Truck bed control system

Abstract

To inhibit breakage of an apparatus.SOLUTION: A truck bed control system includes: a gate open / close apparatus (front gate open / close apparatus and rear gate open / close apparatus) that opens or closes gates of a truck and moves the gates between lower closed positions and lower open positions; a gate operation console at which an open instruction of moving the gates from the lower closed positions to the lower open positions or a close instruction of moving the gates toward the lower closed positions can be entered; and a wing limit switch capable of detecting positions of wings. When the open instruction or close instruction is entered at the gate operation console, if it is determined based on an output signal of the wing limit switch that the wings are located at positions receding from moving trajectories of the gates, the gate open / close apparatus moves the gates between the lower closed positions and lower open positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cargo bed control system for controlling a cargo bed of a freight vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a truck with a box-shaped bed with a cargo compartment formed inside. The bed has multiple fence members (gates) that form the lower portions of the left and right side walls of the bed, and two cover members (wings) that form the upper portions of the ceiling and left and right side walls of the bed. Each fence member is configured to swing about a rotation axis extending in the front-to-rear direction near the lower end of the cargo compartment. As a result, the fence members can take two positions: a lower closed position that covers the lower portion of the cargo compartment, and a lower open position that opens outward to expose the lower portion of the cargo compartment. Of the two cover members, one forms the right half of the ceiling and the right side wall, and the other forms the left half of the ceiling and the left side wall. Each cover member is configured to swing about a rotation axis extending in the front-to-rear direction near the center of the upper end of the cargo compartment. As a result, the cover members can take two positions: an upper closed position that covers the upper portion of the cargo compartment, and an upper open position that opens outward to expose the upper portion of the cargo compartment. [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] When the fence member is in the lower closed position and the covering member is in the upper closed position, the lower end of the covering member's side wall covers the outer surface of the luggage compartment at the upper end of the fence member. In other words, the covering member in the upper closed position is located on the path of movement of the fence member as it moves between the lower closed position and the lower open position. Therefore, the fence member must be moved from the lower closed position to the lower open position after the covering member has been moved from the upper closed position to a position that is removed from the path of movement of the fence member. Furthermore, the fence member must be moved from the lower open position to the lower closed position before the covering member, which has been moved from the upper closed position, is returned to the upper closed position. If the fence member is not opened or closed in the correct order, the fence member may interfere with the covering member, potentially resulting in damage to the fence member, the mechanism for opening and closing the fence member, or other equipment.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a loading platform control system that can suppress damage to equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cargo vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention has a cargo bed having a box-shaped cargo bed with a cargo compartment formed therein, the cargo bed having a fence member that forms a lower portion of a side wall of the cargo bed and is configured to be movable between a lower closed position that closes the cargo compartment and a lower open position that is further outside the cargo compartment than the lower closed position, and a cover member that forms an upper portion of the side wall of the cargo bed and is configured to be movable between an upper closed position that closes the cargo compartment and an upper open position that is further outside the cargo compartment than the upper closed position, the cover member being located on a movement trajectory of the fence member that moves between the lower closed position and the lower open position when in the upper closed position, and being located at a position where the cover member is retracted from the movement trajectory by moving from the upper closed position towards the upper open position. and a cover member position detection unit capable of detecting the position of the cover member. When the open instruction or the close instruction is input to the fence member operation device, the fence member opening / closing device moves the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position if it determines, based on an output signal from the cover member position detection unit, that the cover member is in a position receding from the movement trajectory.

[0007] In this invention, the movement of the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position is performed when it is determined that the covering member is in a position removed from the movement trajectory of the fence member based on an output signal from the covering member position detection unit. This prevents the fence member from interfering with the covering member when moving between the lower closed position and the lower open position. This prevents damage to the fence member and equipment such as the fence member opening / closing device.

[0008] The loading platform control system of the second invention is the same as that of the first invention, and further comprises a covering member opening / closing device that moves the covering member between the upper closed position and the upper open position, and a covering member operating device that is configured to be able to input an open instruction to move the covering member from the upper closed position toward the upper open position, or a close instruction to move the covering member toward the upper closed position, and that outputs a first covering member operation signal based on the input open instruction or close instruction for the covering member, wherein the fence member operating device is configured to be able to input a synchronization instruction to open and close the covering member in synchronization with the opening and closing of the fence member, and the fence member opening / closing device has a covering member operation signal setting unit that outputs a second covering member operation signal equivalent to the first covering member operation signal when the synchronization instruction is input to the fence member operating device.

[0009] In this invention, when the covering member is opened and closed in synchronization with the opening and closing of the fence member, the covering member operation signal setting unit of the fence member opening and closing device outputs a second covering member operation signal equivalent to the first covering member operation signal output by the covering member operation device. Therefore, by providing the covering member operation signal setting unit in the fence member opening and closing device, synchronized operation of the fence member and the covering member can be achieved without making major changes to the covering member-side device of an existing freight vehicle.

