Road surface sign construction device

Abstract

To provide a road surface sign construction device capable of corresponding to operational feeling of an operator and improving environmental factors such as noise and exhaust gas.SOLUTION: In the road surface sign construction device, a drive force transmission mechanism 80 includes: a reduction gear 76 connected with wheels 5; and an HST 70 using motor output as input and outputting it to the reduction gear 76, the HST 70 includes: a dump valve 83 switching a hydraulic circuit 113 in the HST 70 to transfer or not to transfer the input from a motor 51 to the reduction gear 76; a dump valve operation part 84 performing switching operations of the dump valve 83; and a control lever 86 switching the output to the reduction gear 76 between forward, stop, and rearward, and steplessly changing a forward speed and a rearward speed, and a bogie 2 includes: a clutch lever 55 operating the dump valve operation part 84; and a travel operation lever 58 operating the control lever 86 of the HST 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a road marking construction device that forms a road marking by attaching a marking material such as heated and melted paint to a road, a parking lot, or other road surfaces.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a road marking line construction device provided with a paint storage container for storing paint for road markings and an application device for applying the paint from the paint storage container onto the road surface, it has been common to use a gasoline engine (internal combustion engine) as a driving power source for the carriage. In addition, due to the increasing environmental awareness of CO2 reduction, LPG engines using liquefied natural gas (LPG) instead of gasoline have come to be used. However, even with an LPG engine, the problem of noise during nighttime construction or in quiet residential areas cannot be solved. Road marking construction devices that use an electric motor (motor) instead of an LPG engine and simultaneously solve the problems of noise, exhaust gas, and reduction of the operator's workload have also been developed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known as road marking line construction devices that use an electric motor as a driving power source for the carriage. The device of Patent Document 1 uses a servo motor as a driving power source and is equipped with various sensors such as a sensor for detecting markers on the road, an obstacle sensor, and a distance sensor. It is an automatic welding construction machine that receives signals from the various sensors and controls the driving of the servo motor and the application operation of the application device. The device of Patent Document 2 is equipped with a battery for supplying power to the electric motor in addition to the electric motor, and is equipped with a traveling operation device for setting the driving power amount given from this battery to the electric motor. This traveling operation device includes a first operation unit for selecting the maximum traveling speed of the carriage and a second operation unit for steplessly selecting the traveling speed of the carriage within the range of the maximum traveling speed set by the first operation unit. It is a self-propelled road marking line construction device.

[0004] However, the automatic welding construction machine of Patent Document 1 has problems that the control of various sensors, drive devices, coating devices, etc. is not necessarily specific, the control device is also divided into a front part and a rear part, and the control is complicated. In addition, in the self-propelled road marking construction device of Patent Document 2, the maximum traveling speed of the carriage is set in multiple stages by the first operation unit, and within the range of the set maximum traveling speed, the traveling speed of the carriage is selected steplessly by the second operation unit. Since the control is adopted, there is a problem that continuous traveling speed control cannot be performed. In addition, since the control of the traveling speed is also performed by rotating a knob-type dial, the operation feeling of the operator and the traveling state of the carriage do not correspond one-to-one, and there is a problem that the marking construction may not necessarily be performed smoothly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a road marking construction device that can respond to the operation feeling of an operator and can also improve environmental factors such as noise and exhaust gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention relates to a road marking construction device comprising a carriage, wheels rotatably supported on the carriage, a marking material storage container mounted on the carriage for storing marking materials, an attachment device mounted on the carriage for attaching the marking materials from the marking material storage container to a predetermined position, a motor mounted on the carriage, a battery for supplying driving power to the motor, and a driving force transmission mechanism mounted on the carriage for transmitting the output of the motor to the wheels. The driving force transmission mechanism includes a speed reducer connected to the wheels and an HST (Hydraulic Static Transmission) that takes the output of the motor as an input and outputs it to the speed reducer. The HST includes a variable displacement hydraulic pump, a fixed displacement hydraulic motor, and a hydraulic circuit connecting the variable displacement hydraulic pump and the fixed displacement hydraulic motor. The HST transmits the input from the motor to the speed reducer or switches the hydraulic circuit in the HST so as not to transmit it. The HST also includes a dump valve for switching the hydraulic circuit in the HST, a dump valve operation unit for performing the switching operation of the dump valve, and a control lever connected to the variable displacement hydraulic pump for switching the output to the speed reducer to forward, stop, and reverse, and for continuously changing the speeds of forward and reverse. The carriage is provided with a clutch lever for operating the dump valve operation unit and a traveling operation lever for operating the control lever of the HST.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the motor and the battery are configured as a power unit, and the battery is detachably provided with respect to the power unit.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the clutch lever and the traveling operation lever are rotatably provided on the same side surface of the carriage, the clutch lever and the dump valve operation unit of the HST are connected by a clutch interlocking mechanism, and the traveling operation lever and the control lever of the HST are connected by a traveling interlocking mechanism.

