Tire lifter device

Abstract

To provide a tire lifter device provided with a work table in which a gripping part gripped by an operator is provided at a side position of the work table, and a tire lifting operation part for lifting a tire is provided on the gripping part, and which can improve safety of tire detachment operation and so on in such a manner that even if an object placed on the work table unexpectedly contacts the lifting operation part, a tire holding part does not move vertically.SOLUTION: In a tire lifter device, a gripping handle part 42 gripped by an operator is provided at a side position of a work table 4, a descent SW 62 and an ascent SW 63 for operating a lifting mechanism part are provided on the gripping handle part 42, and an open SW 61, which permits input of the descent SW 62 and the ascent SW 63, is provided. The device comprises a motor control unit which so controls that operations of the descent SW 62 and the ascent SW 63 become effective only during operation of the open SW 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire lifter device used when removing and installing tires from automobiles such as passenger cars and trucks, and more specifically to a tire lifter device equipped with a work platform that allows for simultaneous inspection and maintenance of tire-related components such as brake systems. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, so-called tire lifter devices that can easily perform the installation and removal of heavy tires have been introduced into automobile repair shops and other facilities to reduce the workload at these facilities. These tire lifter devices include a tire holding unit that holds the tire, a lifting mechanism that moves the tire holding unit up and down, and a lifting operation unit that operates the lifting mechanism.

[0003] Furthermore, when removing and installing tires from an automobile, inspection and maintenance of the tire-related parts, such as the brake system, may be performed at the same time. For this reason, tire lifter devices equipped with a workbench (work table) for performing inspection and maintenance are known, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.

[0004] In the tire lifter device described in Patent Document 1 below, the tire holder 5 that supports the tire is configured to move up and down inside the maintenance cart 1, and the removed tire 3 is lowered into the storage space 13 inside the maintenance cart 1, and then inspection and maintenance can be performed on a work tray 42 provided on the maintenance cart 1.

[0005] Furthermore, the tire lifter device described in Patent Document 2 listed below is configured such that a lifter 3 that holds the tire and moves it up and down is provided at the front of the maintenance cart 1, and a workbench 4 for performing inspection and maintenance is provided at the rear of the maintenance cart 1, so that inspection and maintenance can be performed with the tire removed.

[0006] When removing or installing a tire, the tire lifter device must be precisely positioned relative to the tire mounted on the vehicle, so both the horizontal position of the tire lifter device and the lifting position (vertical position) of the tire holding section must be precisely adjusted.

[0007] Therefore, in the tire lifter device described in Patent Document 3 below, a cylinder operating section S (21, 20a) for raising and lowering the tire is provided on a push handle 20 for operating the cart, etc., and the lifting position (vertical position) of the tire is simultaneously adjusted while adjusting the horizontal position of the cart. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-308071 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3173700 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-90107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Incidentally, when inspecting and maintaining tire-related components such as brake systems, it is conceivable to provide an additional work platform, as in the tire lifter devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. In this case, taking into consideration workability, it is conceivable to install the work platform behind the tire lifter device, as in Patent Document 2, so that the inspection and maintenance can be performed by the worker at their fingertips.

[0010] Furthermore, considering that an operator moves the tire lifter device and aligns it with the tire installation / removal position, it is conceivable to provide a grip portion as a push handle on the side of the work platform. Then, as in Patent Document 3, by providing a lifting / lowering operating portion as an operating portion for lifting / lowering the tire on the grip portion, it is conceivable to simultaneously align the lifting / lowering position of the tire.

[0011] By configuring the tire lifter device in this way, workers can perform inspection and maintenance around the tires at their fingertips, while also being able to adjust the horizontal position of the tire lifter device and the lifting position (vertical position) of the tire holding section, making it easy to perform a series of tasks such as tire removal and installation and inspection and maintenance around the tires.

[0012] However, when a gripping portion is provided at a side position of the workbench and a lifting operation portion is provided on this gripping portion, a new problem arises.

[0013] The problem is that if a brake device part or power tool placed on the workbench suddenly comes into contact with the lifting operation part while a tire is being held by the tire holding part, the tire holding part will move up and down on its own, compromising the safety of operations such as tire removal and installation.

