Lever-operated robot, industrial vehicle, and remote control system

Abstract

To provide a lever operation robot, an industrial vehicle and a remote operation system that are able to individually and mechanically move and operate an operation lever.SOLUTION: A lever operation robot, which operates an operation lever of an industrial vehicle, includes: a support portion fixed to a front frame of the industrial vehicle; an operating portion having a basal portion disposed adjacent to the operation lever and extending in a movable direction of the operation lever, a mounting portion configured to mount the basal portion to the support portion so as to be rotatable about a central axis extending in the movable direction, two rollers respectively mounted on both ends of the basal portion in an extending direction thereof, an annular belt installed so as to position the basal portion and the two rollers on an inner side of the annular belt, supported from the inner side by the two rollers, and configured to be fed in the movable direction by rotation of the rollers, and an engagement portion mounted on the belt and configured to engage with the operation lever; and a driving unit configured to rotationally drive one of the two rollers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lever-operated robot, an industrial vehicle, and a remote operation system.

Background Art

[0002] When a plurality of operation levers for operating an industrial vehicle are provided, in order to prevent misoperation of adjacent operation levers, a certain amount of space is required at the portion (for example, the upper part of the operation lever) that an operator holds among the operation levers. On the other hand, when the number of operation levers increases, the installation location of the operation levers becomes too wide. For this reason, the base (lower part) of the operation lever is arranged close, and the operation lever is arranged obliquely to achieve both operability and space saving.

[0003] Also, robots that automatically operate operation levers are known. Such robots include a type that automatically operates with an electric signal without using an operation lever and a type that mechanically moves an operation lever for automatic operation.

[0004] As an example of a robot that mechanically moves an operation lever for automatic operation, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1 below. The robot of Patent Document 1 includes an operation unit movable on a locus along the movable direction of the operation lever and a drive unit that moves the operation unit on the locus.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, although the lever-operated robot of Patent Document 1 can handle the case where there are two or fewer adjacent operation levers, when there are three or more operation levers, it is impossible to secure the arrangement spaces for the operation part and the drive part for each operation lever.

[0007] This is because the interval between the operation levers becomes smaller as the number of operation levers increases. Furthermore, the inclination of each operation lever is different. For this reason, it has been difficult to attach a device for mechanically moving each of the plurality of operation levers.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a lever-operated robot, an industrial vehicle, and a remote operation system that can individually and mechanically move and operate an operation lever.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a lever-operated robot according to the present disclosure is a lever-operated robot that operates an operation lever of an industrial vehicle, and includes a support part fixed to a front frame of the industrial vehicle, a base part arranged adjacent to the operation lever and extending in a movable direction of the operation lever, a mounting part that rotatably mounts the base part to the support part around a central axis extending in the movable direction, two rollers respectively attached to both ends in an extending direction of the base part, an annular belt that is installed so that the base part and the two rollers are located inside, is supported from the inside by the two rollers, and is fed out in the movable direction by rotation of the rollers, and an operation part having an engagement part attached to the belt and engaging with the operation lever, and a drive part that rotationally drives one of the two rollers.

[0011] An industrial vehicle according to the present disclosure includes any one of the above lever-operated robots, a vehicle body, and the operation lever provided on the vehicle body.

[0012] The remote operation system according to the present disclosure includes the above industrial vehicle and a remote operation device that can remotely operate the drive unit of the lever operation robot by wireless communication.

Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the lever operation robot, industrial vehicle, and remote operation system of the present disclosure, the operation levers can be mechanically moved and operated individually.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, the lever operation robot 20, the industrial vehicle 2, and the remote operation system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0016] (Remote Operation System) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the remote operation system 1 includes an industrial vehicle 2, a remote operation device 70, and a central control device 80. In the remote operation system 1, the industrial vehicle 2 is remotely operated by the remote operation device 70.

[0017] (Industrial Vehicle) The industrial vehicle 2 of the present embodiment is a manned forklift. The industrial vehicle 2 includes a vehicle body 3, a steering 4, an operation lever 5, and a lever operation robot 20.

[0018] Hereinafter, the front-rear direction Ds (travel direction) of the industrial vehicle 2 will be simply referred to as "front-rear direction Ds", the vehicle width direction Dw of the industrial vehicle 2 orthogonal to the front-rear direction Ds will be simply referred to as "vehicle width direction Dw", and the vertical up-down direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction Ds and the vehicle width direction Dw will be simply referred to as "up-down direction Dv".

[0019] The vehicle body 3 includes a vehicle body 10, a traveling mechanism 6, and a working device 15. The vehicle body 10 has a driver's seat 11, an operation console 12, and a front frame 13. The driver's seat 11 is installed so as to face forward. An operator A can board the driver's seat 11. The operator A operates an operation lever 5 described later to control the vehicle body 3.

[0020] Also, an operation console 12 is provided on the front side of the driver's seat 11 of the vehicle body 10. A steering 4 and an operation lever 5 described later are attached to the operation console 12. Further, a front frame 13 is provided on the front side of the operation console 12. A pair of front frames 13 are provided spaced apart on both sides in the vehicle width direction Dw of the vehicle body 10. Each front frame 13 extends in the vertical direction Dv.

[0021] The traveling mechanism 6 travels the vehicle body 3. In the present embodiment, the traveling mechanism 6 has wheels 6a and a traveling drive source (not shown). The wheels 6a support the vehicle body 10. The traveling drive source rotationally drives the wheels 6a.

[0022] The working device 15 performs work as a role assumed by the industrial vehicle 2. The working device 15 of the present embodiment is a cargo handling device 15a. The cargo handling device 15a has a mast 16 and forks 17. The mast 16 extends in the vertical direction Dv. The mast 16 is attached so as to be movable in the front-rear direction Ds. The mast 16 is adjustable in the tilt angle with respect to the vertical direction Dv.

[0023] The steering 4 is provided on the vehicle body 3. Specifically, the steering 4 is attached to one side in the vehicle width direction Dw of the operation console 12. The steering 4 adjusts the angle of the wheels 6a and determines the traveling direction of the industrial vehicle 2.

[0024] (Operation Lever) The operation lever 5 is provided on the vehicle body 3. Specifically, the operation lever 5 is attached to the other side in the vehicle width direction Dw (the side opposite to the steering 4) of the operation console 12. In the present embodiment, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of operation levers 5 are provided adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction Dw. Each operation lever 5 is provided with a function of switching the operation of the industrial vehicle 2. For example, one of the plurality of operation levers 5 is a lever for adjusting the tilt of the mast 16, another operation lever 5 is a lever for raising and lowering the fork 17, and still another operation lever 5 is a lever for moving the fork 17 in the vehicle width direction Dw (side shift), etc. The operation lever 5 can move in a predetermined movable direction D1, and by moving the operation lever 5 in the movable direction D1, various mechanisms and devices constituting the industrial vehicle 2 such as the work device 15 are operated. Hereinafter, the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5 may be simply referred to as the "movable direction D1" for explanation. In the present embodiment, the movable direction D1 is a direction along the front-rear direction Ds.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation lever 5 is formed in a shape extending toward the driver's seat 11 side. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the operation lever 5 has a lower stage portion 5a, a middle stage portion 5b, and an upper stage portion 5c.

