Cargo handling vehicles and loading equipment

Abstract

To provide a cargo handling vehicle in which total required time until completion of an unloading work, and a loading device.SOLUTION: In an unloading work, a lift retreat process, in which a lift frame is moved to a rear side of a vehicle, is performed, and continuously, an inclination process, in which the lift frame is inclined, is performed. There is an unloading switch, as an operation switch, that performs the unloading work, and the lift retreat process and movement of a bumper body to a storage position side are concurrently executed by turning on the unloading switch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a loading vehicle, such as a vehicle transporter, whose loading platform can be lowered to the ground. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle for loading and unloading a body. The vehicle for loading and unloading a body disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a vehicle transporter used for transporting vehicles such as passenger cars and civil engineering machines. The vehicle transporter described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a lift frame and a slidable slide body. In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lift frame can be tilted and the slide body (cargo platform) can be slid downward to lower the body to the ground.

[0003] All cargo handling vehicles are required to have rear bumpers. To ensure safety in the event of a collision with pedestrians or other vehicles, the rear bumper must protrude rearward from the vehicle body to a certain extent. However, the above-mentioned vehicle transport vehicles, etc., have the function of tilting the loading platform backwards or lowering the loading platform from the rear to the ground, and since the rear bumper is attached in a protruding state toward the rear of the vehicle, the rear bumper gets in the way when tilting the loading platform, etc. Therefore, a structure has been proposed in which the rear bumper can be retracted when performing operations such as loading and unloading (Patent Document 2). Patent Document 2 discloses a freight vehicle having a structure in which the position of the bumper can be changed. In the freight vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2, the position of the bumper is changed to prevent interference between the lift frame and the bumper during loading and unloading. In the freight vehicle of Patent Document 2, the bumper changes from the extended state to the stored state during the unloading operation. Thereafter, the lowering operation is started. That is, in the truck disclosed in Patent Document 2, the bumper is shifted from the extended state to the stored state, and then the lift frame is moved backward to start the lowering operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-108768 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3871845 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the cargo handling vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2, the bumper, which has been in an extended state, is put into a stored state, and then the actual unloading operation is started. Therefore, according to the loading vehicle of Patent Document 2, the unloading operation cannot be performed substantially until the bumper is in the stored state. Therefore, according to the loading vehicle of Patent Document 2, the total time required from the arrival of the loading vehicle at the site to the completion of the unloading operation is long.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a loading vehicle and a loading device capable of shortening the total time required until the completion of an unloading operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cargo handling vehicle and a loading device capable of shortening the total time required until the completion of a loading operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An aspect for solving the above-mentioned problems is a loading vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, the loading device having a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, the loading / unloading device having a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation for tilting the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a part of the slide body on the ground, the loading vehicle having a bumper device, the bumper device having a bumper main body, and capable of changing the position of the bumper main body between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, the loading / unloading device having a bumper device that has a bumper main body that is capable of changing the position of the bumper main body between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, the loading / unloading device having a bumper device that has a bumper main body that is capable of changing the position of the bumper main body between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, the loading / unloading device having a bumper device that has a bumper main body that has ... a slide body retreat process for moving the slide body to the rear side of the vehicle unit, followed by a tilting process for tilting the lift frame, and the loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body advance process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit, and the operation switch includes at least one of a lowering switch for performing the lowering operation and a loading switch for performing the loading operation, the lowering operation is performed by turning on the lowering switch, the loading operation is performed by turning on the loading switch, when the lowering switch is turned on, the slide body retreat process and the movement of the bumper body to the storage position are performed in parallel, and when the loading switch is turned on, the slide body advance process and the movement of the bumper body to the traveling position are performed in parallel.

[0008] The "slide body retraction step of moving the slide body to the rear side of the vehicle part" includes an operation of moving the slide body on the lift frame to the rear side of the vehicle part by moving the lift frame to the rear side. There is also a case where the slide body is moved to the rear side of the vehicle part by itself. The "slide body forward movement process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit" includes an operation for moving the slide body on the lift frame to the front side of the vehicle unit by moving the lift frame to the front side. There is also a case where the slide body is moved to the front side of the vehicle unit by itself. In the cargo handling vehicle of this embodiment, the bumper is driven in parallel with the unloading and loading operations, so that the time required for unloading and loading operations is short. With respect to the unloading operation, in a loading vehicle equipped with a slide body, there is a risk that the slide body or lift frame will come into contact with the bumper when the lift frame is tilted. In the loading vehicle of this embodiment, the lowering operation is performed by a lift frame retraction process in which the lift frame is moved to the rear side of the vehicle, followed by a tilting process in which the lift frame is tilted. In the loading vehicle of this embodiment, the bumper body is moved to the storage position before the tilting process of the lift frame, so that the slide body and the like do not come into contact with the bumper body when lowering the slide body. With respect to the loading operation, in a loading vehicle equipped with a slide body, there is a risk that the slide body or the lift frame will come into contact with the bumper when changing the inclination of the lift frame. In the loading vehicle of this embodiment, the loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a lift frame forwarding process for moving the lift frame to the front side of the vehicle. In the loading vehicle of this embodiment, the bumper body is moved to the running position after the lift frame returns to the horizontal position, so that the slide body and the like do not come into contact with the bumper body when loading the slide body. In the loading vehicle of this embodiment, the bumper body is automatically moved to the driving position, so that it is possible to prevent the vehicle from driving with the bumper body in the stored position.

