trailer
The trailer's push-off mechanism with parallel hydraulic cylinders for the movable floor and extrusion plate addresses the failure issues of existing systems, ensuring stable and efficient unloading of heavy loads with reduced maintenance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HANAMIDAI MOTORS
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing push-off mechanisms for vehicles like earthmoving dump trucks are prone to hydraulic cylinder failure due to high stress when handling heavy loads, leading to increased maintenance efforts and costs.
A trailer with a push-off mechanism featuring a movable floor and extrusion plate, operated by multiple hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel, which allows for reciprocating movement in both directions, reducing the load on each cylinder and enhancing durability.
The mechanism provides higher durability, reduces the risk of hydraulic cylinder failure, and enables stable operation with lower maintenance costs, while allowing for compact installation and efficient unloading of heavy loads without tilting the platform.
Smart Images

Figure 2026089802000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a trailer, for example, a trailer provided with a push-off mechanism for pushing out a load such as gravel.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, earthmoving dump trucks have been widely used as vehicles for transporting earth and sand, gravel, etc. An earthmoving dump truck is provided with a dump-up mechanism for lifting and tilting the loading platform on the driver's seat side upward, and is configured to tilt the loading platform by the dump-up mechanism to unload the load. A vehicle equipped with the above-described dump-up mechanism is disclosed, for example, in a web page (non-patent document) introducing an "earthmoving dump trailer having a dump-up mechanism" manufactured and sold by the applicant of the present application.
[0003] In addition, as a vehicle for transporting earth and sand, gravel, etc., a vehicle equipped with a push-off mechanism for pushing out a load such as gravel in the horizontal direction along the upper surface of the loading platform instead of tilting the loading platform is also used. The push-off mechanism for pushing out the load has a push-out plate erected perpendicular to the upper surface (load-carrying surface) of the loading platform and a hydraulic cylinder for operating the push-out plate in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the upper surface of the loading platform. According to this push-off mechanism, when the hydraulic cylinder extends the piston rod, the push-out plate is pushed by the piston rod and slides along the upper surface of the loading platform from the front to the rear of the loading platform. By this sliding movement, the load stacked on the loading platform is pushed out by the push-out plate and unloaded onto the ground surface.
[0004] According to the configuration of this push-off mechanism, it is possible to load and unload loads such as gravel without lifting and tilting the loading platform on the driver's seat side upward. Therefore, compared with a vehicle having a dump-up mechanism, it is possible to prevent contact with high-rise structures and prevent the vehicle from tipping over.
Prior Art Documents
Non-Patent Documents
[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] The webpage featuring the "Dump Trailer HDD191H" product from the website of Hanamidai Jidosha Co., Ltd. [Searched November 11, 2024], Internet<URL:https: / / www.hanamidai.co.jp / product_07_01.html> [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0006] By the way, the current push-off mechanism operates the push-off plate by extending the piston rod of a single hydraulic cylinder in one direction. Alternatively, the current push-off mechanism has a sliding plate on the loading platform that supports the push-off plate, and operates the sliding platform that supports the push-off plate by extending the piston rod of a single hydraulic cylinder in one direction. However, the current push-off mechanism described above has several drawbacks. In practice, the hydraulic cylinders used to push heavy loads such as gravel are subjected to heavy stress, making them prone to failure and resulting in increased maintenance effort and costs.
[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its objective is to provide a trailer equipped with a push-off mechanism that has higher durability and a reduced risk of failure compared to the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] The present invention, made to solve the above problems, is a trailer comprising a main frame, a base floor and a movable floor constituting a cargo bed on which cargo such as soil and gravel is placed, and a push-off mechanism for pushing out the cargo loaded on the cargo bed, wherein the base floor is fixed to the upper surface of the main frame, the movable floor has a shorter length dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction than the base floor, is slidably supported on the upper surface of the base floor and is able to move along the upper surface of the base floor, and the push-off mechanism moves the movable floor along the upper surface of the base floor in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The system includes a floor hydraulic cylinder unit for reciprocating movement, an extruder plate erected vertically to the upper surface of the movable floor and movably supported on the upper surface of the movable floor, and an extruder plate hydraulic cylinder unit for reciprocating movement of the extruder plate in the vehicle longitudinal direction along the upper surface of the movable floor. The floor hydraulic cylinder unit consists of multiple floor hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together, and the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube can be extended in both the vehicle longitudinal and rear directions, or the extended piston rod can be retracted into the cylinder tube. By returning the components, the movable floor is moved back and forth along the upper surface of the base floor, and the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate is formed by integrating multiple hydraulic cylinders for the extruded plate arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction, and by extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both directions and returning it to the cylinder tube, the extruded plate is moved back and forth along the upper surface of the movable floor, and when both the floor hydraulic cylinder unit and the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate have all their piston rods housed in the cylinder tube, the movable floor is positioned on the front side of the movable floor and the extruded plate is positioned in front of the movable floor, and in this first state, cargo is loaded onto the cargo bed, and the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate is operated to extend the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, moving the extruded plate along the upper surface of the movable floor to the rear end of the movable floor, and then the floor hydraulic cylinder unit is operated,The piston rod housed in the cylinder tube is extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and the movable floor and the extrusion plate supported by the movable floor are moved to the rear end of the base floor, thereby causing the cargo loaded on the cargo bed to be pushed out onto the extrusion plate.