[0010] In the present invention, the power unit is provided with a main power switch for turning on and off the main power circuit of the motor, and a limit switch for turning on and off the main power circuit of the motor. Further, an operating member is provided which rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the traveling operation lever and performs the on-off operation of the limit switch. The operating member is configured to operate the limit switch so that the main power circuit of the motor is turned off when the traveling operation lever is in the stop position, and to operate the limit switch so that the main power circuit of the motor is turned on when the traveling operation lever is in a forward or reverse position other than the stop position.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, by adopting a motor instead of an engine as the traveling drive source of the carriage, it is possible to achieve noise reduction and exhaust gas reduction. Further, the motor and the HST are combined, and the switching operation of the dump valve for rotating and stopping the HST is performed by operating the dump valve operating portion with a clutch lever, and the control lever of the HST can be operated by the traveling operation lever. Furthermore, by operating the traveling operation lever, the output to the speed reducer is switched to forward, stop, and reverse, and the forward and reverse speeds can be steplessly changed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a road marking construction device that can be operated in accordance with the operating feeling of the operator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, since each component is schematically drawn, the shape, dimensions, etc. are not necessarily accurately described. Further, FIG. 1 shows a state in which the side cover of the machine frame (box cover) incorporating a drive system such as a power unit is removed.

[0014] In the schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of FIGS. 1 to 5, the road marking construction device 1 includes a carriage 2. On the left side, that is, the front side of FIG. 1 of this carriage 2, an axle 4 is rotatably supported via a bearing 3. A pair of wheels 5 as front wheels are attached to both ends of the axle 4, and a differential gear 6 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided in the middle. The differential gear 6 has a normal structure and can absorb the rotational difference between the left and right front wheels 5 during the turning of the road marking construction device 1 so that smooth turning can be performed. On the right side, that is, the rear side of FIG. 1 of the carriage 2, a caster-type wheel 7 as a rear wheel is provided. The caster-type wheel 7 as a rear wheel is rotatably provided around a vertical axis with respect to the carriage 2, and thus the carriage 2 can turn smoothly.

[0015] On the front side of the carriage 2, a marking material storage container 10 composed of a heat preservation tank or the like is placed. The marking material storage container 10 is a container for storing marking materials such as paint, and is heated by a burner (not shown) so that the marking material can be kept in a molten state. A marking material stirring handle 11 is provided on the upper surface of the marking material storage container 10 so that the marking material in the marking material storage container 10 can be stirred.

[0016] In FIG. 2, a marking material discharge port 12 is provided on the lower side surface of the marking material storage container 10, enabling the discharge of the molten marking material within the marking material storage container 10. On the left side in FIG. 2 of the marking material storage container 10, that is, on the rear end side of the carriage 2, a hollow machine frame 13 (box) formed in a box shape from appropriate supports, steel plates, etc. is provided. This machine frame 13 covers various devices described later and enables the installation of various devices.

[0017] On the outer peripheral surface of the marking material storage container 10, a discharge port opening / closing shutter 14 is provided so as to close the opening of the marking material discharge port 12. One end of the discharge port opening / closing shutter 14 is rotatably connected via a connecting member 15 to one end of a shutter operation lever 16, and the middle part of the shutter operation lever 16 bent in a "C" shape is rotatably supported by the machine frame 13. The other end of the shutter operation lever 16 extends to the rear of the carriage 2, is bent in a "C" shape in the direction opposite to the bent state, and the tip side thereof is positioned above the rear end side of the carriage 2, enabling the operator to push down the tip side downward. By the downward pushing operation of the other end of this shutter operation lever 16, the closed state of the marking material discharge port 12 by the discharge port opening / closing shutter 14 is released, allowing the molten marking material to flow out from the marking material discharge port 12.

