JP2006027324A - Semi-trailer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semi-trailer capable of allowing a trailer with tires of the minimum number while observing the security reference when the vehicle travels. <P>SOLUTION: The semi-trailer has a plurality of axles. A load sensor is arranged on the rear axles, and an elevating/lowering device to pull up ground contact tires is provided on the front axles. The elevating/lowering device provided on the closest front axle is driven based on the load detected by the load sensor. The load on the rear axles is detected, and the axle closest front axis is pulled up based thereon. When the loading weight of the semi-trailer is small like a case in which cargo is unloaded, the ground contact of the tires is successively released from the forward axles, and the number of the tires in the traveling mode can be reduced. The axles are independently elevated/lowered. In some cases, specified air suspensions are decompressed by an air pump, and the remaining air suspensions are compressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a semi-trailer connected to a tractor (towing vehicle), and more particularly to a technology for raising and lowering an axle that arbitrarily increases or decreases the number of ground tires of the semi-trailer.

  A large trailer whose main purpose is to carry cargo is composed of a tractor (towing vehicle) that can be self-propelled with an engine and a semi-trailer connected to the tractor. Large trailers, like other general vehicles, are subject to the conditions of traveling under the Road Transport Vehicle Law (Act No. 185 of 1951). For example, the total weight of the vehicle, the length of the semi-trailer (farthest axle distance), the axle weight of the automobile, the sum of the loads on the adjacent axles, the wheel load of the automobile, the ground wheel of the steering wheel in the empty state and the loaded state For example, the total sum of such loads.

  By the way, recently, due to the relaxation of so-called administrative regulations, the safety standards for road transport vehicles based on the provisions of Chapter 3 of the Road Transport Vehicle Law have become milder. For example, the permitted weight limit for the passage of special vehicles in relation to the transport of cargo that can be divided is reduced.

  As a result, a transporter using a large trailer can operate a vehicle that exceeds the conventional safety standards with respect to the maximum cargo load and travel speed.

Conventionally, security standards based on the Road Vehicle Law have been strict. Even if the total weight of the semi-trailer is reduced by unloading the load, the wheel load must not exceed 5 tons, and there is a restriction that the ground pressure per centimeter width of the ground contact part of the tire cannot exceed 200 kilograms. there were. For this reason, even when towing a semi-trailer that has been emptied with all the loads lowered, the number of tires had to travel with the maximum load.
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  By the way, as a result of the relaxation of regulations on large trailers, especially the previous severe conditions regarding tire contact pressure, the number of semi-trailer tires can be increased or decreased.

  However, the conventional semi-trailer axle structure that determines the number of axles and the number of tires according to the weight at the time of maximum loading has almost no merit in vehicle operation. This is because the fuel efficiency of the tractor increases as the number of tires that come into contact with the ground increases. In addition, as the number of tires to be grounded increases, the traveling speed does not increase, and the vehicle traveling safety may be impaired. Furthermore, as the number of tires that come in contact with the road surface increases, the road surface is scraped and the tire is worn, so that so-called dust pollution is more likely to occur.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to enable the trailer to travel with a minimum number of tires while observing the safety standards when the vehicle is traveling.

  In order to achieve the above object, the semi-trailer according to claim 1 is provided with a plurality of axles, and a lifting device that raises a grounding tire to the front axle while arranging a load sensor on the rear axle is provided. And the lifting and lowering device provided on the immediately preceding axle is driven based on the load detected by the load sensor.

  When the load on the semi-trailer is light, such as when the load is lowered, by detecting the load applied to the rear axle and pulling up the axle in front of it, the ground contact of the tires is released sequentially from the front axle. Thus, the number of tires during running is reduced. It is not necessary to provide a load sensor on the frontmost axle, and it is not necessary to provide a lifting device on the rearmost axle. When the weight of the semi-trailer increases, it is natural to push down the raised axles sequentially from the rear to increase the number of grounded tires.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is a case where the elevating device is constituted by a plurality of air suspensions connecting the axle and the semi-trailer main body and an air pump device that depressurizes and pressurizes the air in the cylinder of the air suspension. is there.

  A hydraulic device can be used for raising and lowering the axle. However, when the axle is driven up and down using hydraulic pressure, the overall weight of the device increases to an undesirable level. Since the large trailer is subject to weight restrictions such as weight restrictions for the entire vehicle including the tractor and weight restrictions for the semi-trailer, it is desirable to employ an air drive system capable of reducing the weight of the axle lifting device.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the lifting device is constituted by at least three air suspensions. The two air suspensions may be depressurized when the grounded tire is pulled up, and the remaining air suspension may be pressurized.

