Opening and closing system of fence members

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of problems when opening and closing multiple connected fence members in a freight vehicle.SOLUTION: A tailgate opening and closing system 10 of a motor truck 1 comprises a rear side tailgate opening and closing device 12 and a front side tailgate opening and closing device 11, and a communication wire 14a. The rear side tailgate opening and closing device 12 has a drive motor 32 and a controller 33. The front side tailgate opening and closing device 11 has a drive motor 22 and a controller 23. The communication wire 14a provides communication connection between the controller 33 and the controller 23. The controller 33 generates a current command signal to control the speed of a coupling tailgate 15 and controls the operation of the drive motor 32 based on the current command signal. Further, the controller 33 sends the current command signal via the communication wire 14a to the side of the controller 23. The controller 23 controls the operation of the drive motor 22 based on the communication current command signal received from the controller 33 via the communication wire 14a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fence member opening and closing system for opening and closing fence members attached to freight vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a gate opening / closing mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a mechanism unit) that drives and opens / closes a gate (hereinafter referred to as a fence member) that surrounds the bed of a truck (hereinafter referred to as a cargo vehicle). A cargo vehicle is generally provided with a plurality of fence members, and a number of mechanism units corresponding to the number of fence members are provided. Each of the plurality of mechanism units is driven and controlled by a control unit. Although not explicitly stated in Patent Document 1, a plurality of control units are generally provided corresponding to each mechanism unit. The plurality of control units perform predetermined processing in accordance with commands from an input device, and the operation of each mechanism unit opens and closes each fence member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-15814 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A plurality of fence members may be arranged in a line in the front-to-rear direction on the side of the bed of a freight vehicle. For convenience of explanation, the plurality of fence members will be referred to as a first fence member and a second fence member. A combination of one mechanism and a control unit that controls the mechanism is referred to as a fence member opening / closing device. A system including multiple fence member opening / closing devices is referred to as a fence member opening / closing system. There are two main methods for controlling the opening and closing of the first and second fence members using a fence member opening / closing system. The first method is a method in which, in a configuration in which the first and second fence members can be opened and closed independently, a first fence member opening / closing device that opens and closes the first fence member and a second fence member opening / closing device that opens and closes the second fence member are operated independently. The second method is a method in which, in a configuration in which the first and second fence members are connected and can be opened and closed integrally, both the first and second fence member opening / closing devices are operated simultaneously. However, in the second method, if the multiple fence member opening and closing devices do not operate properly, problems may arise such as the fence members twisting and breaking, or the load being concentrated on one of the fence member opening and closing devices, causing that one fence member opening and closing device to break.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent problems from occurring when a plurality of connected fence members are opened and closed in a freight vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a fence member opening / closing system for opening and closing a plurality of fence members for enclosing the bed of a freight vehicle that transports luggage, and includes a first fence member opening / closing device having a first drive source that drives a first fence member, which is one of the plurality of fence members, to open and close, and a first control unit that controls the operation of the first drive source; a second fence member opening / closing device having a second drive source that drives a second fence member, which is one of the plurality of fence members and can be integrally connected to the first fence member, to open and close, and a second control unit that controls the operation of the second drive source; and a control unit that controls the first control unit and the second control unit. and a communication connection unit for communication connection, wherein the first control unit generates a first command signal for controlling the speed or position of a connecting fence member having the first fence member and the second fence member connected to each other, controls the operation of the first driving source based on the first command signal, and sends the first command signal or a second command signal obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the first command signal to the second control unit via the communication connection unit, and the second control unit controls the operation of the second driving source based on the first command signal or the second command signal.

[0007] In the present invention, controlling the operation of a drive source based on a signal means controlling the operation of the drive source directly or indirectly using a signal. In the configuration of the present invention, if both the first control unit and the second control unit attempt to control the position of the connecting fence members or the speed of the connecting fence members, an imbalance in output between the multiple drive sources is likely to occur (i.e., output is difficult to stabilize). This makes the above-mentioned problems more likely to occur. In this regard, the present invention allows the first control unit and the second control unit to be communicatively connected via a communication connection unit, thereby enabling synchronization of these control units. Furthermore, the second control unit controls the second drive source based on a signal received from the first control unit. This means that the first control unit and the second control unit form a so-called master-slave control system. In other words, the first control unit functions as the master, and the second control unit functions as the slave. This control prevents imbalances between the output of the first drive source and the output of the second drive source. Therefore, problems occurring when opening and closing multiple connected fence members on a freight vehicle can be prevented.