[0010] In the loading platform control system of the third invention, in the first and second inventions, the cargo vehicle is equipped with a plurality of the fence members, and the fence member opening / closing device is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of fence members, and the fence member operating device is configured to be able to input a fence member selection instruction to select at least one of the plurality of fence members, and each of the fence member opening / closing devices moves the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position when the fence member selection instruction to select the fence member corresponding to the fence member opening / closing device is input and the open instruction or the close instruction is input.

[0011] When one fence member operating device is provided for each of a plurality of fence member opening / closing devices, multiple fence member operating devices must be installed. Installing multiple fence member operating devices on a cargo vehicle could result in the fence member operating devices interfering with other equipment loaded on the cargo vehicle. With the present invention, multiple fence member operating devices can be operated with a single fence member operating device. This reduces the number of fence member operating devices installed, thereby preventing the fence member operating devices from interfering with other equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a truck equipped with a cargo bed control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a truck bed taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the loading platform control system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of a wing operation device and a wing operation signal setting unit. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a control unit of the gate opening / closing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a tilt operation device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. A bed control system 10 (see FIG. 3) according to this embodiment is mounted on a truck 1 (cargo vehicle of the present invention) having a bed 3 as shown in FIG. 1. The bed control system 10 can also be mounted on a trailer having a box-shaped bed (more specifically, a bed including tailgates and wings, which will be described later).

[0014] (Track 1 Structure) First, the structure of the truck 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the following description, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction will be defined as shown in Figure 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] The cargo bed 3 mainly comprises a floor member 4 that forms the floor, 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 (covering members of the present invention). 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.

[0017] The gates 7 are provided on the left and right sides of the loading platform 3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, there are four gates 7 in total, 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. In the following description, when distinguishing between the two gates 7 arranged side by side in the front and rear, the gate 7 arranged at the front will be referred to as the front gate 7a and the gate 7 arranged at the rear will be referred to as the rear gate 7b. 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.

[0018] Each of the gates 7 is a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the gates 7 is attached to the underframe 4a by a hinge 19. This allows each of the gates 7 to swing about a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. By swinging, each of the gates 7 can move between a lower closed position (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) where the gate closes the lower part of the luggage compartment A, and a lower open position (position shown by a broken line in FIG. 2) which is located outside the lower closed position and opens the lower part of the luggage compartment A. In the example shown in FIG. 1, of the pair of gates 7 provided on the left side of the luggage compartment 3, the front gate 7a is in the lower closed position, and the rear gate 7b is in the lower open position.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a center pillar 9 is provided between a 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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 where it closes the upper part of the luggage compartment A, and an upper open position where it opens outward from the luggage compartment A and opens the upper part of the luggage compartment A. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wing 8 provided on the right side of the luggage bed 3 is in the upper closed position, and the wing 8 provided on the left side of the luggage bed 3 is in the upper open position.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the wing 8 in the upper closed position shown by the solid line faces the side of the upper end of the gate 7 in the lower closed position shown by the solid line, opposite the side facing the luggage compartment A. Here, in FIG. 2, the trajectory of the tip of the gate 7 swinging between the lower closed position and the lower open position is shown by a dashed line. The wing 8 in the upper closed position is located on the movement trajectory of the gate 7 moving between the lower closed position and the lower open position. As the wing 8 moves from the upper closed position toward the upper open position, it moves to a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the gate 7. In other words, the wing 8 that has moved to the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2 is retracted from the movement trajectory of the gate 7.

[0023] (Load Control System 10) Next, with further reference to Figures 3 to 5, a description will be given of a bed control system 10 mounted on the truck 1. The bed control system 10 shown in Figure 3 is a system for opening and closing a pair of gates 7 and wings 8 provided on either the left or right side of the bed 3. That is, the truck 1 is equipped with another system similar to the bed control system 10 shown in Figure 3 in order to open and close the gates 7 and wings 8 provided on the left and right sides of the bed 3. Power is supplied to the bed control system 10 from a power source such as a battery 20 (see Figure 4).

[0024] The loading platform control 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. 3, the loading platform control 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 moves the front gate 7a between a lower closed position and a lower open position. The rear gate opening / closing device 12 moves the rear gate 7b between a lower closed position and a lower open position.

[0025] The front gate opening / closing device 11 has a mechanism unit 21 and a control unit 22. The mechanism unit 21 includes an actuator driven by a drive motor (e.g., a DC motor). Note that a motor other than a DC motor, such as an AC motor or a servo motor, can also be used as the drive motor. The mechanism unit 21 is configured to include, in addition to the actuator, a link mechanism (not shown) operated by the actuator, for example. The mechanism unit 21 is configured to be able to swing the front gate 7a by operating the link mechanism, etc. with the actuator. The control unit 22 controls the driving of the actuator (drive motor) of the mechanism unit 21. The control unit 22 is configured by a microprocessor equipped with a CPU, etc.

