Refuse collection truck

Abstract

To provide a garbage collecting vehicle capable of opening a garbage input port by automatically operating an opening / closing door even when both hands of an operator are full.SOLUTION: A garbage collecting vehicle 100 comprises a garbage input box 3, a garbage loading device 8, a tail gate 5 and a control device 80 for controlling an opening / closing operation of the tail gate 5, and further comprises a switch box 6 which is disposed on the lateral side of a garbage input port 4 to indicate operation of the garbage loading device 8, an emergency stop plate 62 which is disposed below the garbage input port 4 to stop the operation of the garbage loading device 8 according to an operation of a person, and a foot switch 30 which indicates the opening / closing operation of the tail gate 5 to the control device 80. The emergency stop plate 62 has a prescribed area whose longitudinal direction is a vehicle width direction. The foot switch 30 has an area smaller than the prescribed area at a lateral side position of the emergency stop plate 62 being the side on which the switch box 6 is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refuse collection vehicle, and more particularly to a configuration for improving the efficiency of the operation of dumping refuse into a refuse inlet. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a conventional garbage collection vehicle is equipped with a garbage dump box, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage dump box, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing a garbage dump port opened at the rear end of the garbage dump box, and when garbage is collected, the opening / closing door opens the garbage dump port, garbage is dumped into the garbage dump port, and the garbage loading device operates to load the garbage into the garbage dump box. In such a garbage collection vehicle, the opening / closing door is also called a tailgate.

[0003] In such conventional garbage collection vehicles, a handle (tailgate handle) is attached to the opening and closing door, and when collecting garbage, an operator typically grasps the tailgate handle to lift the opening and closing door to open the garbage inlet, and then in this state, garbage is thrown into the garbage inlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-48049 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional garbage collection vehicle, when collecting garbage, for example, when an operator stands in front of the garbage inlet with a garbage bag in both hands, the opening and closing door may be in a lowered state and the garbage inlet may be in a closed state. In such a case, the operator must first place the garbage bag he is holding on the ground, and then hold the tailgate handle while lifting the opening and closing door to open the garbage inlet, which is a drawback in that garbage cannot be dumped efficiently.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a garbage collection vehicle that can automatically operate the opening and closing door and open the garbage inlet even when an operator has both hands full and cannot grip the tailgate handle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a means for solving the above-mentioned problems as follows: That is, the present invention provides a garbage collection vehicle equipped with a garbage dump box having a garbage dump opening at the rear end, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage dump box, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the garbage dump opening, the garbage collection vehicle further comprising a foot-operated switch disposed near the garbage dump box for instructing the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing door in response to foot operation by a person, and a control device for controlling the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing door based on the instruction from the foot-operated switch.

[0008] In the above configuration, when the foot-operated switch is operated by a person's toes, the control device opens and closes the door based on the instruction of the foot-operated switch. Therefore, when the door is closing the garbage inlet and a person (worker) stands in front of the garbage inlet with a garbage bag in both hands, the worker can simply operate the foot-operated switch with his / her foot and the control device will automatically operate the door to open the garbage inlet, even if both hands are occupied and the worker cannot grip the tailgate handle, so the worker can open the garbage inlet without dropping one or both of the garbage bags he / she is holding to the ground. The garbage bag can be inserted into the garbage inlet, which makes the garbage loading operation more efficient.

[0009] As a more specific configuration, an emergency stop operation unit that is operated by the person to stop the operation of the garbage loading device is located below the garbage inlet, and it is preferable that the foot-operated switch is located to the side of the emergency stop operation unit and is located further inward in the garbage dump box than the emergency stop operation unit.

[0010] In this configuration, since the foot-operated switch is disposed to the side of the emergency stop operation unit, even if an operator is about to be caught in the garbage loading device while garbage is being loaded into the garbage dump box by the operation of the garbage loading device, the operator can push the emergency stop operation unit with his / her foot without being hindered by the foot-operated switch to bring the garbage loading device to an emergency stop. Also, since the foot-operated switch is disposed on the inner side of the garbage dump box, i.e., on the driver's seat side of the garbage collection vehicle, the pushing foot operation of the emergency stop operation unit stops at the position of the emergency stop operation unit and does not reach the foot-operated switch. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the foot-operated switch from being operated by foot when the emergency stop operation unit is pushed by foot, causing the opening and closing door to malfunction.

[0011] It is also preferable that the foot-operated switch has a sensing space on the inside of the trash bin and is configured to sense when the person's feet enter the sensing space.

[0012] In this configuration, the sensing space of the foot-operated switch is recessed toward the inside of the trash bin, and the opening and closing operation of the door is not commanded until the worker's toes enter this sensing space. Therefore, in a foot-operated switch of a type that does not have a sensing space, for example, a type in which the worker steps on it from above, there is a high concern that the worker may mistakenly operate the foot-operated switch with his / her foot while loading trash, or that the trash being put into the trash inlet may hit the foot-operated switch and cause it to be operated, but in a foot-operated switch with the sensing space, the worker must intentionally place his / her toes in the sensing space, so it is possible to effectively reduce the malfunction of opening and closing the door by mistake.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the garbage loading device is provided with a power source switch for turning the power source of the garbage loading device on and off, and the control device is configured to enable the foot-operated switch on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch.

