Service car

Abstract

To provide a service car in which the hatch of a receiver tank opening is closed only when no operator or other person is present around the opening.SOLUTION: A service car comprises: a receiver tank that is tiltable up and down on a chassis and includes an opening at a rear portion and a hatch that can open and close the opening; and a sensor disposed around the circumference of the opening at the rear portion of the chassis to monitor the opening. After discharge of a recovered matter from the receiver tank is completed, when the sensor detects a foreign object in the vicinity of the opening during a closing operation of the hatch, the service car stops the closing operation of the hatch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle for collecting and transporting solids such as soil and sand and liquids such as wastewater, and in particular to a work vehicle that stops the closing operation of a receiver tank hatch mounted on the chassis based on the determination that a foreign object is present near the hatch. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, in work vehicles, after discharging sludge and other materials collected in a receiver tank that can be tilted up and down and is attached to the chassis into a pit or other location at a disposal site, it was necessary to confirm that the collected materials had been completely discharged from the tank when closing the opening door (hatch) of the receiver tank. Furthermore, when performing maintenance cleaning on a work vehicle that had finished its work, it was necessary to check the inside of the tank at the end of the work. However, there were cases where workers performing these checks were caught in the closing hatch by mistake, resulting in fatalities or injuries.

[0003] In view of this situation, Patent Document 1 proposes a cargo handling vehicle that prevents people or objects from being accidentally pinched when the door is closed.The door is equipped with a pressure sensor, and when this pressure sensor detects contact, the retraction operation of the door's opening / closing cylinder is stopped or switched to extension operation. However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the door stops or opens after a person or object comes into contact with it, which means that the person or object must first come into contact with the door, and in the case of the door of a work vehicle, there is a risk of injury to a person, even if it is not fatal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-179766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims (technical problem) to provide a work vehicle in which the hatch at the receiver tank opening of the work vehicle is closed only when there are no workers or other people around the opening.

[0006] After thorough investigation into these technical issues, the inventors discovered that it is possible to reliably prevent people from getting caught in the hatch by installing a sensor near the tank opening to monitor the receiver tank opening and automatically stopping the hatch closing operation if a foreign object is detected near the opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 is a receiver tank that is tiltable up and down on the chassis and has an opening at the rear and a hatch that can open and close the opening; a sensor positioned around the periphery of the hatch at the rear of the chassis to monitor the opening; A work vehicle equipped with The present invention relates to a work vehicle configured to stop the closing operation of the hatch when the sensor detects a foreign object near the opening during the closing operation of the hatch after the collected material in the receiver tank has been discharged.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is as follows: The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an opening degree detection means for detecting the opening degree of the hatch, and detects the opening degree of the hatch.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is The work vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising means for issuing an alarm sound and / or a warning voice in accordance with the degree of opening of the hatch during the closing operation of the hatch.

[0010] The invention according to claim 4 is A system for monitoring an opening of a receiver tank during a closing operation of a hatch that can open and close the opening of the receiver tank in a work vehicle, the system comprising: the receiver tank being tiltable up and down on the chassis of the work vehicle, the receiver tank having the opening at the rear and the hatch capable of opening and closing the opening, and the collected material in the receiver tank being discharged through the opening; a sensor positioned around the periphery of the hatch at the rear of the chassis to monitor the opening; an opening detection means for detecting the opening degree of the hatch; and The system is configured such that, when closing the hatch after discharging the collected material from the receiver tank, if a foreign object is detected by the sensor, the closing operation of the hatch is stopped.

[0011] The invention according to claim 5 is The system according to claim 4, wherein the system is configured to emit an alarm sound and / or a warning voice in accordance with the opening degree of the hatch during the closing operation of the hatch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the invention of claim 1, the vicinity of the opening of the receiver tank of the work vehicle is monitored by a sensor, and when the sensor detects a foreign object, the closing operation of the hatch is stopped.