[0026] The lower stage portion 5a extends upward from the vehicle body 10 of the industrial vehicle 2. The middle stage portion 5b extends upward from the upper end of the lower stage portion 5a and inclines in the vehicle width direction Dw as it goes upward. The upper stage portion 5c extends from the upper end of the middle stage portion 5b toward the driver's seat 11 of the industrial vehicle 2. Further, the upper stage portion 5c is inclined more greatly in the front-rear direction Ds than the middle stage portion 5b. The upper stage portion 5c is a gripping portion that is gripped by the operator A boarding the driver's seat 11 during operation. In addition, the boundary portion 5d between the middle stage portion 5b and the upper stage portion 5c of the operation lever 5 is formed in a curved shape in which the inclination direction of the operation lever 5 switches from the vehicle width direction Dw to the movable direction D1 of the lever (in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction Ds).

[0027] For each operation lever 5, the length from the lower part 5a to the upper part 5c is different, and further, the inclination angle of the vehicle width direction Dw with respect to the vertical direction Dv of the middle part 5b is different. In the illustrated example, the farther the operation lever 5 is from the vehicle width direction Dw outside (the side opposite to the steering 4 in the vehicle width direction Dw), the longer the length of the operation lever 5 and the larger the inclination angle of the middle part 5b with respect to the vertical direction Dv. For these operation levers 5, a lever operation robot 20 is provided.

[0028] (Lever operation robot) The lever operation robot 20 mechanically operates each operation lever 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lever operation robot 20 includes a support part 21, an operation part 30, and a drive part 22.

[0029] (Support part) The support part 21 is fixed to the operation lever 5. Specifically, the support part 21 is formed in a beam shape extending in the vehicle width direction Dw. The support part 21 is bridged over a pair of front frames 13 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction Dw and is fixed to these pair of front frames 13. At both ends of the support part 21 in the vehicle width direction, one mounting beam 21a is provided respectively. The mounting beam 21a is a beam extending in the front-rear direction Ds and is fixed to the corresponding front frame 13.

[0030] (Operation part) The operation part 30 is provided one by one for each operation lever 5. Each operation part 30 is installed on the outside of the vehicle width direction Dw (the side opposite to the steering 4 in the vehicle width direction Dw) with respect to the corresponding operation lever 5 of the operation target. For this reason, one operation part 30 is arranged between two adjacent operation levers 5. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the operation part 30 has a base part 31, a first bracket 32, a mounting part 40, a second bracket 33, a roller 34, a belt 35, an engaging part 50, and a linear guide 36.

[0031] (Base part) The base portion 31 is disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5 and extends in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. The base portion 31 is disposed adjacent to the middle portion 5b in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0032] (First bracket) The first bracket 32 is provided at both ends in the extending direction of the base portion 31. The first bracket 32 of the present embodiment is integrally formed with the base portion 31. The first bracket 32 has a first wall portion 32a and a second wall portion 32b. The first wall portion 32a is a rectangular plate-like member that is superimposed on the base portion 31 from the movable direction D1. The second wall portion 32b extends downward from the first wall portion 32a and is formed in a rectangular plate shape flush with the first wall portion 32a. The second wall portion 32b is formed so as to protrude outward in both the vehicle width directions Dw from the first wall portion 32a. Further, the second wall portion 32b is integrally formed with the first wall portion 32a. Among this first bracket 32, a mounting portion 40 is provided on the first bracket 32 on the support portion 21 side in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5.

[0033] (Mounting portion) The mounting portion 40 rotatably mounts the base portion 31 to the support portion 21 about a central axis O extending in the movable direction D1. The central axis O extends so as to pass through the second wall portion 32b of the first bracket 32. The mounting portion 40 has a mounting portion main body 41 and a fixing piece 42.

[0034] (Mounting portion main body) The mounting portion main body 41 is provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction Dw of the second wall portion 32b of the first bracket 32. A pair of mounting portion main bodies 41 are provided spaced apart in the vehicle width direction Dw. In the present embodiment, the mounting portion main body 41 is integrally formed with the first bracket 32. The mounting portion main body 41 is provided side by side with the support portion 21 in the movable direction D1. A mounting hole 41a penetrating in the movable direction D1 is formed in the mounting portion main body 41. The mounting hole 41a is formed in an arc shape along a virtual circle C centered on the central axis O. In the present embodiment, a pair of them are provided so as to face each other in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0035] (Fixing piece) The fixing piece 42 is inserted into the mounting hole 41a to fix the mounting part main body 41 to the support part 21. Examples of the fixing piece 42 include a bolt 42a and the like. In the present embodiment, the fixing piece 42 is inserted into each of the plurality of mounting holes 41a.

[0036] (Second bracket) The second bracket 33 is provided one by one on each of the two first brackets 32. The second bracket 33 is formed in an L shape when viewed from the vehicle width direction Dw. The second bracket 33 has a third wall portion 33a and a fourth wall portion 33b. The third wall portion 33a is overlapped with the second wall portion 32b of the first bracket 32. The fourth wall portion 33b is provided on the third wall portion 33a and extends in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. A circular through hole 33c penetrating the fourth wall portion 33b in the vertical direction Dv is formed in the fourth wall portion 33b. A roller 34 is arranged above the fourth wall portion 33b, and a drive portion 22 is arranged below the fourth wall portion 33b.

[0037] (Roller) The rollers 34 are respectively attached to both ends in the extending direction of the base portion 31 via the first bracket 32 and the second bracket 33, and a total of two rollers are provided. Among the two rollers 34, one roller 34 is connected to a drive portion 22 described later. One roller 34 connected to the drive portion 22 is referred to as a drive roller 34a, and the other roller 34 is referred to as a driven roller 34b. In the illustrated example, the drive roller 34a is attached to the front end of the base portion 31 in the front-rear direction Ds, and the driven roller 34b is attached to the rear end of the base portion 31 in the front-rear direction Ds. The rotation axes of the two rollers 34 are both perpendicular to the extending direction of the base portion 31 and extend in the vertical direction Dv.

[0038] (Belt) The belt 35 is an annular component installed such that the base portions 31 and the two rollers 34 are located inside. The belt 35 is supported from the inside by the two rollers 34. The belt 35 is stretched without bending into an elongated annular shape extending in the front-rear direction Ds (the movable direction D1) when viewed from the vertical direction Dv (more specifically, the extending direction of the middle portion 5b of the operation lever 5). The belt 35 can be fed out in the movable direction D1 (the front-rear direction Ds) by the rotation of the drive roller 34a. An engaging portion 50 is provided on the operation lever 5 side of the belt 35.

