Cargo handling assistance device

Abstract

To provide a cargo handling assistance device excellent in operability even if a load sensor is provided in series midway along a sling for suspending a load.SOLUTION: A locking unit 70 locks a load. A lifting / lowering unit 9 winds a sling 5 and lifts and lowers the locking unit 70 by the drive of a motor. A weight detection unit 65 is provided between the locking unit 70 and the sling 5, detects a vertical load applied to the locking unit 70, and transmits a weight signal. A power transmission unit and a power receiving unit form a transformer, and transmit power wirelessly from the power transmission unit to the power receiving unit at a predetermined lifting / lowering position. The power receiving unit supplies power for charging a secondary battery 63. The secondary battery 63 supplies power to the weight detection unit 65. A first control unit 51 receives and stores the weight signal transmitted wirelessly from the weight detection unit 65, and causes the lifting / lowering unit 9 to generate an assisting force to balance the load 7 locked to the locking unit 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cargo handling assist device used for manufacturing assembly, conveyance, etc. in the manufacturing field. For example, when lifting and lowering a cargo to be handled, it balances the weight by assisting with a motor and moves it up and down with a slight operating force.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in factories that assemble industrial products, cargo handling devices that suspend and move up and down cargo to be handled, such as tools, working equipment, products, and semi-finished products, which have a large weight, are used. Among these cargo handling devices, a cargo handling assist device that creates a balanced state for a cargo with a large weight and generates assistance so that an operator can move up and down to an arbitrary height with a light operating force is used. Such a cargo handling assist device that generates assistance performs assistance (assist) with a motor to create a balanced state. And in this balanced state, when the operator applies a small external force to the cargo to be handled, it moves smoothly, which is different from simply performing the up and down operation with an electric motor. That is, it is configured to detect and calculate the load of the cargo to be handled and the operating force applied thereto with, for example, a load detector, and perform fine balance control with an AC servo motor or the like connected to a rotation angle detector.

[0003] There are demands to increase the lift height and lift and lower the cargo to be handled in a narrow space using such a cargo handling assist device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, when a guide part (guide roller or wheel) such as a pulley that bends the path of a suspension cable such as a link chain is arranged in the middle, it may be difficult to provide accurate assistance (assist) with a load sensor provided in the lifting and lowering drive part of the cargo handling assistance device due to the friction between the guide roller and the link chain. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a load sensor is provided in series in the middle of the suspension cable that suspends the cargo, it becomes necessary to transmit the load signal from the load sensor that moves up and down together with the cargo to the control part of the cargo handling assistance device. If this is done by wire, a spiral cord is required, which is an obstructive presence for the operator. And power supply to the load sensor is also necessary. If this is done with a battery, battery replacement is required when the battery runs out, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cargo handling assistance device with good operability even when a load sensor is provided in series in the middle of the suspension cable that suspends the cargo.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the cargo handling assistance device of the present invention has a locking part, a suspension cable, a lifting and lowering operation part, a weight detection part, a first control part, a power transmission part, and a power reception part, and is a cargo handling assistance device that assists in the lifting and lowering of a cargo, The locking part locks the cargo, The lifting and lowering operation part winds the suspension cable and drives the motor to lift and lower the locking part, The weight detection part is provided between the locking part and the suspension cable, detects the vertical load applied to the locking part, and transmits a weight signal, The power transmission part and the power reception part constitute a transformer, and wirelessly transmit power from the power transmission part to the power reception part at a predetermined lifting and lowering position, The power reception part supplies power for charging the secondary battery, and the secondary battery supplies power to the weight detection part, The first control part is configured to receive and store the weight signal wirelessly transmitted from the weight detection part, and generate assistance to balance the cargo locked by the locking part and send it to the lifting and lowering operation part.

[0008] In addition, the weight signal output from the weight detection unit is wirelessly transmitted by optical modulation.

[0009] Further, when the remaining amount of the secondary battery becomes smaller than a predetermined value, the first control unit drives the lifting and lowering operation unit to move the power receiving unit to a predetermined lifting and lowering position.

