Pallet Cleaning Device

Abstract

To save a space for installing a pallet washing device.SOLUTION: A pallet washing device (100) includes: a plurality of forks (10); a receiving part (20) configured to allow the forks (10) to be inserted into respective insertion openings each provided in a side surface of each of the pallets (P) by moving a pallet stacked group (PG) in a horizontal direction; a fork moving mechanism (30) for moving the plurality of forks (10); and a washing part (40) arranged above the receiving part (20).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device for pallets used for transporting cargo, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a cleaning device that cleans objects to be cleaned, such as pallets used for transporting cargo. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-52973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques require a large space to be secured for installation of the device.

[0005] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to reduce the space required for installing an apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a pallet cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of forks, a receiving unit that inserts the forks into insertion openings on the sides of each pallet by moving a pallet stack formed by stacking a plurality of pallets horizontally, a fork moving mechanism that moves the plurality of forks, and a cleaning unit that is arranged above the receiving unit and cleans the pallet while it is held by the forks and spaced apart from other pallets. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to save space for installing the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic side view of a pallet cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic top view of a pallet cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a pallet. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a fork movement mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of region V in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of region VI in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Embodiment] Prior to describing the pallet washing device according to the present disclosure, a pallet to be washed and dried by the pallet washing device will be described below. Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a pallet P.

[0010] A pallet P is a transport tool for transporting goods loaded on the pallet P. For example, the pallet P can be lifted by the forks of a forklift and transported by the forklift. The pallet P has, for example, an upper deck board TD, a lower deck board BD, and a connection part C.

[0011] Pallet P has an insertion opening E on each side, which is an opening surrounded by an upper deck board TD, a lower deck board BD, and a connection part C. By inserting the forks of a forklift into the insertion opening E, pallet P can be transported by a forklift.

[0012] <Configuration of Pallet Cleaning Equipment> A pallet washing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the drawings, the direction perpendicular to the ground (installation surface) is the Z-axis direction, and the upward direction is the Z-axis positive direction. The direction in which the pallet P moves in the receiving section 20, which will be described later, is the X-axis positive direction. The X-axis positive direction may also be referred to as the forward direction, and the X-axis negative direction as the backward direction. The Y-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis and X-axis. The Y-axis direction may also be referred to as the lateral direction. The Y-axis positive direction may also be referred to as the left direction, and the Y-axis negative direction as the right direction.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a pallet cleaning device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of the pallet cleaning device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the pallet washing device 100 includes a receiving unit 20, a washing unit 40, a waiting unit 50, and a drying unit 60. The pallet washing device 100 also includes a fork movement mechanism 30 equipped with forks 10 that can be inserted into an insertion slot E of a pallet P. The pallet washing device 100 washes and dries the pallet P while transporting the pallet P using a conveyor 21 and the fork movement mechanism 30 that are included in the receiving unit 20. The pallet washing device 100 can wash the pallet P with high pressure.

[0015] The fork moving mechanism 30, cleaning section 40, standby section 50, and drying section 60 may be housed in a housing C as shown in Figure 1. The side and top views of Figures 1 and 2 show the side and top of the housing C in a transparent state, with only the outline of the housing C indicated by a two-dot chain line. The housing C has an opening through which the pallet stack group PG passes. The provision of the housing C makes it possible to prevent cleaning liquid, water, etc. from splashing outside when the pallets P are washed and dried.

[0016] The pallet cleaning device 100 may include a control unit (not shown) that is configured with a processor such as a CPU that controls each part. The pallet cleaning device 100 may also include an operation unit (not shown) that is operated by a user to clean the pallet P through that operation. Each part of the pallet cleaning device 100 will be described in detail below.

[0017] (Acceptance Department) The receiving unit 20 moves a pallet stack PG, which is a stack of multiple pallets P, horizontally to insert the forks 10 into insertion openings E on the side of each pallet P. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the receiving unit 20 includes a conveyor 21. In addition, at least a portion of the forks 10 attached to a fork moving mechanism 30, which will be described later, is located in the receiving unit 20.

