JP2020179953A - Cargo handling support system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cargo handling support system capable of confirming a separation situation between the loading surface of a loading destination and a pallet bottom surface even if a fork supports loads.SOLUTION: A cargo handling support system comprises a camera 43 capable of imaging a front area in the state of a fork 34 supporting a load W and installed in the position where it can be raised and lowered with the fork 34 in a cargo handling device 29, a display to display a captured image captured by the camera 43, and a cargo placement surface height acquisition unit which finds the height of the optical axis of the camera 43 based on the lifting height of the fork 34 detected by a lifting height sensor, and acquires the height of the cargo placement surface based on the height of the optical axis when the optical axis of the camera 43 in the captured image overlaps the cargo placement surface by raising and lowering the fork 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a cargo handling support system that supports cargo handling of a forklift.

Conventionally, there is known a fork monitoring device capable of accurately and easily positioning a fork based on a monitor image regardless of the inclination angle of a horizontal portion of the fork (see Patent Document 1).

In the fork monitoring device of Patent Document 1, a camera that includes the tips of both horizontal portions of a pair of forks and images a pallet beyond both horizontal portions is located at a position corresponding to a substantially intermediate portion between both forks in the lift bracket. And it is installed at almost the same height as the horizontal part of both forks. In addition, a monitor is provided in the driver's cab, and a horizontal holding means for holding the camera horizontally is provided between the camera and the lift bracket. Therefore, the fork can be accurately and easily positioned based on the monitor image regardless of the inclination angle of the horizontal portion of the fork.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-248073

However, in the fork monitoring device of Patent Document 1, when a forklift loads a pallet on which a load is mounted, for example, the load blocks the view of the camera, the upper surface of the shelf at the loading destination cannot be grasped. That is, when the fork supports the load together with the pallet, there is a problem that the clearance between the loading surface, which is the loading destination, and the bottom surface of the pallet cannot be recognized based on the image taken by the camera.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to confirm the separation state between the loading surface of the loading destination and the bottom surface of the pallet even when the fork supports the load. It is in the provision of a cargo handling support system that can be used.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a forklift having a cargo handling device provided with a fork and a lifting sensor for detecting the lifting height of the fork, and the forklift for a loading rack having a loading surface. In the cargo handling support system that supports the cargo handling work of the above, a camera provided at a position where the fork can take a picture of the front while supporting the load and can be raised and lowered together with the fork in the cargo handling device, and the above. The height of the optical axis of the camera is obtained based on the lift height of the fork detected by the lift sensor and the display unit that displays the shot image taken by the camera, and the fork is moved up and down to obtain the shot image in the shot image. It is characterized by including a loading surface height acquisition unit that acquires the height of the loading surface based on the height of the optical axis when the optical axis of the camera overlaps the loading surface.

In the present invention, the loading surface height acquisition unit obtains the height of the optical axis of the camera based on the lift height of the fork detected by the lift sensor, and the optical axis of the camera in the captured image is adjusted by raising and lowering the fork. Based on the height of the optical axis when it overlaps with the loading surface, the height of the loading surface provided on the loading shelf is acquired. Therefore, the operator can recognize the height of the loading surface of the loading rack even when the fork supports the load, and can confirm the separation status between the loading surface of the loading destination and the bottom surface of the pallet. it can.

Further, in the above cargo handling support system, a pallet bottom surface height acquisition unit that obtains the height of the bottom surface of the pallet based on the lift height of the fork detected by the lift sensor and the dimensions of the pallet supported by the fork is further provided. The display unit may be configured to draw and display the height of the loading surface and the height of the bottom surface of the pallet as lines.
In this case, the pallet bottom height acquisition unit obtains the height of the pallet bottom surface based on the fork lift detected by the lift sensor and the preset pallet dimensions. Since the height of the loading surface and the height of the bottom surface of the pallet are drawn and displayed as lines on the display unit, the operator can intuitively check the separation status between the loading surface and the bottom surface of the pallet.

