JP2021088291A - Automatic connection device of transportation carriage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic connection device for automatically connecting a traction vehicle to a transportation carriage to be towed.SOLUTION: Provided is an automatic connection device of a transportation carriage for connecting a traction vehicle to a transportation carriage by gripping a striker frame of the transportation carriage according to a connection mechanism provided at a rear end of the traction vehicle. The connection mechanism includes: a striker guide expanded rearward; and a lock mechanism of 2-stage actuation provided at an expansion start end of the striker guide. The lock mechanism of 2-stage actuation includes: right and left latch disks that are pivotally supported on right and left parts of a connection frame by facing each other in a freely rotatable manner; and right and left striker-surrounding notches having semi-circular arc shapes, that are formed to face each other on the right and left sides at peripheral edge parts of the right and left latch disks.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic connecting device for automatically connecting a towing vehicle and a towed transport carriage.

Conventionally, the connection between the towing vehicle and the towed transport carriage has been such that the engaging members installed on the towing vehicle and the transport carriage can be connected and disconnected by attaching and detaching the connecting pin. In such a connecting structure, the driver of the towing vehicle approaches the connecting portion and manually inserts and removes the connecting pin, or at the time of connecting, the towing vehicle is connected by approaching the transport carriage. At the time of release, the connection pin was pulled out by pulling the release string provided in the driver's seat of the towing vehicle to connect and disconnect the towing vehicle and the transport carriage.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a stop pin rotatably provided at the rear end connecting portion of a forklift to connect to a transport carriage, and a trumpet-shaped guide member for guiding the connecting portion of the transport carriage to a locking position. The connection structure provided with the above is described, and the structure in which the connection pin is pulled out by pulling the release string provided on the driver's seat to connect and disconnect the towing vehicle and the transport carriage is described. There is.

Further, in Patent Document 2, a locking portion that can be raised and lowered is provided at the rear portion of the transport vehicle, and a traction rod that forms a wide connecting space toward the rear is provided at the front portion of the traction carriage. The connection structure for connecting the transport vehicle and the towing carriage by lowering and engaging the locking portion is described.

Jitsukaisho 57-199110 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-276580

However, in the connecting means described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to retract the traction vehicle by a distance that allows the connecting pin to rotate when the connecting pin is attached / detached, particularly when the connecting pin is removed, which complicates the disconnection work. there were.

Further, in the connecting means described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to install an actuator for raising and lowering the locking portion, and it is necessary to surely secure a vertical space for raising and lowering the locking portion. There was a risk that the connecting structure with the trolley would become large, complicated, and costly.

The present invention is a technique created in view of such a problem, and realizes a connecting structure in which an operator approaches the connecting structure and connects the towing vehicle and the transport carriage without pulling out the connecting pin. Provided is an automatic connection device between a tow truck and a towed transport carriage, which simplifies the connection / disconnection control between the tow truck and the transport carriage.

According to the present invention, in an automatic connecting device configured to connect a traction vehicle and a transport trolley by gripping a striker frame of the transport trolley by a connecting mechanism provided at the rear end of the traction vehicle, the connecting mechanism is directed to the rear. It is composed of an open-type striker guide and a two-stage operation lock mechanism provided at the expansion start end of the striker guide, and the two-stage operation lock mechanism rotates to the left and right parts of the connecting frame including the striker guide. It is composed of left and right latch boards that are freely opposed to each other and shaft-supported, and a semi-arc-shaped notch for surrounding the left and right strikers formed on the peripheral edge of the left and right latch boards so as to face each other. It is intended to provide an automatic connecting device for a transport carriage, characterized in that the outer peripheral edge of the left and right latch panel at the tip of the portion is an inclined guide surface facing the inside of the notch portion.

Further, it is characterized in that a latch board lock function for locking the rotation of the left and right latch boards is installed in the vicinity of the connecting mechanism.

Further, the left and right latch boards are characterized in that they are urged in a direction of closing the notch surrounding the left and right strikers.

According to the present invention, in the automatic connecting device configured to connect the towing vehicle and the transporting carriage by gripping the striker frame of the transporting carriage by the connecting mechanism provided at the rear end of the towing vehicle, the connecting mechanism is rearward. It is composed of a striker guide that expands toward the center and a lock mechanism that operates in two stages provided at the expansion start end of the striker guide, and the lock mechanism that operates in two stages is the left and right parts of the connecting frame including the striker guide. It is composed of left and right latch boards that are rotatably opposed to each other and pivotally supported, and a semi-arc-shaped notch for left and right striker flexure formed on the peripheral edge of the left and right latch boards in a semi-arc shape. By configuring the outer peripheral edge of the left and right latch panel at the tip of the notch with an inclined guide surface facing the inside of the notch, the striker frame is automatically gripped by the latch panel when the towing vehicle is moved in the direction of the transport carriage. The connection work is completed. When releasing the connection, the latch plate lock mechanism operates the latch plate in the release direction to separate the striker frame from the left and right latch plates, and the simple movement work of the towing vehicle ensures the connection and release work with the transport carriage. This has the effect of preventing dangers such as pinching of hands caused by the approach of workers.

