Support vehicle

Abstract

To provide a support vehicle capable of stably traveling along a reference traveling line in both forward and backward traveling.SOLUTION: A support vehicle that supports a slope work vehicle that travels in a direction crossing a gradient of a slope and travels along a reference traveling line comprises a main body that supports the slope work vehicle, and a steering mechanism that supports wheels so as to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the main body and changes steering angles of the wheels; the steering mechanism is provided with a first moving member and a second moving member that slide in opposite directions in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the wheel when the steering angle is changed, and a sensors are attached to the first moving member and the second moving member respectively; a reference traveling line is detected by the sensor on the advancing direction side, the steering mechanism is controlled, and the sensor on the advancing direction side is set along the reference traveling line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a support vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a known method for performing paving work on a slope by running a slope work vehicle such as a compaction roller or asphalt finisher in a direction crossing the slope gradient. In this method, the slope work vehicle is supported by a support vehicle running parallel to the slope work vehicle, which prevents the slope work vehicle from slipping down and enables the compaction roller to compact the slope vertically. For example, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the tension of the rope used by the support vehicle to support the compaction roller can be made constant by controlling a hydraulic cylinder, and the compaction pressure by the compaction roller can be made uniform. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-260103 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned method, the support vehicle is driven along a pre-established reference running line, and the slope work vehicle is supported with a constant force as it runs across the slope gradient. However, in the past, the support vehicle was driven along the reference running line by the operator, so stable running was difficult depending on the operator's skill. Furthermore, in slope paving work, the slope work vehicle may be driven back and forth on the same running path, so the support vehicle is required to run stably along the reference running line both when moving forward and backward. The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a support vehicle that can travel stably along a reference driving line both when traveling forward and backward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support vehicle which supports a slope working vehicle traveling in a direction crossing the gradient of a slope and travels along a reference travel line, the support vehicle comprising: a main body which supports the slope working vehicle; and a steering mechanism which supports wheels spaced apart in the width direction of the main body and changes the steering angle of the wheels, the steering mechanism comprising a first moving member and a second moving member which slide in opposite directions relative to each other in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the wheels when the steering angle is changed; The first moving member is disposed on one traveling side relative to the second moving member, and the second moving member is disposed on the other traveling side, which is opposite to the one traveling side, relative to the first moving member; a sensor is attached to each of the first moving member and the second moving member; When traveling to one of the travelling sides, the reference travel line is detected by one of the sensors attached to the first moving member, and the steering mechanism is controlled to align the one of the sensors along the reference travel line, and when traveling to the other of the travelling sides, the reference travel line is detected by the other of the sensors attached to the second moving member, and the steering mechanism is controlled to align the other of the sensors along the reference travel line. It is a support vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, when the support vehicle is moving forward or backward, each steering mechanism moves the sensor in the direction of travel along the reference driving line, so that the support vehicle can travel stably along the reference driving line both when moving forward or backward. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic view of a slope during compaction. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic view of a slope during compaction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the first embodiment moves straight ahead. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the first embodiment moves forward. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the first embodiment moves backward. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the second embodiment moves straight ahead. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the third embodiment moves straight ahead. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the steering mechanism when the roller supporter of the third embodiment moves forward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] [1. Embodiment 1] [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Overall configuration during compaction] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a slope S during compaction. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a slope S during compaction. The slope S is provided, for example, on an automobile course paved with asphalt, and is inclined in a direction in which an automobile traveling on the course will tilt to the left or right. As shown in FIG. 1, a compaction roller (slope work vehicle) 90 having a roller 91 is used to compact the slope S. The compaction roller 90 travels in the same direction as the automobile traveling on the course, perpendicularly crossing the direction of the gradient of the slope S, and continuously compacts one lap of the automobile course.

[0009] The compaction roller 90 running on the slope S is supported from above by a roller supporter (support vehicle) 1 running on a flat road P that spreads out approximately horizontally from the upper end of the slope S. The roller supporter 1 is connected to the compaction roller 90 by a wire W wound around a movable pulley, and runs parallel to the compaction roller 90 during compaction. The roller supporter 1 supports the compaction roller 90 against a component of gravity acting on the compaction roller 90 in the gradient direction of the slope S, thereby preventing the compaction roller 90 from slipping and enabling uniform compaction of the slope S.