Further, in the above-mentioned cargo handling support system, after acquiring the height of the loading surface, the fork may be raised so that the bottom surface of the pallet is higher than the loading surface.
In this case, after acquiring the height of the loading surface, the fork rises so that the bottom surface of the pallet is higher than the loading surface after acquiring the height of the loading surface, so that the operator's operational burden can be reduced. it can.

Further, in the above-mentioned cargo handling support system, an operation input unit capable of inputting by the operation of the forklift operator is provided.
The loading surface height acquisition unit acquires the height of the loading surface based on an input signal input to the operation input unit when the optical axis of the camera overlaps the loading surface in the captured image. It may be configured to be used.
In this case, the loading surface height acquisition unit acquires the height of the loading surface based on the input signal input by the operator's operation to the operation input unit. That is, when the height of the loading surface is acquired, the height of the loading surface can be acquired by reflecting the intention of the operator.

Further, in the above cargo handling support system, the display unit may be configured to draw and display parallel lines passing through the optical axis of the camera as lines.
In this case, since the parallel lines passing through the optical axis of the camera are drawn and displayed as lines on the display unit, it becomes easy to understand that the optical axis of the camera overlaps with the loading surface. Therefore, when the height of the loading surface is acquired by reflecting the intention of the operator when acquiring the height of the loading surface, it becomes easy to acquire the height of the loading surface.

Further, the cargo handling support system may include a remote control device for remotely controlling the traveling of the forklift and cargo handling by the cargo handling device, and the remote control device may be configured to include the display unit.
In this case, if the remote control device includes a display unit, it is possible to effectively support the cargo handling of the forklift that is remotely controlled.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cargo handling support system capable of confirming the separation state between the loading surface of the loading destination and the bottom surface of the pallet even when the fork supports the load.

It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the cargo handling support system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the luggage rack which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the reach type forklift which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the reach type forklift which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the load shelf and the reach forklift before loading. (A) is a photographed image when the loading surface and the optical axis line of the camera do not overlap, and (b) is a photographed image when the loading surface and the optical axis line of the camera overlap. (A) is a drawing display example in the display unit when the height of the cargo handling camera and the height of the loading surface match, and (b) is a diagram showing a drawing display example in the display unit immediately before loading. , (C) is a diagram showing a drawing display example in the display unit when the floor surface is used as the loading destination. It is a flow chart which shows the procedure of drawing display of a loading surface and the bottom surface of a pallet by a cargo handling support system. It is a flow chart which shows the procedure of drawing display of the loading surface and the bottom surface of a pallet by the cargo handling support system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and automatic ascending of a fork.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the cargo handling support system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The cargo handling support system of this embodiment is an example applied to a remote control system of a reach type forklift.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cargo handling support system 10 includes a reach type forklift 11 and a remote control device 12 used for remotely controlling the reach type forklift 11. In this embodiment, the reach type forklift 11 is arranged in the work place E. The remote control device 12 is arranged in an operation room R provided separately from the work place E. Then, the operator can remotely control the reach type forklift 11 of the work place E from the operation room R by using the remote control device 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, a luggage rack 13 is installed in the work place E. The luggage rack 13 includes a plurality of columns 14, horizontal members 15 and 16 connecting the columns 14, and a plurality of shelf boards 17 horizontally provided on the columns 14. In the loading shelf 13 of the present embodiment, the loading section on which the load W can be placed has three upper and lower stages including the upper and lower two-stage shelf board 17 and the floor 18 below the lower shelf plate 17. There is. Therefore, the shelf board 17 and the floor 18 below the shelf board 17 correspond to the loading / unloading portion, and the upper surface 17A and the floor surface 18A of the shelf board 17 correspond to the loading / unloading surface. The floor surface 18A and the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 are horizontal. In the luggage rack 13, the load W is placed on the shelf board 17 and the floor surface 18A below the shelf board 17.

