Method and device for monitoring the condition and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader.

Abstract

To prevent a scraping part from colliding with a ship-hold wall.SOLUTION: A method for preventing a scraping part 9 of a continuous unloader from colliding with a ship-hold wall 24 includes: a first step of optically detecting a position of the scraping part and the ship-hold wall; a second step of calculating a distance between the scraping part and the ship-hold wall based on a detection result in the first step; and a third step of issuing a warning when the distance calculated in the second step reaches a predetermined value or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for monitoring the state and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader, and particularly to a method and device for preventing the scraping part of the continuous unloader from colliding with the ship's hold wall.

Background Art

[0002] In a continuous unloader that inserts a scraping part into the hold of a ship and continuously unloads the cargo, a plurality of wire ropes extending in the longitudinal direction are installed around the bucket elevator casing, and a sensor for detecting a change in the tension of the wire rope is provided at the end of the wire rope. By bringing the wire rope into contact with the hatch edge or the like before the bucket elevator casing, it is possible to prevent the bucket elevator casing from colliding with the hatch edge or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventionally, it is only possible to prevent the bucket elevator casing from colliding with the hatch edge or the like. Therefore, it is impossible to prevent the collision of the scraping part, and a countermeasure has been awaited.

[0005] Therefore, in view of such circumstances, the present disclosure was conceived, and its object is to provide a method and device for monitoring the state and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader that can prevent the scraping part from colliding with the hold wall.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, A method for preventing the scraping section of a continuous unloader from colliding with the cargo hold wall, The first step is to optically detect the positions of the scraping section and the ship's hold wall, A second step involves calculating the distance between the scraping section and the ship's hold wall based on the detection results in the first step, A third step involves issuing a warning when the distance calculated in the second step falls below a predetermined value, A method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader is provided, characterized by the inclusion of the following features.

[0007] Preferably, in the first step, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are made to float near the scraping section, and the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall are detected by optical detectors mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0008] Preferably, in the first step, the unmanned aerial vehicle is positioned at different locations relative to the scraping unit when the scraping unit is being moved in and out of the cargo hold, and when the scraping unit is being operated for cargo handling within the cargo hold.

[0009] Preferably, when the scraping unit is operated for cargo handling within the cargo hold, at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicles is positioned within the cargo hold.

[0010] Preferably, in the first step, the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall are detected by an optical detector that is provided in the bucket elevator casing of the continuous unloader so as to be able to move up and down and circumferentially.

[0011] Preferably, a lifting frame is provided on the bucket elevator casing, the lifting frame is ring-shaped and extends around the entire circumference of the bucket elevator casing, a pan / tilt head is provided so as to be movable in the circumferential direction of the lifting frame, and the detector is attached to the pan / tilt head.

[0012] Preferably, the height of the detector is changed according to the amount of cargo in the ship's hold.

[0013] Preferably, in the first step, the positions of the scraping part and the hold wall detected are displayed on a monitor.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, An apparatus for preventing the scraping part of a continuous unloader from colliding with a hold wall, a detector for optically detecting the positions of the scraping part and the hold wall, a control device for calculating the distance between the scraping part and the hold wall based on the detection result of the detector, a warning device for issuing a warning when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined value or less, is provided, and a state monitoring and collision prevention device for a continuous unloader is characterized by including the above components.

[0015] Preferably, the state monitoring and collision prevention device includes a monitor for displaying the positions of the scraping part and the hold wall detected by the detector.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the scraping part from colliding with the hold wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic view of a continuous unloader according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the state monitoring and collision prevention device. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the unloader in a stopped state waiting on the quay wall. [Figure 4] It is a side view thereof. [Figure 5] It is a plan view showing the unloader in an operating state during cargo unloading work. [Figure 6] It is a side view thereof. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing the arrangement of the scraping part and the drone when entering and leaving the hold. [Figure 8] It is a side view thereof. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing the overall state when the scraping part is taken in and out of the ship's hold. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34A. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34B. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34C. [Figure 13] It is a plan view showing the arrangement of the scraping part and the drone during the cargo handling operation in the ship's hold. [Figure 14] It is a side view. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view showing the overall state when the scraping part is performing the cargo handling operation in the ship's hold. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34A. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34B. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing the video taken by the drone 34C. [Figure 19] It is a side view of the continuous unloader according to the second embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a bottom view when the moving device is viewed from below. [Figure 21] (A) is a front view of the pan-tilt head and the detector, and (B) is a sectional view taken along the line B - B of (A). [Figure 22] It is a side view when the scraping part is performing the cargo handling operation in the ship's hold, showing the case where there is a relatively large amount of cargo in the ship's hold. [Figure 23] It is a side view showing the case where there is a relatively small amount of cargo in the ship's hold.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0019] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a continuous unloader according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the figure, the left side is the sea side and the right side is the land side.