[0026] Similar to the front gate opening / closing device 11, the rear gate opening / closing device 12 has a mechanism section 31 and a control section 32. The configuration of the mechanism section 31 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 is similar to that of the mechanism section 21 of the front gate opening / closing device 11, so a detailed description will be omitted. The mechanism section 31 includes an actuator driven by a drive motor, and is configured so that the rear gate 7b can be swung by operating a link mechanism or the like with the actuator. The control section 32 controls the driving of the actuator (drive motor) of the mechanism section 31. The control section 32 is configured by a microprocessor or the like equipped with a CPU.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the bed control system 10 is also provided with a gate operating device 13 (fence member operating device of the present invention). The gate operating device 13 is used to operate the gates 7 (front gate 7a and rear gate 7b). When performing a synchronization operation, which will be described later, the gate operating device 13 can also operate the wings 8 together with the gates 7. The gate operating device 13 has an operating unit 41, a display unit 46, and a control unit 49. As shown in FIG. 5, the operating unit 41 includes four switches 42 to 45. The display unit 46 includes two lamps 47 and 48.

[0028] The switch 42 is configured to allow input of a tilt selection command to select the tilt 7 to be operated from the front tilt 7a alone, the rear tilt 7b alone, or both the front tilt 7a and the rear tilt 7b. The switch 42 is, for example, a slide switch. The operator can select the tilt 7 to be operated by sliding the operating portion of the switch 42 up or down.

[0029] The switch 43 is configured to be able to input a synchronization instruction for opening and closing the wing 8 in synchronization with the opening and closing of the tilt 7 (hereinafter referred to as "synchronization operation"). The switch 43 is, for example, a slide switch. The operator can select whether or not to perform the synchronization operation by sliding the operation portion of the switch 43 up and down.

[0030] The switch 44 is configured to allow input of an opening command to move the tilt 7 selected as the tilt 7 to be operated by the switch 42 from the lower closed position to the lower open position. The switch 44 is, for example, a push button switch. The operator can move the tilt 7 from the lower closed position to the lower open position by pressing the switch 44. Note that if a synchronization command to perform a synchronization operation has been input by the switch 43, the operator can move the wing 8 from the upper closed position to the upper open position and also move the tilt 7 from the lower closed position to the lower open position by pressing the switch 44.

[0031] The switch 45 is configured to allow input of a close command to move the tilt 7 selected as the tilt 7 to be operated by the switch 42 toward the lower closed position. The switch 45 is, for example, a push button switch. The operator can move the tilt 7 toward the lower closed position by pressing the switch 45. Note that if a synchronization command to perform a synchronization operation has been input by the switch 43, the operator can move the tilt 7 toward the lower closed position and move the wing 8 toward the upper closed position by pressing the switch 45.

[0032] Lamp 47 notifies the operator of power ON / OFF. For example, lamp 47 lights up when the power is ON and goes out when the power is OFF. Lamp 48 notifies the operator of abnormalities. For example, lamp 48 is normally off and goes out when an abnormality occurs.

[0033] Returning to FIG. 3 , the control unit 49 outputs a tilt open signal when the operator operates the switch 44 of the operation unit 41, and outputs a tilt close signal when the operator operates the switch 45. When outputting the tilt open signal or the tilt close signal, the control unit 49 also outputs a selected tilt signal related to the tilt 7 selected by the switch 42. When outputting the tilt open signal or the tilt close signal, the control unit 49 also outputs a tuning signal related to whether or not a tuning operation is to be performed, selected by the switch 43. When a tuning operation is selected by the switch 43, the control unit 49 outputs a tuning signal almost simultaneously with outputting the tilt open signal, and outputs a tuning signal almost simultaneously with outputting the tilt close signal. The control unit 49 controls switching on / off of the lamps 47 and 48 of the display unit 46. The control unit 49 is configured by a microprocessor equipped with a CPU, etc.

[0034] Here, 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 (see FIG. 1) 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. The gate operating device 13 is attached to the rear end of the lower part of the bed 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 1. The front gate opening / closing device 11, the rear gate opening / closing device 12, and the gate operating device 13 are arranged side by side in this order from the front to the rear.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the loading platform control system 10 also includes a wing opening / closing device 15, a wing operation device 16 (a cover member operation device of the present invention), a wing limit switch 17, and a wing operation signal setting unit 18 (a cover member operation signal setting unit of the present invention).

[0036] The wing opening and closing device 15 moves the wing 8 between an upper closed position and an upper open position. The wing opening and closing device 15 has a mechanism unit 51 and a control unit 52. As shown in FIG. 4 , the wing opening and closing device 15 is supplied with power from a battery 20.

[0037] The mechanism unit 51 includes an actuator such as a cylinder. The cylinder is a fluid cylinder such as a hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts a rod by adjusting the amount of oil supplied by a solenoid valve. Alternatively, an electric cylinder may be used that converts the rotation of a motor into linear motion to extend and retract the rod. The wing opening / closing device 15 is configured to be able to swing the wing 8 by, for example, extending and retracting the rod of the cylinder. The control unit 52 controls the driving of the actuator of the mechanism unit 51. The control unit 52 is configured by a microprocessor equipped with a CPU, or the like.

