JP2005298178A - Material handling vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the better forward visibility in a material handling vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A body 1 of the material handling vehicle is equipped with a material handling device 4 at a front position of a driver's seat 9. The material handling vehicle comprises a video camera 23 for shooting the front part of the body 1 and a transparent display 16 provided between the material handling device 4 and the driver's seat 9 for displaying an image shot by the video camera 23 to be visible from the driver's seat 9. The display 16 makes the size of the displayed image coincident with the size of a real image seen from the driver's seat 9 for displaying the image. It also makes the position of the displayed image coincident with the position of the real image seen from the driver's seat 9 for displaying the image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cargo handling vehicle such as a forklift, and more particularly to a technique for improving the visibility of an operator.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, forklifts, which are a type of cargo handling vehicle, include a cargo handling device that includes, for example, a fork that loads a load at the front of a vehicle body and a mast that guides the fork to move up and down. An operator who has boarded the vehicle operates a steering handle and an operation lever to perform a cargo handling operation. In the vicinity of the driver's seat, in addition to the steering wheel and operation lever, a display that displays the traveling speed, etc. is provided, so that the operator can perform traveling and cargo handling operations while obtaining various information by looking at this display It has become.

  By the way, in the forklift as described above, there is a problem that the front view of the operator is blocked by a mast, a fork, a load mounted on the fork, and the like. Therefore, for example, as described in the following document, a technique has been developed for photographing a place difficult to see from the driver's seat with a camera and displaying the image from the camera on the video display provided in the driver's seat or the head guard. Yes.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-54496 JP 2001-2395 A JP 2001-206683 A JP 2001-310898 A

  As a result of the display provided in the conventional forklift being arranged so as not to obstruct the operator's view by the display itself, it is not necessarily placed at a position that is easy to see from the operator. There is a problem that it is difficult to see the image displayed on the display. In addition, if it is necessary to move the line of sight largely when viewing a place that is captured by the camera and displayed on the display, and when viewing a place that is not displayed, this will put a heavy burden on the operator. It is also conceivable that an operator who dislikes work without looking at the display.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a better front view in a cargo handling vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a cargo handling vehicle including a cargo handling device on a vehicle body at a position in front of a driver's seat, a camera that captures the front of the vehicle body, and between the cargo handling device and the driver's seat. And a transparent display that displays at least a video image captured by the camera so as to be visible from the driver's seat.

  According to such a configuration, an image in front of the vehicle body photographed by the camera is displayed on the display so as to be visible, so that the operator can secure a front view and can work safely and with peace of mind. In addition, since the displayed image can be viewed without largely moving the line of sight, it is very easy to see and the burden on the operator is small. Of course, the display itself does not hinder the operator's work and is easy to use, so the frequency of work can be reduced without seeing the displayed image, and as a result, more reliably Operator safety can be ensured.

  The camera can be provided so as to be able to photograph a range where the field of view is blocked by the cargo handling device or the cargo loaded on the cargo handling device and is invisible from the driver's seat. In this way, the operator can block the cargo handling device or the cargo. Thus, since it is possible to visually recognize the range that cannot be actually seen from the driver's seat by the video displayed on the display, it becomes easier to ensure safety. In this case, it is preferable that the camera captures the front of the vehicle body at least at a position ahead of the end surface on the vehicle body side of the cargo handling device, that is, the end surface on the driver's seat. It is possible to prevent the cargo handling device from entering the vehicle, and it is possible to shoot a good image over a wider range.

  Further, in a cargo handling vehicle including a head guard that includes a ceiling portion that covers an upper portion of the driver's seat and a column portion that supports the ceiling portion and is erected at a front position of the driver's seat, the camera includes: It is possible to provide a range in which the field of view is blocked by the column portion of the head guard and is invisible from the driver's seat so that it can be photographed. In this way, the operator can visually recognize the range that cannot be seen from the driver's seat by being blocked by the head guard column portion, by the image displayed on the display. Become. In this case, it is preferable that the camera captures the front of the vehicle body at least in front of the driver seat side end surface of the head guard support portion. It is possible to suppress the entry of the column portion, and it is possible to shoot a good image over a wider range.