[0039] (Engaging portion) The engaging portion 50 is attached to the belt 35 and engages with the operation lever 5. The engaging portion 50 of the present embodiment has an engaging base portion 51 and an operation piece 52. The engaging base portion 51 is provided adjacent to the middle portion 5b of the operation lever 5 in the vehicle width direction Dw. The engaging portion 50 is fixed to the belt 35 with the belt 35 inserted therethrough. The engaging base portion 51 has two engaging plates 53 and a connecting piece 54. Each engaging plate 53 is formed in a rectangular plate shape extending in the movable direction D1. The two engaging plates 53 sandwich the belt 35 from both sides in the thickness direction D3 of the belt 35. The two engaging plates 53 are fastened and fixed by, for example, bolts 55. The connecting piece 54 is provided on the surface on the base portion 31 side of the engaging plate 53 on the base portion 31 side among the two engaging plates 53. The connecting piece 54 can be connected to a linear guide 36 described later.

[0040] (Operation piece) The operation piece 52 is provided on the surface of the engaging base portion 51 on the operation lever 5 side. A pair of operation pieces 52 are provided so as to sandwich the operation lever 5 from both sides in the movable direction D1. Each operation piece 52 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the vehicle width direction Dw from the engaging base portion 51.

[0041] (Linear guide) The linear guide 36 is provided on the surface of the base 31 on the operation lever 5 side. It prevents the displacement of the belt 35 in the width direction D2 with respect to the base 31. The linear guide 36 has a pair of guide pieces 36a. Each guide piece 36a protrudes from the base 31 toward the operation lever 5 in the vehicle width direction Dw and extends linearly in the movable direction D1. The pair of guide pieces 36a are provided on both outer sides in the width direction D2 with respect to the belt 35 so as to sandwich the belt 35 from the outside in the width direction D2 of the belt 35. Further, the pair of guide pieces 36a are movably coupled to the coupling piece 54 of the engagement base 51 in the movable direction D1.

[0042] (Drive unit) The drive unit 22 is an electric motor that drives the operation unit 30. In the illustrated example, the drive unit 22 is disposed below one of the two rollers 34, i.e., the drive roller 34a. The drive unit 22 is fitted into the through hole 33c of the second bracket 33 from below. The drive unit 22 has an output shaft 22a that outputs a rotational driving force. The output shaft 22a protrudes upward from the drive unit 22. The output shaft 22a is directly connected to the drive roller 34a. The drive unit 22 transmits the rotational driving force from the output shaft 22a to the drive roller 34a and rotationally drives the drive roller 34a.

[0043] (Control unit) The control unit 60 is provided, for example, inside the vehicle body 10. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 60 includes functional units such as a reception unit 61 and a drive control unit 62. The reception unit 61 receives information from a remote operation device 70 described later. The drive control unit 62 rotationally drives the drive unit 22 based on the information from the remote operation device 70 received by the reception unit 61.

[0044] (Remote operation device) The lever operation robot 20 described above is remotely operated by the remote operation device 70 shown in FIG. 1. The remote operation device 70 remotely operates the drive unit 22 of the lever operation robot 20 by wireless communication. The remote operation device 70 transmits command information related to the rotational drive of the drive unit 22 to the control unit 60 of the lever operation robot 20. The remote operation device 70 is provided one by one for each lever operation robot 20, for example. Note that the remote operation device 70 is not limited to one, and may remotely operate a plurality of lever operation robots 20. Further, the remote operation device 70 can also transmit command information including an operation procedure to the lever operation robot 20 to automatically operate the lever operation robot 20. In order to centrally control these plurality of remote operation devices 70, a central control device 80 is provided.

[0045] (Central control device) The central control device 80 is a management server wirelessly connected to a plurality of remote operation devices 70 via a network N. The central control device 80 transmits command information to each remote operation device 70 to cause each remote operation device 70 to control the lever operation robot 20.

[0046] (Operation procedure of the operation lever) Hereinafter, the procedure for unmanned operation of the operation lever 5 using the lever operation robot 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9. First, the central control device 80 transmits command information to each remote operation device 70 (step S11). Then, the remote operation device 70 receives the command information from the central control device 80 and transmits the command information toward the drive unit 22 of the corresponding lever operation robot 20 (step S12). Thereafter, the receiving unit 61 receives the command information from the remote operation device 70 (step S13). This command information includes information on the rotation direction and rotation angle of the drive unit 22. After step S13, the drive control unit 62 rotationally drives the drive unit 22 based on the command information received by the receiving unit 61 (step S14).

[0047] In step S14, the output shaft 22a of the drive unit 22 rotates by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction based on the command information. Then, the drive roller 34a directly connected to the output shaft 22a is rotationally driven. The belt 35 is sent out along the base portion 31 by the drive roller 34a, and the engaging portion 50 moves in the movable direction D1. At this time, the operation piece 52 abuts on the middle portion 5b of the operation lever 5, and the operation lever 5 moves in the moving direction of the engaging portion 50. After step S14, the drive control unit 62 stops the rotational drive of the drive unit 22 (step S15). In this way, the operation lever 5 is operated. When it is desired to move the operation lever 5 in the opposite direction, the drive unit 22 may be controlled so that the drive roller 34a is rotationally driven in the opposite direction.

[0048] (Function and Effect) With the lever operation robot 20, industrial vehicle 2, and remote operation system 1 described above, the following function and effect can be exhibited.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the lever operation robot 20 includes a support unit 21, an operation unit 30, and a drive unit 22. The support unit 21 is fixed to the front frame 13 of the industrial vehicle 2. The operation unit 30 has a base 31, a mounting unit 40, two rollers 34, a belt 35, and an engaging unit 50. The base 31 is disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5 and extends in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. The mounting unit 40 rotatably mounts the base 31 to the support unit 21 about a central axis O extending in the movable direction D1. The two rollers 34 are respectively attached to both ends in the extending direction of the base 31. The belt 35 is an annular component installed so that the base 31 and the two rollers 34 are located inside. The belt 35 is supported from the inside by the two rollers 34 and is fed out in the movable direction D1 by the rotation of the rollers 34. The engaging unit 50 is attached to the belt 35 and engages with the operation lever 5. The drive unit 22 rotationally drives one of the two rollers 34 (drive roller 34a).

[0050] The base 31 of the operation unit 30 is rotatably attached to the support unit 21 by the mounting unit 40 about a central axis O extending in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. Thereby, the inclination can be adjusted according to the inclination of the operation lever 5, and the operation unit 30 can be mounted for each operation lever 5. Therefore, even when a plurality of three or more operation levers 5 are provided as in the present embodiment, the operation unit 30 can be easily attached for each operation lever 5. When the roller 34 is rotationally driven by the drive unit 22, the belt 35 moves along the base 31 of the operation unit 30 in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. At this time, since the engaging portion 50 is engaged with the operation lever 5, the operation lever 5 moves in the movable direction D1 integrally with the belt 35. In this way, the operation lever 5 can be individually operated.

