Unloading assistance device

Abstract

An unloading assistance device according to the present invention comprises: a housing; a drive conveyor that is provided to the housing and is capable of conveying cargo; a moving means that is capable of moving the housing; a control device that is capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; and a retention prevention plate that is positioned downstream of the drive conveyor in the conveyance direction and is capable of changing, with respect to a free roller conveyor, a conveyance angle at which the cargo is conveyed from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor. The retention prevention plate is inclined with respect to the free roller conveyor so as to approach the free roller conveyor from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction and is positioned above the free roller conveyor.

Description

Unloading aids

[0001] The present invention relates to an unloading aid.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Unloading assist devices that assist manual unloading of cargo from the bed of a truck or a container are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-218379 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-196260 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-78126

[0004] The unloading assist devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not take into consideration the accumulation of cargo on the free roller conveyor.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an unloading assist device that can prevent cargo from accumulating on a free roller conveyor.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides an unloading assist device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, and comprises: a housing; a drive conveyor provided in the housing and capable of transporting cargo; a moving means capable of moving the housing; a control device capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; and a stagnation prevention plate located downstream in the transport direction of the drive conveyor and capable of changing the transport angle of the cargo transported from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor relative to the free roller conveyor, wherein the stagnation prevention plate is inclined so as to approach the free roller conveyor as it moves from upstream to downstream in the transport direction relative to the free roller conveyor, and is located above the free roller conveyor.

[0007] The unloading assist device according to one aspect of the present invention can prevent cargo from accumulating on a free roller conveyor.

[0008] Schematic side view showing a load unloading assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic plan view of the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 1. Block diagram of the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 1. Schematic side view for explaining the usage mode of the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 1. Partial side view showing a first modification of the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 1. Partial side view showing a state in which the retention prevention plate is held standing along the vertical direction in the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. Schematic side view showing a second modification of the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 1. First flowchart for explaining an example of load unloading using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. Second flowchart for explaining an example of load unloading using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. Third flowchart for explaining an example of load unloading using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. Fourth flowchart for explaining an example of load unloading using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A. Side view showing a modification in which the free roller conveyor is a telescopic conveyor, and showing a state of carrying the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A onto the truck bed. Diagram showing a state of installing the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A on the truck bed in a process following FIG. 11. Diagram showing a state of transporting a load using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A in a process following FIG. 12. Diagram showing a state of moving the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A to the back side of the truck bed in a process following FIG. 13. Diagram showing a state of transporting a load using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A in a process following FIG. 14. Diagram showing a state of unloading the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A from the truck bed in a process following FIG. 15. Fifth flowchart for explaining an example of load unloading using the load unloading assistance device of FIG. 5A.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is not intended to limit the present invention, but is essentially only an example and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. The drawings are schematic, and the ratios of each dimension etc. do not necessarily match the actual ones.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a load unloading assistance device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 2, a drive conveyor 7, moving means including a pair of wheels, and a control device 33.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the drive conveyor 7 is provided in the housing 2 and is configured to be able to transport luggage. The moving means is configured to be able to move the housing 2 along a free roller conveyor (for example, a floor conveyor 105 or an extendable conveyor 105A, which will be described later). In this embodiment, the drive conveyor 7 is configured to transport the luggage placed thereon from left to right in FIG. 1 . The moving means includes a pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and a pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B as a pair of wheels, and a wheel drive mechanism that drives the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B. The wheel drive mechanism includes drive motors 31A, 31B. The control device 33 is provided in the housing 2.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 33 is configured to control the drive motors 31A and 31B and the conveyor motor 30 based on operation commands from the operation unit 34. In this embodiment, the control device 33 includes a processor and a storage unit. The processor includes, for example, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC. The storage unit includes, for example, an internal or external storage medium. The internal storage medium includes a non-volatile memory, etc. The external storage medium includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), an optical disk device, etc. The control device 33 is connected to a power supply unit 32 provided in the housing 2. The power supply unit 32 includes a rechargeable battery 32a (e.g., a lithium-ion battery). Since the power supply unit 32 is a so-called cordless power supply, the unloading assist device 1 can be easily moved to the back of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100.

