JP2006131044A - Vehicle to be towed, and vehicle system having vehicle to be towed - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle to be towed which can increase the transporting efficiency of an article to be transported which is mounted on the vehicle to be towed, and to provided a vehicle system having the vehicle to be towed. <P>SOLUTION: A towing lorry 1 which transports cargo by towing comprises a towing vehicle (listed as an operating vehicle hereafter) 2 on the pulling side, and the vehicle to be towed (listed as a carrier hereafter) 3 which is on the side to be pulled by the operating vehicle 2. The operating vehicle 2 is a vehicle which can self-propel, and with which the carrier 3 is couple-connected through a connecting mechanism, e.g., a hook mechanism and so forth. The carrier 3 is a cargo vehicle on which cargo can be loaded, and can be separated from the operating vehicle 2 by placing the connecting mechanism under a disconnected state. The carrier 3 is equipped with a driving motor 5 as a travel driving source so that the self-propelling may become possible, and can travel by the driving force of the driving motor 5 when being separated from the operating vehicle 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a towed vehicle that can be towed by a towed vehicle and a vehicle system with a towed vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tow vehicle that pulls and carries a towed vehicle has been widely used as a vehicle for carrying a transported item such as a luggage. This type of tow vehicle (pull-side vehicle) is a vehicle that carries a load on a to-be-towed vehicle (pull-side vehicle) such as a connected cart, and is widely known There are trailer cars. As another example, there is a case in which a loading vehicle or the like is connected to a normal passenger car via a hook mechanism, and the loading vehicle is pulled by the passenger vehicle to carry the cargo.

  By the way, when carrying a load with this tow vehicle, it is necessary to load and unload the load on the carrier vehicle. However, since this unloading work is performed by, for example, a forklift, a separately prepared carriage, or a manual work by personnel, when moving the load, it is necessary to load and unload individual loads, There was a problem that transportation efficiency was not good. In particular, when the load becomes heavy, the difficulty of loading and unloading becomes particularly noticeable, and there has been a demand for improving the efficiency of transportation.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a towed vehicle and a vehicle system with a towed vehicle that can improve the transportation efficiency of a transported object placed on the towed vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, in the invention according to claim 1, in a towed vehicle that is connected to a towed vehicle that can tow another vehicle and travels by being pulled by the towed vehicle, driving at the time of traveling is performed. The gist of the invention is that it comprises a driving means as a source and an operating means operated when driving the driving means.

  According to the present invention, since the drive means serving as a drive source during traveling is provided in the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle can run on its own. Therefore, when loading or unloading a load such as a load on a towed vehicle, it is possible to move the towed vehicle itself to a place where the load is located while loading the towed vehicle. When the object is lowered from the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle itself can be moved to the place where the object is placed. Therefore, compared with the case where the transported goods in the towed vehicle are individually transported by an industrial vehicle, a carriage, etc., the transporting work of the transported goods can be performed easily, and the transport efficiency of the transported goods is improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a steering mechanism that changes a traveling direction of the vehicle in accordance with a steering operation is provided, and the operating means is operated when the steering mechanism is operated. The gist is that it also serves as an operating means.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the invention described in claim 1, the operating means that operates when driving the driving means (that is, moving the towed vehicle forward and backward) and the steering mechanism are operated (that is, the steering mechanism is operated). The operation means for steering the towed vehicle) is also used as one operation means. Accordingly, the number of parts is reduced as compared with the case where individual operation means are prepared for each of these operation systems, which contributes to cost reduction of the operation system parts.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the operation means is a member that is also used as the tow vehicle and is detached from the tow vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle. Is the gist.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, when the towed vehicle is driven, for example, the operating means is detached from the towed vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle to be towed. The vehicle is ready to travel. Therefore, if the operating means is detached from the towed vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle in order to run the towed vehicle, the operating means is not attached to the towed vehicle in that state, and the towed vehicle cannot travel. It becomes a state. Accordingly, if the operating means is also used between the towed vehicle and the towed vehicle, only one of the towed vehicle and the towed vehicle can travel, and it is difficult to fall into a situation where the vehicle on the side that is not driving is arbitrarily ridden. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of vehicle theft.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation means detects the operation amount of the operation means, and outputs the detected value as an electric signal; The gist of the present invention is that it includes control means for inputting the detection value of the detection means and controlling the running state of the vehicle based on the detection value.

  According to this invention, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the operation means of the operation means is detected by the detection means, and the control means determines the traveling state based on the detected value. The traveling system device is controlled by a so-called by-wire system. In this way, if the operation of the traveling system device is a by-wire system, for example, compared to a structure in which the operating means and the traveling system device are mechanically connected, a structure in which the operating means can be detached from the towed vehicle can be achieved. It is possible to make the structure as simple as possible.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the invention of the third or fourth aspect, when the operating means is attached to the towed vehicle, the unique identification information of the operating means is given to the towed vehicle side. The gist of the invention is that it includes a collating unit that collates the data and a permitting unit that permits the operation of the driving unit when the collating unit determines that the collation is established.