[0008] The fence member opening and closing system of the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the first control unit controls the speed of the connecting fence member and the second control unit controls the output of the second drive source.

[0009] Controlling the speed of the connecting fence members is effective for ensuring that they open and close at a stable speed. In addition, by carrying out the above-mentioned output control, it is possible to prevent interference with the operation of the connecting fence members.

[0010] The fence member opening and closing system of the third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the second control unit controls the second driving source based on the first command signal so that the output of the second driving source is equal to the output of the first driving source.

[0011] The present invention can prevent imbalance in the loads on the first drive source and the second drive source, thereby effectively preventing an overload from being applied to one of the first drive source and the second drive source.

[0012] The fence member opening and closing system of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the second control unit controls the second drive source based on the second command signal so that the output of the second drive source becomes an output calculated by multiplying the output of the first drive source by a predetermined coefficient.

[0013] The present invention is particularly effective when the weight (mass) and size of the first fence member and the weight (mass) and size of the second fence member are different from each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a truck equipped with a gate opening / closing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the gate opening / closing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of two control units. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a control block diagram of two control units according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. A gate opening / closing system 10 according to this embodiment (see FIG. 2; a fence member opening / closing system of the present invention) has a loading platform 3 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, and is mounted on a truck 1 (cargo vehicle of the present invention) that transports cargo (not shown). The gate opening / closing system 10 can also be mounted on a trailer having a box-shaped loading platform (more specifically, a loading platform including a gate and wings, which will be described later).

[0016] (Track 1 Structure) First, the structure of the truck 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In the following description, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction will be defined as shown in Fig. 1. The forward and backward direction of the truck 1 is the front-rear direction, and the width direction of the truck 1 is the left-right direction. The direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is the up-down direction.

[0017] The truck 1 has a cabin 2 provided at the front end of the vehicle and a box-shaped cargo bed 3 provided behind the cabin 2. The cabin 2 has a driver's seat. A cargo compartment A is formed inside the cargo bed 3.

[0018] The cargo bed 3 mainly comprises a floor member 4 that forms the floor on which luggage (not shown) is placed, a front wall member 5 that forms the front wall, two rear doors 6 that open on both sides, a plurality of gates 7 (fence members of the present invention), and two wings 8. The floor member 4 is supported by a rectangular frame 4a that is provided around the periphery of the floor member 4. When closed, the rear doors 6 form the rear wall of the cargo bed 3.

[0019] The gates 7 are provided on the left and right sides of the loading platform 3. The gates 7, together with the front wall member 5 and the rear door 6, are members for enclosing the loading platform. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a total of four gates 7 are provided, two on each side of the loading platform 3. However, the number of gates 7 is not limited to this. The two gates 7 provided on the right and left sides of the loading platform 3 are arranged side by side in the front and rear direction. In the following description, when distinguishing between the two gates 7 arranged side by side in the front and rear direction, the gate 7 located at the front will be referred to as the front gate 7a (the second fence member of the present invention) and the gate 7 located at the rear will be referred to as the rear gate 7b (the first fence member of the present invention). The gates 7 form the lower parts of the left and right side walls of the loading platform 3 when in the lower closed position described below.

[0020] Each of the gates 7 is a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction. Each gate 7 is attached to the underframe 4a by a hinge (not shown). This allows each gate 7 to swing around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. Each gate 7 can swing between a lower closed position where it closes the luggage compartment A and a lower open position that is further outside the luggage compartment A than the lower closed position. In the example shown in FIG. 1, of the pair of gates 7 provided on the left side of the cargo bed 3, the front gate 7a is in the lower closed position and the rear gate 7b is in the lower open position.

[0021] A center pillar 9 is provided between the pair of gates 7. The center pillar 9 is configured to be swingable about a rotation axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. Each of the pair of gates 7 can be connected to the center pillar 9 by a locking mechanism (not shown). In the example shown in FIG. 1, of the pair of gates 7 provided on the left side of the cargo bed 3, the front gate 7a is connected to the center pillar 9, and the connection of the rear gate 7b to the center pillar 9 is released, and the rear gate 7b is moved from the lower closed position to the lower open position. In this way, only one of the pair of gates 7 arranged in front and behind can be moved. Furthermore, with both gates 7 connected to the center pillar 9, the two gates 7 can also be moved simultaneously from the lower closed position to the lower open position.