[0009] Another aspect for solving the same problem is a loading vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, the loading device having a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, the loading / unloading device having a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation for tilting the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a part of the slide body on the ground, and a lowering operation for lowering the slide body to the ground and a pulling operation for pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section. The loading vehicle is capable of performing a loading operation in which a load is placed into a storage position, and has a bumper device, which has a bumper body and is capable of changing the position of the bumper body between a driving position suitable for driving and a retracted storage position by power, and the lowering operation involves a slide body retraction process in which the slide body is moved toward the rear of the vehicle, followed by the inclination process in which the lift frame is tilted, and the operating switch is a lowering switch that performs the lowering operation, and by turning on the lowering switch, the slide body retraction process and the movement of the bumper body toward the storage position are executed in parallel.

[0010] In the above-mentioned aspect, the loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body forward movement process for moving the lift frame to the front side of the vehicle, and the operation switch includes a loading switch for performing the loading operation, and it is preferable that the slide body forward movement process and the movement of the bumper body to the traveling position side are performed in parallel by turning on the loading switch.

[0011] Another aspect for solving the same problem is a cargo handling vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, the loading device having a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, the loading / unloading device having a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation for tilting the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a part of the slide body on the ground, and a lowering operation for lowering the slide body to the ground and a lowering operation for pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section. The loading vehicle is characterized in that it is capable of performing a loading operation in which the bumper device has a bumper body and the bumper body can be moved by power between a driving position suitable for driving and a retracted storage position, the loading operation includes a landing process in which the lift frame is returned to a horizontal position, followed by the start of a slide body forward movement process in which the slide body is moved to the front side of the vehicle unit, the operating switch being a loading switch that performs the loading operation, and by turning on the loading switch, the slide body forward movement process and the movement of the bumper body to the driving position are executed in parallel.

[0012] The loading device is mounted on a vehicle and includes a loading / unloading device and an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device. The loading / unloading device includes a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation for tilting the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame. The loading / unloading device is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a part of the slide body on the ground. The loading device is capable of performing a lowering operation for lowering the slide body to the ground and a loading operation for pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section. The loading device includes a bumper device, which has a bumper body and is capable of changing the position of the bumper body by power between a running position suitable for running and a retracted storage position. The unloading operation includes a slide body retreating process for moving the slide body toward the rear of the vehicle unit, followed by the initiation of a tilting process for tilting the lift frame, and the loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by the initiation of a slide body advancing process for moving the slide body toward the front of the vehicle unit, and the operation switch includes a unloading switch for performing the unloading operation and / or a loading switch for performing the loading operation, and the unloading operation and / or the loading operation are performed by turning on the unloading switch and / or the loading switch, and the slide body retreating process or the slide body advancing process is performed in parallel with the movement of the bumper body toward the storage position or the movement of the bumper body to the traveling position. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The cargo handling vehicle and loading device of the present invention require less total time to complete the unloading operation than the conventional ones. Furthermore, the cargo handling vehicle and loading device of the present invention require less total time to complete the loading operation than the conventional ones. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]1 is a side view of a loading vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are side views of the loading vehicle shown in FIG. 1, showing the operation of each part during unloading operation. [Diagram 3] 2(c), (d) and (e) are side views showing the operation of each part in the unloading operation of the loading vehicle shown in FIG. 1, which is continued from FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are side views of the loading vehicle shown in FIG. 1, showing the operation of each part during loading operation. [Diagram 5] 1, (e) and (f) are side views showing the operation of each part during loading operation subsequent to FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of the remote control device. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart of an automatic unloading operation. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart of an automatic loading operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the relationship between the front and rear is based on the front and rear of the cargo handling vehicle 1. In other words, the front side means the driver's seat 100 side, and the rear side means the opposite side. The loading vehicle 1 of this embodiment is a vehicle transporter, in which the slide body 32 that was on the vehicle section 5 is lowered to the ground and an automobile or the like is loaded onto it, and in this state the slide body 32 is pulled up onto the vehicle section 5 for transport. 1, the cargo handling vehicle 1 has a vehicle section 5 and a loading device 18. The loading device 18 has a loading / unloading device 26. The loading / unloading device 26 is roughly composed of a lift frame 30, a tilt mechanism (tilting means) 31, and a slide body 32.