[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the multiple hydraulic cylinders for the extruded plates consist of a first hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plates that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle, a second hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plates that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the front of the vehicle, and a third hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plates that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle, and that the multiple hydraulic cylinders for the floor consist of a first hydraulic cylinder for the floor that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle, a second hydraulic cylinder for the floor that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the front of the vehicle, and a third hydraulic cylinder for the floor that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle.
[0010] Furthermore, a first fixing piece is erected at the front end of the base floor on the vehicle side, the movable floor is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with an opening formed at the center / front end in the vehicle width direction, and a gap formed extending from this opening to a position near the rear end, and furthermore, a second fixing piece is erected at the front end of the upper surface on the vehicle side, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit is inserted through the gap extending from the opening at the front end of the movable floor to a position near the rear end, and the tip of the piston rod of the second floor hydraulic cylinder is connected and fixed to the first fixing piece erected at the front end of the base floor, and Preferably, the tip of the piston rod of the first floor hydraulic cylinder and the tip of the piston rod of the third floor hydraulic cylinder are connected and fixed to the closed portion at the end of the gap near the rear end of the movable floor, the tip of the piston rod of the second extruded plate hydraulic cylinder is connected and fixed to the second fixing piece erected at the front end of the movable floor, and the tip of the piston rod of the first extruded plate hydraulic cylinder and the tip of the piston rod of the third extruded plate hydraulic cylinder are connected and fixed to one end face of the extruded plate.
[0011] As described above, in the push-off mechanism of the present invention, both the floor hydraulic cylinder unit and the extruder plate hydraulic cylinder unit are integrated by arranging multiple hydraulic cylinders (floor hydraulic cylinders or extruder plate hydraulic cylinders) in parallel in the vehicle width direction, and the extruder plate 10 and the movable floor 20 are operated by the operation of the multiple hydraulic cylinders. Therefore, compared to conventional technology, the push-off mechanism of the present invention has a configuration that reduces the load on each hydraulic cylinder, has high durability and reduces the risk of failure. In other words, it is expected that the push-off mechanism of the present invention will reduce maintenance effort and costs.
[0012] Furthermore, the push-off mechanism of the trailer according to the present invention operates the extrusion plate along the upper surface of the movable floor using multiple hydraulic cylinders for the extrusion plate, and operates the movable floor and extrusion plate along the upper surface of the base floor using multiple hydraulic cylinders for the floor. As a result, the push-off mechanism of the present invention can push out the load with a large load via the extrusion plate. Consequently, the push-off mechanism of the present invention can push out the load with more stable operation compared to cases where the extrusion plate is moved by a single hydraulic cylinder, or where the movable floor supporting the extrusion plate is moved by a single hydraulic cylinder.
[0013] Furthermore, the "extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit and floor hydraulic cylinder unit" of the present invention's push-off mechanism both consist of multiple hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together. The extrusion plate is operated by extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, or by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle and returning it to the cylinder tube. This push-off mechanism configuration allows for a shorter overall length when the piston rod is housed in the cylinder tube, compared to a hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction, thus enabling a more compact installation on the trailer. [Effects of the Invention]
[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a trailer equipped with a push-off mechanism that has higher durability and a reduced risk of failure compared to those of the prior art. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0015] [Figure 1] This is a rearward perspective view of a trailer system having a trailer equipped with a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a trailer equipped with a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit of a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the piston rod of the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit is retracted and stored in the cylinder tube, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the piston rod of the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit is extended and protruding from the cylinder tube. [Figure 4] The following are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of a movable floor by a floor hydraulic cylinder unit of a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention: (a) is a schematic diagram showing the floor hydraulic cylinder unit with the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube and the movable floor positioned at the front of the foundation floor; and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the floor hydraulic cylinder unit with the piston rod protruding from the cylinder tube and the movable floor positioned at the rear of the foundation floor. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate of the push-off mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate is retracted and stored in the cylinder tube, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate is extended and protruding from the cylinder tube. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of an extrusion plate moving on the upper surface of the movable floor of a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the extrusion plate is positioned at the front side of the movable floor, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the extrusion plate has moved from the front side of the movable floor to the rear and is positioned at the rear end of the movable floor. [Figure 7]It is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which both the extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit and the floor hydraulic cylinder unit store the piston rod in the cylinder tube, arrange the moving floor on the front end side of the vehicle, and arrange the extrusion plate at a position on the front side of the moving floor. (b) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit protrudes the piston rod from the cylinder tube and arranges the extrusion plate at the rear end portion of the moving floor. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the moving floor supporting the extrusion plate shown in FIG. 7(b) moves to the rear of the base floor and the moving floor and the extrusion plate are arranged at the rear end portion of the base floor.
