Tilt Notification System

Abstract

To provide an art which enables a device for notifying an operator of an inclination of a loading platform sheet to be formed in a simpler manner.SOLUTION: An inclination notification system 2 detects inclination of loading platform sheets 119 each of which is attached to an upper edge part of a side gate 112 provided at a loading platform 11 of a dump truck 1 so as to incline around a rotary shaft 119A facing in a front-back direction of the dump truck 1. The inclination notification system 2 includes: detection devices 21 attached to the loading platform sheets 119 and including acceleration sensors 214, 214A which detect inclination of the loading platform sheets 119, and an antenna 213 which transmits inclination signals indicating the inclination of the loading platform sheets 119 detected by the acceleration sensors 214, 214A through wireless communication; and a notification device 20 installed in an operator cab of the dump truck 1 and including an antenna 203 configured to receive the inclination signals transmitted from the detection devices 21, 21A through wireless communication, and a notification part which notifies an operator of the dump truck 1 of the inclination of the loading platform sheet 119 when the inclination signal is received.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for detecting and notifying the inclination of a loading seat. [Background technology]

[0002] A dump truck is a truck whose entire bed is tiltable. The bed of a dump truck is composed of a floor surface that is approximately parallel to the traveling surface and four plate-like members that surround this floor surface from within the plane. Of the four plate-like members, the front plate-like member is called the torii section, the two side plate-like members are also called side gates, and the rear plate-like member is called the rear gate.

[0003] Dump trucks are fitted with bed sheets, also known as gate sheets, to prevent gravel, earth, and other loads from falling off the bed and scattering. These bed sheets are generally made up of a rigid frame and a sheet-like member stretched within the frame. The bed sheet is attached to the upper edge of the side gate so as to be rotatable around an axis that is approximately parallel to the upper edge of the side gate.

[0004] As a related technology, a bed sheet open warning device is known that detects the bed sheet attached to the side panel of a dump truck bed protruding outward from the side panel, and that includes an identification member for identifying a predetermined rotation range of the bed sheet, a proximity switch that detects that the distance from the identification member is within a predetermined length, and an alarm unit that reports the bed sheet protruding outward from the side panel in accordance with the output of the proximity switch (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-066324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One challenge is to more simply configure a device for notifying the driver of the inclination of the loading platform seat.

[0007] The embodiment of the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that makes it possible to more simply configure a device for notifying the driver of the inclination of the cargo seat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the tilt notification system of this embodiment is a tilt notification system that detects the inclination of a loading platform sheet that is tiltably attached around a rotation axis facing the fore-and-aft direction of the dump truck relative to the upper edge of a side gate provided on the loading platform of the dump truck, and is equipped with a detection device that is attached to the loading platform sheet and includes an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination of the loading platform sheet and an antenna that transmits via wireless communication a tilt signal that indicates the inclination of the loading platform sheet detected by the acceleration sensor, and a notification device that is installed in the driver's cab of the dump truck and includes an antenna that receives the tilt signal transmitted from the detection device via wireless communication and a notification unit that notifies the driver of the dump truck of the inclination of the loading platform sheet when the tilt signal is received. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to more easily install a device for notifying the driver of the tilt of the cargo seat. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tilt notification system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a notification device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a detection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic front view showing a loading seat on which a detection device according to a first embodiment is attached. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic side view showing a loading seat to which a detection device according to a first embodiment is attached. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view showing a loading seat on which a detection device according to a first embodiment is attached in an inclined state. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a detection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the detection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 3 is a schematic diagram showing detection of an inclination angle by the detection device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a detection device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a detection device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] First Embodiment (Overall configuration of tilt notification system) First, the overall configuration of the tilt notification system according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the tilt notification system according to this embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 shows a dump truck with part of the vehicle body omitted.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, a tilt notification system 2 according to this embodiment is used while being installed in a dump truck 1. Hereinafter, the configuration of the dump truck 1 will be described with the forward side of the dump truck 1 in the straight-ahead direction as the front, the backward side in the straight-ahead direction as the rear, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction as the left-right direction.