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a tire lifter device that has a work platform on the tire lifter device, a gripping portion to be held by the worker at a position to the side of the work platform, and a lifting and lowering operation portion for lifting and lowering the tire on the gripping portion, so that even if an object placed on the work platform suddenly comes into contact with the lifting and lowering operation portion, the tire holding portion will not move up and down, thereby increasing the safety of work such as removing and installing tires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to achieve this object, this invention provides a tire lifter device with a work platform, a gripping portion to be held by the worker at a position to the side of the work platform, and a lifting / lowering operation portion for lifting / lowering the tire on the gripping portion, and is characterized in that the tire lifter device is provided with an input permission operation portion that permits input to the lifting / lowering operation portion, and is equipped with control means that controls the operation of the lifting / lowering operation portion for lifting / lowering the tire so that it is valid only while the input permission operation portion is being operated.

[0016] Specifically, in a first invention, a tire lifter device is provided which includes a dolly that can be moved horizontally by providing casters at the bottom, a tire holding section that is provided at the front of the dolly and holds a tire, a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the tire holding section in the vertical direction, and a workbench that is provided at the rear of the dolly and on which parts and the like can be placed, and a gripping section that is provided at a side position of the workbench and that is gripped by an operator when moving the dolly in the horizontal direction, and the gripping section Inner position of The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a lifting operation unit that operates the lifting mechanism unit, an input permission operation unit that permits input to the lifting operation unit, and a control means that controls the lifting operation unit so that operation is valid only while the input permission operation unit is being operated.

[0017] According to this configuration, a gripping portion is provided at a side position of the work table, and the gripping portion Inner position of An elevation operation unit is provided in the gripping portion, an input permission operation unit is provided to permit input to the elevation operation unit, and a control means is further provided to control the operation of the elevation operation unit so that it is valid only when the input permission operation unit is being operated. Therefore, even if only the elevation operation unit provided in the gripping portion is operated, the elevation mechanism unit will not move up or down.

[0018] Therefore, even if a part of a brake device placed on the workbench suddenly touches the lifting operation part, the lifting mechanism part can be prevented from moving up and down by itself.

[0019] The input permission operation unit may be located anywhere as long as it is located away from the lift operation unit. For example, it may be located under the cart or under the workbench. If the input permission operation unit is located under the cart, the worker can operate it with his foot. If the input permission operation unit is located under the workbench, the worker can operate it with his other hand. This eliminates the risk of accidentally touching parts, etc., with both the input permission operation unit and the lift operation unit at the same time.

[0020] Furthermore, the power source of the lifting mechanism is not particularly limited and may be electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. However, if the tire lifter device is to be moved freely, an electric type equipped with a rechargeable battery is desirable.

[0021] In the second invention, the lifting mechanism unit is characterized by being provided with a speed adjusting means for adjusting the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism unit, which rises and falls in response to input from the lifting operation unit, so that the lifting speed becomes an S-shaped acceleration.

[0022] According to this configuration, the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism has an S-shaped acceleration, so the lifting speed when lifting and lowering the tire is slow in the early stages of the operation and fast in the middle and later stages of the operation.

[0023] Therefore, even if the lifting mechanism is activated at a timing not intended by the worker, no sudden position change occurs in the early stages of lifting, so safety during tire removal and installation work is not compromised.In addition, since position changes become larger in the middle and later stages of lifting, the workability of tire removal and installation work is not compromised either.

[0024] Therefore, the safety of the tire lifter device can be improved without deteriorating the workability of tire removal and installation work.

[0025] In the third invention, the gripping portions are provided on both the left and right sides of the workbench, and the lifting operation portion is provided on one of the left and right gripping portions, and the input permission operation portion is provided on the other of the left and right gripping portions.

[0026] With this configuration, the work platform is provided with grips on both the left and right sides, allowing the worker to grasp the grips with both hands and manually move the tire lifter device horizontally. Furthermore, the left and right grips are provided with a lifting / lowering operation unit and an input permission operation unit, respectively, allowing the worker to operate the lifting / lowering operation unit and the input permission operation unit to adjust the lift position of the tire holding unit to the tire while still holding the grips with both hands.

[0027] Therefore, the worker can easily align the tire lifter device horizontally to the tire position and the tire holding portion vertically while holding the gripping portions on both sides with both hands.

[0028] Therefore, the worker can align the tire lifter device both horizontally and vertically while holding it with both hands, making it easier and faster to perform tasks such as removing and installing tires.

[0029] In the fourth invention, the lifting operation unit is composed of an up button and a down button, and the up button and the down button are installed at a distance from each other on one end side and the other end side of the gripping unit.

[0030] According to this configuration, the lifting and lowering operation parts, the up button and down button, are installed at a distance from each other on one end and the other end of the gripping part, so that the worker can operate these buttons without visually checking them when raising or lowering the tire holding part.

[0031] Therefore, when aligning the tire holding part with the tire, the worker can align it without taking his eyes off the tire, allowing him to perform tasks such as installing and removing the tire safely and quickly.