[0010] The roller supporter 1 has a main body 10 that supports the compaction roller 90 with a wire W. The main body 10 has a rotating body 11 that supports a winch 15 around which the wire W is wound, and a support body 13 that supports the rotating body 11 from below so that it can rotate. The roller supporter 1 adjusts the rotation angle of the rotating body 11 and the amount of wire W taken up by the winch 15 while running parallel to the compaction roller 90, and supports the compaction roller 90 with a constant supporting force. In addition, a counterweight is mounted on the support body 13 on the side opposite the compaction roller 90, which stabilizes the running of the roller supporter 1 while supporting the compaction roller 90.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 2, the roller supporter 1 runs along a reference running line L arranged on a flat road P while supporting the compaction roller 90. The reference running line L is oriented along the boundary between the slope S and the flat road P. The accuracy and stability with which the roller supporter 1 runs along the reference running line L are important in suppressing fluctuations in the support force acting on the compaction roller 90, and high accuracy and stability are required to ensure uniform compaction by the compaction roller 90.

[0012] [1-1-2. Configuration of steering mechanism] 3 is a plan view of the steering mechanism 30 when the roller supporter 1 moves straight ahead. In the following figures, the symbol A indicates the front of the roller supporter 1, and the symbol B indicates the rear of the roller supporter 1. Furthermore, directions such as front-rear, up-down, left-right, and front-rear of the roller supporter 1 are based on the support 13, and hereafter descriptions of directions such as up-down, left-right, and front-rear are based on the support 13 unless otherwise specified.

[0013] The roller supporter 1 has a pair of front and rear steering mechanisms 30 attached to the support body 13. The steering mechanism 30 supports two wheels 31 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction (width direction of the main body), and simultaneously changes the steering angle of the pair of left and right wheels 31. In this embodiment, the wheels 31 are dual tires.

[0014] The steering mechanism 30 has a pair of left and right rotating members 33, and a front connecting member (first moving member) 35a and a rear connecting member (second moving member) 35b that connect the pair of left and right rotating members 33 to each other.

[0015] The rotating member 33 is a member attached to the support body 13 via a shaft member 33c inserted vertically, and extends in the front-rear direction. The rotating member 33 is rotatable about an axis in the up-down direction relative to the support body 13, with the shaft member 33c inserted at the center in the front-rear direction as the center of rotation. The rotating member 33 supports the wheels 31 and the axles 31c via a hydraulic motor 34.

[0016] The hydraulic motor 34 is connected via a hydraulic hose to a hydraulic pump mounted on the main body 10. The hydraulic motor 34 rotates the axle 31c and the wheels 31 by receiving driving force from the hydraulic pump operated by an engine mounted on the main body 10. The axle 31c is an axis that is inserted through the center of the wheel 31, and is located in the center of the rotating member 33 in the front-rear direction.

[0017] The front connecting member 35a is a member extending in the left-right direction, and both ends are connected to the front ends 33a of the two rotating members 33 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the up-down direction. The rear connecting member 35b is a member extending in the left-right direction, and both ends are connected to the rear ends 33b of the two rotating members 33 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the up-down direction.

[0018] A hydraulic cylinder 36 that expands and contracts in the left-right direction by the operating force transmitted from a hydraulic pump is connected to the rear connecting member 35b. The hydraulic cylinder 36 is controlled by a control unit described later, and moves the rear connecting member 35b relatively to the left and right with respect to the support body 13 by expanding and contracting.

[0019] When the hydraulic cylinder 36 moves the rear connecting member 35b relatively to one side, either left or right, the two rotating members 33 both rotate in a direction that moves the rear ends 33b to one side. In this manner, the control unit controls the hydraulic cylinder 36 to rotate the rotating members 33, thereby changing the steering angle of the wheels 31 supported by the rotating members 33 (the relative angle of the wheels 31 to the support body 13 in a plan view). Therefore, when the steering angle of the wheels 31 is changed, the rear connecting member 35b moves relatively to the support body 13 in the same left-right direction as the rear parts 31b of the wheels 31.

[0020] Furthermore, due to the rotation of the two rotating members 33, the front connecting member 35a connected to the front end 33a moves relative to the support body 13 in the opposite direction to the rear connecting member 35b. Therefore, similar to the rear connecting member 35b, when the steering angle of the wheel 31 is changed, the front connecting member 35a moves in the same left-right direction as the front part 31a of the wheel 31 relative to the support body 13.