[0022] Two wings 8 are provided on the left and right sides of the loading platform 3. Each wing 8 is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the rear. Each wing 8 extends in the front-to-rear direction. The wing 8 provided on the right side of the loading platform 3 forms the right half of the ceiling and the upper part of the right side wall of the loading platform 3 when in the upper closed position described below. The wing 8 provided on the left side of the loading platform 3 forms the left half of the ceiling and the upper part of the left side wall of the loading platform 3 when in the upper closed position described below.

[0023] Each wing 8 is configured to be swingable about a rotation axis extending in the front-to-rear direction near the left-to-right center of the upper end of the luggage compartment A. By swinging, each wing 8 can move between an upper closed position in which the luggage compartment A is closed and an upper open position in which the luggage compartment A is open to the outside. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wing 8 provided on the right side of the luggage compartment 3 is in the upper closed position, and the wing 8 provided on the left side of the luggage compartment 3 is in the upper open position.

[0024] (Tilt opening and closing system) Next, with further reference to Fig. 2, a description will be given of the gate opening / closing system 10 mounted on the truck 1. The gate opening / closing system 10 shown in Fig. 2 is a system for opening and closing two gates 7 provided on either the left or right side of the loading platform 3. That is, the truck 1 is equipped with another system similar to the gate opening / closing system 10 shown in Fig. 2 in order to open and close the gates 7 provided on the left and right sides of the loading platform 3. Power is supplied to the gate opening / closing system 10 from a power source (not shown) such as a battery.

[0025] The gate opening / closing system 10 is equipped with gate opening / closing devices (fence member opening / closing devices of the present invention) in a number corresponding to the number of gates 7 to be opened and closed (two in this embodiment). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the gate opening / closing system 10 is equipped with two gate opening / closing devices: a front gate opening / closing device 11 and a rear gate opening / closing device 12. The front gate opening / closing device 11 (second fence member opening / closing device of the present invention) moves the front gate 7a between a lower closed position and a lower open position. The rear gate opening / closing device 12 (first fence member opening / closing device of the present invention) moves the rear gate 7b between a lower closed position and a lower open position.

[0026] The front gate opening / closing device 11 includes a mechanism 21 and a control unit 23 (a second control unit of the present invention). The mechanism 21 includes an actuator driven by a drive motor 22 (e.g., a DC motor). Note that the drive motor 22 may be a motor other than a DC motor, such as an AC motor or a servo motor. The mechanism 21 includes, in addition to the actuator, a link mechanism (not shown) operated by the actuator. The mechanism 21 is configured to swing the front gate 7a by operating the link mechanism or the like with the actuator. The drive motor 22 is configured to output a torque proportional to the current flowing through it when it is normally used. The front gate 7a is driven to open or close by the torque output by the drive motor 22. The control unit 23 controls the operation (output) of the drive motor 22 of the mechanism 21.

[0027] Similar to the front gate opening / closing device 11, the rear gate opening / closing device 12 has a mechanism 31 and a control unit 33 (first control unit of the present invention). The configuration of the mechanism 31 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 is similar to that of the mechanism 21 of the front gate opening / closing device 11, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The mechanism 31 includes an actuator driven by a drive motor 32, and is configured to be able to swing the rear gate 7b by operating a link mechanism or the like with the actuator. The drive motor 32 is configured to be able to output torque proportional to the current flowing through the drive motor 32 when in normal use. The rear gate 7b is driven to open or close by the torque output by the drive motor 32. The control unit 33 controls the operation (output) of the drive motor 32 of the mechanism 31.

[0028] The gate opening / closing system 10 includes a gate operating device 13 for operating the gates 7 (front gate 7a and rear gate 7b). The gate operating device 13 is configured to be able to input a selection instruction to select either the front gate 7a alone, the rear gate 7b alone, or both the front gate 7a and the rear gate 7b as the gate 7 to be operated. The gate operating device 13 is also configured to be able to input an open instruction to move the gate 7 selected as the gate 7 to be operated from the lower closed position toward the lower open position, or a close instruction to move it toward the lower closed position.