[0018] The conveyor 21 transports the pallet stacks PG carried by the forklift FL and placed on the conveyor 21 in the X-axis direction. As a result, the forks 10 attached to the fork moving mechanism 30 are inserted into the insertion openings E on the front side of each pallet P. The vertical spacing of the forks 10 in the receiving section 20 is adjusted so that the forks 10 can be inserted into the insertion openings E of each pallet P in the pallet stacks PG.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the receiving unit 20 may include a side surface cleaning unit 22 that cleans the side surfaces of the pallet P. The side surface cleaning unit 22 includes a nozzle that sprays liquid toward the side surfaces of the pallet P. Since the receiving unit 20 includes the nozzle, the side surfaces of the pallet P can be cleaned in the receiving unit 20.

[0020] More specifically, side surface cleaning unit 22 can be provided on the transport path of conveyor 21 in receiving unit 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, side surface cleaning unit 22 includes gate 220, rail 221, and a pair of nozzles 222R and 222L. Gate 220 is configured to allow pallet stacks PG transported by conveyor 21 to pass through. Rail 221 is attached to the underside of the ceiling of gate 220 and is a guide rail for moving nozzles 222R and 222L in the Y-axis direction to spray liquid (cleaning liquid).

[0021] 2, nozzle 222R is a nozzle that can reciprocate between position NP1 near the center of rail 221 and position NP2 near the end in the negative Y-axis direction. Nozzle 222L is a nozzle that can reciprocate between position NP1 near the center of rail 221 and position NP2 near the end in the positive Y-axis direction.

[0022] Nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L have, for example, a cylindrical shape and extend downward from rail 221. Nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L have a plurality of jetting ports 223 arranged along the extension direction. The number of jetting ports 223 that each nozzle has is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 10. Furthermore, nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L are designed to be rotatable around the central axis of each nozzle. High-pressure liquid can be jetted from each jetting port 223.

[0023] As the pallet stack PG moves near the side surface cleaning unit 22, the nozzles 222R and 222L move from position NP1 to position NP2, respectively, to clean the front side of the pallet stack PG being transported by the conveyor 21. Alternatively, the nozzles 222R and 222L may clean the front side of the pallet stack PG as they move from position NP1 to position NP2, respectively, while the pallet stack PG is stopped in a position close to the side surface cleaning unit 22. As they move from position NP1 to position NP2, the nozzles 222R and 222L spray cleaning liquid in the negative direction of the X-axis. Note that in FIG. 2, the arrows shown adjacent to the nozzles 222R and 222L indicate the direction in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle outlets 223 of each nozzle.

[0024] When nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L each move to position NP2, nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L each rotate to change the spray direction. Due to this rotation, the spray direction of cleaning liquid from nozzle 222R becomes the positive direction of the Y axis, and the spray direction of cleaning liquid from nozzle 222L becomes the negative direction of the Y axis. When nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L are each located at position NP2, the distance between nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L is longer than the length of one side of pallet P. As the pallet stack PG passes between nozzle 222R and nozzle 222L spraying the liquid, the side surfaces of the pallet stack PG are cleaned.

[0025] When the rear end of the pallet cleaning group PG passes the nozzle position, nozzles 222R and 222L rotate to change their spray direction in the X-axis direction. With their spray directions changed, nozzles 222R and 222L clean the rear side of the pallet stack group PG while moving from position NP2 to position NP1.

[0026] By providing the pallet washing device 100 with the side surface washing unit 22 configured as described above, all of the side surfaces of the pallets P can be washed while the stack of pallets PG is moving in the receiving unit 20.