[0014] The dump truck 1 includes a vehicle body 10 and a loading platform 11 configured to be tiltable as a whole by a hydraulic cylinder or the like. The loading platform 11 includes a floor panel 110, a gate section (not shown; for the sake of explanation, hereinafter referred to as the gate section 111), two side gates 112, and a rear gate 113. The floor panel 110 is a flat member extending in the front-rear and left-right directions so that a load can be placed thereon. The gate section 111 is provided near the front end of the floor panel 110 and is a flat member extending vertically across the entire front end of the floor panel 110. The rear gate 113 is a flat member extending vertically across the entire rear end of the floor panel 110. The two side gates 112 are provided near the left and right ends of the floor panel 110, respectively, and are flat members extending vertically across the entire left and right ends of the floor panel 110. The floorboard 110 is surrounded by the shrine gate portion 111, the two side gates 112, and the rear gate 113 from within its plane.

[0015] A loading platform sheet 119 is attached to each of the two side gates 112. Each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is formed as a flat plate extending vertically across the entire front-to-rear width of the corresponding side gate 112. Each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is attached to the upper edge of the corresponding side gate 112 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 119A (see FIGS. 4 to 6) facing in the front-to-rear direction, and is tiltable inward or outward from the loading platform 11. When cargo is loaded onto the loading platform 11, each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is fixed so as to maintain a substantially upright state, i.e., so that its upper and lower ends are aligned vertically. Meanwhile, when cargo is loaded onto or unloaded from the loading platform 11, each of the two loading platform sheets 119 is released from its fixed position so as to be tiltable.

[0016] Each of the two carrier sheets 119 can be tilted around the rotation axis 119A within a rotation range greater than -180° and less than 180°, assuming that the upright position is 0°.

[0017] The tilt notification system 2 includes a notification device 20 and at least one detection device 21. In this embodiment, the tilt notification system 2 includes two detection devices 21. The notification device 20 is installed in the driver's cab of the vehicle body 10, and the two detection devices 21 are attached to the corresponding loading platform seats 119, respectively. As will be described later, the notification device 20 and the detection device 21 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, and when the detection device 21 detects a tilt of the loading platform seat 119, the notification device 20 notifies the driver of the dump truck 1 of the tilt of the loading platform seat 119 by sound or light.

[0018] (Hardware configuration of notification device) A description will be given of the hardware configuration of the notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Fig. 2, which is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the notification device according to the present embodiment.

[0019] 2, notification device 20 includes, as hardware, a battery 200, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 201, a wireless module 202, an antenna 203, a buzzer 204, and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 205. Note that notification device 20 may not include battery 200 and may be supplied with power from an external power source.

[0020] The battery 200 is a power source for operating the notification device 20. The MCU 201 controls the wireless module 202, the buzzer 204, and the LED 205. The wireless module 202 controls communication with the detection device 21 using the antenna 203. When the wireless module 202 receives an inclination signal transmitted from the detection device 21 and indicating the inclination of the bed sheet 119, the MCU 201 causes the buzzer 204 to emit a notification sound and the LED 205 to emit light, thereby notifying the driver of the dump truck 1 of the inclination of the bed sheet 119. Note that the buzzer 204 and the LED 205 may be replaced by any device capable of notifying the driver of the dump truck 1 of the inclination of the bed sheet 119.

[0021] (Hardware configuration of the detection device) A description will be given of the hardware configuration of the detection device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the detection device according to this embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the detection device 21 includes, as hardware, a battery 210, an MCU 211, a wireless module 212, an antenna 213, and an acceleration sensor 214.

[0023] The battery 210 is a power source for operating the detection device 21. The MCU 211 controls the wireless module 212. The acceleration sensor 214 is a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in three mutually perpendicular axes (x, y, z). The wireless module 212 controls communication with the notification device 20 using an antenna 213. The MCU 211 executes various functions described below, determines the inclination of the loading seat 119 based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 214, and causes the wireless module 212 to transmit an inclination signal when the loading seat 119 is inclined.

[0024] (Detection device installation method) A method for installing the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a schematic front view showing a loading platform sheet to which the detection device according to the present embodiment is installed. Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing a loading platform sheet to which the detection device according to the present embodiment is installed. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view showing a loading platform sheet to which the detection device according to the present embodiment is installed in an inclined state.