[0020] A pair of rails R are installed along the quay Q, and an unloader 1 is mounted on these rails R so as to be able to travel on them. The unloader 1 has a running frame 2 with wheels that can travel on the rails R, and a swivel frame 3 that is rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the running frame 2. The swivel frame 3 is rotatable around a swivel axis that extends in the vertical direction.

[0021] The base of the boom 4 and the middle section of the balancing lever 5 are rotatably attached to the slewing frame 3. The top frame 6 is also rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 4 and the tip of the balancing lever 5. These components—slewing frame 3, boom 4, balancing lever 5, and top frame 6—constitute a four-bar linkage mechanism or a parallel linkage mechanism. The slewing frame 3 and the balancing lever 5 are connected by a luffing cylinder (not shown), and the extension and retraction of the luffing cylinder causes the boom 4 and balancing lever 5 to luff, allowing the boom 4 to be lowered towards the sea or raised towards the land.

[0022] Furthermore, the pivot axes in these rotatable mounting parts extend horizontally and are arranged parallel to each other.

[0023] A bucket elevator 7 is rotatably mounted on the top frame 6. The bucket elevator 7 is rotatable around a pivot axis that extends vertically relative to the top frame 6.

[0024] The bucket elevator 7 comprises a bucket elevator casing 8 that extends vertically through the top frame 6, and a scraping section 9 located below the bucket elevator casing 8. The bucket elevator 7 is rotatable around a central axis (referred to as the casing central axis) C that extends vertically within the cylindrical bucket elevator casing 8. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the axial, radial, and circumferential directions with respect to the casing central axis C will simply be referred to as the axial, radial, and circumferential directions.

[0025] As shown in the figure, the scraping section 9 extends in a roughly L-shape radially outward from one point in the circumferential direction. For convenience, in the radial direction in which the scraping section 9 extends, the direction away from the casing central axis C is defined as forward, and the direction approaching the casing central axis C is defined as backward. The horizontal direction perpendicular to this forward / backward direction is defined as left / right. These directions of the scraping section 9 are shown in the figure.

[0026] A drive sprocket 10 is provided at the top of the bucket elevator casing 8. The scraping section 9 includes a rear sprocket 11, a front sprocket 12, a link mechanism 14 that connects the rear sprocket 11 and the front sprocket 12 to the lower end of the bucket elevator casing 8, and an extendable cylinder (not shown) for extending and retracting the scraping section 9 by changing the distance between the rear sprocket 11 and the front sprocket 12.

[0027] The bucket elevator 7 also includes an endless chain 15 wrapped around a drive sprocket 10, a rear sprocket 11, a front sprocket 12, and a guide sprocket 57, and a plurality of buckets 16 installed at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the chain. This combination of chain 15 and buckets 16 is called a bucket chain 20.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, when unloading cargo L (for example, bulk materials such as coal) from the cargo hold 18 of the ship 17 onto land, the scraping unit 9 is inserted into the cargo hold 18 through the hatch 19 and placed on top of the cargo L inside the cargo hold 18. Then the bucket elevator 7 is operated, and the bucket chain 20 is driven in a circular manner by the drive sprocket 10. As a result, the cargo L is successively scraped up by multiple buckets 16, raised inside the bucket elevator casing 8, and discharged onto a boom conveyor (not shown) provided on the boom 4. After that, the cargo is discharged onto the unloading conveyor 22 on the quay Q via a chute (not shown) on the slewing frame 2 and a transfer device 21 (see Figure 1) on the traveling frame 2, and then transported by the unloading conveyor 22 to storage facilities not shown.