[0027] (Fork moving mechanism 30) The fork moving mechanism 30 moves a plurality of forks 10. The detailed configuration of the fork moving mechanism 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 to 6. Fig. 4 is a schematic top view of the fork moving mechanism 30. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of area V in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of area VI in Fig. 1. Note that for simplicity, only the components necessary for explanation are extracted and illustrated in each figure.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the fork moving mechanism 30 has at least one pair of endless chains 31A and 31B suspended in the vertical direction, and a plurality of plate members 32 arranged between the endless chains 31A and 31B.

[0029] In the fork moving mechanism 30 of this embodiment, one endless chain 31A is composed of two endless chains 311 and 312 of the same length, which are arranged and connected so that they overlap when viewed from the side. Similarly, the other endless chain 31B is composed of two endless chains 313 and 314 of the same length, which are arranged and connected so that they overlap when viewed from the side. This configuration improves the strength of each endless chain 31A and 31B. Note that the endless chains 31A and 31B are also arranged so that they overlap when viewed from the side.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, in the fork movement mechanism 30, the endless chains 31A and 31B are arranged so that their track surfaces are parallel to the XZ plane. Each of the endless chains 31A and 31B is suspended vertically. The endless chain 31A and the endless chain 31B are suspended on sprockets located above and below each other. The endless chains 31A and 31B rotate around a track surface perpendicular to the sprocket axis by rotating at least one of the upper and lower sprockets using a motor (not shown). Each of the endless chains 31A and 31B is composed of a first straight section 321 closer to the receiving section 20, a first turning section 322 located at the top, a second straight section 323 located opposite the first straight section 321, and a second turning section 324 located at the bottom. At the first turn portion 322 and the second turn portion 324, each endless chain engages with a sprocket.

[0031] The plate members 32 are fixed to the links 310 that make up each of the endless chains 31A and 31B. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the plate members 32 can be fixed to the links 310 via an attachment 331 that connects to the links 310 of the endless chain 31A and a connecting member 332 that adjusts the attachment position of the plate members 32. The attachment 331 and the connecting member 332 can be fixed together with a screw 333, and the connecting member 332 and the plate members 32 can be fixed together with a screw 334.

[0032] The plate member 32 is a plate member that is long in the horizontal direction. The direction perpendicular to the main surface 32A of the plate member 32 is the direction perpendicular to the track surfaces of the endless chains 31A and 31B. Two forks 10 are fixed to the main surface 32A of the plate member 32 so that they are vertical and face outward.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, a spacer 101 may be provided at the connection between the fork 10 and the plate member 32 to ensure a distance between the pallet P and the endless chains 31A and 31B when the fork 10 is inserted into the insertion opening E of the pallet P.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 , at least a portion of the forks 10 fixed to the plate member 32 in the first straight portion 321 is located in the receiving section 20. At least a portion of the forks 10 fixed to the plate member 32 in the front half of the first turning section 322 is located in the cleaning section 40, which will be described later. The front half of the first turning section 322 is the portion of the first turning section 322 that is located on the first straight portion 321 side. At least a portion of the forks fixed to the plate member 32 in the second straight portion 323 is located in the waiting section 50, which will be described later. At least a portion of the forks fixed to the plate member 32 in the rear half of the first turning section 322 is located in the drying section 60, which will be described later. The rear half of the first turning section 322 is the portion of the first turning section 322 that is located on the second straight portion 323 side.

[0035] (cleaning section 40) The cleaning unit 40 uses a liquid to clean the pallet P transported from the receiving unit 20 by the fork moving mechanism 30 and the forks 10. The liquid may be, for example, tap water or a cleaning liquid such as shampoo. The cleaning unit 40 is located above the receiving unit 20. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the pallet P is shown as being positioned at position PP1, indicated by a two-dot chain line, after moving from the first straight section 321 of the fork moving mechanism 30 to the first turning section 322 and inserting the forks 10 in an inclined state relative to the ground. At the first turning section 322, the endless chains 31A and 31B turn along the sprockets, increasing the distance between the tips of the forks 10. As a result, the pallet P positioned at position PP1 is vertically spaced apart from the other pallets P. The cleaning unit 40 cleans the pallet P positioned at position PP1.