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0016] Hereinafter, a trailer system including a trailer having a push-off mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention and a tractor for towing the trailer will be described based on the drawings.
[0017] First, the configuration of the trailer system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trailer system having a trailer equipped with the push-off mechanism of the present embodiment as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the trailer equipped with the push-off mechanism of the present embodiment. Note that the trailer system of the present embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the push-off mechanism of the trailer. Therefore, in the following description, among the configurations of the trailer system of the present embodiment, the characteristic configurations will be described in detail, and the descriptions of the configurations other than the characteristic configurations will be omitted or simplified.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the trailer system of the present embodiment includes a trailer W and a tractor 100 to which the trailer W is connected and which towes the trailer W. The tractor 100 described above includes a cabin 105, a chassis extending from the rear end of the cabin 105, front wheels 111 located on the underside of the cabin 105, and rear wheels 112 located on the rear and underside of the chassis.
[0020] Furthermore, the chassis of the tractor 100 is equipped with a coupler for connecting the trailer W. The coupler is located above the rear wheels 112, which are located on the rear and lower side of the chassis. The coupling pin (kingpin) 5 (see Figure 2) of the trailer W is inserted into the coupler, thereby connecting the tractor 100 and the trailer W.
[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the trailer W comprises a main frame 1, a base floor 10 and a movable floor 20 that constitute a cargo bed provided on the upper surface of the main frame 1, and a push-off mechanism for pushing out cargo such as gravel loaded on the cargo bed. Furthermore, the base floor 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the main frame 1, and the movable floor 20 is supported on the upper surface of the base floor 10. The movable floor 20 is also designed to slide freely horizontally along the upper surface of the base floor 10.
[0022] The main frame 1 is arranged in pairs, left and right in a plan view, approximately parallel to each other with a predetermined gap between them, and is fixed by horizontal frames (not shown) provided at multiple predetermined locations.
[0023] Furthermore, at the rear of the main frame 1, a front wheel 3a and a rear wheel 3b are provided, aligned in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X direction). Furthermore, a mounting section for connecting to the coupler of the tractor 100 is provided at the front of the main frame 1, and a coupling pin 5 protrudes downward from the mounting section. In Figure 1, reference numeral 71 denotes the "side panels" provided on both the left and right sides of the foundation floor 10, and reference numeral 72 denotes the "rear panel" provided at the rear end of the foundation floor 10.
[0024] Furthermore, the base floor 10 is formed in a flat plate shape that extends from the front to the rear end of the vehicle and is fixed to the upper surface of the main frame 1. A fixing piece (first fixing piece) 11 is erected at the front end (vehicle-front end) of the base floor 10 for fixing the tip of the piston rod 32b of the hydraulic cylinder 32 that constitutes the push-off mechanism.
[0025] The movable floor 20 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with dimensions in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction) being approximately "1 / 3" of the vehicle longitudinal direction dimensions of the base floor 10, and dimensions in the vehicle width direction (vehicle left-right direction) being approximately the same as the vehicle width direction dimensions of the base floor 10. Furthermore, wheels are provided on the underside of the movable floor 20, allowing the movable floor 20 to move smoothly back and forth along the upper surface of the foundation floor 10.
[0026] Furthermore, the movable floor 20 has an opening formed in the center and front end in the vehicle width direction (vehicle left-right direction), and a gap is formed extending from this opening to a position near the rear end. The "push-off mechanism floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30," which will be described later, is movably housed in this gap. Furthermore, the movable floor 20 has a fixing piece 21 (second fixing piece) erected on the front end of its upper surface (the end on the vehicle's front side). The tip of the piston rod 42b, which is a component of the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the push-off mechanism's extrusion plate (described later), is connected to and fixed to this fixing piece 21.
[0027] Next, the configuration of the push-off mechanism will be explained with reference to Figure 2 and Figures 3-6 mentioned above.
[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit of the push-off mechanism in this embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the movable floor by the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit of the push-off mechanism in this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extrusion plate of the push-off mechanism of this embodiment, and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the extrusion plate moving on the upper surface of the moving floor of the push-off mechanism of this embodiment.
