JP2024041936A - garbage collection truck - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a refuse collection vehicle that can automatically operate the opening and closing door to open the refuse inlet even when the operator's hands are full. [Solution] A refuse collection vehicle 100 includes a refuse inlet box 3, a refuse loading device 8, a tailgate 5, and a control device 80 that controls the opening and closing operation of the tailgate 5. The refuse collection vehicle 100 further includes a switch box 6 that is disposed to the side of the refuse inlet 4 and commands the operation of the garbage loading device 8, an emergency stop plate 62 that is disposed below the garbage inlet 4 and stops the operation of the garbage loading device 8 in response to operation by a person, and a foot switch 30 that commands the control device 80 to open and close the tailgate 5. The emergency stop plate 62 has a predetermined area with the vehicle width direction as its longitudinal direction, and the foot switch 30 has an area smaller than the predetermined area at a position to the side of the emergency stop plate 62 on the side where the switch box 6 is disposed. [Selected Figure] Fig. 9

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a garbage collection vehicle, and in particular to a structure for increasing the efficiency of loading garbage into a garbage input port.

Generally, in a conventional garbage collection vehicle, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a garbage loading box, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage loading box, and a rear end of the garbage loading box are provided. When collecting garbage, the opening/closing door opens the garbage inlet, the garbage is thrown into the garbage inlet, and the garbage is loaded into the garbage by the operation of the garbage loading device. A configuration is adopted in which the materials are loaded into a loading box. In such garbage collection vehicles, the opening/closing door is also called a tailgate.

In such conventional garbage collection vehicles, a handle (tailgate handle) is attached to the opening/closing door, and when collecting garbage, a worker usually grasps the tailgate handle and raises the opening/closing door to open the garbage inlet. is opened, and in this state garbage is put into the garbage inlet.

JP 2017-48049 Publication

However, with the conventional refuse collection vehicles, when collecting refuse, for example, when an operator stands in front of the refuse inlet with a refuse bag in both hands, the door may be in the lowered position and the refuse inlet may be closed. In such a case, the operator must first place the refuse bag he or she is holding on the ground, and then while holding the tailgate handle, lift the door to open the refuse inlet, resulting in the drawback of being unable to efficiently carry out the refuse inlet work.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to automatically operate the opening/closing door even when the worker's hands are full and he/she cannot grasp the tailgate handle. To provide a garbage collection vehicle capable of opening a garbage inlet.

The present invention provides a means for solving the above-mentioned problems as follows. That is, the garbage collection vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a garbage dump box with a garbage dump opening at the rear end, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage dump box, and an opening/closing door for opening and closing the garbage dump opening, and further includes a foot-operated switch disposed near the garbage dump opening for instructing the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door in response to foot operation by a person, and a control device for controlling the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door based on the instruction of the foot-operated switch.

In the above configuration, when the foot-operated switch is operated by the tip of a person's foot, the control device opens and closes the door based on instructions from the foot-operated switch. Therefore, when the opening/closing door closes the garbage inlet and a person (worker) stands in front of the garbage inlet with a garbage bag in both hands, the worker's hands are occupied. Even if the worker is unable to grasp the tailgate handle, simply by operating the foot-operated switch, the control device automatically operates the opening/closing door and opens the garbage inlet. The garbage bag can be thrown into the garbage input port without lowering one or both of them to the ground, making it possible to improve the efficiency of garbage loading work.

As a more specific configuration, an emergency stop operation section that is operated by the person to stop the operation of the garbage loading device is disposed below the garbage inlet, and the foot-operated switch is configured to stop the operation of the garbage loading device. It is preferable that the emergency stop operation part is disposed on the side of the garbage disposal box and further back inward of the garbage disposal box than the emergency stop operation part.

In this configuration, the foot-operated switch is placed on the side of the emergency stop operation section, so that the operator can press the Even when the garbage loading device is about to be caught in the dirt, the garbage loading device can be stopped in an emergency by pushing in the emergency stop operation part without using the foot-operated switch. In addition, the foot-operated switch is located further inside the garbage disposal box than the emergency stop operation section, that is, on the driver's seat side of the garbage collection vehicle, so that the foot operation by pushing the emergency stop operation section is not possible. It stops at the position and does not reach the foot-operated switch. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the opening/closing door from malfunctioning due to the foot operation of the foot operation switch in conjunction with the foot operation of the emergency stop operation section.

Further, it is preferable that the foot-operated switch has a sensing space on the inner side of the garbage disposal box, and is configured to sense when the tip of the person's foot enters the sensing space.

In this configuration, the sensing space of the foot-operated switch is recessed inside the garbage disposal box, and the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door is instructed only when the tip of the worker's foot enters this sensing space. . Therefore, with a type of foot-operated switch that does not have a sensing space, such as a type of foot-operated switch that is stepped on by a worker from above, there is a possibility that a worker may accidentally operate the foot-operated switch with his/her foot while loading garbage. However, with a foot-operated switch that has the sensing space, it is difficult for the worker to intentionally put his or her foot into the sensing space. Since foot operation is required, it is possible to effectively reduce malfunctions such as opening and closing the opening/closing door by mistake.

The control device further includes a power source switch that turns on and off the power source of the garbage loading device, and the control device controls the foot-operated switch on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch. Preferably, it is configured to enable.