[0013] The operation unit 34 has, for example, a plurality of switches, including, for example, a drive switch for driving / stopping the drive conveyor 7, a speed switch for changing the conveying speed of the drive conveyor 7, a travel switch for moving (for example, forward, backward, or turning) the unloading assist device 1, and an emergency stop switch for instantly stopping the unloading assist device 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows an example of how the unloading assist device 1 is used. In FIG. 4, the unloading assist device 1 is used for manual unloading of cargo from the loading platform 101 of a truck 100 to a transfer conveyor 104 and a sorting conveyor 103 at a berth 102 (an example of an unloading location). A non-driven floor conveyor 105 is provided on the floor 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100. In this embodiment, the floor conveyor 105 is an embedded conveyor embedded in the floor 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100. The floor conveyor 105 is not limited to an embedded conveyor, but may be any conveyor disposed on the floor of the loading platform. As shown in FIG. 1, the floor conveyor 105 has a plurality of free rollers 105a arranged along the transport direction of the cargo 200. Each free roller 105a is rotatably supported with a portion of the free roller 105a protruding from the floor 101a. The unloading assist device 1 can also be used for things other than the bed 101 of the truck 100 (for example, a container with an embedded conveyor in the floor).

[0015] 2, the housing 2 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view along the vertical direction (i.e., the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1), and is configured to be able to be positioned on the floor surface 101a. A drive conveyor 7 is provided at the upper part of the housing 2 in the vertical direction. The drive conveyor 7 may be built into the housing 2.

[0016] 1, the drive conveyor 7 includes, for example, two conveyors (hereinafter referred to as a first drive conveyor 8 and a second drive conveyor 9), and is configured so that when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the drive conveyor 7 is located above the floor surface conveyor 105. The first drive conveyor 8 is located upstream of the second drive conveyor 9 in the transport direction.

[0017] The first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are configured to be drivable by a transport motor 30 (see FIG. 3 ) provided in the housing 2. The transport motor 30 includes, for example, a small, high-output coreless motor. The first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are inclined with respect to the floor surface 101a so as to approach the floor surface 101a from upstream to downstream in the transport direction. In this embodiment, the first drive conveyor 8 and the second drive conveyor 9 are configured so that the inclination angle of the first drive conveyor 8 with respect to the floor surface 101a is smaller than the inclination angle of the second drive conveyor 9 with respect to the floor surface 101a.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a support roller 16 is provided at the downstream end of the second drive conveyor 9 in the conveying direction to support the second drive conveyor 9 in a state where it can move relative to the floor surface 101a.

[0019] As an example, the second drive conveyor 9 is configured such that its upstream end in the conveying direction is rotatably connected to the first drive conveyor 8 and can be held upright in a substantially vertical direction.

[0020] In this embodiment, the unloading assist device 1 includes a non-driven conveyor 6. As shown in Fig. 1, the non-driven conveyor 6 is provided in the housing 2 and is adjacent to the upstream side of the driven conveyor 7 in the conveying direction.

[0021] The non-drive conveyor 6 has a plurality of free rollers and is configured not to be driven by a drive motor or the like. As shown in FIG. 1 , the non-drive conveyor 6, like the drive conveyor, is inclined with respect to the floor surface 101a so as to approach the floor surface 101a from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, the non-drive conveyor 6 is configured so that its inclination angle with respect to the floor surface 101a is smaller than the inclination angle of the first drive conveyor 8 with respect to the floor surface 101a. The cargo 200 placed on the non-drive conveyor 6 is transported toward the drive conveyor 7 by its own weight. As shown in FIG. 2 , the non-drive conveyor 6 has substantially the same dimension in the width direction (e.g., the vertical direction in FIG. 2 ) as the drive conveyor 7.