[0014] In this configuration, the foot-operated switch is enabled only when the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch, that is, when the garbage collection vehicle is stopped and then the garbage loading device is operated to load garbage into the garbage bin. Therefore, when an operator operates the foot-operated switch when loading garbage into the garbage bin, the door can be opened reliably. On the other hand, when the garbage collection vehicle is traveling, the foot-operated switch is disabled, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the door from being opened inadvertently due to a malfunction of the foot-operated switch while traveling.

[0015] In addition, it is preferable that a loading button is provided for operating the garbage loading device, and the control device is configured to disable the foot-operated switch on the condition that the garbage loading device is operating by turning on the loading button.

[0016] In this configuration, the operation of the foot-operated switch is disabled while the garbage loading device is in operation. While the garbage loading device is in operation, i.e., while the garbage inlet is open and an operator is loading garbage, even if the foot-operated switch is operated by mistake with the foot, the foot-operated switch is disabled, so the door will not inadvertently close, and confusion in the garbage loading operation of the operator is prevented.

[0017] It is also preferable that the control device is configured to control the opening and closing door to close the garbage inlet and to disable the foot-operated switch, on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off by the power source switch.

[0018] In this configuration, when the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off by the power source switch, that is, after the garbage loading work into the garbage dump box is completed, the garbage dump port is closed by the opening and closing door and the foot-operated switch is disabled. Therefore, even if the garbage collection vehicle runs after the garbage loading work is completed, it is possible to reliably prevent the garbage dump port from running with the opening open, and it is also possible to prevent the foot-operated switch from malfunctioning due to foreign objects on the road that are kicked up by the rear wheels while running, and to prevent the opening and closing door from opening inadvertently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a refuse collection vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the refuse collection vehicle of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a garbage loading device installed in a garbage collection vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hydraulic circuit of the garbage loading device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot switch disposed around the refuse inlet of a refuse collection vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the inside of a garbage dump box provided in a garbage collection vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the hydraulic circuit of the tailgate of the refuse bin. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a control device that controls the hydraulic circuit of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an operator operates a foot switch in the refuse collection vehicle of FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a rotary type refuse collection vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the front, rear, left and right of the refuse collection vehicle will sometimes be simply referred to as "front, rear, left and right".

[0021] 1 and 2 show a refuse collection vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the refuse collection vehicle 100, a refuse collection box 2 and a refuse throw box 3 are provided on a chassis 1, and the rear opening of the refuse collection box 2 is connected to the front opening of the refuse throw box 3. The refuse throw box 3 is supported relative to the refuse collection box 2 by a left-right pivot 3a provided on the upper part of the refuse throw box 3, and is tilted by a pair of left and right tilting cylinders (not shown).

[0022] Further, a substantially rectangular trash inlet 4 for inserting trash G (see FIG. 9) is opened at a lower portion of the rear surface of the trash bin 3, and the trash inlet 4 is opened and closed by a tailgate (opening and closing door) 5 which can be raised and lowered. In the following description, the operation of opening the trash inlet 4 by raising the tailgate 5 is referred to as the opening operation of the tailgate 5, and the operation of closing the trash inlet 4 by lowering the tailgate 5 is referred to as the closing operation of the tailgate 5. Tailgate handles 49 are attached to the tailgate 5 on the left and right sides of the central portion in the left-right direction. An operator H (see FIG. 9) can manually open and close the tailgate 5 by holding the tailgate handle 49 and raising and lowering the tailgate 5.

[0023] Furthermore, a switch box 6 for operating a garbage loading device (described later) 8 and the like is provided on the left side of the garbage inlet 4. Also, a camera unit 7 equipped with a camera 71 is provided above the garbage inlet 4 to photograph the garbage inlet 4 and the area nearby. As the camera 71, for example, a monocular camera that has a proven track record as a back-eye camera is used. The camera unit 7 is fixed to the top of the garbage inlet 3 via a support member 72 that protrudes rearward from the inclined rear surface (curved rear surface) of the garbage inlet 3 disposed above the garbage inlet 4.

[0024] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, a garbage loading device 8 is provided inside the garbage dump box 3 to load the garbage G that has been dumped into the garbage storage box 2. The garbage loading device 8 pushes the garbage G that has been dumped into the garbage dump box 3 into the garbage storage box 2 that is connected to the front of the garbage dump box 3. The garbage storage box 2 is provided with a garbage discharge device (not shown) that discharges the stored garbage G. As the garbage discharge device, for example, a device that tilts the garbage storage box 2 by a dump cylinder interposed between the chassis 1 and the garbage storage box 2 to discharge the garbage G, or a device that moves a discharge plate provided inside the garbage storage box 2 to the rear of the garbage storage box 2 by a discharge cylinder to discharge the garbage G can be considered.

[0025] -Configuration of the garbage loading device 8- Next, the configuration of the garbage loading device 8 of this embodiment will be specifically described. The garbage loading device 8 of this embodiment is configured as a so-called rotary garbage loading device that scoops up garbage G by rotating a rotating plate 10 as a loading plate and pushes it into the garbage storage box 2 by a pushing plate 20. A rotating shaft 11 is installed in the garbage input box 3 so as to extend in the width direction of the garbage input box 3 below the pushing plate 20, and the base end side of the rotating plate 10 is fixed to the rotating shaft 11, and the rotating plate 10 can rotate around the base end (rotating shaft 11).

[0026] In the illustrated example, a hydraulic motor 13 capable of forward and reverse rotation is connected to the end of the rotating shaft 11 via a reduction mechanism 12. The rotation of this hydraulic motor 13 is torque-up by the reduction mechanism 12 and transmitted to the rotating shaft 11, and the rotating plate 10 rotates integrally with this rotating shaft 11, so that the tip of the rotating plate moves in the front-rear direction along the inner bottom 3c of the waste bin 3, which is formed in a substantially semicircular cross section.