[0029] 《Outline configuration of the push-off mechanism》 As shown in Figure 2, the push-off mechanism includes a floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 that moves the movable floor 20 back and forth in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction) along the upper surface of the base floor 10, an extrusion plate 50 that is erected perpendicular to the upper surface of the movable floor 20 and is movably supported on the upper surface of the movable floor 20, and an extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40 that moves the extrusion plate 50 back and forth in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction) along the upper surface of the movable floor 20.
[0030] Then, as shown in Figure 7(a) which will be described later, the push-off mechanism operates the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extrusion plate on the extrusion plate 50 which is supported on the upper and front side of the movable floor 20 located at the front end of the base floor 10, and moves the extrusion plate 50 to the position of the rear end of the movable floor 20, as shown in Figure 7(b) which will be described later. Next, in the state shown in Figure 7(b), the push-off mechanism operates the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 to move the movable floor 20 supporting the extrusion plate 50 to the position of the rear end of the base floor 10, as shown in Figure 8, which will be described later.
[0031] These actions cause the extrusion plate 50 to slide from its front position to its rear end position on the foundation floor 10. This sliding motion of the extrusion plate 50 pushes out the cargo (loads) such as gravel loaded on the truck bed, allowing the cargo to be unloaded from the truck bed onto the ground. In other words, according to this embodiment, the cargo can be unloaded from the truck bed without tilting the truck bed by dumping it up. The following describes each component of the push-off mechanism.
[0032] Floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 30 First, let's explain the configuration of the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 30. As shown in Figure 3, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is an integrated unit in which multiple (3) hydraulic cylinders (floor hydraulic cylinders) 31, 32, and 33 are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction. The movable floor 20 is moved back and forth along the upper surface of the base floor 10 by extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both directions (X1 direction and X2 direction) and by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in the vehicle's front-rear direction back into the cylinder tube.
[0033] Each of the hydraulic cylinders (floor-mounted hydraulic cylinders) 31, 32, and 33 has cylinder tubes 31a, 32a, and 33a, respectively, and piston rods 31b, 32b, and 33b that extend and retract relative to the cylinder tubes 31a, 32a, and 33a. Furthermore, the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is formed by fixing the "cylinder tubes 31a, 31b, and 31c," which are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction, with connecting members 35a and 35b.
[0034] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 includes a hydraulic cylinder (first floor hydraulic cylinder) 31 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 31b from a cylinder tube 31a toward the rear of the vehicle (X1 direction), a hydraulic cylinder (second floor hydraulic cylinder) 32 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 32b from a cylinder tube 32a toward the front of the vehicle (X2 direction), and a hydraulic cylinder (third floor hydraulic cylinder) 33 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 33b from a cylinder tube 33a toward the rear of the vehicle (X1 direction). The three hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33 are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction to form an integrated unit. In the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 30, the cylinder tube 32a of the hydraulic cylinder 32 is positioned in the center, with the cylinder tube 31a of the hydraulic cylinder 31 and the cylinder tube 33a of the hydraulic cylinder 33 positioned on either side of the cylinder tube 32a, and the cylinder tubes 31a, 32a, and 33a are fixed together by connecting members 35a and 35b.
[0035] The floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is inserted into a gap that extends from the opening at the front end of the movable floor 20 to the rear end or nearby. The tip of the piston rod 32b of the hydraulic cylinder 32 is connected and fixed to a fixing piece 11 erected at the front end of the foundation floor 10, and the tips of the piston rods 31b and 33b of the hydraulic cylinders 31 and 33 are connected and fixed to the end (closed part) of the gap near the rear end of the movable floor 20.
[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(a), when the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 has three hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33, and the piston rods 31b, 32b, and 33b are housed in the cylinder tubes 31a, 32a, and 33a, the movable floor 20 is positioned on the front end side (vehicle front side) of the base floor 10.
[0037] In the state shown in Figure 4(a), when the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is operated to extend the piston rod 32b of the hydraulic cylinder 32 out of the cylinder tube 32a toward the front of the vehicle (X2 direction), and when the hydraulic cylinders 31 and 33 are operated to extend the piston rods 31b and 33b out of the cylinder tubes 31a and 33a toward the rear of the vehicle (X1 direction), the movable floor 20 moves toward the rear end of the base floor 10, as shown in Figure 4(b). In this case, the movable floor 20 moves along the upper surface of the base floor 10 toward the rear of the vehicle by a dimension equal to the sum of the length of the protruding piston rod 32b and the length of the protruding piston rod 31b (piston rod 33b).
