Method for loading / unloading pallet cargo

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a method for loading / unloading pallet cargo, whereby pallet cargo can be loaded onto or unloaded from a vehicle cargo bed without modifying the vehicle. [Solution] First, a second slip sheet 3 is laid on a first slip sheet 2 placed on the upper surface of an automatic loader 1, and a plurality of pieces of pallet cargo 4 are disposed on the second slip sheet 3 (step A). Then, the first slip sheet 2 is pushed forward by the automatic loader 1 to collectively load the second slip sheet 3 and the plurality of pieces of pallet cargo 4 onto a cargo bed 5a of a vehicle 5 such as a truck (step B). Then, a partition bar 6 is lowered, and only the first slip sheet 2 is pulled out by the automatic loader 1 while regulating the movement of the second slip sheet 3 and the plurality of pieces of pallet cargo 4 by means of the partition bar 6 (step C).

Description

Palletized loading / unloading methods

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for loading / unloading palletized goods (products) placed on a pallet, and more particularly to a method for loading / unloading palletized goods that enables automatic loading and unloading of palletized goods onto a vehicle bed without modifying the vehicle itself.

[0002] Conventionally, a technology has been proposed that facilitates both loading and unloading of palletized packages onto the bed of a vehicle such as a truck by installing a conveyor on the bed of the vehicle (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] Yamaguchi Motor Co., Ltd. Engineer Blog “Logistics Efficiency and Safety Palette Roller" [online], [Retrieved November 7, 2020], Internet <URL; https: / / yamaguchi-motor.thick.jp / blog / %E3%83%91%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83% A9%E3%83%BC%E6%96%B0%E8%A6%8F%E6%9E%B6%E8%A3%85%E4%BD%9C%E6%A5%AD%E2%9 8%86bp%E3%83%86%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8B%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3 / 〉

[0004] However, modifying the vehicle in this way requires a significant amount of modification costs, which increases costs. Furthermore, if the vehicle is a rented vehicle, modification is difficult. Therefore, there is a need for technology that allows for automatic loading and unloading of palletized goods onto and from the vehicle bed without modifying the vehicle itself.

[0005] In recent years, systems and equipment have been developed that enable the automatic loading of palletized packages onto the loading platform of a vehicle, as well as systems and equipment that enable the automatic unloading of palletized packages that have been loaded onto the loading platform of a vehicle.

[0006] In this case, palletized packages are loaded onto the vehicle bed using an automatic loader as follows: First, multiple palletized packages are placed on a slip sheet placed on top of the automatic loader, and the automatic loader pushes out the slip sheet, loading the multiple palletized packages into the vehicle bed all at once. Next, the automatic loader pulls out only the slip sheet while restricting the movement of the multiple palletized packages with a partition bar. This completes the loading of multiple palletized packages into the vehicle bed. However, when using such an automatic loader for unloading, it is necessary to insert a slip sheet under the multiple palletized packages in the vehicle bed, which may damage the pallets and the load (products).

[0007] Furthermore, palletized packages loaded onto a vehicle bed are unloaded using an automatic unloading machine as follows: First, when loading palletized packages onto the vehicle bed, a rubber slip sheet is laid inside the vehicle bed in advance, and multiple palletized packages are placed on the rubber slip sheet. Then, when unloading the multiple palletized packages from the vehicle bed, a retraction bar attached to the rear end of the rubber slip sheet is hooked onto a retraction hook of the automatic unloading machine, and the rubber slip sheet is pulled out all at once by the automatic unloading machine. This completes the bulk unloading of multiple palletized packages from the vehicle bed. However, the process of laying a rubber slip sheet inside the vehicle bed in advance and placing multiple palletized packages on the rubber slip sheet (loading process) when loading palletized packages onto the vehicle bed has not been automated.

[0008] As described above, currently, no mechanisms or equipment have been developed that can automate both the loading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed and the unloading of palletized packages from a vehicle bed.