[0027] Meanwhile, the pusher plate 20 is provided over the entire width of the trash bin 3 above the rotating plate 10, and is supported so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a left-right rotating shaft 21 provided at the top of the pusher plate 20. The pusher plate 20 is provided with an extension 22 extending above the rotating shaft 21, and a pusher cylinder 24 is installed between the extension 22 and a support pin 23 in front of it, and the pusher plate 20 is rotated in the front-rear direction by the expansion and contraction of the extension.

[0028] Specifically, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 3, when the push plate 20 is at the most rotated position (advance limit position) toward the trash storage box 2, the rotating plate 10 rotates backward while avoiding interference with the push plate 20 in an avoidance rotation process. Then, delayed by the backward rotation of the rotating plate 10, the push plate 20 rotates toward the trash inlet 4 side and performs a return process in which it stops at the most rotated position toward the trash inlet 4 side (rear limit position) shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 3. After that, the rotating plate 10 rotates downward following the avoidance rotation process, and then rotates forward to rotate so as to scoop up the trash G toward the trash storage box 2 along the inner bottom 3c of the trash storage box 3, and further rotates upward to perform a scoop-up rotation process in which it stops once at a set stop position extending toward the front trash storage box 2 side as shown by the solid line in Fig. 3. Thereafter, the pushing plate 20 rotates toward the front trash collection box 2, pushing the trash G on the rotating plate 10 into the trash collection box 2, and again performs the pushing process in which the pushing plate 20 reaches the forward limit position.

[0029] In this way, the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 repeat the rotation of the rotating plate 10 and the rotation of the pushing plate 20 in synchronization with each other, with one cycle consisting of four steps: avoidance rotation step, return step, scraping rotation step, and pushing step, thereby performing a garbage loading operation in which garbage G dropped into the garbage drop box 3 is continuously loaded into the garbage storage box 2.

[0030] Inside the waste bin 3, there are provided switches LS1 to LS4 for detecting the positions of the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, there are provided switches LS1 and LS2 which are turned on when the pushing plate 20 is at the forward limit position or the backward limit position, a switch LS3 which is turned on when the rotating plate 10 is at a set stop position, and a switch LS4 which is turned on when the rotating plate 10 rotates a predetermined angle in the positive direction (clockwise in Fig. 3) from the set stop position and is turned off when it has rotated a further predetermined angle.

[0031] The switches LS1 and LS2 are adapted to detect a dog (not shown) provided at the end of the rotating shaft 21 of the push-in plate 20, and the switches LS3 to LS4 are adapted to detect a dog (not shown) provided at the end of the rotating shaft 11 of the rotating plate 10. As the switches LS1 to LS4, for example, a limit switch, a photoelectric switch, a proximity switch, etc. can be used. Furthermore, the switch LS4 detects the angle range Z from just below the front edge (upper edge) 4a of the garbage inlet 4 to the point where the rotating plate 10 rotates backward and descends to the closest position to the rear edge (lower edge) 4b of the garbage inlet 4, as shown by hatching in FIG. 3, and is a sensor for detecting that the rotating plate 10 is operating in the vicinity of the garbage inlet 4.

[0032] -Operation system of the garbage loading device 8- Next, the operating system of the garbage loading device 8 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This operating system includes a hydraulic circuit that controls the hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic motor 13, the push cylinder 24, etc. of the garbage loading device 8, and a control device 80 that outputs control signals to the solenoid control valves V1, V2 provided in this hydraulic circuit. Signals from the four switches LS1 to LS4 and the switch SW1 for the emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation unit) 62 are input to the control device 80 (not shown). The control device 80 controls not only the drive of the garbage loading device 8 but also the drive of the garbage discharge device.

[0033] The hydraulic circuit will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump P, an oil reservoir T, an electromagnetic control valve V1 for controlling the pushing cylinder 24, and an electromagnetic control valve V2 for controlling the hydraulic motor 13. Driving force is transmitted to the hydraulic pump P by a PTO (Power Take Off) that extracts power from an engine (not shown) serving as a vehicle driving source.

[0034] As an example, the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 are both composed of 6-port 3-position electromagnetic directional change valves. When the solenoid SOLa is excited by the control device 80, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to a first communication position (upper position in FIG. 4) and supplies hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump P to the rod-side oil chambers of the pair of pushing cylinders 24. On the other hand, when the solenoid SOLb is excited by the control device 80, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to a second communication position (lower position in FIG. 4) and supplies hydraulic oil to the head-side oil chambers.

[0035] When hydraulic oil is supplied from the electromagnetic control valve V1 to the head side oil chamber, the pair of pushing cylinders 24 expand to rotate the pushing plate 20 forward. On the other hand, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the rod side oil chamber, the pair of pushing cylinders 24 contract to rotate the pushing plate 20 backward. When neither solenoid SOLa, SOLb is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V1 returns to the neutral position (the center position in FIG. 4).

[0036] When the solenoid SOLc is excited, the solenoid control valve V2 switches to a first communication position (lower position in FIG. 4) to supply hydraulic oil to the forward rotation oil chamber of the hydraulic motor 13, causing the hydraulic motor 13 to rotate in the forward direction and also to perform the extension and retraction of the push cylinder 24. On the other hand, when the solenoid SOLd is excited, the solenoid control valve V2 switches to a second communication position (upper position in FIG. 4) to supply hydraulic oil to the reverse rotation oil chamber of the hydraulic motor 13, causing the hydraulic motor 13 to rotate in the reverse direction. do.