[0029] During this unloading process, the front-to-back length, position in the front-to-back, left-to-right, up-to-down directions, and orientation in the circumferential direction of the scraping section 9 are optimally set. These settings, along with the operation of the unloader 1, are performed manually by an operator (driver) inside the cab 23. However, the operation of the unloader 1 may also be performed automatically.

[0030] In this embodiment, a condition monitoring and collision prevention device is provided to prevent the unloader 1 from colliding with the cargo hold wall 24 (see Figure 6) that defines the cargo hold 18. Here, the cargo hold wall 24 refers to any wall that defines the cargo hold 18, and includes not only the inner wall inside the cargo hold 18, but also the periphery of the hatch 19 which is the opening of the cargo hold 18, and the hatch cover 42 that opens and closes the hatch 19.

[0031] As shown in Figure 9, the condition monitoring and collision prevention device comprises multiple (four) wire ropes 25 installed around the bucket elevator casing 8 (radially outward) and extending in its longitudinal direction, and sensors, i.e., casing sensors 39 (see Figure 2), provided at the ends of the wire ropes 25 to detect changes in the tension of the wire ropes 25. With this setup, the wire ropes 25 make contact with the periphery of the hatch 19 or the hatch cover 42 (referred to as the hatch periphery, etc.) before the bucket elevator casing 8, and by detecting this contact with the casing sensors 39, collisions of the bucket elevator casing 8 with the hatch periphery, etc., can be prevented.

[0032] However, this alone can only prevent collisions with the hatch periphery of the bucket elevator casing 8. Therefore, it cannot prevent collisions with the scraping section 9, and countermeasures are eagerly awaited. In addition, to prevent collisions with the scraping section 9, it is necessary to separately station a monitor on board or in the control room to assist the operator.

[0033] In particular, the scraping section 9 protrudes radially outward from the bucket elevator casing 8. Therefore, the scraping section 9 is prone to colliding with the hatch periphery, especially when loading and unloading from the cargo hold 18 or during cargo handling operations within the cargo hold 18, and it is necessary to reliably prevent this.

[0034] Therefore, this embodiment provides a continuous unloader condition monitoring and collision prevention method and device that can prevent the scraping section 9 from colliding with the cargo hold wall 24.

[0035] First, the configuration of the condition monitoring and collision avoidance device of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the collision avoidance device 100 includes a detector 31 for optically detecting the positions of the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24, and a control device 32 that calculates the distance between the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 based on the detection result of the detector 31. The control device 32 includes a CPU, memory, etc.

[0036] More specifically, the condition monitoring and collision avoidance device 100 comprises the aforementioned casing sensor 39, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone 34, as a mobile device equipped with the detector 31, an operation switch 35 for operating the collision avoidance device 100, a monitor 36 for displaying the positions of the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 detected by the detector 31, a speaker 37 for sounding a warning when the distance calculated by the control device 32 falls below a predetermined value, and a warning light 38 that illuminates when the distance calculated by the control device 32 falls below a predetermined value. The speaker 37 is a warning device that emits an audible warning, and the warning light 38 is a warning device that emits a visual warning.

[0037] The casing sensor 39, detector 31, and operation switch 35 are connected to the input of the control device 32. The drone 34, monitor 36, speaker 37, and warning light 38 are connected to the output of the control device 32. The detector 31 and drone 34 are connected to the control device 32 wirelessly (or via wire). The control device 32, operation switch 35, monitor 36, and speaker 37 are installed inside the driver's cab 23.

[0038] The warning lights 38 are located outside the driver's cab 23. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, a total of four wire ropes 25 are provided via stays 25A at the four corners of the right front, left front, right rear, and left rear on the radially outer side of the bucket elevator casing 8, and a total of four warning lights 38 are provided at the lower ends of these wire ropes 25. The warning lights 38 are installed in a position visible to the operator inside the driver's cab 23, and to that extent, their installation location is not limited and they may be installed inside the driver's cab 23. The warning lights 38 can be made of, for example, light bulbs or Patlite®, or they can be made of construction LED tube lights installed along the wire ropes 25.