  By the way, the display according to the present invention is composed of an organic electroluminescence element formed by laminating a transparent electrode and an organic thin film on the substrate, using a transparent plate provided between the cargo handling device and the driver's seat as the substrate. Can be employed.

  According to this, it is possible to obtain a display with high brightness and high contrast and high efficiency and reliability, and it is possible to improve visibility and ease of use. Examples of this type of transparent plate include a transparent front window as a windshield and a transparent protector that prevents an operator's hand from being sandwiched between cargo handling devices. Since the front window and the protector are firmly attached to the cargo handling device or the vehicle body due to its configuration, if the display is provided integrally with the front window and the protector, the display can be reliably supported. Moreover, the effect which protects a display with a front window or a protector can be acquired.

  In the present invention, it is possible to employ a display in which the size of the displayed image is matched with the size of the real image viewed from the driver's seat. Here, when the displayed image is two-dimensional, it is preferable to match at least the dimensions in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. When the displayed image is three-dimensional, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are preferable. In addition to the dimensions, it is preferable to match the longitudinal dimensions. According to this, it is possible to prevent the operator from mistakenly observing the size of the object or the like displayed on the display, and thus the operator can more appropriately grasp the situation in front of the vehicle body.

  Further, a display that displays the position of the displayed video in accordance with the position of the real image viewed from the driver's seat can be employed. Here, when the displayed image is two-dimensional, it is preferable to match at least the vertical and horizontal positions, and when the displayed image is three-dimensional, the vertical and horizontal directions are In addition to the position, it is preferable to match the position in the front-rear direction. According to this, it is possible to prevent the operator from mistaking the position of the object or the like displayed by viewing the video displayed on the display, and thus the operator can more appropriately grasp the situation in front of the vehicle body.

  Of course, a display that matches the size of the displayed image with the size of the real image viewed from the driver's seat and matches the position of the displayed image with the position of the real image viewed from the driver's seat is used. Can do. According to this, the effect relating to the display dimension and the effect relating to the display position can be obtained, respectively, and further a synergistic effect can be obtained. That is, when viewing the boundary between the image (virtual image) displayed on the display and the real image, the operator does not feel unnatural, and the display is obstructed by the cargo handling device and the luggage, and is not visible from the driver's seat. If a certain range of images is displayed, the operator can see the front of the vehicle body as if he / she is looking through the cargo handling device or the load. As a result, the operator can perceive visual information that is more realistic, and can accurately grasp the situation in front of the vehicle body.

  In the above, the real image seen from the driver's seat means that there is no object that obstructs the field of view and there is an object that obstructs the field of vision in addition to the image that can be seen when the substance of the object can actually be seen from the driver's seat. However, it is meant to include an image that can be seen from the driver's seat when removed by removing it, or an image that can be assumed to be seen from the driver's seat.

  In the present invention, if an image from the camera is displayed on the display, the operator can see the situation ahead of the camera. Therefore, even if the camera is provided so as to block the forward view from the driver's seat, if the camera is disposed in front of the display, the operator can regain the view that is blocked by the camera. Therefore, the degree of freedom for setting the camera placement position is extremely high, and the camera can be placed at an optimal position without worrying about the view being blocked by the camera. For example, when the cargo handling device is composed of a cargo handling device that can be raised and lowered and a mast that guides the raising and lowering of the cargo handling device, the camera can be disposed on the cargo handling tool and / or the mast. When the head guard that covers the upper side of the driver's seat is provided, the camera can be disposed on the head guard.

  Further, the present invention can be applied to a cargo handling vehicle provided on the vehicle body so that the cargo handling device can be tilted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body or can be moved in parallel. That is, when the cargo handling device tilts in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body or moves in parallel, the range that is blocked by the cargo handling device and the loaded luggage and cannot be seen from the driver's seat changes, but according to the present invention, Regardless of the behavior of such a cargo handling device, a good field of view can always be secured. Therefore, the operation of tilting or translating the cargo handling device and other operations performed while tilting or translating the cargo handling device can be performed more safely, and as a result, the cargo handling work efficiency can be improved. it can.