[0018] At a position below the marking material discharge port 12, an adhesion device 20 is installed on the front side surface in FIG. 2 of the carriage 2 via a mounting plate 19. This adhesion device 20 is a device for applying marking materials such as a line slitter, etc., enabling various markings such as straight lines, figures, and characters to be adhered to roads, parking lots, and other road surfaces by the marking materials discharged from the adhesion device 20. The "adhesion" described here includes various acts of drawing markings on the road surface by means such as coating, spraying, and other means. On the outer surface of the marking material storage container 10 provided with the marking material discharge port 12, one end of a marking material gutter 17 having an upward U-shaped cross section is fixed. The other end of this marking material gutter 17 extends obliquely downward, and its tip is located at the upper opening of the adhesion device 20. Thus, the marking material flowing out from the marking material discharge port 12 with the discharge port opening / closing shutter 14 open flows down into the adhesion device 20.

[0019] Inside the adhesion device 20, a coating mechanism (not shown) such as a shutter is incorporated. This coating mechanism is operated by an adhesion device operation lever 21 connected to the adhesion device 20, and can control the coating operation of the marking material. The adhesion device operation lever 21 is guided by a long hole 22A of a guide member 22 provided on the adhesion device 20 and can move in the axial direction of the adhesion device operation lever 21. Also, a heating device 24 such as a burner is arranged on the lower outer periphery of the adhesion device 20 to heat the adhesion device 20 and keep the marking material inside the adhesion device 20 in a molten state.

[0020] In FIG. 2, a U-shaped handle 26 in plan view is arranged at the upper left end (rear end) of the road marking construction device 1, and both ends of this handle 26 are fixed and supported on the front and rear side surfaces of the machine frame 13 respectively. Between the handle 26 and the upper part of the rear end of the machine frame 13, a box-shaped spread material tank 28 for storing spread materials such as beads is provided. Also, in FIG. 2, a spreader 29 is provided at the central lower part of the carriage 2, and this spreader 29 is supported so as to be position-adjustable in the width direction of the carriage 2 along a guide shaft 30 provided at the lower part of the carriage 2. Thus, the spread position of the spread material in the width direction of the carriage 2 can be changed. The spread material tank 28 and the spreader 29 are connected by a hose 31, and the spread material stored in the spread material tank 28 can be supplied to the spreader 29. Inside the attachment device operation lever 21, that is, at a position close to the machine frame 13, a spraying machine operation lever 32 is arranged. The lower end of the spraying machine operation lever 32 is rotatably supported by the carriage 2. The upper end of the spraying machine operation lever 32 is arranged near the upper end of the shutter operation lever 16 so that the operator can easily operate both. The lower end of the spraying machine operation lever 32 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) so that the spraying and non-spraying operations of the spraying machine 29 can be controlled. The middle part of the spraying machine operation lever 32 is guided by a guide bracket 33 provided on the side surface of the machine frame 13 so that the up-and-down movement of the spraying machine operation lever 32, that is, the spraying and non-spraying operations of the spraying machine 29 can be performed smoothly. Further, by being locked to a locking step portion 33A (see FIG. 5) provided on the guide bracket 33, the left end position of the spraying machine operation lever 32 in FIG. 5 can be held. The spraying machine 29 is supported by a guide plate 34 provided at the center lower part of the carriage 2 in FIG. 2, and is slidably guided along a road surface (not shown) by a long hole 34A provided in the guide plate 34.

[0021] In FIG. 2, a guide rod 36 is supported on the upper surface of the right end of the carriage 2 via a bracket 35 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (up and down). This guide rod 36 serves as a guide for advancing the road marking construction device 1 straight when the road marking construction device 1 attempts to mark a straight line on the road surface. One end of a guide rod lever 39 is fixed to a shaft 37 to which the guide rod 36 is fixed via a short link 38. The other end of this guide rod lever 39 extends above the rear end of the carriage 2 so that the operator can perform the up-and-down movement of the guide rod lever 39. Since the guide rod 36 is unnecessary except when forming a straight line on the road surface, the guide rod lever 39 is pulled up to the upper left in FIG. 2, and the guide rod 36 is rotated counterclockwise by about 90 degrees to an upright state so as not to interfere with the operation of the road marking construction device 1. Note that the middle of the guide rod lever 39 is locked to a position locking means 40 so that the pulled-up and pulled-down positions of the guide rod lever 39 can be fixed.

[0022] In FIG. 2, a caster-type wheel 7 serving as a rear wheel provided at the lower left position of the carriage 2 is provided with a parking brake 41. By the operator stepping on the parking brake 41, the caster-type wheel 7 can be braked, and the road marking construction device 1 can be stopped.

