Methods for loading and unloading transported goods

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for loading and unloading transported goods that reduces manual labor in loading and unloading the transported goods and reduces the cost of pallet recovery. [Solution] A method for loading and unloading transported goods without using pallets, wherein grooves are formed in the left and right directions of the cargo bed of a transport truck for inserting forklift forks, loading of transported goods is performed by creating a package by integrating multiple transported goods, placing the package on the forklift forks and inserting the forks into the groove from above, and unloading of transported goods is performed by inserting the forklift forks into the groove from the side of the groove, and then moving the forks above the groove to place the package on the forklift forks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for loading and unloading a conveyed object without using a pallet and a wing body vehicle for use in the method.

Background Art

[0002] When conveying a conveyed object, in order to facilitate the movement of the conveyed object, loading onto a truck or the like, unloading from a truck or the like, etc., the conveyed object is placed on a pallet, and a forklift is used to move the conveyed object together with the pallet, or to perform loading and unloading. Also, when placing a plurality of conveyed objects on a pallet, in order to prevent the load from collapsing, a stretch film or a shrink film is wound around the conveyed object and the pallet to integrate the conveyed object on the pallet with the pallet (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, when loading conveyed objects of various shapes onto a truck using pallets of various sizes, gaps occur and the loading efficiency decreases. Also, most trucks load return cargo when the unloading at the destination is complete and then return. Therefore, the pallets that are transported to the destination together with the conveyed objects and unloaded from the truck will be left at the destination, and a large amount of cost is required to recover these pallets. In order to prevent a decrease in loading efficiency and eliminate the pallet recovery cost, a pallet is used only to lift the conveyed object onto the truck bed, and the driver or worker manually unloads the conveyed object from the pallet and stacks it on the truck bed, and the empty pallet is unloaded from the truck bed and left at the departure point. However, this work is quite laborious and time-consuming for the driver or worker. Therefore, there has been a demand for a method for loading and unloading conveyed objects that can reduce the manual work involved in loading and unloading conveyed objects and also reduce the pallet recovery cost.

[0003] As described in Patent Documents 3 and 4, it has been proposed to lay sliding material parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the truck bed, or to provide a concave rail groove and a loader rail fitted into the rail groove. However, all of these methods use pallets and aim to facilitate the movement of pallets on the truck bed, and have not been able to reduce the cost of pallet recovery. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6580351 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-37899 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-42435 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-169048 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a method for loading and unloading transported goods that reduces manual labor in loading and unloading transported goods and reduces the cost of pallet recovery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors began investigating a method for loading and unloading transported goods that would eliminate manual labor during loading and unloading and reduce the cost of pallet recovery. During their investigation, the inventors considered eliminating pallets altogether, rather than simply improving existing pallet-based loading and unloading methods. They then proceeded to investigate a loading and unloading method that would allow for loading and unloading of transported goods in the same manner as using pallets, without the need for pallets. As a result, they discovered that by forming grooves on the left and right sides of the cargo bed of a transport truck, such as a wing-body truck, for inserting forklift forks, creating a package that integrates multiple transported goods, and then loading and unloading the package onto the grooved cargo bed using a forklift, it is possible to load and unload transported goods in the same manner as, or even more efficiently than, using pallets, without the need for pallets. Since the invention thus discovered does not use pallets, the cost of pallet recovery is naturally eliminated. This is how the present invention was completed. In this invention, loading and unloading refers to loading and unloading transported goods.