[0009] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research to develop a system and equipment that can automate both the loading and unloading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed. As a result, they have discovered that by adding a little ingenuity to the loading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed, it is possible to automate both the loading and unloading of palletized packages, which has led to the completion of the present invention.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a method for loading / unloading palletized packages that enables both loading and unloading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed automatically without modifying the vehicle.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to the present invention is characterized by comprising, in this order: (1) a step A of laying a second slip sheet on top of a first slip sheet placed on the top surface of an automatic loader and arranging multiple palletized packages on the second slip sheet; a step B of pushing out the first slip sheet with the automatic loader to load the second slip sheet and the multiple palletized packages together onto a vehicle loading platform; and a step C of pulling out only the first slip sheet with the automatic loader while restricting the movement of the second slip sheet and the multiple palletized packages with a partition bar.

[0012] The above-described configuration (1) of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages of the present invention provides the following advantageous effects. Specifically, according to the above-described configuration (1), when palletized packages are automatically loaded onto a vehicle bed (steps B and C), a second slip sheet is laid inside the vehicle bed, and multiple palletized packages can be arranged on the second slip sheet. Then, as described below, by using an automatic unloading machine to pull the second slip sheet out of the vehicle bed (step E), the multiple palletized packages loaded onto the vehicle bed can be automatically unloaded all at once. Therefore, the above-described configuration (1) provides a method for loading / unloading palletized packages that allows both loading and unloading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed automatically, without modifying the vehicle.

[0013] In the above-mentioned configuration (1) of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages of the present invention, it is preferable to configure it as in the following (2) to (9).

[0014] (2) The configuration of (1) above further includes, after the step A and before the step B, a step D of docking the automatic loader to the vehicle bed in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed.

[0015] According to the preferred configuration of (2) above, there is no step or gap between the automatic loader and the vehicle bed, so the second slip sheet and multiple pallet packages can be loaded smoothly onto the vehicle bed.

[0016] (3) In the configuration of (1) above, after the step C, the method further includes a step E of pulling the second slip sheet from the vehicle bed with an automatic unloading machine.

[0017] According to the preferred configuration of (3) above, it is possible to automatically unload a plurality of pallet packages loaded onto the vehicle loading platform all at once.

[0018] (4) In the configuration of (3) above, after the step C and before the step E, the method further includes a step F of docking the automatic unloading machine to the vehicle bed in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed.

[0019] According to the preferred configuration of (4) above, there are no steps or gaps between the automatic unloading machine and the vehicle loading platform, making it possible to smoothly unload multiple palletized packages loaded onto the vehicle loading platform all at once.

[0020] (5) In the configuration of (4) above, after step F and before step E, the method further includes step G of hooking a retraction bar attached to the rear end of the second slip sheet onto a retraction hook of the automatic unloading machine.

[0021] According to the preferred configuration of (5) above, the second slipsheet can be pulled from the vehicle bed in one go by the automatic unloading machine with a uniform pulling force acting on the entire trailing edge of the second slipsheet, thereby preventing the multiple pallet packages placed on the second slipsheet from shifting positions when the second slipsheet is pulled from the vehicle bed by the automatic unloading machine during unloading (Step E).

[0022] (6) In the above configuration (1), the first slip sheet is made of a durable material.

[0023] Examples of durable materials include iron materials, hardened plastic materials, etc. According to the preferred configuration of (6) above, the first slip sheet becomes nearly rigid, so that the first slip sheet on which multiple heavy pallet packages are placed can be easily pushed onto the vehicle bed by an automatic loader.

[0024] (7) In the above configuration (1), the second slip sheet is made of a flexible material.

[0025] Examples of flexible materials include natural rubber, silicone rubber, and bellows-shaped metals (nickel, stainless steel). According to the preferred configuration (7), the rear end of the second slip sheet can be folded or rolled up and stored in the vehicle bed during transport on a pallet. The second slip sheet does not need to be nearly as rigid as the first slip sheet, since it is simply pulled out of the vehicle bed by an automatic unloading machine during unloading.

[0026] (8) In the configuration of (1) above, the upper surface of the first slip sheet and the lower surface of the second slip sheet each have a smooth surface with a relatively small coefficient of friction.

[0027] According to the preferred configuration of (8) above, when the automatic loader pulls out only the first slip sheet (step C) while restricting the movement of the second slip sheet and the multiple pallet packages with the partition bar, the first slip sheet can be pulled out smoothly.

[0028] (9) In the above configuration (1), the second slip sheet has a rough surface on the upper surface that has a higher coefficient of friction than the lower surface.