[0025] 4, the detection device 21 is attached to the surface of the corresponding loading platform sheet 119 facing outward from the loading platform 11. In this case, the detection device 21 is attached to the loading platform sheet 119 so that the z-axis faces outward from the surface of the loading platform sheet 119, that is, faces in the left-right direction perpendicular to the extending direction of one surface of the loading platform sheet 119 formed in a substantially plate shape, particularly so that the detection device faces outward in the left-right direction.

[0026] 5, the detection device 21 is attached to the loading platform sheet 119 so that the x-axis faces downward in the vertical direction, i.e., so that the acceleration x of the x-axis substantially coincides with the acceleration of gravity. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6, when the vertical direction is set to 0°, the detection device 21 may be attached to the loading platform sheet 119 so that the x-axis is tilted within a range of less than ±90° around the z-axis.

[0027] In this way, the detection device 21 of this embodiment only needs to be mounted on one surface of the corresponding loading platform sheet 119 so that the first axis (z-axis) faces out of the plane, and so that at least one of the second axis (x-axis) perpendicular to the first axis and the third axis (y-axis) perpendicular to the first and second axes can determine the vertical direction.

[0028] (Functional configuration of the detection device) A functional configuration of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described below. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the detection device according to this embodiment.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 7 , the detection device 21 includes, as its functions, an axis conversion unit 301, an angle calculation unit 302, a determination unit 303, and a transmission unit 304. The axis conversion unit 301 acquires the three-axial accelerations x, y, and z detected by the acceleration sensor 214 and converts the accelerations x, y, and z into an in-plane acceleration u, which is a gravitational acceleration component directed toward the rotation axis 119A in the in-plane direction of the loading platform 119, and an out-of-plane acceleration v, which is directed in the out-of-plane direction of the loading platform 119. The angle calculation unit 302 calculates the inclination angle φ of the loading platform 119 based on the in-plane acceleration u and the out-of-plane acceleration v. The determination unit 303 determines whether the loading platform 119 is inclined based on the inclination angle φ. The transmission unit 304 transmits an inclination signal to the notification device 20 when the determination unit 303 determines that the loading platform 119 is inclined.

[0030] (Detection device operation) The operation of the detection device according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the detection device according to this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the detection of the tilt angle by the detection device according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the operation shown in Fig. 8 is executed at predetermined intervals.

[0031] 8, first, the axis conversion unit 301 acquires the three-axis accelerations x, y, and z detected by the acceleration sensor 214 (S101), and converts the three-axis accelerations x, y, and z into an in-plane acceleration u and an out-of-plane acceleration v using the following equations: The sign is determined from the sign of x or y (S102).

[0032]

number

[0033] Next, the angle calculation unit 302 calculates the gravitational acceleration g directed downward in the vertical direction based on the in-plane acceleration u and the out-of-plane acceleration v, and calculates the angle formed by the direction of the in-plane acceleration u and the direction of the gravitational acceleration g as the tilt angle φ of the loading platform seat 119 (S103), as shown in Fig. 9. This tilt angle φ indicates the angle of tilt of the loading platform seat 119 toward the inside or outside of the loading platform 11, with the upright state of the loading platform seat 119 being set to 0°.

[0034] Next, the determination unit 303 determines whether the calculated tilt angle φ is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold φ th It is determined whether the tilt angle φ exceeds the angle threshold φ (S104). th If the tilt angle φ exceeds the angle threshold φ (S104, YES), the transmitter 304 transmits a tilt signal to the notification device 20 (S105), one cycle of operation ends, and the tilt angle φ exceeds the angle threshold φ th If it does not exceed (S104, NO), one cycle of operation ends.

[0035] According to such a tilt notification system 2, by using the acceleration sensor 214, it is possible to detect the tilt of the loading platform seat 119 simply by installing the detection device 21 at any position on the loading platform seat 119, which simplifies the configuration for detecting the tilt and reduces costs compared to, for example, measuring the rotation angle of the rotation axis 119A. Furthermore, according to the tilt notification system 2, by transmitting a tilt signal from the detection device 21 to the notification device 20 via wireless communication, it is possible to omit wiring connecting the vehicle body 10 and the loading platform 11 in the dump truck 1 compared to when the notification device 20 and the detection device 21 are connected by wire, which simplifies the configuration for detecting the tilt and reduces costs.