[0038] The wing operating device 16 is used to operate the wing 8. As shown in FIG. 1, the wing operating device 16 is attached to the rear end of the lower part of the loading platform 3. The wing operating device 16 is disposed, for example, near the gate operating device 13. As shown in FIG. 4, power is supplied to the power supply 16c of the wing operating device 16 from the wing opening / closing device 15.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 4, the wing operation device 16 has an operation unit 16a and an operation unit 16b. The operation unit 16a is an operation unit (e.g., a push button) for inputting an open command to move the wing 8 from the upper closed position toward the upper open position. The operation unit 16b is an operation unit for inputting a close command to move the wing 8 toward the upper closed position. The wing operation device 16 outputs a wing operation signal (first wing operation signal, first covering member operation signal of the present invention) based on the open command or close command input to the wing operation device 16.

[0040] When an open command is input, the wing operation device 16 outputs a wing open signal (first wing open signal) as a wing operation signal. For example, the wing operation device 16 outputs the wing open signal while the operation unit 16a for inputting the open command is being operated, and stops outputting the wing open signal when the operation is released. This allows the operator to adjust the degree to which the wing 8 is opened by adjusting the time for which the operation unit 16a is operated. Therefore, even in a location where the ceiling is low and the wing 8 cannot be fully opened, for example, the wing 8 can be opened to the desired extent. Furthermore, when a close command is input, the wing operation device 16 outputs a wing close signal (first wing close signal) as a wing operation signal.

[0041] The wing limit switch 17 can detect the open / closed state of the wing 8. That is, the wing limit switch 17 is ON when the wing 8 is closed (in the upper closed position) and is OFF when the wing 8 is open. The wing limit switch 17 can detect that the wing 8 is in the upper closed position, and functions as the "covering member position detector" of the present invention.

[0042] The wing limit switch 17 is turned OFF when the wing 8 has moved from the upper closed position to a position at least retracted from the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, based on the output signal from the wing limit switch 17, it is possible to determine whether the wing 8 is in a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7. Note that the wing limit switch 17 may be turned OFF when the wing 8 is on the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7. In such a case, if the wing limit switch 17 remains OFF after a predetermined time, it can be determined that the wing 8 is in a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7. In other words, if the wing 8 is in the middle of opening, the wing 8 will move to a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7 after a predetermined time. Also, if the wing 8 is in the middle of closing, the wing limit switch 17 will be turned ON after a predetermined time. Note that the range over which the wing 8 passes along the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7 is narrow, and it is highly unlikely that the wing 8 will stop on the movement trajectory of the tilt-tilt 7.

[0043] The contact signal of the wing limit switch 17 (a signal corresponding to the above ON and OFF) can be input to the control unit 32 of the rear side gate opening / closing device 12. The contact signal of the wing limit switch 17 may also be input to the control unit 22 of the front side gate opening / closing device 11 or the control unit 49 of the gate operating device 13. In this embodiment, the signal is configured to be input to the control unit 32 of the rear side gate opening / closing device 12 in order to shorten the connection wiring.

[0044] The wing operation signal setting unit 18 is built into, for example, the control unit 32 of the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12, and is electrically connected to the wing operation device 16 and the wing opening / closing device 15 by wiring with a cable, harness, or the like. The wing operation signal setting unit 18 may be provided between the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 and the wing operation device 16, or between the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 and the wing operation device 16, or may be built into the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 or the wing operation device 16. Furthermore, when the wing operation signal setting unit 18 is built into a device (the front-side gate opening / closing device 11, the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12, or the wing operation device 16), for example, the wing operation signal setting unit 18 may be incorporated into the control unit of the device, or may be configured separately from the control unit, and the control unit and the wing operation signal setting unit 18 may be electrically connected.

[0045] The wing operation signal setting unit 18 is configured to output a wing open signal or a wing close signal that is output when the wing operation device 16 is operated, so that the same operation as that of the wing operation device 16 can be performed from the wing operation signal setting unit 18. Here, the function of the wing operation signal setting unit 18 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a case where the wing operation signal setting unit 18 is built into the control unit 32 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12.

[0046] The wing operation signal setting unit 18 has a switch unit 18a and a switch unit 18b. Both the switch unit 18a and the switch unit 18b are relays, photocouplers, semiconductor switches, etc. (including circuits necessary for driving switches that use these as their main components). The switch unit 18a corresponds to the operation unit 16a for inputting an open command to the wing operation device 16. The switch unit 18b corresponds to the operation unit 16b for inputting a close command to the wing operation device 16.

[0047] The switch section 18a of the wing operation signal setting section 18, the operation section 16a of the wing operation device 16, and the wing opening / closing device 15 are electrically connected by a wing open signal line 61. The switch section 18b of the wing operation signal setting section 18, the operation section 16b of the wing operation device 16, and the wing opening / closing device 15 are electrically connected by a wing close signal line 62. The power supply 32a of the wing operation signal setting section 18, the power supply 16c of the wing operation device 16, and the wing opening / closing device 15 are connected by a power supply line 63.