[0037] Furthermore, when neither solenoid SOLc, SOLd is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V2 returns to the neutral position (the center position in FIG. 4). When both electromagnetic control valves V1, V2 are in the neutral position, the hydraulic oil flows back to the oil reservoir T. In the illustrated hydraulic circuit, reference symbol V3 is a check valve, and reference symbol V4 is a relief valve for setting the upper limit of the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump P.

[0038] When the emergency stop plate 62 is pressed, the control device 80 receives a signal from the switch SW1 and returns the electromagnetic control valves V1, V2 to their neutral positions (center positions in Figure 4), thereby stopping the supply of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 13 and the pair of pushing cylinders 24, stopping the operation of the hydraulic motor 13 and the pair of pushing cylinders 24, and emergency stopping the operation of the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 of the garbage loading device 8.

[0039] -Button operation system- 1 to 3, emergency stop buttons 60, 61 for stopping the operation of the garbage loading device 8, an emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation unit) 62, and the like are provided near the garbage inlet 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the emergency stop button 60 is provided on the side of the switch box 6 provided on the left side of the garbage inlet 4, and the emergency stop button 61 is provided on the right side of the garbage inlet 4, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 3.

[0040] When the garbage dump box 3 is viewed from the rear, the emergency stop plate 62 is formed in a wide rectangular shape extending left and right from the central part in the width direction of the vehicle directly below the garbage dump port 4, and is arranged so that it can be pushed forward (towards the garbage dump box 3) by hand or foot by the operator H to turn on switch SW1.

[0041] 1, a PTO switch 63 and a loading / unloading changeover switch 64 are arranged on the operation panel 9 arranged around the driver's seat of the garbage collection vehicle 100. When the PTO switch (power source switch) 63 is turned on, a hydraulic pump P (see FIG. 4) serving as a power source for the garbage loading device 8 and the engine are connected by PTO (Power Take Off). The loading / unloading changeover switch 64 switches between the garbage loading operation of the garbage loading device 8 and the garbage discharge operation of the garbage discharge device.

[0042] 2, a loading button 65 is disposed on the rear surface of the switch box 6. This loading button 65 is operated when instructing the control device 80 to perform a garbage loading operation of the garbage loading device 8 in a PTO-connected state. This loading button 65 may be in the form of a button or a toggle switch.

[0043] In addition, although not shown, the switch box 6 is also provided with a switch for selecting single or continuous garbage loading operation, a switch for operating the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 individually, and the like.

[0044] -Foot switch- As shown in FIG. 2, a foot switch 30 is disposed near the garbage inlet 4 on the left side of the emergency stop plate 62, that is, on the same side as the switch box 6 among the left and right sides and on the side where garbage G such as a pedestrian road is placed. As shown in FIG. 5, the foot switch 30 includes a wall surface 30a facing the rear side of the garbage collection vehicle 100, a rectangular column-shaped sensing space 30b recessed from the wall surface 30a toward the inside of the garbage inlet box 3, and a pair (two) of sensor units 30c (only one sensor unit is shown) that transmit and receive far-infrared rays or the like in the horizontal direction on the opposing left and right walls among the multiple walls that form the sensing space 30b. The sensing space 30b is a space into which the worker H can insert his or her toes as shown in FIG. 9. The volume of this space is set to a volume that can accommodate the toes of a typical size of the worker H. When the toes of worker H enter the sensing space 30b, the far-infrared rays and the like transmitted and received by the pair of sensor units 30c are blocked by the toes of worker H, causing the foot switch 30 to detect that the toes of worker H have entered the sensing space 30b and output a sensing signal.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the foot switch 30 is positioned so that the wall surface 30a is recessed a predetermined distance t (for example, about 5 cm to 15 cm) toward the trash bin 3 from the position of the emergency stop plate 62.

[0046] In the foot switch 30 shown in FIG. 5, a pair of sensor units 30c is provided on opposing left and right walls among the multiple walls that form the sensing space 30b. Alternatively, a pair of sensor units 30c may be disposed on upper and lower walls among the multiple walls that form the sensing space 30b, so as to transmit and receive far-infrared rays or the like in the vertical direction.

[0047] -Tailgate 5 opening and closing mechanism- Next, an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the tailgate 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a cover 3b is provided on the upper rear surface of the trash bin 3. Also, guide rails 40 are provided on both the left and right sides of the trash inlet 4 from the upper end to the lower end. The guide rails 40 are formed, for example, in a concave cross section (i.e., groove-shaped). Guide pieces 41 that move along the guide rails 40 are provided on both sides of the lower end of the tailgate 5. The guide pieces 41 are made of rollers and are provided so as to be movable within the grooves of the guide rails 40. Also, connecting shafts 42 that protrude in the left and right directions and are connected to opening / closing arms 43 are provided on both sides of the upper end of the tailgate 5.