[0038] Specifically, the piston rod 32b, which is fixed to the fixing piece 11 at the front end of the base floor 10, extends and protrudes from the cylinder tube 32a toward the front of the vehicle. As a result, the integrated "cylinder tube group 31a, 32a, and 33a" is pushed by the piston rod 32b and moves toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 32b. This movement also causes the movable floor 20, to which the tips of the piston rods 31b and 33b are fixed, to move toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 32b. Furthermore, the piston rod 31b (and piston rod 33b), which is fixed to the rear end of the movable floor 20, extends and protrudes from the cylinder tube 31a (cylinder tube 33a) toward the rear of the vehicle. As a result, the movable floor 20 is pushed by the piston rod 31b (piston rod 33b) and moves toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 31b.
[0039] On the other hand, in the state shown in Figure 4(b), when the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is operated to retract the piston rod 32b of the hydraulic cylinder 32 (towards the rear of the vehicle) and house it in the cylinder tube 32a, and also to retract the piston rods 31b and 33b of the hydraulic cylinders 31 and 33 (towards the front of the vehicle) and house them in the cylinder tubes 31a and 33a, the movable floor 20 moves to the front end of the base floor 10, as shown in Figure 4(a).
[0040] As described above, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of this embodiment has three hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33 arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together. The movable floor 20 is moved back and forth along the upper surface of the base floor 10 by extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle back into the cylinder tube. In other words, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of this embodiment operates the movable floor 20 using three hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33, which allows for more stable reciprocating movement of the movable floor 20 compared to using a single hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction. Furthermore, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of this embodiment has lower load on each hydraulic cylinder 31, 32, and 33 compared to using a single hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction, resulting in higher durability and a reduced risk of failure. Furthermore, this configuration allows for a shorter overall length when the piston rod is retracted compared to a hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction, thus enabling a more compact installation of the floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 30.
[0041] Extruded sheet 50 Next, the structure of the extruded plate 50 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the extruded plate 50 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, and its dimensions in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction of the vehicle) are approximately the same as the dimensions of the movable floor 20 (and base floor 10) in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the extruded plate 50 is erected perpendicular to the upper surface of the movable floor 20 and is movably supported on the upper surface of the movable floor 20. Furthermore, wheels are provided on the lower end of the extrusion floor 10, allowing the extrusion plate 50 to move smoothly back and forth along the upper surface of the movable floor 20.
[0042] Hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for extruded plates Next, the configuration of the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for extruded plates will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate consists of multiple (3) hydraulic cylinders (hydraulic cylinders for extruded plates) 41, 42, and 43 arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated into one unit. The piston rod housed in the cylinder tube is extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and the extended piston rod is retracted and returned to the cylinder tube, thereby moving the extruded plate 50 back and forth along the upper surface of the movable floor 20.
[0043] Each of the hydraulic cylinders (extruder plate hydraulic cylinders) 41, 42, and 43 has cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a, respectively, and piston rods 41b, 42b, and 43b that extend and retract relative to the cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a. Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate is formed by fixing the "cylinder tubes 41a, 41b, and 41c" which are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction, with connecting members 45a and 45b.
[0044] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate includes a hydraulic cylinder (first extruded plate hydraulic cylinder) 41 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 41b from a cylinder tube 41a toward the rear of the vehicle (X1 direction), a hydraulic cylinder (second extruded plate hydraulic cylinder) 42 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 42b from a cylinder tube 42a toward the front of the vehicle (X2 direction), and a hydraulic cylinder (third extruded plate hydraulic cylinder) 43 that extends and protrudes a piston rod 43b from a cylinder tube 43a toward the rear of the vehicle (X1 direction). The three hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction to form an integrated unit.
[0045] In the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for extruded plates, the cylinder tube 42a of the hydraulic cylinder 42 is positioned in the center, with the cylinder tube 41a of the hydraulic cylinder 41 and the cylinder tube 43a of the hydraulic cylinder 43 positioned on either side of the cylinder tube 42a, and the cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a are fixed together by connecting members 45a and 45b.
[0046] The hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate has the tip of the piston rod 42b of the hydraulic cylinder 42 connected and fixed to a fixing piece 21 (see Figures 2 and 6) erected at the front end of the movable floor 20, and the tips of the piston rods 41b and 43b of the hydraulic cylinders 41 and 43 connected and fixed to one end face of the extruded plate 50 (the end face facing the front of the vehicle).
[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), when the three hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 of the extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40 are arranged with the piston rods 41b, 42b, and 43b housed in the cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a, the extrusion plate 50 is positioned on the front side of the movable floor 20 (a predetermined distance forward from the middle section in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle).