[0051] Further, by adjusting the inclination in accordance with the inclination of the operation lever 5, it becomes easier to arrange the operation unit 30 in the space between the operation levers 5. Therefore, space saving within the industrial vehicle 2 can be achieved.

[0052] Also, the output shaft 22a of the drive unit 22 is directly connected to the drive roller 34a. For this reason, the lever operation robot 20 can be miniaturized.

[0053] Also, according to the present embodiment, the lever operation robot 20 can directly drive the belt 35 by the drive unit 22 and move the operation lever 5 in accordance with the movement of the belt 35. Thereby, the lever operation robot 20 can finely operate the operation lever 5.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the operation unit 30 further has a linear guide 36 provided on the base 31. The linear guide 36 has a pair of guide pieces 36a linearly extending in the movable direction D1 and sandwiching the belt 35 from the outside in the width direction D2 of the belt 35. The engaging portion 50 has an engaging base 51 through which the belt 35 is inserted. The pair of guide pieces 36a are coupled to the engaging base 51 so as to be relatively movable in the movable direction D1.

[0055] Thereby, it is possible to suppress the belt 35 from being displaced in the width direction D2 with respect to the base 31. For this reason, the deflection of the belt 35 is prevented. Therefore, the linear movement of the operation lever 5 becomes smooth.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 50 further has a pair of operation pieces 52 that sandwich the operation lever 5 from both sides in the movable direction D1.

[0057] By appropriately adjusting and designing the inclination of the operating piece 52 in this way, it is possible to arrange the operating piece 52 so as to intersect perpendicularly to the operating lever 5 when viewed from the moving direction D1. Therefore, the load can be efficiently transmitted to the operating lever 5. In addition, since the operating portion 30 can be created with a simple configuration, the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the attachment portion 40 includes an attachment portion main body 41 and a fixing piece 42. The attachment portion main body 41 is arranged side by side in the moving direction D1 with respect to the support portion 21, and an arc-shaped attachment hole 41a is formed along a virtual circle C centered on the central axis O. The fixing piece 42 is inserted into the attachment hole 41a to fix the attachment portion main body 41 to the support portion 21.

[0059] Thereby, after tilting the attachment portion main body 41 at a predetermined angle, the base portion 31 can be attached to the support portion 21 by a simple procedure of simply inserting the fixing piece 42 into the attachment hole 41a main body. Also, the base portion 31 can be removed from the support portion 21 by a simple procedure of simply removing the fixing piece 42 from the attachment hole 41a. Therefore, it becomes easy to remove the base portion 31. In addition, since the attachment portion 40 can be created with a simple configuration, the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the base portion 31 of the operating portion 30 is arranged adjacent to the middle portion 5b in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0061] According to the present embodiment, the engaging portion 50 engages with the middle portion 5b of the operating lever 5. Thereby, for example, compared with the case where the engaging portion 50 engages with the upper portion 5c of the operating lever 5, the amount of movement required for operating the operating lever 5 can be reduced, and the overall length of the operating portion 30 can be shortened. Furthermore, it is easier to secure space for arranging the operation unit 30 in the middle stage 5b than in the lower stage 5a, and even if the operation unit 30 is arranged in the middle stage 5b, the operation unit 30 does not block the view of the operator A sitting in the cockpit 11. Furthermore, since the base 31 can be arranged at an angle in accordance with the inclination of the middle stage 5b, the lever operation robot 20 can be easily arranged while maintaining operability by the operator A.

[0062] In this embodiment, the remote control system 1 includes an industrial vehicle 2 and a remote control device 70 that enables remote control of the drive unit 22 of the lever operating robot 20 via wireless communication.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the remote control device 70 remotely controls the drive unit 22 of the lever operating robot 20 to drive the operating unit 30. This makes it possible to remotely control the operating lever 5 in the movable direction D1.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the engagement base 51 is configured by two engagement plates 53 overlapped to sandwich the belt 35, but is not limited to this. For example, the engagement base 51 may be a block-like member having an insertion hole through which the belt 35 is inserted, instead of the two engagement plates 53. In other words, the shape of the engagement base 51 is not limited to a plate shape.

[0065] In the above-described first embodiment, the operation piece 52 is a cylindrical pin 52a, but the present invention is not limited to this. The shape of the operation piece 52 can be changed as appropriate. The operation piece 52 may be, for example, a hook that engages with the operation lever 5.

[0066] <Second embodiment> Hereinafter, a lever operating robot 120, an industrial vehicle 102, and a remote operation system 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 16. Among the configurations according to the second embodiment, the configurations similar to those of the first embodiment will be given the same names and reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0067] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the remote operation system 101 includes an industrial vehicle 102, a remote operation device 170, and a central control device 180. The industrial vehicle 102 includes a vehicle body 3, a steering 4, an operation lever 5, and a lever operation robot 120.

[0068] (Operation lever) Also in this embodiment, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of operation levers 5 are provided adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction Dw. Further, similar to the first embodiment, the operation lever 5 has a lower portion 5a, a middle portion 5b, and an upper portion 5c. Further, a boundary portion 5d between the middle portion 5b and the upper portion 5c of the operation lever 5 is formed in a curved shape in which the inclination direction of the operation lever 5 is switched from the vehicle width direction Dw to the movable direction D1 of the lever (in this embodiment, the front-rear direction Ds). A lever operation robot 120 is provided for these operation levers 5.

[0069] (Lever operation robot) Also in this embodiment, the lever operation robot 120 mechanically operates each operation lever 5. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the lever operation robot 120 includes a support portion 121, an operation portion 130, and a drive portion 122.

[0070] (Support portion) The support portion 121 is fixed to the vehicle body 10. Specifically, the support portion 121 is formed in a beam shape extending in the vehicle width direction Dw. The support portion 121 is bridged over a pair of front frames 13 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction Dw and is fixed to these pair of front frames 13. One mounting beam 121a is provided at each end of the support portion 121 in the vehicle width direction Dw. The mounting beam 121a is a beam extending in the front-rear direction Ds and is fixed to the corresponding front frame 13.

[0071] (Operation portion) The operation units 130 are provided one by one for each operation lever 5. Each operation unit 130 is installed side by side in the movable direction D1 with respect to the corresponding operation lever 5 of the operation target. In the illustrated example, the operation unit 130 is installed on the front side in the front-rear direction Ds with respect to the operation lever 5. As shown in FIG. 14, the operation unit 130 includes a base 131, a link mechanism 140, an engaging portion 132, and a mounting bracket 133.