All of the loads W are placed on the pallet 20. A load W is placed on the upper surface 20A of the pallet 20, and the bottom surface 20B comes into contact with the shelf board 17 or the floor 18. The pallet 20 is provided with an insertion port 21 into which the fork 34 is inserted. The operator remotely controls the reach type forklift 11 to take out the load W from the load shelf 13 or place the load W on the vacant shelf board 17.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vehicle body 25 of the reach type forklift 11 is provided with a pair of left and right reach legs 26. The pair of left and right reach legs 26 extend from the front portion of the vehicle body 25 toward the front. Front wheels 27 are provided on the front portions of the pair of left and right reach legs 26. Rear wheels 28 and caster wheels (not shown) are provided at the rear of the vehicle body 25. The rear wheel 28 is a steerable drive wheel.

The reach type forklift 11 includes a cargo handling device 29. The cargo handling device 29 is located between the pair of left and right reach legs 26 at the front portion of the vehicle body 25. The cargo handling device 29 includes a pair of left and right outer masts 30 and an inner mast 31 that moves up and down with respect to the outer mast 30. Further, the cargo handling device 29 includes a lift cylinder 32 connected to the inner mast 31. The inner mast 31 moves up and down by supplying and discharging hydraulic oil to the lift cylinder 32. A lift bracket 33 that can be raised and lowered with respect to the inner mast 31 is provided. The lift bracket 33 is provided with a pair of left and right forks 34. The pair of left and right forks 34 can be tilted back and forth by a tilt cylinder (not shown). The fork 34 has a mounting portion 34A extending in the front-rear direction and a rising portion 34B rising from the base portion (rear portion) of the mounting portion 34A. Further, the cargo handling device 29 includes a lift sensor 36 that detects the lift of the fork 34.

As shown in FIG. 4, a backrest 37 is attached to the lift bracket 33 so as to be located above the fork 34. The backrest 37 supports the rear surface of the load W when the load W is placed on the fork 34. The length of the backrest 37 in the left-right direction is set to a length that is smaller than the width of the vehicle body 25 but protrudes to the outside of the outer mast 30. The backrest 37, together with the lift bracket 33 and the fork 34, corresponds to a liftable portion in the cargo handling device 29.

The vehicle body 25 is provided with a reach cylinder 38 connected to the cargo handling device 29 (see FIG. 3). The rod of the reach cylinder 38 moves back and forth in the front-rear direction due to the supply and discharge of hydraulic oil. The operation of the reach cylinder 38 causes the cargo handling device 29 to move back and forth along the reach leg 26. The reach type forklift 11 includes a traveling motor 39 for driving the rear wheels 28 and a steering motor (not shown) for steering the rear wheels 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, the reach type forklift 11 has a radio unit 40 as a vehicle communication unit, a vehicle control unit 41, an image signal processing unit 42, and a cargo handling camera 43. The wireless unit 40 is for performing wireless communication with the remote control device 12 described below. The vehicle control unit 41 is connected to each part of the reach type forklift 11, controls each part connected to the vehicle control unit 41, and is also connected to the lift sensor 36 and the radio unit 40. The cargo handling camera 43 photographs the tip of the fork 34 and the front of the fork 34, which are necessary for cargo handling work. The image signal processing unit 42 signals the captured image captured by the cargo handling camera 43 so as to be communicable. Although not shown, the reach-type forklift 11 is provided with a cargo handling camera 43, a plurality of traveling cameras for photographing the front and rear for traveling, and a plurality of sensors for detecting obstacles. ..

