Conveyance vehicle

Abstract

To make coupling operation of a connection mechanism easy.SOLUTION: A lift-up mechanism has an arm part, an operation unit, and a grounding part. The arm part is rotatably fitted to a conveyance vehicle body. The arm part extends backward. The operation unit is placed in a rear end part of the arm part. The operation unit is placed below the handle part. The grounding part is provided for the arm part between the base end part of the arm part and the operation unit. The lift-up mechanism is switched between an operation attitude and a storage attitude. When the lift-up mechanism is at the operation attitude, the grounding part is grounded so that the rear part of the conveyance vehicle body is lifted up. When the lift-up mechanism is in the storage attitude, the grounding part is placed at intervals from the ground surface. The grounding part is placed so that it contacts the ground in the back relative to the center of gravity of the conveyance vehicle when the lift-up mechanism is in the operation attitude.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Transport vehicles such as electric towing vehicles and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are configured to tow and transport transported vehicles such as carts (Patent Document 1). The transport vehicles have a coupling mechanism that allows them to be connected to various transported vehicles. The coupling mechanism is located at the front of the transport vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-108795 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described transport vehicle, a part of the coupling mechanism must be placed under the transported vehicle to couple the transport vehicle. That is, the rear of the transport vehicle must be lifted and the coupling mechanism must be lowered. This requires a lot of force to lift the rear of the transport vehicle in order to couple the coupling mechanism to the transported vehicle, making the coupling operation difficult.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to facilitate the connecting operation of a connecting mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A transport vehicle according to a first aspect is configured to transport a transported vehicle. The transport vehicle includes a transport vehicle body, a connecting mechanism, a handle, and a lift-up mechanism. The connecting mechanism is disposed in front of the transport vehicle body. The handle is disposed rearward relative to the connecting mechanism. The lift-up mechanism has an arm, an operating unit, and a ground contact unit. The arm is rotatably attached to the transport vehicle body. The arm extends rearward. The operating unit is disposed at the rear end of the arm. The operating unit is disposed below the handle. The ground contact unit is provided on the arm between the base end of the arm and the operating unit. The lift-up mechanism is configured to switch between an operating position and a storage position. When the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position, the ground contact unit contacts the ground so that the rear of the transport vehicle body is lifted. When the lift-up mechanism is in the storage position, the ground contact unit is disposed at a distance from the ground. The ground contact unit is disposed so as to contact the ground rearward relative to the center of gravity of the transport vehicle when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position.

[0007] With this configuration, stepping on the operating unit causes the arm to rotate and the ground contact part to touch the ground, lifting the rear of the transport vehicle body and lowering the coupling mechanism located in front of the transport vehicle body, making it easy to couple the coupling mechanism to the transported vehicle.

[0008] A transport vehicle according to a second aspect is the transport vehicle according to the first aspect, further comprising an abutment member. The abutment member is attached to the transport vehicle body. The abutment member abuts against the arm portion when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position. With this configuration, the abutment member abuts against the arm portion, thereby making it possible to maintain a constant tilt angle of the transport vehicle.

[0009] A transport vehicle according to a third aspect is the transport vehicle according to the first or second aspect, further comprising an urging member. The urging member urges the arm portion so that the contact portion separates from the ground.

[0010] A transport vehicle according to a fourth aspect is the transport vehicle according to the third aspect, and is configured as follows: The biasing member maintains the biased state of the arm when the lift-up mechanism is in the storage position. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the arm from swinging due to vibrations or the like.

[0011] A transport vehicle according to a fifth aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a restriction mechanism. The restriction mechanism restricts the arm from pivoting in a direction in which the operating unit faces upward.

[0012] A transport vehicle according to a sixth aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, and is configured as follows: The transport vehicle body has a frame, and the operation unit has an upper surface that abuts against the frame when the lift-up mechanism is in the stored position.

[0013] A transport vehicle according to a seventh aspect is the transport vehicle according to the third or fourth aspect, and is configured as follows: The biasing member connects the transport vehicle body and the arm portion. The biasing member is connected to the arm portion between the base end of the arm portion and the ground portion.

[0014] A transport vehicle according to an eighth aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and is configured as follows: The transport vehicle body has drive wheels and an electric motor configured to drive the drive wheels.