  According to the present invention, the operation of the invention according to claim 3 or 4 is added, and the operation of the towed vehicle is permitted only by the operation means determined to be verified by the verification means. Therefore, when the operation means that is not authorized is attached to the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle cannot be driven with that, which further contributes to improving the security against vehicle theft.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the tow vehicle collates with the tow vehicle side the unique identification information of the operation means. The gist of the present invention is that it includes a side collating unit and a tow vehicle side permitting unit that permits travel of the tow vehicle when the towing vehicle side collating unit determines that the collation is established.

  According to this invention, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the operation of the tow vehicle is permitted only by the operation means determined to be verified by the tow vehicle side verification means. . Therefore, when the operation means that is not authorized is attached to the towing vehicle, the towing vehicle cannot be driven, which further contributes to improving the security against vehicle theft.

The gist of the invention according to claim 7 is that, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the operating means is a rod-shaped lever member.
According to this invention, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, since the operating means is a lever member having a grip portion in a rod shape, the operating means can be operated with one hand. It is done by tilting back and forth and left and right while gripping the rod-shaped part. Accordingly, the driving operation can be performed with one hand, and the driving operation in an easy posture can be performed with the simplification of the operation of the operating means during the driving. Further, since the lever member has a compact shape, when the operation means is a lever member, there is an advantage that the operation means can be easily carried when the operation means is detached from the vehicle.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the second verification means for verifying the unique identification information of the key means with the towed vehicle side; The gist of the invention is that the second verification unit includes a second permission unit that permits the operation of the driving unit when it is determined that the verification is established.

  According to this invention, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the second checking means determines that the key means forms a set with the towed vehicle, Based on the collation result, the operation of the drive means is permitted by the second permission means. Therefore, the operation of the towed vehicle is permitted only when the authorized key means is provided, and only the authorized driver having the key means can drive the towed vehicle. Become.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the communication means for inputting an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the traveling system input by the tow vehicle; The gist is provided with travel control means for controlling at least the drive means based on the operation signal input via the communication means during travel of the tow vehicle.

  According to this invention, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, when the tow vehicle travels by towing the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle is separated from the towed vehicle via the communication means. An operation signal based on the driving operation is input, and the operation is performed based on the operation signal. Therefore, for example, when the towed vehicle inputs an operation signal indicating that the towed vehicle is moving forward, if the drive unit is driven to move the towed vehicle forward, the towed unit drive means is towed. It will be used as auxiliary power for vehicles. Therefore, it contributes to the improvement of traveling performance when the towing vehicle is towing.

  In a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle system with a towed vehicle including a towed vehicle capable of towing another vehicle and a towed vehicle towed by the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle is The gist of the invention is that it includes a driving unit serving as a driving source and an operating unit operated when the driving unit is driven. According to the present invention, an effect similar to that of the first aspect can be obtained.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the conveyance efficiency of the conveyed product mounted on the towed vehicle can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a towed vehicle and a vehicle system with a towed vehicle embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the towing vehicle 1. A towing vehicle 1 that transports luggage by towing includes a pulling tow vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a driving vehicle) 2 and a towed vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a carrier) 3 to be pulled by the driving vehicle 2. . The driving vehicle 2 is a vehicle capable of self-propelling, and the carrier 3 is connected and connected via a connecting mechanism 4 such as a hook mechanism. The hook mechanism mentioned here is a mechanism for connecting the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 with one point support. In this example, three carriers 3 are pulled by one driving vehicle 2, but the number of carriers 3 can be changed as appropriate.

  The carrier 3 is a load carrier vehicle capable of loading a load, and can be separated from the driving vehicle 2 by setting the connecting mechanism 4 in an unconnected state. The carrier 3 includes a drive motor 5 as a travel drive source so that it can run on its own, and can travel by the driving force of the drive motor 5 when separated from the driving vehicle 2. The carrier 3 is provided with a step 3a at the bottom of the back, and when the carrier 3 is driven, the driver gets on the step 3a and faces backward (in a state facing away from the driving of the driving vehicle 2). Perform driving operation. The tow truck 1 corresponds to a vehicle system, and the drive motor 5 corresponds to a drive unit.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3. In addition to the drive motor 5 described above, the carrier 3 provides a carrier-side ECU 6 for overall control of the carrier 3, a steering mechanism 8 for steering the wheel 7 to change the traveling direction of the carrier 3, and a braking force to the wheel 7. And a carrier-side battery 10 that supplies electric power to various circuits in the carrier 3 and the drive motor 5. In this example, the carrier 3 is an electric power type that is driven by the drive motor 5, but is not limited thereto, and may be an engine type that is driven by gasoline. The carrier-side ECU 6 constitutes control means, permission means, second permission means, and travel control means.