[0029] The front gate opening / closing device 11 and the rear gate opening / closing device 12 are arranged below the floor member 4 and underframe 4a of the bed 3. The front gate opening / closing device 11 is arranged near the front gate 7a. The rear gate opening / closing device 12 is arranged near the rear gate 7b. As shown in FIG. 1, the gate operating device 13 is attached to the rear end of the lower part of the bed 3. The front gate opening / closing device 11, the rear gate opening / closing device 12, and the gate operating device 13 are arranged in this order from front to rear.

[0030] The gate opening / closing system 10 further includes a communication line 14 connecting the devices. The communication line 14 includes a communication line 14a (a communication connection unit of the present invention) connecting the control unit 23 of the front gate opening / closing device 11 and the control unit 33 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12, and a communication line 14b connecting the control unit 33 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 and the gate operating device 13. The communication line 14 is a communication line that enables transmission of digital signals according to a communication protocol predetermined in the vehicle. The communication line 14 transmits digital signals by serial communication. For example, the communication line 14 is a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line that performs communication according to the CAN protocol.

[0031] An instruction inputted through the gate operating device 13 can be inputted to the control unit 23 of the front gate opening / closing device 11 or the control unit 33 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 via the communication line 14. Furthermore, the control unit 23 of the front gate opening / closing device 11 and the control unit 33 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 can communicate with each other via the communication line 14a.

[0032] As described above, by connecting the front and rear gates 7a and 7b arranged side by side with the center pillar 9, the front and rear gates 7a and 7b can be opened and closed integrally. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the member having the front and rear gates 7a and 7b and connected to each other will be referred to as the connecting gate 15 (see FIG. 1; the connecting fence member of the present invention). When opening and closing the connecting gate 15, if the front gate opening / closing device 11 and the rear gate opening / closing device 12 do not operate properly, problems such as the gate 7 being twisted and damaged, or a load being concentrated on one of the opening / closing devices causing the device to break, may occur. Therefore, in order to prevent problems from occurring when opening and closing the connecting gate 15 in the truck 1, the gate opening / closing system 10 is configured as follows.

[0033] (More detailed configuration of the gate opening and closing system) A more detailed configuration of the gate opening / closing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a control block diagram of the control unit 23 and the drive motor 22, and the control unit 33 and the drive motor 32. Simply put, the control units 23 and 33 perform so-called master-slave control. In this embodiment, the control unit 33 for the rear gate 7b, which is closer to the gate operation device 13, is the master, and the control unit 23 for the front gate 7a, which is farther from the gate operation device 13, is the slave.

[0034] First, a brief description will be given of the drive motor 22 (the second drive source of the present invention) and the drive motor 32 (the first drive source of the present invention). The drive motor 22 and the drive motor 32 are preferably, for example, known servo motors. More specifically, the drive motor 22 has an encoder 22a capable of detecting information related to the angular position of the rotary shaft (not shown) of the motor. The drive motor 32 has an encoder 32a capable of detecting information related to the angular position of the rotary shaft of the motor. These encoders may be, for example, known incremental devices capable of detecting information related to the amount of change in the angular position of the rotary shaft. Alternatively, these encoders may be, for example, known absolute devices capable of detecting information related to the angular position of the rotary shaft itself.

[0035] The control unit 33 will now be described. In summary, the control unit 33 is configured to control the opening and closing speed (hereinafter referred to as opening and closing speed) of the connecting gate 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 33 has the functions of, for example, a position command unit 34, a position control unit 35, a speed control unit 36, a current control unit 41, a PWM inverter 42, a current detection unit 43, a position calculation unit 44, a speed calculation unit 45, and an angle conversion unit 46.

[0036] The position command unit 34 outputs a position command signal that commands the angular position of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 32 (hereinafter simply referred to as the angular position of the rotation shaft). The angular position of the rotation shaft corresponds to the angular position of the connecting tilt 15. The position command unit 34 outputs the position command signal based on, for example, a command signal from the tilt operation device 13 and information (described later) on the angular position of the rotation shaft at the time the command signal is received.