[0022] 1, when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B face each other in the width direction of the floor surface conveyor 105 (for example, the direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 1 or the up-and-down direction in FIG. 2). The pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B are provided at a position overlapping with the non-driven conveyor 6 in a plan view along the vertical direction. The pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B are provided at a position overlapping with the first driven conveyor 8 in a plan view along the vertical direction.

[0023] 2, the widthwise distance between the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B is W1, the widthwise distance between the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B is W2, and the widthwise dimension of the floor conveyor 105 is WC. The pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and the pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B are configured to satisfy "W1 > WC and W2 > WC." In other words, the unloading assist device 1 is configured so that the distance (W1, W2) between the pair of wheels facing each other in the widthwise direction is wider than the width (WC) of the floor conveyor 105.

[0024] 1 , the lowest vertical position of the drive conveyor 7 (in this embodiment, the lowest vertical position of the downstream end of the second drive conveyor 9 in the conveying direction) is designated as L1, the lowest vertical position of the housing 2 is designated as L2, and the highest vertical position of the floor conveyor 105 is designated as L3. The housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 are configured to satisfy "L1 > L3 and L2 > L3." In other words, when the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the unloading assist device 1 is configured to allow the housing 2 to move along the floor conveyor 105 without the housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 coming into contact with the floor conveyor 105.

[0025] The unloading assist device 1 has the following features.

[0026] The unloading assist device 1 is configured so that the distance (W1, W2) between the wheels facing each other in the width direction of a pair of wheels is wider than the width (WC) of the floor conveyor 105, and so that when the housing 2 is positioned on the floor 101a, the housing 2 can be moved along the floor conveyor 105 without the housing 2 and the drive conveyor 7 coming into contact with the floor conveyor 105. With this configuration, when used for unloading using the floor conveyor 105 placed on the floor 101a of the loading platform 101, the unloading assist device 1 can be realized to move smoothly on the floor conveyor 105 without coming into contact with the floor conveyor 105.

[0027] The unloading assist device 1 may optionally employ one or more of the following configurations. If one or more of the following configurations are included in the above embodiment, they may be optionally deleted. If not included in the above embodiment, they may be optionally added. By adopting such a configuration, when used for unloading using a floor conveyor 105 disposed on the floor surface 101a of the loading platform 101, the unloading assist device 1 can more reliably move smoothly on the floor conveyor 105 without contacting the floor conveyor 105. When the housing 2 is located on the floor surface 101a, the drive conveyor 7 is located above the floor conveyor 105. The pair of wheels includes a pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B and a pair of driven wheels 22A, 22B. The movement means includes a wheel drive mechanism that drives the pair of drive wheels 21A, 21B. The unloading assist device 1 includes a non-drive conveyor 6 provided in the housing 2. The non-drive conveyor 6 is adjacent to the upstream side of the drive conveyor 7 in the direction of transport of the luggage.

[0028] The unloading assist device 1 can have the following configuration.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5A , the unloading assist device 1 may include a retention prevention plate 5. The retention prevention plate 5 is located downstream of the drive conveyor 7 in the conveying direction and is configured to change the conveying angle of the luggage 200 conveyed from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105 relative to the floor conveyor 105. The retention prevention plate 5, for example, has a substantially rectangular plate shape. When the housing 2 is located on the floor conveyor 105, the retention prevention plate 5 is inclined to approach the floor conveyor 105 from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction relative to the floor conveyor 105, and is located vertically above the floor conveyor 105. By including the retention prevention plate 5 in the unloading assist device 1, the luggage 200 can be smoothly moved from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105. This prevents the luggage 200 from being retained. In this embodiment, the retention prevention plate 5 is configured to have a smaller inclination angle relative to the floor conveyor 105 than the drive conveyor 7. This makes it possible to more reliably achieve smooth movement of the luggage 200 from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105.

[0030] 5A includes a positioning member 28 located downstream in the conveying direction of the retention prevention plate 5. The positioning member 28 extends downward from the downstream end 25b of the retention prevention plate 5 in the conveying direction, and is configured to be able to enter between two adjacent free rollers 105a among the multiple free rollers 105a that make up the floor conveyor 105. This allows the retention prevention plate 5 to be appropriately positioned with respect to the floor conveyor 105.