[0036] Second Embodiment A tilt notification system according to a second embodiment will now be described. Figures 10 and 11 are block diagrams showing the hardware and functional configurations of a detection device according to this embodiment, respectively.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 10, detection device 21A according to this embodiment differs from detection device 21 according to the first embodiment in that it includes acceleration sensor 214A instead of acceleration sensor 214. Acceleration sensor 214A differs from acceleration sensor 214 in that it is configured as a one-axis acceleration sensor that detects acceleration along only one axis (z). Detection device 21A is attached to the surface of the corresponding loading platform 119 that faces outward from the loading platform 11. In this case, detection device 21A only needs to be attached to loading platform 119 so that the z-axis faces outward from the surface of loading platform 119, particularly facing outward in the left-right direction.

[0038] 11, the detection device 21A is different from the detection device 21 in that it has a determination unit 303A and a transmission unit 304A as functions. The determination unit 303A determines whether the acceleration z is equal to or greater than a preset acceleration threshold z th The transmission unit 304A determines whether the acceleration z exceeds the acceleration threshold z th If the acceleration threshold z is exceeded, a tilt signal is sent. th is the desired angle threshold φ thBased on this, it is set by the following formula:

[0039]

number

[0040] The detection device 21A according to this embodiment can only detect the outward tilt of the loading platform seat 119, but since the acceleration sensor 214A only needs to be a one-axis acceleration sensor, the tilt of the loading platform seat 119 can be detected at a lower cost.

[0041] It is also possible that the detection devices 21 and 21A do not include the determination units 303 and 303A, and the notification device 20 includes the determination units 303 and 303A. In this case, the transmission unit 304 of the detection device 21 transmits the tilt angle φ calculated by the angle calculation unit 302 to the notification device 20 as a tilt signal, and the notification device 20, which has received this tilt signal, notifies the driver based on the determination result by the determination unit 303. Furthermore, the transmission unit 304A of the detection device 21A transmits the acceleration z to the notification device 20 as a tilt signal, and the notification device 20, which has received this tilt signal, notifies the driver based on the determination result by the determination unit 303A.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 dump truck 11 Cargo bed 112 Side Tilt 119 Cargo seat 119A Rotating shaft 2 Tilt Notification System 20 Notification device 21, 21A Detector 214,214A Acceleration Sensor

Claims

1. A tilt notification system that detects the tilt of a bed sheet that is tiltably attached to an upper edge of a side gate provided on a bed of a dump truck around a rotation axis facing the front-rear direction of the dump truck, a detection device that is battery-operated and includes an acceleration sensor attached to the loading seat that detects the inclination of the loading seat, an antenna that performs wireless communication, and a processor that determines whether the loading seat has been inclined based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor and, if the loading seat has been inclined, transmits an inclination signal indicating the inclination of the loading seat to the antenna; a notification device that is installed in a cab of the dump truck and includes an antenna that receives a tilt signal transmitted from the detection device by wireless communication, and a notification unit that notifies the driver of the dump truck of the tilt of the loading platform seat when the tilt signal is received; A tilt notification system comprising:

2. The tilt notification system according to claim 1, wherein the detection device detects acceleration in at least a first axis, and is attached to the loading seat so that the first axis faces out of the plane of the loading seat.

3. the acceleration sensor further detects acceleration on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and acceleration on a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis; The tilt notification system described in claim 2, characterized in that the detection device is attached to the loading platform so that the second axis or the third axis is oriented within a range of less than ±90° around the first axis, with the vertical direction when the loading platform is in a substantially upright position being 0°.

4. The tilt notification system described in claim 3, characterized in that the detection device calculates an in-plane acceleration, which is a gravitational acceleration component facing the rotation axis in the in-plane direction of the loading platform seat based on the acceleration of the second axis and the acceleration of the third axis, and calculates the tilt angle of the loading platform seat based on the in-plane acceleration and the out-of-plane acceleration, which is the acceleration of the first axis.

5. The tilt notification system according to claim 4, wherein the detection device transmits a tilt signal indicating the tilt of the loading platform seat when the calculated tilt angle exceeds a preset angle threshold.

6. The tilt notification system according to claim 2, wherein the detection device transmits a tilt signal indicating the tilt of the loading seat when the acceleration of the first axis exceeds a preset acceleration threshold.

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