[0010] In addition, a second control unit that transmits state information of at least one of the power receiving unit and the secondary battery is provided in combination with the weight detection unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a cargo handling assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cargo handling assistance device 1 and a cargo 7 which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] The load-carrying assistance device 1 includes a device main body 4, a guide part 18, a grip part 85, a power supply and light receiving part 86, and an operation command part 41. The device main body 4 is attached to a support column 3 which is a structural member, and the frame and housing of the device main body 4 also function as structural members. The support column 3 is in the shape of a square prism or a cylinder and is fixed to the floor 2 of a building or the like with bolts or the like. The operation command part 41 is for operating the load-carrying assistance device 1 wirelessly. Although not shown in the figure, the device main body 4, the guide part 18, and the power supply and light receiving part 86 of the load-carrying assistance device 1 can rotate within a specified angular range about the vertical direction of the support column 3, forming a so-called jib type structure.

[0014] The members related to raising and lowering the load 7 will be described. The sling 6 is a member for locking and suspending the load 7. The sling 6 is, for example, a member for hooking on the flange of the load 7 in order to move a load 7 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a flange on the top surface. The sling 6 is suspended by a hook 70 which is a locking part and is detachable as required. The link chain 5 is an example of a suspension cable, and in this embodiment, it is formed by intersecting and alternately connecting oval rings each consisting of a semi-circular arc part and a straight part connected thereto. The end of the link chain 5 is connected to the hook 70 via the grip part 85. The details inside the grip part 85 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0015] The guide part 18 has a guide roller B13, a rotating shaft 14, a guide bracket 15, and an arm 16. The guide roller B13 changes the direction of the link chain 5 extending vertically upward to the horizontal direction. The guide roller B13 is a so-called pulley. The guide bracket 15 is a substantially L-shaped metal member in a pair, through which the rotating shaft 14 is inserted. The guide roller B13 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 14. Further, the guide bracket 15 is provided to regulate the passing path of the link chain 5 in the XY directions so that the link chain 5 does not fall off the guide roller B13.

[0016] The guide bracket 15 is connected and fixed to the arm 16. The arm 16 is fixed to the beam 17. Further, the beam 17 is fixed to the frame of the apparatus main body 4 or the like. Note that the attachment and fixation of the beam 17 are not limited to this, and it may be directly fixed to a structure such as the support column 3. Also, in this embodiment, the guide bracket 15 and the arm 16 are configured separately, but this is not limiting, and they may be integrated.

[0017] The link chain 5 whose direction is changed in the x - direction by the guide part 18 is further directed in the z - direction again by the guide roller A12. The link chain 5 whose direction is changed in the z - direction by the guide roller A12 is wound around the load sheave 10 of the lifting and lowering operation part 9 through the guide block 11. The guide block 11 regulates the XY - direction path of the link chain 5 so that the link chain 5 does not drop off from the load sheave 10.

[0018] The lifting and lowering operation part 9 includes a load sheave 10 and a lifting and lowering motor part 20. The lifting and lowering motor part 20 is configured to include a speed reducer, a motor, a brake, and a lifting and lowering position detection part 21.

[0019] The load sheave 10 has a pocket groove into which the link chain 5 is fitted according to the shape of the link chain 5. The load sheave 10 has flanges with a large diameter on both sides so that the link chain 5 does not drop off with the pocket groove in between. The load sheave 10 is fixed to the rotary shaft 19 on the output side of the speed reducer and can rotate forward and backward.

[0020] The speed reducer reduces the rotational speed of the motor to a predetermined speed and increases the torque. The speed reducer is, for example, a harmonic gear speed reducer. The harmonic gear speed reducer includes a wave generator with an elliptical outer circumference, an elastically deformable flex spline with a large number of external teeth formed on its outer circumference and externally fitted to the wave generator so that the position where it is deflected in the circumferential direction changes due to the rotation of the wave generator, and a circular spline provided on the outer peripheral side of the flex spline and having internal teeth that mesh with the external teeth of the flex spline. And the power is taken out and transmitted to the rotating shaft 19 that connects the flex spline as the rotational output. By using a speed reducer with a very small backlash, such as a harmonic gear speed reducer, for example, in the speed reducer of this device, when the forward and reverse rotation of the motor is frequently switched to perform lifting and lowering movements while maintaining balance, the uncontrollable area during switching can be eliminated, and a smooth operating feeling can be realized.