Next, the remote control device 12 will be described. The remote control device 12 includes a wireless unit 45, a control unit 46, an operation unit 47, a display unit 48, an image signal processing unit 49, and an input unit 50. The wireless unit 45 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless unit 40 of the reach type forklift 11. The control unit 46 is connected to a radio unit 45, an operation unit 47, a display unit 48, and an image signal processing unit 49. The control unit 46 has a function of commanding the operation output of the operation unit 47 to the reach type forklift 11, and also sets and stores the dimensions of the pallet 20 and the height of the cargo handling camera 43. Further, the control unit 46 calculates the height of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the height of the loading surface from the set dimensions of the pallet 20 and the height of the optical axis of the cargo handling camera 43, and also loads the bottom surface 20B and the loading surface. It has a function to calculate the distance from the mounting surface. The control unit 46 corresponds to the loading surface height acquisition unit that acquires the height of the loading surface, and also corresponds to the pallet bottom surface height acquisition unit that obtains the height H4 of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20.

As the operation method in the operation unit 47, a touch panel method, a mouse method, a joystick method, or the like is used. The display unit 48 is an image monitor provided with a screen 48A. For example, in addition to drawing and displaying various figures on the screen 48A, a captured image received through the wireless unit 45 can be displayed on the screen 48A, which is necessary for remote control. Various information is displayed. The image signal processing unit 49 corresponds to an image recognition unit and an image processing unit, and in addition to processing image recognition of captured images captured by the cargo handling camera 43, editing of rearrangement of captured images displayed on the display unit 48, etc. And processing. The input unit 50 can input data and the like, and specifically, for example, a keyboard and a numeric keypad. The input unit 50 is provided with an operation button 50A for acquiring the height of the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 on which the load W is placed from the floor surface 18A. The operation button 50A corresponds to an operation input unit capable of input by an operator's operation.

Then, when the operation unit 47 of the remote control device 12 is operated by the operator, the control unit 46 sends the operation content to the reach type forklift 11 side via the radio unit 45. In the reach type forklift 11, the operation content from the remote control device 12 is received by the radio unit 40, and the vehicle control unit 41 controls each part of the reach type forklift 11 based on the instruction from the remote control device 12 side. Specifically, the traveling drive system equipment (travel motor 39, steering motor, etc.) and cargo handling equipment (lift cylinder 32, reach cylinder 38, tilt cylinder, etc.) are driven based on the command of the vehicle control unit 41. .. In this way, the remote control device 12 can remotely control the traveling of the reach type forklift 11 and the cargo handling by the cargo handling device 29.

By the way, the cargo handling camera 43 of the present embodiment is a camera for performing cargo handling work, but the cargo handling camera 43 is the center of the upper part of the backrest 37 which is an elevating part as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The lens is attached so that it faces forward. Since the cargo handling camera 43 is attached so as to face forward at the center of the upper part of the backrest 37, the tip of the fork 34 and the front of the fork 34 can be photographed by the cargo handling camera 43. Further, the cargo handling camera 43 is provided at a position higher than the load W even when the load W is supported by the fork 34, and the upper surface 17A of the shelf plate 17 which is the loading surface of the loading destination is a photographed image. It is reflected in. That is, the cargo handling camera 43 is provided at a position where the fork 34 can take a picture of the front while supporting the load W and can be raised and lowered together with the fork 34 in the cargo handling device 29. The tip of the fork 34 and the front of the fork 34 are areas that require operator confirmation in order to perform cargo handling work by remote control. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6b, in the photographed image P taken by the cargo handling camera 43 facing forward at the center of the upper part of the backrest 37, the optical axis OA of the cargo handling camera 43 is Located in the center of the screen, the optical axis line M is indicated by a alternate long and short dash line (parallel line) that passes through the optical axis OA and horizontally crosses the screen. That is, in the captured image P, the optical axis plane (XY plane) of the cargo handling camera 43 including the optical axis OA is indicated by a horizontal straight line as the optical axis line M. Therefore, it is easy to confirm whether or not the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 and the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 which is the loading surface overlap each other in the captured image P in the plane direction (XY axis direction).