  By the way, the driver's seat in the present invention means a place provided on the vehicle body of the cargo handling vehicle, where the operator is seated or stood during driving, but such a place is on the vehicle body. In a cargo handling vehicle that is not provided and has a place where an operator sits or stands on a cargo handling device represented by, for example, an order picking truck, the place where the operator sits or stands is in the present invention. The driver's seat. In addition, in a so-called walkie-type cargo handling vehicle in which an operator drives while walking, the place where the operator is present during driving should be understood as the driver seat in the present invention.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the image of the front of the vehicle body from the camera is displayed on the display, the operator can secure the front view and can work safely and safely. In addition, since the image displayed on the display can be seen without largely moving the line of sight, it is easy to use and the burden on the operator is small.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a reach type battery forklift that is a kind of cargo handling vehicle will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle body 1 of a reach type battery forklift is provided with a pair of left and right reach legs 2 protruding forward, and front wheels 3 are rotatably provided at front end portions of the reach legs 2, respectively. The mast 4 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 1 along the reach leg 2. The mast 4 is provided with a pair of left and right forks 5 that can be moved up and down via a lift bracket 6, and the fork 5 picks up a pallet and performs a cargo handling operation. A left rear wheel 7 serving as a steering wheel and a driving wheel and a right rear wheel 8 that is a driven wheel are provided at the rear of the vehicle body 1, and a driver seat 9 for an operator to board is directly above the right rear wheel 8. Is provided. In FIG. 1, 10 is a steering handle for steering the left rear wheel 7 provided on the left side of the driver seat 9, and 11 is a parallel movement operation of the mast 4 provided in front of the driver seat 9. An operation lever for operating the raising and lowering operation of the fork 5 is shown, and a head guard 12 is provided so as to cover above the driver's seat 9, the steering handle 10 and the operation lever 11. Further, the vehicle body 1 is equipped with a controller 13 for controlling a display 16 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the head guard 12 is composed of left and right column parts 12a and a ceiling part 12b formed in a lattice shape, and the column part 12a fixed to the vehicle body 1 cantilever the ceiling part 12b. It comes to support. The column portion 12 a of the head guard 12 is fixed to the front end of the vehicle body 1 with, for example, a bolt, and is erected from the rear side of the mast 4 and the fork 5, that is, at a position on the driver's seat 9 side. Accordingly, when looking forward from the driver's seat 9, the operation lever 11 is at the foremost side, the column portion 12 a of the head guard 12 is at the front, and the mast 4 is at the front. The front window unit 14 is fitted and attached between the left and right support column portions 12a and 12a of the head guard 12 arranged in this way.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front window unit 14 is mainly composed of a frame 15 and a transparent display 16 that is supported by being surrounded by the frame 15. The frame 15 is a head guard. After being fitted between the twelve column parts 12a, 12a, they are attached by, for example, fixing with bolts. The frame 15 is formed in a hollow shape so that wiring (not shown) to the display 16 can be passed through it.

  The display 16 is composed of an organic electroluminescence element E having a laminated structure as shown in a sectional view in FIG. The organic electroluminescence element E includes a glass substrate 17, transparent electrodes 18 a and 18 b, a hole transport layer 19, a light emitting layer 20, and an electron injection layer 21, and from the driver seat side surface of the glass substrate 17. The anode 18a, the hole transport layer 19, the light emitting layer 20, the electron injection layer 21, and the cathode 18b are laminated in this order. The display 15 of the present embodiment is a color display, and the light emitting layer 20 is formed by individually depositing light emitting materials corresponding to red (R), green (G), and blue (B). ing. Further, in the present embodiment, in order to protect the display 15, transparent protective films 22 are attached to the outer surface (driver's seat side surface) of the cathode 18 b and the outer surface (mast side surface) of the glass substrate 17, respectively. Has been.

  When a voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes 18a and 18b, holes from the anode 18a are injected into the light emitting layer 20 through the hole transport layer 19, and electrons from the cathode 18b pass through the electron injection layer 21. Then, it is injected into the light emitting layer 20. When the injected holes and electrons are recombined in the light emitting layer 20, the light emitting layer 20 is excited by the energy generated at that time, and the light emitting layer has a color corresponding to the light emitting material forming the light emitting layer 20. 20 emits light. On the one hand, the light generated in the light emitting layer 20 goes out through the hole transport layer 19, the anode 18a, the glass substrate 17, and the protective film 22, and on the other hand, the electron injection layer 21, the cathode 18b, and the protection. Go out to the outside through the film 22. That is, the controller 10 controls the applied voltage to cause the above-described light emission phenomenon for each pixel, so that a visible image is displayed on the display 16.