[0021] At this time, the two connecting members 35a, 35b move by sliding relative to the support body 13. That is, the two connecting members 35a, 35b move in parallel with the support body 13 when the steering angle of the wheels 31 is changed.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the distance D1 between the front end 33a, which is the connecting portion with the front connecting member 35a, and the shaft member 33c of the rotating member 33 is equal to the distance D2 between the rear end 33b, which is the connecting portion with the rear connecting member 35b, and the shaft member 33c. Therefore, when the steering angle of the wheels 31 is changed, the front connecting member 35a moves relatively to the support body 13 in the left-right direction by the same distance as the rear connecting member 35b.

[0023] The steering mechanism 30 has a front sensor 37a attached to the center of the front connecting member 35a in the left-right direction, and a rear sensor 37b attached to the center of the rear connecting member 35b in the left-right direction. Each of the sensors 37a, 37b is a sensor that detects the reference driving line L and can detect its own left-right displacement with respect to the reference driving line L. Each of the sensors 37a, 37b transmits a detection signal to a control unit described later. In this embodiment, the reference driving line L is an electric wire through which a high frequency wave flows, and each of the sensors 37a, 37b is equipped with a pair of left and right magnetic sensors. The control unit detects the intensity of the magnetism generated by the electric wire by the pair of left and right magnetic sensors, and identifies the displacement of each of the sensors 37a, 37b with respect to the reference driving line L.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the front sensor 37a is located forward of the axle 31c and the shaft member 33c which is the center of rotation of the rotating member 33. The rear sensor 37b is located rearward of the axle 31c and the shaft member 33c. When the roller supporter 1 moves straight, the sensors 37a and 37b are in positions where they overlap in the front and rear direction in a plan view. In other words, when the roller supporter 1 moves straight, the position of the front sensor 37a in the left-right direction overlaps with the position of the rear sensor 37b in the left-right direction. When the connecting members 35a and 35b to which the sensors 37a and 37b are attached move, the sensors 37a and 37b move together. Therefore, when the connecting members 35a and 35b slide relative to the support 13 when the steering angle of the wheel 31 is changed, the sensors 37a and 37b also slide relative to the support 13.

[0025] [1-2. Operation] The following describes the operation of the roller supporter 1 when it travels along the reference travel line L. Before starting travel along the reference travel line L, the roller supporter 1 is moved to a position along the reference travel line L by manual operation of the operator. This allows the control unit to detect the reference travel line L based on the detection signals of the sensors 37a and 37b. The control unit has a processor, memory, etc., and controls each device by executing a program stored in the memory. The following operations may be performed by multiple control units.

[0026] [1-2-1. Movement when moving forward] 4 is a plan view of the steering mechanism 30 when the roller supporter 1 moves forward. As shown in FIG. 4, when the roller supporter 1 moves forward, the control unit aligns the two front side sensors 37a located in the direction of travel of the sensors 37a, 37b along the reference running line L. More specifically, when the roller supporter 1 moves forward, the control unit controls the steering mechanism 30 to move the front side sensors 37a so that the centers of the two front side sensors 37a overlap the reference running line L in a plan view. The details of the control to align the front side sensors 37a along the reference running line L will be described below.

[0027] When the roller supporter 1 moves forward, the control unit independently determines the displacements of the two front sensors 37a in the left-right direction relative to the reference travel line L based on the detection signals of the two front sensors 37a.

[0028] The control unit independently controls the hydraulic cylinders 36 of the two steering mechanisms 30, and moves the two front sensors 37a along the reference running line L so as to cancel the identified displacement. The control of the hydraulic cylinders 36 at this time is determined by the relationship between the amount and direction of extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinders 36 and the direction and amount of movement of the front sensors 37a. This relationship is stored in memory in advance. In this embodiment, the front connecting member 35a to which the front sensor 37a is attached moves in the opposite direction to the rear connecting member 35b connected to the hydraulic cylinders 36 by the same distance. For this reason, the control unit in this embodiment controls the hydraulic cylinders 36 to move the rear connecting member 35b by the same direction and distance as the detected displacement from the reference running line L.

[0029] In this way, the control unit repeats, while the roller supporter 1 is moving forward, the determination of the displacement of the front side sensor 37a relative to the reference running line L and the movement of the front side sensor 37a sufficient to cancel the displacement. As a result, while the roller supporter 1 is moving forward, the front side sensor 37a is in a state along the reference running line L.

