External charger cart and method of transporting the external charger

Abstract

To readily transport an exterior charger and reliably prevent any falls from occurring during transportation.SOLUTION: An exterior charger cart 1 that transports an exterior charger 2 which supplies electric power to a work vehicle to be driven with an electric motor includes a base 10 on which the exterior charger 2 is placed, and casters 12 and support pillars 14 which are attached to the base 10. The base 10 or support pillars 14 have locking parts 20 capable of locking a soil removing plate 122 of the work vehicle. Each of the locking parts 20 is designed so that a movement regulation member 30 can be attached to the locking part. The movement regulation member prevents the soil removing plate 122 from rattling when each of the casters 12 is separated from the ground by further raising the soil removing plate 122 from a condition where the soil removing plate 122 is locked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an external charger cart for transporting an external charger that supplies power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor, and a method for transporting an external charger. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally known examples of work vehicles include hydraulic excavators and track loaders, each of which has a lower body to which crawlers or tires for traveling are attached, an upper body disposed on the lower body, and a hydraulically operated working device attached to the lower body or upper body.

[0003] Recently, work vehicles that are driven by electric motors instead of conventional engines have been developed (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6463537). An external charger that supplies power to such work vehicles may be used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6463537 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a work vehicle driven by an electric motor performs work at a work site, there are many situations where the work vehicle must be connected to an external charger to supply power. However, because most work sites are made of unleveled soil, transporting the heavy external charger presents a challenge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an external charger cart and a method for transporting an external charger that can easily transport a heavy external charger even at a work site that has not been leveled, and that can reliably prevent the charger from falling during transport.

[0007] The present invention solves the above problems by the means described below.

[0008] The external charger cart according to this embodiment is an external charger cart for transporting an external charger that supplies power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor, and includes a base on which the external charger is placed, and casters and a support column attached to the base, and the base or the support column is provided with a locking portion that can lock onto an upper end of the blade of the work vehicle, The blade When the blade is further raised from the state where the upper end portion is locked to the blade and the caster is separated from the ground, do A movement restriction member is included to prevent rattles. , detachably attached to the locking portion Installation can be In one embodiment, the locking portion is formed in a U-shape that opens downward in a side view, and when the upper end portion is inserted and abuts at a position that becomes the bottom of the opening, and the blade is then raised to move the caster away from the ground, the inner surface of the rear portion abuts against the rear surface of the blade, and the inner surface of the front portion does not abut against the front surface of the blade, creating a space of a predetermined dimension, and the movement-restricting member that restricts movement of the front surface of the blade in a direction that abuts against the inner surface of the front side can be attached inside the space.

[0009] With the above configuration, the external charger cart with the external charger placed on it can be lifted by the blade of the work vehicle. Furthermore, the external charger cart can be transported by running the work vehicle in this state. Therefore, the external charger, which is a heavy object, can be easily transported. However, when the work vehicle runs on unleveled ground, the work vehicle and therefore the blade swing up and down, which can easily cause the external charger cart to become detached from the blade and fall during transport. To address this, a movement-restricting member is provided in the locking portion of the external charger cart that locks the blade, restricting movement of the blade within the space in the locking portion. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the external charger from falling during transport.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that a U-shaped member be used as the movement restricting member. In particular, it is preferable that the movement restricting member has a U-shaped configuration, is held in a holder provided on the external charger cart so that it can be stored and removed, is configured to be able to engage and detach from the casters, and also serves as a wheel chock that prevents the casters from rotating by engaging with the casters. This allows the wheel chock that prevents the external charger cart from rolling to be used as a movement restricting member for the blade. This eliminates the need to manufacture and prepare a movement restricting member as a separate, dedicated member, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, because the wheel chock is attached to the external charger cart, there is no risk of forgetting to bring it to the work site, and it can be used reliably.

[0011] The engaging portion may be configured so that the front end of the ground-contacting portion of the bucket of the work vehicle can enter, instead of or in addition to the upper end of the blade.

