45 to set control section 51 to a balance control state with an object being loaded. When the worker then applies a vertical external force to either grip section 6, locking member 7, or object 8, the object 8 moves in the direction of the applied external force (FIG. 7). The worker moves object 8 toward floor 65b, which is the destination location. For example, the worker can move object 8 to the position shown in FIG. 8 by gripping grip section 6 and applying an external force in the minus x direction. At this time, the main body section 2 moves in the minus x direction due to the external force applied by the worker in the minus x direction. At this time, part of link chain 4 is discharged from bucket 31.

[0061] Therefore, the control unit 51 of the main body unit 2 receives a weight signal indicating the weight of the locking member 7, the grip unit 6, a part of the link chain 4, and the lifting operating unit 3 from the weight detection unit 18, receives a bucket weight signal indicating the weight of the bucket 31 from the bucket weight detection unit 33, and receives a lifting position signal indicating the position of the locking member 7 from the lifting position detection unit 22, and performs calculations based on these and issues a control command to the lifting motor unit 20 so that the cargo 8 is in a balanced state.

[0062] After this, the worker lowers the cargo 8 to the vicinity of the floor 65b. Then, the worker continues to press the lowering button 47 to release the balance control and land the cargo 8 on the floor 65b. The worker lowers the locking member 7 to a height where it can be released from the cargo 8, and the locking member 7 is released from the cargo 8, completing the cargo handling operation.

[0063] Thereafter, with the cargo 8 no longer suspended from the locking member 7, the worker operates the grip portion 6 to return the main body portion 2 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Then, the tensioner 36 allows the link chain 4c to return to the bucket 31 side.

[0064] Therefore, according to the present invention, even in a high-lift cargo handling assistance device, the main body can be made smaller by providing the chain bucket separately from the main body. Furthermore, this cargo handling assistance device can be applied to a jib structure.

[0065] While the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0066] As an example of the application of the present invention, it can be applied to a loading assistance device that assists in the movement of loading objects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1: Cargo handling assistance device 2: Main body 3: Lifting actuator 4: Link chain 5: Hanging part 6: Grip section 7: Locking member 8: Cargo handling 15: Output shaft 18: Weight detection unit 19: Amplifier 20: Lifting motor section 21: Road Sheave 22: Lifting position detection unit 30: Chain bucket section 31: Bucket 32: Information department 33: Bucket weight detection unit 34: Amplifier 35: Fixture 36: Tensioner 36a: Guide roller 36b: Arm 36c: Support shaft 37: Guide roller 41:Operation command section 42: Operation command transmission / reception unit 43: Operation command control section 44: Hold button 45: Balance button 46: Up button 47: Down button 51: Control section 52: Control transmission / reception unit 61: Rail 62: Main trolley 63:Coupler 64: Chain bucket trolley 65a, 65b: floor 71: Jibrail 72: Jib arm 73: Jib support 74: Bucket hanging part

Claims

1. A loading assistance device that assists in lifting and lowering loading objects, The chain bucket includes a main body and a chain bucket. The main body portion is Suspended by the structure, The device includes a locking member, a chain, a lifting / lowering actuator, a weight detector, a position detector, and a controller. The locking member locks the cargo, The chain is connected at one end to the locking member, The lifting operation unit winds the chain and lifts and lowers the locking member by being driven by a lifting motor, The weight detection unit detects a weight applied to the lifting / lowering operation unit and transmits a weight signal; the position detector detects the position of the locking member and transmits a position signal; The control unit receives and stores the weight signal transmitted from the weight detection unit, and generates an assisting force for balancing the cargo held by the holding member to the lifting operation unit, The chain bucket portion houses the other end of the chain and is suspended from the structure independently of the main body portion.

2. The chain bucket unit has a bucket weight detection unit and transmits a bucket weight signal to the control unit.

2. A cargo handling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the lifting and lowering of the cargo on the basis of at least the weight signal and the bucket weight signal.

3. 2. A loading and unloading assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the structure has a rail and a trolley, and the main body and the chain bucket are suspended from the trolley and are movable along the rail.

4. 2. A cargo handling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a jib structure, the main body portion is movable along a jib arm, and the chain bucket portion is suspended from a fixed jib strut.

5. A loading and unloading assistance device that assists loading and unloading work, The chain bucket includes a main body and a chain bucket. The main body detects the weight of the load suspended from one end of the chain and assists in lifting by driving the lifting motor. The chain bucket portion houses the other end of the chain, A loading and unloading assistance device in which the main body portion and the chain bucket portion are suspended independently from a structure.

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