In particular, a latch board lock function for locking the rotation of the left and right latch boards is installed in the vicinity of the connecting mechanism, which has the effect of being able to perform connecting and disconnecting work on-site with a simple operation. By operating the mechanism in two stages, even if a large force acts on the transport carriage during transportation and the lock is released, the possibility that it will be fixed in the next locked state and the connected state will be released is reduced as much as possible. In addition, the left and right latch boards are always urged in the direction of closing the notch for the left and right striker surroundings, but by moving the traction vehicle, the notch for the left and right striker surroundings is countered by the closing urging. Since the notch can be opened, there is an effect that the connecting work can be automatically and surely performed only by moving the towing vehicle without requiring a special operation of the connecting mechanism.

It is an enlarged plan view of the main part of the coupling mechanism of the automatic coupling device according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a diagram showing an unlocked state, and (b) is a diagram showing a locked state. It is a perspective view which shows the automatic connection of the towing vehicle and the transport carriage which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the automatic coupling apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a plan view which shows the connection operation of the automatic connection device which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is a plan view which shows the state which stored the striker frame, (b) is the installed state which the striker frame is connected state. It is a plan view which shows. It is a top view which shows the connection operation of the automatic connection device which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is a figure which shows the state which the striker and the striker guide are in contact with each other, and (b) is the figure which the striker was fixed to the connection mechanism. It is a figure which shows the state. It is a perspective view from the back side which shows the automatic coupling apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged plan view of the main part which shows the other embodiment of the automatic coupling apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is the figure which shows the unlocked state, (b) is the figure which shows the locked state.

The gist of the present invention is that in an automatic connecting device configured to connect a traction vehicle and a transport trolley by gripping a striker frame of the transport trolley by a connecting mechanism provided at the rear end of the traction vehicle, the connecting mechanism is rearward. It is composed of a striker guide that expands toward the center and a lock mechanism that operates in two stages provided at the expansion start end of the striker guide, and the lock mechanism that operates in two stages is the left and right parts of the connecting frame including the striker guide. It is composed of a left and right latch board that is rotatably opposed to each other and is pivotally supported, and a semicircular arc-shaped notch for bending the left and right striker formed on the peripheral edge of the left and right latch board in a semi-arc shape. Provided is an automatic connecting device for a transport carriage, characterized in that the outer peripheral edges of the left and right latch panels at the tip of the notch are provided with an inclined guide surface facing the inside of the notch.
Further, it is characterized in that a latch board lock function for locking the rotation of the left and right latch boards is installed in the vicinity of the connecting mechanism.
Further, the left and right latch boards are characterized in that they are urged in a direction of closing the notch surrounding the left and right strikers.

Examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the automatic connecting device of the transport carriage of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are explanatory views showing a connecting process of the automatic connecting device of the transport carriage of the present invention. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the automatic connecting device of the transport trolley of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing another embodiment of the automatic connecting device of the transport trolley of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the towing wheel 1 of the automatic connecting device M, and the transport carriage 2 is connected to the rear end via the connecting mechanism 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the connecting mechanism 3 includes a rear-expanding striker guide 10 connected to the rear portion of the towing vehicle 1, a striker frame 20 projecting from the front end of the transport carriage 2, and a striker frame. It is composed of a lock mechanism 30 that can grip the 20.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear-spreading striker guide 10 forms a V-shaped notch space 11 in the central portion of the rectangular plate in a plan view, and the striker 21 causes a shake displacement when connected in the left-right direction. Even if it is taken into the V-shaped notch space 11, the striker 21 can reach the lock mechanism 30 at the back of the space.

The striker frame 20 is formed in a side view square frame shape in which the base end portion is rotatably connected to the front end portion 2a of the transport carriage 2, and the vertical frame at the front end of the striker frame 20 is released from the lock mechanism 30 as the striker 21. Be free.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lock mechanism 30 for connecting the striker 21 of the striker frame 20 is mounted on the plate frame 12 fixed on the rectangular plate base of the striker guide 10. That is, the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are rotatably supported on the left and right lower surfaces of the plate frame 12, and the peripheral edges of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are arranged so as to face each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, semicircular notches 33a and 33b are formed on the peripheral edges of the left and right latch boards 32a and 32b so as to face each other, and the semicircular notches 33a and 33b are formed, respectively. When combined, a circular space 34 in which the striker 21 of the striker frame 20 is loosely fitted is formed.
Moreover, the position of forming the circular space 34 is a position corresponding to the rear end top of the V-shaped notch space 11 of the striker guide 10.