  The carrier 3 includes an operation device 11 that is operated when the carrier 3 is moved forward, backward, and steered. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation device 11 is a lever member having a bar-shaped portion 11 a to be gripped, and is a member shared with the driving vehicle 2. That is, when driving the driving vehicle 2, the operating device 11 is attached to the driving vehicle 2 and used as an operating member for changing the traveling speed or the steering angle of the driving vehicle 2, and when operating the carrier 3, The operation device 11 is detached from the driving vehicle 2 and attached to the carrier 3 and used as an operation member for changing the traveling speed or the steering angle of the carrier 3. When the driving vehicle 2 is driven again, the operation device 11 is detached from the carrier 3 and attached to the driving vehicle 2 for use. The operation device 11 corresponds to an operation unit.

  An arm portion 3b is formed on the back surface of the carrier 3 so as to protrude rearward (left side in FIG. 3). An attachment portion 12 for attaching the operation device 11 is formed on the arm portion 3b, and the operation device 11 is detachably attached to the attachment portion 12. As a structure for attaching / detaching the operation device 11 to / from the attachment portion 12, in addition to a structure for simply inserting / removing the attachment device 12, for example, in the attachment state, the attachment device 12 is locked on the attachment portion 12 side. The structure may be such that the operation device 11 can be detached from the attachment portion 12 when the locking state is released by pushing.

  As an operation mode when the operation device 11 is attached to the carrier 3, when the operation device 11 is tilted forward (arrow A direction in FIG. 3), the carrier 3 moves forward, and the operation device 11 is moved backward (arrow in FIG. 3). When the vehicle is tilted in the B direction, the driving vehicle moves backward. Further, when the operating device 11 is tilted to the right (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3), the carrier 3 is steered to the right, and when the operating device 11 is tilted to the left (in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 3), it is steered to the left. That is, the forward / backward operation and the steering operation can be performed with one operation device 11. For example, when the operation device 11 is tilted to the right, the carrier 3 turns to the right while moving forward. The carrier 3 turns to the right while moving backward.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connection structure between the operation device 11, the drive motor 5, and the steering mechanism 8 uses a by-wire system, which will be described below. The carrier 3 includes an operation amount detection sensor 14 that detects an operation amount of the operation device 11. The operation amount detection sensor 14 is a sensor composed of a plurality of switch elements capable of detecting the inclination angle α and the steering angle β (see FIG. 4) of the operation device 11, and the operation amount of the operation device 11, that is, the inclination angle α of the operation device 11. And a detection signal corresponding to the steering angle β is output to the carrier-side ECU 6. The carrier-side ECU 6 recognizes the operation position of the operation device 11 based on the detection signal input from the operation amount detection sensor 14, and sets the drive circuit 15 so that the carrier 3 has a traveling speed corresponding to the inclination angle α of the operation device 11. And the steering mechanism 8 is controlled so that the wheel 7 has a steering amount corresponding to the steering angle β of the operation device 11. The operation amount detection sensor 14 corresponds to detection means.

  The operation device 11 can wirelessly communicate with the carrier 3 so as to perform ID collation, and includes a device-side ECU 16 that controls the communication and a communication circuit 17 that transmits and receives various signals. The memory 16a of the device side ECU 16 stores a device-specific ID code (identification information). The carrier 3 includes a verification ECU 18 that performs ID verification with the operation device 11 and a communication circuit 19 that transmits and receives various signals to and from the operation device 11. An ID code (identification information) unique to the carrier is stored in the memory 18a of the verification ECU 18. In addition, collation ECU18 and the communication circuit 19 comprise a collation means, and collation ECU18 comprises a 2nd collation means.

  The verification ECU 18 intermittently transmits a request signal Srq from the antenna 19a of the communication circuit 19 in a normal state. When the operation device 11 enters the communication area of the request signal Srq and receives the request signal Srq by the antenna 17a of the communication circuit 17, the device-side ECU 16 responds to it and sends the identification signal Sid carrying its own ID code to the communication circuit 17 And from the antenna 17a. When receiving the identification signal Sid via the antenna 19 a and the communication circuit 19, the verification ECU 18 performs ID verification using its own ID code, and determines whether or not the operation device 11 is paired with the carrier 3. When the verification ECU 18 determines that the ID verification is matched, it outputs a verification match signal Sa to the carrier-side ECU 6. When the collation coincidence signal Sa is input, the carrier side ECU 6 determines that the regular operation device 11 is attached to the carrier 3.

  The carrier 3 includes a brake pedal 20 that is operated when braking is applied to the carrier 3, and a pedal depression amount detection sensor 21 that detects a depression amount (operation amount) of the brake pedal 20. The brake pedal 20 is disposed on the floor surface of the step 3a so that the driver who has stepped on the step 3a can step on with his / her foot. The pedal depression amount detection sensor 21 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the depression amount of the brake pedal 20 to the carrier side ECU 6. The carrier-side ECU 6 recognizes the depression amount of the brake pedal 20 based on the detection signal input from the pedal depression amount detection sensor 21, and controls the braking mechanism 9 so that the braking force according to the depression amount is generated.