[0048] In the state shown in Figure 6(a), when the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extrusion plate is operated to extend the piston rod 42b of the hydraulic cylinder 42 out of the cylinder tube 42a toward the front of the vehicle, and when the hydraulic cylinders 41 and 43 are operated to extend the piston rods 41b and 43b out of the cylinder tubes 41a and 43a toward the rear of the vehicle, the extrusion plate 50 moves toward the rear end of the movable floor 20, as shown in Figure 6(b). In this case, the extruded plate 50 moves along the upper surface of the movable floor 20 toward the rear of the vehicle by a dimension equal to the sum of the length of the protruding piston rod 42b and the length of the protruding piston rod 41b (piston rod 43b).
[0049] Specifically, the piston rod 42b, which is fixed to the fixing piece 21 at the front end of the movable floor 20, extends and protrudes from the cylinder tube 42a toward the front of the vehicle. As a result, the integrated "cylinder tube group 41a, 42a, and 43a" is pushed by the piston rod 42b and moves toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 42b. This movement also causes the extrusion plate 50, to which the tips of the piston rods 41b and 43b are fixed, to move toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 42b.
[0050] Furthermore, when the piston rod 41b (and piston rod 43b), which is fixed to one end face of the extrusion plate 50 (the end face facing the front of the vehicle), extends outwards from the cylinder tube 41a (cylinder tube 43a) toward the rear of the vehicle, the extrusion plate 50 is pushed by the piston rod 41b (piston rod 43b) and moves toward the rear of the vehicle by the length of the extended piston rod 41b.
[0051] On the other hand, in the state shown in Figure 6(b), when the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extrusion plate is operated to retract the piston rod 42b of the hydraulic cylinder 42 (towards the rear of the vehicle) and house it in the cylinder tube 42a, and also to retract the piston rods 41b and 43b of the hydraulic cylinders 41 and 43 (towards the front of the vehicle) and house them in the cylinder tubes 31a and 33a, the extrusion plate 50 moves to the front position of the movable floor 20, as shown in Figure 6(a).
[0052] As described above, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate in this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the hydraulic cylinder unit 20 for the floor, with three hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together. The piston rod housed in the cylinder tube is extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle is retracted and returned to the cylinder tube, thereby moving the extruded plate 50 back and forth along the upper surface of the movable floor 20. In other words, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for extruded plates in this embodiment operates the extruded plate 50 using three hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43. Compared to the case where a single hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction is used, this enables more stable reciprocating movement of the extruded plate 50. Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for extruded plates in this embodiment has lower load on each of the hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 compared to the case where a single hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction is used, resulting in higher durability and a reduced risk of failure.
[0053] Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the length dimension when the piston rod is housed can be shortened compared to a hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction, so the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate can be installed compactly.
[0054] Operation of the push-off mechanism Next, the operation of the push-off mechanism of the trailer W in this embodiment when pushing out the load such as gravel will be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8.
[0055] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the push-off mechanism of this embodiment, where (a) shows a schematic diagram in which both the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extrusion plate and the hydraulic cylinder unit for the floor have their piston rods housed in the cylinder tubes, positioning the movable floor towards the front end of the vehicle and positioning the extrusion plate in front of the movable floor, and (b) shows a schematic diagram in which the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extrusion plate has its piston rod protruding from the cylinder tube and positioning the extrusion plate at the rear end of the movable floor. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the push-off mechanism of this embodiment, showing the state in which the movable floor supporting the extrusion plate shown in Figure 7(b) moves to the rear of the foundation floor, and the movable floor and extrusion plate are positioned at the rear end of the foundation floor.
[0056] When loading gravel or other cargo onto the trailer W, the movable floor 20 is positioned towards the front of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 7(a), and the extrusion plate 50 is positioned in front of the movable floor 20 (loading-ready state (first state)).
[0057] Specifically, the piston rods 31b, 32b, and 33b of the hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33 of the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of the push-off mechanism are retracted and stored in the cylinder tubes 31a, 32a, and 33a, and the movable floor 20 is positioned on the front end side (vehicle front side) of the base floor 10. Furthermore, the piston rods 41b, 42b, and 43b of the hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 of the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the push-off mechanism are retracted and stored in the cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a, and the extrusion plate 50 is positioned on the front side of the movable floor 20. In addition, in the state shown in Figure 7(a) (loadable state), after loading cargo such as gravel onto the truck bed, the truck is driven in this state to transport the cargo.
[0058] Furthermore, when unloading cargo such as gravel from the loading platform in the state shown in Figure 7(a) (loadable state), the push-off mechanism operates as follows.
[0059] First, as the first step, in the state shown in Figure 7(a) (loadable state), the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the push-off mechanism's extrusion plate is operated to extend the piston rods 41b, 42b, and 43b housed in the cylinder tubes 41a, 42a, and 43a in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, thereby moving the extrusion plate 50 to the "position of the rear end of the movable floor 20" shown in Figure 7(b).