[0013] According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to obtain the effect of detecting the opening degree of the hatch.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to provide an effect that, during the closing operation of the hatch, it is possible to notify the surroundings of danger by means of an alarm sound and / or a warning voice in accordance with the gradually narrowing opening of the hatch.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 4, the system that monitors the vicinity of the receiver tank opening in the work vehicle has the effect that when the receiver tank opening is closed by closing the hatch, the hatch is closed only when the sensor detects that there is no foreign object near the opening.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to provide an effect that, during the closing operation of the hatch, it is possible to notify the surroundings of danger by means of an alarm sound and / or a warning voice in accordance with the gradually narrowing opening of the hatch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1A is a side view showing a state in which the hatch of the receiver tank of the work vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is open, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the receiver tank in the state of A, seen obliquely from above and behind. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing a state in which the hatch of the receiver tank of the work vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is open and the receiver tank is tilted. FIG. [Figure 4] This figure shows a state in a work vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, where an operator is checking the opening before closing the hatch of the receiver tank after the receiver tank has been released from its tilting position and returned to the chassis after the work of discharging collected materials from the receiver tank has been completed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a monitoring range of a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of discharging collected materials by a work vehicle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a suction work vehicle as one embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present invention. The suction work vehicle (V) according to this embodiment, in the state shown in Figure 1, uses a suction mechanism installed on the chassis (1) to suck and collect sludge and the like into a receiver tank (2). The collected material in the receiver tank (2) is transported to a disposal site and discharged. When discharging, the suction work vehicle (V) first opens the hatch (3) of the receiver tank (2) as shown in Figure 2. Next, as shown in Figure 3, the receiver tank (2) is tilted and the collected material in the receiver tank (2) is discharged through the opening. After the collected material has been discharged, the receiver tank (2) is released from the tilting position and returned to the chassis (1), and the suction work vehicle (V) returns to the state shown in Figure 2. The hatch (3) is closed and the work is completed. As shown in Figure 4, the worker may check the inside of the receiver tank (2) before closing the hatch (3).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the suction work vehicle (V) according to this embodiment comprises a receiver tank (2) that is tiltable up and down on a chassis (1) and has an opening (O) at the rear and a hatch (3) that can open and close the opening; a sensor (4) disposed around the periphery of the opening (O) at the rear of the chassis (1) so as to monitor the opening (O); A suction work vehicle (V) comprising: The suction work vehicle (V) is configured to stop the closing operation of the hatch (3) when a sensor (4) detects a foreign object near the opening (O) during the closing operation of the hatch (3) after the collected material in the receiver tank (2) has been discharged.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2B, an opening detection means (5) is installed on the hatch (3) to monitor the opening degree of the hatch (3). The state in which the hatch (3) is fully open is considered to be an opening degree of 100%, and the state in which the hatch (3) is completely closed is considered to be an opening degree of 0%. The opening detection means (5) is not particularly limited, but a proximity switch, rotary encoder, limit switch, millimeter wave radar, etc. are preferably used.

[0022] During the closing operation of the hatch (3), the opening of the hatch (3) gradually narrows, and when the opening falls below, for example, 70%, an alarm sound is generated, and further, when the opening falls below, for example, 50%, the alarm sound is switched to a warning voice to alert people around the suction work vehicle (V) of danger.

[0023] As further shown in FIG. 2B, a sensor (4) is installed around the periphery of the opening (O) of the receiver tank (2) to monitor the periphery of the opening (O).

[0024] The sensor (4) is not particularly limited, but a 3D Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, a 2D Lidar sensor, an infrared sensor, a millimeter wave radar, etc. Since the opening (O) of the receiver tank (2) is located in the shadow of the hatch (3), it is necessary to be able to detect foreign objects even in the dark, and a 2D Lidar sensor or a 3D Lidar sensor is particularly preferably selected.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor (4) may be installed so that the circular surface of the tank opening (O) is its detection range. In this embodiment, the tank opening (O) is provided with a chute (S) around the periphery of the opening (O) to ensure smooth discharge of the collected material. In this case, the sensor (4) can be installed so that it can detect the outer edge of the chute (S) rather than the opening (O). In the embodiment of Figure 5, the sensor (4) is installed on the left side, but it may also be installed near the chute (S) on the right side. More specifically, the sensor can be installed 0 to 10 cm outside the outer end face of the chute (S) so that it can detect the surface from the height of the bottom of the chute (S) to the height near the center of the opening (O).

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the command to close the hatch (3) is executed only when no foreign object is detected by the sensor (4). The sensor (4) continues monitoring until there is no longer any risk of a person being trapped in the closing hatch (3), and if it detects a worker or other foreign object near the opening (O), it stops the closing operation of the hatch (3). In the case of a vehicle (V) equipped with a chute (S) around the tank opening (O) as shown in the example, if the sensor (4) continues monitoring until the lower end of the hatch (3) during the closing operation passes the end face of the chute (S), it is possible to prevent a person from being pinched.

[0027] The detection range of the sensor (4) is controlled based on the detection data of the opening detection means (5) so that the hatch (3) is not detected as a foreign object.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2B, in addition to the sensor (4), if another sensor (6) is used to monitor the sealing surface around the opening (O) that comes into contact with the hatch (3) when the hatch (3) is completely closed, it is possible to detect the collected material residue adhering to the edge of the opening (O) and prevent the packing provided at the sealing part of the hatch (3) from being worn down by the collected material residue being trapped therein.