[0007] In other words, the present invention is defined by the following: (1) A method for loading and unloading transported goods without using pallets, wherein grooves are formed in the left and right directions of the cargo bed of a transport truck for inserting forklift forks, loading of transported goods is performed by creating a package by integrating multiple transported goods, placing the package on the forklift forks and inserting the forks into the groove from above, and unloading of transported goods is performed by inserting the forklift forks into the groove from the side of the groove, and then moving the forks above the groove to place the package on the forklift forks. (2) A method for loading and unloading the transported goods described in (1) above, wherein the packaging is a packaging body that integrates multiple transported goods by packaging only those goods, or a packaging body that integrates multiple transported goods and a plate-like body by packaging them. (3) A wing-body truck for use in the loading and unloading method of transported goods described in (1) or (2) above, wherein grooves for inserting forklift forks are formed in the left and right directions of the loading platform, and the grooves are open in the upward and sideways directions. (4) The wing-body vehicle of (3) above, further equipped with a groove cover. (5) The wing-body vehicle described in (3) above, wherein a groove is formed by the lowering of a part of the cargo bed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a pallet-free method for loading and unloading transported goods, which reduces manual labor during loading and unloading and eliminates the need for pallet recovery costs since pallets are not used. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the groove and loading platform according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the groove and loading platform according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows one embodiment of how to arrange conveyed objects according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows one embodiment of a packaging body using a plate-like material according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows one embodiment of how to stack the contents of a packaged container according to the present invention. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) and (b) show one embodiment of how to wind the stretch film according to the present invention, and Figures 6(c) and (d) show one embodiment of the adhesive application area according to the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows one embodiment of how to stack the contents of a packaged container according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a method for loading and unloading transported goods without using pallets. This method involves forming grooves in the left-right direction of the transport truck's cargo bed for inserting forklift forks. Loading of transported goods is performed by creating a package by integrating multiple transported goods, placing the package on the forklift forks, and inserting the forks into the grooves from above. Unloading of transported goods is performed by inserting the forklift forks into the grooves from the side, then moving the forks above the grooves to place the package on the forklift forks. In this invention, the direction of travel of the transport truck is referred to as forward, the direction of reversing as backward, the left side when facing the direction of travel of the transport truck is referred to as left, and the right side is referred to as right. In this invention, the grooves formed in the left-right direction have at least one of their left and right ends located at the edge of the cargo bed and are open. Preferably, both the left and right ends of the grooves are located at the edges of the cargo bed and are open. Furthermore, the grooves formed in the left-right direction have an opening at the top. The upper opening only needs to be large enough to allow forklift forks to be inserted and the packaged goods to be loaded and unloaded, but it is preferable that it extends from the left end to the right end of the groove. The transported goods in this invention are not particularly limited in type, shape, etc., and the products may be stored in containers such as boxes or cans. The shape of the container is not particularly limited, and examples include rectangular parallelepipeds, cylinders, and prisms. The packaged goods in this invention are not particularly limited as long as they are packaged by packing multiple transported goods into a single package, and specific examples include the packaged goods described later. The transport truck in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a truck capable of transporting transported goods, capable of forming the groove in this invention, and capable of the loading and unloading method of this invention.

[0011] In this invention, a package containing multiple transported items is placed on the forks of a forklift, and the forks are lowered and inserted into grooves formed on the left and right sides of the loading platform from above. The package then comes into contact with the parts of the loading platform other than the grooves and separates from the forks. The package, now separated from the forks, rests on the parts of the loading platform other than the grooves and is supported by these parts. After this, the forks are withdrawn from the opening at the end of the groove. In this way, transported items can be loaded onto the loading platform without the need for manual labor and without the use of pallets. When unloading transported items, the forks of the forklift are inserted into the groove from the side, that is, from the opening at the end of the groove, to a degree sufficient to lift the package. Then, the forks are raised so that the forks make contact with the package, and by raising the forks further, the package can be placed on the forks and lifted. In this way, transported items can be lowered from the loading platform without the need for manual labor and without the use of pallets. The lifted package can then be moved to the desired location by moving the forklift. If both the left and right ends of the groove are located at the edges of the loading platform and open, then goods can be loaded and unloaded from either the left or right side of the loading platform. The groove formed in the left-right direction of the loading platform only needs to be straight enough for a forklift fork to be inserted into, and it may be approximately perpendicular or inclined to the front-rear direction of the loading platform. If it is approximately perpendicular, more rectangular packages can be loaded more efficiently.

[0012] The groove in this invention may be equipped with a cover that closes the upper opening. When a groove is formed in the loading platform, an uneven surface is created on the platform. However, by covering the upper opening, the areas where the forklift forks are not inserted are covered to support the package, while the areas where the forklift forks are inserted remain open, allowing for fork insertion at various intervals. This makes it possible to insert the forks at the appropriate position on the package even when the package width varies, such as 1552mm, 1414mm, 1300mm, 1098mm, etc. Furthermore, covering the groove reduces the unevenness of the loading platform, which is expected to improve safety and work efficiency on the platform. In addition, in this invention, although the loading platform is normally flat, when using the loading and unloading method of this invention, only the part corresponding to the groove may be lowered to form the groove. This makes it possible to take the opening width between the openings for inserting the forks at any desired interval, allowing for forklift forks to be inserted to accommodate a wide variety of package widths, and enabling stable transportation of the package.