[0031] As an example, the retention prevention plate 5 is connected to the second drive conveyor 9 via a bracket 26. The retention prevention plate 5 and the bracket 26 are connected by inserting a pin 25c provided on the retention prevention plate 5 into a bearing hole 26a provided on the bracket 26. In other words, the retention prevention plate 5 is connected to the bracket 26 in a state in which it can rotate around the pin 25c toward the second drive conveyor. As shown in FIG. 5B, the unloading assist device 1 can be configured so that the retention prevention plate 5 is held in an upright position along the vertical direction. In the unloading assist device 1 of FIG. 5A, a support roller 17 is provided near the end 25b of the retention prevention plate 5 on the downstream side in the conveying direction to support the retention prevention plate 5 in a state in which it can move relative to the floor surface 101a.

[0032] The retention prevention plate 5 may be configured as shown in FIG. 6 . An imaginary line L4 extends vertically and passes through the rotation axis CP of the free roller 105b, which is the first contact of the luggage 200 transported from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105 via the retention prevention plate 5. In the unloading assist device 1 shown in FIG. 6 , the retention prevention plate 5 is configured such that, when the housing 2 is positioned on the floor conveyor 105, a vector V1 indicating the inclination direction of the retention prevention plate 5 intersects with the imaginary line L4 above the rotation axis CP. This configuration causes the free roller 105b to rotate in a direction that sends the luggage downstream (clockwise in FIG. 6 ) when the luggage 200 contacts the free roller 105b, thereby more reliably realizing smooth movement of the luggage 200 from the drive conveyor 7 to the floor conveyor 105. If the vector V1 contacts the virtual straight line L4 below the rotation axis CP, the free roller 105b will rotate in the opposite direction, causing a force to act in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the luggage 200, resulting in the luggage getting stuck and not being able to be conveyed.

[0033] In the unloading assist device 1 shown in Figure 6, a gap 106 is formed between the drive conveyor 7 and the retention prevention plate 5. The gap 106 has a size of, for example, 25 mm or more in the conveying direction. This prevents the user's fingers from getting caught between the drive conveyor 7 and the retention prevention plate 5.

[0034] An example of unloading using the unloading assist device 1 equipped with the retention prevention plate 5 shown in FIG. 5A will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7 to 10.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, when the truck 100 arrives at the berth 102, a worker attaches the transfer conveyor 104 to the truck 100 (step S1).

[0036] The worker unloads the cargo 200 from the truck 100 to a position approximately 3 m from the truck door, and secures a space where the unloading assist device 1 can be used (step S2).

[0037] The worker removes the transfer conveyor 104 from the truck 100 and moves the unloading assist device 1 placed on the lifter together with the lifter to the vicinity of the truck 100 (step S3).

[0038] The worker raises the lifter and places the unloading assist device 1 on the bed 101 of the truck 100 (step S4).

[0039] The worker sets up the unloading assist device 1 so as to be parallel to and straddle the floor conveyor 105 on the floor 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 (step S5).

[0040] After installing the unloading assist device 1, the worker drops the rear part of the folded drive conveyor 7 (i.e., the second drive conveyor 9) so that it contacts the floor conveyor 105 (step S6). At this point, the retention prevention plate 5 is kept upright in the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the worker operates the forward switch on the operating unit 34 of the unloading assistance device 1 to move the unloading assistance device 1 to just before the unloading location and attaches the transfer conveyor 104 to the truck 100 (step S7).

[0042] The worker operates the speed switch of the operation unit 34 to set the speed of the drive conveyor 7 in accordance with the packing style (for example, size, weight, and loading position) of the cargo 200 (step S8).

[0043] After setting the speed of the drive conveyor 7, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7 (step S9). At any timing of steps S7 to S9, the worker inserts the positioning member 28 between two adjacent free rollers 105a of the floor conveyor 105 to position the retention prevention plate 5.