[0016] The loading device 18 further includes a control device 6, a hydraulic device 7, and a bumper device 50. The loading device 18 further includes a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a remote control) 8. The vehicle section 5 is the body of a known truck, has an engine, and rotates wheels to travel on a road. The lift frame 30 is installed on a subframe 33 of the vehicle section 5, and swings about a pin (not shown) provided on the rear end side of the vehicle section 5. That is, the lift frame 30 can assume an inclined position as shown in Figs. In addition, the lift frame 30 itself moves in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle section 5 by the action of a hydraulic cylinder (not shown).

[0017] The tilt mechanism (tilt means) 31 is composed of a hydraulic cylinder 35 and a link mechanism 36, and is for tilting the lift frame 30 so that the rear side is downward. The tilt mechanism 31 is a tilt means for performing a tilting operation to change the angle of the lift frame 30.

[0018] The slide body 32 is slidably attached to the lift frame 30, and is suspended by a chain or the like (not shown) so as to move linearly along the lift frame 30. A footboard 37 is provided at the rear end of the slide body 32. The footboard 37 is located at the rear end of the slide body 32 and can be changed between an upright position and a flat position.

[0019] The lift frame 30 is provided with a rear end detection means 17. The rear end detection means 17 is a known proximity sensor, photoelectric sensor, or the like, and detects whether the slide body 32 has reached the rear end of the lift frame 30 or not.

[0020] An initial position detection means 15 is provided in either the vehicle section 5 or the loading device 18. The initial position detection means 15 is a known proximity sensor, photoelectric sensor, or the like, and detects whether the lift frame 30 and the slide body 32 are in the initial position or not. Further, either the vehicle section 5 or the loading device 18 is provided with a reverse position detection means 16 and a continuous reverse detection means 70. The reverse position detection means 16 and the continuous reverse detection means 70 are known proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, etc. The reverse position detection means 16 detects that the lift frame 30 and the slide body 32 have reached the reverse position. The continuous reverse detection means 70 detects that the lift frame 30 has left the initial position and is in the process of moving toward the reverse position.

[0021] Further, a landing detection means 71 is provided in either the vehicle section 5 or the loading device 18 . The landing detection means 71 is a known proximity sensor, photoelectric sensor, or the like, and detects that the lift frame 30 is in a horizontal position substantially parallel to the subframe 33. That is, the landing detection means 71 detects that the lift frame 30 is landed on the vehicle section 5. Either the vehicle section 5 or the tilt mechanism 31 (link mechanism 36) is provided with a tilt detection means 72. The tilt detection means 72 detects the tilt angle of the lift frame 30, and detects when the lift frame 30 has reached a tilt angle in a first tilt step described below, or when the lift frame 30 has reached a tilt angle in a second tilt step described below. The above-mentioned detection means, specifically, the initial position detection means 15, the retreat position detection means 16, the continued retreat detection means 70 and the landing detection means 71 may be mechanical switches such as limit switches.

[0022] The bumper device 50 has a bumper body 10 and a bumper movement mechanism 52 that moves the bumper body 10 back and forth. The bumper body 10 is a bar- or plate-shaped member extending in the width direction of the vehicle portion 5. Like known bumpers, the bumper body 10 serves to absorb the impact of a collision and to prevent other vehicles from slipping under the vehicle portion 5.

[0023] The bumper moving mechanism 52 translates the bumper body 10 in the front-rear direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder 53 . The bumper moving mechanism 52 has a guide (not shown), and moves the bumper body 10 in parallel in the front-rear direction by extending and retracting the hydraulic cylinder 53 . The structure of the bumper moving mechanism 52 is not limited, and it may be a mechanism that employs a link mechanism or a mechanism that moves the bumper body 10 by a motor. Furthermore, the bumper body 10 may not only be moved horizontally but also be displaceable in the height direction.

[0024] The bumper device 50 can change the position of the bumper body 10 by the bumper moving mechanism 52 between a driving position suitable for driving and a storage position where the bumper body 10 is retracted to the vehicle section 5 side. In this embodiment, the position in which the hydraulic cylinder 53 is extended and the bumper body 10 projects rearward is the traveling position, and the position in which the hydraulic cylinder 53 is retracted and the bumper body 10 is disposed forward is the stored position.