[0012] Furthermore, the method for transporting an external charger according to this embodiment is a method for transporting an external charger that supplies power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor, and includes a loading step of loading the external charger onto an external charger cart, a lifting step of lifting the blade of the work vehicle from a state in which the upper end of the blade is engaged with an engaging portion provided on the external charger cart, thereby lifting the blade so that the casters of the external charger cart are separated from the ground, and a lifting step of lifting the blade of the work vehicle from a state in which the upper end of the blade is engaged with an engaging portion provided on the external charger cart, thereby lifting the blade so that the casters of the external charger cart are separated from the ground. do A movement restriction member is installed to prevent rattles. 、 The locking portion Detachable for and a transporting step of transporting the external charger by traveling a work vehicle having the blade. In one embodiment, the raising step includes a step of inserting the upper end of the blade into a U-shaped engaging portion that is open downward in a side view and is provided on the external charger cart so that the upper end of the blade abuts at a position that becomes the bottom of the opening, and then further raising the blade so that the casters of the external charger cart are separated from the ground, and the mounting step includes a step of attaching the movement restricting member to the engaging portion so that the inner surface of the rear side of the engaging portion abuts against the rear surface of the blade and the inner surface of the front side of the engaging portion does not abut against the front surface of the blade, creating a space of a predetermined dimension, and restricting movement of the front surface of the blade within the space in a direction that abuts against the inner surface of the front side.

[0013] It is also preferable that the movement restricting member also serves as a wheel stopper that prevents the caster from rotating. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, an external charger used to supply power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor can be easily transported even to a work site that is not leveled, and the external charger can be reliably prevented from falling during transportation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an external charger cart according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which an external charger is placed on the external charger cart shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the external charger cart shown in FIG. [Figure 4] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for transporting an external charger cart according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4A is a side view of a state before the upper end of the blade enters the locking portion. Fig. 4B is a side view of a state in which the upper end of the blade enters the locking portion and abuts at a position that becomes the bottom of the opening. Fig. 4C is a side view of a state in which the blade has been further raised and the casters have been separated from the ground. Fig. 4D is a side view of a state in which a movement-restricting member has been attached to the locking portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part V in FIG. 4A. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view of a state in which a movement restricting member is attached to the locking portion of the external charger cart shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a wheel stopper that also serves as a movement restriction member for the external charger cart shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wheel stopper shown in FIG. 7 in a state where it is locked to the caster. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a work vehicle driven by an electric motor and a work vehicle transporting an external charger cart. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a work vehicle that transports an external charger cart. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram (perspective view from above the left rear) showing an example of an external charger cart 1 according to this embodiment. For ease of explanation, arrows may be used in the drawings to indicate up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions. In addition, in all drawings used to explain the embodiments, components having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0017] The present invention relates to an external charger cart 1 used when transporting an external charger 2 that supplies power to drive an electric motor of a work vehicle 101 driven by the electric motor, and a method for transporting the external charger cart 1.

[0018] First, a configuration example of a work vehicle 101 driven by an electric motor will be described. A hydraulic excavator will be used as an example of the work vehicle 101 (see FIG. 9). However, the work vehicle 101 is not limited to a hydraulic excavator.

[0019] As shown in Figure 9, the work vehicle 101 is equipped with a lower body 102 to which a traveling device 110 is attached. The work vehicle 101 is equipped with an upper body 103 disposed on the lower body 102 (note that the lower body 102 and the upper body 103 may be integrally configured). The work vehicle 101 is equipped with working devices 112, 114 attached to the lower body 102 and the upper body 103 and operated by hydraulic pressure (hydraulic oil at a predetermined pressure).

[0020] The upper body 103 is provided with a driver's cab 116 at the front where an operator sits and operates operating devices to control travel and work.

[0021] An example of the traveling device 110 is provided with a pair of crawlers (crawlers) 126 on the left and right. However, the traveling device 110 is not limited to the crawlers 126. As another example, the work vehicle 101 may be configured to have tires (not shown) instead of the crawlers 126. The crawlers 126 are driven (travel) by a traveling hydraulic motor (not shown).