[0029] According to the preferred configuration of (9) above, when the second slip sheet is pulled out of the vehicle bed by an automatic unloading machine during unloading (step E), it is possible to prevent the position of the multiple pallet packages placed on the second slip sheet from shifting.

[0030] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for loading / unloading palletized packages that enables both loading and unloading of palletized packages onto a vehicle bed automatically without modifying the vehicle.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating step A of a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a second slip sheet is laid on top of a first slip sheet placed on the top surface of an automatic loader and multiple palletized packages are placed on the second slip sheet. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating step B of a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which the automatic loader pushes out the first slip sheet to load the second slip sheet and multiple palletized packages together onto a vehicle bed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating step C of a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which the automatic loader pulls out only the first slip sheet while restricting the movement of the second slip sheet and multiple palletized packages with a partition bar. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a second slip sheet is laid in the vehicle bed and multiple palletized packages are placed on the second slip sheet. Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating step F of docking an automatic unloader to a vehicle bed by adjusting the height of the vehicle bed in a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating step G of hooking a retraction bar attached to the rear end of the second slipsheet onto a retraction hook of the automatic unloader in a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating step E of pulling the second slipsheet from the vehicle bed with the automatic unloader in a method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a front view illustrating the properties of each surface of the first and second slipsheets, which are equipment used in the method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention will be described in more detail below using preferred embodiments, but the following embodiments are merely examples of realizing the present invention and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0033] (Explanation of Equipment, etc.) First, the equipment, etc. used in the method for loading / unloading palletized packages in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, 6, and 8. FIG.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating step A of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages in this embodiment, in which a second slip sheet is laid on top of a first slip sheet placed on the top surface of an automatic loader, and multiple palletized packages are arranged on the second slip sheet. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating step B of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages, in which the automatic loader pushes out the first slip sheet to load the second slip sheet and multiple palletized packages together onto a vehicle bed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating step B of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages, in which the second slip sheet and multiple palletized packages are moved together while a partition bar is used to restrict movement of the second slip sheet and multiple palletized packages. Figure 5 is an oblique view illustrating step C of pulling out only the first slip sheet with an automatic loading machine; Figure 6 is an oblique view illustrating step F of the method of loading / unloading pallet-style packages, in which the automatic unloading machine is docked to the vehicle bed to match the height of the vehicle bed; Figure 6 is an oblique view illustrating step G of the method of loading / unloading pallet-style packages, in which the retraction bar attached to the rear end of the second slip sheet is hooked onto the retraction hook of the automatic unloading machine; and Figure 8 is a front view illustrating the properties of each surface of the first and second slip sheets, which are equipment used in the method of loading / unloading pallet-style packages.

[0035] 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes an automatic loader. A first rectangular slip sheet 2 is placed on the rectangular upper surface of the automatic loader 1, and the first slip sheet 2 can be moved back and forth by operating the automatic loader 1 (arrow A (push-out) in FIG. 2 and arrow B (pull-out) in FIG. 3). Note that although specific mechanisms are not shown, the automatic loader 1 can move forward, backward, up and down, change direction, etc. Here, the first slip sheet 2 is made of a durable material. Examples of durable materials include iron and hardened plastic.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, when palletized packages 4 are automatically loaded onto the loading platform 5a of a vehicle 5 such as a truck, a rectangular second slip sheet 3 is laid on top of a first slip sheet 2, and multiple palletized packages 4 are placed on the second slip sheet 3. Here, the palletized package 4 refers to a pallet on which cargo (products) are placed (see Figure 8). The second slip sheet 3 is made of a flexible material. Examples of flexible materials include natural rubber, silicone rubber, and bellows-shaped metal (nickel, stainless steel).

[0037] 2 and 3, automatic loader 1 is provided at its front end with a partition bar 6 that can move up and down (see dashed arrow C in FIG. 3 and dashed arrow D in FIG. 4). By lowering partition bar 6 (see dashed arrow C in FIG. 3), automatic loader 1 can pull out only first slip sheet 2 while partition bar 6 restricts the movement of second slip sheet 3 and multiple pallet packages 4 (see FIG. 3).