[0025] In the cargo handling vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the bumper device 50 is provided with a storage detection means 55 and an extension detection means 56. The storage detection means 55 is a sensor that detects whether or not the bumper body 10 is in the storage position. The extension detection means 56 is a sensor that detects whether or not the bumper body 10 is in the traveling position. The storage detection means 55 and the extension detection means 56 are known proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, etc. The storage detection means 55 and the extension detection means 56 may be mechanical switches such as limit switches.

[0026] The hydraulic device 7 is equipped with a known hydraulic pump, solenoid valves, and the like. The hydraulic pump rotates by receiving power transmission from the engine of the vehicle section 5. That is, the hydraulic device 7 is connected to the PTO shaft of the vehicle section 5, and when an operator operates a PTO switch (not shown), the hydraulic pump rotates and generates hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic device 7 is provided with a solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder 25, and a solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder 53 (neither is shown).

[0027] The control device 6 includes a circuit that sends signals to each solenoid valve in accordance with a predetermined procedure. The signals from the control device 6 cause the loading / unloading device 26 to operate in a predetermined sequence. The control device 6 has a communication means for communicating with a remote control 8 .

[0028] The remote control 8 is equipped with an automatic unloading switch 60, an automatic loading switch 61, a manual unloading switch 65, and a manual loading switch 66 as operation switches for operating the loading / unloading device 26. The remote control 8 is also equipped with a bumper extension switch 67 and a bumper retraction switch 68 as bumper operation switches for operating the bumper moving mechanism 52. These switches 60, 61, 65, and 66 are all button switches that are turned on only while an operator is pressing them and turn off when the operator releases their hand.

[0029] In this embodiment, as described later, the loading / unloading device 26 and the bumper device 50 can be coordinated to perform an automatic unloading operation in which the slide body 32 is automatically unloaded. Also, the loading / unloading device 26 and the bumper device 50 can be coordinated to perform an automatic loading operation in which the slide body 32 is automatically loaded. The automatic lowering operation is started by pressing the automatic lowering switch 60 and is executed by continuing to press the automatic lowering switch 60. Therefore, the automatic lowering switch 60 is a lowering switch that executes the lowering operation, and has a function of starting the lowering operation and a function of continuing the lowering operation. The auto-load operation is initiated by pressing the auto-load switch 61 and is executed by continuing to press the auto-load switch 61. Therefore, the automatic loading switch 61 is a loading switch that executes the loading operation, and has a function of starting the loading operation and a function of continuing the loading operation.

[0030] In this embodiment, the manual unloading switch 65 or the manual loading switch 66 can be operated to operate only the loading / unloading device 26.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is also possible to operate the bumper extension switch 67 or the bumper retraction switch 68 to move only the bumper body 10. The bumper extension switch 67 and the bumper retraction switch 68 are switches that switch the solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the bumper moving mechanism 52.

[0032] When the bumper extension switch 67 is pressed and held, the bumper body 10 moves rearward toward the driving position. When the bumper body 10 leaves the storage position, the storage detection means 55 goes into a non-detecting state. When the bumper body 10 moves rearward and reaches the driving position, the extension detection means 56 goes into a detecting state. When the bumper storage switch 68 is pressed and held, the bumper body 10 moves forward toward the storage position. When the bumper body 10 moves away from the driving position, the extension detection means 56 goes into a non-detection state. When the bumper body 10 moves forward and reaches the storage position, the storage detection means 55 goes into a detection state.

[0033] Next, the operation of the loading / unloading device 26 and the like when loading the slide body 32 will be described.

[0034] When the cargo handling vehicle 1 is traveling, the lift frame 30 is in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2(a), and the slide body 32 is pulled up onto the lift frame 30. The lift frame 30 is in a horizontal position (on the floor) and is at its front end (initial position) in the front-rear direction. The slide body 32 is also at its front end (initial position). Since the lift frame 30 and the slide body 32 are in the initial position, the initial position detection means 15 is in the ON state. Since the lift frame 30 is in the landing state, the landing detection means 71 is in the ON state.

[0035] Then, the loading / unloading device 26 lowers the slide body 32 to the ground. The unloading operation is carried out by carrying out the following steps in sequence. (1) Lift frame retraction process (slide body retraction process) (2) First tilting process (first tilting operation) (3) Slide body lowering process (4) Second tilting process

[0036] (1) Lift frame retraction process (slide body retraction process) The lift frame retraction process is a process in which the lift frame 30 is moved backward while remaining in a horizontal position by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). The lift frame retracting step is also a slide body retracting step of moving the slide body toward the rear side of the vehicle part. The slide body retracting step is a step of moving the slide body backward with respect to the vehicle part. When the lift frame 30 starts to move backward, the initial position detection means 15 is turned off, and instead the backward movement continuation detection means 70 is turned on. As shown in FIG. 2(b), when the lift frame 30 is retracted to a predetermined position, the retracted position detection means 16 detects this and turns on.