  Further, video cameras 23 are provided on the left and right outer surfaces of the mast 4 as shown in FIG. The video camera 23 is provided in front of the vehicle body 1 and can photograph the front of the vehicle body 1 at the position of the front end surface of the mast 4, that is, the end surface opposite to the vehicle body 1. Here, since a part of the front view from the driver's seat 9 is blocked by the mast 4, the video camera 23 takes a picture of the front of the vehicle body 1 including a range that is blocked by the mast 4 and is invisible from the driver's seat 9. It is possible, and the video camera 23 will photograph the situation in front of the front end surface of the mast 4. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the left and right video cameras 23 are connected to electric cables passed to the vehicle body 1, respectively, and supply of electric power and signals to the controller 13 through these electric cables. Is exchanged.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, a main switch 24 for starting the reach type battery forklift and an operation switch 25 for switching display / non-display of the display 16 are provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat 9. The signals from these switches are input to the controller 13 as shown in FIG. Then, the controller 13 performs control in the following manner.

  When the operator P boarding the driver's seat 9 turns on the main switch 24, the controller 13 is activated. Here, when the display 16 needs to be displayed, the operator P turns on the operation switch 25. Then, the controller 13 sends a signal to the video camera 23 to activate it, receives the video from the video camera 23, and controls the voltage applied to the display 16 based on this. Here, as described above, since the video camera 23 is provided with the front of the vehicle body 1 facing the mast 4, the display 16 displays a state in front of the mast 4.

  Now, assuming that there is an object R (substance) in front of the mast 4 at a position that is obstructed by the mast 4 and cannot be seen from the driver's seat 9, the left and right video cameras 23 capture the image and transmit the image to the controller 13. . When the controller 13 applies a voltage between the transparent electrodes 18a and 18b based on this image to cause the light emitting layer 20 to emit light, part of the light goes out of the display 16 toward the operator P. The operator P can visually recognize an image of the object V (hereinafter referred to as a virtual object V) in front of the user by viewing the light. This virtual object V is an image displayed on the display in the present invention. Here, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the virtual object V viewed by the operator P are the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the real image when the object R is viewed from the driver's seat 9 by removing the mast 4 that blocks the view. In addition, the vertical and horizontal positions of the virtual object V viewed by the operator P are matched with the vertical and horizontal positions of the real image when the object R is viewed from the driver's seat 9. (For convenience of description, in FIG. 3, the object R and the virtual object V are drawn at different positions.) That is, the apparent size of the object is the distance to the person who sees it (here, the operator P). It changes accordingly, and the further away from the object, the smaller the object will appear. As a result, for example, a large object far from the operator P and a small object near the operator P may appear to be the same size. Therefore, instead of making the actual size and position of the object R coincide with the size and position of the virtual object V, the virtual object V is displayed in accordance with the size and position of the real image of the object R viewed from the driver seat 9. Apparently, the operator P can see the virtual object V at the same size and the same position as the object R.

  By the way, since the display 16 itself is transparent, the operator P can see the front from the driver's seat 9 through this, but is not displayed on the display 16 and is not visible from the driver's seat 9. (For example, a range that cannot be seen by being blocked by the column portion 12a of the head guard 12) remains invisible. In the first place, the operator P can see the range that can be seen from the driver's seat 9 without being blocked by the mast 4 or the like, regardless of whether the display 16 is displayed.

  Therefore, the video (virtual image) of the display 16 is superimposed and displayed on the real image seen through the display 16 from the driver's seat 9, and the operator P can be seen by viewing the virtual object V displayed on the display 16. The visual information is sensed as if the object R that should not be seen from the driver's seat 9 is seen through the mast 4. At the same time, the field of view that cannot be viewed from the driver's seat 9 as a real image is supplemented by the image displayed on the display 16.

