Inclination notification system

Abstract

To provide an art which enables a device for notifying an operator of an inclination of a loading platform sheet to be formed in a simpler manner.SOLUTION: An inclination notification system 2 detects inclination of loading platform sheets 119 each of which is attached to an upper edge part of a side gate 112 provided at a loading platform 11 of a dump truck 1 so as to incline around a rotary shaft 119A facing in a front-back direction of the dump truck 1. The inclination notification system 2 includes: detection devices 21 attached to the loading platform sheets 119 and including acceleration sensors 214, 214A which detect inclination of the loading platform sheets 119, and an antenna 213 which transmits inclination signals indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheets 119 detected by the acceleration sensors 214, 214A through wireless communication; and a notification device 20 installed in an operator cab of the dump truck 1 and including an antenna 203 configured to receive the inclination signals transmitted from the detection devices 21, 21A through wireless communication, and a notification part which notifies an operator of the dump truck 1 of the inclination of the loading platform sheet 119 when the inclination signal is received.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for detecting and notifying the inclination of a loading platform seat.

Background Art

[0002] A dump truck is a truck configured such that the entire loading platform can be inclined. The loading platform of a dump truck is composed of a floor surface substantially parallel to the running surface and four plate-like members provided so as to surround this floor surface in the in-plane direction. Among the four plate-like members, the front plate-like member is called a torii part, the two side plate-like members are each also called side aoris, and the rear plate-like member is called a rear aori.

[0003] For such a dump truck, a loading platform seat, also called an aori seat, is attached to prevent the loaded material such as gravel and earth and sand from falling and scattering from the loading platform. This loading platform seat is generally composed of a rigid frame body and a sheet-like member stretched within this frame body. The loading platform seat is attached to the upper edge portion of the side aori so as to be rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the upper edge side of the side aori.

[0004] In addition, as a related technique, there is a loading platform seat opening warning device that detects the protrusion of a loading platform seat attached to the side plate of the loading platform of a dump truck to the outside of the side plate, and includes a specifying member for specifying a predetermined rotation range of the loading platform seat, a proximity switch that detects that the distance from the specifying member is within a predetermined length, and an alarm unit that reports the protrusion of the loading platform seat to the outside of the side plate in response to the output of the proximity switch (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] One problem is to simplify the configuration of a device for notifying a driver of the inclination of a loading platform sheet.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of more simply configuring a device for notifying a driver of the inclination of a loading platform sheet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve the above-described problems, an inclination notification system according to the present embodiment is an inclination notification system that detects the inclination of a loading platform sheet that is tiltably attached around a rotation axis facing the front-rear direction of the dump truck with respect to the upper edge of a side blade provided on the loading platform of the dump truck, and includes a detection device including an acceleration sensor attached to the loading platform sheet for detecting the inclination of the loading platform sheet, and an antenna for wirelessly transmitting an inclination signal indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheet detected by the acceleration sensor, and a notification device including an antenna installed in the driver's cab of the dump truck for receiving the inclination signal transmitted from the detection device by wireless communication, and a notification unit for notifying the driver of the dump truck of the inclination of the loading platform sheet when the inclination signal is received.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device for notifying a driver of the inclination of a loading platform sheet can be more easily installed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <First Embodiment> (Overall Configuration of the Inclination Notification System) First, the overall configuration of the inclination notification system according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the inclination notification system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, a dump truck with a part of the vehicle body omitted is shown.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the inclination notification system 2 according to the present embodiment is used in a state of being installed on the dump truck 1. Hereinafter, regarding the configuration of the dump truck 1, the forward side in the straight-ahead direction of the dump truck 1 is defined as the front, the rearward side in the straight-ahead direction is defined as the rear, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction for explanation.