[0023] In FIGS. 1 and 5, a power unit 50 is housed inside the machine frame 13. The power unit 50 includes a motor 51 provided integrally with a controller and a battery 52 that supplies electricity to the motor 51. In this embodiment, as the power unit 50, for example, an integrated electric power unit "HONDA GXE2.0H" manufactured by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is used, but it is not limited to this as long as it is a combination of a motor and a battery having similar characteristics. The battery 52 is configured as a so-called battery pack and is detachably provided to the power unit 50. When the electric capacity of the battery 52 decreases, it can be easily replaced with another fully charged battery 52. On the side surface of the motor 51, a main power switch 53 of the motor 51 is provided. The main power switch 53 is a switch for turning on and off all the power sources of the road marking construction device 1 including the motor 51.

[0024] In FIG. 1, a clutch lever 55 is provided at the center of the carriage 2. As will be described in detail later, the clutch lever 55 is a lever for switching the traveling and stopping (on and off) of the road marking construction device 1. The clutch lever 55 is guided at its middle part by a stepped guide 56 provided on the machine frame 13, and the stepped part can maintain the traveling on and off states of the road marking construction device 1.

[0025] In FIG. 1, a travel operation lever 58 is provided on the right side and the rear end side of the carriage 2. As will be described in detail later, the travel operation lever 58 is a lever for switching the travel state of the road marking construction device 1. The travel operation lever 58 is guided at its middle portion by a guide 59 provided on the machine frame 13. The travel operation lever 58 can switch the forward, stop, and reverse states of the road marking construction device 1, and can steplessly control its travel speed in the forward or reverse state.

[0026] In FIG. 5, a gas cylinder holder 61 for holding a gas cylinder (not shown) that supplies combustion gas such as natural gas to the heating device 24 is provided on the upper surface of the machine frame 13. A storage box 62 for storing tools and the like is provided between the gas cylinder holder 61 and the spraying material tank 28.

[0027] In FIGS. 6 and 7 showing the schematic configuration of the drive unit of the present embodiment, the output shaft 65 of the motor 51 is supported by a bearing 66 and extends upward in FIG. 7, and a motor output sprocket 67 is attached to the tip of the output shaft 65. Inside the machine frame 13, an HST (Hydraulic Static Transmission) 70 is provided in the vicinity of the power unit 50. In the present embodiment, for example, the HST "Model 7" manufactured by Eaton Corporation of the United States is used as the HST 70, but it is not limited to this as long as it is an HST having similar characteristics.

[0028] The HST 70 includes a housing 70A. An input shaft 71 projects from the housing 70A above the housing 70A in FIG. 7, and an HST input sprocket 72 is attached to the input shaft 71. On the opposite side of the input shaft 71 of the HST 70, an output shaft 73 projects from the housing 70A, and an HST output sprocket 74 is attached to the output shaft 73. The HST input sprocket 72 and the motor output sprocket 67 are connected by a chain 68, and the rotation of the output shaft 65 of the motor 51 is decelerated and transmitted to the input shaft 71 of the HST 70.

[0029] Between the HST 70 and the axle 4, a speed reducer 76 composed of a plurality of gears or sprockets is provided. On the input side of the speed reducer 76, a speed reducer input sprocket 77 is provided. The speed reducer input sprocket 77 and the HST output sprocket 74 are connected by a chain 78, and the rotation of the output shaft 73 is decelerated and transmitted to the speed reducer input sprocket 77. Although the internal structure of the speed reducer 76 will not be described in detail, it is the same as a general speed reducer and is configured to have an appropriate reduction ratio by a plurality of gears, sprockets, etc. Here, in a series of configurations from the output shaft 65 of the motor 51 to the input shaft 71 of the HST 70, the output shaft 73, and then to the speed reducer 76, a driving force transmission mechanism 80 is configured to transmit the rotation of the motor 51 to the wheels 5 via the axle 4.

[0030] On the left side surface of the HST 70 in FIGS. 6 and 7, a dump valve 83 for turning on and off the output of the HST 70 is provided, and a dump valve operation unit 84 for operating this dump valve 83 is provided. The dump valve operation unit 84 of the dump valve 83 is biased in a direction protruding from the outer surface of the HST 70. In this protruding state, the HST 70 is in an operating state. On the other hand, when the dump valve operation unit 84 of the dump valve 83 is pressed in the immersion direction, the HST 70 is configured to be in a stopped state. Also, on the lower surface of the HST 70 in FIG. 6, a control lever 86 is provided to change the rotation direction and rotation speed of the output shaft 73 of the HST 70 to switch the forward, stop (neutral), and reverse of the road marking construction device 1, and to perform an operation of changing the traveling speed in the forward or reverse state.