[0032] Therefore, tire removal and installation work using the tire lifter device can be performed more safely and quickly.

[0033] A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a nut storage section is provided in addition to the work table to store wheel nuts and the like that are removed when the tire is removed.

[0034] According to this configuration, a nut storage section for storing wheel nuts and wheel bolts is provided separately from the workbench, so that the multiple wheel nuts and wheel bolts that are removed will not scatter all over the workbench.

[0035] Therefore, the wheel nuts and wheel bolts will not unexpectedly come into contact with the lifting / lowering operation part of the grip part on the side of the workbench.

[0036] This ensures that the wheel nuts and wheel bolts, which are always removed when removing a tire, are prevented from coming into contact with the lifting and lowering operation unit, thereby improving the safety of tire removal and installation work, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] As described above, according to the present invention, even if a part of a brake device placed on a workbench suddenly touches the lifting operation unit, the lifting mechanism unit can be prevented from moving up and down on its own.

[0038] Therefore, the tire lifter device is provided with a work platform, a gripping portion that the worker can hold is provided at a side position of the work platform, and a lifting / lowering operation portion for lifting and lowering the tire is provided on the gripping portion, so that even if something placed on the work platform suddenly touches the lifting / lowering operation portion, the tire holding portion will not move up and down, thereby increasing the safety of tire removal and installation work, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a front overall perspective view of a tire lifter device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the entire tire lifter device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the tire lifter device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a side view of the tire lifter device with the tire holding portion lowered, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the tire lifter device with the tire holding portion raised. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vicinity of the work platform of the tire lifter device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vicinity of the work platform of the tire lifter device. [Figure 9] 1 is a system block diagram of a tire lifter device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the tire lifter device of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in the rotation speed of an electric motor of a tire lifter device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0041] (Embodiment 1) <Overall structure> First, the overall configuration of the tire lifter device of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is an overall front perspective view of the tire lifter device of the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is an overall rear perspective view of the tire lifter device. Also, Figure 3 is a side view of the tire lifter device, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in Figure 4, and Figure 6(a) is a side view of the tire lifter device with the tire holding unit lowered, and Figure 6(b) is a side view of the tire lifter device with the tire holding unit raised.

[0042] 1, the tire lifter device L of the first embodiment has a substantially rectangular, flat base plate 1 at its bottom, with four casters 11... provided at the four corners of the underside of the base plate 1. Also, a foot-operated brake 12 is provided at the center of the rear side of the underside of the base plate 1. By operating this foot-operated brake 12, the position of the base plate 1 is fixed on the floor (not shown), preventing the tire lifter device L from moving freely by the casters 11....

[0043] A tire holding section 2 that holds a tire is provided above the front side of the base plate 1, and an elevation mechanism section 3 that moves the tire holding section 2 up and down is provided. Also, a cart section 5 is provided above the rear side of the base plate 1, with a workbench 4 on top where an operator can work.

[0044] The tire holding portion 2 includes a tire side support frame 21 composed of rectangular frame members 21a, 21b, and 21c assembled in an approximately U-shape when viewed from the front, and a pair of tire underside support arms 22, 22 extending forward from both ends of the lower part of the tire side support frame 21.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, this tire holding portion 2 is positioned so that the upper part of the tire side support frame 21 is tilted slightly backward, and this tire side support frame 21 and the tire underside support arm 22 are configured to support the upright tire T in a state where it is tilted slightly backward.

[0046] In addition, the above-mentioned tire underside support arm 22 is composed of a cylindrical member 22a and an axial member 22b so that the surface supporting the tire T can rotate freely, and the supported tire T can be rotated freely by the worker.

[0047] The lifting mechanism 3 includes a slide guide section 31 erected so as to extend vertically in the center of the base plate 1, a rectangular slide base section 32 that slides vertically along the slide guide section 31, an elastic support section 33 provided on the top of the slide base section 32 and providing floating support for the tire holding section 2, an electric motor 34 that imparts a rotational driving force to the slide guide section 31, and a battery section 35 that supplies power to the electric motor 34 and the like.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the slide guide section 31 has a pair of left and right guide shafts 31a, 31a extending in the vertical direction inside it, and a single screw shaft 31b extending parallel to the center between the pair of guide shafts 31a, 31a.

[0049] The pair of left and right guide shafts 31a, 31a described above are made up of cylindrical shaft members with smooth surfaces, and are configured so that a slider 36, which will be described later, can slide freely in the up and down direction. It is fixed to a fixed base portion 37 fixed to the port 1 with fixing bolts 37a, 37a, and although not shown, the upper end is fixed to a fixed member with fixing bolts.