In the present embodiment, the control unit 46 obtains the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf plate 17 shown in FIG. 5 from the floor surface 18A by input from the operator. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the fork 34 is moved up and down to raise and lower the height of the cargo handling camera 43 from the captured image P of the cargo handling camera 43 (optical axis line M of the camera). When the height of the upper surface 17A and the height of the upper surface 17A match, the operator presses the height determination operation button 50A provided on the input unit 50. The height of the cargo handling camera 43 from the floor surface 18A when the operation button 50A is pressed is the height of the fork 34 detected by the lift sensor 36 when the operation button 50A for determining the height is pressed ( Lifting height) H3 (see FIG. 5) and the height from the fork 34 preset in the control unit 46 to the cargo handling camera 43 are calculated. That is, the control unit 46 acquires the height of the loading surface based on the input signal input to the operation button 50A when the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 overlaps the loading surface in the captured image P. Regarding the height H2 (see FIG. 5) of the upper surface 17A of the upper shelf plate 17 from the floor surface 18A, the height of the cargo handling camera 43 by raising and lowering the fork 34 and the height of the upper surface 17A of the upper shelf plate 17 The height H2 is calculated by matching the height H2 with the height H2 and pressing the operation button 50A of the height determination button. Similarly, for the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf board 17, the height of the cargo handling camera 43 and the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf board 17 are matched with each other to match the height H1 of the height determination button. It is calculated by pressing the operation button 50A.

When the pallet 20 is inserted into the fork 34, the height H4 of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 is set to the height (lift) H3 of the fork 34 detected by the lift sensor 36 and the control unit 46. It is calculated by the control unit 46 based on the dimensions of the pallet 20. Therefore, due to the heights H1 and H2 from the floor surface 18A and the height H4 of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20, the control unit 46 determines the distance between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the floor surface 18A and the distance between the bottom surface 20B and the shelf board 17. It is possible to calculate the distance from the upper surface 17A. The separation distance ΔH between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 shown in FIG. 5 and the loading surface, which is the loading destination, is the height H4 to the height H1 or the height when the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 is used as the loading surface. H2 may be subtracted, and when the floor surface 18A is used as the loading surface, the height H4 is the separation distance.

When the size of the load W to be handled is known in advance, the size of the load W is set and stored in the control unit 46 in the control unit 46. The size of the load W is set in the control unit 46, and the height H5 (see FIG. 5) of the upper surface of the load W supported by the fork 34 from the floor surface 18A is set in combination with the setting of the size of the pallet 20. It can be calculated by the control unit 46. Further, since the horizontal member 15 at the uppermost part of the load shelf 13 may interfere with the fork 34 and the load W during cargo handling with respect to the upper shelf plate 17, the horizontal member 15 is from the floor surface 18A of the horizontal member 15. The height H6 (see FIG. 5) is set in the control unit 46 and stored.

In the cargo handling support system 10 of the present embodiment, the loading surface (upper surface 17A or floor 18A of the shelf board 17) and the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 are drawn and displayed according to the procedure of the flow chart shown in FIG. First, the control unit 46 detects the height of the fork 34 from the detection signal of the lift sensor 36 (see step S01). Next, the control unit 46 calculates the height of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 from the height of the fork 34 (see step S02). Next, the control unit 46 causes the display unit 48 to display the captured image P, and draws and displays the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 as a line on the captured image P (see step S03). Then, the operator presses the operation button 50A when the loading surface and the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 overlap each other (see step S04). The control unit 46 calculates the height of the loading surface from the detection signal of the lifting height sensor 36 when the operation button 50A is pressed (see step S05). The control unit 46 draws and displays the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the loading surface on the display unit 48 so that the separation state between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the loading surface can be known (see step S06). By drawing and displaying the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the loading surface on the display unit 48, the operator can intuitively confirm the separation status between the loading surface and the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20.

Next, the operation of the cargo handling support system 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The reach-type forklift 11 of the present embodiment travels by remote control of the operator to perform cargo handling work. The reach type forklift 11 supports the load W placed on the pallet 20 by the fork 34. By remote control of the operator, the reach type forklift 11 faces the luggage rack 13 as shown in FIG.