[0048] With the above-described configuration, for example, while the operation unit 16a for inputting an opening command to the wing operation device 16 is being operated, power is supplied to the wing opening / closing device 15 in the flow shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 (corresponding to "outputting a first wing opening signal"). The wing operation signal setting unit 18 performs an operation equivalent to the operation of outputting the above-described first wing opening signal by the switch unit 18a. That is, by setting the switch unit 18a to a closed state, power is supplied to the wing opening / closing device 15 in the flow shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 4 (corresponding to "outputting a second wing opening signal"). This makes it possible to perform an operation similar to that of the wing operation device 16 on the wing operation signal setting unit 18 side.

[0049] The wing operation signal setting unit 18 outputs a signal (second wing operation signal, second covering member operation signal of the present invention) equivalent to the first wing operation signal (first wing open signal or first wing close signal) output from the wing operation device 16, based on the tuning signal output from the tilt operation device 13. For example, when a tuning signal is output from the tilt operation device 13 together with a tilt open signal, the wing operation signal setting unit 18 outputs a second wing open signal equivalent to the first wing open signal until the wing 8 moves from the upper closed position to the upper open position. For example, the wing operation signal setting unit 18 outputs the second wing open signal for a predetermined time required for the wing 8 to move from the upper closed position to the upper open position. Furthermore, the wing operation signal setting unit 18 outputs the second wing close signal based on the tuning signal output from the tilt operation device 13.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 3, the cargo bed control system 10 further includes communication lines 14 connecting the devices. The communication lines 14 include a communication line 14a connecting the control unit 22 of the front gate opening / closing device 11 and the control unit 32 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12, and a communication line 14b connecting the control unit 32 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 and the control unit 49 of the gate operating device 13. The communication lines 14a and 14b are communication lines that enable the transmission of digital signals according to a communication protocol predetermined in the vehicle. The communication lines 14a and 14b transmit digital signals by serial communication. The communication lines 14a and 14b are, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines that perform communication according to the CAN protocol.

[0051] The control unit 22 of the front-side gate opening / closing device 11, the control unit 32 of the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12, and the control unit 49 of the gate operation device 13 can exchange information in real time via CAN communication. Therefore, an instruction input to the gate operation device 13 can be input to the control unit 32 of the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 via the communication line 14b. Also, an instruction input to the gate operation device 13 can be input to the control unit 22 of the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 via the communication lines 14a and 14b. Furthermore, the status of each device itself (for example, whether the gate opening / closing device is powered on / off, etc.) and input signals from devices connected to each device (for example, the wing limit switch 17 and the wing operation device 16) can be shared between the devices.

[0052] Next, an example of processing executed by the control unit 32 of the rear side gate opening / closing device 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that the processing executed by the control unit 22 of the front side gate opening / closing device 11 is generally the same as this processing, so description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] First, the control unit 32 determines whether or not it has received a tilt release signal from the tilt operation device 13 (S1). More specifically, it determines whether or not it has received a tilt release signal together with a selected tilt signal indicating that the rear tilt 7b has been selected or that both the front tilt 7a and the rear tilt 7b have been selected. If it determines that it has received a tilt release signal (S1: YES), the control unit 32 determines whether or not the wing limit switch 17 is OFF (S2).

[0054] If it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is not OFF (S2: NO), the control unit 32 determines whether or not a tuning signal indicating a tuning operation has been received (S3). If it is determined that a tuning signal indicating a tuning operation has not been received (S3: NO), the control unit 32 issues a warning (S4) and terminates the process. At this time, the wing 8 is closed, and the opening and closing of the wing 8 is not synchronized with the opening and closing of the tilt 7. Therefore, if an attempt is made to open the tilt 7, the wing 8 will interfere with a wing 8 located on the movement trajectory of the tilt 7, preventing the tilt 7 from being opened. Therefore, in S4, the operator is notified that the tilt 7 cannot be opened. This notification is executed, for example, by transmitting a signal to the tilt operation device 13 to turn on the lamp 48. The method of issuing the warning is not limited to this, and may be by voice or the like.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined that a tuning signal indicating that a tuning operation is to be performed has been received (S3: YES), the control unit 32 performs the determination of S2 again. Then, if it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is OFF (S2: YES), the control unit 32 controls the mechanism unit 31 to move the rear-side swing-up lever 7b from the lower closed position toward the lower open position (S5), and ends the processing. In this embodiment, when the wing limit switch 17 is OFF, it is determined that the wing 8 is in a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the swing-up lever 7. Note that even if the wing limit switch 17 is OFF, there may be cases where the wing 8 has not yet moved to a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the swing-up lever 7. In anticipation of such a case, the rear-side swing-up lever 7b may be moved toward the lower open position a predetermined time after it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is OFF.

[0056] Furthermore, if the control unit 32 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 has a built-in wing operation signal setting unit 18 (see Figure 4), when it determines that a tuning signal has been received in S3, the control unit 32 (wing operation signal setting unit 18) outputs a second wing opening signal.