[0031] A clutch lever 55 is connected to a dump valve operating section 84 of a dump valve 83 via a clutch interlocking mechanism 88. The clutch interlocking mechanism 88 includes a shaft member 89 fixed to a lower end portion of the clutch lever 55 and an engaging member 90 fixed to an end portion of the shaft member 89 on the HST 70 side. Thus, by operating the clutch lever 55, the dump valve operating section 84 of the dump valve 83 can be operated. That is, when the clutch lever 55 is operated leftward from the solid line position to the chain line position in FIG. 6, the dump valve operating section 84 of the dump valve 83 is pushed in by the engaging member 90 of the clutch interlocking mechanism 88, and the HST 70 is brought into a stopped state.

[0032] A travel operation lever 58 is connected to a control lever 86 via a travel interlocking mechanism 92. The travel interlocking mechanism 92 includes an operating arm 94 fixed to an inner end of a rotation shaft 93 provided at a lower end of the travel operation lever 58, a connecting shaft 95 rotatably connected at one end to a tip of the operating arm 94, and a connecting member 96 rotatably connected at the other end to the connecting shaft 95. The connecting member 96 is rotatably connected to a tip end portion of the control lever 86 of the HST 70, and a base end portion of the control lever 86 is fixed to a support shaft 87 of the HST 70. Further, the control lever 86 has a cam portion 86A as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, when the travel operation lever 58 is rotated counterclockwise from the neutral (stop · N) position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 and moved in the forward (F) direction, the control lever 86 is driven via the travel interlocking mechanism 92, and the output of the HST 70 drives the wheels 5 as front wheels in the forward direction. At this time, the rotation speed of the output shaft 73 of the HST 70 increases according to the magnitude of the counterclockwise rotation amount of the travel operation lever 58, and the rotation of the wheels 5 also speeds up, so that the traveling speed of the road marking construction device 1 increases. On one hand, when the traveling operation lever 58 is rotated clockwise from the neutral (stop · N) position shown by the solid line in Fig. 6 and moved in the reverse (R) direction, the control lever 86 is driven via the traveling interlocking mechanism 92, and the output of the HST 70 drives the wheels 5 as the front wheels in the reverse direction. At this time, depending on the magnitude of the clockwise rotation amount of the traveling operation lever 58, the rotational speed of the output shaft 73 of the HST 70 increases, the rotation of the wheels 5 also speeds up, and the traveling speed of the road marking construction device 1 increases, which is the same as the driving in the forward direction.

[0033] In Fig. 6, a shaft-shaped operating member 98 is fixed to the rotation shaft 93 of the traveling operation lever 58, and the operating member 98 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft 93. An operation button 99A of the limit switch 99 is disposed opposite to the tip of the operating member 98. The limit switch 99 is connected to the main power supply circuit of the power unit 50 and is configured to turn the main power supply circuit ON and OFF. When the traveling operation lever 58 is in the neutral position shown by the solid line, the operating member 98 presses the operation button 99A of the limit switch 99 to perform an OFF operation, cut off the main power supply circuit of the power unit 50, and stop the operation of the power unit 50. On the other hand, when the traveling operation lever 58 is in a position other than the neutral position, that is, the forward position or the reverse position, the operating member 98 disengages from pressing the operation button 99A of the limit switch 99 as shown by the dashed line, releases the OFF operation of the main power supply circuit, and connects the main power supply circuit of the power unit 50 to enable the operation of the power unit 50.

[0034] Fig. 8 shows a schematic configuration of the hydraulic circuit 113 of the HST 70. Inside the housing 70A of the HST 70, a variable displacement hydraulic pump 111 and a fixed displacement hydraulic motor 112 are built in, and the hydraulic pump 111 and the hydraulic motor 112 are connected by the hydraulic circuit 113. The hydraulic pump 111 includes a cam ring 111A, a cam portion 111B is formed on the cam ring 111A, and a cam portion 86A of the control lever 86 fixed to the support shaft 87 is engaged with the cam portion 111B. By rotating the control lever 86 about the support shaft 87, the cam ring 111A is driven by the cam portion 86A and the cam portion 111B, the internal structure of the hydraulic pump 111 is operated, and the discharge direction and discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 111 are changed. Along with the change in the discharge direction and discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 111, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the hydraulic motor 112 are changed, and the hydraulic motor 112 is rotated forward, stopped, and reversed, that is, the road marking construction device 1 is moved forward (F), stopped (N), and moved backward (R), and the rotation speed in the forward (F) or backward (R) state can be steplessly changed. Note that the input shaft 71 of the HST70 is used as the drive shaft of the hydraulic pump 111, and the output shaft of the hydraulic motor 112 is used as the output shaft 73 of the HST70.