[0038] In Figures 5 and 6, reference numeral 7 denotes an automatic unloader. A pair of left and right rails 8a, 8b extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed on the rectangular upper surface of the automatic unloader 7. A pair of left and right retracting hooks 9a, 9b (Figure 6) are slidably mounted on the pair of left and right rails 8a, 8b. The pair of left and right retracting hooks 9a, 9b can slide forward and backward by operating the automatic unloader 7. Note that for simplicity of illustration, the pair of left and right rails 8a, 8b are depicted as having convex strips in Figures 5 and 6, but in reality, they have concave strips. The retracting hooks 9a, 9b can slide within the concave strips. Although specific mechanisms are not shown, the automatic unloader 7 can also move forward, backward, up and down, and change direction, just like the automatic loader 1.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, a retracting bar 11 is attached to the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 via a wire connecting part 10. More specifically, a plurality of small holes are drilled at equal intervals in the left-right direction in the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 and in the retracting bar 11. A single wire is passed alternately through the small holes in the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 and the small holes in the retracting bar 11 and is tied at both the left and right ends, thereby attaching the retracting bar 11 to the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 via the wire connecting part 10.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8, the upper surface of the first slip sheet 2 and the lower surface of the second slip sheet 3 each have a smooth surface with a relatively low coefficient of friction. The upper surface of the second slip sheet 3 has a rough surface with a higher coefficient of friction than the lower surface.

[0041] (Loading / Unloading Method of Palletized Package) Next, a loading / unloading method of palletized package in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7. FIG.

[0042] Figure 4 is an oblique view showing a state in which a second slip sheet is laid inside the vehicle loading platform and multiple pallet packages are placed on the second slip sheet, and Figure 7 is an oblique view illustrating step E of the pallet package loading / unloading method in this embodiment, in which the second slip sheet is pulled out of the vehicle loading platform by an automatic unloading machine.

[0043] First, as shown in Figure 1, a second slip sheet 3 is laid on a first slip sheet 2 placed on the top surface of an automatic loader 1, and a plurality of palletized packages 4 are placed on the second slip sheet 3 (Step A). ​​Here, the plurality of palletized packages 4 are arranged in a horizontal alignment. In the example of Figure 1, they are arranged in four rows and two columns.

[0044] Next, as shown in Figure 2, the automatic loader 1 pushes the first slip sheet 2 forward (see arrow A in Figure 2), and the second slip sheet 3 and the multiple pallet packages 4 are loaded together onto the loading platform 5a of a vehicle 5 such as a truck (step B). In this case, the first slip sheet 2 is made of a durable material such as iron or hardened plastic, and is nearly rigid, so that the first slip sheet 2 on which the multiple heavy pallet packages 4 are placed can be easily pushed onto the loading platform 5a of the vehicle 5 by the automatic loader 1.

[0045] 2 and 3, the partition bar 6 is lowered (see the dashed arrow C in FIG. 3), and while the partition bar 6 restricts the movement of the second slip sheet 3 and the multiple pallet packages 4, the automatic loader 1 pulls out only the first slip sheet 2 (step C). In this case, since the upper surface of the first slip sheet 2 and the lower surface of the second slip sheet 3 each have a smooth surface with a relatively small coefficient of friction, it is possible to smoothly pull out only the first slip sheet 2.

[0046] The above-described configuration of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to this embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. Specifically, with this configuration, when palletized packages 4 are automatically loaded onto the platform 5a of a vehicle 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "vehicle platform") (steps B and C), a second slip sheet 3 is laid within the platform 5a, and multiple palletized packages 4 can be arranged on the second slip sheet 3 (see FIG. 4). Then, as described below, by using an automatic unloader 7 to pull the second slip sheet 3 from the platform 5a (step E, described below), multiple palletized packages 4 loaded onto the platform 5a can be automatically unloaded all at once. Therefore, with this configuration, a method for loading / unloading palletized packages can be provided that allows both loading and unloading of palletized packages 4 onto the platform 5a automatically, without modifying the vehicle 5.