  The carrier 3 includes a connection mechanism release detection switch 22 that detects whether or not the connection mechanism 4 is in the release state. For example, a limit switch or the like is used as the connection mechanism release detection switch 22 and outputs an ON signal when the connection mechanism 4 is in a connected state, and outputs an OFF signal when the connection mechanism 4 is in a released state. When the carrier-side ECU 6 receives an ON signal from the connection mechanism release detection switch 22, the carrier-side ECU 6 determines that the carrier 3 is connected to the driving vehicle 2 via the connection mechanism 4, while the connection mechanism release detection switch 22 receives an OFF signal. Is input, it is determined that the coupling mechanism 4 is in a non-coupled state.

  On the other hand, the driving vehicle 2 includes a main-side ECU 23 that performs overall control of the driving vehicle 2, a drive motor 25 that rotates wheels 24 as a drive source of the driving vehicle 2, a steering mechanism 26 that changes the traveling direction of the driving vehicle 2, and wheels. A braking mechanism 27 that applies a braking force to 24 and a main battery 28 that supplies electric power to various circuits in the driving vehicle 2 and the drive motor 25 are provided. In this example, the driving vehicle 2 is an electric power type that is driven by the drive motor 25 as in the case of the carrier 3, but is not limited thereto, and may be an engine type that is driven by gasoline. The main ECU 23 corresponds to the towing vehicle side permission means.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the interior of the driving vehicle 2. A seat 29 on which the driver is seated is installed in the driver's cab 2a of the driving vehicle 2, and a support base 30a extending from the instrument panel 30 toward the seat 29 is disposed in front of the seat 29. An attachment portion 31 for attaching the operation device 11 is disposed on the support base 30a. As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment structure of the operation device 11 to the attachment portion 31 and the operation amount detection structure of the operation device 11 have the same structure as the carrier 3 side.

  Accordingly, the verification ECU 32 shown in FIG. 1 attempts to establish communication with the operation device 11 via the communication circuit 33 and the antenna 33a, and performs ID verification with the identification signal Sid received at the time of communication establishment. The main ECU 23 controls the driving motor 25 and the steering mechanism 26 via the driving circuit 25a based on the detection signal of the operation amount detection sensor 34 on condition that the ID verification is established. To do. The verification ECU 32 and the communication circuit 33 constitute a towing vehicle side verification unit.

  The driving vehicle 2 includes a brake pedal 35 that is operated when braking the driving vehicle 2, and a pedal depression amount detection sensor 36 that detects a depression amount (operation amount) of the brake pedal 35. The brake pedal 35 is disposed on the floor surface of the driver's cab 2a so that the driver sitting on the seat 29 can step on with his / her foot. The main ECU 23 controls the braking mechanism 27 so that a braking force corresponding to the amount of depression of the brake pedal 35 is generated based on the detection signal input from the pedal depression amount detection sensor 36.

  The driving vehicle 2 includes various traveling system devices 37 including a blinker, a hazard, a wiper, a headlight, and the like. In addition, the driving vehicle 2 includes various traveling system operation members 38 that are operated when operating various traveling system devices, and an on / off type switch group 39 that detects that the various traveling system operation members 38 are operated. I have. The main-side ECU 23 recognizes which travel system operation member 38 has been operated based on the switch signal from the switch group 39, and activates the various travel system devices 37 corresponding to the operated operation member 38.

  The driving vehicle 2 includes an I / F circuit 40 serving as a data entrance / exit with the carrier 3. The I / F circuit 40 operates based on a command received from the main ECU 23 and outputs various signals based on operations of the driving vehicle 2 to the carrier 3. On the other hand, the carrier 3 is provided with an I / F circuit 41 serving as a data gateway when communicating with the driving vehicle 2, and the I / F circuit 41 and the I / F circuit 40 on the driving vehicle 2 side are connected by a cable. By connecting at 42, the driving vehicle 2 is electrically connected. The I / F circuit 41 operates based on a command received from the carrier side ECU 6, and outputs various signals input from the driving vehicle 2 to the carrier side ECU 6. The I / F circuit 41 corresponds to communication means.

Next, the operation | movement at the time of driving the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 of this example is demonstrated.
When carrying a load with the tow truck 1, the carrier 3 is loaded with a load, and the driving vehicle 2 pulls the carrier 3 to travel to the destination. When the destination is reached, it is necessary to carry the load to the loading place in order to unload the load in the carrier 3 at the loading place. Here, since the carrier 3 of this example is provided with the drive motor 5 that can be a travel drive source, the driver or the like drives the carrier 3 and travels to the loading place.