[0015] A transport vehicle according to a ninth aspect is the transport vehicle according to the eighth aspect, and is configured as follows: The ground contact portion is disposed so as to contact the ground rearward of the center of gravity of the electric motor when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position.

[0016] A transport vehicle according to a tenth aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and is configured as follows: The operating unit is disposed so as to be separated from the ground when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position.

[0017] A transport vehicle according to an eleventh aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, and is configured as follows: The distance from the pivot axis of the arm unit to the ground contact part is longer than the distance from the operation part to the ground contact part.

[0018] A transport vehicle according to a twelfth aspect is the transport vehicle according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, configured as follows: The ground contact portion is configured by a wheel.

[0019] A transport vehicle according to a thirteenth aspect is the transport vehicle according to the twelfth aspect, configured as follows: The wheels are fixed wheels. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, the connecting operation of the connecting mechanism can be facilitated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the internal mechanism of the transport vehicle with the lift-up mechanism in the storage position. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the internal mechanism of the transport vehicle with the lift-up mechanism in the operating position. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The guided vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "forward" refers to the direction in which the guided vehicle 100 pushes the guided vehicle 101, and "rear" refers to the direction in which the guided vehicle 100 pulls the guided vehicle 101. That is, the left side of FIG. 1 is the forward side, and the right side of FIG. 1 is the rear side. Furthermore, the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction when the guided vehicle 100 is facing forward. That is, the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1 is the left-right direction.

[0023] <Transport vehicle> FIG. 1 is a side view of a transport vehicle 100. Note that FIG. 1 shows the transport vehicle 100 in a state before being coupled to a transported vehicle 101. The transport vehicle 100 is configured to be coupled to the transported vehicle 101 and tow and transport the transported vehicle 101. The transport vehicle 100 is driven by human power and an assisted force from an electric motor 24. Note that the transport vehicle 100 can also run by human power alone or by the driving force from the electric motor 24 alone. Note that in this embodiment, a cart is used as an example of the transported vehicle 101, but the transported vehicle 101 can also be a cart, a stretcher, a wheelchair, etc.

[0024] 2 is a side view showing the transport vehicle 100 with some plates removed from the transport vehicle body 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport vehicle 100 has a transport vehicle body 2, a connecting mechanism 3, a handle unit 4, and a lift-up mechanism 5. A transported vehicle 101 towed by the transport vehicle 100 has a plurality of wheels 102.

[0025] <Transport vehicle body> The transport vehicle body 2 has a frame 21, front wheels 22, a pair of rear wheels 23, an electric motor 24, and a battery 25. The frame 21 supports the front wheels 22, the pair of rear wheels 23, the electric motor 24, and the battery 25. The frame 21 is made up of a plate or the like, but may also be made up of a rod-shaped member.

[0026] The front wheels 22 are supported by the frame 21. The front wheels 22 are disposed within a space defined by the frame 21. The front wheels 22 are configured to be driven by an electric motor 24. In other words, the front wheels 22 are drive wheels. The front wheels 22 are also fixed wheels.

[0027] Each rear wheel 23 is supported by the frame 21. Each rear wheel 23 is disposed outside the space defined by the frame 21. Each rear wheel 23 is a driven wheel. Each rear wheel 23 is a swivel wheel. Specifically, each rear wheel 23 is a caster.

[0028] The electric motor 24 is supported by the frame 21. The electric motor 24 is disposed rearward of the front wheels 22. The electric motor 24 drives the front wheels 22 via a chain 241, a belt, or the like. The electric motor 24 is supplied with power from a battery 25.

[0029] The battery 25 is configured to supply power to the electric motor 24 and the like. The battery 25 is attached to the upper end of the frame 21. The battery 25 is disposed above the electric motor 24. The center of gravity of the battery 25 is disposed above the center of gravity G2 of the electric motor 24.

[0030] <Connection mechanism> The coupling mechanism 3 is disposed in front of the transport vehicle main body 2. The coupling mechanism 3 is configured to couple with the transported vehicle 101. More specifically, the coupling mechanism 3 couples with the lower part of the transported vehicle 101.

[0031] The connecting mechanism 3 has a base portion 31 and a clamp portion 32. The base portion 31 is attached to the transport vehicle body 2 so as to be swingable in the left-right direction. The base portion 31 is also attached to the transport vehicle body 2 so as to be swingable in the up-down direction.