[0030] Here, if the rolling direction of the wheel 31 after the displacement is cancelled (i.e., the direction of travel of the wheel 31 alone when the wheel 31 rolls) is not parallel to the nearby reference running line L, when the roller supporter 1 moves forward slightly, the steering mechanism 30 will be inclined with respect to the nearby reference running line L. In this case, the front side sensor 37a moves left and right from the nearby reference running line L due to the forward movement of the roller supporter 1. The direction of displacement due to this movement is determined by the rolling direction of the wheel 31 relative to the direction in which the reference running line L extends near the front side sensor 37a.

[0031] For example, when the rolling direction of the wheel 31 is inclined to the right from the direction in which the reference running line L near the front sensor 37a extends, the front sensor 37a moves to the right with respect to the reference running line L. As described above, in response to this, the control unit controls the hydraulic cylinder 36 to move the front sensor 37a to the left by an amount sufficient to cancel the displacement caused by the movement. Since the front connecting member 35a on which the front sensor 37a is provided moves in the same left-right direction as the front part 31a of the wheel 31, the rolling direction of the wheel 31 shifts to the left due to the cancellation of the displacement. In other words, the control unit performs control to cancel the displacement of the front sensor 37a with respect to the reference running line L, so that the rolling direction of the wheel 31 approaches parallel to the reference running line L.

[0032] Furthermore, if the rolling direction of the wheel 31 in a plan view after the displacement is cancelled is parallel to the nearby reference running line L, when the roller supporter 1 moves forward slightly, the steering mechanism 30 moves parallel to the nearby reference running line L. In this case, the front sensor 37a does not deviate left or right from the nearby reference running line L due to the forward movement of the roller supporter 1.

[0033] Therefore, by controlling the front sensor 37a to follow the reference running line L while the roller supporter 1 is moving forward, the rolling direction of the wheel 31 can be kept parallel to the direction in which the reference running line L extends near the front sensor 37a. Therefore, the roller supporter 1 can run stably and accurately along the reference running line L. In addition, when the steering angle of the wheel 31 is changed, the front connecting member 35a and the front sensor 37a slide relative to the support 13, so that the relative angle between the support 13 and the front sensor 37a becomes constant, making control easier.

[0034] In addition, since the two steering mechanisms 30 are controlled independently, the rolling direction of the wheels 31 of each of the two steering mechanisms 30 is parallel to the direction in which the nearby reference driving line L extends. This makes it possible to reduce the inner wheel difference between the wheels 31 of the two steering mechanisms 30.

[0035] [1-2-2. Operation when reversing] 5 is a plan view of the steering mechanism 30 when the roller supporter 1 is moving backward. Normally, to complete the rolling of the slope S, the rolling roller 90 needs to move back and forth along the same path. For this reason, the roller supporter 1 also needs to move back and forth along the same path, and travels along the reference running line L even when moving backward. Note that the control when moving backward is a reverse of the control when moving forward, and therefore detailed explanations of the operations and actions common to the control when moving forward will be omitted.

[0036] When the roller supporter 1 moves backward, the control unit repeats identifying the displacement of the rear sensor 37b with respect to the reference running line L and moving the rear sensor 37b just enough to cancel the displacement. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, when the roller supporter 1 moves backward, the control unit aligns the rear sensor 37b, which is located on the traveling direction side of the sensors 37a, 37b, with the reference running line L.

[0037] This allows the roller supporter 1 to travel accurately and stably along the reference travel line L even when moving backward. In addition, since the rear sensor 37b slides relative to the support 13 as the steering angle of the wheel 31 changes, the relative angle between the support 13 and the rear sensor 37b becomes constant, making control easier.

[0038] In this embodiment, as described above, the distance D1 is equal to the distance D2 (see FIG. 3), so the relationship between the change in the steering angle of the wheel 31 and the left-right displacement of each sensor 37a, 37b is the same for each sensor 37a, 37b. Therefore, the difference in behavior during forward and reverse travel is small, and the path of the roller supporter 1 is unlikely to deviate between forward and reverse travel. Also, in this embodiment, the sensors 37a, 37b are positioned so that they overlap front and rear in a plan view, so that when the sensors 37a, 37b are along the reference travel line L, the path of the roller supporter 1 is unlikely to deviate left and right between forward and reverse travel.