[0035] The hydraulic circuit 113 includes an upper and lower first main circuit 114A and a second main circuit 114B in the figure that connect the hydraulic pump 111 and the hydraulic motor 112, and the middle of these first main circuit 114A and second main circuit 114B is connected by a connection circuit 115. A dump valve 83 is provided in the middle of the connection circuit 115. The dump valve 83 includes a pair of check valves 116A and 116B, and a branch circuit 117 is provided between these check valves 116A and 116B. The outer end of this branch circuit 117 is opened in the housing 70A of the HST70, and oil is discharged into the housing 70A of the HST70 or the oil in the housing 70A is sucked. Note that the inside of the housing 70A of the HST70 is filled with oil. The dump valve operating portion 84 of the dump valve 83 is capable of simultaneously releasing the pair of check valves 116A and 116B. In a state where the pair of check valves 116A and 116B are simultaneously released, the oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 111 is returned to the suction side of the hydraulic pump 111 via the connection circuit 115 and is not sent to the hydraulic motor 112 side. Therefore, in this state, the rotation of the hydraulic motor 112 is stopped. In FIG. 8, the upper check valve 116A is in the open state because the hydraulic pressure on the discharge side of the hydraulic motor 112 is less than the suction amount on the suction side of the hydraulic pump 111, and it is opened by the negative pressure generated on the suction side of the hydraulic pump 111.

[0036] Next, the specific operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] In the stopped state of the road surface marking construction device 1, the main power switch 53 of the power unit 50 is turned off, and the clutch lever 55 is in the "off" state at the left position shown by the chain line in FIG. 6. Also, the travel operation lever 58 is in the neutral center position shown by the solid line and is in the "stop (N)" state.

[0038] On the other hand, when forming markings such as lines, characters, and figures on a road or other road surface, fuel gas is supplied in advance from a gas cylinder (not shown) mounted on the gas cylinder holder 61 to a burner or heating device 24 provided at the lower part of the marking material storage container 10 (not shown) to heat the marking material such as paint in the marking material storage container 10 to a molten state. In the molten state of the marking material, when forming a marking on the road surface, first, the main power switch 53 of the power unit 50 is switched to the ON state. At this time, the travel operation lever 58 is in the stopped state shown by the solid line, and the road surface marking construction device 1 does not travel. Also, when the travel operation lever 58 is in the stopped (N) state shown by the solid line, the operating member 98 provided on the rotation shaft 93 presses the operation button 99A of the limit switch 99, turning the limit switch 99 to the OFF state. For this reason, the power circuit of the power unit 50 is in the OFF state, and the motor 51 is not driven.

[0039] When driving the road surface marking construction device 1, pull the clutch lever 55 to the right in FIG. 6 to the solid line "engage" state, operate the dump valve operating part 84 via the clutch interlocking mechanism 88, and set the check valve 116 of the dump valve 83 to the state shown in FIG. 8. As a result, HST70 is set to the clutch ON state, enabling hydraulic pressure to be supplied from the hydraulic pump 111 to the hydraulic motor 112. In FIG. 8, the upper check valve 116A is opened by the negative pressure generated on the suction side of the hydraulic pump 111, and the lower check valve 116B is in the closed state. Therefore, the upper first main circuit 114A of the hydraulic circuit 113 communicates with the branch circuit 117 via the check valve 116A. In this state, the oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 111 is supplied to the hydraulic motor 112 through the second main circuit 114B. After rotating the hydraulic motor 112, it returns to the hydraulic pump 111 via the first main circuit 114A. The amount of oil returning from the hydraulic motor 112 is slightly less than the amount required by the hydraulic pump 111 due to leakage or the like. For this reason, the check valve 116A on the suction side of the hydraulic pump 111 is opened to communicate with the housing 70A of the HST70 so that the hydraulic pump 111 can suck in oil as needed.