[0039] The detector 31 comprises at least one of a camera and a 3D sensor. The 3D sensor is preferably LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). The detector 31 allows monitoring of the unloader 1's status by detecting the positions of the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24. The drone 34 is controlled by the control device 32 and flies autonomously. The drone 34 is made to float to an optimal position according to the status of the unloader 1 so that the detector 31 can simultaneously detect the positions of both the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 from an optimal position. The drone 34 can be controlled, for example, so that the relative position between the drone 34 and the scraping unit 9 detected by the detector 31 of the drone 34 remains constant.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, multiple drones 34 equipped with detectors 31 are provided. In this embodiment, three drones 34, namely the first to third drones 34A to 34C, are provided (see Figure 5). A parking area 39 is provided in the bucket elevator casing 8, and the drones 34 are kept waiting in the parking area 39 when not in use. Note that the sizes of the drones 34 and parking area 39 shown are exaggerated, and they are actually much smaller.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, the drone 34 is connected to the parking area 39 or the bucket elevator casing 8 by a fall prevention wire rope 40 (omitted in other figures). This wire rope 40 may also serve as a power supply or communication cable. The operation switch 35 is used, for example, to instruct the drone 34 to take off or land.

[0042] Next, the state monitoring and collision prevention method of this embodiment will be described. The state monitoring and collision prevention method mainly comprises the following steps. (1) The first step is to optically detect the positions of the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24. (2) A second step in which the distance between the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 is calculated based on the detection results in the first step. (3) A third step in which a warning is issued when the distance calculated in the second step falls below a predetermined value.

[0043] Figures 3 and 4 show the unloader 1 in a stationary state waiting on the quay Q, with Figure 3 being a plan view and Figure 4 being a side view. At this time, the scraping unit 9 is located on the quay Q, and the drone 34 is waiting at the parking area 39.

[0044] Figures 5 and 6 show the unloader 1 in operation during cargo handling, with Figure 5 being a top view and Figure 6 being a side view. At this time, the scraping section 9 is inserted into the cargo hold 18. The drone 34 takes off from the parking area 39 and floats around the scraping section 9 while maintaining a predetermined relative position to the scraping section 9. At this time, the position and orientation of the drone 34 are controlled so that one detector 31 of the drone 34 can simultaneously detect or photograph both the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24. In the figures, the dashed line a indicates the detection range of the detector 31, and the arrow b indicates the center of the detection range and the direction of detection.

[0045] In the illustrated example, the detector 31 of one drone 34A photographs the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 from an oblique upward-front angle outside the cargo hold 18, while the detector 31 of another drone 34B photographs the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 from the left side towards the right-front angle inside the cargo hold 18. The detector 31 of the remaining drone 34C photographs the scraping section 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 from the right-rear angle towards the left-front angle inside the cargo hold 18.

[0046] The detection signals from each detector 31 are sent wirelessly (or via a wired connection) to the control device 3. The control device 32 creates detection information based on these detection signals. The detection information includes at least one of video information created based on the camera's detection signal and three-dimensional point cloud information created based on the 3D sensor's detection signal. Based on the detection information, the control device 32 displays the video captured by the detectors 31 on the monitor 36. At the same time, the control device 32 calculates the distance (in particular, the shortest distance) between the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 based on the detection information. This display and calculation is performed for each detector 31.

[0047] The unloader 1 can be operated while checking the position (relative position) of the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 displayed on the monitor 36, thereby assisting the operator's driving operations and indirectly preventing collisions with the scraping unit 9. In particular, the area below the ceiling wall 24A inside the cargo hold 18 is a blind spot for the operator viewing from the control room 23 above. However, images of this blind spot can be confirmed by the images from drones 34B and 34C inside the cargo hold 18. Therefore, the blind spot can be eliminated, and the operator's driving operations can be greatly assisted. Furthermore, there is no need to assign a separate monitor.