[0032] The base portion 31 is connected to the transport vehicle main body 2 via a biasing member 33. The biasing member 33 is configured to bias the front wheels 22 downward via the frame 21. In detail, when the connecting mechanism 3 is connected to the transported vehicle 101 and a downward load is applied to the connecting mechanism 3, the biasing member 33 biases the front wheels 22 downward.

[0033] The clamp unit 32 is configured to clamp the guided vehicle 101. The clamp unit 32 clamps the lower part of the guided vehicle 101.

[0034] The clamp unit 32 is attached to the transport vehicle body 2 via the base unit 31. The clamp unit 32 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the base unit 31. For example, the clamp unit 32 is fixed to the base unit 31 by a plurality of bolts or the like, and by loosening the bolts, the clamp unit 32 can be moved in the vertical direction relative to the base unit 31. The clamp unit 32 is positioned so as to be located above the attachment point of the transported vehicle 101.

[0035] <Handle section> As shown in FIG. 1, the handle portion 4 is a portion that a user grips when towing or pushing the transport vehicle 100. The handle portion 4 is located rearward of the connecting mechanism 3. The handle portion 4 is located above the transport vehicle main body 2. The handle portion 4 is also located rearward of the transport vehicle main body 2. The handle portion 4 is attached to the transport vehicle main body 2 via a pillar portion 41.

[0036] <Lift-up mechanism> FIG. 3 is a side view showing the transport vehicle 100 in use with the lift-up mechanism 5. Note that in FIG. 3, a portion of the plate of the transport vehicle main body 2 has been removed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lift-up mechanism 5 is attached to the transport vehicle main body 2. The lift-up mechanism 5 is a mechanism for tilting the transport vehicle 100 forward around the front wheels 22 to place the transport vehicle 100 in a coupled position. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the lift-up mechanism 5 is configured to lift up the rear of the transport vehicle main body 2 and lower the coupling mechanism 3 downward. At this time, the front wheels 22 are in contact with the ground, and each rear wheel 23 is off the ground.

[0037] 4 is a side view of the lift-up mechanism 5, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lift-up mechanism 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the lift-up mechanism 5 has an arm portion 51, an operating portion 52, and a pair of ground portions 53.

[0038] The arm portion 51 is attached so as to be able to turn relative to the transport vehicle body 2. More specifically, a base end portion 511 of the arm portion 51 is attached to the frame 21 via a turning shaft 26. The turning shaft 26 extends in the left-right direction.

[0039] The arm portion 51 extends rearward. More specifically, the arm portion 51 extends rearward from the pivot shaft 26. A rear end portion 512 of the arm portion 51 protrudes rearward from the frame 21.

[0040] The arm portion 51 is composed of a pair of arm plates 513 and a plurality of connecting portions 514. The arm plates 513 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each arm plate 513 extends downward and rearward from the base end portion 511, and then bends and extends upward and rearward. That is, each arm plate 513 has a bent portion 515.

[0041] The arm portion 51 is configured so that the distance from the pivot axis O of the arm portion 51 to the ground portion 53 is longer than the distance from the operation portion 52 to the ground portion 53.

[0042] The operating unit 52 is disposed at the rear end 512 of the arm unit 51. More specifically, the operating unit 52 is attached to the rear end 512 of the arm unit 51 with a bolt or the like.

[0043] The operating unit 52 is disposed below the handle unit 4. The operating unit 52 is a part that is operated by the user stepping on it with their foot. That is, the user uses the lift-up mechanism 5 by stepping on the operating unit 52 while gripping the handle unit 4. For this reason, the operating unit 52 is disposed below the transport vehicle 100 so that it can be easily stepped on by the user.

[0044] The operating unit 52 has an upper surface 521. When the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the storage position, the upper surface 521 abuts against the frame 21. Therefore, the operating unit 52 is restricted from moving further upward.

[0045] Each grounding portion 53 is a portion that comes into contact with the ground when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in use. Each grounding portion 53 is provided on the arm portion 51 between the base end portion 511 of the arm portion 51 and the operation portion 52.

[0046] Each ground contact portion 53 is a wheel. More specifically, each ground contact portion 53 is a fixed wheel. Each ground contact portion 53 is rotatably attached to the arm portion 51.