[0048] The front edge of the waste bin 3 is provided with an edge 3e. A support portion 44 is provided on the edge portion 3e. The support portion 44 rotatably supports the base end of the opening / closing arm 43. The tip end of the opening / closing arm 43 is rotatably connected to the side of the tailgate 5. The opening / closing arm 43 is bent to avoid interference with each part. A reinforcing plate 43a is fixed to the bent portion of the opening / closing arm 43 to reduce bending stress at the bent portion. Although the opening / closing arm 43 is bent, the shape of the opening / closing arm 43 is not particularly limited.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 6, the opening / closing arm 43 is configured to be rotatable. The opening / closing arm 43 is rotated by the extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder 45. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 45 are provided on the left and right sides. The hydraulic cylinder 45 includes a cylinder rod 45a, a cylinder tube 45b, and a piston 45c (see FIG. 7) provided at one end of the cylinder rod 45a. A detailed description will be given below. A connection part 46 is attached to the base end of the opening / closing arm 43. One end of the cylinder rod 45a of the hydraulic cylinder 45 is connected to this connection part 46. The cylinder tube 45b of the hydraulic cylinder 45 is attached to the edge part 3e. The trash bin 3 is provided with a biasing member 47 along the side wall 3d. The biasing member 47 is, for example, a tension coil spring. One end of the biasing member 47 is hooked to the opening / closing arm 43, and the other end of the biasing member 47 is hooked to a predetermined position on the side wall 3d. As a result, the opening / closing arm 43 is biased in a direction of rotating upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 47. A tension adjustment mechanism 48 is connected to the biasing member 47. This tension adjustment mechanism 48 is for adjusting the amount of deflection of the biasing member 47.

[0050] In the above-described configuration, when the tailgate 5 is changed from a fully closed state to a fully open state, the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended. As a result, a force pushing up the connection part 46 acts on the connection part 46, and the opening / closing arm 43 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6 around the fulcrum of the support part 44. Accordingly, the tailgate 5 connected to the opening / closing arm 43 moves up and is stored in a position below the cover 3b. As a result, the trash inlet 4 is fully opened.

[0051] On the other hand, when the tailgate 5 is changed from a fully open state to a fully closed state, the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted. As a result, a force pressing down on the connection part 46 acts on the connection part 46, causing the opening / closing arm 43 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 6 around the fulcrum of the support part 44. Accordingly, the tailgate 5 moves downward. As a result, the trash inlet 4 is fully closed. In the manner described above, the opening and closing operation of the tailgate 5 is performed.

[0052] -Tailgate 5 hydraulic circuit- Next, the hydraulic circuit that controls the operation of the tailgate 5, that is, the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 45 (see FIG. 6), will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the garbage dump box 3 according to this embodiment is provided with an electric hydraulic pump unit 50 separate from the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the garbage loading device 8. The electric hydraulic pump unit 50 includes an electric motor 50a, a reservoir tank 50b, a hydraulic pump 50c connected to the electric motor 50a, a check valve 50d, a discharge port 50e, a suction port 50f, and a relief valve 50g. When the hydraulic pump 50c is driven by the electric motor 50a, the hydraulic oil in the reservoir tank 50b is sucked up by the hydraulic pump 50c, passes through the check valve 50d, and is discharged from the discharge port 50e. A relief valve 50g and a pressure gauge 51 are connected to the discharge side pipe of the hydraulic pump 50c. The discharge port 50e is connected to one port of a first switching valve 53, which is a so-called 4-port 3-position solenoid switching valve. The suction port 50f is connected to the other port of the first switching valve 53. A second switching valve 54 and a third switching valve 55, which are 2-port 2-position solenoid switching valves, are respectively connected to the other two ports (the ports on the upper side of the drawing) of the first switching valve 53. These switching valves 54, 55 are poppet type solenoid switching valves, and have the advantage of little internal leakage of hydraulic oil.

[0053] 7 shows a pair of left and right hydraulic cylinders 45. The hydraulic cylinder 45 has a rod side port 45d provided on the cylinder rod 45a side and a head side port 45e provided on the cylinder head (piston 45c) side. The second switching valve 54 and the rod side port 45d are connected to each other via a one-way throttle valve 56 arranged to allow flow toward the hydraulic cylinder 45 side. The third switching valve 55 and the head side port 45e are connected to each other via a one-way throttle valve 57 arranged to allow flow toward the hydraulic cylinder 45 side.

[0054] The hydraulic circuit of FIG. 7 is provided with a pressure oil release means 70 for releasing the pressure oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 at any time. The pressure oil release means 70 includes an erected pipe 52a, a first on-off valve 58a, a second on-off valve 58b, a drain pipe 52b, and a tank 59 connected to the end of the drain pipe 52b. The erected pipe 52a is connected to the rod side port 45d and the head side port 45e of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45. The first on-off valve 58a is provided in the erected pipe 52a. The drain pipe 52b is connected to the rod side port 45d of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45. The second on-off valve 58b is provided in the drain pipe 52b. In this configuration, the pressure oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 is released from the hydraulic cylinder 45 by opening the first on-off valve 58a and the second on-off valve 58b, respectively. As a result, the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 is released, and the tailgate 5 can be easily raised and lowered by manually operating the tailgate handle 49. Note that the pressure oil releasing means 70 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can release the pressure of the hydraulic oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 and allow the cylinder rod 45a to move freely.

[0055] Next, the switching operation of each valve when the hydraulic cylinder 45, 45 is extended will be described. First, when the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended, the first opening / closing valve 58a and the second opening / closing valve 58b are closed and the electric motor 50a is driven. Then, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the left position a, the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is switched to the right position b, and the flow path in the third switching valve 55 is held at the left position a. As a result, hydraulic oil is supplied from the discharge port 50e to the head side port 45e of the hydraulic cylinder 45, 45, and hydraulic oil is returned from the rod side port 45d of the hydraulic cylinder 45, 45 to the suction port 50f. As a result, the cylinder rod 45a moves in the direction in which the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended. As a result, the tailgate 5 is raised and the trash inlet 4 is fully opened.