[0037] (2) First tilting process The first tilting step is the first tilting step in the lowering operation. In the first tilting step, the hydraulic cylinder 35 is started, the tilt mechanism 31 is operated, and the lift frame 30 is tilted to a certain angle as shown in Fig. 3(c). When the first tilting step is started and the lift frame 30 is tilted, the landing detection means 71 is turned off. When the lift frame 30 is tilted to a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 3(c), the tilt detection means 72 detects this and turns on, stopping the tilt mechanism 31 (tilt of the lift frame 30).

[0038] (3) Slide body lowering process The slide body descending process is a process in which the slide body 32 is moved linearly along the lift frame 30 toward the rear of the vehicle, and the rear end of the slide body 32 is landed on the ground to slide down the slide body 32, as shown in FIG. 3(d). When the front part of the slide body 32 reaches the rear end of the lift frame 30, the rearmost end detection means 17 detects this and turns on, stopping the movement of the slide body 32 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0039] (4) Second tilting process 3(e), the second tilting step is a step of lifting the lift frame 30 to the maximum angle, then moving the slide body 32 toward the rear of the vehicle, and landing the entire bottom surface of the slide body 32 on the ground. The tilt detection means 72 detects that the lift frame 30 has reached the maximum angle. Then, the step plate 37 is placed in a horizontal position, and the vehicle is loaded or unloaded.

[0040] The loading operation is generally performed by executing the unloading operation in the reverse order, that is, by sequentially executing the following steps: (1) First tilt return process (first tilt operation) (2) Slide body lifting process (3) Second tilt return process (landing process) (4) Lift frame forward movement (slide body forward movement)

[0041] (1) First tilt return process The first tilting step is the first tilting step in the loading operation. The first tilting return step is a step in which the tilt angle of the lift frame 30 is lowered from the state in which the entire bottom surface of the slide body 32 is on the ground as shown in Fig. 4(a) until the tilt detection means 72 is in the ON state as shown in Fig. 4(b), and the rear end of the lift frame 30 is lifted off the ground.

[0042] (2) Slide body lifting process The slide body lifting process is a process in which the slide body 32 is moved along the lift frame 30 toward the front of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 4(c), and the entire slide body 32 is placed on the lift frame 30 as shown in FIG. 4(d).

[0043] (3) Second tilt return process (landing process) The second tilt return step is a landing step in which the angle of the lift frame 30 is further lowered to return it to a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4(e). The second tilt return step causes the lift frame 30 to land on the vehicle section 5. When the second tilt returning step (landing step) is completed and the lift frame 30 returns to the horizontal position, the landing detection means 71 is switched to the ON state.

[0044] (4) Lift frame forward movement (slide body forward movement) The lift frame advancement step is a step of advancing the lift frame 30 and returning it to the initial position as shown in FIG. 4(f). The lift frame advancing step is a slide body advancing step for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle part. The slide body advancing step is a step for moving the slide body forward relative to the vehicle part. When the lift frame 30 starts to move forward, the reverse position detection means 16 is turned off and the reverse continuation detection means 70 is turned on. When the lift frame 30 and the slide body 32 return to their initial positions, the initial position detection means 15 is turned on. When the lift frame 30 returns to its initial position, the retraction continuation detection means 70 is turned off.

[0045] Next, the automatic unloading operation of the cargo handling vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the automatic unloading operation, the loading / unloading device 26 and the bumper device 50 operate in cooperation with each other. That is, in the automatic unloading operation, the loading / unloading device 26 and the bumper device 50 operate according to a series of sequence controls. The remote control 8 employed in this embodiment has an automatic lowering switch 60. While the automatic lowering switch 60 is being pressed, a series of bumper operations and lowering operations continues.

[0046] Before the automatic unloading operation starts, the loading / unloading device 26 is returned to the initial position as shown in FIG. 2( a ), and this state is detected by the initial position detection means 15 . 2(a), the bumper body 10 is in a state where the hydraulic cylinder 53 is extended, and the bumper body 10 is in a driving position protruding rearward. Therefore, the protruding detection means 56 is in a detecting state. Also, the retracting detection means 55 is in a non-detecting state.

[0047] When the slide body 32 is lowered to the ground, the automatic lowering switch 60 is kept pressed. The control of the automatic lowering operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As a prerequisite, an operator operates a PTO switch (not shown), the hydraulic pump rotates, hydraulic pressure is generated, and hydraulic oil can be supplied to each of the hydraulic cylinders 35, 53 by opening and closing each solenoid valve. In step 1, the process waits for operation of the automatic lowering switch 60. When the worker presses the automatic lowering switch 60, the automatic lowering switch 60 is turned on and the process moves to step 2.