[0039] [1-3. Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the roller supporter 1 comprises a main body 10 that supports the compaction roller 90, and a steering mechanism 30 that supports the wheels 31 spaced apart in the left-right direction and changes the steering angle of the wheels 31, and the steering mechanism 30 comprises a front connecting member 35a and a rear connecting member 35b that slide in opposite directions in the left-right direction in conjunction with the movement of the wheels 31 when the steering angle of the wheels 31 is changed, and a front sensor 37a and a rear sensor 37b are attached to the front connecting member 35a and the rear connecting member 35b, respectively, and the reference driving line L is detected by the front sensor 37a or the rear sensor 37b on the traveling direction side and the steering mechanism 30 is controlled to align the front sensor 37a or the rear sensor 37b on the traveling direction side with the reference driving line L. This allows the roller supporter 1 to travel stably along the reference travel line L both when traveling forward and backward. In particular, in this embodiment, the front sensor 37a is located forward of the axle 31c, and the rear sensor 37b is located rearward of the axle 31c. Therefore, in both forward and backward travel, the roller supporter 1 can be precisely aligned along the reference travel line L as if pulled by the sensors 37a and 37b.

[0040] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, each steering mechanism 30 may be rotatably attached to the main body 10 around an axis in the vertical direction, and may include two rotating members 33 lined up in the left-right direction to support the wheels 31, and the front connecting member 35a may connect the two rotating members 33 forward of the shaft member 33c which is the center of rotation of the rotating members 33, and the rear connecting member 35b may connect the two rotating members 33 rearward of the shaft member 33c which is the center of rotation of the rotating members 33. This makes it possible to improve the stability of the running along the reference running line L by the roller supporter 1 with a simple configuration.

[0041] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, in the rotating member 33, the fore-and-aft distance D1 from the shaft member 33c to the front end 33a, which is the connecting portion with the front connecting member 35a, may be configured to be equal to the fore-and-aft distance from the shaft member 33c to the rear end 33b, which is the connecting portion with the rear connecting member 35b. This reduces the difference in behavior during forward and reverse travel, making it difficult for the roller supporter 1 to deviate from its running path during forward and reverse travel.

[0042] Also, as in this embodiment, the front sensor 37a and the rear sensor 37b may be configured to overlap each other in a front-to-rear view when traveling straight ahead. This makes it difficult for the path of the roller supporter 1 to deviate left or right during forward or backward movement.

[0043] [2. Second Embodiment] Hereinafter, a description will be given of embodiment 2. Hereinafter, the same components as those in embodiment 1 will be given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the steering mechanism 130 when the roller supporter 1 according to the second embodiment moves straight ahead. In the second embodiment, the sensors 37a and 37b are attached to the connecting members 35a and 35b via the sensor arms 140. The sensor arms 140 extend from the connecting members 35a and 35b to the right of the wheels 31. The sensors 37a and 37b are attached to the ends of the sensor arms 140 and are located to the right of the right wheel 31. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the roller supporter 1 runs, the wheels 31 of the steering mechanism 130 are located to the left of the reference running line L. This allows the running path of the roller supporter 1 to be shifted depending on the width of the flat road P on which the reference running line L is provided and the obstacles on the flat road P. In addition, in this embodiment, the sensor arms 140 extend to the opposite side to the rolling rollers 90 on the left and right sides as viewed from the roller supporter 1.

[0045] As in this embodiment, the front sensor 37a and the rear sensor 37b may be configured to be held outside the wheels 31 in the left-right direction. This allows the roller supporter 1 to have greater freedom in its running path.

[0046] [3. Embodiment 3] Hereinafter, a description will be given of embodiment 3. Hereinafter, the same components as those in embodiment 1 or 2 will be given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] 7 is a plan view of a steering mechanism 230 according to the third embodiment, showing the steering mechanism 230 when traveling straight. The steering mechanism 230 does not have a front connecting member 35a, and connects the pair of left and right rotating members 33 only with a rear connecting member (connecting member) 35b located on the rear side (one direction side) of the shaft member 33c. In the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, the sensors 37a, 37b are attached to the rotating members 33 via a pair of front and rear sensor arms 240.

[0048] The sensor arms 240 each have a link mechanism, and are structures that move the sensors 37a, 37b left and right with changes in the steering angle of the wheels 31. The sensor arm 240 has an arm fixing member 241 fixed to the right-side rotating member 33, and two sensor support members (first moving member, second moving member) 247 that support the sensors 37a, 37b.