[0013] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the groove formed in the left-right direction according to the present invention. In Figures 1(a) to (d), the left side is the front, and Figures 1(a) to (d) are side views seen from the left side facing forward. The length of the loading platform is 9600 mm, but only a portion is shown. In Figures 1(a) to (d), the black-painted area is the loading platform 1, and the white-out area formed within the black-painted area is the groove 2. In Figures 1(a) to (d), it is shown that the groove opens at the left end of the loading platform, but the groove extends in a straight line from the left end to the right end of the loading platform, and also opens at the right end of the loading platform. The loaded package 3 will actually come into contact with the parts of the loading platform other than the groove, but in Figures 1(a) to (d), the state before the package comes into contact with the parts other than the groove is shown in order to make the state of the groove easier to understand. In Figures 1(a) to (d), the area above the groove other than the groove into which the forklift forks are inserted is covered with a lid 4. This increases the area that supports the package and prevents the load from collapsing during transport. The width of the groove is not particularly limited as long as it is wide enough for the forks of a forklift to be inserted, and the height of the groove is not particularly limited as long as it is high enough for the forks of a forklift to be inserted and for the forks to be able to move away from the package by lowering them. Figures 1(a) to 1(d) show an example in which the width of the groove is 200 mm and the distance between grooves is 100 mm. In this case, if the width of the package is 1552 mm (Figure 1(a)) or 1414 mm (Figure 1(b)), the distance between the forklift forks is 800 mm, and if the width of the package is 1300 mm (Figure 1(c)) or 1098 mm (Figure 1(d)), the distance between the forklift forks is 500 mm, allowing for suitable loading and unloading of the package. In all cases, the groove can be accommodated by forming grooves at a constant interval without changing the width of the groove according to the width of the package. The widths of the above-mentioned packaging are exemplified by the following: 1552mm when two 776mm long corrugated cardboard boxes are placed side by side; 1414mm when two 707mm long corrugated cardboard boxes are placed side by side; 1098mm when three boxes (two 236mm boxes and one 626mm long) are placed side by side; and 1300mm, which is the width of a typical JIS-size pallet. Figure 3 shows how the boxes are arranged in the above cases. In Figures 3(a) to (c), the top row in each is the first row, and the bottom row in each is the second row.The numerical values in the figures are the actual dimensions of the cardboard box and the package (unit: mm). Each arrangement method is used, for example, in the case of the cored toilet roll as shown in Fig. 3(a), in the case of the coreless toilet roll as shown in Fig. 3(b), and in the case of the paper towel as shown in Fig. 3(c).

[0014] Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of the groove formed in the left - right direction in the present invention. In Figs. 2(a) to (d), the left side is the front, and Figs. 2(a) to (d) are side views seen from the left side toward the front. The length of the loading platform is 9600 mm, but only a part is shown. In Figs. 2(a) to (d), the black - painted part is the loading platform 1, and each section 5 extending linearly from the left - hand end to the right - hand end of the loading platform with a width of 225.7 mm is formed on the loading platform 1. Each of these sections can be lowered, and the lowered section can be raised back to its original position. In the example of Fig. 2, by lowering the sections of the part to be used, the groove used in the loading method of the present invention can be formed. In this case, when the width of the package is 1552 mm (Fig. 2(a)), 1414 mm (Fig. 2(b)), and 1300 mm (Fig. 2(c)), the distance between the forks of the forklift is 800 mm, and when the width of the package is 1098 mm, the distance between the forks of the forklift is 550 mm (Fig. 2(d)). By lowering the sections at suitable locations to form grooves, loading can be performed in any case. In Fig. 2(a), the 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 13th sections from the left are lowered to form grooves. In Fig. 2(b), the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th sections from the left are lowered to form grooves. In Fig. 2(c), the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 11th sections from the left are lowered to form grooves. In Fig. 2(d), the 1st, 4th, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 14th sections from the left are lowered to form grooves. As a result, grooves can be formed only at the necessary locations, so that the forks can be inserted at appropriate positions corresponding to various package widths.

[0015] As a transport truck suitable for the loading and unloading method of the present invention, for example, a wing body truck can be cited. The wing body truck of the present invention is a wing body truck having the grooves in the left-right direction formed on the loading platform described above, and can be suitably used for the loading and unloading method of the present invention. Matters related to the grooves are the same as those described in the loading and unloading method of the present invention. Except for the parts related to the grooves on the loading platform, the structure of an ordinary wing body truck may be used.