[0072] (Base) As shown in FIG. 14, the base 131 is attached to the support portion 121. The base 131 is disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5 in the movable direction D1 (on the front side in the front-rear direction Ds). The base 131 extends in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. The base 131 includes a base body 131a and a connection wall 131b. The base body 131a is fixed to the support portion 121. The base body 131a is a plate-like member extending in the movable direction D1. A connection wall 131b protruding upward is provided on the base body 131a. The link mechanism 140 is attached to the connection wall 131b.

[0073] (Link mechanism) The link mechanism 140 is disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5. The link mechanism 140 expands and contracts in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. The link mechanism 140 includes a first link 141, a first pin 141a, a second link 142, a second pin 142a, a third link 143, and a third pin 143a.

[0074] (First link) The first link 141 is formed in a linear shape extending in the vertical direction Dv on a virtual plane extending in the vertical direction Dv and the movable direction D1. One end of the first link 141 (the lower end among both ends in the extending direction of the first link 141) is connected to the output shaft 122a of the drive unit 122 described later so as to be able to transmit a rotational driving force.

[0075] (First pin) The first pin 141a is rotatably attached to the other end of the first link 141 (the upper end among the two ends in the extending direction of the first link 141). In the present embodiment, the first pin 141a extends in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0076] (The second link) The second link 142 extends in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. One end of the second link 142 on the side opposite to the operation lever 5 among the two ends in the extending direction is connected to the first link 141 via the first pin 141a. The second link 142 is rotatably attached around the first pin 141a.

[0077] (The second pin) The second pin 142a is rotatably attached to the other end of the second link 142 on the operation lever 5 side among the two ends in the extending direction. In the present embodiment, the second pin 142a extends in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0078] (The third link) The third link 143 is formed in a straight line extending in the vertical direction Dv on a virtual plane extending in the vertical direction Dv and the movable direction D1. One end of the third link 143 (the upper end among the two ends in the extending direction of the third link 143) is connected to the second link 142 via the second pin 142a. The third link 143 is rotatably attached around the second pin 142a. The third link 143 moves in conjunction with the first link 141.

[0079] (The third pin) The third pin 143a is rotatably attached to the other end of the third link 143 (the lower end among the two ends in the extending direction of the third link 143). Further, the third pin 143a is also rotatably attached to the base 131. In the present embodiment, the third pin 143a extends in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the base 131, and the first link 141, the second link 142, and the third link 143 that constitute the link mechanism 140 are arranged so as to form a parallelogram when viewed from the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0081] (Engaging portion) The engaging portion 132 is attached to the end on the operation lever 5 side in the movable direction D1 of the link mechanism 140. More specifically, the engaging portion 132 is provided at the end on the second pin 142a side of the second link 142. The engaging portion 132 is a member that engages with the operation lever 5. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 132 engages with the boundary portion 5d between the middle portion 5b and the upper portion 5c of the operation lever 5. Further, the engaging portion 132 is formed in a rectangular ring shape in the vertical direction Dv view so as to surround the operation lever 5. Note that the engaging portion 132 may be formed in an annular shape in the vertical direction Dv view.

[0082] (Mounting bracket) The mounting bracket 133 is attached to the upper surface of the base body 131a. The mounting bracket 133 is disposed at the same position in the movable direction D1 (front-rear direction Ds position) as the first link 141 and overlaps the first link 141 in the vehicle width direction Dw. The connection bracket is formed in an L shape when viewed from the movable direction D1 (front-rear direction Ds in the present embodiment). The connection bracket has a first wall portion 133a and a second wall portion 133b. The first wall portion 133a is fixed by being superposed on the base body 131a from above. The second wall portion 133b extends upward from the first wall portion 133a. The drive unit 122 is attached to the second wall portion 133b. A through hole 133c penetrating in the vehicle width direction Dw is formed in the second wall portion 133b.

[0083] (Drive unit) The drive unit 122 is an electric motor that drives the link mechanism 140 to expand and contract in the movable direction D1. In the illustrated example, the drive unit 122 is arranged adjacent to one end of the first link 141 (the lower end of the two ends in the extending direction of the first link 141) in the vehicle width direction Dw among the expansion and contraction mechanisms. The drive unit 122 is fitted into the through hole 133c of the mounting bracket 133 from the side opposite to the link mechanism 140 in the vehicle width direction Dw. The drive unit 122 has an output shaft 122a that outputs a rotational driving force. The output shaft 122a protrudes from the drive unit 122 in the vehicle width direction Dw. The output shaft 122a is connected to one end of the first link 141. The drive unit 122 transmits the rotational driving force from the output shaft 122a to the first link 141 and rotationally drives the first link 141.

[0084] (Control unit) The control unit 160 is provided, for example, inside the vehicle body 10. As shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 160 includes functional units such as a reception unit 161 and a drive control unit 162. The reception unit 161 receives information from a remote operation device 170 described later. The drive control unit 162 rotationally drives the drive unit 122 based on the information from the remote operation device 170 received by the reception unit 161.

[0085] (Remote operation device) The lever operation robot 120 described above is remotely operated by the remote operation device 170 shown in FIG. 10. The remote operation device 170 of the present embodiment remotely operates the drive unit 122 of the lever operation robot 120 by wireless communication. The remote operation device 170 transmits command information related to the rotational drive of the drive unit 122 to the control unit 160 of the lever operation robot 120. The remote operation device 170 is provided, for example, one for each lever operation robot 120. Note that the remote operation device 170 is not limited to one, and may remotely operate a plurality of lever operation robots 120. Further, the remote operation device 170 can transmit command information including an operation procedure to the lever operation robot 120 and automatically operate the lever operation robot 120. A central control device 180 is provided to centrally control these multiple remote control devices 170.

[0086] (Central control device) The central control device 180 is a server wirelessly connected to the multiple remote control devices 170 via a network N. The central control device 180 transmits command information to each remote control device 170, causing each remote control device 170 to control the lever operation robot 120.

[0087] (Operation procedure of the operation lever) Hereinafter, the procedure for unmanned operation of the operation lever 5 using the lever operation robot 120 will be described. First, the central control device 180 transmits command information to each remote control device 170 (step S21). Then, the remote control device 170 receives the command information from the central control device 180 and transmits the command information to the drive unit 122 of the corresponding lever operation robot 120 (step S22). Thereafter, the receiving unit 161 receives the command information from the remote control device 170 (step S23). This command information includes information on the rotation direction and rotation angle of the drive unit 122. After step S23, the drive control unit 162 rotationally drives the drive unit 122 based on the command information received by the receiving unit 161 (step S24).

[0088] In step S24, the output shaft 122a of the drive unit 122 rotates by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction based on the command information. Then, the first link 141 directly connected to the output shaft 122a is rotationally driven. In accordance with the rotation of the first link 141, the third link 143 rotates around the third pin 143a. Due to the rotation of the first link 141 and the third link 143, the second link 142 moves in the same direction as the end portion on the side opposite to the base portions 131 of the first link 141 and the third link 143. At this time, the second link 142 moves back and forth in the movable direction D1 while maintaining a posture parallel to the horizontal plane. Then, the engaging portion 132 abuts against the boundary portion 5d between the middle portion 5b and the upper portion 5c of the operation lever 5, and the operation lever 5 moves in the moving direction of the engaging portion 132.