  The cylinder pistons are expanded and contracted by air supply (pressurization) and suction (decompression) to the cylinder via the pump, and the axle is pushed down or pulled up using this. At this time, when lifting the axle, the two air suspensions are depressurized, and the remaining air suspension is pressurized. This is to increase the responsiveness of the lifting operation by simultaneously applying the force in the opposite direction to the axle. Conversely, when the axle is pushed down, the two air suspensions may be pressurized and the remaining air suspension may be depressurized.

  It is also possible to pressurize the two air suspensions and depressurize the remaining air suspensions when the driving system is opposite to that of claim 3, that is, when the axle is pulled up. However, this configuration makes it difficult to drive up and down by three air suspensions. This is because the responsiveness deteriorates.

  According to the semi-trailer according to the present invention, the most recent front axle can be driven up and down based on a load sensor provided on the rear axle, so that the trailer can be operated with the minimum number of tires while complying with the safety standards when the vehicle is running. It can be run.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the semi-trailer 20 according to the present invention has tires disposed on both ends of a plurality of axles, for example, three axles. Reference numeral 31 denotes a rear front wheel, 41 denotes a rear middle wheel, and 51 denotes a rear rear wheel. And when the weight of the load of the semi-trailer 20 becomes light, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear front wheel 31 is pulled up. When the weight of the load of the semi-trailer 20 is further reduced from the state of FIG. 2, the rear middle wheel 41 is lifted and only the rear rear wheel 51 is grounded as shown in FIG. 1-3, 10 is a tractor. The tractor 10 includes tires 11 and 12 at both ends of an appropriate number, for example, two axles. The rear rear wheel 51 of the semi-trailer 20 and the tires 11 and 12 of the tractor 10 are always grounded.

  Since the rear front wheel 31 and / or the rear middle wheel 41 are driven up and down independently according to the weight of the load (weight on the axle), the semi-trailer 20 according to the present invention has a rear middle wheel as shown in FIG. Load sensors 43 and 53 are provided on the rear axle 40 and the rear rear axle 50, respectively, and air pumps 35 and 45 for driving the rear front axle 30 and the rear middle axle 40 up and down are provided.

  Then, based on the detection values of the load sensors 43 and 53, the air pumps 35 and 45 in the immediate front are driven. As for the order in which the axles (30, 40) are pulled up, the rear front axle 30 has priority over the rear middle axle 40. At the time of lowering (tire contact), lowering the rear middle axle 40 has priority over lowering the rear front axle 30.

  For this reason, the priority of the control based on the load sensors 43 and 53 is such that when the axle (30, 40) is pulled up, the load sensor 43 provided on the axle 40 of the rear middle wheel has priority, and the load sensor 43 is below the threshold value. When the detected value is reached, the air pump 35 is driven to raise the axle 30 of the rear front wheel. In this state, when the load sensor 53 provided on the rear rear wheel axle 50 reaches a detection value equal to or lower than the threshold value, the air pump 45 is driven to raise the rear middle wheel axle 40.

  When the load sensor 43 provided on the rear middle wheel axle 40 reaches a detection value equal to or greater than the threshold value while the rear front wheel axle 30 is pulled up, the air pump 35 is driven to lower the rear front wheel axle 30. Similarly, when the rear middle wheel axle 40 is pulled up and the load sensor 53 provided on the rear rear wheel axle 50 reaches a detection value equal to or greater than the threshold value, the rear middle wheel axle 40 is connected via the air pump 45. Pull down. The driving for raising and lowering the front axle is always given priority, and the load sensor (43) in the latest rear stage has priority over the function of the rear load sensor (53).

  5 to 7 specifically illustrate the structure for raising and lowering the axles (30, 40) by the air pumps (35, 45). A description will be given by taking the rear front wheel axle 30 as an example. The control of the rear middle wheel axle 40 is the same.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of air suspensions 36 to 38 are provided on the axle 30 in order to independently drive the axle 30 of the rear front wheel up and down. Of these, an appropriate number, for example, two air suspensions 36 and 37, control the amount of air through the first air pump 35 / P1, and the other air suspension 38 through the second air pump 35 / P2. Control air volume. The reason why the two air pumps (35 / P1, 35 / P2) are used is to improve the responsiveness. If priority is not given to the responsiveness, the same result can be realized by the same air pump.