[0047] The lift-up mechanism 5 is configured to be switchable between an operating position and a storage position. Fig. 2 shows the lift-up mechanism 5 in the storage position, and Fig. 3 shows the lift-up mechanism 5 in the operating position.

[0048] First, when the user is not operating the lift-up mechanism 5, the lift-up mechanism 5 is in a stored position as shown in Fig. 2. When the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the stored position, the contact portion 53 is disposed with a gap between it and the ground.

[0049] When the user operates the lift-up mechanism 5, that is, when the user steps on the operating part 52 with their foot, the lift-up mechanism 5 assumes the operating position as shown in Fig. 3. When the lift-up mechanism 5 assumes the operating position, the ground contact part 53 comes into contact with the ground so that the rear part of the transport vehicle main body 2 is lifted.

[0050] When the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the operating position in this manner, the ground contact portion 53 is in contact with the ground behind the center of gravity G1 of the transport vehicle 100. The ground contact portion 53 is also in contact with the ground behind the center of gravity G2 of the electric motor 24. The operating portion 52 is separated from the ground.

[0051] As a result, the coupling mechanism 3 moves downward, allowing the coupling operation to be performed on the guided vehicle 101. In detail, with the coupling mechanism 3 in the downward position, the guided vehicle 100 is driven forward to move the coupling mechanism 3 under the guided vehicle 101. The coupling mechanism 3 is then coupled to the guided vehicle 101. After that, the operation of the lift-up mechanism 5 is released, causing the lift-up mechanism 5 to return to the stored position, and the coupling mechanism 3 moves upward. As a result, the coupling mechanism 3 comes into contact with the underside of the guided vehicle 101 and receives a downward load from the guided vehicle 101.

[0052] <Using member> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport vehicle 100 has a biasing member 6. The biasing member 6 biases the arm portion 51 so that the contact portion 53 moves away from the ground. In this embodiment, the biasing member 6 is a tension spring. The biasing member 6 pulls the arm portion 51 upward. The biasing member 6 biases the arm portion 51 so that the arm portion 51 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2. The biasing member 6 allows the lift-up mechanism 5 to maintain its storage position when not being operated.

[0053] The urging member 6 connects the transport vehicle main body 2 and the arm portion 51. More specifically, the urging member 6 connects the frame 21 and the arm portion 51. One end of the urging member 6 is hooked onto a protrusion extending in the left-right direction from the frame 21. The other end of the urging member 6 is connected to the arm portion 51 between the base end 511 of the arm portion 51 and the ground portion 53. The other end of the urging member 6 is hooked onto a protrusion 516 (see FIG. 5) extending in the left-right direction from the arm portion 51.

[0054] The biasing member 6 maintains a biasing state on the arm portion 51 when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the storage position. That is, the biasing member 6 maintains a deflected state when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the storage position. More specifically, the biasing member 6 maintains a state in which it is subjected to a tensile load when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the storage position. This makes it possible to prevent the lift-up mechanism 5 from falling downward due to an impact or the like.

[0055] <Regulatory Mechanism> The transport vehicle 100 has a regulating mechanism 7. The regulating mechanism 7 is configured to regulate the rotation of the arm portion 51 in the direction in which the operating portion 52 faces upward. This regulating mechanism 7 keeps the biasing member 6 biasing the arm portion 51 when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the stored position.

[0056] The restriction mechanism 7 is formed by a part of the frame 21. A part of the frame 21 comes into contact with the upper surface 521 of the operation part 52, thereby preventing the operation part 52 from moving upward any further.

[0057] <Contacting parts> The abutment member 8 is attached to the transport vehicle body 2. More specifically, the abutment member 8 protrudes in the left-right direction from the frame 21. In this embodiment, the abutment member 8 extends in the left-right direction across the pair of left and right frames 21.

[0058] The contact member 8 is configured to come into contact with the arm portion 51 when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the operating position. More specifically, the contact member 8 comes into contact with the lower surface of the arm portion 51. The contact member 8 is disposed at a distance from the arm portion 51 when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the storage position.