[0029] [Embodiment 2] The flow chart shown in FIG. 6 shows the operation of discharging collected materials from the receiver tank (2) in the work vehicle (V) according to the present invention and the monitoring of the opening (O). The system according to this embodiment is a system for monitoring the closing operation of a hatch (3) that can open and close an opening (O) of a receiver tank (2) in a work vehicle (V), and the system: a receiver tank (2) that can be tilted up and down on the chassis (1) of the work vehicle (V), and that has an opening (O) at the rear and a hatch (3) that can open and close the opening (O), and that discharges collected material from the receiver tank (2) through the opening (O); a sensor (4) arranged around the periphery of the hatch (3) at the rear of the chassis (1) so as to monitor the opening (O); an opening detection means (5) for detecting the opening degree of the hatch (3); and After the collected material is discharged from the receiver tank (2), if the sensor (4) detects a foreign object when closing the hatch (3), the system stops the closing operation of the hatch (3).

[0030] At the disposal site for the collected materials, the work vehicle (V) opens the hatch (3), tilts the receiver tank (2), and discharges the collected materials from the receiver tank (2) through the opening (O). After discharging, the receiver tank (2) is released from its tilting position and returned to the chassis (1). If the sensor (4) monitoring the area around the opening (O) of the receiver tank (2) does not detect a foreign object such as a worker, the closing operation of the hatch (3) begins. The sensor (4) continues monitoring until there is no longer any risk of a person being trapped in the closing hatch (3), and if a foreign object is detected, the closing operation of the hatch (3) is stopped. The opening detection means (5) monitors the opening degree of the hatch (3) and controls the detection range of the sensor (4) based on the detection data of the opening detection means (5) so that the sensor (4) does not detect the hatch (3) as a foreign object.

[0031] During the closing operation of the hatch (3), the opening degree of the hatch (3) gradually narrows, and an alarm sound may be generated when the opening degree falls below 70%, and when the opening degree falls below 50%, the alarm sound may be switched to a warning voice to alert people around the work vehicle (V) of danger.

[0032] It goes without saying that the suction work vehicle of the first embodiment can be used in the system of the second embodiment.

[0033] The above describes an embodiment using the suction work vehicle shown in the drawings as an example, but it goes without saying that the hatch closure monitoring mechanism for a work vehicle according to the present invention can be applied to various types of vehicles, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0034] According to the present invention, a work vehicle is provided in which the hatch closes only when no foreign object is detected near the opening of the receiver tank of the work vehicle, and the hatch closure stops as soon as a foreign object is detected, thereby preventing accidents in which people are caught in the closing hatch and injured or killed.

[0035] In addition, the hatch opening detection means can switch the warning sound issued to those in the vicinity from an alarm sound to a warning voice as the hatch becomes more closed, thereby making it possible to prevent accidents before they occur.

[0036] Furthermore, if a foreign object is detected near the opening, the hatch will stop closing, preventing the gasket installed in the hatch's sealing section from being worn down by trapped recovered material residue. [Industrial Applicability]

[0037] The work vehicle of the present invention can prevent fatal accidents in which workers or other people or foreign objects are caught in a closing hatch, and can also prevent the gasket installed in the closing part of the hatch from being worn down by being pinched in the collected material residue. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 chassis 2 Receiver Tank 3. Hatch 4 sensors 5. Opening detection means 6 Another sensor V Work Vehicle O opening S Shoot

Claims

1. a receiver tank that is tiltable up and down on the chassis and has an opening at the rear and a hatch that can open and close the opening; a sensor positioned around the periphery of the opening in the rear of the chassis to monitor the opening; A work vehicle equipped with The work vehicle is configured to stop the closing operation of the hatch when the sensor detects a foreign object near the opening during the closing operation of the hatch after the collected material in the receiver tank has been discharged.

2. 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an opening degree detection means for detecting the opening degree of said hatch, and detecting the opening degree of said hatch.

3. 3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising means for issuing an alarm sound and / or a warning voice in accordance with the opening degree of the hatch during the closing operation of the hatch.

4. A system for monitoring an opening of a receiver tank during a closing operation of a hatch that can open and close the opening of the receiver tank in a work vehicle, the system comprising: the receiver tank being tiltable up and down on the chassis of the work vehicle, the receiver tank having the opening at the rear and the hatch capable of opening and closing the opening, and the collected material in the receiver tank being discharged through the opening; a sensor positioned around the periphery of the hatch at the rear of the chassis to monitor the opening; an opening detection means for detecting the opening degree of the hatch; and If a foreign object is detected by the sensor when closing the hatch after discharging the collected material from the receiver tank, the system stops the closing operation of the hatch.

5. The system according to claim 4 , configured to emit an alarm sound and / or a warning voice during the closing operation of the hatch depending on the opening degree of the hatch.

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