[0021] The motor is, for example, an AC servo motor. And a brake for locking the rotating shaft of the motor when necessary is provided on the anti-load side of the motor. Further, a lifting position detection unit 21 connected to the rotating shaft of the motor is connected to the anti-load side of the motor. The lifting position detection unit 21 is, for example, a so-called absolute encoder that detects the rotational angular position of the motor, and optically detects the rotational angular position and transmits the position value as a position signal to the control unit 51. Therefore, this lifting position detection unit 21 can detect the payout position of the sling 6, that is, the lifting position. The lifting position detection unit 21 is not limited to the optical type, and may be a magnetic type, a capacitance type, or the like.

[0022] The link chain 5 is wound around the load sheave 10 by about 180 degrees and extends vertically downward. The end of the link chain 5 is stored in the chain storage box 8. And the end of the link chain 5 on the side of the chain storage box 8 is a free end.

[0023] In this embodiment, the suspension cable is the link chain 5, but it is not limited to this, and it may be a wire rope. When the suspension cable is a wire rope, the load sheave 10 has a drum shape and winds the wire rope, and the end of the wire rope is fixed to the cylindrical surface of the drum.

[0024] FIG. 2a is an external perspective view of the handling assistance device 1 of the present invention, showing the grip portion 85 and the power supply and light receiving portion 86. And FIG. 2b shows the interior with the grip cover 77 of the grip portion 85 omitted. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the grip portion 85 and the power supply and light receiving portion 86 taken along the xz plane including the central axis in the z direction of the grip portion 85, that is, plane A of FIG. 2a.

[0025] The grip portion 85 is for an operator to hold it and lift and lower the lifting tool 6 and the load 7 suspended from the hook 70. The grip cover 77 of the grip portion 85 is, for example, a cylindrical member made of metal. And a cylindrical cover 80 is provided in the +z direction in engagement with the grip cover 77. The cover 80 has a resin portion that can transmit infrared light or the like at least in part thereof.

[0026] In FIGS. 2b and 3, the link chain (sling) 5 is connected to the chain connection portion 79. The chain connection portion 79 has two protrusions that sandwich the link chain (sling) 5. The link chain (sling) 5 is connected to the chain connection portion 79 by a pin passed between these protrusions. Also, the chain connection portion 79 has a stepped cylindrical shape in the axial direction, and the substrate 68 is sandwiched and fixed from below by a nut 78 using the step as a flange (FIG. 3). The substrate 68 is an annular printed wiring board. A secondary side transformer coil 60, light emitting portions 67a, 67b, a secondary battery 63, a second control portion 64, etc. are connected or mounted on the substrate 68. Also, electronic components such as a rectifying circuit 61 and a charging circuit 62 described later are mounted on the substrate 68.

[0027] The secondary side transformer coil 60 is a power receiving portion, is a hollow cylindrical type surrounding the outer periphery of the chain connection portion 79, and its lead wire is connected to the substrate 68. The light emitting portion 67a is, for example, an element that emits infrared light. The light emitting portion 67a is mounted so as to have a center of directivity in the axial direction of this grip portion 85. The light emitting portion 67b is also an infrared light emitting element and is mounted so as to have a center of directivity in a direction intersecting the light emitting portion 67a.

[0028] Furthermore, a bottomed female screw is provided at the end of the chain connection portion 79, and the weight detection portion 65 is connected by screwing thereto. The substrate 68 and the weight detection portion 65 are fixed to the chain connection portion 79 by a nut 78. The weight detection portion 65 is a tension type load cell, which is a cylindrical shape with a step and male screws are provided on both axial sides. At the center portion sandwiched by the male screws on both sides, a strain generating body with a strain gauge attached thereto, a wiring cable 84 from the strain gauge, and in some cases, an amplifier for amplifying an analog signal from the strain gauge, an analog-digital converter for digitally converting the amplified signal, etc. are arranged.

[0029] The male screw on the opposite side of the weight detection portion 65 from the chain connection portion 79 is connected by screwing with the female screw of the connection member 72. The connection member 72 is a substantially cylindrical metal member, and its position is fixed to the weight detection portion 65 by a nut 78.