[0016] In the present invention, the package is not particularly limited as long as it is an integrated body of a plurality of transported objects without using a pallet. For example, the following packages can be cited.

[0017] (A package in which a plurality of transported objects and a plate-like body are integrated) In the present invention, as a packaging body, for example, multiple conveyed objects can be stacked on a plate-like body, and the multiple conveyed objects and the plate-like body can be packaged together to create and use a packaging body in which the multiple conveyed objects and the plate-like body are integrated. In the present invention, the method of packaging and integrating multiple conveyed objects and the plate-like body is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to package the multiple conveyed objects and the plate-like body using an elastic or shrinkable film. An example of an elastic film is a stretch film, and as a stretch film, a film commonly used as a stretch film can be used. An example of a shrinkable film is a film that shrinks due to heat, ultraviolet light, etc., and as a film that shrinks due to heat is a shrink film, a film commonly used as a shrink film can be used. As for the packaging method, when using an elastic film such as a stretch film, the conveyed objects and the plate-like body can be packaged and integrated by wrapping the film from the conveyed objects to the plate-like body. When using shrinkable films such as shrink film, the transported object and the plate-like object can be wrapped in the film and then shrunk by heat or other means to package and integrate them. In this invention, it is preferable to package and integrate multiple transported objects and plate-like objects by wrapping them with stretch film. Using stretch film allows transported objects to be packaged without the corners being dented or crushed, even if the transported object is in a weak box such as a cardboard box. Stretch film is usually wrapped horizontally, but to integrate the plate-like object and the transported object, it is also effective to wrap it vertically to tightly adhere them together. Furthermore, bands can be used as a method for packaging and integrating the transported object and the plate-like object. For example, if the weight of the transported object is large, a strong plate-like object such as plywood can be used as the plate-like object, and the transported object and the plate-like object can be bound together using bands such as PP bands.

[0018] The plate-like body in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be used to stack transported objects on top of it, package them with an elastic or shrinkable film or the like to integrate them, and maintain the integrated shape. The material of the plate-like body is not particularly limited and can be plastic, cloth, paper, wood, metal, etc. The plate-like body in this invention only needs to be able to maintain a plate-like shape and may be elastic and bendable. Examples of plate-like bodies in this invention include corrugated cardboard sheets, plywood, thin steel sheets, plastic corrugated cardboard, plastic sheets, cardboard, resin sheets, etc. Corrugated cardboard sheets are preferred as the plate-like body in this invention. The corrugated cardboard sheet used is not particularly limited, but examples include A-flute, B-flute, C-flute, W-flute, etc., and the thickness can be about 3 to 10 mm. Plywood can be single-ply or plywood. Examples of thicknesses for the plate-like body in this invention include 3 to 20 mm, 3 to 15 mm, 5 to 10 mm, etc. The size of the sheet should preferably be the same as, or slightly larger than, the surface area of ​​the stacked packages.

[0019] Figure 4 shows one embodiment of a packaging body in which multiple transported items and a plate-like body are integrated. In the packaging body 3 of Figure 4, multiple rectangular boxes are stacked on top of the plate-like body 7 as transported items 6. Figure 4(a) is a front view of the packaging body 3, and Figure 4(b) is a bottom view of the packaging body 3. In the packaging body 3, although not shown in Figure 4(a), the front, both sides, and back of the packaging body 3, i.e., the entire perimeter, are wrapped with stretch film 8. In addition, the stretch film 8 is also wrapped around the sides and part of the bottom of the plate-like body 7, and by wrapping the stretch film 8 around the bottom of the plate-like body 7 as shown in Figure 4(b), the transported items 6 and the plate-like body 7 are packaged with the stretch film 8 and integrated into the packaging body 3. Furthermore, when placing the transported items 6 on top of the plate-like body 7, the plate-like body 7 and the transported items 6 in contact with the plate-like body 7 may be adhered or bonded together with adhesive, glue, etc. This reduces the risk of the transported object 6 and the plate-like body 7 separating during packaging with stretch film 8 or when the packaged body 3 is moved, making packaging and moving the packaged body 3 easier. The adhesive, glue, etc., is preferably of a type that is lightly tacky or lightly adhesive, allowing the transported object 6 to be easily separated from the plate-like body 7 with a little force, or a type that loses its tackiness or adhesiveness when the transported object 6 is separated from the plate-like body 7. Figure 4(c) is a schematic diagram showing the area where the transported object 6 is attached or bonded to the plate-like body 7 with adhesive or glue 9, and the attachment or bonding does not necessarily have to be applied to the entire transported object 6, but only to a part of it.