[0049] The arm fixing members 241 each extend along the rotating member 33. One arm fixing member 241 fixed to the rotating member 33 on the front side of the shaft member 33c extends forward, and the other arm fixing member 241 fixed to the rotating member 33 on the rear side of the shaft member 33c extends rearward.

[0050] The sensor support member 247 is a member extending in the left-right direction, and has the sensors 37a, 37b on the right side of the wheel 31. A swivel rubber wheel 249 that comes into contact with the flat road P and supports the sensor support member 247 is attached to the right end of the sensor support member 247. The swivel rubber wheel 249 can rotate freely in any horizontal direction.

[0051] The sensor arm 240 also has a swinging member 243 attached to the arm fixing member 241 , and a link member 245 that connects the swinging member 243 and the sensor support member 247 .

[0052] The swinging member 243 is attached to the front end of the front-side arm fixing member 241 and the rear end of the rear-side arm fixing member 241 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the swinging member 243 rotates relative to the arm fixing member 241, the link member 245 and the sensor support member 247 each swing up and down. Therefore, even if the flat road P on which the swivel rubber wheel 249 touches the ground is uneven, a large load is unlikely to be applied to the sensor arm 240.

[0053] Link member 245 is a member that is attached at both ends to oscillating member 243 and sensor support member 247 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the up-down direction, and extends in the left-right direction. Oscillating member 243, link member 245, and sensor support member 247 form a link mechanism of an open loop structure having two joints.

[0054] Moreover, in the third embodiment, a frame 250 is provided for restricting the movement of the link mechanism of the sensor arm 240 and for moving the sensors 37a, 37b left and right. The frame 250 has a frame fixing member 251 fixed to the support 13, a pair of front and rear guide members 253 fixed to the frame fixing member 251, and a reinforcing member 255 that fixes the two guide members 253 together.

[0055] The frame fixing member 251 is a member extending in the front-rear direction, and has guide members 253 fixed at both ends. The guide members 253 are members extending in the right direction from the frame fixing member 251, and are provided at positions along the sensor support member 247 in a plan view. The reinforcing member 255 is a member extending in the front-rear direction at the right end of the guide member 253, and is supported by being suspended from the support body 13 via a wire rope and a turnbuckle (not shown).

[0056] Further, two metal bands 257 are attached to each guide member 253. The metal bands 257 are formed by bending a metal strip into a ring shape penetrating in the left-right direction. The sensor support member 247 is inserted into the metal bands 257 from the left to the right, and restricts the rotation of the sensor support member 247.

[0057] Fig. 8 is a plan view of the steering mechanism 230 during forward movement according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, when the steering angle is changed to cancel the displacement of the front sensor 37a relative to the reference driving line L, the arm fixing members 241 rotate with the rotation of the rotating member 33. Accordingly, the link mechanism formed by the swinging member 243, the link member 245, and the sensor support member 247 also operates. At this time, the rotation of the sensor support member 247 is restricted by the metal band 257 of the frame 250 fixed to the support 13, so that the sensor support member 247 slides in the left-right direction relative to the support 13.

[0058] In this way, by using the sensor arm 240 having the link mechanism, it is possible to realize the front sensor 37a that moves in the same left-right direction as the front part 31a of the wheel 31 and the rear sensor 37b that moves in the same left-right direction as the rear part 31b of the wheel 31 when the steering angle is changed. Therefore, even in the steering mechanism 230 that is not provided with the front connecting member 35a, stable driving along the reference driving line L can be realized both when traveling forward and backward.

[0059] That is, as in this embodiment, the steering mechanism 30 is attached to the main body 10 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction, and includes two rotating members 33 lined up in the left-right direction to support the wheels 31, a rear connecting member 35b that connects the two rotating members 33 rearward of the center of rotation of the rotating members 33, and a sensor arm 240 attached to the rotating members 33 and having a link mechanism that slides the two sensor support members 247 in the left-right direction when the steering angle of the wheels 31 is changed. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the running of the roller supporter 1 along the reference running line L with a simple configuration.

[0060] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment shows a specific example to which the present invention is applied, and does not limit the form to which the invention is applied.