[0050] The central screw shaft 31b is made of a screw member with a spiral thread formed on its surface, and its lower part is rotatably supported by the fixed base 37 via a bearing member 37b, and its upper part is rotatably supported by a fixed member (not shown) via a bearing member.

[0051] A driven pulley 38a that passes through a hole 1a in the base plate 1 and receives a rotational driving force from the electric motor 34 is fixed to the lower end of the screw shaft 31b.

[0052] A transmission belt 39 is wound around this driven pulley 38a and a drive pulley 38b fixed to a motor output shaft 34a protruding downward from the bottom of the electric motor 34, and the rotational driving force from the electric motor 34 is transmitted by this drive pulley 38b and the transmission belt 39.

[0053] 5, a horizontally elongated rectangular slide body 36 is disposed relative to the pair of guide shafts 31a and the single screw shaft 31b, penetrating the guide shafts 31a and the screw shaft 31b. A nut member 36a is provided inside the slide body 36, and this nut member 36a is engaged with the screw shaft 31b, so that when the screw shaft 36a rotates, the slide body 36 slides up and down (moves up and down). In other words, the nut member 36a and the screw shaft 31b constitute a so-called "slide screw mechanism."

[0054] Additionally, a box-shaped plate-like cover member 31c is disposed outside the slide guide portion 31 so as to surround the pair of guide shafts 31a, 31a and the single screw shaft 31b. By disposing the cover member 31c in this manner, it is possible to prevent the slide body 36 from being caught when it slides up and down.

[0055] The slide body 36 is fixed to the slide base portion 32 by two fixing bolts 32a, 32a extending horizontally from the slide base portion 32. Therefore, the slide base portion 32 is configured to slide up and down together with the slide body 36 along the pair of guide shafts 31a, 31a and the single screw shaft 31b.

[0056] With the slide guide portion 31 and slide base portion 32 configured in this way, the tire holding portion 2 moves up and down so as to change position in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 6. When the tire holding portion 2 is in a lowered state as shown in (a), the tire T is supported at a low position. On the other hand, when the tire holding portion 2 is in a raised state as shown in (b), the tire T is supported at a high position.

[0057] In this way, by configuring the tire holding part 2 to change its position, when removing a tire T from an automobile (not shown) placed on a lift, with this tire lifter device L, the tire holding part 2 is raised as shown in (b) to a high position, and then the wheel nuts (not shown) that secure the tire T are removed with a power tool or the like (not shown), and the tire T is removed from the automobile hub (not shown). Then, the removed tire T is moved toward the tire holding part 2, and the tire holding part 2 supports the tire T.

[0058] Then, as shown in (a), the tire holding part 2 is lowered downward to place the tire T at a low position. The tire T is then lowered from the tire holding portion 2.

[0059] On the other hand, when a new tire T is to be mounted, in the state shown in (a), the new tire T is placed on the tire holding part 2 and the tire holding part 2 is raised. Then, as shown in (b), the tire holding part 2 is raised to a higher position, and the new tire T is mounted on the hub (not shown) of the automobile at that higher position. At this time, the position of the tire holding part 2 is finely adjusted to align the stud bolts (not shown) on the hub side with the wheel holes (not shown) on the tire side, and the tire T is temporarily assembled on the hub side of the automobile, and the wheel nuts are attached using a power tool or the like. In this way, the new tire T is mounted on the automobile.

[0060] In order to finely adjust the position of the tire holding portion 2 in this way, the tire lifter device of this embodiment is provided with the elastic support portion 33 described above.

[0061] As shown by the dashed lines in Figure 1, this elastic support part 33 is constructed by forming two circular holes 32a, 32a inside the slide base part 32 extending vertically from the top surface, and inserting two insertion rods 21d, 21d provided in the center of the tire side support frame 21 of the tire holding part 2 into these two circular holes 32a, 32a in a loose fit, and incorporating two circular coil springs 33a, 33a having a predetermined length around the outer periphery of these insertion rods 21d, 21d and interposing them between the bottom surface of the tire side support frame 21 and the top surface of the slide base part 32.

[0062] By configuring the elastic support portion 33 in this manner, the worker can freely change the distance between the tire holding portion 2 and the slide base portion 32, making it easy to align the wheel hole (not shown) on the tire side with the stud bolt (not shown) on the hub side of the automobile when installing the tire T.

[0063] The electric motor 34 described above is installed in a rectangular housing with its output shaft 34a extending downward on the upper surface of the base plate 1 adjacent to the slide guide portion 3. The electric motor 34 is configured as a two-phase stepping motor, and as will be described later, the rotational speed output is controlled by S-shaped acceleration / deceleration control.