[0020] (A packaging that specifies the arrangement of multiple items being transported.) In the present invention, as a packaging body, for example, multiple transport items are stacked in two or more layers, and the transport items in the bottom layer are arranged such that when the bottom surface of the transport items is placed on the forks of a forklift, they traverse at least one of the forks at approximately right angles to the longitudinal direction of the forks. In relation to the transport items in each layer except the bottom layer, more than half of the transport items in the upper layer overlap with two or more of the transport items in the lower layer. After stacking the transport items in each layer, a packaging body in which the multiple transport items are integrated is created and can be used by packaging with an elastic or shrinkable film. With this method, a packaging body suitable for the loading and unloading method of the present invention can be created without using a plate-like body. In this case, there are no particular restrictions on the type, shape, etc. of the transport items, but from the viewpoint of exhibiting the effects of the present invention, it is preferable that the shape is a rectangular parallelepiped (including a cube). The term "rectangular prism" refers to a situation where the transported product is a rectangular prism and is simply stacked, as well as a situation where the product is placed in a rectangular prism container and the rectangular containers are stacked. When the product is placed in a container, the shape of the product is not particularly limited. The material of the container is not particularly limited; for example, it can be made of cardboard or other paper, wood, metal, etc. Examples of containers include cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, metal boxes, etc. For example, even if a cardboard box is a rectangular prism, some distortion will occur, but in this invention, a rectangular prism includes the state in which distortion generally occurs in containers such as cardboard boxes.

[0021] In the above case, the transported items are stacked in a specific stacking method, such that, in relation to the transported items on each level except the bottom level, more than half (i.e., more than 50%) of the transported items on the upper level overlap with two or more of the transported items on the lower level. For example, in relation to the second level from the bottom and the first level from the bottom (the bottom level), if there are six transported items on the upper level (i.e., the second level from the bottom), more than half of the transported items on the upper level, i.e., three or more transported items, are stacked so that they overlap with two or more of the transported items on the lower level. In other words, instead of stacking one transported item from the second level from the bottom on top of each transported item on the first level from the bottom, at least three transported items on the second level from the bottom are stacked so that they are in contact with and overlap at least two of the transported items on the first level. Similarly, in the relationship between the third row from the bottom and the second row from the bottom (the row immediately below it), if there are six transported items on the upper row (i.e., the third row from the bottom), more than half of the transported items on the upper row, i.e., three or more transported items, are stacked so that they overlap with two or more transported items on the lower row. In other words, instead of stacking one transported item from the third row from the bottom on top of each transported item on the second row from the bottom, at least three transported items on the third row from the bottom are stacked so that they are in contact with and overlap at least two of the transported items on the second row. The same applies to the fourth row from the bottom and above. In the present invention, it is preferable that, in the relationship between the transported items on each row except the bottom row and the transported items on the row immediately below each row, more than 60% of the transported items on the upper row are stacked so that they overlap with two or more transported items on the lower row.

[0022] Furthermore, for the bottom layer, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the items in the bottom layer are arranged so that when their undersides are placed on the forks of the forklift, at least one fork is crossed approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks. By arranging the items in the bottom layer so that at least one fork is crossed approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks of the forklift inserted into the underside of the bottom layer, the load of these items is evenly distributed on the forks. This allows the bottom layer to be stabilized when the package is lifted by the forklift forks, even without support plates or pallets beneath the items in the bottom layer, as described later, using only film packaging. For the bottom layer of transported goods, it is sufficient to arrange the goods so that more than half of the goods cross at least one fork approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks when their undersides are placed on the forklift forks. However, from the viewpoint of further stabilizing the bottom layer, it is preferable that all of the goods in the bottom layer cross at least one fork approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks when their undersides are placed on the forklift forks. Here, arranging the goods so that they cross at least one fork means that, in the case of two forks, the goods are arranged so that they cross one fork or so that they cross two forks. Furthermore, by stacking the goods in each layer except the bottom layer, i.e., the goods from the second layer onwards, as described above, a structure is created in which the goods support each other and prevent the load from collapsing. There is no particular limit to the number of layers to stack, as long as it is two or more, and it can be appropriately determined according to the height of the cargo compartment of the truck into which the goods are loaded. From the viewpoint of better demonstrating the effects of the present invention, the number of layers in which the conveyed objects are stacked is preferably 3 or more, 4 or more, or 5 or more, and the stacking height is preferably 2m or less or 3.5m or less from the viewpoint of the stability of the stacked conveyed objects. Also, as shown in Figure 3(c), if the size of the package is small, it may not be necessary to arrange the conveyed objects approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fork.