[0057] Furthermore, if it is determined in S1 that a tilt open signal has not been received (S1: NO), the control unit 32 determines whether or not a tilt close signal has been received from the tilt operation device 13 (S6). More specifically, it determines whether or not a tilt close signal has been received together with a selected tilt signal indicating that the rear tilt 7b has been selected, or that both the front tilt 7a and the rear tilt 7b have been selected. If it is determined that a tilt close signal has not been received (S6: NO), the control unit 32 ends the process.

[0058] If it is determined that the gate closing signal has been received (S6: YES), the control unit 32 determines whether the wing limit switch 17 is OFF or not (S7). If it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is not OFF (S7: NO), the control unit 32 issues a warning (S8) and ends the process. At this time, the wing 8 is closed, so if an attempt is made to close the gate 7, it will interfere with a wing 8 located on the movement trajectory of the gate 7, and the gate 7 cannot be closed. Therefore, in S8, the operator is notified that the gate 7 cannot be closed. This notification is executed, for example, by transmitting a signal to the gate operation device 13 to turn on the lamp 48. The method of issuing the warning is not limited to this, and may be by voice or the like.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is OFF (S7: YES), the control unit 32 controls the mechanism unit 31 to move the rear swing-up lever 7b toward the lower closed position (S9), and ends the process. In this embodiment, when the wing limit switch 17 is OFF, it is determined that the wing 8 is in a position retracted from the movement trajectory of the swing-up lever 7. Note that even if the wing limit switch 17 is OFF, there may be cases where the wing 8 is in a position not retracted from the movement trajectory of the swing-up lever 7. In anticipation of this case, the rear swing-up lever 7b may be moved toward the lower closed position a predetermined time after it is determined that the wing limit switch 17 is OFF.

[0060] Furthermore, if the wing operation signal setting unit 18 is built into the control unit 32 of the rear gate opening / closing device 12 (see FIG. 4), after determining in S6 that the gate closing signal has been received, the control unit 32 determines whether or not a tuning signal has been received. Then, when it is determined that a tuning signal has been received, the control unit 32 (wing operation signal setting unit 18) outputs a second wing closing signal.

[0061] (Features of the embodiment) As described above, the bed control system 10 of this embodiment is mounted on a truck 1 having a box-shaped bed 3 with a cargo compartment A formed therein. The bed 3 of the truck 1 has a gate 7 that forms a lower portion of a side wall of the bed 3 and is configured to be movable between a lower closed position that closes the cargo compartment A and a lower open position that is further outside the cargo compartment A than the lower closed position, and a wing 8 that forms an upper portion of the side wall of the bed 3 and is configured to be movable between an upper closed position that closes the cargo compartment A and an upper open position that is further outside the cargo compartment A than the upper closed position. When the wing 8 is in the upper closed position, it is located on the movement path of the gate 7 that moves between the lower closed position and the lower open position, and when the wing 8 moves from the upper closed position toward the upper open position, it moves to a position that is retracted from the movement path of the gate 7. The loading platform control system 10 opens and closes the gate 7 of the truck 1, and is equipped with a front gate opening / closing device 11 and a rear gate opening / closing device 12 that move the gate 7 between a lower closed position and a lower open position, a gate operating device 13 that is configured to be able to input an open command to move the gate 7 from the lower closed position toward the lower open position, or a close command to move the gate 7 toward the lower closed position, and a wing limit switch 17 that can detect the position of the wing 8.When an open command or a close command is input to the gate operating device 13, the front gate opening / closing device 11 and the rear gate opening / closing device 12 move the gate 7 between the lower closed position and the lower open position if they determine, based on the output signal from the wing limit switch 17, that the wing 8 is in a position removed from the movement trajectory of the gate 7.

[0062] According to this configuration, the front-side tilt opening / closing device 11 and the rear-side tilt opening / closing device 12 move the tilt 7 between the lower closed position and the lower open position when it is determined that the wing 8 is in a position removed from the movement path of the tilt 7 based on an output signal from the wing limit switch 17. This makes it possible to prevent the tilt 7 from interfering with the wing 8 when moving between the lower closed position and the lower open position. This makes it possible to prevent damage to devices such as the tilt 7 and the tilt opening / closing devices (front-side tilt opening / closing device 11, rear-side tilt opening / closing device 12).

[0063] The cargo bed control system 10 of this embodiment also includes a wing opening / closing device 15 that moves the wing 8 between an upper closed position and an upper open position, and a wing operating device 16 that is configured to be able to input an open command to move the wing 8 from the upper closed position toward the upper open position or a close command to move the cover member toward the upper closed position, and that outputs a first wing operation signal based on the input open command or close command for the wing 8. The gate operating device 13 is configured to be able to input a synchronization command to open or close the wing 8 in synchronization with the opening and closing of the gate 7, and the gate opening / closing device (in this embodiment, the rear gate opening / closing device 12) has a wing operation signal setting unit 18 that outputs a second wing operation signal equivalent to the first wing operation signal when a synchronization command is input to the gate operating device 13.