[0030] The hook 70 is a locking member having a shape with a versatile hanging portion for hanging a hanging tool 6 or the like. The hook 70 is sandwiched between both protrusions of a connection knuckle 75 having a U-shaped cross section and is locked by a pin. And this connection knuckle 75 is connected by a connecting shaft 71 to a cover holder 73. The cover holder 73 is, for example, a hollow cylindrical metal member, which has a role of supporting a grip cover 77 on its outer peripheral surface and is a member for hanging the hook 70. And between the connecting shaft 71 and the cover holder 73, an axial bearing 74 for rotatably rotating the connecting shaft 71 and the hook 70 in the rotational direction about the z-axis is arranged. The cylindrical surface of the connection member 72 has a flange portion and a male screw portion with a diameter smaller than that of the flange, and by providing a slight gap in the z direction between the end of the male screw and the axial bearing 74, the position of the axial bearing 74 in the z-axis direction is restricted. And a groove is provided at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the connecting shaft 71, and a retaining ring is inserted therein to restrict the position of the connecting shaft 71 in the z direction with respect to the cover holder 73. At the end of the connecting shaft 71, the connection knuckle 75 is supported by hanging with a nut 76.

[0031] A cover upper 81 and a cover lower 82 of the power supply and light receiving unit 86 are provided so as to surround a link chain (sling) 5 extending in the positive z direction from the grip portion 85. The power supply and light receiving unit 86 is attached to the beam 17. A substrate 69 is fixed inside the area surrounded by the cover upper 81 and the cover lower 82. A light receiving unit 55 is mounted on the substrate 69. The light receiving unit 55 is arranged such that the center of the light receiving directivity is in the minus z direction and such that the center of the light receiving directivity is in a direction intersecting the z direction. The window 83 is a translucent or transparent member through which the light emitted from the light emitting units 67a and 67b can pass and be received by the light receiving unit 55.

[0032] Also, the substrate 69 is connected to the wiring of the primary side transformer coil 54 of the power transmission unit. The primary side transformer coil 54 and the secondary side transformer coil 60 constitute a transformer, and at the position shown in FIG. 3, the primary side transformer coil 54 transmits power to the secondary side transformer coil 60 in a non-contact manner. The primary side transformer coil 54 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is fitted into a recess provided in the cover lower 82, and is positioned in the z direction by the cover upper 81. In the present embodiment, a part of the inner peripheral portion of the primary side transformer coil 54 is exposed, but depending on the environment in which the cargo handling assistance device 1 is used, the primary side transformer coil 54 may be sealed by walls extending from the cover upper 81 and the cover lower 82 to prevent the intrusion of water droplets or the like.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the cargo handling assistance device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cargo handling assistance device 1 includes an operation command unit 41, a device main body unit 4, a grip unit 85, and a power supply and light receiving unit 86. The device main body unit 4 includes a control unit 51 (first control unit), a lifting position detection unit 21, a lifting motor unit 20, a control transmission and reception unit 52, and a switching circuit 53. The control unit 51 executes the control of the lifting motor unit 20 based on various signals from the operation command unit 41, the grip unit 85, and the lifting position detection unit 21.

[0034] The control unit 51 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), other storage devices, and input / output devices, and controls the lifting motor unit 20. The control unit 51 is installed, for example, inside the enclosure of the apparatus main body 4.

[0035] Inside the enclosure of the apparatus main body 4, a control transmission / reception unit 52 is installed together with the control unit 51. The control transmission / reception unit 52 has an electronic circuit for wirelessly communicating with the operation command unit 41.

[0036] The control unit 51 controls the entire cargo handling assistance device 1. The control unit 51 includes a drive circuit that drives the lifting motor unit 20. Then, the control unit 51 receives, as a weight signal, the weight value applied to the weight detection unit 65 from the weight detection unit 65, and receives, as a position signal, the position value of the rotation angle of the lifting motor from the lifting position detection unit 21. On the other hand, the control unit 51 transmits and receives signals to and from the control transmission / reception unit 52 in order to communicate with the operation command unit 41. The control unit 51 and the control transmission / reception unit 52 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 for wireless communication, and in addition to having a transmitter and a receiver using radio waves, may have a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0038] The switching circuit 53 generates a switching pulse commanded by the control transceiver 52 and supplies a power source switched at a predetermined frequency to the primary side transformer coil 54. When the primary side transformer coil 54 and the secondary side transformer coil 60 are at the predetermined positions shown in FIG. 3, when a power source switched at a predetermined frequency is supplied to the primary side transformer coil 54, a transformer is constituted by the primary side transformer coil 54 and the secondary side transformer coil 60, and an electromotive force is generated in the secondary side transformer coil 60. Note that the control unit 51 can set a predetermined frequency for the switching circuit 53.

