Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle in which a hatch of a receiver tank opening of the work vehicle is closed only when no person such as a worker is present around the opening. [Solution] A work vehicle equipped with a receiver tank that can be tilted up and down on a chassis, the receiver tank having an opening at the rear and a hatch that can open and close the opening, and a sensor arranged on the periphery of the opening at the rear of the chassis to monitor the opening, the work vehicle being configured to stop the closing operation of the hatch when the sensor detects a foreign object near the opening after the collected materials in the receiver tank have been discharged and during the closing operation of the hatch.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, in a work vehicle, after discharging sludge and other materials collected in a receiver tank that is tiltable up and down and installed on the vehicle chassis into a pit or the like at a disposal site, when closing the opening door (hatch) of the receiver tank, it was necessary to check that the collected materials had been completely discharged from the tank. In addition, when performing maintenance washing of the work vehicle after work was completed, it was necessary to check the inside of the tank at the end of the work. However, there were cases where workers performing this check were caught in the closing hatch by mistake, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

[0003] In view of such circumstances, Patent Document 1 proposes a cargo handling vehicle that prevents people or objects from being caught by mistake when the door is closed. The door is provided with a pressure sensor, and when the pressure sensor detects contact, the contraction operation of the door opening / closing cylinder is stopped or switched to extension. However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the door stops or opens after a person or object comes into contact with the opening and closing door, which means that a person or object must first come into contact with the door. In the case of the door of a work vehicle, this poses the risk of injury to a person, if not death. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-179766 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0013] According to the invention as defined in claim 2, it is possible to advantageously detect the degree to which the hatch is opened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0032] It goes without saying that the suction work vehicles of embodiment 1 can all be adopted in the system of embodiment 2.

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

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

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

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

[0037] The work vehicle of the present invention is a work vehicle that can prevent fatal and injury accidents in which workers or other people or foreign objects are caught in a closing hatch, and can also prevent wear and tear on the gasket installed in the closing part of the hatch due to the residue of recovered materials being caught therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Chassis 2 Receiver tank 3. Hatch 4 Sensors 5 Opening detection means 6 Different Sensors V Work Vehicle O opening S Shoot

Claims

1. A receiver tank that is tiltable up and down on the chassis and has an opening at the rear and a hatch that can open and close the opening; a sensor disposed around a periphery of the opening in the rear of the chassis so as to monitor the opening; an opening degree detection means for detecting an opening degree of the hatch; A work vehicle comprising: a detection range of the sensor is configured to be controlled based on the opening degree of the hatch detected by the opening degree detection means so as not to detect the hatch as a foreign object; The work vehicle is configured to stop the closing operation of the hatch when the sensor detects a foreign object near the opening during the closing operation of the hatch after the collected material in the receiver tank has been discharged.

2. 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm sound and / or a warning voice that is generated during a closing operation of the hatch in accordance with an opening degree of the hatch.

3. A system for monitoring an opening of a receiver tank during a closing operation of a hatch capable of opening and closing the opening of the receiver tank in a work vehicle, the system comprising: the receiver tank being tiltable up and down on the chassis of the work vehicle, the receiver tank being provided at a rear portion with the opening and the hatch capable of opening and closing the opening, and the collected material in the receiver tank being discharged from the opening; a sensor disposed around a periphery of the opening in the rear of the chassis so as to monitor the opening; an opening degree detection means for detecting an opening degree of the hatch; having a detection range of the sensor is controlled based on the opening degree of the hatch detected by the opening degree detection means so as not to detect the hatch as a foreign object; The system stops the closing operation of the hatch if a foreign object is detected by the sensor when closing the hatch after the recovered material in the receiver tank is discharged.

4. The system according to claim 3 , configured to emit an alarm sound and / or a warning voice during a closing operation of the hatch depending on an opening degree of the hatch.

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