When the operator wants to load the load W on the lower shelf plate 17, which is the second-stage loading section, for example, the fork 34 is moved up and down. In the image P taken by the cargo handling camera 43 shown in FIG. 6 (a), the lower shelf plate 17 which is the second stage loading portion is higher than the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43. That is, the cargo handling camera 43 is at a position lower than the lower shelf board 17 which is the second stage loading / unloading portion. Therefore, the operator raises the fork 34. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the operator determines that the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 and the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 are superimposed on the image P captured by the cargo handling camera 43, the operator determines. Press the height determination operation button 50A. That is, when the operator determines that the height of the cargo handling camera 43 matches the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf plate 17, the operator presses the operation button 50A.

When the operation button 50A is pressed, the height (lift) H3 of the fork 34 detected by the lift sensor 36 when the operation button 50A is pressed and the cargo handling from the fork 34 preset in the control unit 46. The height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf board 17 is calculated based on the height of the camera 43. Further, the height H4 of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 when the height determination operation button 50A is pressed is also obtained, and the control unit 46 is based on the obtained heights H1 and H4 in FIG. 7A. As shown in the above, the line L1 and the line L2 are drawn and displayed on the display unit 48. On the display unit 48, a figure F1 showing the fork 34, a figure F2 showing the lift bracket 33, F3 showing the cargo handling camera 43, and F4 showing the load W are drawn. The figures F1 to F4 and the lines L1 and L2 drawn on the display unit 48 have shapes corresponding to the state seen from the side surface.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the line L1 indicates the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf board 17, the line L2 indicates the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20, and the positions of the lines L1 and L2 are the heights H1 and H4. Show the relationship. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the operator raises and lowers the fork 34 so that the line L2 is slightly higher than the line L1 while checking the display unit 48. When the line L2 is located slightly higher than the line L1, the load W can be placed on the upper surface 17A. The operator places the load W together with the pallet 20 on the lower shelf board 17.

On the other hand, when it is desired to place the load W on the upper shelf board 17 which is the third-stage loading section, the operator operates in the same manner as when the load W is placed on the second-stage shelf board 17. I do. That is, the fork 34 is raised and lowered so that the height of the cargo handling camera 43 coincides with the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the lower shelf plate 17, and the height of the cargo handling camera 43 is the upper shelf plate 17 in the captured image. When it is determined that the height H1 of the upper surface 17A matches, the height determination button is pressed. When the height determination button is pressed, the height H2 of the upper surface 17A of the upper shelf board 17 and the height H4 of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 are calculated, and the lines L1 and L2 are drawn and displayed on the display unit 48. The line L1 indicates the upper surface 17A of the upper shelf board 17, and the line L2 indicates the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20.

The operator presses the height determination button when, for example, the operator wants to load the load W on the floor surface 18A, which is the first-stage loading portion, or when the fork 34 is lowered to the lowest position. The height of the floor surface 18A and the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 is set to 0, and the lines L1 and L2 are displayed on the display unit 48 as shown in FIG. 7C. Then, the fork 34 is raised to move forward so that the line L2 is slightly higher than the line L1, and the load W is placed on the floor surface 18A.

On the display unit 48, the lines L1 and L2 and the figures F1 to F4 are drawn and displayed so that the relationship between the heights H1, H4 and H5 can be understood. Therefore, the operator can intuitively recognize the separation state between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the shelf board 17. That is, the operator can surely grasp the loading surface for cargo handling, and can confirm the separation state between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 inserted into the fork 34 and the loading surface.