[0014] The dump truck 1 includes a vehicle body 10 and a loading platform 11 configured to be tiltable as a whole by a hydraulic cylinder or the like. The loading platform 11 has a floor board 110, a torii portion (not shown: hereinafter referred to as the torii portion 111 for the sake of explanation), two side bulwarks 112, and a rear bulwark 113. The floor board 110 is a flat plate-like member extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction so that a load can be placed thereon. The torii portion 111 is provided near the front end portion of the floor board 110 and is a flat plate-like member extending in the vertical direction across the entire front end portion of the floor board 110. The rear bulwark 113 is a flat plate-like member extending in the vertical direction across the entire rear end portion of the floor board 110. The two side bulwarks 112 are respectively provided near the left and right end portions of the floor board 110 and are flat plate-like members extending in the vertical direction across the entire left and right end portions of the floor board 110. According to the torii portion 111, the two side bulwarks 112, and the rear bulwark 113, the floor board 110 is surrounded from the in-plane direction thereof.

[0015] A loading platform sheet 119 is attached to each of the two side bulwarks 112. Each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the vertical direction across the entire front-rear direction width of the corresponding side bulwark 112 as a whole. Further, each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is rotatably attached to the upper edge portion of the corresponding side bulwark 112 around a rotation axis 119A (see FIGS. 4 to 6) facing the front-rear direction and can be inclined to the inside and outside of the loading platform 11. Each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is fixed so as to maintain a substantially upright state, that is, a state in which its upper end portion and lower end portion are along the vertical direction, when a load is loaded on the loading platform 11. On the other hand, each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is fixed so as to be tiltable when a load is loaded on the loading platform 11 or when the load is unloaded from the loading platform 11.

[0016] In addition, each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is assumed to be tiltable within a rotation range greater than -180° and less than 180° around the rotation axis 119A when the upright state is set to 0°.

[0017] The tilt notification system 2 includes a notification device 20 and at least one detection device 21. In this embodiment, the tilt notification system 2 is assumed to include two detection devices 21. The notification device 20 is installed in the cab of the vehicle body 10, and the two detection devices 21 are respectively attached to the corresponding loading platform seat 119. As will be described later, the notification device 20 and the detection device 21 are configured to be communicable with each other. When the detection device 21 detects the tilt of the loading platform seat 119, the notification device 20 notifies the driver of the dump truck 1 of the tilt of the loading platform seat 119 by sound or light.

[0018] (Hardware Configuration of the Notification Device) The hardware configuration of the notification device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the notification device according to this embodiment.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, as hardware, the notification device 20 includes a battery 200, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 201, a wireless module 202, an antenna 203, a buzzer 204, and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 205. Note that the notification device 20 may not include the battery 200 and may be powered by an external power source.

[0020] The battery 200 is a power source for operating the notification device 20. The MCU 201 controls the wireless module 202, the buzzer 204, and the LED 205. The wireless module 202 controls communication with the detection device 21 using the antenna 203. When the wireless module 202 receives a tilt signal transmitted from the detection device 21 and indicating the tilt of the loading platform seat 119, the MCU 201 causes the buzzer 204 to generate a notification sound and causes the LED 205 to emit light, notifying the driver of the dump truck 1 of the tilt of the loading platform seat 119. Note that the buzzer 204 and the LED 205 may be replaced by any device capable of notifying the driver of the dump truck 1 of the tilt of the loading platform seat 119.

[0021] (Hardware Configuration of the Detection Device) The hardware configuration of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the detection device according to the present embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, as hardware, the detection device 21 includes a battery 210, an MCU 211, a wireless module 212, an antenna 213, and an acceleration sensor 214.

[0023] The battery 210 is a power source for operating the detection device 21. The MCU 211 controls the wireless module 212. The acceleration sensor 214 is a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects accelerations in three mutually perpendicular axes (x, y, z). The wireless module 212 controls communication with the notification device 20 using the antenna 213. The MCU 211 executes various functions described later, determines the inclination of the loading platform seat 119 based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 214, and when the loading platform seat 119 is inclined, causes the wireless module 212 to transmit an inclination signal.

[0024] (Mounting method of the detection device) The mounting method of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the loading platform seat on which the detection device according to the present embodiment is mounted. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the loading platform seat on which the detection device according to the present embodiment is mounted. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the loading platform seat on which the detection device according to the present embodiment is mounted in an inclined state.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the detection device 21 is mounted on the surface of the corresponding loading platform seat 119 facing the outside of the loading platform 11. At this time, the detection device 21 is mounted on the loading platform seat 119 such that the z-axis faces the out-of-plane direction of the loading platform seat 119, that is, the left-right direction perpendicular to the extending direction of one surface of the substantially plate-shaped loading platform seat 119, and particularly faces the outer side in the left-right direction.