In this configuration, the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch, that is, the garbage collection vehicle is stopped, and then the garbage loading device is operated to load the garbage into the garbage input box. The foot-operated switch becomes effective only when the situation occurs. Therefore, when the operator puts garbage into the garbage inlet, if the operator operates the foot-operated switch with his/her foot, the opening/closing door can be reliably opened. On the other hand, since the foot-operated switch is disabled when the garbage collection vehicle is running, it is possible to reliably prevent the opening/closing door from being inadvertently opened due to a malfunction of the foot-operated switch while the garbage collection vehicle is running.

In addition, the control device includes a loading button that operates the garbage loading device, and the control device operates the foot-operated switch on the condition that the garbage loading device is activated by turning on the loading button. Preferably, it is configured to be disabled.

In this configuration, the operation of the foot-operated switch is disabled while the garbage loading device is in operation. While the garbage loading device is in operation, i.e., when the garbage inlet is open and an operator is loading garbage, even if the foot-operated switch is operated by mistake with the foot, the foot-operated switch is disabled, so the door will not inadvertently close, preventing confusion during the operator's garbage loading work.

Further, the control device controls the opening/closing door to close the garbage inlet and disables the foot-operated switch on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off by the power source switch. It is preferable that the system is configured to do so.

In this configuration, when the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off by the power source switch, that is, after the garbage loading operation into the garbage loading box is completed, the garbage inlet is closed by the opening/closing door, and Foot-operated switch is disabled. Therefore, even if the garbage collection vehicle runs after the garbage loading operation is completed, it is reliably prevented from driving with the garbage inlet open, and it is also possible to prevent foreign objects on the road that are picked up by the rear wheels while driving. The foot-operated switch is prevented from malfunctioning, and the opening/closing door is prevented from being opened inadvertently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a side view which shows the garbage collection vehicle based on embodiment of this invention. It is a rear view of the garbage collection vehicle of FIG. It is an explanatory view of operation of a garbage loading device equipped on a garbage collection vehicle. It is a figure showing the hydraulic circuit of a garbage loading device. It is a perspective view of the foot switch arranged around the garbage inlet of the garbage collection vehicle. It is a side view of the inside of the garbage input box provided in the garbage collection vehicle. It is a figure showing the hydraulic circuit of the tailgate of a garbage disposal box. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a control device that controls the hydraulic circuit of FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating how a worker operates a foot switch with his/her foot in the garbage collection vehicle of FIG. 1 .

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a rotary garbage collection vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, for convenience, the front, rear, left, and right of the garbage collection vehicle may be simply referred to as "front, rear, left, and right."

1 and 2 show a garbage collection vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the garbage collection vehicle 100, a garbage storage box 2 and a garbage input box 3 are provided on the chassis 1, and the rear opening of the garbage storage box 2 and the front opening of the garbage input box 3 are communicated with each other. There is. Further, the garbage input box 3 is pivotally supported with respect to the garbage storage box 2 by a left-right pivot shaft 3a provided on the upper part thereof, and is tilted by a pair of left and right tilting cylinders (not shown). There is.

In addition, a roughly rectangular garbage input port 4 for inputting garbage G (see FIG. 9) is opened at a lower part on the back side of the garbage input box 3, and a tail gate (opening/closing door) 5 that can be raised and lowered is opened. The garbage inlet 4 is opened and closed by this. In the following explanation, the operation of opening the garbage inlet 4 by the upward movement of the tailgate 5 will be referred to as the opening operation of the tailgate 5, and the operation of closing the garbage inlet 4 by the downward movement of the tailgate 5 will be referred to as the operation of the tailgate 5 to close the garbage inlet 4. This is called closing action. Tailgate handles 49 are attached to the tailgate 5 on the left and right sides of the center portion in the left-right direction, respectively. The operator H (see FIG. 9) can manually open and close the tailgate 5 by holding the tailgate handle 49 and moving the tailgate 5 up and down.

Further, on the left side of the garbage inlet 4, a switch box 6 is provided for operating a garbage loading device (described later) 8 such as driving. Further, above the garbage inlet 4, a camera unit 7 including a camera 71 is arranged so as to photograph the garbage inlet 4 and the area in the vicinity thereof. As the camera 71, for example, a monocular camera that has been used as a back-eye camera is used. The camera unit 7 is attached to the upper part of the garbage input box 3 via a support member 72 that protrudes rearward from the inclined rear surface (curved rear surface) of the garbage input box 3, which is disposed above the garbage input port 4. Fixed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the inside of the garbage dump box 3 is equipped with a garbage loading device 8 that loads the garbage G that has been dumped into the garbage storage box 2. This garbage loading device 8 pushes the garbage G that has been dumped into the garbage dump box 3 into the garbage storage box 2 that is connected to the front of the garbage dump box 3. The garbage storage box 2 is provided with a garbage discharge device (not shown) that discharges the stored garbage G. As for this garbage discharge device, for example, it is possible to use a dump cylinder interposed between the chassis 1 and the garbage storage box 2 to tilt the garbage storage box 2 to discharge the garbage G, or a discharge plate provided inside the garbage storage box 2 to move to the rear of the garbage storage box 2 by a discharge cylinder to discharge the garbage G.

-Configuration of garbage loading device 8-
Next, the configuration of the garbage loading device 8 of this embodiment will be specifically described. The garbage loading device 8 of this embodiment is a so-called rotary garbage loading device that scoops up garbage G by rotating a rotary plate 10 serving as a loading plate and pushes it into the garbage storage box 2 by a pushing plate 20. It is configured as. Inside the garbage input box 3, a rotating shaft 11 is installed below the pushing plate 20 and extends in the width direction of the garbage input box 3, and the base end side of the rotating plate 10 is fixed to this rotating shaft 11. The rotating plate 10 is rotatable around its base end (rotating shaft 11).