[0048] Furthermore, when the distance calculated by the control device 32 in relation to any of the detectors 31 falls below a predetermined first threshold TH1 (i.e., when the scraping unit 9 approaches the cargo hold wall 24), the control device 32 emits a warning sound from the speaker 37, displays a warning on the monitor 36, and illuminates the warning light 38 closest to the part of the scraping unit 9 where a collision is suspected. This allows the operator to anticipate a collision and take necessary measures such as stopping the movement of the scraping unit 9 or moving the scraping unit 9 away from the cargo hold wall 24. This prevents the scraping unit 9 from colliding with the cargo hold wall 24.

[0049] Furthermore, if the calculated distance becomes less than or equal to the first threshold TH2, which is smaller than the first threshold TH1 (i.e., if the scraping unit 9 approaches the cargo hold wall 24), the control device 32 sends a forced stop signal to the main control device of the unloader 1, forcing the unloader 1 to stop. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent collisions with the scraping unit 9.

[0050] Incidentally, collisions with the scraping unit 9 are more likely to occur when the scraping unit 9 is being moved in and out of the cargo hold 18, and when the scraping unit 9 is being operated for cargo handling within the cargo hold 18. Therefore, in this embodiment, the drone 34 is positioned at different locations relative to the scraping unit 9 in the former case and the latter case, so that optimal detection information can be obtained in both cases. This point will be explained below.

[0051] Figures 7 to 12 show the process of inserting and removing the scraping section 9 into the cargo hold 18. Figures 7 and 8 show the arrangement of the scraping section 9 and drone 34 immediately before insertion; Figure 7 is a plan view and Figure 8 is a side view. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the overall situation at this time. Figures 10 to 12 show images captured by the detectors 31 of drones 34A to 34C, respectively.

[0052] Figures 9 to 12 show the process of inserting the construction machinery (heavy equipment) 41, which is suspended and supported from the bucket elevator casing 8, into the cargo hold 18 along with the scraping section 9. However, the process is the same when inserting the scraping section 9 alone, and Figures 7 and 8 show this process.

[0053] Reference numeral 42 indicates a pair of sliding hatch covers that open and close the hatch 19. These hatch covers 42 are slidable in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vessel 17. The figure shows the hatch covers 42 in the open position.

[0054] In the diagram, the scraping section 9 is positioned slightly higher than the hatch cover 42. The front-to-back direction of the scraping section 9 is parallel to the width direction of the vessel 17, and the front of the scraping section 9 is directed towards the left side (one side of the left or right) of the vessel 17.

[0055] The detector 31 of the drone 34A photographs the scraping section 9 from the front, above the hatch cover 42, at approximately the same height as the front sprocket 12. As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, the front edge 19A and rear edge 19B of the hatch 19 in the ship's longitudinal direction, and the right edge 19C of the hatch 19 in the ship's width direction are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated. As mentioned above, the front edge 19A, rear edge 19B, and right edge 19C of the hatch 19 also constitute the cargo hold wall 24.

[0056] The detector 31 of another drone 34B photographs the scraping section 9 from the left side, at approximately the same height and fore-aft position as the aft sprocket 11, aft of the rear edge 19B of the hatch 19 in the ship's longitudinal direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 11, the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, and the front edge 19A, rear edge 19B, right edge 19C, and left edge 19D of the hatch 19 are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated.

[0057] The detector 31 of the remaining drone 34C photographs the scraping section 9 from the right side, at approximately the same height and fore-aft position as the aft sprocket 11, forward of the front edge 19A of the hatch 19 in the ship's longitudinal direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, and the front edge 19A, aft edge 19B, right edge 19C, and left edge 19D of the hatch 19 are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated.

[0058] In this way, the scraping section 9 can be photographed from an optimal position during insertion and removal, thus reliably preventing collisions of the scraping section 9. Furthermore, if the distance based on the detection result of any of the detectors 31 falls below the first threshold TH1, the warning light 38 closest to the part of the scraping section 9 where a collision is suspected will illuminate, and a warning will be issued from the speaker 37 and monitor 36.

[0059] Drones 34A to 34C are raised and lowered to match the height of the scraping section 9, which moves up and down during loading and unloading. When the scraping section 9 is inserted into the cargo hold 18, the arrangement of drones 34A to 34C gradually shifts from the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 9 to the arrangement shown in Figures 13 to 15.