[0022] An example of the working device 112 is provided with a blade 122. The blade 122 is attached to the lower body 102 so as to be swingable up and down (including forward and backward). The blade 122 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder (blade cylinder) 132. However, the working device 112 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0023] Examples of the working device 114 include a boom 142, an arm 144, and an attachment (a bucket in this embodiment) 146. However, the attachment 146 is not limited to a bucket. The boom 142 is attached to the upper body 103 so as to be swingable up and down (including a front-to-rear component). In this embodiment, a boom bracket (not shown) is provided between the upper body 103 and the boom 142. The boom bracket enables the boom 142 to swing left and right (including a front-to-rear component) relative to the upper body 103. Note that the boom bracket may be omitted. The arm 144 is attached to the boom 142 so as to be swingable up and down (including a front-to-rear component). The attachment 146 is attached to the arm 144 so as to be swingable up and down (including a front-to-rear component). The boom 142 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder (boom cylinder) 152. The arm 144 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder (arm cylinder) 154. The attachment 146 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder (bucket cylinder) 156. However, the working device 114 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0024] The drive mechanism for driving the traveling hydraulic motor and each hydraulic cylinder is composed of, for example, a hydraulic pump driven by a drive source 118, a control valve, etc. The operator operates the control device to actuate the control valve, which controls the supply of hydraulic oil at a predetermined pressure delivered from the hydraulic pump to the traveling hydraulic motor and each hydraulic cylinder. This allows the traveling device 110 to travel and the working devices 112, 114 to perform work. One or more hydraulic pumps may be provided as components of the drive mechanism, depending on the configuration and load of the working device and traveling device, etc.

[0025] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 101 is equipped with an electric motor as the drive source 118. One or more electric motors constituting the drive source 118 are provided depending on the number of hydraulic pumps, rated output, etc. As another example of the drive source 118, an engine may be used in addition to the electric motor (not shown).

[0026] The work vehicle 101 is also equipped with a storage battery that supplies power to the electric motor 118, a conversion device such as an inverter, and a control device (not shown). Power is supplied to this storage battery by connecting an external power source (single-phase AC power source, three-phase AC power source, etc.) to the external charger 2, and further connecting an output cable from the external charger 2 to an inlet 120 provided on the upper body 103. As another example of a method for supplying power to the storage battery, a configuration may also be used in which power is supplied via an on-board charger mounted on the upper body 103 (not shown).

[0027] It should be noted that other mechanisms for travel and work in the working vehicle 101 according to this embodiment are similar to those of known working vehicles (hydraulic excavators), and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] Next, a detailed description will be given of the external charger cart 1 that transports the external charger 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the external charger cart 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the external charger 2 is placed on the external charger cart 1, and Fig. 3 is a side view thereof.

[0029] The external charger cart 1 has a base 10 on which the external charger 2 is placed. The external charger cart 1 also has four rotating casters 12 attached to the four corners of the base 10. The external charger cart 1 also has two support posts 14 that stand upright in a pair on the left and right sides at the rear of the base 10. The external charger cart 1 also has fixing parts 16 that fix the external charger 2 to the rear of the base 10 (for example, by bolting). As an example, the fixing parts 16 are connected (welded) to the support posts 14 using plate-shaped members, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0030] The support 14 (or the base 10) is provided with a locking portion 20 shaped to allow the upper end of the blade of the "work vehicle" to enter and be locked. However, the "work vehicle" in this case refers to a "transport work vehicle" used to transport the external charger dolly 1, and is not limited to a "work vehicle driven by an electric motor" to which the external charger 2 is connected and receives a supply of power. In other words, a "work vehicle driven by an engine (gasoline, diesel, etc.)" may also be used. In this embodiment, a work vehicle 101 equipped with a blade 122 will be described as an example.

[0031] As an example, the locking portion 20 is formed in a U-shape (including a structure with a partial U-shape, such as a J-shape) that opens downward when viewed from the side (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, two locking portions are provided, one on the left and one on the right, but this is not limited to this. Other examples of locking portions may include a configuration in which one locking portion is provided consecutively for a predetermined length in the left-right direction, or a configuration in which three or more locking portions are provided (not shown).

[0032] The locking portion 20 is configured to allow the upper end of a blade (illustrated as the blade 122 of the work vehicle 101) to enter and lock, and further to lift the blade 122, thereby enabling the external charger cart 1 to be lifted.

[0033] Here, the operation of lifting and transporting the external charger cart 1 using the blade 122 of the work vehicle 101 (i.e., the "method for transporting an external charger cart" according to this embodiment) will be described with reference to Figure 4. First, the external charger 2 is placed on the external charger cart 1 (sometimes referred to as the "placement step" in this application).