In the illustrated example, a hydraulic motor 13 capable of forward and reverse rotation is connected to an end of the rotating shaft 11 via a speed reduction mechanism 12 . The rotation of the hydraulic motor 13 is torqued up by the reduction mechanism 12 and transmitted to the rotating shaft 11, and the rotating plate 10 is rotated together with the rotating shaft 11, so that its tip has a substantially semicircular arc shape in cross section. It comes to move in the front-back direction along the inner bottom 3c of the formed garbage input box 3.

On the other hand, the push plate 20 is provided above the rotary plate 10 over the entire width direction of the garbage input box 3, and is rotatable in the front and rear directions around a left and right rotation axis 21 provided at the upper part of the push plate 20. Supported. Further, the pushing plate 20 is provided with an extending portion 22 extending above the rotation shaft 21, and a pushing cylinder 24 is installed between this extending portion 22 and a support pin 23 in front of the extending portion 22. The pushing plate 20 is rotated in the front-rear direction by the expansion and contraction operation.

Specifically, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, when the push plate 20 is at the most rotated position toward the garbage storage box 2 (advance limit position), interference with the push plate 20 is avoided. An avoidance rotation process is performed in which the rotary plate 10 rotates backward. Then, delayed by the backward rotation of the rotary plate 10, the pushing plate 20 rotates toward the garbage inlet 4 side, and the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Perform a return process that stops at . Thereafter, the rotary plate 10 rotates downward following the avoidance rotation process, and then rotates forward to scoop up the garbage G toward the garbage storage box 2 side along the inner bottom 3c of the garbage input box 3. A scraping rotation process is performed in which the robot rotates, further rotates upward, and temporarily stops at a set stop position extending toward the front garbage storage box 2, as shown by the solid line in FIG. After that, the pushing plate 20 rotates toward the front garbage storage box 2 side, pushes the garbage G on the rotary plate 10 into the garbage storage box 2, and performs the pushing process to reach the forward limit position again.

In this way, the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 rotate the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20, with the four steps of the avoidance rotation process, the return process, the scraping rotation process, and the pushing process being one cycle. By repeating these operations in synchronization with each other, a garbage loading operation is performed in which the garbage G input into the garbage input box 3 is continuously loaded into the garbage storage box 2.

Inside the garbage input box 3, switches LS1 to LS4 are provided for detecting the positions of the rotary plate 10 and the push plate 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, switches LS1 and LS2 are turned on when the push plate 20 is at the forward limit position or the backward limit position, and switches LS1 and LS2 are turned on when the rotating plate 10 is at the set stop position. A switch LS3 that turns on when the rotary plate 10 rotates a predetermined angle in the positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 3) from its set stop position and a switch LS4 that turns off when it further rotates a predetermined angle are provided. It is being

Switches LS1 and LS2 are adapted to detect a dog (not shown) provided at the end of the rotating shaft 21 of the push-in plate 20, and switches LS3 to LS4 are adapted to detect a dog (not shown) provided at the end of the rotating shaft 11 of the rotating plate 10. In addition, as shown by hatching in FIG. 3, limit switches, photoelectric switches, proximity switches, etc. can be used as these switches LS1 to LS4. Furthermore, switch LS4 detects the angle range Z from directly below the front edge (upper edge) 4a of the garbage inlet 4 to the point where the rotating plate 10 rotates backward and descends to the closest position to the rear edge (lower edge) 4b of the garbage inlet 4, as shown by hatching in FIG. 3, and is a sensor for detecting that the rotating plate 10 is operating near the garbage inlet 4.

-Operation system of garbage loading device 8-
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation system of the garbage loading device 8 will be explained. This operating system outputs control signals to a hydraulic circuit that controls the hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic motor 13 of the garbage loading device 8, the pushing cylinder 24, etc., and the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 provided in this hydraulic circuit. A control device 80 is provided. Signals from the four switches LS1 to LS4 and the switch SW1 for the emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation section) 62 are input to the control device 80 (not shown). Note that the control device 80 is configured to control not only the drive of the garbage loading device 8 but also the drive of the garbage discharge device.

The hydraulic circuit will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. This hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump P, an oil reservoir T, an electromagnetic control valve V1 for controlling the push cylinder 24, and an electromagnetic control valve V2 for controlling the hydraulic motor 13. Note that driving force is transmitted to the hydraulic pump P by a PTO (Power Take Off) that extracts power from an engine (not shown) as a driving source for driving the vehicle.

As an example, the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 are both electromagnetic directional switching valves with 6 ports and 3 positions. When the solenoid SOLa is energized by the control device 80, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to the first communication position (upper position in FIG. 4), and transfers the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump P to the rod-side oil chambers of the pair of cylinders 24. supply to. On the other hand, when the solenoid SOLb is excited by the control device 80, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to the second communication position (lower position in FIG. 4) and supplies hydraulic oil to the head side oil chamber.

When hydraulic oil is supplied from the electromagnetic control valve V1 to the head side oil chamber, the pair of push cylinders 24 extend and rotate the push plate 20 forward. On the other hand, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the rod-side oil chamber, the pair of push cylinders 24 contract and rotate the push plate 20 rearward. Furthermore, when neither of the solenoids SOLa and SOLb is energized, the electromagnetic control valve V1 returns to the neutral position (center position in FIG. 4).