[0059] In this way, when the lift-up mechanism 5 is in the operating position, the abutment member 8 abuts against the arm portion 51, thereby restricting the range of rotation of the arm portion 51. In other words, the arm portion 51 abuts against the abutment member 8, and is therefore restricted from rotating beyond the abutment member 8. Therefore, the user can always lower the connecting mechanism 3 to a fixed position by stepping on the operating part 52 and rotating the arm portion 51 until it abuts against the abutment member 8. As a result, by setting the height of the connecting mechanism 3 in advance, it is not necessary to align the connecting mechanism 3 with the transported vehicle 101, making the connecting work easier.

[0060] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that the following modifications can basically be applied simultaneously.

[0061] (a) In the above embodiment, the operating unit 52 is a separate member from the arm unit 51, but it may be formed integrally with the arm unit 51 as a single member. In other words, the operating unit 52 may be formed by the rear end of the arm unit 51.

[0062] (b) Although the grounding portion 53 is a separate member from the arm portion 51, it may be formed integrally with the arm portion 51 as a single member. In other words, the grounding portion 53 may be formed as a part of the arm portion 51.

[0063] (c) In the above embodiment, the biasing member 6 is a tension spring, but the configuration of the biasing member 6 is not limited to this. For example, the biasing member 6 may be a compression spring. In this case, the biasing member 6 is disposed below the arm portion 51 and configured to press the arm portion 51 upward. The biasing member 6 may also be a torsion spring.

[0064] (d) Although the restriction mechanism 7 is configured as part of the frame 21, the configuration of the restriction mechanism 7 is not limited to this. For example, the restriction mechanism 7 may be configured as a protrusion that protrudes in the left-right direction from the frame 21. In this case, the protrusion abuts against the arm portion 51, thereby restricting the rotation of the arm portion 51 in the direction in which the operating portion 52 faces upward.

[0065] (e) In the above embodiment, the transporting vehicle body 2 has the electric motor 24, but it does not have to have the electric motor 24. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 2: Transport vehicle body 21: Frame 24: Electric motor 3:Connection mechanism 4: Handle 5: Lift-up mechanism 51: Arm part 511: Proximal end 512: Rear end 52:Operation unit 521:Top surface 53: Grounding part 6: Urging member 7: Regulatory mechanisms 8: Contact member 100: Transport vehicle

Claims

1. A transport vehicle configured to transport a transported vehicle, A transport vehicle body, a coupling mechanism disposed in front of the transport vehicle body; a handle portion disposed rearward relative to the connecting mechanism; a lift-up mechanism including an arm portion rotatably attached to the transport vehicle body and extending rearward, an operating portion disposed at the rear end of the arm portion and below the handle portion, and a grounding portion provided on the arm portion between the base end of the arm portion and the operating portion; Equipped with the lift-up mechanism is configured to switch between an operating posture in which the ground contact portion touches the ground so that the rear portion of the transport vehicle body is lifted, and a storage posture in which the ground contact portion is spaced apart from the ground, the ground contact portion is disposed so as to contact the ground rearward of the center of gravity of the transport vehicle when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position. Transport vehicle.

2. a contact member attached to the transport vehicle body and contacting the arm portion when the lift-up mechanism is in an operating position; The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. Further provided is a biasing member that biases the arm portion so that the contact portion moves away from the ground. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

4. The biasing member maintains the biased state of the arm portion when the lift-up mechanism is in the storage position. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 .

5. The operating unit further includes a restriction mechanism that restricts the arm unit from turning in an upward direction. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

6. The transport vehicle body has a frame, the operating portion has an upper surface that abuts against the frame when the lift-up mechanism is in the storage position; The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

7. the biasing member connects the transport vehicle body and the arm portion, The biasing member is connected to the arm portion between a base end of the arm portion and the ground portion. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 .

8. The transport vehicle body has a drive wheel and an electric motor configured to drive the drive wheel. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

9. the grounding portion is disposed so as to contact the ground rearward with respect to a center of gravity of the electric motor when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position. The transport vehicle according to claim 8.

10. the operating unit is disposed so as to be separated from the ground when the lift-up mechanism is in the operating position. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

11. a distance from the pivot shaft of the arm unit to the ground contact portion is longer than a distance from the operation unit to the ground contact portion; The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

12. The ground contact portion is constituted by a wheel. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 .

13. The wheel is a fixed wheel. The transport vehicle according to claim 12.

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