[0048] In step 2, the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the storage position and the lift frame retraction process are started simultaneously. Regarding the bumper device 50 side, a solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the bumper moving mechanism 52 is switched. As a result, the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the bumper moving mechanism 52 contracts, and the bumper body 10 moves toward the front side of the vehicle portion 5. Regarding the loading / unloading device 26 side, the lift frame 30 moves rearward.

[0049] In the following steps 3 and 4, it is confirmed whether or not the bumper body 10 has reached the storage position and whether or not the lift frame 30 has reached the retreated position. In this embodiment, in step 3, it is confirmed whether or not the bumper body 10 has reached the storage position. When the bumper body 10 moves rearward, it reaches the storage position as shown in Fig. 2(b), and the storage detection means 55 detects that the bumper body 10 is in the storage position. As a result, step 3 becomes YES.

[0050] In this embodiment, it is confirmed whether or not the lift frame 30 has reached the retreated position in step 4. Specifically, the detection state of the retreated position detection means 16 is confirmed, and if the retreated position detection means 16 is in the ON state, step 4 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 5. It should be noted that the confirmation of whether the bumper body 10 has reached the storage position and the confirmation of whether the lift frame 30 has reached the retreated position are in no particular order, and either may be confirmed first, or they may be confirmed simultaneously.

[0051] In step 5, a first tilting step is performed, and the lift frame 30 is tilted to a certain angle. Then, the process proceeds to step 6, where a slide body lowering step is performed, and then to step 7, where a second tilting step is performed to lower the slide body 32 to the ground.

[0052] In this embodiment, before the first tilting process, the bumper body 10 is moved to the storage position, and it is confirmed that the bumper body 10 is in the storage position. Therefore, even if the first tilting process or the second tilting process is executed, the slide body 32, etc. will not come into contact with the bumper body 10.

[0053] When the worker releases the automatic unloading switch 60 during the operation, the loading / unloading device 26 stops at that point. When the worker presses the automatic unloading switch 60 again, the above-mentioned series of operations is restarted from the stopped state. In other words, the operation of the loading / unloading device 26 has already started, and the movement of the loading / unloading device 26 has only been temporarily stopped by the worker releasing the automatic unloading switch 60, so when the worker presses the automatic unloading switch 60 again, the above-mentioned series of operations is restarted from the stopped state. When the lowering operation is completed, step 8 becomes YES, and the series of automatic lowering operations ends.

[0054] If the storage detection means 55 does not detect that the bumper body 10 is in the storage position, the subsequent lowering operation will not start in principle. In addition, in this embodiment, the movement of the bumper body 10 to the storage position and the retreat of the lift frame 30 are performed in parallel, so the total time required to complete the lowering operation is short.

[0055] Next, the control of the automatic loading operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the control of the automatic loading operation, in step 1, the operation of the automatic loading switch 61 is awaited. When the operator presses the automatic loading switch 61, the automatic loading switch 61 is turned on and the process proceeds to step 2.

[0056] In step 2, the storage detection means 55 judges whether or not the bumper body 10 is in the storage position. Usually, at the start of the automatic loading operation, the bumper body 10 is in the storage position, so in most cases, step 2 will be YES, the process will move to step 3, and the loading operation will start.

[0057] If the bumper body 10 is in the storage position, step 2 is judged as YES, and the process proceeds to step 3 and subsequent steps. In step 3 and subsequent steps, a series of loading operations are carried out. In step 3, the first tilt return process is carried out, and the angle of the lift frame 30 is lowered from the state in which the entire bottom surface of the slide body 32 is landed on the ground as shown in FIG. 4(a) to the state in FIG. 4(b), and the rear end of the lift frame 30 is lifted off the ground.

[0058] In the following step 4, a slide body lifting step is carried out, and the slide body 32 is moved toward the front side of the vehicle along the lift frame 30 as shown in FIG. 4(c). In the following step 5, a second tilt return step (landing step) is executed, and the angle of the lift frame 30 is further decreased toward the horizontal position. Then, the second tilt returning step (landing step) is completed, and in step 6, it is detected whether or not the lift frame 30 has returned to the horizontal position. Specifically, the detection state of the landing detection means 71 is confirmed. If the landing detection means 71 has been switched to the ON state, step 6 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 7.

[0059] In step 7, the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the traveling side and the lift frame forward movement process are started simultaneously. That is, the solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the bumper moving mechanism 52 is switched. As a result, the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the bumper moving mechanism 52 extends, and the bumper body 10 moves toward the rear side of the vehicle portion 5.