[0023] As described above, the stacked transported items are packaged and integrated using an elastic or shrinkable film. Examples of elastic films include stretch film, and for stretch film, the type commonly used as stretch film can be used. Examples of shrinkable films include films that shrink due to heat, ultraviolet light, etc., and for heat-shrinkable films, examples include shrink film, and for shrink film, the type commonly used as shrink film can be used. As for the packaging method, when using an elastic film such as stretch film, the stacked transported items can be integrated by wrapping the film around the sides of the stacked transported items. When using a shrinkable film such as shrink film, the stacked transported items can be integrated by wrapping the sides of the stacked transported items with the film and shrinking it with heat, etc. The part that needs to be wrapped with the elastic or shrinkable film is only the sides of the stacked transported items, but wrapping it so that it also covers part of the top surface can further stabilize the transported items. By using the specific stacking method described above, the packaging of the stacked items can be prevented from collapsing when the package is lifted with a fork, even without wrapping the bottom surface of the stacked items with film, thus making film packaging much easier. However, this invention does not exclude wrapping part or all of the bottom surface of the stacked items with film. It is preferable to package and integrate multiple stacked items by wrapping them with stretch film. Using stretch film allows for packaging even weak boxes such as cardboard boxes without the corners being dented or crushed. For example, multiple items can be integrated by wrapping the stretch film around the sides of the stacked items in a horizontal or diagonal direction. It is preferable that all the items to be packaged are the same size and shape, but items of different sizes and shapes may be mixed among the items to be packaged, as long as the relationships between the items in each layer are satisfied and an integrated package can be made with a film that is elastic or shrinkable.As an auxiliary measure, the conveyed objects may be attached or bonded to each other using an adhesive or bonding agent. Preferably, the adhesive or bonding agent is of a type that is lightly tacky or lightly adhesive, allowing the conveyed objects to be easily separated with a little force, or that loses its tackiness or adhesiveness when the conveyed objects are separated. It is preferable to use such an agent for temporary adhesion or bonding.

[0024] The following shows one embodiment of how the packages are stacked in the above case. Figures 5(a) to (d) are top views of the arrangement of boxes of transported items in each layer, where (a) represents the 1st layer, (b) represents the 2nd and 5th layers, (c) represents the 3rd and 6th layers, and (d) represents the 4th layer, and they are stacked in the order of (a)→(b)→(c)→(d)→(b)→(c) from bottom to top. In the following explanation, (a)1 refers to the box numbered 1 in Figure 5(a), and so on. Boxes (b)1 and (b)2 in the 2nd layer overlap with boxes (a)1 and (a)2 in the 1st layer, respectively, and boxes (b)5 and (b)6 in the 2nd layer overlap with boxes (a)5 and (a)6 in the 1st layer, respectively. In other words, four of the six boxes (b)1 to 6 in the second row ((b)1, 2, 5, and 6) each overlap with two of the boxes arranged in the first row. Box (c)1 in the third row overlaps with boxes (b)1 and (b)2 in the second row, box (c)2 in the third row overlaps with boxes (b)1 and (b)3 in the second row, box (c)3 in the third row overlaps with boxes (b)2 and (b)5 in the second row, and box (c)5 in the third row overlaps with boxes (b)3 and (b)5 in the second row. In other words, four of the six boxes (c)1 to 6 in the third row ((c)1, 2, 3, and 5) each overlap with two of the boxes arranged in the second row. Box (d)3 in the fourth row overlaps with boxes (c)3 and (c)5 in the third row, box (d)4 in the fourth row overlaps with boxes (c)3 and (c)4 in the third row, box (d)5 in the fourth row overlaps with boxes (c)4 and (c)6 in the third row, and box (d)6 in the fourth row overlaps with boxes (c)5 and (c)6 in the third row. In other words, four of the six boxes (d)1 to 6 in the fourth row ((d)3, 4, 5, and 6) each overlap with two of the boxes arranged in the third row. Box (b)1 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)1 and (d)2 in the 4th row; box (b)2 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)1 and (d)3 in the 4th row; box (b)3 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)2 and (d)3 in the 4th row; box (b)4 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)4 and (d)5 in the 4th row; box (b)5 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)4 and (d)6 in the 4th row; and box (b)6 in the 5th row overlaps with boxes (d)5 and (d)6 in the 4th row. In other words, the six boxes (b)1 to 6 in the 5th row each overlap with two of the boxes arranged in the 4th row. The relationship between boxes (c)1 to 6 in the 6th row and boxes (b)1 to 6 in the 5th row is as described above.