That is, a space having a circular cross section is formed at the top of the rear end of the V-shaped notch space 11, and the circular space 34 can surround the striker 21 that enters the space.

Further, the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are urged by springs 35a and 35b in the opening direction, and when the striker 21 enters the V-shaped notch space 11, the left and right latch plates 32a are urged to be released by the springs 35a and 35b. , 32b is configured to displace the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b in a closed state by pressing the inner portions of the notches 33a and 33b.
As shown in FIG. 1, the springs 35a and 35b are arranged at the pivot portion 39b of the unlocking device 39 of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b, and the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are urged in the opening direction. There is.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a position detection sensor 36 for detecting that the striker 21 has surely entered the circular space 34 formed by the cutout portions 33a and 33b, for example, a photoelectric sensor, is provided in the cutout portion. It is arranged on the facing portion of 33a and 33b, and specifically, is arranged on the inner side surface of the notch portions 33a and 33b and the plate frame 12 below the notch portions 33a and 33b.

For fixing the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b so that the distance between the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b is fixed by engaging with the lock mechanism 30 on the lower peripheral edge of the semicircular notch 33a and 33b. The step portions 37a and 37b are formed, and the lock portion 39c at the tip of the unlocking device 39 described above is engaged and fixed to the fixing step portions 37a and 37b.

Further, the fixing step portions 37a and 37b are provided with two step portions of a first step portion 37c and 37d and a second step portion 37e and 37f from the front to the rear, respectively, and the lock mechanism 30 operates in two stages. It is configured as follows.
That is, the tow truck 1 and the transport carriage 2 maintain a connected state by engaging the first step portions 37c and 37d with the lock portion 39c at the tip of the lock release device 39, and temporarily, the lock mechanism 30 is engaged. Even if a large force acts to release the engagement state between the first step portions 37c and 37d and the lock portion 39c, the second step portions 37e and 37f and the lock portion 39c are immediately engaged and easily engaged. The risk of the state being released is reduced.

Therefore, when the towing vehicle 1 and the transport carriage 2 are connected, the left and right notches 33a and 33b of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b, which will be described later, are closed by the entry of the striker 21 to form a circular space 34 and the striker 21. The towing vehicle 1 and the transport carriage 2 can be connected by surrounding the above. On the other hand, in order to release the connection, the striker 21 needs to be separated from the towing vehicle 1, and the lock portion 39c is displaced backward by the operation of the actuator 40 to release the engagement state with the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b. , The left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are maintained in an open state.

As a result, the left and right notches 33a and 33b of the left and right latch boards 32a and 32b are opened, the striker 21 is separated from the lock mechanism 30 of the left and right latch boards 32a and 32b, and the connection between the traction vehicle 1 and the transport carriage 2 is released. Make it possible.

The interlocking lever mechanism 41 has an interlocking arm 42 connected to the output portion of the actuator 40, and the tip of the interlocking arm 42 is pivotally supported by the base end of the swing arm 43 whose midway is pivotally supported by the plate frame 12. The tip of 43 is connected to the unlocking device 39 of the latch plates 32a and 32b via the swinging portion 44.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer peripheral edges of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b at the tips of the semicircular notches 33a and 33b are formed as left and right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b toward the inside of the notches 33a and 33b. There is.

That is, if the striker 21 abuts on the left / right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b and the towing vehicle 1 moves in the direction of the striker 21 as it is, the striker 21 is guided by the left / right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b and the left / right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b. Enter the circular space 34 from the confrontation part.

Further, when the striker 21 enters, it comes into contact with the inner portions of the notches 33a and 33b, the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b operate in a direction of closing the left and right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b, and the striker 21 is gripped by the lock mechanism 30. As a result, the towing vehicle 1 and the transport vehicle 2 are connected.

[Release procedure]
Further, the connecting mechanism 3 configured in this way can release the connected state between the towing vehicle 1 and the transport carriage 2 by operating the actuator 40 described above.

That is, when the driver of the towing vehicle 1 presses a release button (not shown) mounted on the towing vehicle 1, power is supplied from the towing vehicle 1 to the actuator 40. The fed actuator 40 translates the interlocking arm 42 of the interlocking lever mechanism 41 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to the left side (upper side of FIGS. 1A and 1B). The end of the swing arm 43 is connected to one end of the interlocking arm 42, and when the interlocking arm 42 moves horizontally in the direction away from the lock mechanism 30, the swing arm 43 follows the operation of the pivot portion 45. Draws a rotation locus around the lock and presses the unlock portion 39a of the unlock device 39.