[0064] The battery unit 35 described above is composed of a battery (not shown) and a charger (not shown), and is installed as a horizontally long rectangle below the cart unit 5 described above. Because the battery is a sealed lead-acid battery, the battery unit 35 is relatively heavy. Therefore, when the tire T is supported by the tire holding unit 2, the battery unit 35 functions as a so-called counterweight, and even if the tire holding unit 2 supports the tire T at a high position, the tire T can be stably attached and detached without wobbling.

[0065] 3, a power switch 35a is provided on the side of the battery unit 35, and a DC jack 35b is provided below the power switch 35a. The battery of the battery unit 35 is configured to be charged by inserting a DC plug of an external power supply (not shown) into this DC jack (power outlet) 35b.

[0066] As mentioned above, the cart unit 5 is formed in a turret shape that is vertically long in the vertical direction and horizontally long in the left-right direction, with the workbench 4 on which the worker works provided at the top. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2 etc., it is composed of four pillars 51 extending in the vertical direction on the base plate 1, the workbench 4 supported by the upper ends of the four pillars and shaped like a flat plate with a flat top, a pull-out shelf 52 that can be pulled out rearward below the workbench 4, and a concave fixed tray 53 formed in the vertical middle position of the four pillars 51.

[0067] A ratchet wrench holder 54 with an open rear side is provided on the lower right side of the drawer shelf 52. An impact wrench holder 55 with an open top is provided on the right side of the drawer shelf, and a spray can holder 56 with an open top is provided below that. In addition, a punching plate 57 is provided on the left side of the cart section 5 so that various tools can be hung and supported.

[0068] By providing multiple holders 54, 55, 56 and plates 57 on the cart section 5 in this manner, the worker can immediately pick up the tools used in the tire removal and installation work without leaving the tire lifter device L when performing the tire removal and installation work on the tire T, thereby enabling the tire removal and installation work to be performed safely and quickly.

[0069] All four of the pillars 51 are made of frame members with a generally quarter-circular cross section and rounded exteriors. By making the exteriors of the pillars 51 out of round frame members in this way, damage to the vehicle or other object can be prevented even if the tire lifter device L accidentally moves horizontally and interferes with the vehicle or other object.

[0070] The workbench 4 described above is made up of a horizontally long flat plate member. By using such a flat plate member, a worker can easily perform disassembly, cleaning, inspection, etc. of brake device components (not shown) on the workbench 4 with the tire T removed. It is also possible to place a tablet terminal (not shown) for inspection work, power tools (not shown), etc. on the workbench 4.

[0071] A recessed nut tray 58 is provided on the top of the slide guide portion 3 located in front of the workbench 4. By providing the nut tray 58 separately from the workbench 4 in this way, the wheel nuts (not shown) and wheel bolts removed when removing and installing the tire T are not scattered around on the workbench, and there is no risk of losing these wheel nuts or wheel bolts.

[0072] The aforementioned drawer shelf 52 and the aforementioned fixed tray 53 are also configured to be able to store various tools, tire repair materials, etc. inside, and the presence of these storage areas prevents the top of the workbench 4 from becoming cluttered, while allowing the worker to quickly pick up various tools, etc. without leaving the tire lifter device L.

[0073] <Detailed structure of lift control unit, etc.> Next, the detailed structure of the lifting operation unit that operates the lifting mechanism unit 3 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a plan view of the vicinity of the work platform of the tire lifter device, and Figure 8 is a rear view of the vicinity of the work platform of the tire lifter device.

[0074] 8, grip handles 41, 42 to be held by a worker with both hands are provided on both left and right sides of the workbench 4. These grip handles 41, 42 are made up of tubular members that have a roughly teardrop-shaped cross section and extend in the front-to-rear direction, and are provided on both left and right sides of the workbench 4 so that thin end portions 41a, 42a are located on the inside in the left-to-right direction and thick circular portions 41b, 42b are located on the outside in the left-to-right direction.

[0075] In this way, since the grip handle portions 41, 42 are formed with an approximately teardrop-shaped cross section, the operator can securely grip the grip handle portions 41, 42 by placing their thumbs along the inner inclined surfaces 41c, 42c of the grip handle portions 41, 42, placing their palms on the upper arc-shaped surfaces 41e, 42e of the grip handle portions 41, 42, and gripping the outer arc-shaped surfaces 41f, 42f of the grip handle portions 41, 42 with the four fingers other than the thumb, and can use the grip handle portions 41, 42 as push handles to freely move the tire lifter device L horizontally.