[0060] In the following steps 8 and 9, it is confirmed whether or not the lift frame 30 has reached the front end position and whether or not the bumper body 10 has reached the traveling position. That is, when the lift frame 30 reaches the front end position and the loading / unloading device 26 returns to the initial position, the initial position detection means 15 detects this and step 8 becomes YES. When the bumper body 10 moves to the traveling position side and the extension detection means 56 detects that the bumper body 10 has reached the traveling position, step 9 becomes YES, and the series of automatic loading operations ends. It should be noted that the confirmation of whether the bumper body 10 has reached the driving position and the confirmation of whether the lift frame 30 has reached the front end position are not necessarily in that order, and either may be confirmed first, or they may be confirmed simultaneously.

[0061] In this embodiment, the movement of the bumper body 10 to the traveling position and the movement of the lift frame 30 to the initial position are performed in parallel, so the total time required to complete the loading operation is short.

[0062] The cargo handling vehicle 1 of this embodiment has a bumper extension switch 67 and a bumper retraction switch 68, and the bumper main body 10 can also be moved by operating these switches. In addition, in the cargo handling vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the remote control 8 has a manual unloading switch 65 and a manual loading switch 66, which can be operated to load and unload the slide body 32. That is, the manual unloading operation can be performed by operating the manual unloading switch 65. Also, the manual loading switch 66 can be operated to perform a manual loading operation.

[0063] In the embodiment described above, the loading / unloading device 26 is equipped with an automatic unloading switch 60, an automatic loading switch 61, a manual unloading switch 65, and a manual loading switch 66 as operation switches for operating the loading / unloading device 26, but there may also be switches for operating each part of the loading / unloading device 26 individually. For example, the remote control 8 may have the following switches: (1) A switch for moving the lift frame 30 rearward. (2) A switch that moves the lift frame 30 forward. (3) A switch that causes the lift frame 30 to swing in a direction that makes the inclination of the lift frame 30 steeper. (4) A switch that swings the lift frame 30 in a direction that makes the inclination of the lift frame 30 gentler. (5) A switch for lowering the slide body 32. (6) A switch for raising the slide body 32.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, a button switch is used as the switch of the remote control. The button switch used in the above-described embodiment is a type of momentary switch that is turned on only while the operator is pressing it and turns off when the operator releases the button. However, the present invention is not limited to using this type of switch, and it is also possible to use a switch that, once the on switch is operated, maintains the on state until it is turned off (alternate switch), or a switch that electrically maintains the on state by itself.

[0065] In the above-described cargo handling vehicle 1, (1) the lift frame retracting step, (2) the first tilting step, (3) the slide body descending step, and (4) the second tilting step are sequentially performed during the unloading operation, but it is not essential to perform all of these steps. For example, the second tilting step may be omitted. The loading and unloading vehicle 1 described above is configured so that the slide body 32 is completely lowered to the ground and placed horizontally and upright to load and unload vehicles, but the slide body 32 may also be inclined to load and unload vehicles.

[0066] In the embodiment described above, in the automatic lowering operation, the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the storage position and the lift frame retraction process (slide body retraction process) are started simultaneously. Although this control method is desirable, the start time of the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the storage position side and the start time of the lift frame retraction process may be shifted. In other words, it is sufficient that the bumper body 10 moves toward the storage position and the lift frame 30 moves backward at the same time. The same applies to the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the traveling position and the lift frame advancement process (slide body advancement process) during the automatic loading operation; it is desirable for these to start simultaneously, but the start times of the two may be staggered. In other words, it is sufficient that the bumper body 10 moves toward the traveling position and the lift frame 30 moves forward at the same time.

[0067] In addition, in the automatic lowering operation, the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the storage position and the lift frame retraction process (slide body retraction process) are started simultaneously, and in the automatic loading operation, the start may be staggered, for example, the lift frame advancement process (slide body advancement process) may be started before the bumper body 10 is moved toward the storage position. Conversely, in the automatic loading operation, the lift frame forward movement process (slide body forward movement process) and the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the traveling position may be started simultaneously, and in the automatic lowering operation, the lift frame backward movement process (slide body backward movement process) may be started simultaneously after the movement of the bumper body 10 toward the storage position has started.