[0089] After step S24, the drive control unit 162 stops the rotational drive of the drive unit 122 (step S25). In this way, the operation lever 5 is remotely operated. If it is desired to move the operation lever 5 in the opposite direction, the drive unit 122 may be controlled so as to rotationally drive the first link 141 in the opposite direction.

[0090] (Function and effect) The lever operation robot 120, the industrial vehicle 102, and the remote operation system 101 described above can exhibit the following function and effect.

[0091] In the present embodiment, the lever operation robot 120 includes a support portion 121, a base portion 131, an operation portion 130, and a drive portion 122. The support portion 121 is fixed to the front frame 13 of the industrial vehicle 2. The base portion 131 is attached to the support portion 121. The operation portion 130 has a link mechanism 140 and an engagement portion 132. The link mechanism 140 is attached to the base portion 131 and is disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5, and expands and contracts in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. The engagement portion 132 is attached to the end portion on the operation lever 5 side in the movable direction D1 of the link mechanism 140 and engages with the operation lever 5. The drive portion 122 drives the link mechanism 140 to expand and contract in the movable direction D1.

[0092] When the link mechanism 140 expands and contracts in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5 by the drive portion 122, since the engagement portion 132 is engaged with the operation lever 5, the operation lever 5 moves in the movable direction D1 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the link mechanism 140. In this way, the operation lever 5 can be individually operated.

[0093] In this embodiment, the drive unit 122 has an output shaft 122a that outputs a rotational driving force. The link mechanism 140 includes a first link 141, a first pin 141a, a second link 142, a second pin 142a, a third link 143, and a third pin 143a. The first link 141 extends in the vertical direction Dv on a virtual plane extending in the vertical direction Dv and the movable direction D1, and one end of the first link 141 is connected to the output shaft 122a so as to be able to transmit the rotational driving force. The first pin 141a is rotatably attached to the other end of the first link 141. The second link 142 has one end connected to the first link 141 via the first pin 141a and extends in the movable direction D1. The second pin 142a is rotatably attached to the other end of the second link 142. The third link 143 has one end connected to the second link 142 via the second pin 142a and extends in the vertical direction Dv. The third pin 143a is rotatably attached to the other end of the third link 143 and the base 131. The engaging portion 132 is provided at the end of the second link 142 on the side of the second pin 142a.

[0094] As a result, the link mechanism 140 can be created with a simple configuration, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be improved. In this embodiment, when the first link 141 rotates about the output shaft 122a by the drive unit 122, the third link 143 rotates in the same direction as the first link 141, and the second link 142 moves in the movable direction D1. At this time, the engaging portion 132 moves in the movable direction D1 integrally with the second link 142, and the operation lever 5 engaged with the engaging portion 132 also moves in the movable direction D1. In this way, the operation lever 5 is operated in the movable direction D1. By configuring in this way, the drive unit 122 can be installed below the engaging portion 132 that engages with the operation lever 5. Thereby, the empty space near the lower stage portion 5a of the operation lever 5 can be effectively utilized. Therefore, a plurality of operation units 130 can be installed for each operation lever 5.

[0095] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 132 is formed in an annular shape in the vertical direction Dv view so as to surround the operation lever 5.

[0096] As a result, the operation unit 130 can be created with a simple configuration, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 132 is engaged with a boundary portion 5d between the middle portion 5b and the upper portion 5c of the operation lever 5.

[0098] The boundary portion 5d between the middle portion 5b and the upper portion 5c has less inclination of the middle portion 5b and is less likely to block the view of the operator A on the driver's seat 11. Therefore, while making it easier for the engaging portion 132 to engage with the operation lever 5, the operability by the operator A can be maintained. Further, since the engaging portion 132 is disposed at a position close to the upper portion 5c, the operation amount of the lever operation robot 120 becomes close to the operation amount when the operator A manually operates.

[0099] In the present embodiment, the remote operation system 101 includes an industrial vehicle 102 and a remote operation device 170 that enables the drive unit 122 of the lever operation robot 120 to be remotely operated by wireless communication.

[0100] According to the present embodiment, the remote operation device 170 remotely operates the drive unit 122 of the lever operation robot 120 to drive the operation unit 130. As a result, the operation lever 5 can be remotely operated in the movable direction D1.

[0101] (Hardware Configuration) The control units 60 and 160, the remote operation devices 70 and 170, and the central control devices 80 and 180 of the above embodiments are implemented in a computer as shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is an example of a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer in which the control units 60 and 160, the remote operation devices 70 and 170, and the central control devices 80 and 180 according to each embodiment are implemented. The computer 1100 includes a processor 1110, a main memory 1120, a storage 1130, and an interface 1140.

[0102] Then, the operations of the functional units of the control units 60 and 160, the remote operation devices 70 and 170, and the central control devices 80 and 180 are stored in the storage 1130 in the form of a program. The processor 1110 reads the program from the storage 1130 and expands it in the main memory 1120, and executes the above processing according to the program. Also, the processor 1110 secures a storage area in the main memory 1120 according to the program.

[0103] The program may be for realizing a part of the functions to be exhibited by the computer 1100. For example, the program may exhibit functions by combination with other programs already stored in the storage 1130, or by combination with other programs installed in other devices. Also, in addition to or instead of the above configuration, the computer 1100 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor 1110 may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0104] Examples of the storage 1130 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc. The storage 1130 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 1100, or an external medium connected to the computer 1100 via the interface 1140 or a communication line. Also, when this program is distributed to the computer 1100 via a communication line, the computer 1100 that has received the distribution may expand the program in the main memory 1120 and execute the above processing. The storage 1130 may be a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0105] Also, the program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Further, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that realizes the functions described above in combination with other programs already stored in the storage 1130.

[0106] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure are also included.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the industrial vehicles 2 and 102 are assumed to be manned forklifts, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The industrial vehicles 2 and 102 may be, for example, hydraulic excavators or bulldozers.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the case where the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5 coincides with the front-rear direction Ds has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Even when the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5 intersects the front-rear direction Ds, the operation parts 30 and 130 of the lever operation robots 20 and 120 may be individually attached to the operation lever 5.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the control parts 60 and 160 are assumed to be provided inside the vehicle body 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The control parts 60 and 160 may be provided, for example, inside the drive parts 22 and 122, or may be attached outside the vehicle body 10.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the case where the remote operation devices 70 and 170 are managed by the central control devices 80 and 180 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The remote operation systems 1 and 101 may not include the central control devices 80 and 180, and the remote operation devices 70 and 170 may be directly operated by an operator.