[0036] 1 and 2, the cleaning unit 40 includes a nozzle support unit 41 and a guide rail 42 that extends in the Y-axis direction and guides the movement of the nozzle support unit 41. The guide rail 42 may be fixed to the housing C. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the nozzle support unit 41 has a U-shape that surrounds the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet P located at position PP1 and the side surface located opposite the fork movement mechanism 30. The nozzle support unit 41 is provided with an upper nozzle 43, a lower nozzle 44, and a side nozzle 45. High-pressure liquid can be sprayed from each nozzle.

[0037] The nozzle support part 41 has an elongated shape extending in the X-axis direction when viewed from above. The upper nozzles 43 are nozzles for cleaning the upper surface of the pallet P, and multiple upper nozzles 43 may be arranged longitudinally on the ceiling surface of the nozzle support part 41. The lower nozzles 44 are nozzles for cleaning the lower surface of the pallet P, and multiple lower nozzles 44 may be arranged longitudinally on the bottom surface of the nozzle support part 41. The side nozzles 45 are nozzles for cleaning the side surface of the pallet P located opposite the fork moving mechanism 30, and at least one side nozzle 45 may be arranged on the inner surface (bottom of the U-shape) of the nozzle support part 41. The side nozzles 45 are of an optional configuration. For example, if the pallet cleaning device 100 is equipped with the side surface cleaning part 22, the four side surfaces of the pallet P are cleaned in the side surface cleaning part 22, and therefore the side nozzles 45 are not necessary.

[0038] 2, when viewed from above, the nozzle support part 41 can move back and forth between a position WP1 on the left side of the movement area of ​​the pallet P and a position WP2 on the right side. In the cleaning part 40, the nozzle support part 41 moves between positions WP1 and WP2 while spraying liquid from each nozzle, thereby cleaning the pallet P located at position PP1.

[0039] In addition to the above-mentioned components, the cleaning unit 40 also includes a liquid tank (not shown) and liquid paths from the liquid tank to each nozzle. A liquid receiving unit 70 is provided below the cleaning unit 40, and the liquid receiving unit 70 may be connected to a sewer or the like.

[0040] (Waiting section 50) The standby section 50 is a section where the pallets P wait after being washed in the washing section 40 until they are dried in the drying section 60, which will be described later. The standby section 50 is disposed below the drying section 60, which will be described later.

[0041] (Drying section 60) The drying section 60 dries the pallets P washed in the washing section 40. The drying section 60 is located horizontally from the washing section 40. In Figures 1 and 2, the pallet P that has moved from the second straight section 323 of the fork movement mechanism 30 to the first turning section 322 and into which the forks 10 have been inserted while tilted relative to the ground is shown using a two-dot chain line as the pallet P positioned at position PP2. At the first turning section 322, the spacing between the tips of the forks 10 increases, so the pallet P positioned at position PP2 is vertically separated from the other pallets P. The drying section 60 dries the pallet P positioned at position PP2.

[0042] The drying section 60 includes a blower (not shown) and a guide rail 62 extending along the Y-axis. The drying section 60 also includes an upper surface blowing nozzle 63 connected to the blower, which sprays gas toward the upper surface of the pallet P, and a lower surface blowing nozzle 64 which sprays gas toward the lower surface of the pallet P. The upper surface blowing nozzle 63 and the lower surface blowing nozzle 64 are positioned on either side of the pallet P, which is positioned at position PP2, when viewed from the Y-axis direction. Air is blown to each of the upper surface blowing nozzle 63 and the lower surface blowing nozzle 64 via pipes 65 which connect the blower to the upper surface blowing nozzle 63 and the lower surface blowing nozzle 64, respectively.