[0060] Next, Figures 13 to 18 show the scraping unit 9 in operation during cargo handling within the cargo hold 18. Figures 13 and 14 show the arrangement of the scraping unit 9 and drones 34 during cargo handling, with Figure 13 being a plan view and Figure 14 being a side view. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the overall situation at this time. Figures 16 to 18 show images captured by the detectors 31 of drones 34A to 34C, respectively.

[0061] The scraping section 9 is located inside the cargo hold 18. The front-to-back direction of the scraping section 9 is parallel to the width direction of the vessel 17, and the front of the scraping section 9 is directed towards the left side of the vessel 17. The front end of the scraping section 9 is located on the underside of the hatch cover 42 and the ceiling wall 24A, and is in a blind spot when viewed from the driver's cab 23 above. Therefore, the blind spot is eliminated by arranging the drones 34B and 34C as shown below.

[0062] The detector 31 of the drone 34A photographs the scraping section 9 from a position above the scraping section 9 and the hatch cover 42, moving diagonally from the upper left front to the lower right rear. As a result, as shown in Figure 16, the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, and the front edge 19A, right edge 19C, and left edge 19D of the hatch 19 are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated.

[0063] The detector 31 of another drone 34B photographs the scraping section 9 from the rear left to the front right, at approximately the same height as the scraping section 9 inside the cargo hold 18. As a result, as shown in Figure 17, the scraping section 9 and the ceiling wall 24A and front wall 24B of the cargo hold 18 are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated.

[0064] The detector 31 of the remaining drone 34C is positioned at approximately the same height as the scraping section 9 inside the cargo hold 18, and photographs the scraping section 9 from the rear right diagonally to the front left diagonally. As a result, as shown in Figure 18, the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, the ceiling wall 24A, the front wall 24B, and the rear wall 24C of the cargo hold 18, and the front edge 19A, rear edge 19B, and left edge 19D of the hatch 19 are photographed simultaneously. Therefore, the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24 can be suitably calculated.

[0065] In this way, the scraping unit 9 can be photographed from an optimal position during cargo handling operations, thus reliably preventing collisions with the scraping unit 9. In particular, the blind spot on the lower rear side of the ceiling wall 24A can be virtually eliminated, thus reliably preventing collisions in blind spot locations. Furthermore, since the detectors 31 of multiple drones 34 can be used to photograph the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 from various positions and angles, their proximity can be monitored from multiple angles, which is extremely advantageous for collision prevention.

[0066] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Parts identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures and their descriptions are omitted. The following description will primarily focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0067] Figure 19 shows the unloader 1 of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the detector 31 of the collision prevention device 100 is mounted on the bucket elevator casing 8 so as to be able to move up and down and move in the circumferential direction.

[0068] More specifically, a lifting frame 50 is provided on the bucket elevator casing 8 so as to be able to move up and down. The lifting frame 50 is a circular ring shape that extends around the entire circumference of the bucket elevator casing 8, is fitted to the outside of the bucket elevator casing 8, and is movable along the longitudinal direction of the bucket elevator casing 8. The height position h of the lifting frame 50 can be lowered to a position h1 near the guide sprocket 57 located at the upper end of the scraping section 9. A pan / tilt head 51 is provided on the lifting frame 50 so as to be able to move in its circumferential direction. A detector 31 is attached to the pan / tilt head 51. This makes the detector 31 able to rotate relative to the lifting frame 50.

[0069] The lifting frame 50 is raised and lowered by the winding up and down of multiple (two) winches 52 fixed to the bucket elevator casing 8. The lifting frame 50, the pan / tilt head 51, and the winches 52 constitute a moving device 53 for moving the detector 31. This moving device 53 moves the detector 31 in place of the drone 34 of the first embodiment.

[0070] Figures 20 and 21 show details of the moving device 53. Figure 20 is a view of the moving device 53 from below. Figure 21(A) is a front view of the pan / tilt head 51 and detector 31, and Figure 21(B) is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 21(A).