[0034] Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the blade 122 of the work vehicle 101 is brought close to the external charger cart 1, and the blade 122 is positioned below the locking portion 20. In this state, the blade 122 is raised and inserted into the opening 20a of the locking portion 20 (an enlarged view of the V portion in FIG. 4A is shown in FIG. 5). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the blade 122 is brought into contact with a position that will become the bottom 20d of the opening 20a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4C, the blade 122 is further raised, and the casters 12 are lifted off the ground (sometimes referred to as the "raising step" in this application).

[0035] Next, the external charger cart 1 is transported by running the work vehicle 101 while the external charger cart 1 is raised by the blade 122 (this step may be referred to as the "transportation step" in this application). In this embodiment, as will be described later, the external charger cart 1 is transported with the movement restriction member 30 attached. This makes it possible to easily transport the external charger 2, which is a heavy object (for example, approximately several tens to several hundred kg).

[0036] 4C, when the external charger cart 1 is lifted by the blade 122, the locking portion 20 is configured to be in the following state relative to the blade 122. Specifically, the inner surface 20b on the rear side of the locking portion 20 is configured to abut against the rear surface 122b of the blade 122. The inner surface 20c on the front side of the locking portion 20 is not configured to abut against the front surface 122c of the blade 122, and a space 20e of a predetermined dimension (for example, about several tens of mm in side view) is created in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] Note that when the external charger cart 1 is lifted by the blade 122, support parts 22 made of resin (including elastomer) that come into contact with the lower part of the front surface 122c of the blade 122 are provided at the rear and lower part of the external charger cart 1 (for example, each support column 14) (this contact occurs due to the action of gravity acting on the center of gravity of the external charger cart 1). This allows the external charger cart 1 to be lifted and supported stably by the blade 122.

[0038] In this embodiment, after the state shown in Fig. 4C is achieved, as shown in Fig. 4D, movement-restricting members 30 are attached to the locking portion 20 to restrict movement of the front surface 122c of the blade 122 in a direction in which it abuts against the inner surface 20c on the front side of the locking portion 20 (sometimes referred to as the "attaching step" in the present application). This has the effect of preventing rattle of the blade 122 inside the space 20e during transportation. Note that, to facilitate understanding of the structure, Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the state in which the movement-restricting members 30 (for example, the one on the left) have been removed from the holder 32 and attached to the locking portion 20.

[0039] As described above, when a work vehicle is driven on unleveled ground to transport the external charger cart 1, the blade (illustrated by the blade 122) of the work vehicle swings up and down, which can easily cause the external charger cart 1 to come off the blade 122 and fall during transport. In response to this, by attaching a movement restricting member 30 to the locking portion 20 that locks the blade 122, it is possible to restrict movement of the blade 122 within the space 20e of the locking portion 20 (the space created when the blade 122 has entered the opening 20a). This makes it possible to reliably prevent the external charger 2 from rattling and falling while being transported while locked to the blade 122.

[0040] The movement restricting member 30 is, for example, a U-shaped member (including a structure having a partial U-shaped portion such as a J-shape) made of a metal material or a resin material.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7 , the movement-restricting member 30 according to this embodiment has a U-shape and is configured to double as a wheel chock that can be engaged with and detached from the caster 12. As shown in FIG. 8 , the wheel chock 30 is formed in a shape that allows it to be placed on and detached from the ground, with a predetermined gap (several millimeters to several centimeters) between it and the caster 12 in both the forward and reverse directions. By engaging with the caster 12, the wheel chock 30 can prevent unintended rotation of the caster 12 (i.e., rolling of the external charger cart 1). The wheel chock 30 is held in a holder 32 provided on the external charger cart 1 so that it can be stored and removed. In this embodiment, two wheel chocks 30 are provided, but a single wheel chock 30 may also be provided.

[0042] With the above configuration, the wheel chocks that prevent the external charger cart 1 from rolling can also be used as the movement restricting members 30 for the blade 122. This eliminates the need to manufacture and prepare a separate movement restricting member as a dedicated member, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, because the wheel chocks 30 are attached to the external charger cart 1, there is no risk of forgetting to bring them to the work site, and they can be used reliably.