[0060] Specifically, in the state shown in Figure 7(a), the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the push-off mechanism's extrusion plate is operated, causing the piston rod 42b of the hydraulic cylinder 42 to extend and protrude from the cylinder tube 42a toward the front of the vehicle, and the hydraulic cylinders 41 and 43 are operated, causing the piston rods 41b and 43b to extend and protrude from the cylinder tubes 41a and 43a toward the rear of the vehicle. As a result of this operation, the extrusion plate 50 moves from the front position of the movable floor 20 (the position shown in Figure 7(a)) toward the movable floor Move to the position of the rear end of 20 (the position shown in Figure 7(b)). This action causes the cargo loaded on the movable floor 20 to be pushed out from the movable floor 20 onto the base floor 10 by the extrusion plate 50, and also pushes a portion of the cargo loaded on the base floor 10 out from the base floor 10 onto the ground surface.
[0061] Next, as the second step, in the state shown in Figure 7(b), the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of the push-off mechanism is operated, extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and moving the movable floor 20 to the position of the rear end of the base floor 10 shown in Figure 8. At this time, the extrusion plate 50 supported at the rear end of the movable floor 20 moves together with the movable floor 20 to the position of the rear end of the base floor 10.
[0062] Specifically, in the state shown in Figure 7(b), the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 of the push-off mechanism is operated, extending the piston rod 32b of the hydraulic cylinder 32 from the cylinder tube 32a toward the front of the vehicle and causing it to protrude. At the same time, the hydraulic cylinders 31 and 33 are operated, extending the piston rods 31b and 33b from the cylinder tubes 31a and 33a toward the rear of the vehicle and causing them to protrude. This operation causes the movable floor 20 to move along the upper surface of the base floor 10 from the position shown in Figure 7(b) to the position shown in Figure 8. In addition, the extrusion plate 50 moves together with the movable floor 20 to the position of the rear end of the base floor 10. This action causes the cargo loaded on the base floor 10 to be pushed out from the base floor 10 to the ground surface by the push plate 50, and is lowered from the loading platform.
[0063] As described above, the push-off mechanism of this embodiment includes an extruded plate 50 that is erected vertically with respect to the upper surface of the movable floor 20 and is movably supported on the upper surface of the movable floor 20, an extruded plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40 that reciprocates the extruded plate 50 along the upper surface of the movable floor 20 in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction), and a floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 that reciprocates the "movable floor 20 and the extruded plate 10 supported on the movable floor 20" along the upper surface of the base floor 10 that constitutes the cargo bed in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction).
[0064] Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder unit 40 for the extruded plate is an integrated unit in which multiple hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43 are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction. The piston rod housed in the cylinder tube is extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle is retracted and returned to the cylinder tube, thereby moving the extruded plate 50 back and forth along the upper surface of the movable floor 20. Furthermore, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 is an integrated unit in which multiple hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33 are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction. By extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle and returning it to the cylinder tube, the movable floor 20 and the extruded plate 50 supported by the movable floor 20 are moved back and forth along the upper surface of the base floor 10.
[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, the push-off mechanism consists of a floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 and an extruder plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40, both of which have multiple hydraulic cylinders ("floor hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, 33" or "extruder plate hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, 43") arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated into a single unit. The operation of these multiple hydraulic cylinders operates the extruder plate 10 and the movable floor 20. In other words, the push-off mechanism of this embodiment has a configuration that reduces the load on each hydraulic cylinder, resulting in high durability and a reduced risk of failure. Therefore, the push-off mechanism of this embodiment reduces maintenance effort and cost compared to conventional technology.
[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the push-off mechanism operates the extrusion plate 50 along the upper surface of the movable floor 20 using multiple hydraulic cylinders 41, 42, and 43, and operates the movable floor 20 and extrusion plate 50 along the upper surface of the base floor 10 using multiple hydraulic cylinders 31, 32, and 33. Therefore, in this embodiment, the push-off mechanism allows the extrusion plate 50 to push out the load with a large load. In other words, compared to cases where the extrusion plate 10 is moved by a single hydraulic cylinder or the movable floor is moved by a single hydraulic cylinder, this embodiment can push out the load with more stable operation.
[0067] Furthermore, in the push-off mechanism of this embodiment, the "extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40 and floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30" both consist of multiple hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together. The extrusion plate 10 (or movable floor 20) is operated by extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, or by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle and returning it to the cylinder tube. This push-off mechanism configuration allows the push plate 50 to be moved from the front end to the rear end of the cargo bed, compared to a hydraulic cylinder that extends in one direction, while also reducing the length dimension when the piston rod is housed in the cylinder tube. In other words, the push-off mechanism of this embodiment can be compactly installed on the trailer.