[0076] Button switches 61, 62, and 63 serving as lifting / lowering operation units for operating the lifting mechanism are provided on the inner inclined surfaces 41c and 42c of the grip handle units 41 and 42. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, an open switch 61 (hereinafter referred to as "open SW") is provided on the rear side of the left grip handle unit 41, a descent switch 62 (hereinafter referred to as "descent SW") is provided on the front side of the right grip handle unit 42, and an ascent switch 63 (hereinafter referred to as "ascent SW") is provided on the rear side of the right grip handle unit.

[0077] These button switches 61, 62, 63 are all configured as mechanical round push buttons, and as shown in Fig. 8, are provided so as to protrude from the surfaces of the grip handle portions 41, 42. This allows the worker to operate the buttons 61, 62, 63 without directly looking at them. This allows the worker to safely and quickly perform the work of removing and installing the tire T without taking their eyes off the removed tire T.

[0078] However, because these button switches 61, 62, 63 protrude from the surfaces of the grip handle portions 41, 42, if a brake device part, power tool W, etc. (see the dashed line in Figure 8) placed on the workbench 4 accidentally touches the button switches 62, 63, there is a risk that the lifting mechanism portion 3 will operate unintentionally. In particular, if a brake device part, power tool W, etc. touches the lowering switch 62 or the raising switch 63 provided on the right grip handle portion 42, the position of the tire T supported by the tire holding portion 2 will suddenly change, which may compromise the safety of work such as installing and removing the tire T.

[0079] Therefore, in this embodiment, an open SW61 is separately provided to prevent the lifting mechanism 3 from operating unintentionally.

[0080] <Lift mechanism control system> Next, the control system that operates the lifting mechanism will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the control blocks of the control system for the lifting mechanism, and FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of the control system.

[0082] 9, the control block of the lifting mechanism includes a power switch 35a, an open switch 61, a raise switch 63, and a lower switch 62 as input means, and is configured to input the respective input signals to a motor control unit C. Then, calculation processing is performed based on the signals input to this motor control unit C, and a control signal is output to an electric motor 34 as output means.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 10, first, in S1, it is determined whether the power switch 35a is ON. If the power switch 35a is not ON (NO), the process goes directly to RETURN to prepare for the next control cycle. On the other hand, if the power switch 35a is ON (YES), the process goes to a standby state in S2.

[0084] In the standby state of S2, the input signals from each button switch 61, 62, 63 are read. After that, in S3, it is determined whether the open SW 61 is ON. If the open SW 61 is not ON (NO), the process goes to RETURN to prepare for the next control cycle. On the other hand, if the open SW 61 is ON (YES), the process goes to S4.

[0085] In S4, it is determined whether the up switch 63 is ON. If the up switch 63 is not ON (NO), the process proceeds to S5, and if the up switch 63 is ON (YES), the process proceeds to S6.

[0086] In S6, a control signal for motor upward rotation is output to the electric motor 34 so as to rotate the electric motor 34 in the upward direction. That is, the electric motor 34 rotates in the upward direction only when the open switch 61 is ON in S3 and the upward switch 63 is ON in S4.

[0087] On the other hand, if the up switch 63 is not ON in S4, that is, if it has not been operated, the process proceeds to S5. In S5, it is determined whether the down switch 62 is ON. If the down switch 62 is not ON (if NO), the process proceeds directly to RETURN to prepare for the next control cycle. On the other hand, if the down switch 62 is ON (if YES), the process proceeds to S7.

[0088] In S7, a control signal for motor downward rotation is output to the electric motor 34 so as to rotate the electric motor 34 in the downward direction. That is, the electric motor 34 rotates in the downward direction only when the open switch 61 is ON in S3 and the downward switch 62 is ON in S5.

[0089] In this way, in the control flow of this embodiment, when the up switch 63 is turned on, the electric motor 34 rotates in the up direction, and when the down switch 62 is turned on, the electric motor 34 rotates in the down direction, but in either case, control is performed so that no control signal is output unless the open switch 61 is turned on. In other words, unless the open switch 61 is turned on (pushed in), neither the up switch 63 nor the down switch 62 is controlled to function.

[0090] As mentioned above, this is configured in this way to solve the problem that if parts of the brake device come into contact with the lowering SW 62 or the raising SW 63 provided on the grip handle portion 42, the position of the tire T supported by the tire holding portion 2 may suddenly change, thereby compromising safety.