  FIG. 6 exemplifies the action of the first air pump 35 / P1 when lifting the rear front axle 30 (upward drive). At this time, the first air pump 35 / P1 has two air suspensions. The air in the cylinder S1 of 36 and 37 is extracted, the movable piston Q1 is contracted, and the axle 30 connected to the movable piston Q1 is moved in the contraction direction (upward). The movable piston Q1 and the axle 30 may be connected indirectly via various members.

  On the other hand, the second air pump 35 / P2, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, supplies air to the cylinder S2 of the air suspension 38, extends and moves the movable piston Q2, and is connected to the movable piston Q2. Is moved upward. The movable piston Q2 and the axle 30 are connected directly or indirectly.

  According to such a configuration, when the amount of product load of the semi-trailer 20 is large, all the axles 30, 40, and 50 are moved down, but when the load becomes slightly light, the load provided on the axle 40 of the rear middle wheel is reduced. When the rear axle wheel 30 is pulled up by the sensor 43 and the load is further reduced, the rear middle wheel axle 40 can be lifted by the load sensor 53 provided on the rear wheel axle 50 to travel.

  Since it is possible to always drive with the optimum number of tires according to the state of the load, it is possible to reduce transportation costs due to improved fuel efficiency, and minimize dust pollution due to tire wear and road surface wear Is possible. Since each of the axles 30 and 40 is driven up and down independently, the optimum traveling condition according to the weight of the load is obtained.

  Since the axles 30 and 40 are driven up and down via the air pumps 35 and 45, the overall weight can be significantly reduced as compared with a drive system using hydraulic pressure. Since the trailer is subject to various weight-related constraints such as the weight of the entire vehicle, the weight of the fifth wheel (semi-trailer connecting portion), the weight of the axle, etc., even if the axles 30 and 40 are driven up and down, A lighter weight is advantageous.

  Further, the air suspensions 36 to 38 that receive the adjustment of the air pressure by the air pump 35 (45) have different functions, and when raising the axle 30 (40), the two air suspensions 36 and 37 are depressurized to move the movable piston. The axle 30 is pulled up from above via Q1, and the air suspension 38 is pressurized to lift the axle 30 from below via the movable piston Q2. Therefore, the relatively heavy axle 30 is driven up and down with high responsiveness by air control. I can do it. When contacting the tire, the decompression / pressurization may be reversed.

  It should be noted that the combination, number, and position of the air suspension decompression / pressurization in the lifting / lowering operation of the axles (30, 40) may be appropriately designed according to the size of the semi-trailer 20 and the number of axles. In the present embodiment, the description has been given with three axles, but in the case of two axles or four axles, the point that each axle is driven up and down independently, and the rear rear wheel is always grounded is the same, The same is true in that it is desirable to lift the axle from the foremost axle when driving it up, and to lower it sequentially from the rear axle when driving it down.

It is the 1st figure which illustrates the ground contact state of the tire of the semi-trailer concerning an embodiment. It is a 2nd figure which illustrates the grounding state of the tire of the semi-trailer which concerns on embodiment. It is a 3rd figure which illustrates the contact state of the tire of the semi-trailer which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the drive principle of the axle shaft concerning embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the air suspension which concerns on embodiment. It is a 1st figure which shows the relationship between the effect | action of the air pump which concerns on embodiment, and an axle. It is a 2nd figure which shows the relationship between the effect | action of the air pump which concerns on embodiment, and an axle.

Explanation of symbols

20 Semi-trailer 30 Rear front wheel axle 31 Rear front wheel 35, 45 Air pump 36-38 Air suspension 40 Rear middle wheel axle 41 Rear middle wheel 43, 53 Load sensor 50 Rear rear wheel axle 51 Rear rear wheel P1 First air pump P2 Second air pump Q1, Q2 Movable piston

Claims (3)

In semi-trailers with multiple axles,
While providing a load sensor on the rear axle, a lifting device for raising the grounded tire on the front axle is provided,
A semi-trailer that drives a lifting and lowering device provided on an immediately preceding axle based on a load detected by a load sensor. The lifting device is
A plurality of air suspensions connecting the axle and the semi-trailer body,
The semi-trailer according to claim 1, wherein the semi-trailer is constituted by an air pump device that depressurizes and pressurizes air in a cylinder of the air suspension. The lifting device includes at least three air suspensions,
The semi-trailer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two air suspensions are depressurized when the grounded tire is pulled up, and the remaining air suspensions are pressurized when the grounded tire is pulled up.

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