[0111] [Supplementary Note] The lever-operated robots 20 and 120, industrial vehicles 2 and 102, and remote control systems 1 and 101 described in each embodiment are understood as follows, for example.

[0112] (1) The lever-operated robot 20 according to the first aspect is a lever-operated robot 20 that operates the operation lever 5 of the industrial vehicle 2, and includes a support portion 21 fixed to the front frame 13 of the industrial vehicle 2, a base portion 31 disposed adjacent to the operation lever 5 and extending in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5, a mounting portion 40 that rotatably attaches the base portion 31 to the support portion 21 around a central axis O extending in the movable direction D1, two rollers 34 respectively attached to both ends of the base portion 31 in the extending direction, an annular belt 35 that is installed so that the base portion 31 and the two rollers 34 are located inside, is supported from the inside by the two rollers 34, and is fed in the movable direction D1 by the rotation of the rollers 34, and an engaging portion 50 attached to the belt 35 and engaging with the operation lever 5. The lever-operated robot 20 further includes a drive portion 22 that rotationally drives one of the two rollers 34. Examples of the industrial vehicle 2 include, for example, a forklift.

[0113] The base portion 31 of the operation portion 30 is rotatably attached to the support portion 21 by the attachment portion 40 around a central axis O extending in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. Thereby, the inclination can be adjusted according to the inclination of the operation lever 5, and the operation portion 30 can be mounted for each operation lever 5. When the roller 34 is rotationally driven by the drive portion 22, the belt 35 moves along the base portion 31 of the operation portion 30 in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5. At this time, since the engaging portion 50 is engaged with the operation lever 5, the operation lever 5 moves in the movable direction D1 integrally with the belt 35. In this way, the operation lever 5 can be individually operated.

[0114] (2) The lever-operated robot 20 of the second aspect is the lever-operated robot 20 of the first aspect, wherein the operation unit 30 is provided on the base 31 and further has a linear guide 36 having a pair of guide pieces 36a linearly extending in the movable direction D1 and sandwiching the belt 35 from the outside in the width direction D2 of the belt 35. The engaging portion 50 has an engaging base 51 through which the belt 35 is inserted, and the pair of guide pieces 36a may be movably coupled to the engaging base 51 in the movable direction D1.

[0115] Thereby, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the belt 35 in the width direction D2 with respect to the base 31.

[0116] (3) The lever-operated robot 20 of the third aspect is the lever-operated robot 20 of the first or second aspect, and the engaging portion 50 may further have a pair of operation pieces 52 that sandwich the operation lever 5 from both sides in the movable direction D1.

[0117] Thereby, by appropriately adjusting and designing the inclination of the operation piece 52, it is possible to arrange the operation piece 52 to intersect perpendicularly to the operation lever 5 when viewed from the movable direction D1. Therefore, the load can be efficiently transmitted to the operation lever 5. Examples of the operation piece 52 include, for example, a pin 52a and the like.

[0118] (4) The lever-operated robot 20 of the fourth aspect is the lever-operated robot 20 of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the mounting portion 40 is arranged side by side with the support portion 21 in the movable direction D1, and has a mounting portion main body 41 in which an arc-shaped mounting hole 41a is formed along a virtual circle C centered on the central axis O, and a fixing piece 42 inserted through the mounting hole 41a to fix the mounting portion main body 41 to the support portion 21.

[0119] As a result, after tilting the attachment part main body 41 by a predetermined angle, the base part 31 can be attached to the support part 21 by a simple procedure of merely inserting the fixing piece 42 into the attachment hole 41a of the main body. Also, the base part 31 can be removed from the support part 21 by a simple procedure of merely pulling out the fixing piece 42 from the attachment hole 41a. Therefore, it becomes easy to remove the base part 31. Examples of the fixing part include, for example, a bolt 42a or the like.

[0120] (5) The lever operation robot 20 according to the fifth aspect is the lever operation robot 20 according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the operation lever 5 has a lower stage part 5a extending upward from the vehicle body 10 of the industrial vehicle 2, a middle stage part 5b extending upward from the upper end of the lower stage part 5a and inclined in the vehicle width direction Dw as it extends upward, and an upper stage part 5c extending from the upper end of the middle stage part 5b toward the driver's seat 11 of the industrial vehicle 2 and inclined more greatly in the front-rear direction Ds than the middle stage part 5b, and the base part 31 of the operation part 30 may be arranged adjacent to the middle stage part 5b in the vehicle width direction Dw.

[0121] According to this aspect, the engaging part 50 engages with the middle stage part 5b of the operation lever 5. As a result, compared with the case where the engaging part 50 engages with the upper stage part 5c of the operation lever 5, for example, the amount of movement required for operating the operation lever 5 can be reduced, and the overall length of the operation part 30 can be shortened.

[0122] (6) The lever operation robot 120 according to the sixth aspect is a lever operation robot 120 that operates the operation lever 5 of the industrial vehicle 102, and includes a support part 121 fixed to the front frame 13 of the industrial vehicle 2, a base part 131 attached to the support part 121, a link mechanism 140 attached to the base part 131 and arranged adjacent to the operation lever 5 and extending and contracting in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5, and an engaging part 132 attached to the end on the operation lever 5 side in the movable direction D1 of the link mechanism 140 and engaging with the operation lever 5, and a drive part 122 that drives the link mechanism 140 to extend and contract in the movable direction D1.

[0123] When the link mechanism 140 expands and contracts in the movable direction D1 of the operation lever 5 by the drive unit 122, since the engaging portion 132 is engaged with the operation lever 5, the operation lever 5 moves in the movable direction D1 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the link mechanism 140. In this way, the operation lever 5 can be individually operated.

[0124] (7) The lever operation robot 120 according to the seventh aspect is the lever operation robot 120 according to the sixth aspect, wherein the drive unit 122 has an output shaft 122a that outputs a rotational driving force, and the link mechanism 140 extends in the vertical direction Dv on a virtual plane extending in the vertical direction Dv and the movable direction D1, and has a first link 141 that extends in the vertical direction Dv and one end of which is rotatably connected to the output shaft 122a so as to transmit a rotational driving force, a first pin 141a rotatably attached to the other end of the first link 141, a second link 142 having one end connected to the first link 141 via the first pin 141a and extending in the movable direction D1, a second pin 142a rotatably attached to the other end of the second link 142, a third link 143 having one end connected to the second link 142 via the second pin 142a and extending in the vertical direction Dv, and a third pin 143a rotatably attached to the other end of the third link 143 and the base 131, and the engaging portion 132 may be provided at an end portion of the second link 142 on the second pin 142a side.

[0125] Thereby, the link mechanism 140 can be created with a simple configuration, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be improved. In this aspect, when the first link 141 rotates about the output shaft 122a by the drive unit 122, the third link 143 rotates in the same direction as the first link 141, and the second link 142 moves in the movable direction D1. At this time, the engaging portion 132 moves in the movable direction D1 integrally with the second link 142, and the operation lever 5 engaged with the engaging portion 132 also moves in the movable direction D1. In this way, the operation lever 5 is operated in the movable direction D1.