[0026] Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection device 21 is attached to the loading platform sheet 119 such that the x-axis faces the lower side in the vertical direction, that is, the acceleration x of the x-axis substantially coincides with the gravitational acceleration. As shown in FIG. 6, when the vertical direction is set to 0°, the detection device 21 may be attached to the loading platform sheet 119 such that the x-axis is inclined within a range of less than ±90° around the z-axis.

[0027] In this way, the detection device 21 according to the present embodiment may be attached on one surface of the corresponding loading platform sheet 119 such that the first axis (z-axis) faces the out-of-plane direction, and at least one of the second axis (x-axis) orthogonal to the first axis, the first axis, and the third axis (y-axis) orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis can determine the vertical direction.

[0028] (Functional Configuration of Detection Device) The functional configuration of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the detection device according to the present embodiment.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 7, the detection device 21 includes, as functions, an axis conversion unit 301, an angle calculation unit 302, a determination unit 303, and a transmission unit 304. The axis conversion unit 301 acquires the three-axis accelerations x, y, z detected by the acceleration sensor 214, and converts the accelerations x, y, z into an in-plane acceleration u that is a gravitational acceleration component facing the rotation axis 119A side in the in-plane direction of the loading platform sheet 119 and an out-of-plane acceleration v that faces the out-of-plane direction of the loading platform sheet 119. The angle calculation unit 302 calculates the inclination angle φ of the loading platform sheet 119 based on the in-plane acceleration u and the out-of-plane acceleration v. The determination unit 303 determines whether the loading platform sheet 119 is inclined based on the inclination angle φ. When the determination unit 303 determines that the loading platform sheet 119 is inclined, the transmission unit 304 transmits an inclination signal to the notification device 20.

[0030] (Operation of Detection Device) The operation of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the detection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the detection of the tilt angle by the detection device according to the present embodiment. The operation shown in FIG. 8 is assumed to be executed at predetermined intervals.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 8, first, the axis conversion unit 301 acquires the three-axis accelerations x, y, z detected by the acceleration sensor 214 (S101), and converts the three-axis accelerations x, y, z into an in-plane acceleration u and an out-of-plane acceleration v according to the following formula. The sign sign is determined from the sign of x or y (S102).

[0032]

Equation

[0033] Next, the angle calculation unit 302 calculates the gravitational acceleration g directed downward in the vertical direction based on the in-plane acceleration u and the out-of-plane acceleration v, and as shown in FIG. 9, calculates the angle formed by the direction of the in-plane acceleration u and the direction of the gravitational acceleration g as the tilt angle φ of the loading platform sheet 119 (S103). This tilt angle φ indicates the tilt angle of the loading platform sheet 119 inward or outward of the loading platform 11 when the loading platform sheet 119 is in the upright state and is set to 0°.

[0034] Next, the determination unit 303 determines whether or not the calculated tilt angle φ exceeds a preset angle threshold φ th (S104). When the tilt angle φ exceeds the angle threshold φ th (S104, YES), the transmission unit 304 transmits a tilt signal to the notification device 20 (S105), and the operation for one cycle ends. When the tilt angle φ does not exceed the angle threshold φ th (S104, NO), the operation for one cycle ends.

[0035] According to such an inclination notification system 2, by using the acceleration sensor 214, the inclination of the loading platform seat 119 can be detected only by installing the detection device 21 at an arbitrary position on the loading platform seat 119. Therefore, for example, compared with the case of measuring the rotation angle of the rotation axis 119A, the configuration related to the detection of the inclination can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Further, according to the inclination notification system 2, by transmitting the inclination signal from the detection device 21 to the notification device 20 by wireless communication, compared with the case where the notification device 20 and the detection device 21 are connected by wire, the wiring connecting the vehicle body 10 and the loading platform 11 in the dump truck 1 can be omitted. Therefore, the configuration related to the detection of the inclination can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