  When self-propelled by the carrier 3, first, the operation device 11 is removed from the driving vehicle 2 and attached to the attachment portion 12 of the carrier 3. When the operation device 11 is attached to the carrier 3, the verification ECU 18 of the carrier 3 performs ID verification with the device-side ECU 16 in the operation device 11, and when the ID verification is established, the verification ECU 18 forms a pair with the carrier 3. It is determined that the operation device 11 is attached to the carrier 3, and the collation coincidence signal Sa is output to the carrier-side ECU 6.

  In parallel with the attachment of the operation device 11 to the attachment portion 12, an operation of bringing the connection mechanism 4 into a non-connected state and an operation of removing the cable 42 from the I / F circuit 41 of the driving vehicle 2 are performed. Since the off signal is output from the connection mechanism release detection switch 22 when the connection mechanism 4 is in the non-connection state, the carrier side ECU 6 recognizes that the connection mechanism 4 is in the release state based on this signal input. The carrier-side ECU 6 also monitors the input state of the I / F circuit 41 and recognizes through the I / F circuit 41 that the cable 42 has been disconnected from the carrier 3 (or the driving vehicle 2 is also acceptable). Accordingly, the carrier-side ECU 6 determines that the collation matching with the operation device 11, the unconnected state of the connecting mechanism 4, and the condition that the cable 42 is disconnected from the carrier 3, the drive motor 5, the steering mechanism 8, A self-running mode state in which the operation of the braking mechanism 9 is permitted is entered.

  In the self-running mode state in which the operation of the drive motor 5, the steering mechanism 8 and the brake mechanism 9 is permitted, when the operation device 11 is tilted forward, the carrier 3 moves forward by forward rotation of the drive motor 5, for example. Is tilted backward, for example, the carrier 3 moves backward by the reverse rotation of the drive motor 5. The traveling speed of the carrier 3 at this time is set to a speed corresponding to the inclination angle α of the operation device 11.

  When the operation device 11 is tilted to the right, the wheel 7 is steered to the right by the steering mechanism 8, and when the operation device 11 is tilted to the left, the wheel 7 is steered to the left by the steering mechanism 8. When the operation device 11 is tilted forward to the right, for example, the drive motor 5 is rotated forward and the wheel 7 is steered to the right by the steering mechanism 8. On the other hand, when the operation device 11 is tilted to the left front side, for example, the drive motor 5 is rotated forward and the wheel 7 is steered to the left by the steering mechanism 8. The steering amount of the wheel 7 at this time is set to a steering amount corresponding to the steering angle β of the operation device 11.

  By operating the operation device 11 as described above, the carrier 3 travels to the loading place, and after arriving at the loading place, the work of lowering the load in the carrier 3 to the loading place is performed. Therefore, in this example, since the drive motor 5 is mounted on the carrier 3 so as to be able to run on its own, the carrier 3 itself can be moved to the loading place, and the load in the carrier 3 can be moved by an industrial vehicle or a carriage. Compared with the case of carrying individually, it becomes possible to carry out the load carrying work more easily, and the workability of the load carrying work is improved.

  After unloading, the carrier 3 is reconnected to the driving vehicle 2 via the connecting mechanism 4 and the cable 42 is connected to the I / F circuits 40 and 41. At this time, when the carrier-side ECU 6 recognizes at least one of the input of the ON signal from the coupling mechanism release detection switch 22 and the insertion of the cable 42 based on the input state monitoring of the I / F circuit 41, the carrier 3 is in the driving vehicle 2. The carrier 3 is determined to be connected to the non-self-running mode. In the non-self-propelled mode state, the operation of the drive motor 5 and the steering mechanism 8 with the operation device 11 attached to the carrier 3 and the braking operation with the brake pedal 20 are not permitted. As a result, the carrier 3 cannot be moved by the operation device 11 after the connection.

  When the driving vehicle 2 travels after the carrier is connected, the operation device 11 is attached to the driving vehicle again. At this time, similarly to the carrier 3 side, ID verification is performed between the operation device 11 and the driving vehicle 2, and the operation of the driving vehicle 2 is permitted only when the ID verification is established. When driving the carrier 3 with the driving vehicle 2, the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 operate as follows. When the carrier 3 is towed by the driving vehicle 2, the steering mechanism 8 on the carrier 3 side does not operate even if the operation device 11 is operated, and the neutral position state of the wheel 7 on the carrier 3 side is maintained. The

  First, when the operation device 11 is operated forward (reverse operation), the main ECU 23 drives the drive motor 25 via the drive circuit 25a. The drive command signal Sr corresponding to the drive amount of the drive motor 25 at this time is driven. Is output to the carrier 3 via the I / F circuit 40. The carrier-side ECU 6 inputs a drive command signal Sr via the I / F circuit 41 and drives the drive motor 5 via the drive circuit 15 based on this drive command signal Sr. Accordingly, the drive motor 5 on the carrier 3 side operates as an auxiliary power source. At this time, the drive amount of the drive motor 5 is set to a value corresponding to the operation amount of the operation device 11. For example, if the accelerator operation amount is large, the drive amount of the drive motor 5 increases accordingly, and the drive motor 5 assists. Strength increases.