[0039] The power supply light receiving unit 86 includes a primary side transformer coil 54 for wirelessly transmitting power to the grip unit 85 and a light receiving unit 55 for receiving the weight value detected by the weight detection unit 65 by light. The light receiving unit 55 converts the light-modulated data received from the light emitting unit 67a and the light emitting unit 67b into a signal of the weight value and transmits it to the control unit 51.

[0040] The operation command unit 41 is for remotely operating the cargo handling assist device 1, and communicates by radio waves in this embodiment. The operation command unit 41 is driven by a battery. The operation command unit 41 has, as operation means, for example, a balance button 44, a hold button 45, a raise button 46, a lower button 47, and the like.

[0041] The operation command control unit 43 controls the entire operation command unit 41. The operation command control unit 43 receives an operation command by an operation means and transmits a command signal of the operation to the operation command transceiver 42. Then, the operation command transceiver 42 wirelessly transmits the operation command received from the operation command control unit 43 to the control transceiver 52. The signal including this command is given the identification information of the operation command unit 41 in order to perform pairing between the operation command unit 41 and the control unit 51.

[0042] Next, the roles of the respective operation buttons, which are operation means provided in the operation command unit 41, will be described. Each operation button is, for example, a push switch. When the operator presses the balance button 44, a weight registration command is transmitted from the operation command unit 41, and the control unit 51 receives this and starts the transition of the cargo handling assistance device 1 to the balance mode. The control unit 51 stores the weight value detected and output by the weight detection unit 65 for the weight (load) applied to the weight detection unit 65 as the registered weight, performs calculations based on this, and controls the lifting motor unit 20 so as to cancel the weight applied to the subsequent weight detection unit 65 and achieve a balanced state. When the cargo handling assistance device 1 is in a balanced state, the operator can lift or lower the spreader 6 or the cargo 7 by applying a slight external force to the spreader 6 or the cargo 7. That is, if the operator registers the load applied to the weight detection unit 65 when the cargo 7 is not locked to the spreader 6 by pressing the balance button 44, the spreader 6 will be in a balanced state and the operator can freely move the spreader 6.

[0043] On the other hand, when the operator presses the hold button 45, a hold command is transmitted from the operation command unit 41, and the control unit 51 receives this and controls the lifting and lowering operation unit 9 to hold at the current position, that is, controls the lifting motor unit 20 to fix the lifting and lowering positions of the spreader 6 and the cargo 7.

[0044] When the operator presses the up button 46 or the down button 47, the control unit 51 receives this and controls the lifting motor unit 20 to raise or lower the spreader 6. The operator can continuously raise and lower the spreader 6 and the cargo 7 by the lifting motor unit 20 by continuously pressing the up button 46 or the down button 47. Whether the spreader 6 and the cargo 7 are in the held state or the balanced state, when the operator presses the up button 46 or the down button 47, it will move up or down, and when the hand is released from the pressed up button 46 or down button 47, it will enter the held state.

[0045] The grip unit 85 has a secondary side transformer coil 60, a rectifier circuit 61, a charging circuit 62, a secondary battery 63, a second control unit 64, a weight detection unit 65, an amplifier 66, a light emitting unit 67a, and a light emitting unit 67b.

[0046] The secondary-side transformer coil 60 forms a pair with the primary-side transformer coil 54 to constitute a transformer, and an electromotive force is generated in the secondary-side transformer coil 60. The rectifier circuit 61 converts the electromotive force received by the secondary-side transformer coil 60 into a DC power supply. The charging circuit 62 is a charging circuit that charges the secondary battery 63 using the DC power supply converted by the rectifier circuit 61. The secondary battery 63 is a rechargeable secondary battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery. The secondary battery 63 supplies DC power to electronic components mounted on the substrate 68, such as the second control unit 64, the weight detection unit 65, the amplifier 66, the light-emitting unit 67a, and the light-emitting unit 67b.

[0047] The weight detection unit 65 detects the load applied to the weight detection unit 65 and transmits it to the amplifier 66. The amplifier 66 amplifies the analog signal detected by the weight detection unit 65 and transmits it to the second control unit 64.