When the solenoid SOLc is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V2 switches to the first communication position (lower position in FIG. 4), supplies hydraulic oil to the normal rotation side oil chamber of the hydraulic motor 13, and rotates the hydraulic motor 13 in the normal rotation. In addition to rotating, the pushing cylinder 24 can also be telescopically operated. On the other hand, when the solenoid SOLd is energized, the electromagnetic control valve V2 switches to the second communication position (upper position in FIG. 4), supplies hydraulic oil to the reverse side oil chamber of the hydraulic motor 13, and rotates the hydraulic motor 13 in the reverse direction. Activate.

When neither solenoid SOLc nor SOLd is energized, the solenoid control valve V2 returns to the neutral position (the center position in FIG. 4). When both solenoid control valves V1 and V2 are in the neutral position, the hydraulic oil flows back to the oil reservoir T. In the illustrated hydraulic circuit, V3 is a check valve, and V4 is a relief valve for setting the upper limit of the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump P.

When the emergency stop plate 62 is pressed, the control device 80 receives a signal from the switch SW1 and returns the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 to their neutral positions (center position in FIG. 4), thereby reducing the hydraulic pressure. The supply of hydraulic oil to the motor 13 and the pair of push cylinders 24 is stopped, and the operations of the hydraulic motor 13 and the pair of push cylinders 24 are stopped, and the rotating plate 10 and the push plate 20 of the garbage loading device 8 are stopped. emergency stop the operation.

-Button operation system-
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, emergency stop buttons 60 and 61 for stopping the drive of the garbage loading device 8 and an emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation part) are provided near the garbage inlet 4. 62 etc. are installed. As shown in FIG. 1, an emergency stop button 60 is provided on the side of the switch box 6 provided on the left side of the garbage inlet 4, and as shown by the broken line in FIG. An emergency stop button 61 is provided.

The emergency stop plate 62 is formed in a rectangular shape with a wide area extending leftward and rightward from the central portion in the vehicle width direction directly below the garbage inlet 4 when the garbage inlet box 3 is viewed from the rear. It is arranged so that it is pushed forward (toward the garbage disposal box 3 side) by manual or foot operation by the worker H to turn on the switch SW1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a PTO switch 63 and a loading/discharging changeover switch 64 are arranged on the operation panel 9 arranged around the driver's seat of the garbage collection vehicle 100. When the PTO switch (power source switch) 63 is turned on, the hydraulic pump P (see FIG. 4) serving as the power source of the garbage loading device 8 and the engine are connected by PTO (Power Take Off). . Further, the loading/discharging changeover switch 64 switches between the garbage loading operation of the garbage loading device 8 and the garbage discharging operation of the garbage discharging device.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a loading button 65 is arranged on the rear surface of the switch box 6. This loading button 65 is operated when instructing the control device 80 to perform a garbage loading operation of the garbage loading device 8 in a connected state of the PTO. This loading button 65 may be in the form of a button or a toggle switch.

Although not shown, the switch box 6 also includes a switch for selecting single-acting or continuous garbage loading operation, a switch for independently operating the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20, and the like.

-Foot switch-
As shown in FIG. 2, in the vicinity of the garbage inlet 4, garbage G from a pedestrian road, etc. A foot switch 30 is placed on the side where the foot switch is placed as a foot-operated switch. As shown in FIG. 5, this foot switch 30 has a wall surface 30a facing the rear side of the garbage collection vehicle 100, and a rectangular prism-shaped sensing space 30b that is recessed from this wall surface 30a toward the inside of the garbage input box 3. , a pair (two) of sensor sections 30c (only one sensor section is shown) that transmits and receives far infrared rays, etc. in the horizontal direction on opposing left and right wall surfaces among the plurality of wall surfaces forming this sensing space 30b. ing. The sensing space 30b is a space into which the worker H can insert his or her toes as shown in FIG. The volume of this space is set to be such that the toes of the worker H of a general size can fit therein. When the foot of the worker H enters the sensing space 30b, the far infrared rays transmitted and received by the pair of sensor sections 30c are blocked by the foot of the worker H, and the foot switch 30 This configuration detects that the tip of the foot of the worker H enters the sensing space 30b and outputs a sensing signal.

As shown in FIG. 9, the foot switch 30 is positioned so that the wall surface 30a is deeper toward the garbage disposal box 3 than the position of the emergency stop plate 62 by a predetermined distance t (for example, about 5 cm to 15 cm). has been done.

In addition, in the foot switch 30 shown in FIG. 5, a pair of sensor parts 30c are provided on the left and right opposing walls among the plurality of wall surfaces forming the sensing space 30b. A pair of sensor sections 30c may be disposed on the upper and lower wall surfaces of the two to transmit and receive far-infrared rays and the like in the vertical direction.

-Opening/closing mechanism of tailgate 5-
Next, an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the tailgate 5 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 6, a cover 3b is provided on the upper rear surface of the garbage input box 3. Further, guide rails 40 are provided from the upper end to the lower end on both the left and right sides of the garbage inlet 4, respectively. The guide rail 40 is formed, for example, to have a concave cross section (that is, a groove shape). Guide elements 41 that move along guide rails 40 are provided on both sides of the lower end of the tailgate 5, respectively. The guide 41 is formed of a roller and is provided so as to be movable within the groove of the guide rail 40. Furthermore, connecting shafts 42 are provided on both sides of the upper end of the tailgate 5, respectively, protruding in the left-right direction and connected to an opening/closing arm 43.