[0025] Furthermore, when stacked in the order (a)→(b')→(c')→(b')→(c')→(b') from the bottom, in relation to (a) and (b'), (b')2, 3, 5, and 6 each overlap with two of the boxes in (a); in relation to (b') and (c'), (c')1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 each overlap with two of the boxes in (b'); and in relation to (c') and (b'), (b')1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 each overlap with two of the boxes in (c'). In Figure 5(a), F represents the forks of a forklift, showing the state where the bottom surface of the first layer from the bottom (the lowest layer) is supported by two forks. In order to firmly support the bottom surface of the stacked transported items (i.e., the bottom surface of the lowest layer) with the forks, in Figure 5(a), all of the transported items in the bottom layer are arranged such that when their bottom surfaces are placed on the forklift forks, the longitudinal direction of the transported items is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks and crosses one fork. As a result, the load is evenly distributed on the forks for each transported item, and even without a support plate or pallet such as a board under the transported items in the bottom layer, the bottom layer can be stabilized when the transported items are lifted by supporting the bottom surface of the transported items with the forks. It is preferable that there be overlaps in the transported items in both directions within the package, for example, a vertical overlap of the forks where (b)1 overlaps with (a)1 and (a)2, and a lateral overlap of the forks where (c)1 overlaps with (b)1 and (b)2. Furthermore, in cases where the conveyed items on the upper level overlap with two or more conveyed items on the lower level, it is preferable that each of the two or more conveyed items on the lower level overlaps by an area of ​​one-third or more, or approximately one-half, of the area of ​​their respective upper surfaces. It is also preferable that the packaging includes conveyed items placed side by side between two forks, for example, as in (c)3. Figure 6(a) is a side view of the packaging 3, and Figure 6(b) is a top view of the packaging 3. In the packaging shown in Figure 6(a), the stretch film 8 is wrapped around the entire perimeter of the side of the packaging 3. The diagonal lines in Figure 6(a) indicate that the stretch film 8 is wrapped diagonally. Figure 6(b) shows that the stretch film 8 is wrapped so as to overlap the corners of the top surface of the packaging 3.Furthermore, when stacking the transported items, the top and bottom surfaces of the transported items facing each other may be adhered or bonded with an adhesive or glue. This reduces the risk of the load collapsing during packaging with stretch film 8 or when moving the package 3, and makes packaging and moving the package 3 easier. The adhesive or glue is preferably a lightly adhesive or lightly bonding type that allows the transported items to be easily separated with a little force, or a type that loses its adhesiveness when the stretch film 8 is removed and each transported item is taken out. Figures 6(c) and (d) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a location where the items are adhered or bonded with an adhesive or glue 9, and it is not necessary to adhere or bond the entire transported item; it may be done only on a part of it.

[0026] Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the method of stacking the packaging according to the present invention. Figures 7(a) to (c) are top views of the arrangement of boxes of the transported goods at each level, where (a) is the first level (bottom level), (b) is the second, fourth, and sixth levels, and (c) is the third and fifth levels, and they are stacked in the order of (a)→(b)→(c)→(b)→(c)→(b) from bottom to top. Boxes (b)3 and (b)4 of the second level overlap with boxes (a)3 and (a)4 of the first level, respectively, and boxes (b)5 and (b)6 of the second level overlap with boxes (a)5 and (a)6 of the first level, respectively. Furthermore, boxes (c)1 and (c)2 in the third tier overlap with boxes (b)1 and (b)2 in the second tier, respectively; boxes (c)3 and (c)4 in the third tier overlap with boxes (b)3 and (b)4 in the second tier, respectively; boxes (c)5 and (c)6 in the third tier overlap with boxes (b)5 and (b)6 in the second tier, respectively; and boxes (c)7 and (c)8 in the third tier overlap with boxes (b)7 and (b)8 in the second tier, respectively. The relationships in each subsequent tier are as described above. In Figure 7(a), F represents the forks of a forklift, showing the state where the bottom surface of the first tier from the bottom (the lowest tier) is supported by two forks. In order to firmly support the underside of the stacked transported items (i.e., the underside of the bottom layer) with the forks, in Figure 7(a), all eight transported items in the bottom layer are arranged such that when their undersides are placed on the forklift forks, the longitudinal direction of each transported item is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forks and crosses one fork. As a result, the load is evenly distributed on the forks for each transported item in the bottom layer, and even without support plates or pallets beneath the transported items in the bottom layer, the bottom layer can be stabilized when the forks support the underside of the transported items and lift them. [Examples]