[0044] After the drive conveyor 7 is driven, the worker transports the loaded luggage 200 (step S10). When the luggage 200 is placed on the non-drive conveyor 6, the loaded luggage 200 is automatically transported to the drive conveyor 7 by its own weight. The luggage 200 transported to the drive conveyor 7 is then transported to the floor conveyor 105 on the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 by the drive of the transport motor 30. If there is a previously transported luggage 200 on the floor conveyor 105, the previously transported luggage 200 is pushed by the subsequently transported luggage 200 and moves toward the berth 102.

[0045] The worker repeats steps S7 to S10 to discharge the cargo 200 toward the berth 102 (step S11).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 9, the worker determines whether or not any packages 200 are stuck on the drive conveyor 7 (step S12).

[0047] When it is determined that the luggage 200 is stuck on the drive conveyor 7, the worker places the luggage 200 on the non-drive conveyor 6 and uses the luggage 200 to manually push the stuck luggage 200 toward the berth 102 (step S13). At this time, the conveying force of the drive conveyor 7 is also applied to the luggage 200, so the load of manually pushing the luggage 200 is reduced.

[0048] If it is determined that no luggage 200 is staying on the drive conveyor 7, the worker determines whether or not luggage 200 is staying near the berth 102 (step S14).

[0049] If it is determined that the luggage 200 is accumulated near the berth 102, the worker temporarily suspends the unloading work and eliminates the accumulation of the luggage 200 (step S15). For example, if the unloading work is to be suspended for a long period of time, the unloading worker P1 operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to stop the drive conveyor 7. While the drive conveyor 7 is stopped, the sorting worker P2 eliminates the accumulation of the luggage 200 near the berth 102.

[0050] After steps S13 and S15, or if it is not determined in step S14 that cargo 200 is stranded near berth 102, the worker confirms that all cargo 200 around unloading assist device 1 has been transported, and then operates the movement button on operation unit 34 to move unloading assist device 1 forward (i.e., toward the back of truck 100) (step S16).

[0051] 10, the worker determines whether or not all of the packages 200 in the truck 100 have been transported toward the berth 102 (step S17). If it is not determined that all of the packages 200 in the truck 100 have been transported toward the berth 102, the process returns to step S8, and the worker repeats steps S8 to S16.

[0052] When it is determined that all of the packages 200 in the truck 100 have been transported toward the berth 102, the worker operates the drive button of the operation unit 34 to stop the drive conveyor 7 (step S18). At this time, there are no packages 200 remaining on the non-drive conveyor 6 and the drive conveyor 7, but there is a possibility that there are packages 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105.

[0053] After stopping the drive conveyor 7, the worker determines whether or not any packages 200 remain on the floor conveyor 105 (step S19).

[0054] If it is determined that baggage 200 remains on the floor conveyor 105, the worker holds the retention prevention plate 5 in an upright position in the vertical direction and operates the movement switch on the operation unit 34 to move the unloading assist device 1 backward (i.e., toward the berth 102) (step S20). As the unloading assist device 1 moves toward the berth 102, the baggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105 is pushed and moved toward the berth 102 via the retention prevention plate 5. This reduces the burden on the worker during unloading.

[0055] After moving the luggage 200 on the floor conveyor 105 toward the berth 102, or if it is determined in step S19 that no luggage remains on the floor conveyor 105, the worker removes the transfer conveyor 104 from the truck 100, moves the empty lifter near the truck 100, and raises the lifter to the height of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100 (step S21).

[0056] After lowering the lifter carrying the unloading assist device 1, the worker moves the unloading assist device 1 to the vicinity of the next unloading berth 102 (step S22), thereby completing the unloading.