The front edge of the garbage bin 3 is provided with an edge 3e. A support 44 is provided on this edge 3e. The support 44 rotatably supports the base end of the opening/closing arm 43. The tip of the opening/closing arm 43 is rotatably connected to the side of the tailgate 5. The opening/closing arm 43 is bent to avoid interference with each part. A reinforcing plate 43a is fixed to the bent part of the opening/closing arm 43 to reduce bending stress at the bent part. Although the opening/closing arm 43 is bent, the shape of the opening/closing arm 43 is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 6, the opening/closing arm 43 is configured to be rotatable. The opening/closing arm 43 is rotated by the extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder 45. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 45 are provided on the left and right. The hydraulic cylinder 45 includes a cylinder rod 45a, a cylinder tube 45b, and a piston 45c (see FIG. 7) provided at one end of the cylinder rod 45a. A detailed explanation will be given below. A connection part 46 is attached to the base end of the opening/closing arm 43. One end of the cylinder rod 45a of the hydraulic cylinder 45 is connected to this connection part 46. The cylinder tube 45b of the hydraulic cylinder 45 is attached to the edge part 3e. The trash bin 3 is provided with a biasing member 47 along the side wall 3d. The biasing member 47 is, for example, a tension coil spring. One end of the biasing member 47 is hooked to the opening/closing arm 43, and the other end of the biasing member 47 is hooked to a predetermined position on the side wall 3d. As a result, the opening/closing arm 43 is biased in a direction that rotates upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 47. In addition, a tension adjustment mechanism 48 is connected to the biasing member 47. This tension adjustment mechanism 48 is for adjusting the amount of deflection of the biasing member 47.

In the above configuration, when the tailgate 5 is changed from a fully closed state to a fully open state, the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended. As a result, a force pushing up the connecting portion 46 acts on the connecting portion 46, so that the opening/closing arm 43 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6 around the fulcrum of the supporting portion 44. Accordingly, the tailgate 5 connected to the opening/closing arm 43 moves upward and is housed in a position below the cover 3b. As a result, the garbage inlet 4 is fully opened.

On the other hand, when changing the tailgate 5 from a fully open state to a fully closed state, the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted. As a result, a force pushing down the connecting portion 46 acts on the connecting portion 46, so that the opening/closing arm 43 rotates clockwise in FIG. 6 about the fulcrum of the support portion 44. Along with this, the tailgate 5 moves downward. As a result, the garbage inlet 4 is completely closed. The opening/closing operation of the tailgate 5 is performed by the method described above.

-Hydraulic circuit of tailgate 5-
Next, a description will be given of a hydraulic circuit that controls the operation of the tailgate 5, that is, the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 45 (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 7, the garbage input box 3 according to this embodiment is provided with an electric hydraulic pump unit 50 that is separate from the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the garbage loading device 8. The electric hydraulic pump unit 50 includes an electric motor 50a, a reservoir tank 50b, a hydraulic pump 50c connected to the electric motor 50a, a check valve 50d, a discharge port 50e, a suction port 50f, and a relief valve 50g. It is equipped with When the hydraulic pump 50c is driven by the electric motor 50a, the hydraulic oil in the reservoir tank 50b is sucked up by the hydraulic pump 50c, passes through the check valve 50d, and then is discharged from the discharge port 50e. A relief valve 50g and a pressure gauge 51 are connected to a conduit on the discharge side of the hydraulic pump 50c. The discharge port 50e is connected to one port of a first switching valve 53, which is a so-called 4-port 3-position electromagnetic switching valve. The suction port 50f is connected to the other port of the first switching valve 53. The other two ports of the first switching valve 53 (the ports on the upper side of the figure) are connected to a second switching valve 54 and a third switching valve 55, which are two-port, two-position electromagnetic switching valves, respectively. These switching valves 54 and 55 are poppet-type electromagnetic switching valves, and have the advantage that internal leakage of hydraulic oil is small.

FIG. 7 shows a pair of left and right hydraulic cylinders 45. As shown in FIG. This hydraulic cylinder 45 includes a rod-side port 45d provided on the cylinder rod 45a side and a head-side port 45e provided on the cylinder head (piston 45c) side. The second switching valve 54 and the rod side port 45d are connected to each other via a one-way throttle valve 56 arranged to allow flow to the hydraulic cylinder 45 side. Further, the third switching valve 55 and the head side port 45e are connected to each other via a one-way throttle valve 57 arranged to allow flow to the hydraulic cylinder 45 side.

The hydraulic circuit shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a pressure oil release means 70 for releasing the pressure oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 at any time. The pressure oil release means 70 includes an installed pipe 52a, a first on-off valve 58a, a second on-off valve 58b, a drain pipe 52b, and a tank 59 connected to the end of the drain pipe 52b. The installed pipe 52a is connected to a rod side port 45d and a head side port 45e of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45. The first on-off valve 58a is provided in the installed pipe 52a. The drain pipe 52b is connected to the rod side ports 45d of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45. The second on-off valve 58b is provided in the drain pipe 52b. In such a configuration, by opening the first on-off valve 58a and the second on-off valve 58b, the pressure oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 is released from inside the hydraulic cylinder 45. It looks like this. As a result, the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 is released, and the tailgate 5 can be easily raised and lowered by manual operation while gripping the tailgate handle 49. The pressure oil release means 70 may be any device as long as it releases the pressure of the hydraulic oil on the head side and rod side of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 and allows the cylinder rod 45a to move freely. It is not limited to the configuration.