  When the operation device 11 is steered, the main ECU 23 activates the steering mechanism 26. At this time, the steering command signal St indicating that the steering operation has been performed is transmitted via the I / F circuit 40 to the carrier 3. Output to. The carrier side ECU 6 inputs a steering command signal St via the I / F circuit 41 and stops driving of the drive motor 5 via the drive circuit 15 based on the steering command signal St. At this time, the drive motor 5 is stopped, but the wheels 7 of the carrier 3 maintain a state in which rotation is permitted by the regenerative operation of the drive motor 5.

  By the way, if the driving motor 5 of the carrier 3 remains in an operating state when the driving vehicle 2 is steered, a force in a direction different from the steering direction is applied to the rear side of the driving vehicle 2 at the time of steering, and smooth. The direction of travel cannot be changed. However, if the drive motor 5 on the carrier 3 side is stopped during steering as in this example, a force that prevents smooth steering during steering is not applied to the driving vehicle 2, and the driving vehicle 2 is smooth. Steering is ensured. Then, when the steering of the operation device 11 is returned to the neutral position so that the driving vehicle 2 travels straight, the drive of the drive motor 5 is resumed. The electric power generated during the regenerative operation of the drive motor 5 may be stored in the carrier side battery 10 (main side battery 28).

  When the brake pedal 35 is depressed, the main ECU 23 activates the braking mechanism 27. The brake command signal Su corresponding to the depression amount (operation amount) of the brake pedal 35 at this time is sent to the I / F circuit. Output to the carrier 3 via 40. When the carrier side ECU 6 inputs the braking command signal Su via the I / F circuit 41, the carrier side ECU 6 operates the braking mechanism 9 based on the braking command signal Su. At this time, the braking force generated by the braking mechanism 9 is set to a value corresponding to the depression amount of the brake pedal 35 of the driving vehicle 2. For example, if the depression amount of the pedal is large, the braking force by the braking mechanism 9 increases accordingly.

  Note that the driving vehicle 2 can travel only by the driving vehicle 2 without towing the carrier 3. That is, if the ID collation is established between the operation device 11 and the driving vehicle 2 and the regular operation device 11 is attached to the driving vehicle 2, the operation device 11 is connected regardless of the connection / disconnection of the carrier 3. It is possible to travel only with the driving vehicle 2 by operating.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the drive motor 5 is mounted on the carrier 3 on the towed side so that the carrier 3 can run on its own, the carrier 3 itself can be moved to the place where the load is loaded when loading the carrier 3. When unloading the carrier 3, the carrier 3 itself can be moved to the loading place. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily carry the load as compared with the case of loading and unloading the load using an industrial vehicle, a carriage, or the like, and the load carrying efficiency can be improved.

  (2) Since the operation device 11 is also used between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3, the number of parts is reduced as compared with the case where this operation system component is prepared for each of the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3. The part cost for the operation system parts can be kept low. In addition, when the operation device 11 is shared between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 in this way, if the operation device 11 is attached to one of the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3, the operation device 11 is attached to the other. No state. Accordingly, when one of the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 is being driven, the other vehicle cannot be driven and the vehicle on the side not being driven is arbitrarily driven by a third party. It is difficult to fall into such a situation, and the vehicle theft prevention effect is also high. In addition, since the vehicle does not move unless the operation device 11 is attached, it is difficult for the vehicle to move freely due to, for example, forgetting to pull the shift lever, which is highly effective in terms of safety. .

  (3) The driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 have a structure in which acceleration operation and steering operation are performed by a by-wire method. Here, for example, when the operation amount of the operation system component is transmitted to the drive system component and the steering system component by the mechanical mechanism, the operation device 11 is moved from the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 from the viewpoint of accurate operation amount transmission. The structure that can be attached and detached becomes complicated. However, if the by-wire method is employed as in this example, the structure that allows the operation device 11 to be attached to and detached from the driving vehicle 2 or the carrier 3 can be made as simple as possible.

  (4) The operation device 11 is provided with an ID code, and the operation vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 are not permitted to be operated unless ID verification is established with the operation device 11. Therefore, the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 cannot be driven by the substitute device for the operation device 11 or the operation device 11 of another vehicle, and the security against vehicle theft is improved.

  (5) Since the operation device 11 is a rod-shaped lever member, the operation of the operation device 11 is performed by tilting back and forth and right and left in a gripped state where the rod-shaped portion is grasped with one hand. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the driving operation with one hand, and the driving operation can be performed with an easy posture along with the simplification of the traveling operation during driving. Further, when the operation device 11 is a lever member, when the operation device 11 is attached to and detached from the attachment portions 12 and 31, the operation device 11 can be attached and detached in a gripped state, and the operation device 11 is easily attached and detached. be able to.