[0048] The second control unit 64 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), other storage devices, and input / output devices, and controls the grip unit 85. The second control unit 64 controls the charging of the secondary battery 63 with respect to the charging circuit 62. The second control unit 64 also receives a signal from the amplifier 66, converts it into a digital signal, and further includes a modulation circuit for transmitting this by infrared rays by the light-emitting unit 67a and the light-emitting unit 67b. The second control unit 64 also issues a command to the charging circuit 62 that charges the secondary battery 63. The second control unit 64 can also acquire information such as the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 63 and transmit the information to the control unit 51 by the light-emitting unit 67a and the light-emitting unit 67b. Therefore, when the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 63 is smaller than a specified value, the control unit 51 can also notify this to the operator by means such as sound and light by arranging a sounding body and a light-emitting element of visible light in the grip unit 85. The second control unit 64 can also be modified to obtain the state information of the secondary-side transformer coil 60 from the rectifier circuit 61 and transmit this to the control unit 51.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a power supply position in the cargo handling assistance device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the secondary side transformer coil 60 of the grip portion 85 is surrounded by the primary side transformer coil 54 of the power supply receiving and light receiving portion 86. When the control unit 51 receives from the second control unit 64 that the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 63 is smaller than a specified value, the control unit 51 can forcibly raise the grip portion 85 to a power supply position where the primary side transformer coil 54 and the secondary side transformer coil 60 face each other. Also, when the cargo handling assistance device 1 has been in a predetermined time or when no operation has been performed, the grip portion 85 may be forcibly raised to the power supply position.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a state in which the grip portion 85 is placed on the floor 2 in the cargo handling assistance device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This state is, for example, a state in which the operator continuously presses the lowering button 47 to pull out the grip portion 85 in the minus z direction. In this state, since the light emitting portion 67a emits infrared light in the x direction as its directivity, the light receiving portion 55 may not be able to receive this infrared light. However, since the grip portion 85 is provided with a light emitting portion 67b that emits light in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting portion 67a, that is, in the z direction, infrared communication can be continuously performed.

[0051] A series of work examples for lifting the cargo 7 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 7, and 8. In FIG. 1, the cargo 7 is placed on the floor 2. The lifting tool 6 of the cargo handling assistance device 1 is at an arbitrary position. When the power is turned on, the control unit 51 enters a holding state and waits. In this state, when the operator presses the balance button 44 of the operation command unit 41, the weight detection unit 65 detects the currently applied weight and transmits a weight signal to the control unit 51 via the second control unit 64. Then, the control unit 51 receives and stores this weight signal, calculates to cancel the weights of the lifting tool 6 and the link chain 5 and balance them, and controls the lifting and lowering motor unit 20. When the cargo handling assistance device 1 reaches a balanced state, the operator can freely lift and lower it by grasping the grip portion 85 and applying a slight external force.

[0052] Since the state of FIG. 1 is not a balancing operation to which the weight of the load 7 is applied, the operator registers the weight of the load 7 according to the following procedure. The operator places the sling 6 in a balanced state and lowers it to a position where the load 7 can be locked (see FIG. 7). Then, the load 7 is locked to the sling 6, and the operator continues to press the up button 46 to raise the load 7 to a height at which it leaves the floor 2 (see FIG. 8). By the operator continuously pressing the up button 46, the control unit 51 winds up the link chain 5 by the lifting and lowering operation unit 9. Note that the height of the load 7 from the floor 2 is not predetermined, and any position where the operator can visually confirm that the load 7 has left the floor 2 and is suspended in the air is acceptable.

[0053] After the operator confirms that the load 7 has left the floor 2 and stops pressing the up button 46, the load 7 is held in that position. Next, when the operator presses the balance button 44, the weight detection unit 65 detects the currently applied weight and transmits a weight signal to the control unit 51. The control unit 51 receives and stores the weight signal from the weight detection unit 65, and calculates to cancel the sum of the weight of the member closer to the hook 70 than the weight detection unit 65, the sling 6, and the load 7 to balance, and controls the lifting and lowering motor unit 20. When the load assisting device 1 is in a balanced state, the operator can freely raise and lower it by applying an external force having a slight vertical up and down component to the grip portion 85, the sling 6, or the load 7.