[0068] As described above, this embodiment provides a trailer W equipped with a push-off mechanism that has higher durability and a reduced risk of failure compared to the conventional technology.
[0069] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of its essence. For example, the push-off mechanism in the above-described embodiment has a configuration in which both the floor hydraulic cylinder unit 30 and the extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit 40 each have three hydraulic cylinders, but it is not limited to this configuration. Any number of hydraulic cylinders will suffice. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0070] 100... Tractor 105... Cabin 111…Front wheel 112... Rear wheel W... Trailer 1…Mainframe 3a…Front side / Wheel 3b…Rear side / wheel 5…Coupling pin 10…Foundation floor 11...Fixed piece 20…Moving floor 21...Fixed piece 30... Floor-mounted hydraulic cylinder unit 31, 32, 33... Hydraulic cylinders (for floor use) 31a, 32a, 33a... Cylinder tubes 31b, 32b, 33b… Piston rods 40…Extruded plate hydraulic cylinder unit 41a, 42a, 43a... Cylinder tubes 41b, 42b, 43b… Piston rods 50…Extruded plate 71... Rear tailgating 72... Side tailgate
Claims
1. A trailer comprising a main frame, a base floor and a movable floor that constitute a loading platform on which cargo such as soil and gravel is placed, and a push-off mechanism for pushing out the cargo loaded on the loading platform, The aforementioned base floor is fixed to the upper surface of the main frame, The movable floor has a shorter length in the vehicle's longitudinal direction than the base floor, is slidably supported on the upper surface of the base floor, and is capable of moving along the upper surface of the base floor. The push-off mechanism described above is A floor hydraulic cylinder unit that moves the movable floor back and forth in the vehicle's longitudinal direction along the upper surface of the base floor, An extruded plate is erected vertically with respect to the upper surface of the movable floor and is movably supported on the upper surface of the movable floor, It has an extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit that reciprocates the extrusion plate in the front-rear direction of the vehicle along the upper surface of the movable floor, The aforementioned floor hydraulic cylinder unit consists of multiple floor hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated together. By extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and by retracting the piston rod that has been extended in both directions and returning it to the cylinder tube, the movable floor is moved back and forth along the upper surface of the base floor. The aforementioned hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruder plate consists of multiple hydraulic cylinders for the extruder plate arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction and integrated into one unit. The piston rod housed in the cylinder tube is extended in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and the piston rod that has been extended in both directions is retracted and returned to the cylinder tube, thereby causing the extruder plate to reciprocate along the upper surface of the movable floor. When both the floor hydraulic cylinder unit and the extrusion plate hydraulic cylinder unit have all their piston rods retracted into the cylinder tubes, a first state is reached in which the movable floor is positioned on the front side of the vehicle and the extrusion plate is positioned in front of the movable floor. With the cargo loaded on the loading platform in this first state, the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruder plate is operated, extending the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, and moving the extruder plate along the upper surface of the moving floor to the rear end of the moving floor. A trailer characterized in that, thereafter, the floor hydraulic cylinder unit is operated to extend the piston rod housed in the cylinder tube in both the front and rear directions of the vehicle, thereby moving the movable floor and the extrusion plate supported by the movable floor to the position of the rear end of the base floor, so that the cargo loaded on the cargo bed is pushed out onto the extrusion plate.
2. The multiple hydraulic cylinders for the extruded plates are composed of a first hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate that extends its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle, a second hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate that extends its piston rod toward the front of the vehicle, and a third hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate that extends its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle. The trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of floor hydraulic cylinders are composed of a first floor hydraulic cylinder that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle, a second floor hydraulic cylinder that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the front of the vehicle, and a third floor hydraulic cylinder that extends and protrudes its piston rod toward the rear of the vehicle.
3. A first fixing piece is erected at the vehicle-front end of the aforementioned base floor. The aforementioned movable floor is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with an opening formed in the center and front end in the vehicle width direction, and a gap formed extending from this opening to a position near the rear end. Furthermore, a second fixing piece is erected at the vehicle-front end of the upper surface. The floor hydraulic cylinder unit is inserted into a gap extending from the opening at the front end of the movable floor to the rear end or nearby, the tip of the piston rod of the second floor hydraulic cylinder is connected and fixed to a first fixing piece erected at the front end of the foundation floor, and the tip of the piston rod of the first floor hydraulic cylinder and the tip of the piston rod of the third floor hydraulic cylinder are connected and fixed to the closed portion at the end of the gap near the rear end of the movable floor. The trailer according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder unit for the extruded plate has a second fixing piece erected at the front end of the movable floor, the tip of the piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate connected and fixed, and the tip of the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate and the tip of the piston rod of the third hydraulic cylinder for the extruded plate connected and fixed to one end face of the extruded plate.