[0068] As the slide body retraction step for moving the slide body toward the rear of the vehicle part (moving the slide body backward with respect to the vehicle part), the lift frame retraction step for moving the slide body 32 backward by moving the lift frame 30 backward was performed, but the slide body retraction step may be performed by moving the slide body 32 backward with respect to the lift frame 30 without moving the lift frame 30. In this case, the slide body retraction step moves the slide body 32 backward by a chain or the like provided on the lift frame 30. When the slide body 32 retracts to a predetermined position, the retraction position detection means 16 detects the slide body 32 and turns on, stopping the movement of the slide body 32. In this case, the retraction position detection means 16 may be provided at an intermediate position of the lift frame 30. As the slide body advancing step of moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle part (moving the slide body forward relative to the vehicle part), the lift frame advancing step of moving the slide body 32 forward by moving the lift frame 30 forward was performed, but the slide body advancing step may be performed by moving the slide body 32 forward relative to the lift frame 30 without moving the lift frame 30. In this case, the slide body advancing step moves the slide body 32 forward by a chain or the like wound around the lift frame 30. When the slide body 32 returns to the initial position, the initial position detection means 15 is turned on, and the movement of the slide body 32 is stopped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1. Loading vehicles 5 Vehicle Division 6. Control device 8. Remote Control 10 Bumper body 15 Initial position detection means 16 Reverse position detection means 18 Loading device 26 Loading and unloading equipment 30 Lift Frame 31 Tilt mechanism (tilt means) 32 Slide body 50 Bumper device 52 Bumper movement mechanism 55 Storage detection means 56 Extension detection means 60 Automatic lowering switch 61 Automatic loading switch

Claims

1. A cargo handling vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, The loading device includes a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, The loading / unloading device has a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation to tilt the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a portion of the slide body on the ground, In a loading vehicle capable of performing a lowering operation of lowering the slide body to the ground and a loading operation of pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section, A bumper device is provided, the bumper device having a bumper body, and the bumper body can be moved between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, In the lowering operation, a slide body retraction process is performed to move the slide body toward the rear side of the vehicle, and then a tilting process is started to tilt the lift frame. The loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body forward movement process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit, The actuation switch includes at least one of a lowering switch for performing the lowering operation and a loading switch for performing the loading operation, By turning on the lowering switch, the lowering operation is executed, By turning on the loading switch, the loading operation is executed, When the lowering switch is turned on, the slide body retreat process and the movement of the bumper body to the storage position side are executed in parallel, A loading vehicle characterized in that, when the loading switch is turned on, a slide body forward movement process and a movement of the bumper body to a traveling position are executed in parallel.

2. A cargo handling vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, The loading device includes a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, The loading / unloading device has a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation to tilt the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a portion of the slide body on the ground, In a loading vehicle capable of performing a lowering operation of lowering the slide body to the ground and a loading operation of pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section, A bumper device is provided, the bumper device having a bumper body, and the bumper body can be moved between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, In the lowering operation, a slide body retraction process is performed to move the slide body toward the rear side of the vehicle, and then a tilting process is started to tilt the lift frame. The actuation switch includes a lowering switch for performing the lowering operation, a lowering switch for lowering the bumper body from the storage position to the sliding body retracting step;

3. The loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body forward movement process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit, The actuation switch includes a loading switch for performing the loading operation, 3. The loading vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the slide body forward movement step and the movement of the bumper body toward the traveling position are executed in parallel by turning on the loading switch.

4. A cargo handling vehicle having a vehicle section and a loading device, the loading device being mounted on the vehicle section, The loading device includes a loading / unloading device, an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, and a control device, The loading / unloading device has a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation to tilt the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a portion of the slide body on the ground, In a loading vehicle capable of performing a lowering operation of lowering the slide body to the ground and a loading operation of pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section, A bumper device is provided, the bumper device having a bumper body, and the bumper body can be moved between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, The loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body forward movement process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit, The actuation switch includes a loading switch for performing the loading operation, A loading vehicle, characterized in that, by turning on the loading switch, the slide body advancement process and the movement of the bumper main body toward the traveling position are executed in parallel.

5. A loading device mounted on a vehicle, A loading / unloading device and an operation switch for operating the loading / unloading device, The loading / unloading device has a lift frame, a tilting means for performing a tilting operation to tilt the attitude of the lift frame, and a slide body that moves linearly along the lift frame, and is capable of tilting the lift frame and linearly moving the slide body to land at least a portion of the slide body on the ground, A loading device capable of performing a lowering operation of lowering the slide body to the ground and a loading operation of pulling the slide body onto the vehicle section, A bumper device is provided, the bumper device having a bumper body, and the bumper body can be moved between a traveling position suitable for traveling and a retracted storage position by power, In the lowering operation, a slide body retraction process is performed to move the slide body toward the rear side of the vehicle, and then a tilting process is started to tilt the lift frame. The loading operation includes a landing process for returning the lift frame to a horizontal position, followed by a slide body forward movement process for moving the slide body to the front side of the vehicle unit, The actuation switch includes a lowering switch for performing the lowering operation and / or a loading switch for performing the loading operation, By turning on the unloading switch and / or the loading switch, the unloading operation and / or the loading operation is executed, A loading device characterized in that a slide body retraction process or a slide body advancement process and a movement of the bumper body toward a storage position or a movement of the bumper body toward a traveling position are executed in parallel.

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