The cargo handling support system 10 of the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The control unit 46 obtains the height of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 based on the lift height H3 of the fork 34 detected by the lift sensor 36 and the dimensions of the pallet 20 preset in the control unit 46. The height H1 (H2) of the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17, which is the loading surface of the loading shelf 13, is obtained by the input of the operator. Specifically, the control unit 46 obtains the height of the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 based on the lift height H3 of the fork 34 detected by the lift height sensor 36, and the captured image P is obtained by raising and lowering the fork 34. Based on the height of the optical axis line M when the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 overlaps the loading surface, the height H1 of the upper surface 17A of the shelf plate 17 which is the loading surface provided by the loading shelf 13 ( H2) is acquired. The display unit 48 draws and displays the heights H1 (H2) of the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 and the heights of the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 as lines L1 and L2. Therefore, the operator can surely grasp the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 for cargo handling by checking the display unit 48, and the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 inserted into the fork 34. It is possible to confirm the separation status between and.

(2) The remote control device 12 is provided with an operation button 50A capable of inputting by the operator of the reach type forklift 11. When the control unit 46 as the loading surface height acquisition unit is input to the operation input unit when the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 is superimposed on the loading surface, the input signal input to the operation button 50A Obtain the height of the loading surface based on. Therefore, the control unit 46 acquires the height of the loading surface based on the input of the operator's operation with respect to the operation button 50A. That is, when acquiring the height of the loading surface, the height of the loading surface can be acquired by reflecting the intention of the operator.

(3) The optical axis line M, which is a parallel line passing through the optical axis OA of the cargo handling camera 43, is drawn and displayed as a line on the display unit 48, so that the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43 is superimposed on the loading surface. It becomes easier to understand what to do. Since the optical axis line M on the display unit 48 can be easily visually recognized, when the operator presses the operation button 50A to acquire the height of the loading surface, the operator can easily acquire the height of the loading surface. ..

(4) The cargo handling support system 10 is provided with a remote control device 12 for remotely controlling the traveling of the reach type forklift 11 and the cargo handling by the cargo handling device 29, thereby effectively supporting the cargo handling of the remotely operated reach type forklift 11. Can be done.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the cargo handling support system according to the second embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, when the height of the loading surface is acquired based on the height of the optical axis line of the camera, the fork is automatically raised so that the bottom surface of the pallet is higher than the loading surface. It differs from the first embodiment. For the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, the description of the first embodiment is incorporated, and a common reference numeral is used.

The cargo handling camera 43 is attached at the center of the upper part of the backrest 37 so that the lens faces forward. When the height of the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17, which is the loading surface of the loading shelf 13, is acquired, the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 is always lower than the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17. Therefore, when the load W is placed on the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17, it is necessary to raise the fork 34. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the height of the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17, which is the loading surface, is acquired based on the optical axis line M of the cargo handling camera 43, the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 is the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17. The control unit 46 automatically raises the fork 34 so that it is higher.

Specifically, the control unit 46 issues a command to automatically raise the fork 34 from a series of procedures shown in the flow chart of FIG. Steps S01 to S06 are the same as steps S01 to S06 of the first embodiment. When the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the loading surface are drawn and displayed on the display unit 48 so that the separation status between the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 and the loading surface can be known, the fork 34 rises (see step S07). .. It is determined whether or not the lift height of the fork 34 detected by the lift height sensor 36 exceeds the height of the upper surface 17A of the acquired shelf board 17 (see step S08). If the lift of the fork 34 detected by the lift sensor 36 does not exceed the height of the upper surface 17A of the acquired shelf board 17, the control unit 46 continues to raise the fork 34. On the other hand, when the lift height of the fork 34 detected by the lift height sensor 36 exceeds the height of the upper surface 17A of the acquired shelf board 17, the fork 34 stops rising (see step S09).

According to the present embodiment, the fork 34 does not require an operator operation so that the bottom surface 20B of the pallet 20 is higher than the upper surface 17A of the shelf board 17 which is the loading surface after the height of the loading surface is acquired. Since it rises automatically, the operational burden on the operator can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, the present invention may be modified as follows.