[0040] Next, when the traveling operation lever 58 is operated to the left in FIG. 6, that is, in the counterclockwise direction, the control lever 86 is operated via the traveling interlocking mechanism 92, and the hydraulic pump 111 rotates in the forward direction, that is, the wheels 5 are driven in the forward direction. At this time, due to the leftward operation of the traveling operation lever 58, the tip of the operating member 98 disengages from the operation button 99A of the limit switch 99, so the limit switch 99 turns ON and the motor 51 is in the rotating state. As a result, the rotation of the output shaft 65 of the motor 51 is decelerated and transmitted to the input shaft 71 via the motor output sprocket 67, the chain 68, and the HST input sprocket 72 as shown in FIG. 7, and the hydraulic pump 111 of the HST70 is rotationally driven. With the driving of the hydraulic pump 111, the hydraulic motor 112 is rotationally driven. The rotation of this hydraulic motor 112 is transmitted to the chain 78 of the driving force transmission mechanism 80 via the output shaft 73 and the HST output sprocket 74, and the axle 4 is driven in the forward direction via the driving force transmission mechanism 80. Further, as the amount of operating the travel operation lever 58 to the left in FIG. 6 increases, the cam ring 111A of the hydraulic pump 111 is more greatly operated by the control lever 86, the discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 111 increases, and the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor 112 rises. In this way, the amount of oil sent to the fixed-capacity hydraulic motor 112 is changed according to the amount of operation of the travel operation lever 58 to the left, and stepless control of the rotational speed is performed.

[0041] To reverse the road marking construction device 1, the travel operation lever 58 is operated in the right direction, i.e., the clockwise direction in FIG. 6, beyond the neutral (N) stop point and further in the reverse (R) direction. As a result, the control lever 86 is driven from the forward "F" state to the neutral "N" state and then beyond to the reverse "R" state, the driving state of the hydraulic pump 111 is changed, and the supply direction of the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic motor 112 is reversed. For this reason, the rotational direction of the hydraulic motor 112 is reversed, and the wheel 5 as the front wheel is driven in the reverse direction. That is, although the rotational direction of the motor 51 as the drive source remains unchanged, the rotational direction of the output shaft 73 is reversed by the HST 70 to enter the reverse state, so that the wheel 5 rotates in the reverse direction and the road marking construction device 1 moves in reverse. At this time, since the discharge amount of the hydraulic pump 111 is changed according to the amount of operation of the travel operation lever 58 to the right, the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor 112 is changed, and the rotational speed of the wheel 5 as the front wheel is changed via the driving force transmission mechanism 80. Since this change in rotational speed is performed steplessly, the reverse speed is also changed steplessly.

[0042] In the construction of the marking material on the road surface by the road marking construction device 1, on the adhesion surface of the marking material discharged from the adhesion device 20 onto the road surface, scatter materials such as beads in the scatter tank 28 are scattered via the scatterer 29. The scattering operation of the scatterer 29 is performed by moving the scatterer operation lever 32 along the guide bracket 33. When the scatterer operation lever 32 is operated, a drive wheel (not shown) is driven using the output of the motor 51 or the HST 70, the guide shaft 30 of the scatterer 29 is rotated, and a shutter (not shown) is opened to perform scattering.

[0043] According to the present embodiment described above, there are the following effects.

[0044] In the present embodiment, since the power unit 50 including the motor 51 and the battery 52 is used as the drive source, the noise during work can be significantly reduced, and exhaust gas problems such as CO2 and Nox are not generated. Therefore, there is an effect that the road marking construction device 1 friendly to the environment can be provided.

[0045] Also, when transmitting the output of the motor 51 to the wheel 5 as the front wheel, since it is performed via the HST 70, without changing the rotation state of the motor 51, the output shaft 73 of the HST 70 can be rotated forward, stopped, and reversed, and the rotation speed during forward and reverse rotations can also be changed steplessly, and there is an effect that the traveling operation required for the road marking construction device 1 can be easily obtained. Not only the switching between forward rotation, stop, and reverse rotation of the HST 70 but also the change in the rotation speed during forward and reverse rotations can be easily performed by one operation of the traveling operation lever 58. Further, since the operation also corresponds one-to-one to the sensitivity of the operator, the road marking construction device 1 advances as the operator operates, and there is an effect that the road marking construction device 1 is extremely easy to use for the operator.

[0046] Furthermore, when the traveling operation lever 58 is held at the stop position, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the operation button 99A of the limit switch 99 is operated by the operating member 98 to turn off the power of the power unit 50, so that the motor 51 is not driven uselessly and the power of the battery 52 is not consumed uselessly. The battery 52 of the power unit 50 is configured in a pack shape and can be easily attached and detached. Therefore, if a spare battery 52 is prepared at a construction site or the like, even when the work takes a long time, the battery 52 can be replaced in a short time, and the work efficiency can be improved.