[0043] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the blade 122 of the work vehicle (hydraulic excavator) 101 shown in Fig. 9 is engaged with the engaging portion 20 of the external charger cart 1 and then lifted and transported. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As another example, the front end 222a of the ground-contacting portion of the bucket 222 of the work vehicle (track loader) 201 shown in Fig. 10 may be directed upward, engaged with the engaging portion 20 of the external charger cart 1, and then lifted and transported. The bucket 222 is hydraulically driven.

[0044] As described above, with the external charger cart 1 and the method for transporting the external charger 2 according to this embodiment, the external charger 2 used to supply power to a work vehicle 101 driven by an electric motor can be easily transported even to a work site that is not leveled. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent the external charger 2 from falling during transportation.

[0045] Although a hydraulic excavator has been used as an example of the work vehicle 101 (work vehicle driven by an electric motor) that receives power supply from the external charger 2, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to other work vehicles (for example, track loaders, carriers, etc.).

[0046] Furthermore, although the work vehicle 101 (a work vehicle driven by an electric motor) has been used as an example of a work vehicle that transports the external charger cart 1, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to other work vehicles (work vehicles driven by an engine). [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 External charger trolley 2 External charger 10 Pedestal 12 Caster 14 Posts 16 Fixed part 20 Locking part 22 Support part 30 Movement restriction member (wheel stopper) 101 Work vehicles 122 Earth removal plate 201 Work vehicles 222 Bucket

Claims

1. An external charger cart for transporting an external charger that supplies power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor, a base on which the external charger is placed; casters and a support attached to the base; The base or the support pillar is provided with a locking portion capable of locking an upper end portion of a blade of a work vehicle, A movement restricting member that prevents the blade from wobbling when the blade is further raised from the state in which the upper end of the blade is engaged to the caster so that the caster is separated from the ground is detachably attached to the engaging portion. An external charger cart characterized by the above.

2. The locking portion is It is shaped like a U that opens downwards when viewed from the side. When the upper end of the blade is inserted and abuts against the bottom of the opening, and the blade is then raised to separate the caster from the ground, the inner surface of the rear side abuts against the rear surface of the blade, and the inner surface of the front side does not abut against the front surface of the blade, creating a space of a predetermined dimension, and the movement restricting member that restricts the front surface of the blade from moving in a direction to abut against the inner surface of the front side within the space can be attached. The external charger cart according to claim 1,

3. The movement restricting member is configured to be a U-shaped member.

3. The external charger cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

4. The movement restricting member has a U-shape, and is held in a holder provided on the external charger cart so that it can be stored and removed, and is configured so that it can be engaged with and removed from the caster, and is configured so that it can also be used as a wheel stopper that prevents the caster from rotating by engaging with the caster.

3. The external charger cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

5. The engaging portion is configured so that a front end portion of a ground-contacting portion of a bucket of a work vehicle can enter the engaging portion instead of or in addition to the upper end portion of the blade.

3. The external charger cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

6. A method for transporting an external charger that supplies power to a work vehicle driven by an electric motor, comprising: a placing step of placing the external charger on an external charger cart; a raising step of further raising the blade from a state in which an upper end of the blade of the work vehicle is engaged with an engaging portion provided on the external charger cart, thereby raising the blade so that the casters of the external charger cart are separated from the ground; an attachment step of detachably attaching a movement restricting member to the engaging portion, the movement restricting member preventing the blade from rattling; a transporting step of transporting the external charger by running a work vehicle having the blade. A method for transporting an external charger, comprising:

7. the raising step includes a step of inserting the upper end of the blade into the engaging portion that is U-shaped and opens downward in side view and is provided on the external charger cart, and abutting the blade at a position that becomes the bottom of the opening, and then raising the blade further to raise the casters of the external charger cart away from the ground, The mounting step includes a step of mounting the movement restricting member to the engaging portion so that the inner surface of the rear side of the engaging portion abuts against the rear surface of the blade and the inner surface of the front side of the engaging portion does not abut against the front surface of the blade, creating a space of a predetermined dimension, and restricting the front surface of the blade from moving in a direction to abut against the inner surface of the front side within the space. The method for transporting an external charger according to claim 6, further comprising:

8. The movement restricting member also serves as a wheel stopper that prevents the caster from rotating.

8. The method for transporting an external charger according to claim 6 or 7,

Images