[0064] According to this configuration, when the wing 8 is opened and closed in synchronization with the opening and closing of the gate 7, the wing operation signal setting unit 81 of the rear gate opening and closing device 12 outputs a second wing operation signal equivalent to the first wing operation signal output by the wing operation device 16. Therefore, by providing the gate opening and closing device with the wing operation signal setting unit 18, it is possible to operate the gate 7 and wing 8 in synchronization without making any major changes to the wing-side device of an existing truck 1.

[0065] Furthermore, in the loading platform control system 10 of this embodiment, the truck 1 is equipped with two gates 7, a front gate 7a and a rear gate 7b, and a total of two gate opening / closing devices (a front gate opening / closing device 11 and a rear gate opening / closing device 12), one for each of the two gates 7. The gate operating device 13 is configured to be able to input a gate selection command to select at least one of the front gate 7a and the rear gate 7b, and each gate opening / closing device moves the selected gate 7 between a lower closed position and a lower open position when a gate selection command to select the gate 7 corresponding to that gate opening / closing device is input and an open command or a close command is input.

[0066] If one tilt operating device 13 is provided for each of the multiple tilt opening / closing devices, multiple tilt operating devices 13 must be installed. If multiple tilt operating devices 13 are installed on the truck 1, there is a risk that the tilt operating devices 13 may interfere with other equipment loaded on the truck 1. In this configuration, one tilt operating device 13 can operate two tilt opening / closing devices (front tilt opening / closing device 11 and rear tilt opening / closing device 12). Therefore, the number of tilt operating devices 13 to be installed can be reduced, thereby preventing the tilt operating devices 13 from interfering with other equipment.

[0067] Additionally, in the loading platform control system 10 of this embodiment, the wing operating device 16 that operates the wing 8 is disposed at the rear end of the loading platform 3. Also, the tilt operating device 13 that operates the front and rear tilts 7a and 7b is disposed at the rear end of the loading platform 3. Because the tilt operating device 13 and the wing operating device 16 are disposed close to each other in this manner, the operator's movement line can be shortened even when operating the wing 8 with the wing operating device 16 and the tilt operating device 7 with the tilt operating device 13.

[0068] Furthermore, in the loading platform control system 10 of this embodiment, the communication line 14a connecting the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 and the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 and the communication line 14b connecting the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 and the gate operating device 13 are CAN communication lines. For example, if wiring for inputting a contact signal output from the gate operating device 13 is provided between the gate operating device 13 and the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 and between the gate operating device 13 and the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12, a problem occurs in that the wiring between the gate operating device 13 arranged on the rear side of the loading platform 3 and the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 arranged on the front side of the loading platform 3 becomes long. It is also possible to input a contact signal output from the gate operating device 13 to the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 and send a signal from the rear-side gate opening / closing device 12 to the front-side gate opening / closing device 11 via the communication line 14a. Even in such a case, if the number of contacts in the tilt operation device 13 increases, the number of wires increases, which causes a problem of an increase in the size of the tilt operation device 13. According to this configuration, the front side tilt opening / closing device 11, the rear side tilt opening / closing device 12, and the tilt operation device 13 are connected by CAN communication, so the wires can be shortened and the number of wires can be reduced.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the tilt operation device 13 capable of synchronized operation with the wing 8 and the wing opening / closing device 15 are provided, but this is not limiting. The tilt operation device 13 does not necessarily need to be capable of synchronized operation, and may operate the tilt 7 alone. Also, a configuration may be possible in which a single operation device can select between independent operation of the tilt 7, independent operation of the wing 8, and synchronized operation of the tilt 7 and the wing 8.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the tilt operating device 13 is capable of operating the front tilt 7a and rear tilt 7b arranged at the front and rear of the loading platform 3 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the tilt operating device 13 may be capable of operating the tilts 7 arranged on the left and right of the loading platform 3. In this case, it is preferable that the tilt operating device 13 is configured so that it can be removed to the left and right of the loading platform 3 so that the worker can visually check the state of the tilt 7 when operating the tilt operating device 13. Furthermore, the tilt operating device 13 may be capable of operating only one tilt 7.

[0072] 7 shows a tilt operation device 13a according to a modified example of the tilt operation device 13 of the above-described embodiment. An operation section 41a of the tilt operation device 13a includes a knob-type switch 42a. By turning the switch 42a, one of the following options 1 to 6 can be selected. Option 1: Execute synchronization and select front tilt 7a Option 2: Execute the synchronization operation and select both the front side tilt 7a and the rear side tilt 7b Option 3: Execute the synchronization operation and select rear tilt 7b Option 4: No synchronization and select front tilt 7a Option 5: No synchronization operation and select both the front and rear tilts 7a and 7b Option 6: No synchronization operation and select rear tilt 7b

[0073] The display unit 46a of the tilt operation device 13a includes six lamps 49a to 49f corresponding to the above-mentioned options 1 to 6. When one of the options 1 to 6 is selected by the switch 42a, the lamp corresponding to the selected option among the lamps 49a to 49f lights up.

[0074] Here, a case where the front gate 7a is opened in synchronization with the wing 8 will be described. First, the operator selects option 1 using the switch 42a. At this time, the lamp 49a lights up. Next, the operator operates the switch 44 to input an opening command. This causes the front gate 7a to open in synchronization with the wing 8. At this time, the wing 8 opens in response to a second wing opening signal output from the wing operation signal setting unit 18 (see FIG. 4).