  On the other hand, when the display 16 is not required, such as when the vehicle is stopped, the operator P turns off the operation switch 25. Then, the controller 13 stops the video camera 23 and puts the display 16 in a non-display state. At this time, the operator P can see the front view through the display 16 with respect to the range that can be seen from the driver's seat 9 without being blocked by the mast 4 or the like.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the video from the video camera 23 can be displayed on the display 16 as necessary, so that the operator can secure a forward view. In particular, since the range that is not visible from the driver's seat 9 due to being blocked by the mast 4 can be virtually seen on the video, in other words, the field of view lost by the mast 4 can be recovered, and as a result Operators can work safely and with peace of mind. Moreover, since the virtual object V displayed on the display 16 can be seen as if the object R was actually seen, it is very easy for the operator P to see, and the operator accurately grasps the situation in front of the vehicle body 1. can do. In addition, the display 16 does not hinder the work of the operator P and is very easy to use, so the frequency of work can be reduced without looking at the display on the display 16, and the operator's safety can be ensured more reliably. Can be secured.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the video camera 23 is arranged so that a state in front of the front end surface of the mast 4 is photographed, the mast 4 enters the image photographed by the video camera 23. There is no end. Therefore, a very good image can be taken, and the image of the mast 4 is not displayed on the display 16. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the video camera 23 is arranged on the mast 4 that moves in parallel in the front-rear direction with respect to the vehicle body 1, an image corresponding to the forward-backward movement of the mast 4 is displayed on the display 16. In other words, a good field of view can always be secured regardless of the position of the mast 4 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by using the organic electroluminescence element E, it is possible to configure the display 16 with high brightness and high contrast, and high efficiency and reliability. The video can be displayed easily.

  In the above embodiment, the video camera 23 is provided on the mast 4, but it can also be provided on the fork 5, the lift bracket 6, or on the head guard 12. When the fork 5 and the lift bracket 6 are moved up and down, the field of view blocked by these changes. Therefore, if the fork 5 and the lift bracket 6 are provided, it is possible to easily cope with the change in the field of view accompanying the raising and lowering of the fork 5 and the lift bracket 6. Further, even with the same reach type battery forklift, it is conceivable that the height of the mast 4 and the length of the fork 5 are different for each vehicle. Therefore, if the video camera 23 is provided in the head guard 12, the present invention can be implemented with the same configuration regardless of the form of the mast 4 or the fork 5.

  In the above embodiment, the display 16 integrated with the front window is provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in order to prevent the operator's hand from being caught between the masts 4, a transparent protector is provided. When the mast 4 is provided on the driver's seat 9 side, the display 16 can be integrated with the protector.

  The present invention is not limited to the reach type forklift shown in the above embodiment, but can be applied to other forms of cargo handling vehicles such as a counterbalance type forklift and an order picking truck.

It is a perspective view which shows the forklift which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which partially decomposes and shows the front window unit in this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the display in this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part of this Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Car body 4 Mast 5 Fork 6 Lift bracket 9 Driver's seat 12 Head guard 13 Controller 14 Front window unit 16 Display 23 Video camera 25 Operation switch

Claims (7)

In a cargo handling vehicle having a cargo handling device on the vehicle body at a position in front of the driver's seat,
A camera for photographing the front of the vehicle body,
A cargo handling vehicle comprising: a transparent display that is provided between the cargo handling device and the driver's seat and displays an image captured by the camera so as to be visible from at least the driver's seat.   2. The cargo handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the camera is provided so as to be capable of photographing a range in which a field of view is blocked by the cargo handling device or a load mounted on the cargo handling device and is invisible from the driver's seat.   A head guard comprising a ceiling portion covering the upper side of the driver seat and a support column portion standing on the front side of the driver seat that supports the ceiling portion is provided, and the camera includes a support guard portion of the head guard. The cargo handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is provided so as to be capable of photographing a range in which the field of view is blocked by the vehicle and is invisible from the driver seat.   The display is composed of an organic electroluminescence element formed by laminating a transparent electrode and an organic thin film on a transparent plate provided between the cargo handling device and the driver's seat as a substrate. The cargo handling vehicle according to claim 1.   5. The cargo handling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display displays a size of a displayed image so as to match a size of a real image viewed from the driver's seat.   6. The cargo handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display displays a position of an image to be displayed in accordance with a position of a real image viewed from the driver's seat.   The cargo handling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cargo handling device is provided on the vehicle body so as to be at least tiltable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body or movable in parallel.

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