  (6) When the driving vehicle 2 pulls the carrier 3, the carrier 3 operates in conjunction with the driving operation of the driving vehicle 2, so that various operation signals (drive command signal Sr, steering command signal St from the driving vehicle 2 are operated. , Based on the braking command signal Su). As an example, since the drive motor 5 of the carrier 3 operates as an auxiliary power source of the driving vehicle 2, for example, the traveling performance of the driving vehicle 2 can be improved. Further, when the driving vehicle 2 is steered, the driving of the driving motor 5 of the carrier 3 is stopped, so that smooth steering of the driving vehicle 2 can be ensured. Further, when the brake pedal 35 is depressed in the driving vehicle 2, the braking mechanism 9 of the carrier 3 is also operated, so that the braking mechanism 9 works as an auxiliary brake and the braking performance is improved.

In addition, embodiment is not limited to the said structure, You may change into the following aspects.
The operation permission of the carrier 3 is not limited to establishment of ID verification between the carrier 3 and the operation device 11. For example, even if a slot for inserting a vehicle key is provided in the carrier 3 and a regular vehicle key inserted in the slot is turned and the engine switch is turned on in accordance with this operation, the driving of the carrier 3 is permitted. Good. In this case, the operation device 11 may be attached and fixed to the carrier 3. In addition, this type of collation is not limited to mechanical key collation using vehicle keys, for example, electronic key collation that performs ID collation wirelessly, magnetic collation that uses a magnetic card, and fingerprints that use fingerprints such as driver's fingers Various methods such as verification may be employed. The vehicle key, electronic key, magnetic card and fingerprint correspond to the key means.

  For example, an engine start switch may be provided on the carrier, and when the engine start switch is pressed after the above-described verifications are established, the carrier 3 may be turned on so that the carrier 3 can run.

  The operation permission of the carrier 3 is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be a retractable type as shown in FIG. This will be described in detail below. On the wall surface of the carrier 3, a rotation member 45 that can be rotated about a pair of shaft portions 45 a is attached, and the inner surface of the rotation member 45 (that is, the rotation member 45 is attached). The operation device 11 is fixedly attached to the inner surface) of the closed state. The carrier 3 is embedded with a locking mechanism 46 that locks the closed rotation member 45 so as not to open. When the regular vehicle key is inserted into the slot 47 on the carrier wall surface and turned when the rotation member 45 is in the closed state, the locking mechanism 46 is in the non-locking state and the rotation member 45 is in the open state. Can be exposed and operated. The release of the locking mechanism 46 is not limited to mechanical key verification using vehicle keys, and various verifications such as electronic key verification, magnetic verification, and fingerprint verification described above may be used.

  The operation permission of the carrier 3 is not limited to the above embodiments, and for example, the following example may be adopted. For example, by forming a keyway in the operation device 11 and preventing the operation device 11 from being inserted into the attachment parts 12 and 31 if the keyway does not coincide with the attachment parts 12 and 31 side, The operation of the carrier 3 may be prevented.

  -Although the operation device 11 combines both operation of driving | running | working operation and steering operation, it is not necessary to necessarily provide both functions, and the structure which has only one function among these both operations may be sufficient. For example, if the operation device 11 has a function of only the steering system, an accelerator pedal is provided at step 3a of the carrier 3, and the carrier 3 is caused to travel by the depression operation.

  The operation system parts that are shared between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 are not limited to parts of the travel operation system and the steering operation system. For example, a braking system operating component (that is, a brake pedal), a transmission system operating component (that is, a shift lever), or the like may be shared between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3. That is, the operation system component shared between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3 only needs to share at least one of the travel system, the steering system, the braking system, and the transmission system.

-The shape of the operation device 11 is not limited to a lever shape, For example, you may employ | adopt various shapes, such as a normal ring shape.
The operation device 11 is not necessarily shared between the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3, and a dedicated operation device 11 may be prepared for each of the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3. In this case, the operation device 11 does not necessarily need to be detachable.

  The operation device 11 may be provided with a mode switching switch for switching the operation system mode, and a single operation device 11 may operate a plurality of operation systems. In other words, the operating device 11 functions as a traveling system operating component in a state where the mode switching switch has never been pressed, and when the mode switching switch is pressed once, the operating device 11 is the braking traveling system. It is good also as a structure which functions as an operation component.