[0037] The position control unit 35 controls the angular position of the rotary shaft. The position control unit 35 performs feedback control based on, for example, a position command signal and information on the current angular position of the rotary shaft. The position control unit 35 generates a speed command signal that commands the rotation speed of the rotary shaft of the drive motor 32 (hereinafter simply referred to as the rotation speed of the rotary shaft). The rotation speed of the rotary shaft corresponds to the opening and closing speed of the connecting gate 15.

[0038] The speed control unit 36 ​​controls the rotation speed of the rotating shaft. The speed control unit 36 ​​performs feedback control based on, for example, a speed command signal and information (described later) on the current rotation speed of the rotating shaft. The speed control unit 36 ​​generates a current command signal that commands the current to be passed through the drive motor 32. The current command signal is output to the current control unit 41. The current command signal output to the current control unit 41 corresponds to the first command signal of the present invention. As described above, the drive motor 32 outputs torque proportional to the current. Therefore, the current command is essentially synonymous with a torque command that commands the torque that is the output of the drive motor 32.

[0039] The speed control unit 36 ​​further sends, via the communication line 14a, a current command signal that is the same as the current command signal that is output to the current control unit 41, to the control unit 23. The timing at which the current command signal is output to the current control unit 41 and the timing at which it is transmitted to the control unit 23 are substantially the same.

[0040] The current control unit 41 controls the current flowing through the drive motor 32. The current control unit 41 performs feedback control based on, for example, a current command signal output from the speed control unit 36 ​​and information (described later) on the current actually flowing through the drive motor 32. The current control unit 41 outputs a voltage command signal corresponding to the current to be flowed through the drive motor 32.

[0041] The PWM inverter 42 is configured to control the output to the drive motor 32 (the voltage actually applied to the drive motor 32) based on a pulse signal (PWM signal) generated based on the voltage command signal output from the current control unit 41. More specifically, the PWM inverter 42 keeps the value of the DC voltage of the pulse signal constant and controls the output by changing the pulse width as necessary. In response to the output from the PWM inverter 42, the drive motor 32 outputs a desired torque.

[0042] The current detection unit 43 is configured to be able to detect the current (present current) flowing through the drive motor 32. Information on the present current is fed back to the current control unit 41.

[0043] The position calculation unit 44 is configured to be able to calculate, for example, information relating to the current angular position (current position) of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 32 based on the signal output from the encoder 32a. The information on the current position is fed back to the position control unit 35. The speed calculation unit 45 is configured to be able to calculate, for example, information relating to the current rotation speed (current speed) of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 32 using the information calculated by the position calculation unit 44. The information on the current speed is fed back to the speed control unit 36. The angle conversion unit 46 is configured to be able to calculate the angular position of the rear-side tilt adjustment 7b based on the information calculated by the position calculation unit 44.

[0044] As described above, the control unit 33 controls the operation of the drive motor 32 (first drive source) based on the first command signal. In this embodiment, controlling the operation of the drive source based on a signal means controlling the operation of the drive source directly or indirectly using the signal.

[0045] The control unit 23 will now be described. In summary, the control unit 23 is configured to control the output (torque) of the drive motor 22, without controlling the opening / closing speed of the front tilt 7a. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 23 has the functions of a current control unit 51, a PWM inverter 52, a current detection unit 53, a position calculation unit 54, a speed calculation unit 55, and an angle conversion unit 56.

[0046] The current control unit 51 controls the current flowing through the drive motor 22. In other words, the current control unit 51 controls the output (torque) of the drive motor 22. The current control unit 51 performs feedback control based on a current command signal (communication current command signal) sent from the control unit 33 via the communication line 14a and information on the current actually flowing through the drive motor 22. The communication current command signal also corresponds to the first command signal of the present invention. The current control unit 51 outputs a voltage command signal corresponding to the current to be flowed through the drive motor 22. In this embodiment, the current control unit 51 controls the current flowing through the drive motor 22 so that the output (torque) of the drive motor 22 is equal to the output (torque) of the drive motor 32.

[0047] The PWM inverter 52 controls the output to the drive motor 22 based on a pulse signal (PWM signal) generated based on the voltage command signal output from the current control unit 51.

[0048] The current detection unit 53 is configured to be able to detect the current currently flowing through the drive motor 22. Information on the current currently flowing is fed back to the current control unit 51.