[0091] Furthermore, even if the control is performed in this manner, there is a possibility that for some reason, both the open switch 61 and the lowering switch 62 may be pressed (turned ON) against the intention of the operator, thereby operating the electric motor 34. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration is such that safety is ensured even in the operation of the electric motor 34.

[0092] Specifically, the rotation speed of the electric motor 34 is controlled by S-curve acceleration / deceleration control, as shown in Fig. 11. That is, in this diagram, the vertical axis represents rotation speed (velocity) and the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time after the actuation signal is input, and as shown in this diagram, the electric motor is controlled to rotate at a slow speed in the early stage of operation (0.0 s to 0.4 s), gradually accelerate to the highest speed in the middle stage of operation (0.4 s to 1.2 s), and then rotate at the highest speed in the later stage of operation (1.2 s and above).

[0093] Therefore, the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 3 is slow in the early stage of the operation of the lowering SW 62 or the raising SW 63, and is faster from the middle to the later stage of the operation.

[0094] Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if an abnormal situation occurs in which the open SW 61 and the descent SWs 62, 63 are both turned ON against the intention of the worker, the tire holding portion 2 will not suddenly rise or fall, so that work such as attaching and detaching the tire T can be performed while ensuring safety.

[0095] As described above, in this embodiment, the tire lifter device L includes the base plate 1 that can be moved horizontally by providing casters 11 at the bottom, the tire holding section 2 that is provided in front of the base plate 1 and that holds the tire T, the lifting mechanism section 3 that raises and lowers the tire holding section 2 in the vertical direction, and the workbench 4 that is provided behind the base plate 1 and on which parts of a brake device and the like can be placed. A grip handle portion 42 is provided which an operator grasps when moving the plate 1 horizontally, and the grip handle portion 42 is provided with a lowering SW 62 and an ascending SW 63 for operating the lifting mechanism portion 3, an open SW 61 is provided which allows the lowering SW 62 and the ascending SW 63 to be input, and a motor control unit C is provided which controls so that the operation of the lowering SW 62 and the ascending SW 63 is valid only while the open SW 61 is operating.

[0096] As a result, even if only the lowering SW 62 and the raising SW 63 provided on the grip handle portion 42 are operated, the lifting mechanism portion 3 will not move up or down.

[0097] Therefore, even if a part W of the brake device placed on the workbench 4 suddenly comes into contact with the lowering SW 62 or the raising SW 63, the lifting mechanism 3 will not move up and down by itself.

[0098] Therefore, the tire lifter device L is provided with a workbench 4, a grip handle portion 42 that is gripped by the worker at a side position of the workbench 4, and a lowering SW 62 and an ascent SW 63 for raising and lowering the tire, so that even if something placed on the workbench 4 suddenly comes into contact with the lowering SW 62 or the ascent SW 63, the tire holding portion 2 will not move up and down, thereby increasing the safety of work such as removing and installing the tire T.

[0099] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 3, which moves up and down in response to inputs from the lowering switch 62 and the rising switch 63, is configured to operate at an S-shaped acceleration / deceleration rate depending on the rotation speed of the electric motor .

[0100] As a result, the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 3 has an S-shaped acceleration, so that the lifting speed when lifting and lowering the tire T is slow in the early stage of the operation and fast in the middle and later stages of the operation.

[0101] Therefore, even if the lifting mechanism 3 is activated at a timing not intended by the worker, no sudden position change occurs in the early stages of lifting and lowering, so safety during the work of installing and removing the tire T is not compromised. In addition, since the position change becomes larger in the middle and later stages of lifting and lowering, the workability of the work of installing and removing the tire T is not compromised either.

[0102] Therefore, the safety of the tire lifter device L can be improved without deteriorating the workability of the tire T mounting and demounting operation.

[0103] In addition, in this embodiment, the grip handle portions 41, 42 are provided on both the left and right sides of the workbench 4, respectively, with the lowering SW 62 and the raising SW 63 provided on the right grip handle portion 42, and the opening SW 61 provided on the left grip handle portion 41.

[0104] This allows the worker to grip the left and right grip handle portions 41, 42 with both hands, respectively, and manually move the tire lifter device L in the horizontal direction. Since the left and right grip handle portions 41, 42 are provided with the lowering SW 62, the raising SW 63, and the opening SW 61, respectively, the worker can operate the lowering SW 62, the raising SW 63, and the opening SW 61 to align the lifted position of the tire holding portion 2 with the tire T while still gripping the grip handle portions 41, 42 with both hands.

[0105] Therefore, the worker can easily align the tire lifter device L horizontally to the tire T position and the tire holding portion 2 vertically while holding the grip handle portions 41, 42 on both the left and right sides with both hands.