[0043] 2, when viewed from above, the upper surface blowing nozzle 63 and the lower surface blowing nozzle 64 can move back and forth between position BP1 on the left side of the movement area of ​​the pallet P and position BP2 on the right side. The drying unit 60 dries the pallet P by moving between positions BP1 and BP2 while each blowing nozzle sprays gas onto the pallet P located at position PP2.

[0044] A liquid receiving section 70 is provided below the drying section 60, and the liquid receiving section 70 may be connected to a sewer or the like.

[0045] (Pallet cleaning and drying process) With reference to Figure 1, the process of cleaning and drying pallets P by the pallet cleaning device 100 is briefly explained as follows. Pallet stacks PG transported to the receiving section 20 by a forklift FL are moved horizontally (in the positive direction of the X-axis) by a conveyor 21 toward the fork moving mechanism 30. During this movement, the sides of the pallet stacks PG are cleaned by a side surface cleaning unit 22. After the sides have been cleaned by the side surface cleaning unit 22, the pallet stacks PG move further, and the forks 10 attached to the fork moving mechanism 30 are inserted into insertion openings E on the front side of each pallet P.

[0046] When the forks 10 are inserted into the insertion openings E of the pallet P, the fork moving mechanism 30 starts the forward rotation of the endless chain 31, moving the forks 10. As a result, the pallet P into which the forks 10 have been inserted moves upward.

[0047] The washing unit 40 is located above the receiving unit 20, and pallets P that have reached the washing unit 40 and are separated from the other pallets are washed individually in the washing unit 40. Here, pallets P waiting to be washed are located below the washing unit 40. Therefore, the pallets P waiting to be washed can be pre-washed with the liquid used for washing in the washing unit 40. As a result, pallets P other than the topmost pallet P do not need to be pre-washed in the washing unit 40, or the washing time can be short. This achieves a water-saving effect.

[0048] The fork moving mechanism 30 continues rotating in the forward direction until all of the pallets P included in the pallet stack group PG have been washed in the washing section 40 and moved to the waiting section 50. Forward rotation means rotation in the direction that moves the forks 10 from the receiving section 20 towards the waiting section 50. Until all of the pallets P included in the pallet stack group PG have been washed in the washing section 40 and moved to the waiting section 50, the upper surface blowing nozzle 63 and the lower surface blowing nozzle 64 in the drying section 60 remain at position BP1 or on standby at position BP1.

[0049] Once all pallets P included in the pallet stack group PG have moved to the waiting section 50, the fork moving mechanism 30 reverses the rotation of the endless chain 31 to move the forks 10 upward. Reverse rotation refers to rotation in the direction that moves the forks from the waiting section 50 toward the receiving section 20. The drying section 60 is located above the waiting section 50, and pallets P that have reached the drying section 60 and are separated from the other pallets are individually dried in the drying section 60. Because the direction of movement of the pallets P in the drying section 60 is opposite to that during cleaning, the dried pallets P are not positioned below the drying section 60. Therefore, there is no need to install a shutter or the like below the drying section 60 to prevent liquid from dripping, reducing the possibility of the dried pallets P becoming wet again. This allows for efficient cleaning and drying using the fork moving mechanism 30, which effectively utilizes the upper space.

[0050] The fork moving mechanism 30 continues its reverse rotation operation until all of the pallets P included in the pallet stack group PG have been dried in the drying section 60 and have reached the position of the conveyor 21 in the receiving section 20. Until all of the pallets P included in the pallet stack group PG have been dried in the drying section 60 and have been moved to the receiving section 20, the nozzle support section 41 in the cleaning section 40 remains in a standby state at position WP1 or position WP2. During the cleaning process, the pallet cleaning device 100 switches the rotation direction for the fork moving mechanism 30 to move the forks 10. This allows the pallets P to be returned to the receiving section 20 after cleaning.