[0047] The operation of the dump valve 83 that can drive and stop the HST70 can be easily performed with a simple structure by the clutch lever 55 via the clutch linkage mechanism 88. Also, the operations of forward rotation, stop, reverse rotation of the HST70, and the change of the rotation speed during forward and reverse rotations can be easily performed with a simple structure by the traveling operation lever 58 via the traveling linkage mechanism 92.

[0048] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention.

[0049] For example, the power unit 50 is not limited to being configured in a pack shape with the motor 51 and the battery 52, and it may be a configuration in which the motor 51 and the battery 52 are separately configured and attached to the machine frame 13. Also, the marking material is not limited to a paint of the type that heats and melts, and other marking materials such as a quick-drying paint may be used.

[0050] Furthermore, the adhesion of the marking material to the road surface by the adhesion device 20 is not limited to the application of paint, and other adhesion methods such as spray-like spraying may be used.

[0051] Also, the structure of the speed reducer 76 is not limited to using a plurality of sprockets, and it may be a structure using a plurality of gears, as long as it can reduce the output of the HST70 and transmit it to the axle 4.

Explanation of Signs

[0052] 1 Road surface marking construction device 2 Cart 5 Wheel as front wheel 7 Caster-type wheel as rear wheel 10 Marking material storage container 13 Machine frame 14 Discharge port opening / closing shutter 17 Marking material trough 20 Adhesion device such as a slitter 21 Adhesion device operation lever 24 Heating device 26 Handle 28 Dispensing Tank 29 Dispenser 32 Dispenser Operation Lever 50 Power Unit 51 Motor 52 Battery 53 Main Power Switch 55 Clutch Lever 58 Travel Operation Lever 65 Output Shaft 70 HST 71 Input Shaft 73 Output Shaft 76 Reducer 80 Driving Force Transmission Mechanism 83 Dump Valve 84 Dump Valve Operation Section 86 Control Lever 88 Clutch Interlocking Mechanism 92 Travel Interlocking Mechanism 98 Actuating Member 99 Limit Switch 111 Hydraulic Pump 112 Hydraulic Motor 113 Hydraulic Circuit

Claims

1. A road marking construction device comprising a carriage, wheels rotatably supported on the carriage, a marking material storage container mounted on the carriage for storing marking materials, an attaching device mounted on the carriage for attaching the marking materials from the marking material storage container to a predetermined position, a motor mounted on the carriage, a battery for supplying driving power to the motor, and a driving force transmission mechanism mounted on the carriage for transmitting the output of the motor to the wheels, wherein the driving force transmission mechanism includes a speed reducer connected to the wheels and an HST (Hydraulic Static Transmission, a hydraulic continuously variable transmission) that takes the output of the motor as an input and outputs it to the speed reducer, the HST includes a variable displacement hydraulic pump, a fixed displacement hydraulic motor, and a hydraulic circuit connecting the variable displacement hydraulic pump and the fixed displacement hydraulic motor, and a dump valve for switching the hydraulic circuit in the HST so as to transmit or not transmit the input from the motor to the speed reducer, a dump valve operation unit for performing the switching operation of the dump valve, and a control lever connected to the variable displacement hydraulic pump for switching the output to the speed reducer to forward, stop, or reverse, and continuously changing the speeds of the forward and reverse movements, wherein the carriage is provided with a clutch lever for operating the dump valve operation unit and a traveling operation lever for operating the control lever of the HST, which is a road marking construction device.

2. The road marking construction device according to claim 1, wherein the motor and the battery are configured as a power unit, and the battery is detachably provided with respect to the power unit.

3. The road marking construction device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the clutch lever and the traveling operation lever are rotatably provided on the same side surface of the carriage, the clutch lever and the dump valve operation unit of the HST are connected by a clutch interlocking mechanism, and the traveling operation lever and the control lever of the HST are connected by a traveling interlocking mechanism.

4. In the road marking construction device according to claim 1 or claim 2, the power unit is provided with a main power switch for turning on and off the main power circuit of the motor, and a limit switch for turning on and off the main power circuit of the motor. Further, an operating member is provided which rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the traveling operation lever and performs the on-off operation of the limit switch. The operating member operates the limit switch so that the main power circuit of the motor is turned off when the traveling operation lever is in the stop position, and operates the limit switch so that the main power circuit of the motor is turned on when the traveling operation lever is in a forward or reverse position other than the stop position. A road marking construction device configured as described above.

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