[0056] When the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended, in order to stop the movement of the cylinder rod 45a, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the neutral position c, and the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is switched to the left position a from the above-mentioned state. This stops the supply of hydraulic oil to the head side port 45e, and further closes the escape route of the hydraulic oil from the rod side port 45d and the head side port 45e. This causes the cylinder rod 45a to stop moving and to maintain a stopped state. In addition, by keeping the second switching valve 54 and the third switching valve 55 in the left position a, internal leakage is reduced, and the tailgate 5 is prevented from descending due to the contraction of the hydraulic cylinder 45.

[0057] On the other hand, when the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted, from the above-mentioned stopped state, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the right position b, the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is held in the left position a, and the flow path in the third switching valve 55 is switched to the right position b. As a result, hydraulic oil is supplied from the discharge port 50e to the rod side port 45d, and hydraulic oil is returned from the head side port 45e to the suction port 50f. As a result, the cylinder rod 45a moves in the direction in which the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted. This causes the tailgate 5 to move down, and the trash inlet 4 is fully closed.

[0058] When the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted, in order to stop the movement of the cylinder rod 45a, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the neutral position c, and the flow path in the third switching valve 55 is switched to the left position a from the above-mentioned state. This stops the supply of hydraulic oil to the rod side port 45d, and further closes the escape route of the hydraulic oil from the rod side port 45d and the head side port 45e. This causes the cylinder rod 45a to stop moving and to maintain a stopped state. The rotation operation of the electric motor 50a, the switching operation of the first switching valve 53, the switching operation of the second switching valve 54, and the switching operation of the third switching valve 55 are controlled by a control device 80 having a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The detection signal of the foot switch 30 is input to this control device 80, and the operation signals of the PTO switch 63, the loading / unloading switching switch 64, and the loading button 65 are also input. In this embodiment, the control device 80 controls the switching operation of each of the valves to raise or lower the tailgate 5, thereby fully opening or fully closing the garbage inlet 4.

[0059] -Tailgate 5 opening and closing control- Next, the opening and closing control of the tailgate 5 based on the foot switch 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0060] In the figure, in step S1, the control device 80 judges whether the PTO (Power Take Off) that transmits engine power to the hydraulic pump P (see FIG. 4) of the garbage loading device 8 is in the ON state. Specifically, this judgment is made based on whether the PTO switch 63 that operates the PTO is turned ON. This PTO switch (power source switch) 63 (see FIG. 1) is turned ON by the worker H when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is stopped and before the worker H throws garbage G into the garbage dump box 3 in this stopped state.

[0061] If the PTO is not on in step S1, the process waits as it is, but if the PTO is on, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the control device 80 further judges whether the loading / unloading changeover switch 64 is set (switched) to the loading side, and if it is set to the loading side, that is, when garbage is to be put into the garbage inlet 4 of the garbage inlet box 3, the control device 80 judges whether the loading button 65 is turned on in step S3. If the loading button 65 has not yet been turned on, that is, when the garbage loading device 8 is stopped and the tailgate 5 has closed the garbage inlet 4, the process proceeds to step S4, and the control device 80 activates the foot switch 30 for the first time, and the process proceeds to step S5.

[0062] In step S5, the control device 80 judges whether the foot switch 30 is on, that is, whether the worker H has put his / her toes into the sensing space 30b and a sensing signal is being output. If the foot switch 30 is still off, the process proceeds immediately to step S8 without operating the tailgate 5, but if the foot switch 30 is on, the process proceeds to step S6, judging that the worker H has instructed the tailgate 5 to open or close. In step S6, the control device 80 judges whether the tailgate 5 is fully closed, and if it is fully closed, the tailgate 5 is raised in step S7 to fully open the garbage inlet 4. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S8, where the control device 80 judges again whether the PTO is on, and if it is on, the process returns to step S2.

[0063] Then, after the tailgate 5 is raised by the foot operation of the foot switch 30 by the worker H and the garbage inlet 4 is fully opened as described above, when the loading button 65 is turned on in step S3, that is, when the garbage loading device 8 is operated, the control device 80 operates the garbage loading device 8 for one cycle in step S9. This performs a garbage loading operation in which the garbage G put into the garbage inlet 4 is loaded into the garbage storage box 2. Then, while performing the garbage loading operation in this way, the control device 80 disables the foot switch 30 in step S10 so as to prohibit inadvertent operation of the tailgate 5. That is, even if a detection signal is output from the foot switch 30, the control device 80 ignores the detection signal. After step S10, the process proceeds to step S8, where the control device 80 determines whether the PTO is in the OFF state, and if it is in the ON state, returns to the above-mentioned step S2.

[0064] When the loading operation of the garbage G is temporarily interrupted or completed, the loading button 65 is no longer turned on, and the garbage loading device 8 is also not operated. In this state, the tailgate 5 is fully open because the loading operation of the garbage G was being performed immediately before, or is half-open due to manual operation by the worker H during the loading operation. In this case, when the foot switch 30 is turned on again (YES in step S5 and YES in step S6), the control device 80 proceeds to step S11 to determine whether the tailgate 5 is fully open or not, and if the tailgate 5 is not fully open, the control device 80 raises the tailgate 5 in step S7 to fully open the garbage inlet 4, but if the tailgate 5 is fully open, it determines that the loading operation of the garbage G by the worker H has ended, and lowers the tailgate 5 in step S12 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, and then proceeds to step S8.