[0051] The pallet stack PG that has reached the conveyor 21 is moved in the negative direction of the X-axis by the conveyor 21. Once the pallet stack PG has reached the end of the conveyor 21 on the negative side of the X-axis, it is carried out of the pallet washing device 100 by a forklift FL. In the pallet washing device 100, the receiving unit 20 also serves as an unloading unit for unloading the pallet stack PG. By having the receiving unit 20 also serve as an unloading unit, the installation space for the pallet washing device 100 can be further saved.

[0052] 〔summary〕 (1) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure includes a plurality of forks, a receiving unit that inserts the forks into insertion openings on the sides of each pallet by moving a pallet stack formed by stacking a plurality of pallets horizontally, a fork moving mechanism that moves the plurality of forks, and a cleaning unit that is disposed above the receiving unit and cleans the pallet while it is held by the forks and spaced apart from other pallets.

[0053] By locating the cleaning unit above the receiving unit, the space above can be effectively utilized, thereby saving the space required to install the device. Furthermore, by locating the cleaning unit above the receiving unit, pallets awaiting cleaning while being moved from the receiving unit to the cleaning unit are pre-cleaned with the liquid used for cleaning in the cleaning unit, thereby saving the liquid used for cleaning.

[0054] (2) A pallet cleaning device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the pallet cleaning device of the first aspect, further comprising a drying unit that dries the pallet cleaned in the cleaning unit.

[0055] By providing the drying section in the pallet washing device, the pallet can be washed and dried within the pallet washing device.

[0056] (3) A pallet cleaning device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the pallet cleaning device of the second aspect, wherein the drying unit is disposed horizontally from the cleaning unit.

[0057] By arranging the drying unit at a position horizontal to the cleaning unit, it is possible to save space for installing the device even when the drying unit is provided.

[0058] (4) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 4 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device according to aspect 3 above, further comprising a waiting section in which the pallet waits after being cleaned in the cleaning section until it is dried in the drying section, and the waiting section is positioned below the drying section.

[0059] By disposing the standby section below the drying section, the space below the drying section can be effectively utilized, and the space required to install the device can be saved.

[0060] (5) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 5 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device in any one of aspects 1 to 4 above, wherein the fork moving mechanism comprises at least one pair of endless chains each suspended in the vertical direction, and a horizontally long plate member arranged between at least one pair of the endless chains, the plate member being fixed to the links constituting each of the endless chains, the direction perpendicular to the main surface being perpendicular to the track in the track plane of the endless chain, and the forks being fixed to the plate member so as to be perpendicular to the main surface and facing outward.

[0061] The fork moving mechanism having this configuration allows the pallets P to be moved individually to the cleaning section located above the receiving section. Furthermore, even in the case where a drying section located horizontally from the cleaning section and a standby section located below the drying section are provided, the fork moving mechanism can continuously move each pallet P according to the cleaning process.

[0062] (6) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 6 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device according to aspect 5 above, wherein the receiving section has at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member in one of the straight sections of the track of the endless chain, which is composed of two straight sections and two turning sections.

[0063] According to the pallet cleaning device of the sixth aspect, the fork moving mechanism can hold the pallet to be cleaned in the receiving section.

[0064] (7) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 7 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device in the above-mentioned aspect 5, wherein the cleaning section includes at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member in the front half of the upper turning section of the track of the endless chain, which is composed of two straight sections and two turning sections.

[0065] According to the pallet washing device of the seventh aspect, the pallet to be washed, which is held by the fork moving mechanism, can be moved to the washing section by operating the fork moving mechanism.

[0066] (8) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 8 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device according to aspect 7 above, further comprising a drying section that dries the pallet cleaned in the cleaning section, and in which at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member in the rear half of the upper turning section is located.

[0067] According to the pallet cleaning device of aspect 8, the pallet to be cleaned, which is held by the fork moving mechanism, can be moved to the drying section by operating the fork moving mechanism. Furthermore, on the path of the pallet from the cleaning section to the drying section, the pallet passes through the top of the fork moving mechanism. At this top, the pallet is in a vertically upright position relative to the ground, allowing for efficient removal of liquid from the cleaned pallet.