[0054] According to the embodiment of the load assisting device 1 of the present invention, the power supply to the grip portion 85 has a configuration of a transformer in the radial direction with an annular coil, but is not limited thereto, and may have a configuration of a transformer in the axial direction with a flat coil. Also, the light receiving portion 55 can be deformed such that it is arranged in the circumferential direction of the opening of the power supply and light receiving portion 86. And the secondary side transformer coil 60 is not limited to one, and a plurality of them may be arranged in the middle of the link chain 5. Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the weight detection unit 65 is located in the grip portion 85 close to the hook 70, but is not limited thereto and may be arranged at a position away from the hook 70.

[0055] Furthermore, since the second control unit 64 is provided in the grip portion 85, it is also possible to make modifications such as providing a display or a member that emits sound to notify the operator of the state of the cargo handling assist device 1.

[0056] According to the cargo handling assist device of the present invention, even when the load sensor is provided in series in the middle of the suspension cable that suspends the cargo to be handled, a wired spiral cord is not required, so workability is not impaired. Also, since the weight signal from the load sensor is transmitted by optical communication, it is possible to operate for a long time with low power consumption. And since the light emitting elements for optical communication are arranged in various directions near the load sensor, communication can always be carried out between the load sensor and the main body control unit, so immediate use is also possible from a stopped state. In addition, charging is performed on the secondary battery using non-contact power supply to supply power to the load sensor and the like, so it is also possible to perform work without worrying about battery depletion.

[0057] As described above, the present invention has been described based on preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

Industrial Applicability

[0058] As an application example of the present invention, it can be applied to a cargo handling assist device that assists in moving a cargo to be handled.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0059] 1: Cargo handling assist device 2: Floor 3: Support column 4: Device main body part 5: Link chain (suspension cable) 6: Sling 7: Cargo to be handled 8: Chain storage box 9: Lifting and lowering operation part 10: Load sheave 11: Guide block 12: Guide roller A 13: Guide roller B 14: Rotation axis 15: Guide bracket 16: Arm 17: Beam 18: Guide part 19: Rotation axis 20: Lifting motor part 21: Lifting position detection part 41: Operation instruction part 42: Operation instruction transceiver 43: Operation instruction control part 44: Balance buckle 45: Holding buckle 46: Upward buckle 47: Downward buckle 51: Control part (first control part) 52: Control transceiver 53: Switching circuit 54: Primary side transformer coil 55: Light receiving part 60: Secondary side transformer coil 61: Rectifier circuit 62: Charging circuit 63: Secondary battery 64: Second control part 65: Weight detection part 66: Amplifier 67a, 67b: Light emitting part 68: Substrate 69: Substrate 70: Hook (locking part) 71: Connecting shaft 72: Connecting member 73: Cover holder 74: Axial bearing 75: Connecting knuckle 76: Nut 77: Grip cover 78: Nut 79: Chain connection part 80: Cover 81: Upper cover 82: Lower cover 83: Window 84: Wiring cable 85: Grip part 86: Power supply and light receiving unit

Claims

1. A cargo handling assistance device that has a locking part, a suspension cable, a lifting and lowering operation part, a weight detection part, a first control part, a power transmission part, and a power reception part, and that provides assistance for the lifting and lowering of a cargo handling object, wherein the locking part locks the cargo handling object, the lifting and lowering operation part winds the suspension cable and raises and lowers the locking part by driving with a motor, the weight detection part is provided between the locking part and the suspension cable, detects the vertical load applied to the locking part, and transmits a weight signal, the power transmission part and the power reception part constitute a transformer, and wirelessly transmit power from the power transmission part to the power reception part at a predetermined lifting and lowering position, the power reception part supplies power for charging a secondary battery, and the secondary battery supplies power to the weight detection part, and the first control part receives and stores the weight signal wirelessly transmitted from the weight detection part, and generates, for the lifting and lowering operation part, assistance for balancing the cargo handling object locked by the locking part. A cargo handling assistance device.

2. The cargo handling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the weight signal output from the weight detection part is wirelessly transmitted by optical modulation.

3. The cargo handling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein when the remaining amount of the secondary battery becomes less than a predetermined value, the first control part drives the lifting and lowering operation part to move the power reception part to the predetermined lifting and lowering position.

4. The cargo handling assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a second control part that transmits state information of at least one of the power reception part and the secondary battery is provided together with the weight detection part.

Images