[0126] (8) The lever operation robot 120 according to the eighth aspect is the lever operation robot 120 according to the sixth or seventh aspect, and the engaging portion 132 may be formed in an annular shape in the vertical direction Dv view so as to surround the operation lever 5.

[0127] Thereby, the operation unit 130 can be created with a simple configuration, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0128] (9) The lever operation robot 120 according to the ninth aspect is the lever operation robot 120 according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, and the operation lever 5 includes a lower stage portion 5a extending upward from the vehicle body 10 of the industrial vehicle 102, a middle stage portion 5b extending upward from the upper end of the lower stage portion 5a and inclined in the vehicle width direction Dw as it extends upward, and an upper stage portion 5c extending from the upper end of the middle stage portion 5b toward the driver's seat 11 of the industrial vehicle 102 and inclined more greatly in the front-rear direction Ds than the middle stage portion 5b. The engaging portion 132 may engage with a boundary portion 5d between the middle stage portion 5b and the upper stage portion 5c of the operation lever 5.

[0129] The boundary portion 5d between the middle stage portion 5b and the upper stage portion 5c has a small inclination of the middle stage portion 5b and is less likely to block the view of the operator A on the driver's seat 11. Therefore, while making it easy for the engaging portion 132 to engage with the operation lever 5, the operability by the operator A can be maintained.

[0130] (10) The industrial vehicles 2 and 102 according to the tenth aspect include the lever operation robots 20 and 120 according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, a vehicle body 3, and the operation lever 5 provided on the vehicle body 3.

[0131] (11) The remote operation systems 1 and 101 according to the eleventh aspect include the industrial vehicles 2 and 102 according to the tenth aspect, and remote operation devices 70 and 170 capable of remotely operating the drive units 22 and 122 of the lever operation robots 20 and 120 by wireless communication.

[0132] According to this aspect, the remote operation devices 70 and 170 remotely operate the drive units 22 and 122 of the lever operation robots 20 and 120 to drive the operation units 30 and 130. Thereby, the operation lever 5 can be remotely operated in the movable direction D1.

Explanation of Signs

[0133] 1…Remote operation system, 2…Industrial vehicle, 3…Vehicle body, 4…Steering, 5…Operation lever, 5a…Lower part, 5b…Middle part, 5c…Upper part, 5d…Boundary part, 6…Travel mechanism, 6a…Wheel, 10…Vehicle body, 11…Operator's cab, 12…Control console, 13…Front frame, 15…Working device, 15a…Handling device, 16…Mast, 17…Fork, 20…Lever operation robot, 21…Support part, 21a…Mounting beam, 22…Drive part, 22a…Output shaft, 30…Operation part, 31…Base part, 32…First bracket, 32a…First wall part, 32b…Second wall part, 33…Second bracket, 33a…Third wall part, 33b…Fourth wall part, 33c…Through hole, 34…Roller, 34a…Drive roller, 34b…Driven roller, 35…Belt, 36…Linear guide, 36a…Guide piece, 40…Mounting part, 41…Mounting part body, 41a…Mounting hole, 42…Fixing piece, 42a…Bolt, 50…Engaging part, 51…Engaging base, 52…Operation piece, 52a…Pin, 53…Engaging plate, 54…Connecting piece, 55…Bolt, 60…Control part, 61…Receiving part, 62…Drive control part, 70…Remote operation device, 80…Central control device, 101…Remote operation system, 102…Industrial vehicle, 120…Lever operation robot, 121…Support part, 121a…Mounting beam, 122…Drive part, 122a…Output shaft, 130…Operation part, 131…Base part, 131a…Base part body, 131b…Connection wall, 132…Engaging part, 133…Mounting bracket, 133a…First wall part, 133b…Second wall part, 133c…Through hole, 140…Link mechanism, 141…First link, 141a…First pin, 142…Second link, 142a…Second pin, 143…Third link, 143a…Third pin, 160…Control part, 161…Receiving part, 162…Drive control part, 170…Remote operation device, 180…Central control device, 1100…Computer, 1110…Processor, 1120…Main memory, 1130…Storage, 1140…Interface, A…Operator, C…Virtual circle, Ds…Front-rear direction, Dw…Vehicle width direction, Dv…Up-down direction, D1…Movable direction, D2…Width direction, D3…Thickness direction, N…Network, O…Central axis

Claims

1. A lever-operating robot for operating an operation lever of an industrial vehicle, comprising: a support portion fixed to a front frame of the industrial vehicle; a base portion disposed adjacent to the operation lever and extending in a movable direction of the operation lever, a mounting portion for rotatably mounting the base portion to the support portion about a central axis extending in the movable direction, two rollers respectively attached to both ends of the base portion in the extending direction thereof, and an annular belt installed such that the base portion and the two rollers are located inside and supported from the inside by the two rollers and fed in the movable direction by rotation of the rollers; and an engaging portion attached to the belt and engaging with the operation lever; a driving portion for rotationally driving one of the two rollers; The lever-operating robot comprising the above.

2. The operation portion further includes a linear guide provided on the base portion and extending linearly in the movable direction and having a pair of guide pieces provided so as to sandwich the belt from the outside in the width direction of the belt, The engaging portion has an engaging base portion through which the belt is inserted, The lever-operating robot according to claim 1, wherein the pair of guide pieces are coupled to the engaging base portion so as to be relatively movable in the movable direction.

3. The lever-operating robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engaging portion further includes a pair of operating pieces for sandwiching the operation lever from both sides in the movable direction.

4. The mounting portion includes: a mounting portion main body disposed side by side with the support portion in the movable direction and having an arcuate mounting hole formed along a virtual circle centered on the central axis; a fixing piece inserted into the mounting hole to fix the mounting portion main body to the support portion; The lever-operating robot according to claim 1 or 2, having the above.

5. The operation lever includes: a lower stage portion extending upward from the vehicle body of the industrial vehicle; a middle stage portion extending upward from the upper end of the lower stage portion and inclined in the vehicle width direction as it extends upward; an upper stage portion extending from the upper end of the middle stage portion toward the driver's seat of the industrial vehicle and inclined more greatly in the front-rear direction than the middle stage portion; The lever-operating robot according to claim 1 or 2, having the above, wherein the base portion of the operation portion is disposed adjacent to the middle stage portion in the vehicle width direction.

6. An industrial vehicle comprising the lever-operating robot according to claim 1, a vehicle body, and the operation lever provided on the vehicle body. The industrial vehicle comprising the above.

7. The industrial vehicle according to claim 6, A remote control device that enables remote control of the drive unit of the lever-operated robot by wireless communication, and A remote control system comprising the same.

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