[0068] (9) A pallet washing device according to aspect 9 of the present disclosure is a pallet washing device in accordance with aspect 8 above, further comprising a waiting section in which the pallet waits after being washed in the washing section until it is dried in the drying section, and at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member in the straight section below the rear half of the turning section is located in the waiting section.

[0069] According to the pallet cleaning device of the ninth aspect, the pallet to be cleaned, which is held by the fork moving mechanism, can be moved to the waiting section by operating the fork moving mechanism.

[0070] (10) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 10 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device in any one of aspects 1 to 9 above, in which the receiving section also serves as an unloading section for unloading a pallet stack formed by stacking pallets processed by the pallet cleaning device.

[0071] By having the receiving section also function as the unloading section, it is possible to further reduce the space required to install the device.

[0072] (11) A pallet cleaning device according to aspect 11 of the present disclosure is a pallet cleaning device in any one of aspects 1 to 10 above, wherein the receiving section has a nozzle that sprays liquid toward the side of the pallet.

[0073] By providing the receiving section with a nozzle capable of cleaning the sides of the pallet, the four sides of the pallet can be cleaned more reliably.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 100···Pallet cleaning device 10···fork 20...Acceptance Department 22 Side cleaning section 222L·222R···Nozzle 30 Fork movement mechanism 31... Endless chain 32...Plate member 321···First straight section 322 First Turn 323···Second straight section 324···Second turning section 40 Cleaning section 50...Standby section 60...Drying section 331···Attachment 332 Connection member P···Palette

Claims

1. Multiple forks and a receiving section that moves a stack of pallets in a horizontal direction, thereby inserting the forks into insertion openings on the sides of each of the pallets; a fork moving mechanism that moves the plurality of forks; A pallet cleaning device comprising: a cleaning unit arranged above the receiving unit, which cleans the pallet while it is held by the forks and spaced apart from other pallets.

2. The pallet cleaning device according to claim 1 , further comprising a drying section that dries the pallet cleaned in the cleaning section.

3. The pallet cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the drying unit is disposed at a position horizontally away from the cleaning unit.

4. a waiting section in which the pallet waits after being washed in the washing section until being dried in the drying section; The pallet cleaning device according to claim 3 , wherein the standby section is disposed below the drying section.

5. The fork moving mechanism includes: At least one pair of endless chains suspended in the vertical direction, a plate member that is long in the horizontal direction and is provided across at least one pair of the endless chains, the plate member being fixed to each of the links that make up the endless chains, and the direction perpendicular to the main surface of the plate member being a direction perpendicular to the track in the track plane of the endless chain; The pallet cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the forks are fixed to the plate member so as to be perpendicular to the main surface and point outward.

6. The receiving portion has:

6. The pallet cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member is located in one of the straight sections of the track of the endless chain, which is composed of two straight sections and two turning sections.

7. The cleaning unit includes:

6. A pallet cleaning device as described in claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the fork fixed to the plate member is located in the front half of the upper turning section of the track of the endless chain, which is composed of two straight sections and two turning sections.

8. The cleaning system further includes a drying unit that dries the pallet cleaned in the cleaning unit. The drying section includes: The pallet cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the fork is fixed to the plate member located in a rear half of the upper turning portion.

9. a waiting section in which the pallet waits after being washed in the washing section until being dried in the drying section; The waiting section includes: The pallet washing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein at least a part of the fork fixed to the plate member is located in the straight portion below a rear half of the turning portion.

10. 2. The pallet cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving section also serves as a removal section for removing a pallet stack formed by stacking the pallets processed by the pallet cleaning device.

11. The pallet cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving section has a nozzle for spraying liquid toward a side surface of the pallet.

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