[0065] On the other hand, if the loading / discharging changeover switch 64 is set (switched) to the discharge side in step S2, i.e., if the garbage in the garbage storage box 2 is to be discharged outside the garbage collection vehicle 100, then in step S13, the foot switch 30 is disabled to prohibit inadvertent opening and closing of the tailgate 5, and then the process proceeds to step S8.

[0066] Then, in step S8, when the PTO is turned off, that is, after the loading of the garbage G into the garbage bin 3 or the discharge of the garbage from the garbage storage bin 2 is completed, the control device 80 lowers the tailgate 5 in step S14 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, and then disables the foot switch 30 in step S15 and ends the process. By lowering the tailgate 5 in step S14 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, the garbage inlet 4 can be automatically fully closed when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is driven, even if the worker H does not operate the foot switch 30 to close the tailgate 5 at the end of the loading of the garbage G.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, in the refuse collection vehicle 100, in a state where the refuse inlet 4 is fully closed by the tailgate 5, the worker H stands in front of the refuse inlet 4 and performs a foot operation to put his / her toes into the sensing space 30b of the foot switch 30, so that the foot switch 30 outputs a sensing signal and becomes in an ON state. In response to this sensing signal, the control device 80 extends the hydraulic cylinder 45 to raise the tailgate 5 and fully open the refuse inlet 4. Therefore, even if the worker H has both hands full with garbage (garbage bags in FIG. 9) G, the worker H can fully open the garbage inlet 4 and put the garbage G into the garbage inlet 4 by simply operating the foot switch 30 with his / her foot, without holding the tailgate handle 49 with his / her hand, without lowering one or both of the garbage G to the ground. Therefore, the efficiency of the garbage G loading work can be improved.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, in the garbage collection vehicle 100, an emergency stop plate 62 is arranged extending in the left-right direction below the garbage inlet 4, and when the hand or arm of the worker H enters the angle range Z in which the rotating plate 10 operates near the garbage inlet 4 in the garbage inlet box 3, the worker H is likely to be caught in the rotating plate 10, but when the worker H presses the emergency stop plate 62 with his / her foot, the operation of the garbage loading device 8 is stopped by the control device 80. The foot switch 30 is arranged in a position on the left side of the emergency stop plate 62. Therefore, when the worker H operates the emergency stop plate 62 with his / her foot, the foot switch 30 does not get in the way, and the worker H can quickly stop the garbage loading device 8 in an emergency.

[0069] In addition, the foot switch 30 is disposed a predetermined distance t inward (i.e., toward the driver's seat) of the garbage dump box 3 from the emergency stop plate 62. Therefore, when the worker H presses the emergency stop plate 62 with his / her foot, the foot operation stops at the position of the emergency stop plate 62, and the possibility that the tip of the foot operating the foot will erroneously enter the sensing space 30b of the foot switch 30 can be reduced, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the foot switch 30 from malfunctioning and reduce the possibility of the tailgate 5 lowering when the garbage loading device 8 is stopped in an emergency.

[0070] Furthermore, the foot switch 30 has a sensing space 30b on the inner side of the garbage dump box 3, and is configured to sense when the toes of the worker H enter the sensing space 30b. In other words, the foot switch 30 is configured to give an instruction to open or close the tailgate 5 only when the worker H consciously performs a foot operation to put his toes into the sensing space 30b. Therefore, in a foot switch of a type that does not have a sensing space, for example, a foot switch of a type that the worker H steps on from above, there is a high concern that the worker H will mistakenly operate the foot switch with his foot while loading garbage G, or that the garbage G that is to be put into the garbage dump port 4 will hit the foot switch 30 and be operated. However, in the foot switch 30 having the sensing space 30b of this embodiment, there is no such concern, and it is possible to effectively reduce the mistaken raising or lowering of the tailgate 5.

[0071] In addition, the refuse collection vehicle 100 is provided with a PTO switch (power source switch) 63, and the control device 80 is configured to activate the foot switch 30 on the condition that the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the refuse loading device 8 is turned on (the PTO is connected) by turning on this PTO switch 63. That is, the foot switch 30 is activated only when the refuse collection vehicle 100 is stopped and the operation of the refuse loading device 8 is enabled by the PTO. Therefore, when the worker H fully opens the refuse input port 4 to load the refuse G into the refuse input box 3, the tailgate 5 can be reliably raised by operating the foot switch 30 with his foot. Furthermore, when the PTO switch 63 is turned off, i.e., when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is traveling, the foot switch 30 is disabled, so it is possible to effectively prevent the tailgate 5 from inadvertently rising and opening the garbage inlet 4 while the garbage collection vehicle 100 is traveling.

[0072] The garbage collection vehicle 100 is also provided with a loading button 65, and the control device 80 is configured to disable the foot switch 30 on the condition that the garbage loading device 8 is operating by turning on the loading button 65. Therefore, by operating the loading button 65, when the garbage loading device 8 is operating with the garbage inlet 4 open, the foot switch 30 is disabled, so that even if the foot switch 30 is mistakenly operated with a foot, the tailgate 5 will not inadvertently lower, and the loading work of the garbage G by the worker H will not be disrupted.