[0036] <Second Embodiment> The inclination notification system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIGS. 10 and 11 are block diagrams showing the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the detection device according to this embodiment, respectively.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 10, the detection device 21A according to this embodiment is different from the detection device 21 according to the first embodiment in that it includes an acceleration sensor 214A instead of the acceleration sensor 214. The acceleration sensor 214A is different from the acceleration sensor 214 in that it is configured as a uniaxial acceleration sensor that detects only the acceleration in one axis (z). The detection device 21A is attached to the surface of the loading platform 11 on the outer side of the corresponding loading platform seat 119. At this time, the detection device 21A may be attached to the loading platform seat 119 so that the z-axis faces the outside in the out-of-plane direction of the loading platform seat 119, particularly the outside in the left-right direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 11, the detection device 21A is different from the detection device 21 in that it includes a determination unit 303A and a transmission unit 304A as functions. The determination unit 303A determines whether the acceleration z exceeds a preset acceleration threshold z th . The transmission unit 304A transmits an inclination signal when the acceleration z exceeds the acceleration threshold z th . Here, the acceleration threshold z th is a desired angle threshold φ thIt is set according to the following formula based on

[0039]

Number

[0040] According to the detection device 21A according to this embodiment, only the outward inclination of the loading platform sheet 119 can be detected. However, since the acceleration sensor 214A may be a one-axis acceleration sensor, the inclination of the loading platform sheet 119 can be detected at a lower cost.

[0041] Note that the detection devices 21 and 21A may not include the determination units 303 and 303A, and the notification device 20 may include the determination units 303 and 303A. In this case, the transmission unit 304 of the detection device 21 transmits the inclination angle φ calculated by the angle calculation unit 302 to the notification device 20 as an inclination signal, and in the notification device 20 that has received this inclination signal, a notification to the driver is made based on the determination result by the determination unit 303. Also, the transmission unit 304A of the detection device 21A transmits the acceleration z to the notification device 20 as an inclination signal, and in the notification device 20 that has received this inclination signal, a notification to the driver is made based on the determination result by the determination unit 303A.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0043] 1 Dump truck 11 Loading platform 112 Side blade 119 Loading platform sheet 119A Rotation axis 2 Inclination notification system 20 Notification device 21,21A Detection device 214,214A Acceleration sensor

Claims

1. An inclination notification system for detecting the inclination of a loading platform sheet that is attached to an upper edge of a side wing provided on a loading platform of a dump truck so as to be tiltable about a rotation axis facing the longitudinal direction of the dump truck, comprising: a detection device including an acceleration sensor attached to the loading platform sheet for detecting the inclination of the loading platform sheet, and an antenna for wirelessly transmitting an inclination signal indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheet detected by the acceleration sensor; a notification device installed in a driver's cab of the dump truck, the notification device including an antenna for receiving the inclination signal transmitted from the detection device by wireless communication, and a notification unit for notifying a driver of the dump truck of the inclination of the loading platform sheet when the inclination signal is received. An inclination notification system comprising the above.

2. The inclination notification system according to claim 1, wherein the detection device detects at least the acceleration of a first axis, and the first axis is attached to the loading platform sheet so as to face a direction outside the plane of the loading platform sheet.

3. The acceleration sensor further detects the acceleration of a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and the acceleration of a third axis orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis. The inclination notification system according to claim 2, wherein the detection device is attached to the loading platform sheet such that the second axis or the third axis faces within a range of less than ±90° around the first axis, with the vertical direction being 0° when the loading platform sheet is in a substantially upright state.

4. The inclination notification system according to claim 3, wherein the detection device calculates an in-plane acceleration, which is a component of gravitational acceleration facing the rotation axis side in the in-plane direction of the loading platform sheet based on the acceleration of the second axis and the acceleration of the third axis, and calculates the inclination angle of the loading platform sheet based on the in-plane acceleration and the out-of-plane acceleration, which is the acceleration of the first axis.

5. The inclination notification system according to claim 4, wherein the detection device transmits an inclination signal indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheet when the calculated inclination angle exceeds a preset angle threshold.

6. The inclination notification system according to claim 2, wherein the detection device transmits an inclination signal indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheet when the acceleration of the first axis exceeds a preset acceleration threshold.

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