[0106] Therefore, the worker can hold the tire lifter device L with both hands and move it horizontally and vertically. Since the positioning can be performed, the tire T can be mounted and removed more easily and quickly.

[0107] In this embodiment, the lowering SW 62 and the raising SW 63 are installed at a distance from each other on the front end side and rear end side of the grip handle portion 42.

[0108] This allows the worker to operate the raising SW 63 and the lowering SW 62 without visually checking when raising or lowering the tire holding portion 2.

[0109] Therefore, when aligning the lifting position of the tire holding portion 2 with the tire T, the worker can align it without taking his eyes off the tire T, and can perform work such as installing and removing the tire safely and quickly.

[0110] Therefore, the tire lifter device L can perform operations such as mounting and demounting the tire T more safely and quickly.

[0111] In addition, in this embodiment, a nut tray 58 is provided in addition to the workbench 4 to accommodate wheel nuts (not shown) and wheel bolts (not shown) that are removed when the tire T is removed.

[0112] This prevents the removed wheel nuts (not shown) and wheel bolts (not shown) from scattering all over the workbench 4.

[0113] Therefore, the lowering SW 62 and the raising SW 63 of the grip handle portion 42 on the side of the workbench 4 will not unexpectedly come into contact with the wheel nuts or wheel bolts.

[0114] Therefore, the wheel nuts and wheel bolts, which are always removed when the tire T is removed, can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the lowering SW 62 and the rising SW 63, thereby improving the safety of the tire T removal and installation work, etc.

[0115] (Other embodiments) Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0116] First, in the first embodiment, the open SW 61 is provided on the left-hand grip handle portion 41, but it does not necessarily have to be provided on the left-hand grip handle portion 41 and may be provided anywhere as long as it is provided in a position away from the lowering SW 62 and the raising SW 63. For example, it may be provided below the cart portion 5 or below the workbench 4.

[0117] If the open SW is provided under the cart unit 5, the worker may operate it with his / her foot instead of his / her hand. Also, if the open SW is provided under the work platform 4, the worker may operate it with his / her other hand. By providing the open SW at a position away from the lowering SW and the raising SW in this way, it is possible to eliminate the risk of the open SW, the lowering SW, or the raising SW accidentally touching parts or the like at the same time.

[0118] In addition, in embodiment 1, the power source of the lifting mechanism unit 3 is an electric type equipped with a battery unit 35, taking into consideration the ability to freely move the tire lifter device, but this is not particularly limited and may be hydraulic, air, or the like.

[0119] In addition, the contents of the above-described embodiment can be modified within the scope of the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0120] As described above, the present invention is useful in a tire lifter device equipped with a work platform that allows inspection and maintenance work around tires, such as brake devices, to be performed at the same time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] C...Motor control unit (control means) L...Tire lifter device 1...Base plate 2...Tire holding part 3...Lifting mechanism 4. Workbench 5...Truck section 34...Electric motor 41...Grip handle part 42...Grip handle 61...Open switch (input permission operation part) 62...Descent switch (lift operation part) 63...Up switch (lift operation part)

Claims

1. A tire lifter device comprising: a carriage that has casters at the bottom and can be moved horizontally; a tire holding section that is provided at the front of the carriage and holds a tire; an elevation mechanism that raises and lowers the tire holding section in the vertical direction; and a workbench that is provided at the rear of the carriage and on which parts, etc. can be placed, A gripping portion is provided at a side position of the work platform, which is gripped by an operator when moving the cart in a horizontal direction, a lifting operation unit for operating the lifting mechanism unit is provided at an inner position of the gripping unit, An input permission operation unit is provided to permit input to the lift operation unit, and a control means for controlling the operation of the lifting operation unit so that the operation of the lifting operation unit is valid only while the input permission operation unit is being operated. A tire lifter device characterized by:

2. A speed adjusting means is provided to adjust the speed so that the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism unit, which is raised and lowered in response to an input from the lifting operation unit, becomes an S-shaped acceleration.

2. The tire lifter device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The gripping portions are provided on both the left and right sides of the work table, The lifting operation unit is provided on one of the left and right gripping units, The input permission operation unit is provided on the other of the left and right gripping units.

3. The tire lifter device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The lifting operation unit is composed of an up button and a down button, The up button and the down button are installed at one end and the other end of the grip part at a distance from each other.

4. The tire lifter device according to claim 3, wherein:

5. A nut storage section is provided in addition to the work table to store wheel nuts and the like that are removed when the tire is removed.

5. The tire lifter device according to claim 1, wherein the tire lifter device comprises: a first end;

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