Next, the switching operation of each valve when expanding and contracting the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 will be explained. First, when extending the hydraulic cylinder 45, the first on-off valve 58a and the second on-off valve 58b are closed, and the electric motor 50a is driven. Then, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the left position a, the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is switched to the right position b, and the flow path in the third switching valve 55 is maintained at the left position a. . As a result, hydraulic oil is supplied from the discharge port 50e to the head side ports 45e of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45, and hydraulic oil is returned from the rod side ports 45d of the hydraulic cylinders 45, 45 to the suction port 50f. As a result, the cylinder rod 45a moves in the direction in which the hydraulic cylinder 45 extends. As a result, the tailgate 5 moves upward and the garbage inlet 4 is fully opened.

When the hydraulic cylinder 45 is extended, in order to stop the movement of the cylinder rod 45a, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the neutral position c from the above-mentioned state, and the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is switched to the left position a. This stops the supply of hydraulic oil to the head side port 45e, and further closes the escape route of hydraulic oil from the rod side port 45d and the head side port 45e. As a result, the cylinder rod 45a stops moving and maintains a stopped state. In addition, by keeping the second switching valve 54 and the third switching valve 55 in the left position a, internal leakage is reduced, and the hydraulic cylinder 45 is prevented from contracting and causing the tailgate 5 to lower.

On the other hand, when contracting the hydraulic cylinder 45, from the above-mentioned stopped state, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched to the right position b, and the flow path in the second switching valve 54 is held at the left position a. , switches the flow path in the third switching valve 55 to the right position b. As a result, hydraulic oil is supplied from the discharge port 50e to the rod-side port 45d, and hydraulic oil is returned from the head-side port 45e to the suction port 50f. As a result, the cylinder rod 45a moves in the direction in which the hydraulic cylinder 45 contracts. This causes the tailgate 5 to move downward, and the garbage inlet 4 to be fully closed.

When the hydraulic cylinder 45 is contracted and the movement of the cylinder rod 45a is stopped, the flow path in the first switching valve 53 is switched from the above-mentioned state to the neutral position c, and the flow path in the third switching valve 55 is stopped. Switch the road to left position a. As a result, the supply of hydraulic oil to the rod-side port 45d is stopped, and furthermore, the escape route for the hydraulic oil from the rod-side port 45d and the head-side port 45e is closed. Thereby, the cylinder rod 45a stops moving and maintains the stopped state. The rotational operation of the electric motor 50a, the switching operation of the first switching valve 53, the switching operation of the second switching valve 54, and the switching operation of the third switching valve 55 are controlled by a control device 80 having a CPU (central processing unit). be done. A sensing signal from the foot switch 30 is input to the control device 80, and operation signals from the PTO switch 63, the loading/unloading switch 64, and the loading button 65 are also input. In this embodiment, the control device 80 controls the switching operations of the respective valves to cause the tailgate 5 to move up or down, and to fully open or close the garbage inlet 4.

-Opening/closing control of tailgate 5-
Next, the opening/closing control of the tailgate 5 based on the foot switch 30 will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the figure, in step S1, the control device 80 determines whether a PTO (Power Take Off) that transmits engine power to the hydraulic pump P (see FIG. 4) of the garbage loading device 8 is in an on state. Specifically, this determination is made based on whether the PTO switch 63 for operating the PTO has been turned on. This PTO switch (power source switch) 63 (see FIG. 1) is operated by the worker H when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is stopped and before the worker H throws the garbage G into the garbage disposal box 3. It is turned on.

If the PTO is not in the on state in step S1, the process remains on standby, but if the PTO is in the on state, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the control device 80 further determines whether the loading/discharging switch 64 is set (switched) to the loading side, and if it is set to the loading side, that is, the garbage in the garbage input box 3 When putting garbage into the inlet 4, it is determined in step S3 whether the loading button 65 is turned on. If the loading button 65 has not been turned on yet, that is, if the garbage loading device 8 is in a stopped state and the tailgate 5 also closes the garbage inlet 4, the control device does not proceed to step S4. 80 enables the foot switch 30 and proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the control device 80 determines whether the foot switch 30 is on, that is, whether the worker H has put his or her foot into the sensing space 30b and a sensing signal is being output, and the foot switch 30 is turned on. If the foot switch 30 is still in the off state, the process immediately proceeds to step S8 without operating the tailgate 5, but if the foot switch 30 is in the on state, it is determined that the operator H is instructing the opening/closing operation of the tailgate 5. Then, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the control device 80 determines whether the tailgate 5 is fully closed. If it is fully closed, the control device 80 moves the tailgate 5 upward in step S7 to fully open the garbage inlet 4. . Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S8, and the control device 80 again determines whether the PTO is in the on state. If the PTO is in the on state, the process returns to step S2.

Then, after the tailgate 5 is raised by the operator H's foot operation of the foot switch 30 and the garbage inlet 4 is fully opened as described above, when the loading button 65 is turned on in step S3. That is, when operating the garbage loading device 8, the control device 80 operates the garbage loading device 8 for one cycle in step S9. As a result, a garbage loading operation is performed in which the garbage G input into the garbage input port 4 is loaded into the garbage storage box 2. While the garbage loading operation is being performed in this way, the control device 80 disables the foot switch 30 in step S10 so as to prohibit any careless operation of the tailgate 5. That is, even if a sensing signal is output from the foot switch 30, the control device 80 ignores the sensing signal. After step S10, the process proceeds to step S8, where the control device 80 determines whether the PTO is in the off state, and if it is in the on state, returns to step S2.