[0071] A T-shaped rail 54 is installed on the underside of the lifting frame 50, extending around its entire circumference. Multiple (four) pan / tilt heads 51, namely the 1st to 4th pan / tilt heads 51A to 51D, are mounted on this rail 54 so as to be able to move along it. The four pan / tilt heads 51 are connected by connecting stays 55 so as to be maintained at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each pan / tilt head 51 is rotatably equipped with a total of six wheels 56: three in the circumferential direction and two in the radial direction. These six wheels 56 are seated on the upper surface of the horizontal section 54A of the rail 54, and the four pan / tilt heads 51 move along the rail 54 simultaneously. As shown in Figure 21(A), of the three sets of wheels 56 arranged in the circumferential direction, the central set is a drive wheel driven by a motor, and the two sets at both ends are driven wheels.

[0072] Although not shown in the diagram, the tripod head 51 has a fixed side portion that is attached to the rail 54 and a movable side portion that is rotatably attached to the fixed side portion, and the detector 31 is attached to this movable side portion. The detector 31 is attached to the radially outer side surface of the fixed side portion, facing radially outward.

[0073] The control device 32 controls the height position of the lifting frame 50 by controlling the winch 52, thereby controlling the height position of the detector 31. The control device 32 also controls the circumferential position of the pan / tilt head 51 by controlling a motor (not shown), thereby controlling the circumferential position of the detector 31. Furthermore, the control device 32 controls the angle of the movable part relative to the fixed part by controlling a motor (not shown), thereby controlling the orientation of the detector 31.

[0074] Figures 22 and 23 show side views of the scraping unit 9 operating in cargo handling operations within the cargo hold 18. Figure 22 shows the case where the cargo L in the cargo hold 18 is relatively large, and Figure 23 shows the case where the cargo L is relatively small.

[0075] In the illustrated example, similar to the examples in Figures 13 and 14, the scraping section 9 is located inside the cargo hold 18, the front-to-back direction of the scraping section 9 is parallel to the width direction of the vessel 17, and the front of the scraping section 9 is directed towards the left side of the vessel 17. The front end of the scraping section 9 is located in a blind spot, which is the lower rear side of the ceiling wall 24A.

[0076] The height and circumferential position and orientation of the detector 31 are optimally adjusted or controlled according to the position, attitude, and orientation of the scraping unit 9. In particular, the height and circumferential position and orientation of the detector 31 are controlled so that the scraping unit 9 and the nearby cargo hold wall 24 can be photographed in the best possible way.

[0077] For example, the initial circumferential position of the detector 31 is set to the front, rear, left, and right positions of the scraping section 9, and the circumferential position of the detector 31 is adjusted as appropriate from this position according to the position, posture, and orientation of the scraping section 9.

[0078] Furthermore, the height of the detector 31 is changed according to the amount of cargo L in the cargo hold 18.

[0079] As shown in the example in Figure 22, when the cargo L in the cargo hold 18 is relatively large, the relative height of the scraping unit 9 relative to the ship 17 becomes high, making it impossible to place the pan / tilt head 51 and detector 31 inside the cargo hold 18. Therefore, in this case, the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 are photographed from above the hatch 19 outside the cargo hold 18.

[0080] In the illustrated example, the front end of the scraping section 9 is working beneath the ceiling wall 24A. Therefore, the detector 31 of the pan / tilt head 51A, located in front, photographs the scraping section 9, the hatch cover 42, and the left edge 19D from diagonally upwards to the rear and diagonally downwards to the front, from a position above the scraping section 9 and the hatch cover 42. This allows for a suitable calculation of the distance between the scraping section 9 and the surrounding cargo hold wall 24.

[0081] Similarly, the detectors 31 of the other three pan / tilt heads 51B to 51D take images from the radially inward direction, diagonally downward towards the radially outward direction. The height of the lifting frame 50 is set relatively low so that the detector 31 of the front pan / tilt head 51A is appropriately close to the hatch cover 42 and the left edge 19D.

[0082] On the other hand, as shown in the example in Figure 23, when the amount of cargo L in the cargo hold 18 is relatively small, the relative height position of the scraping unit 9 relative to the ship 17 becomes lower. In this case, the pan / tilt head 51 and the detector 31 are placed inside the cargo hold 18, and the scraping unit 9 and the cargo hold wall 24 are photographed from inside the cargo hold 18.