[0049] The position calculation unit 54 is configured to be able to calculate information relating to the current position of a predetermined portion of the mechanism unit 21 based on the signal output from the encoder 22a. The speed calculation unit 55 is configured to be able to calculate information relating to the opening / closing speed (current speed) of the front-side tilt 7a based on the information calculated by the position calculation unit 54. The information on the current speed calculated by the speed calculation unit 55 is not fed back. The angle conversion unit 56 is configured to be able to calculate the angular position of the front-side tilt 7a based on the information calculated by the position calculation unit 54.

[0050] The operation of the connecting gate 15 is controlled by the control unit 33 and the control unit 23, which have the above functions. Only the control unit 33 controls the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15. The control unit 23 controls the output (torque) of the drive motor 22. That is, the control unit 23 controls the operation of the drive motor 22. Therefore, compared to when both the control unit 33 and the control unit 23 independently control the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15, the occurrence of an "adverse effect on output (torque)" between the drive motor 22 and the drive motor 32 can be suppressed. The "adverse effect on output" is, for example, the following effect. Suppose the output of the drive motor 22 is slightly lower than the output of the drive motor 32. In this case, if the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15 is controlled generally normally, while the control unit 23 maintains the output of the drive motor 22, the output of the drive motor 32 may unintentionally decrease due to the influence of the output of the drive motor 22. In this case, the control unit 33 may control the drive motor 32 to increase the output of the drive motor 32 in order to maintain the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15. (Imbalance of output) In this case, the imbalance of output may cause the connecting gate 15 to twist, or may place an excessive load on the drive motor 32.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the control units 23 and 33 are communicatively connected via the communication line 14a, thereby enabling synchronization of these control units. Furthermore, the control unit 23 controls the drive motor 22 based on a communication current command signal received from the control unit 33. This means that the control units 23 and 33 constitute a so-called master-slave control system. In other words, the control unit 33 functions as the master, and the control unit 23 functions as the slave. This type of control can prevent imbalances between the outputs of the drive motors 32 and 22. Therefore, problems can be prevented from occurring when opening and closing multiple gates 7 connected to each other in the truck 1.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 33 controls the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15, and the control unit 23 controls the output (torque) of the drive motor 22. Controlling the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15 is effective for opening and closing the connecting gate 15 at a stable speed. In addition, by performing the above-mentioned output control, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring in the opening / closing operation of the connecting gate 15.

[0053] Furthermore, the control unit 23 controls the drive motor 22 so that the output (torque) of the drive motor 22 is equal to the output (torque) of the drive motor 32. This prevents imbalance in the loads on the drive motors 22 and 32. This effectively prevents an overload from being applied to one of the drive motors 22 and 32.

[0054] Next, a modified example of the embodiment will be described, with the same reference numerals being used to designate components having the same configuration as the embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0055] (1) In the above embodiment, the control unit 23 controls the drive motor 22 so that the output of the drive motor 22 is equal to the output of the drive motor 32. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 23 may control the drive motor 22 so that the output (torque) of the drive motor 22 becomes equal to the output calculated by multiplying the output (torque) of the drive motor 32 by a predetermined coefficient. This type of control is particularly effective when the weight (mass) or size of the front-side tilt-shift lever 7a is different from the weight (mass) or size of the rear-side tilt-shift lever 7b. In this case, the calculation of multiplying the current value related to the communication current command signal by the predetermined coefficient may be performed by either the control unit 23 or the control unit 33. Alternatively, a device performing this calculation may be provided midway along the communication line 14a, separate from the control units 23 and 33. The command signal obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the first command signal of the present invention corresponds to the second command signal of the present invention.

[0056] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 33 controls the speed (opening / closing speed) of the connecting gate 15, and the control unit 23 controls the output (torque) of the drive motor 22. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 33 may control the position of the connecting gate 15, and the control unit 23 may control the speed (opening / closing speed) of the connecting gate 15. This will be described in more detail with reference to the control block diagram in FIG. 4. Only the differences between this modified example and the above-described embodiment will be described below.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4, the position control unit 35 sends the same signal (communication speed command signal) as the speed command signal to the control unit 23 via the communication line 14a. The speed control unit 36 ​​does not send a current command signal to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 has the function of the speed control unit 24. The speed control unit 24 performs feedback control based on the communication speed command signal and information on the current opening / closing speed of the front gate 7a. This modification also prevents output imbalance. In particular, when the weight (mass) of the connecting gate 15 is relatively small and / or when higher accuracy is required for the output of the drive motors 22 and 32, output imbalance can be effectively prevented. In this modification, both the speed command signal generated and output by the position control unit 35 and the communication speed command signal correspond to the first command signal of the present invention.