The unlocking device 39 pressed by the swing arm 43 rotates about the pivot portion 39b, releases the open lock state of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b, and is displaced so that the striker 21 can move from the circular space 34. To do. The left and right latch plates 32a and 32b released by the unlocking device 39 are maintained in the open state by the springs 35a and 35b, and do not hinder the move-out operation of the striker 21.

In the connecting mechanism 3 between the towing vehicle 1 and the transporting carriage 2 in the present invention, as described above, the actuator 40 further connects and disconnects the towing vehicle 1 and the transporting carriage 2 without manually approaching the connecting portion. The connection mechanism 3 of the automatic connection device M can be compactly configured by limiting the operation of the automatic connection device M when the connection state is released, and the automatic connection is performed with a simple structure that only partially energizes when the connection state is released. The automatic release is realized, and the automatic coupling device M is simplified and the cost is reduced.

[Modification example of automatic coupling device]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the automatic coupling device M may be configured as guide integrated engaging claws 50a and 50b in which the striker guides 10 and 10 and the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b are integrated, respectively. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. Further, FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing a state in which the upper surface of the plate frame 12 of the lock mechanism 30 is removed, and the actuator 40 shown in FIG. 1 is omitted.

The guide integrated engaging claws 50a and 50b have a function as a guide guide when the striker 21 is inserted into the circular space 55, and a function of fixing the striker 21 after the striker 21 reaches the circular space 55.

That is, the guide integrated engaging claws 50a and 50b are the rear-expanding striker guide portions 51a and 51b provided at the tip portions in the same manner as the left and right inclined guide surfaces 38a and 38b described above, and the base portions of the striker guide portions 51a and 51b. It is composed of striker lock portions 52a and 52b connected to the above. The striker guide portions 51a and 51b provided in pairs on the left and right form a V-shaped notch space 53 in the central portion in a plan view, and even if a shake displacement occurs in the striker 21 when connected in the left-right direction, the V-shaped notch space The striker 21 is configured to be reachable to the striker lock portions 52a and 52b provided in the space at the back of the space.

Further, the striker lock portions 52a and 52b form semicircular notches 54a and 54b, and form a circular space 55 in which the striker 21 can be loosely fitted when the lock portions 52a and 52b are closed. ..

By integrally configuring the striker guide portions 51a and 51b of the guide integrated engaging claws 50a and 50b and the striker lock portions 52a and 52b in this way, the striker 21 is smoothly guided to the circular space 55 and the tow truck 1 and the transport carriage 2 can be connected. Since the connection operation and the release operation of the guide integrated engagement claws 50a and 50b are the same as the engagement operation of the left and right latch plates 32a and 32b and the lock release device 39 described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but is disclosed in the configurations in which the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments are replaced with each other or the combinations are changed, known inventions, and the above-described embodiments. It also includes configurations in which the configurations are replaced with each other or the combinations are changed. Further, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but extends to the matters described in the claims and their equivalents.

1 Towing vehicle 2 Transport trolley 2a Front end 3 Connecting mechanism 10 Striker guide 11 V-shaped notch space 12 Plate frame 20 Striker frame 21 Striker 30 Lock mechanism 32a Left latch board 32b Right latch board 33a, 33b Notch 34 Circular space 35a, 35b Spring 36 Sensor 37a, 37b Fixing step 37c, 37d 1st step 37e, 37f 2nd step 38a, 38b Left / right tilt guide surface 39 Unlocking device 39a Unlocking 39b Pivot 39c Locking 40 Actuator 41 Interlocking Lever mechanism 42 Interlocking arm 43 Swing arm 44 Actuating arm 45 Pivot support 50a, 50b Guide integrated engagement claws 51a, 51b Striker guide part 52a, 52b Striker lock part 53 V type notch space 54a, 54b Notch part 55 Circular space M Automatic coupling device

Claims (3)

In the automatic connecting device configured to connect the traction vehicle and the transport trolley by gripping the striker frame of the transport trolley by the connecting mechanism provided at the rear end of the traction vehicle, the connecting mechanism expands toward the rear. The striker guide is composed of a two-stage operation lock mechanism provided at the expansion start end of the striker guide, and the two-stage operation lock mechanism rotatably faces the left and right parts of the connecting frame including the striker guide. It is composed of a left and right latch board that is pivotally supported and a notch for bending the left and right striker in a semicircular shape formed on the peripheral edge of the left and right latch board so as to face each other. An automatic connecting device for a transport trolley, characterized in that the outer peripheral edge of the latch panel is an inclined guide surface facing the inside of the notch. The automatic connecting device for a transport carriage according to claim 1, wherein a latch board locking function for locking the rotation of the left and right latch boards is provided in the vicinity of the connecting mechanism. The automatic connecting device for a transport carriage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left and right latch boards are urged in a direction of closing a notch for surrounding the left and right strikers.

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