[0027] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples of the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0028] [Example 1] A total of 42 cardboard boxes were stacked on top of a cardboard sheet (125cm long, 165cm wide, 0.5cm thick), with 6 rectangular cardboard boxes (38.8cm long, 77.6cm wide, 34.9cm high) per layer, each containing 8 bags of toilet paper with 12 rolls each. These boxes were then wrapped in stretch film (Super Terito Slim, manufactured by Tsukasa Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.: 12μm thick, 500mm wide, 500m long) to create the packaging. The bottom of the first layer of cardboard boxes was glued to the cardboard sheet using one-touch adhesive (Rockin' Pop, manufactured by Zignode Co., Ltd.) as shown in Figure 4(c). The completed packaging was moved on the two forks of a forklift, and the packaging did not collapse. A model of the loading platform similar to that in Figure 1(a) was constructed. The forks of a forklift loaded with a package were lowered from above into the groove and inserted into the groove. Then, the forks were withdrawn through the opening at the end of the groove to place the package onto the loading platform. The forklift forks were inserted into the opening at the end of the groove on the loading platform, and the forks were raised to lift only the package. Throughout these processes, the package remained intact, and it was possible to load and unload it using a forklift without using a pallet.

[0029] [Example 2] Six rectangular cardboard boxes (38.8cm long, 77.6cm wide, 34.9cm high), each containing eight bags of 12 rolls of toilet paper, were stacked in six layers, as shown in Figure 5(a)→(b)→(c)→(d)→(b)→(c), for a total of 36 cardboard boxes. These were then wrapped in stretch film (Super Terito Slim, manufactured by Tsukasa Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.: 12μm thick, 500mm wide, 500m long) to create a package. One-touch adhesive (Rockin' Pop, manufactured by Zignode Co., Ltd.) was applied between the upper and lower cardboard boxes in each layer to seal them, as shown in Figure 6(c). The prepared package was moved on the two forks of a forklift, and the package did not collapse. A loading platform similar to those shown in Figures 2(a) to (d) was manufactured. A model of the loading platform similar to that in Figure 2(a) was constructed. The forks of a forklift loaded with a package were lowered from above into the groove and inserted into the groove. Then, the forks were withdrawn through the opening at the end of the groove to place the package onto the loading platform. The forklift forks were inserted into the opening at the end of the groove on the loading platform, and the forks were raised to lift only the package. Throughout these processes, the package remained intact, and it was possible to load and unload it using a forklift without using a pallet. [Industrial applicability]

[0030] The loading and unloading method of the present invention can be suitably used for loading and unloading various types of transported goods without the use of pallets. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 1. Cargo bed 2 grooves 3 Packaging 4 Lid 5. Descending section 6. Transported items 7 Plate-like body 8 Stretch film 9. Adhesives or adhesives F Fork (Tail)

Claims

1. Grooves are formed on the left and right sides of the cargo bed of the transport truck for inserting the forks of a forklift. Loading of the transported goods is performed by creating a package by integrating multiple of the transported goods, placing the package on the forks of a forklift, and inserting the forks into the groove from above. The unloading of the transported goods is performed by inserting the forks of a forklift into the groove from the side of the groove, and then moving the forks upwards into the groove to place the packaged goods onto the forklift forks. A method for loading and unloading transported goods without using pallets.

2. The method for loading and unloading transported goods according to claim 1, wherein the packaging is a packaging that integrates only multiple transported goods, or a packaging that integrates multiple transported goods and a plate-like body.

3. A wing-body vehicle for use in the loading and unloading method of transported goods according to claim 1 or 2, wherein grooves for inserting forklift forks are formed in the left and right directions of the loading platform, and the grooves are open in the upward and sideways directions.

4. The wing-body vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a groove cover.

5. The wing body vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a groove is formed by the lowering of a part of the cargo bed.

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