The steering of the carrier 3 is not limited to the direction steering of the wheel 7, and the driving motor 5 may be independent of the left and right wheels, for example, and may be steered by the difference in the rotation amount of the left and right wheels.
The operation amount detection sensor 14 may be integrated with the operation device 11. When this example is shown in FIG. 7, the operation device 11 has a lever body 48 that is a movable side, a lever support portion 49 that is a fixed side, and a lever-side connector 50 that is an electrical connection portion of the operation device 11. An operation amount detection sensor 14 (34) for detecting the operation amount of the lever main body 48 is embedded in the lever support portion 49. The operation device 11 is attached to the vehicle (the driving vehicle 2 and the carrier 3) by connecting the lever side connector 50 to the vehicle side connector 51. In this operation device 11, the vehicle body is operated by operating the lever body 48 in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the lever support portion 49, and the operation amount at this time is detected by the operation amount detection sensor 14 (34). The sensor 14 (34) outputs the operation signal to the vehicle side via both connectors 50 and 51. In this case, since the operation amount detection sensor 14 (34) is attached to the operation device 11, a unitized operation device 11 with a built-in sensor can be provided.

Next, the technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and other examples will be described below.
(1) In any one of Claims 1-9, the steering mechanism which changes the advancing direction of a vehicle according to steering operation, and the steering operation means operated when operating the said steering mechanism were provided.

(2) In any one of claims 1 to 9, a braking mechanism that applies braking to the vehicle in response to a braking operation, and a braking operation unit that is operated when the braking mechanism is operated are provided.
(3) In any one of claims 1 to 9, a transmission that changes an output ratio of a driving amount of the driving unit, and a transmission operation unit that is operated when a gear position of the transmission is changed. Prepared.

  (4) In any one of the technical ideas (1) to (3), at least one of the operation means, the steering operation means, the braking operation means, and the transmission operation means is the towing vehicle. The operating means is also used as a member that is detached from the towed vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle.

  (5) In the technical idea (4), the operating means, the steering operating means, the braking operating means, and the transmission operating means that are detached from the towed vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle Is provided with collation means for collating unique identification information with the towed vehicle side, and permission means for permitting operation of the drive means when the collation means determines that collation is established.

  (6) In any one of claims 5 to 9, the operation means transmits a unique identification code as the identification information by wireless communication, and the verification means receives the identification code received via the wireless communication. The collation is performed based on the above.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the towing vehicle in one Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the electric structure of a driving vehicle and a carrier. The perspective view explaining the attachment state to the carrier of an operation device. The schematic diagram which shows the operation state of an operation device. The perspective view which shows the driver's compartment of a driving vehicle. The perspective view which looked at the carrier in another example from the wall surface side. The side view which shows the attachment vicinity of the operation device in another example.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Towing vehicle as a vehicle system, 2 ... Driving vehicle as towing vehicle, 3 ... Carrier as towed vehicle, 5 ... Drive motor as drive means, 6 ... Control means, permission means, second permission means, and Carrier ECU that constitutes the travel control means, 8... Steering mechanism, 11... Operation device as the operation means, 14... Operation amount detection sensor as the detection means, 18 ... Collation ECU that constitutes the second collation means, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Communication circuit which comprises collation means, 23 ... Main side ECU as tow vehicle side permission means, 32 ... Collation ECU which comprises tow vehicle side collation means, 33 ... Communication circuit which comprises tow vehicle side collation means, 41 ... I / F circuit as communication means.

Claims (10)

In a towed vehicle that is connected to a towed vehicle that can tow another vehicle and travels by being pulled by the towed vehicle,
Driving means as a driving source during traveling;
A towed vehicle comprising operating means that is operated when driving the driving means. Provided with a steering mechanism that changes the traveling direction of the vehicle according to the steering operation,
The towed vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit also serves as an operation unit that is operated when the steering mechanism is operated.   The towed vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operating means is a member that is also used as the towed vehicle and is detached from the towed vehicle and attached to the towed vehicle. Detecting means for detecting an operation amount of the operating means and outputting the detected value as an electric signal;
The control unit according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that inputs the detection value of the detection unit and controls a running state of the vehicle based on the detection value. Tow vehicle. Collating means for collating unique identification information of the operating means with the towed vehicle side when the operating means is attached to the towed vehicle;
5. The towed vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising permission means for permitting the operation of the driving means when the collating means determines that the collation is established. The tow vehicle is
Towing vehicle side collating means for collating unique identification information possessed by the operating means with the towing vehicle side;
6. A tow vehicle side permission means for permitting travel of the tow vehicle when the tow vehicle side comparison means determines that the comparison is established. Tow vehicle.   The towed vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operating means is a rod-shaped lever member. Second collating means for collating unique identification information possessed by the key means with the towed vehicle side;
8. A second permission unit that permits operation of the driving unit when the second verification unit determines that the verification is established. Tow vehicle. A communication means for inputting an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the traveling system input by the tow vehicle;
9. A travel control unit that controls at least the drive unit based on the operation signal input via the communication unit when the tow vehicle travels. 9. The towed vehicle described in 1. In a vehicle system with a towed vehicle comprising a towed vehicle capable of towing another vehicle and a towed vehicle towed by the towed vehicle,
The towed vehicle includes a drive unit that serves as a drive source during travel and an operation unit that is operated when the drive unit is driven.

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