[0075] Next, a case will be described in which, at this time (when the tilt operation device 13a is executing the opening of the tilt 7 in synchronization with the wing 8), the operation unit 16b (see FIG. 4) of the wing operation device 16 is operated to output a first wing close signal. In this case, the synchronization operation is first canceled. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the voltage or current across both ends of the switch unit 18a and the switch unit 18b is monitored. The voltage or current across the switch unit 18b fluctuates when the operation unit 16b of the wing operation device 16 is operated (the fluctuation in this case refers to, for example, the switch unit 18b detecting the voltage or current state when the switch unit 18b and the operation unit 16b are not operated, but when the operation unit 16b is operated while the synchronization operation is being executed, the switch unit 18b detecting the voltage or current state when the operation unit 16b is operated). Therefore, when the voltage or current across the switch unit 18b fluctuates, the switch unit 18a is turned OFF to cancel the synchronization operation. Next, lamp 49a is turned off, and lamp 49d, which indicates when the front gate 7a is to be opened without performing a synchronization operation, and lamp 48, which issues a warning, are turned on. After that, once the worker has confirmed that the synchronization operation can be performed (the operation unit 16b of the wing operation device 16 is not being operated), he or she performs the synchronization operation with the wing 8 again. As a result, if an instruction different from the synchronization operation instruction (an instruction to perform a wing operation different from the synchronization operation instruction) is input during the synchronization operation, the worker can be warned that the synchronization operation is not appropriate, and the synchronization operation can be performed while taking into consideration safety around the truck (unintended gate or wing opening / closing operation) and avoidance of contact between the gate and the wing.

[0076] In the tilt operation device 13a according to the above-described modified example, the knob-type switch 42a is turned to select one of the options 1 to 6, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a push button switch may be provided instead of the knob-type switch 42a, and the option to be selected may be switched from the options 1 to 6 each time the switch is pressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 truck (cargo vehicle) 3 Cargo bed 7. Gate (fence material) 8 Wing (covering member) 10. Cargo control system 11 Front gate opening / closing device (fence member opening / closing device) 12 Rear gate opening / closing device (fence member opening / closing device) 13 Tilt operation device (fence member operation device) 15 Wing opening and closing device (covering member opening and closing device) 16 Wing operation device (covering member operation device) 17 Wing limit switch (covering member position detection part) 18 Wing operation signal setting unit (cover member operation signal setting unit) A. Luggage compartment

Claims

1. A freight vehicle having a box-shaped loading platform with a cargo compartment formed inside, The loading platform is a fence member that forms a lower portion of a side wall of the loading platform and is configured to be movable between a lower closed position that closes the luggage compartment and a lower open position that is located outside the luggage compartment relative to the lower closed position; a cover member that forms an upper portion of the side wall of the cargo bed and is configured to be movable between an upper closed position that closes the cargo compartment and an upper open position that is further outside the cargo compartment than the upper closed position, a loading platform control system for opening and closing the fence member in the cargo vehicle, the loading platform control system including: a covering member, when in the upper closed position, located on a movement path of the fence member that moves between the lower closed position and the lower open position; and ... loading platform control system for opening and closing the fence member in the cargo vehicle, the cargo vehicle moving to a position retracted from the movement path by moving from the upper closed position toward the upper open position, the covering member being located on a movement path of the fence member that moves between the lower closed position and the lower open position; a fence member opening / closing device that moves the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position; a fence member operating device configured to be able to input an open command to move the fence member from the lower closed position toward the lower open position, or a close command to move the fence member toward the lower closed position; a cover member position detection unit capable of detecting the position of the cover member, The fence member opening / closing device is a loading platform control system that, when the open command or the close command is input to the fence member operating device, moves the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position if it determines, based on the output signal from the cover member position detection unit, that the cover member is in a position retreated from the movement trajectory.

2. a cover member opening / closing device that moves the cover member between the upper closed position and the upper open position; a covering member operation device configured to be able to input an open instruction to move the covering member from the upper closed position toward the upper open position or a close instruction to move the covering member toward the upper closed position, and outputting a first covering member operation signal based on the input opening instruction or closing instruction for the covering member, The fence member operating device is configured to be able to input a synchronization instruction for opening and closing the cover member in synchronization with the opening and closing of the fence member, The loading platform control system described in claim 1, wherein the fence member opening / closing device has a cover member operation signal setting unit that outputs a second cover member operation signal equivalent to the first cover member operation signal when the synchronization instruction is input to the fence member operation device.

3. The freight vehicle includes a plurality of the fence members, The fence member opening / closing device is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of fence members, The fence member operating device is configured to be able to input a fence member selection instruction for selecting at least one of the plurality of fence members, A cargo bed control system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the fence member opening / closing devices moves the fence member between the lower closed position and the lower open position when a fence member selection instruction is input to select the fence member corresponding to the fence member opening / closing device and when an open instruction or a close instruction is input.

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