[0061] In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the roller supporter 1 has been described as traveling along the reference running line L laid on the flat road P continuing to the upper end of the slope S, but this is just one example. For example, the roller supporter 1 may be configured to run along the reference running line L laid on the flat ground spreading out substantially horizontally from the lower end of the slope S. In this case, the roller supporter 1 is configured to include a crane arm on the rotating body 11 that pulls the wire W to a position above the rolling roller 90.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the roller supporter 1 is described as supporting the rolling roller 90, but this is just one example. For example, the roller supporter 1 may be configured to support any slope work vehicle other than the rolling roller 90, such as an asphalt finisher that spreads an asphalt mixture on the slope S.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the reference running line L is an electric wire through which high frequency waves flow, and each of the sensors 37a, 37b has a pair of magnetic sensors on the left and right, but this is just an example. For example, the reference running line L may be a line drawn on the flat road P by paint, rope, or the like, and each of the sensors 37a, 37b may be a camera or the like that optically detects the reference running line L. Alternatively, each of the sensors 37a, 37b may be a contact type sensor, and the reference running line L may be a rope or a groove laid on the flat road P. In addition, any combination of the reference running line L and each of the sensors 37a, 37b may be used as long as it does not go against the spirit of the present invention.

[0064] In the above embodiment, it has been described that two steering mechanisms 30, 130, 230 are attached to one support 13, but this is just an example. For example, the support 13 may be configured to have three or more steering mechanisms 30, 130, 230 attached thereto.

[0065] In the second and third embodiments, the steering mechanism 130, 230 has been described as having two sensor arms 140, 240, but this is just an example. For example, the two sensor arms 140, 240 may be integrated and provided in the steering mechanism 130, 230 as a single sensor arm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Roller supporter (support vehicle) 10 Main body 13 Support 30 Steering mechanism 31 wheels 31a front 31b Rear 33 Rotating member 33a Front end (connection part) 33b Rear end (connection part) 33c Axial member (center of rotation of rotating member) 35a: Front connecting member (first moving member) 35b rear side connecting member (second moving member, connecting member) 37a Front sensor 37b Rear sensor 90 Roller 130 Steering mechanism 140 Sensor arm 230 Steering Mechanism 240 Sensor Arm 247 Sensor support member (first moving member, second moving member) 250 frames L Reference running line S slope

Claims

1. A support vehicle that supports a slope work vehicle traveling in a direction crossing the slope gradient and travels along a reference travel line, A main body portion that supports the slope working vehicle, and a steering mechanism that supports the wheels spaced apart in the width direction of the main body portion and changes the steering angle of the wheels, The steering mechanism includes: a first moving member and a second moving member that slide in opposite directions to each other in the width direction in conjunction with a movement of the wheels when the steering angle is changed, The first moving member is disposed on one moving side relative to the second moving member, The second moving member is disposed on the other moving side, which is opposite to the one moving side, with respect to the first moving member, A sensor is attached to each of the first moving member and the second moving member, When traveling in the one traveling direction, the reference traveling line is detected by the one of the sensors attached to the first moving member, and the steering mechanism is controlled to move the one of the sensors along the reference traveling line; When traveling to the other traveling side, the other sensor attached to the second moving member detects the reference traveling line, and the steering mechanism is controlled to move the other sensor along the reference traveling line. Support vehicle.

2. The steering mechanism includes: two rotating members each extending in a front-rear direction, rotatably attached to the main body about an axis in the up-down direction, and aligned in the width direction to support the wheels; the first moving member connects the two rotating members forward of the centers of rotation of the two rotating members, The second moving member connects the two rotating members to each other on a rear side of a center of rotation of each of the two rotating members. The support vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The steering mechanism includes: Two rotating members each extending in a front-rear direction, attached to the main body portion so as to be rotatable about an axis in the up-down direction, and aligned in the width direction to support the wheels; a connecting member that connects the two rotating members to one side in a front-rear direction from a center of rotation of each of the two rotating members; a sensor arm attached to one of the two rotating members and having a link mechanism that slides the first moving member and the second moving member in the width direction when the steering angle is changed, The support vehicle according to claim 1.

4. In the rotating member, a distance in a front-rear direction from the center of rotation to a connecting portion with the first moving member is equal to a distance in a front-rear direction from the center of rotation to a connecting portion with the second moving member. The support vehicle according to claim 2.

5. When traveling straight, the sensors are positioned so that they overlap each other in a plan view. A support vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Each of the sensors is held outwardly of the wheels in the width direction. A support vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images