-In the above embodiment, an example applied to remote control of a forklift has been described, but the cargo handling support system of the present invention can be applied to a forklift operated by manned operation. In this case, the display unit, the loading surface height acquisition unit, and the pallet bottom surface height acquisition unit are mounted on the forklift.
○ In the above embodiment, the loading surface height acquisition unit acquires the height of the loading surface when the optical axis line of the camera is input to the operation input unit when it overlaps with the loading surface. , Not limited to this. For example, the loading surface height acquisition unit may acquire the height of the loading surface when a predetermined time elapses for the time when the optical axis line of the camera overlaps with the loading surface by image recognition. In this case, the input operation by the operator becomes unnecessary, and the load on the operator can be reduced.
○ In the above embodiment, the optical axis line of the camera is drawn and displayed as a line on the display unit, but this is not the case. The optical axis line of the camera does not necessarily have to be drawn and displayed as a line on the display unit. For example, by setting the horizontal position passing through the vertical center of the image captured by the camera as the optical axis line of the camera, the optical axis of the camera The line of the line may not be drawn and displayed.
○ In the above embodiment, the height of the loading surface and the height of the bottom surface of the pallet are drawn and displayed on the display unit as lines, and the fork, backrest, and load are drawn and displayed, but this is not the case. At least the height of the loading surface and the height of the bottom surface of the pallet may be drawn and displayed as lines on the display unit.
○ In the above embodiment, the camera (cargo handling camera) is provided near the upper part of the backrest, but the position where the camera is provided is not limited to the vicinity of the upper part of the backrest. The camera may be provided at least on a member that moves up and down in the cargo handling device, and may be capable of photographing the loading destination even when the fork supports the load.

10 Cargo handling support system 11 Reach type forklift 12 Remote control device 13 Cargo shelf 17 Shelf board 17A Top surface of shelf board 18 Floor 18A Floor surface 20 Pallet 20B Bottom 25 Body 29 Cargo handling device 34 Fork 36 Lift sensor 37 Backrest 41 Vehicle control unit 43 Cargo handling camera 46 Control unit 47 Operation unit 48 Display unit 50 Input unit 50A Operation buttons H1, H2, H3, H4, H5 Height L1, L2 Line OA Optical axis M Optical axis line (Cargo handling camera)
P Photographed image (camera for cargo handling)
W load

Claims (6)

A forklift equipped with a cargo handling device including a fork and a lift sensor for detecting the lift of the fork.
In a cargo handling support system that supports the cargo handling work of the forklift on a luggage rack having a loading surface.
A camera provided at a position where the fork can take a picture of the front while supporting the load and can be raised and lowered together with the fork in the cargo handling device.
A display unit that displays the captured image captured by the camera, and
When the height of the optical axis of the camera is obtained based on the lift of the fork detected by the lift sensor, and the optical axis of the camera in the captured image is superimposed on the loading surface due to the raising and lowering of the fork. A cargo handling support system comprising a loading surface height acquisition unit that acquires the height of the loading surface based on the height of the optical axis. Further provided with a pallet bottom height acquisition unit that obtains the height of the bottom surface of the pallet based on the lift height of the fork detected by the lift sensor and the dimensions of the pallet supported by the fork.
The cargo handling support system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit draws and displays the height of the loading surface and the height of the bottom surface of the pallet as lines. The cargo handling support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after obtaining the height of the loading surface, the fork is raised so that the bottom surface of the pallet is higher than the loading surface. It is equipped with an operation input unit that allows input by the operation of the forklift operator.
The loading surface height acquisition unit acquires the height of the loading surface based on an input signal input to the operation input unit when the optical axis of the camera overlaps the loading surface in the captured image. The cargo handling support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cargo handling support system is characterized by The cargo handling support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display unit draws and displays parallel lines passing through the optical axis of the camera as lines. A remote control device for remotely controlling the traveling of the forklift and the cargo handling by the cargo handling device is provided.
The cargo handling support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the remote control device includes the display unit.

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