[0058] Alternatively, the control unit 33 may feedback-control both the position and the opening / closing speed of the connecting gate 15, and the control unit 23 may feedback-control only the output (torque) of the drive motor 22. In such a case, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an imbalance in output.

[0059] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 33 for the rear-side tilt-shift 7b is the master, and the control unit 23 for the front-side tilt-shift 7a is the slave. However, this is not limited to this. In other words, the relationship between the master and the slave may be reversed.

[0060] (4) In the above-described embodiments, the control units 23 and 33 are communicatively connected to each other via the communication line 14a, which is a CAN communication line. However, this is not limited to this. The control units 23 and 33 may be communicatively connected to each other via a different type of communication line and may communicate with each other according to a communication protocol different from CAN. Alternatively, the control units 23 and 33 may be communicatively connected to each other wirelessly.

[0061] (5) In the above-described embodiments, the total number of gates 7 is four. That is, two gates 7 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the loading platform 3, arranged side by side in front and behind. However, this is not limited to this. For example, three or more gates 7 may be arranged side by side in front and behind. In this case, the number of gate opening / closing devices may correspond to the number of gates 7. In such a configuration, one of the three or more control units (not shown) is required to function as a master, and the remaining two or more control units are required to function as slaves.

[0062] (6) In the above embodiments, the drive motor 22 and the drive motor 32 are servo motors. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the encoder 22a may be provided independently of the drive motor 22. The encoder 32a may be provided independently of the drive motor 32.

[0063] (7) In the above-described embodiments, the mechanism unit 21 is driven by the drive motor 22. Also, the mechanism unit 31 is driven by the drive motor 32. However, this is not limited to this. The mechanism unit 21 and / or the mechanism unit 31 may be driven by, for example, a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). In this case, the hydraulic cylinder corresponds to the drive source of the present invention.

[0064] (8) In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a gate opening / closing system 10 that opens and closes the gate 7 provided on the bed 3 of the truck 1. However, this is not limited to this. The present invention may also be applied to a system that opens and closes a fence member other than the gate 7.

[0065] (9) The present invention may be applied to freight vehicles other than the truck 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 truck (cargo vehicle) 3 Cargo bed 7. Gate (fence material) 7a Front gate (second fence member) 7b Rear gate (first fence member) 10. Gate opening and closing system (fence member opening and closing system) 11 Front gate opening / closing device (second fence member opening / closing device) 12 Rear gate opening / closing device (first fence member opening / closing device) 14a Communication line (communication connection) 22 Drive motor (second drive source) 23 Control section (second control section) 32 drive motor (first drive source)

Claims

1. A fence member opening and closing system for opening and closing a plurality of fence members for enclosing a loading platform of a freight vehicle for transporting luggage, a first fence member opening / closing device including a first drive source that drives a first fence member, which is one of the plurality of fence members, to open and close; and a first control unit that controls the operation of the first drive source; a second fence member opening / closing device including a second drive source that drives to open and close a second fence member that is one of the plurality of fence members and can be integrally connected to the first fence member, and a second control unit that controls the operation of the second drive source; a communication connection unit that communicatively connects the first control unit and the second control unit, The first control unit generating a first command signal for controlling a speed or a position of a connecting fence member having the first fence member and the second fence member connected to each other; Controlling the operation of the first drive source based on the first command signal; and sending the first command signal or a second command signal obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the first command signal to the second control unit via the communication connection unit; The second control unit is A fence member opening and closing system characterized in that the operation of the second drive source is controlled based on the first command signal or the second command signal.

2. The first control unit controls the speed of the connecting fence member, The fence member opening and closing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control unit controls the output of the second drive source.

3. The fence member opening and closing system described in claim 2, characterized in that the second control unit controls the second drive source based on the first command signal so that the output of the second drive source is equal to the output of the first drive source.

4. The second control unit is A fence member opening and closing system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second drive source is controlled based on the second command signal so that the output of the second drive source becomes an output calculated by multiplying the output of the first drive source by a predetermined coefficient.

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