[0083] The area where collision of the scraping section 9 is most likely is near the left edge 19D of the hatch 19, and it is preferable to know its position. Therefore, in this embodiment, the detector 31 of the front pan / tilt head 51A photographs the area in question from diagonally downward and rearward towards diagonally upward. This allows for a suitable determination of the position of the area.

[0084] Similarly, the detectors 31 of the other three pan / tilt heads 51B to 51D take images from the radially inward direction, diagonally upward toward the radially outward direction. This makes it possible to suitably determine the positions of parts close to the front edge 19A, rear edge 19B, and right edge 19C of the hatch 19.

[0085] The height of the lifting frame 50 is set to a relatively high position, higher than in the example in Figure 22, so that the detector 31 of the front pan / tilt head 51A is appropriately close to the aforementioned part.

[0086] Furthermore, if the detector 31 is equipped with LiDAR, the position of the scraping section 9 can be detected even when the detector 31 is angled upwards in this manner.

[0087] As described above, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, collision of the scraping section 9 with the cargo hold wall 24 can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, the need for a supervisor, which was conventionally required to prevent collisions of the scraping section 9, can be eliminated.

[0088] Furthermore, various other embodiments and modifications of this disclosure are conceivable. For example, in the first embodiment, the number of drones 34 may be changed, and in the second embodiment, the number of pan / tilt heads 51 may be changed. Also, when the unloader 1 is operated automatically, the calculated distance information may be used to correct the path of the unloader 1.

[0089] The configurations of each embodiment and each variation described above can be combined in part or in whole, as long as there is no particular contradiction. The embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, but include any variations, applications, and equivalents that are encompassed within the spirit of this disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, this disclosure should not be constrained and may be applied to any other art that falls within the scope of the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1 Continuous Unloader 8 Bucket elevator casing 9 Scraping part 18 Ship's hold 24. Cargo wall 31 detectors 32 Control device 34 Drones 36 monitors 37 speakers 38 Warning light 50 Lifting Frame 51 Pan head 100 Anti-collision device

Claims

1. A method for preventing the scraping section of a continuous unloader from colliding with the cargo hold wall, The first step is to optically detect the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall, A second step involves calculating the distance between the scraping section and the ship's hold wall based on the detection results in the first step, A third step involves issuing a warning when the distance calculated in the second step falls below a predetermined value, A method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader, characterized by comprising the following features.

2. In the first step, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are made to float near the scraping section, and the positions of the scraping section and the ship's hold wall are detected by optical detectors mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicles. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 1.

3. In the first step, the unmanned aerial vehicle is positioned in different locations relative to the scraping unit when the scraping unit is being moved in and out of the cargo hold, and when the scraping unit is being operated for cargo handling within the cargo hold. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 2.

4. When the scraping unit is operated for cargo handling within the cargo hold, at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicles is positioned within the cargo hold. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 2.

5. In the first step, the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall are detected by an optical detector that is mounted on the bucket elevator casing of the continuous unloader so as to be able to move up and down and circumferentially. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 1.

6. A lifting frame is provided on the bucket elevator casing, the lifting frame is ring-shaped and extends around the entire circumference of the bucket elevator casing, a pan / tilt head is provided so as to be movable in the circumferential direction of the lifting frame, and the detector is attached to the pan / tilt head. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 5.

7. The height of the detector is changed according to the amount of cargo in the ship's hold. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 5.

8. In the first step, the positions of the detected scraping section and the cargo hold wall are displayed on the monitor. The method for monitoring the status and preventing collisions of a continuous unloader according to claim 1.

9. A device for preventing the scraping section of a continuous unloader from colliding with the ship's hold wall, A detector for optically detecting the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall, A control device that calculates the distance between the scraping section and the ship's hold wall based on the detection results of the detector, A warning device that issues a warning when the calculated distance falls below a predetermined value, A continuous unloader status monitoring and collision avoidance device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

10. The system includes a monitor that displays the positions of the scraping section and the cargo hold wall as detected by the detector. The status monitoring and collision avoidance device for a continuous unloader according to claim 9.

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