[0057] In step S20, instead of the retention prevention plate 5, the second drive conveyor 9 may be held upright in the vertical direction. In this case, the downstream end of the housing 2 in the conveying direction comes into contact with the luggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105. In this way, the contact portion that can come into contact with the luggage 200 remaining on the floor conveyor 105 may be the retention prevention plate 5 or another member (for example, the housing 2). By using the retention prevention plate 5 as the contact portion, the burden on the worker associated with moving the unloading assist device 1 can be reduced.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be embodied in various other forms. For example, in the above description, an example of a free roller conveyor is a floor conveyor 105 provided on the floor 101a of the loading platform 101 of the truck 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 16, the free roller conveyor may be an extendable conveyor 105A that can extend and retract in the conveying direction of the drive conveyor 7. The unloading assist device 1 according to this modification includes a connecting means 10 (e.g., a stopper) downstream of the drive conveyor 7 in the conveying direction, which connects the drive conveyor 7 and the extendable conveyor 105A. Alternatively, the unloading assist device 1 may include a connecting means 10 downstream of the drive conveyor 7 in the conveying direction, which connects the retention prevention plate 5 and the extendable conveyor 105A. In this modification, the end of the extendable conveyor 105A remote from the drive conveyor 7 is connected to a fixed base 107, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 16. The fixed base 107 is configured to be fixed on the berth 102 so as not to move when the extendable conveyor 105A extends or retracts.

[0059] An example of unloading using unloading assist device 1 according to the modified example will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11, when the truck 100 arrives at the berth 102, a worker carries the unloading assist device 1 and the extendable conveyor 105A into the truck 100 (step S31).

[0061] As shown in FIG. 12, the worker fixes the fixing base 107 on the berth 102 (step S32).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 13, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7, and the cargo 200 is transported toward the fixed platform 107 via the extendable conveyor 105A (step S33).

[0063] As shown in Figure 14, after transporting a certain amount of luggage 200, the worker extends the extendable conveyor 105A until the unloading assistance device 1 is positioned near the luggage 200 loaded on the loading platform 101 at the rear of the truck 100 (step S34).

[0064] As shown in FIG. 15, the worker operates the drive switch of the operation unit 34 to drive the drive conveyor 7, and the cargo 200 is transported toward the fixed platform 107 via the extendable conveyor 105A (step S35).

[0065] If the transport of the cargo 200 in the truck 100 is not complete (NO in step S36), the worker performs steps S34 and S35 described above. On the other hand, if the transport of the cargo 200 in the truck 100 is complete (YES in step S36), as shown in Fig. 16, the worker moves the unloading assist device 1 toward the fixed base 107 to retract the extendable conveyor 105A, and carries the unloading assist device 1 out of the truck 100 (step S37). This completes the unloading process.

[0066] Any of the various embodiments described above may be combined appropriately to achieve the effects of each of them.

[0067] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading auxiliary device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, comprising: a housing; a drive conveyor provided in the housing and capable of transporting cargo; a moving means capable of moving the housing; a control device capable of controlling the drive conveyor and the moving means; and a stagnation prevention plate located downstream in the transport direction of the drive conveyor and capable of changing the transport angle of the cargo transported from the drive conveyor to the free roller conveyor relative to the free roller conveyor, wherein the stagnation prevention plate is inclined so as to approach the free roller conveyor as it moves from upstream to downstream in the transport direction relative to the free roller conveyor, and is located above the free roller conveyor.

[0068] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the unloading assist device described in the first aspect, wherein the free roller conveyor has a plurality of free rollers each having a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the free roller conveyor, and the retention prevention plate is configured so that a vector indicating the inclination direction of the retention prevention plate intersects above the rotation axis with an imaginary line extending vertically through the rotation axis of the free roller that the cargo transported from the drive conveyor via the retention prevention plate comes into contact with first.

[0069] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading assist device as described in the first or second aspect, wherein the drive conveyor is inclined relative to the free roller conveyor so as to approach the free roller conveyor as it moves from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction, and the retention prevention plate has an inclination angle relative to the free roller conveyor that is smaller than that of the drive conveyor.

[0070] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the unloading assist device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a gap is formed between the drive conveyor and the retention prevention plate.