When the loading operation of the garbage G is temporarily interrupted or completed, the loading button 65 will no longer be turned on, and the garbage loading device 8 will no longer be operated. In this state, the tailgate 5 is either fully open because the garbage G was being loaded just before, or it is half open due to manual operation by the worker H during the loading process. In this case, when the foot switch 30 is turned on again (YES in step S5 and YES in step S6), the control device 80 proceeds to step S11 and determines whether the tailgate 5 is fully open. If not, the tailgate 5 is moved upward in step S7 to fully open the garbage inlet 4. However, if the tailgate 5 is fully open, when the worker H finishes loading the garbage G. It is determined that the tailgate 5 is lowered in step S12 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, and then the process proceeds to step S8.

On the other hand, if the loading/unloading changeover switch 64 is set (switched) to the unloading side in step S2, i.e., if the garbage in the garbage storage box 2 is to be unloaded outside the garbage collection vehicle 100, the foot switch 30 is disabled in step S13 to prohibit inadvertent opening and closing of the tailgate 5, and then the process proceeds to step S8.

Then, in step S8, when the PTO is turned off, that is, after the loading of the garbage G into the garbage bin 3 or the discharge of the garbage from the garbage storage bin 2 is completed, the control device 80 lowers the tailgate 5 in step S14 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, and then disables the foot switch 30 in step S15 and ends the process. By lowering the tailgate 5 in step S14 to fully close the garbage inlet 4, the garbage inlet 4 can be automatically fully closed when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is driven, even if the worker H does not operate the foot switch 30 to close the tailgate 5 at the end of the loading of the garbage G.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. By standing and performing a foot operation to put the tip of the foot into the sensing space 30b of the foot switch 30, the foot switch 30 outputs a sensing signal and turns on. In response to this sensing signal, the control device 80 extends the hydraulic cylinder 45, raises the tailgate 5, and fully opens the garbage inlet 4. Therefore, even if the worker H holds garbage (a garbage bag in FIG. 9) G in both hands and has both hands occupied, he or she can operate the foot switch 30 with his/her foot without holding the tailgate handle 49 with his/her hands. Then, the garbage G can be thrown into the garbage inlet 4 by fully opening the garbage inlet 4 without lowering one or both of the garbage G to the ground. Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the garbage G loading operation.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in the garbage collection vehicle 100, an emergency stop plate 62 is disposed below the garbage inlet 4 so as to extend in the left-right direction, and the rotary plate 10 is placed in the vicinity of the garbage inlet 4 in the garbage inlet box 3. If the hand or arm of the worker H enters the operating angle range Z, it is likely to be caught in the rotary plate 10, but if the worker H pushes the emergency stop plate 62 with his or her foot, etc. , the operation of the garbage loading device 8 is brought to an emergency stop by the control device 80. The foot switch 30 is located on the left side of the emergency stop plate 62. Therefore, when operating the emergency stop plate 62 with a foot, the foot switch 30 does not get in the way, and the operator H can quickly bring the garbage loading device 8 to an emergency stop.

Further, the foot switch 30 is disposed further back from the emergency stop plate 62 by a predetermined distance t toward the inside of the garbage disposal box 3 (that is, toward the driver's seat). Therefore, when the worker H pushes the emergency stop plate 62 with his or her foot, the foot operation stops at the position of the emergency stop plate 62, and the tip of the foot that operated the foot moves into the sensing space 30b of the foot switch 30. Since the possibility of accidental entry can be reduced, malfunction of the foot switch 30 can be effectively prevented, and the possibility of the tailgate 5 being lowered when the garbage loading device 8 is stopped in an emergency can be reduced. .

Further, the foot switch 30 has a sensing space 30b on the inner side of the garbage disposal box 3, and is configured to sense that the tip of the foot of the worker H has entered the sensing space 30b. In other words, the foot switch 30 is configured to instruct the tailgate 5 to open or close only when the worker H consciously performs a foot operation to put the tip of the foot into the sensing space 30b. Therefore, if the foot switch is of a type that does not have a sensing space, for example, a foot switch that is stepped on by worker H from above, worker H may accidentally step on the foot switch while loading garbage G. There is a high possibility that the foot switch 30 may be operated due to the garbage G that is being operated or thrown into the garbage input port 4 hitting the foot switch 30, but the foot switch 30 having the sensing space 30b of this embodiment eliminates such concerns. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the possibility of erroneously raising or lowering the tailgate 5.

In addition, the garbage collection vehicle 100 is equipped with a PTO switch (power source switch) 63, and the control device 80 turns on the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the garbage loading device 8 by turning on the PTO switch 63. The foot switch 30 is configured to be enabled on the condition that the PTO is connected (the PTO is in a connected state). That is, the foot switch 30 becomes effective only when the garbage collection vehicle 100 has stopped and the garbage loading device 8 can be operated by PTO. Therefore, when the worker H fully opens the garbage inlet 4 to load the garbage G into the garbage input box 3, the tailgate 5 can be reliably raised by operating the foot switch 30. . Moreover, when the PTO switch 63 is turned off, that is, when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is running, the foot switch 30 is disabled, so when the garbage collection vehicle 100 is running, the tailgate 5 may inadvertently move upward, causing the garbage inlet 4 can be effectively prevented from opening.

Further, the garbage collection vehicle 100 is equipped with a loading button 65, and the control device 80 disables the foot switch 30 on the condition that the garbage loading device 8 is operated by turning on the loading button 65. is configured to do so. Therefore, in a situation where the garbage loading device 8 is operating with the garbage inlet 4 open by operating the loading button 65, the foot switch 30 is disabled, so even if the foot switch 30 is Even if the tailgate 5 is operated by foot, the tailgate 5 will not be inadvertently lowered, and the work of loading the garbage G by the worker H will be prevented from being disrupted.