[0073] Furthermore, the control device 80 is configured to control the tailgate 5 to lower so as to fully close the garbage inlet 4 and disable the foot switch 30, on the condition that the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the garbage loading device 8 is turned off (the PTO is in a disconnected state) by turning off the PTO switch 63. Therefore, after the loading operation of the garbage G into the garbage inlet box 3 is completed, the garbage inlet 4 is fully closed by the tailgate 5 and the foot switch 30 is disabled, so that even if the garbage collection vehicle 100 starts to run after the garbage loading operation is completed, it is reliably prevented from running with the garbage inlet 4 open, and it is prevented that foreign objects on the road that are kicked up by the rear wheels during running enter the sensing space 30b of the foot switch 30 and cause it to malfunction, and it is possible to effectively prevent the tailgate 5 from inadvertently rising.

[0074] -Other embodiments- The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the claims. The technical scope of the present invention includes all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the foot switch 30 is positioned on the left side of the emergency stop plate 62, but instead of this position, the foot switch 30 may be positioned on the right side of the emergency stop plate 62, or the foot switch 30 may be positioned on both the left and right sides.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the foot switch 30 having the sensing space 30b is used, but other types of foot switches not having a sensing space may also be used.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the hydraulic pump P serving as the power source of the garbage loading device 8 is configured to receive engine power via the PTO, and the hydraulic cylinder 45 for raising and lowering the tailgate 5 is configured to be driven by an electric hydraulic pump unit 50 separate from the hydraulic pump P, but this is not limiting. For example, the hydraulic pump P serving as the power source of the garbage loading device 8 may be configured to send hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 45 for operating the tailgate 5.

[0078] Furthermore, the configuration for raising and lowering the tailgate 5 is a hydraulic opening and closing mechanism in which the opening and closing arm 43 is operated by a hydraulic cylinder 45, but this is not limited to this, and it may also be an electric opening and closing mechanism in which the opening and closing arm 43 is directly operated by a motor.

[0079] In addition, in the above embodiment, the garbage loading device 8 is configured as a rotating plate type garbage loading device having a rotating plate 10 and a pushing plate 20, but this is not limited to this and may also be configured as a so-called press type garbage loading device having a sliding plate and a compression plate at the lower end of the sliding plate.

[0080] In addition, in the above embodiment, the power source of the garbage loading device 8 is a hydraulic pump P, and the power of the engine is transmitted to the hydraulic pump P via a PTO, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to, for example, a so-called electric garbage collection vehicle in which the hydraulic pump P is driven by an electric motor.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a control device 80 is used to control the operation of the garbage loading device 8, and also used to control the opening and closing of the tailgate 5, but it is also possible to use separate control devices for controlling the operation of the garbage loading device 8 and for controlling the opening and closing of the tailgate 5.

[0082] In addition, in the above embodiment, the emergency stop plate 62 serving as the emergency stop operating part is formed in a wide rectangular shape, but the shape of the emergency stop operating part is not limited to this and may be formed in a rod shape, for example. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The present invention can be used in a garbage collection vehicle equipped with a garbage loading device disposed inside a garbage dump box and an opening / closing door for opening and closing a garbage dump opening that opens at the rear end of the garbage dump box. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 2. Dustbin 3 Garbage disposal box 4 Garbage inlet 5 Tailgate (opening door) 8. Refuse loading device G garbage 30 Foot switch (foot-operated switch) 30b Sensing space 62 Emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation part) 63 PTO switch (power source switch) 64 Loading / unloading switch 65 Loading button 80 Control device 100 Refuse collection truck

Claims

1. A garbage collection vehicle including a garbage dump box having a garbage dump opening at a rear end thereof, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage dump box, an opening / closing door for opening and closing the garbage dump opening, and a control device for controlling the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing door, A loading device operation unit that is arranged on the side of the garbage input port and instructs the operation of the garbage loading device; An emergency stop operation unit is disposed below the garbage inlet, and stops the operation of the garbage loading device in response to an operation by a person, and an opening / closing door operation switch is provided to instruct the control device to open and close the opening / closing door; The emergency stop operation unit has a predetermined area whose longitudinal direction is the vehicle width direction, A refuse collection vehicle, wherein the opening / closing door operation switch has an area smaller than the specified area at a lateral position of the emergency stop operation unit on the side where the loading device operation unit is provided.

2. The refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1, A garbage collection vehicle, characterized in that the opening / closing door operation switch is spaced from the garbage inlet at a greater distance than the emergency stop operation unit.

3. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, The emergency stop operation unit has the predetermined area extending in the vehicle width direction from a vehicle width center portion, A refuse collection vehicle, wherein the open / close door operation switch is provided in the vicinity of the loading device operation unit in the vehicle width direction.

4. In the refuse collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A garbage collection vehicle characterized in that the opening / closing door operation switch is disposed further inwardly of the garbage bin than the emergency stop operation unit.

5. In the refuse collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The opening and closing door operation switch is The refuse collection vehicle has a sensing space on the inner side of the refuse input box, and is configured to be able to sense when a person's feet enter the sensing space.

6. In the refuse collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A power source switch is provided for turning on and off the power source of the garbage loading device, The opening and closing door is driven by a power source different from that of the garbage loading device, The control device includes: Determining whether the power source switch is on or off; The power source switch is turned off when the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off, and the opening / closing door operation switch is disabled. A garbage collection vehicle characterized in that the open / close door operation switch is configured to be enabled on condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch.

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