[0071] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading assistance device as described in either the first or fourth aspect, wherein the housing is positioned on the free roller conveyor and is movable along the free roller conveyor by the moving means.

[0072] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading assist device as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, which is provided with a connecting means on the downstream side of the conveying direction that enables the drive conveyor and the free roller conveyor to be connected.

[0073] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unloading assistance device as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, which is provided with a contact portion that can come into contact with the luggage located on the free roller conveyor when the housing located on the free roller conveyor is moved by the moving means.

[0074] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the unloading assist device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the retention prevention plate constitutes the contact portion.

[0075] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for unloading cargo from a loading platform at an unloading location using the unloading assist device described in the first aspect, comprising: disposing the unloading assist device between the cargo from the loading platform and the unloading location; and, after the cargo from the loading platform is placed on the drive conveyor and transported toward the unloading location, if any cargo remains on the free roller conveyor between the unloading assist device and the unloading location, moving the unloading assist device toward the unloading location to move the cargo on the free roller conveyor to the unloading location.

[0076] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Auxiliary device 2 Housing 5 Stagnation prevention plate 6 Non-driven conveyor 7 Drive conveyor 8 First drive conveyor 9 Second drive conveyor 10 Connecting means 16, 17 Support rollers 21A, 21B Pair of drive wheels 22A, 22B Pair of driven wheels 26 Bracket 28 Positioning member 30 Conveyor motor 31A, 31B Drive motor 32 Power supply unit 32a Battery 33 Control device 34 Operation unit 100 Truck 101 Loading platform 102 Berth 103 Sorting conveyor 104 Transfer conveyor 105 Floor conveyor (an example of a free roller conveyor) 105A Telescopic conveyor (an example of a free roller conveyor) 106 Gap 200 Baggage

Claims

1. An unloading auxiliary device that can be used for unloading using a free roller conveyor, comprising: a housing; a drive conveyor provided in said housing and capable of transporting luggage; movement means capable of moving said housing; a control device capable of controlling said drive conveyor and said movement means; and a retention prevention plate located downstream in a transport direction of said drive conveyor and capable of changing a transport angle relative to said free roller conveyor of said luggage transported from said drive conveyor to said free roller conveyor, wherein said retention prevention plate is inclined so as to approach said free roller conveyor as it moves from upstream to downstream in the transport direction relative to said free roller conveyor, and is located above said free roller conveyor.

2. The unloading assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein the free roller conveyor has a plurality of free rollers each having a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the free roller conveyor, and the retention prevention plate is configured so that a vector indicating the inclination direction of the retention prevention plate intersects above the rotation axis with an imaginary straight line extending vertically through the rotation axis of the free roller with which the cargo transported from the drive conveyor via the retention prevention plate first comes into contact.

3. An unloading assistance device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive conveyor is inclined relative to the free roller conveyor so as to approach the free roller conveyor as it moves from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction, and the retention prevention plate has an inclination angle relative to the free roller conveyor that is smaller than that of the drive conveyor.

4. An unloading assist device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a gap is formed between the drive conveyor and the retention prevention plate.

5. An unloading assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing is positioned on the free roller conveyor and is movable along the free roller conveyor by the moving means.

6. An unloading auxiliary device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a connecting means on the downstream side in the conveying direction for connecting the drive conveyor or the retention prevention plate to the free roller conveyor.

7. An unloading assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a contact portion capable of contacting the luggage located on the free roller conveyor when the housing located on the free roller conveyor is moved by the moving means.

8. The unloading aid according to claim 7, wherein the retention prevention plate constitutes the contact portion.

9. A method for unloading a load from a loading platform to an unloading location using the unloading assist device according to claim 1, comprising: disposing the unloading assist device between the load from the loading platform and the unloading location; and, after the load from the loading platform is placed on the drive conveyor and transported toward the unloading location, if loads remain on the free roller conveyor between the unloading assist device and the unloading location, moving the unloading assist device toward the unloading location to move the load on the free roller conveyor to the unloading location.

Images