Further, the control device 80 opens the garbage inlet 4 on the condition that the power source (hydraulic pump P) of the garbage loading device 8 is turned off by turning off the PTO switch 63 (the PTO is in the disconnected state). It is configured to lower the tailgate 5 so as to fully close it, and to disable the foot switch 30. Therefore, after the loading work of garbage G into the garbage input box 3 is completed, the garbage input port 4 is fully closed by the tailgate 5, and the foot switch 30 is disabled, so that the garbage loading Even if the garbage collection vehicle 100 starts running after the work is finished, it is reliably prevented from driving with the garbage inlet 4 open, and foreign objects on the road that are picked up by the rear wheels while driving are removed from the foot switch 30. This prevents the tailgate 5 from entering the sensing space 30b and causing a malfunction, thereby effectively preventing the tailgate 5 from inadvertently moving upward.

-Other embodiments-
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and are not the basis for restrictive interpretation. The technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the claims. Further, the technical scope of the present invention includes all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

In the embodiment, the foot switch 30 is placed on the left side of the emergency stop plate 62, but instead of this placement, the foot switch 30 is placed on the right side of the emergency stop plate 62, or the foot switch 30 is placed on both the left side and the right side. may be placed.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the foot switch 30 having the sensing space 30b is used, but other types of foot switches having no sensing space may be used.

In the above embodiment, the hydraulic pump P, which is the power source of the garbage loading device 8, is configured to receive engine power via the PTO, and the hydraulic cylinder 45 for raising and lowering the tailgate 5 is configured to be driven by an electric hydraulic pump unit 50 separate from the hydraulic pump P, but this is not limited to this. For example, the hydraulic pump P, which is the power source of the garbage loading device 8, may be configured to send hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 45 for operating the tailgate 5.

Further, in order to raise and lower the tailgate 5, a hydraulic opening/closing mechanism is used in which the opening/closing arm 43 is operated by a hydraulic cylinder 45, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It may also be a type opening/closing mechanism.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, the garbage loading device 8 is configured as a rotating plate type garbage loading device having the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20, but is not limited to this. , and a compression plate at the lower end of the sliding plate.

Further, in the embodiment, the power source of the garbage loading device 8 is the hydraulic pump P, and the power source of the engine is transmitted to the hydraulic pump P via the PTO, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention is also applicable to a so-called electric garbage collection vehicle in which a hydraulic pump P is driven by an electric motor.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the control device 80 is used to control the operation of the garbage loading device 8, and the control device 80 is also used to control the opening and closing of the tailgate 5. Separate control devices may be used for controlling the opening and closing of the tailgate 5 and the opening/closing control of the tailgate 5, respectively.

Further, in the above embodiment, the emergency stop plate 62 as the emergency stop operation part was formed in a rectangular shape with a wide area, but the shape of the emergency stop operation part is not limited to this. For example, the shape of the emergency stop operation part is not limited to this. may be formed.

The present invention can be used in a garbage collection vehicle equipped with a garbage loading device disposed inside a garbage bin and an opening/closing door for opening and closing a garbage inlet opening at the rear end of the garbage bin.

2 Garbage storage box 3 Garbage input box 4 Garbage input port 5 Tail gate (opening/closing door)
8 Garbage loading device G Garbage 30 Foot switch (foot-operated switch)
30b Sensing space 62 Emergency stop plate (emergency stop operation part)
63 PTO switch (power source switch)
64 Loading/discharging switch 65 Loading button 80 Control device 100 Garbage collection vehicle

Claims (6)

A garbage input box with a garbage input opening opened at the rear end, a garbage loading device disposed inside the garbage input box, an opening/closing door for opening and closing the garbage input opening, and an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door. In a garbage collection vehicle equipped with a control device for controlling,
a loading device operation unit that is disposed on the side of the garbage inlet and instructs the operation of the garbage loading device;
an emergency stop operation section that is disposed below the garbage inlet and stops the operation of the garbage loading device in response to an operation by a person; and an opening/closing door operating switch that instructs the control device to open/close the opening/closing door; Equipped with
The emergency stop operation part has a predetermined area whose longitudinal direction is the vehicle width direction,
The garbage collection vehicle, wherein the opening/closing door operation switch has an area smaller than the predetermined area at a side position of the emergency stop operation part on the side where the loading device operation part is provided. The garbage collection vehicle according to claim 1,
The garbage collection vehicle is characterized in that the separation distance from the garbage inlet is larger for the opening/closing door operation switch than for the emergency stop operation section. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
The emergency stop operation unit has the predetermined area extending in the vehicle width direction from a vehicle width center portion,
A refuse collection vehicle, wherein the open/close door operation switch is provided in a position adjacent to the loading device operation unit in the vehicle width direction. In the garbage collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The garbage collection vehicle is characterized in that the opening/closing door operation switch is arranged further back inward of the garbage disposal box than the emergency stop operation section. The garbage collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The opening/closing door operation switch is
A garbage collection vehicle having a sensing space on the inner side of the garbage input box, and configured to be able to sense when a person's foot enters the sensing space. The garbage collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A power source switch that turns on and off the power source of the garbage loading device,
The opening/closing door is driven by a power source different from that of the garbage loading device,
The control device includes:
determining whether the power source switch is on or off;
Disabling the opening/closing door operation switch on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned off by the power source switch,
A garbage collection vehicle characterized in that the opening/closing door operation switch is enabled on the condition that the power source of the garbage loading device is turned on by the power source switch.

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