[0047] In the configuration of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages, after step A and before step B, it is preferable to dock the automatic loader 1 to the rear end of the vehicle bed 5a in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed 5a (step D), as shown in Figure 2. With this preferred configuration, no step or gap is created between the upper surface of the automatic loader 1 and the rear end of the vehicle bed 5a, making it possible to smoothly load the second slip sheet 3 and the multiple palletized packages 4 onto the vehicle bed 5a.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the second slip sheet 3 and multiple palletized packages 4 are loaded onto a vehicle loading platform 5a, and then transported to the destination by the vehicle 5. Here, the second slip sheet 3 is formed from a flexible material such as natural rubber, silicone rubber, or a metal (nickel, stainless steel) with a bellows structure, so that when the palletized packages 4 are transported by the vehicle 5, the rear end portion of the second slip sheet 3 can be folded or rolled up and stored in the vehicle loading platform 5a.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, when the vehicle 5 loaded with the second slip sheet 3 and multiple palletized packages 4 arrives at its destination, the automatic unloader 7 pulls the second slip sheet 3 rearward from the vehicle bed 5a (step E). This configuration makes it possible to automatically unload multiple palletized packages 4 loaded on the vehicle bed 5a all at once. In this case, since the second slip sheet 3 has a rough surface on the upper surface with a higher coefficient of friction than the lower surface, it is possible to prevent the multiple palletized packages 4 placed on the second slip sheet 3 from shifting positions when the automatic unloader 7 pulls the second slip sheet 3 from the vehicle bed 5a during unloading (step E).

[0050] In the configuration of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages, it is preferable that after step C and before step E, the automatic unloader 7 is docked at the rear end of the vehicle bed 5a in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed 5a (step F), as shown in Figure 5. With this preferable configuration, there is no step or gap between the upper surface of the automatic unloader 7 and the rear end of the vehicle bed 5a, making it possible to smoothly unload multiple palletized packages 4 loaded onto the vehicle bed 5a all at once.

[0051] Furthermore, in the configuration of the method for loading / unloading palletized packages, it is preferable to hook the retraction bar 11 attached to the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 onto the retraction hooks 9a, 9b of the automatic unloader 7 after step F and before step E (step G). In this case, the retraction bar 11 is attached to the rear end of the second slip sheet 3 via the wire connection 10 configured as shown in Figure 6, so that the automatic unloader 7 can pull the second slip sheet 3 from the vehicle bed 5a in one go with an equal pulling force acting on the entire rear end of the second slip sheet 3. This also makes it possible to prevent the multiple palletized packages 4 arranged on the second slip sheet 3 from shifting positions when the automatic unloader 7 pulls the second slip sheet 3 from the vehicle bed 5a during unloading (step E).

[0052] This completes the automatic loading and unloading of the palletized packages 4 onto and from the vehicle loading platform 5a.

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Automatic loader 2 First slip sheet 3 Second slip sheet 4 Pallet packing 5 Vehicle 5a Loading platform 6 Partition bar 7 Automatic unloader 8a, 8b Rails 9a, 9b Pull-in hook 10 Wire connection part 11 Pull-in bar

Claims

1. A method for loading / unloading palletized packages, comprising, in this order: step A: laying a second slip sheet on top of a first slip sheet placed on top of an automatic loader, and arranging multiple palletized packages on the second slip sheet; step B: using the automatic loader to push out the first slip sheet, thereby loading the second slip sheet and the multiple palletized packages together onto a vehicle loading platform; and step C: using the automatic loader to pull out only the first slip sheet while restricting the movement of the second slip sheet and the multiple palletized packages with a partition bar.

2. The method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 1, further comprising, after step A and before step B, step D of docking the automatic loader to the vehicle bed in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed.

3. The method of loading / unloading palletized packages as set forth in claim 1, further comprising, after step C, step E of pulling said second slipsheet from said vehicle bed with an automatic unloader.

4. The method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 3, further comprising, after step C and before step E, step F of docking the automatic unloader to the vehicle bed in accordance with the height of the vehicle bed.

5. The method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 4, further comprising, after step F and before step E, step G of hooking a retraction bar attached to the rear end of the second slipsheet onto a retraction hook of the automatic unloading machine.

6. The method of loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 1, wherein said first slipsheet is formed from a durable material.

7. The method of loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 1, wherein said second slipsheet is made of a flexible material.

8. The method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said first slipsheet and the lower surface of said second slipsheet each have a smooth surface with a relatively low coefficient of friction.

9. The method for loading / unloading palletized packages according to claim 1, wherein the second slipsheet has a rough surface on the upper surface that has a higher coefficient of friction than the lower surface.