JP2722443B2 - Trailer angle detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a relative angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer to be pulled by the towing vehicle, and more particularly to a relative displacement other than the above-mentioned angle occurring between the towing vehicle and the trailer. The effect of the above can be removed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 56-154205, a towing vehicle and a trailer to be pulled are rotatable via a connecting shaft extending in a vehicle vertical direction. Connected, which allows for smooth running of the towed trailer.

[0003]

Here, in an unmanned towing system in which the towing vehicle travels unattended, the trailer behavior, that is, the relative angle between the towing vehicle and the trailer, is determined when the vehicle moves backward. Need to detect. However, in the above-described towing structure, even if the rotation angle of the trailer around the connection axis is simply detected, there is a backlash in the connection portion. In addition, a component of a relative displacement between the towing vehicle and the trailer in the vehicle front-rear direction and the left-right direction is included, so that there is a problem that the behavior of the trailer cannot be accurately known.

The present invention has been made in view of such an unsolved problem of the conventional technology, and can accurately detect a relative angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer. It is an object to provide a trailer angle detecting device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle having a connecting shaft extending in a vehicle vertical direction.
What is claimed is: 1. A device for detecting a relative angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer rotatably connected around the connection shaft , wherein the rotation member is rotatably disposed coaxially with the connection shaft. Connecting one of the towing vehicle and the trailer to the rotating member.
A connecting member to be connected to the towing vehicle and the trailer.
Rotation angle for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating member with respect to
Detecting means, and the connecting member is a vehicle
Extends in the front-rear direction, with both ends around an axis parallel to the connection axis
A parallel link consisting of a plurality of swing arms that can swing
Of an axis extending in the vehicle vertical direction and an axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction.
Slide a flat plate member parallel to both sides from both sides with a sandwiching member.
A sliding member movably sandwiched between them is connected in series.
Includes configuration .

[0006]

The relative displacement in the front-rear direction and the relative displacement in the up-down direction between the towing vehicle and the trailer are absorbed by sliding between the flat plate member constituting the sliding member and the sandwiching member. Does not reach. Further, since the relative displacement in the vehicle left-right direction between the towing vehicle and the trailer is absorbed by the plurality of swing arms extending in the vehicle front-rear direction swinging at both ends to form a parallel link,
Again, it is not transmitted to the rotating member.

[0007] With respect to the relative angular displacement around the connecting axis between the towing vehicle and the trailer, no sliding occurs between the flat plate member and the sandwiching member, and the shape of the parallel link does not change. , The angular displacement is transmitted to the rotating member,
Since the rotation angle of the turning member is detected by the rotation angle detection means, the relative angle around the connection axis between the towing vehicle and the trailer is obtained based on the detection value of the rotation angle detection means.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of this embodiment. In the following description, an axis extending in the vehicle left-right direction is defined as an x-axis, an axis extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is defined as a y-axis, and an axis extending in the vehicle vertical direction is defined as a z-axis.

First, the configuration will be described. That is, trailer 1
Is fixed to a front end of the towing vehicle (not shown), which is long in the y-axis direction and has a hole 2a at the front end. A bracket 3 having plates 3A and 3B sandwiching the portion from above and below is fixed, and a hole 2a of the connecting arm 2 and holes 3a and 3a formed in the plates 3A and 3B of the bracket 3 are fixed.
When the towing pin 3b serving as a connection shaft penetrates from the z-axis direction, the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 are rotatably connected around the z-axis. However, the traction pin 4
It can be freely inserted and removed from the plate 3A side.

[0010] The connection to the upper surface of the arm 2, the fin plate 5 of the flat-plate member parallel to both the y Jiku及 <br/> beauty z-axis is fixed. On the other hand, a pivot 7 is fixed on the upper surface of the plate 3A on the upper side of the bracket 3 so as to be coaxial with the traction pin 4, and the pivot 9 is rotatable about the pivot 7 by bearings 9A and 9B. Boss 10 is provided. Therefore, the boss 10
Is rotatable coaxially with the traction pin 4.

Further, a pulley 11 having teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof is coaxially fixed to the upper surface of the boss 10. A pulley 13 having teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface is also fixed to a rotating shaft 12 a of a potentiometer 12 as a rotation angle detecting means fixed to the towing vehicle, and an inner surface is provided between the pulley 11 and the pulley 13. An endless belt 14 having teeth formed on its side is stretched.

As will be described later, relative rotation about the z-axis between the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 is transmitted to the boss 10,
Since it is configured to be measured by the potentiometer 12, the ratio of the number of teeth of the pulleys 11 and 13 corresponds to the bending range of the trailer 1 with respect to the towing vehicle, that is, the rotation range of the boss 10, and
It is determined from the ratio of the potentiometer 12 to the effective measurement range.

Further, the side surface of the boss 10, the one end of the I-type links 20 and 21 as a swing arm, parallel to the z-axis
Coupled swingably such around the axis, their type I Link 20
And 21 face the trailer 1 side along the y-axis . However, the connection position of the I-type links 20 and 21 to the boss 10 is 18 in the circumferential direction along the x-axis.
0 degrees apart. The other ends of the I-type links 20 and 21 are rotatably connected to the ends of the links 22A and 22B which are long in the x-axis direction and are separated from each other in the z- axis direction about an axis parallel to the z-axis. Have been. The distance between the ends of the I-type links 20 and 21 on the boss 10 side and the link 22
The distance between the ends of the I-type links 20 and 21 on the A and 22B sides is the same distance, thereby forming a parallel link.

Further, between the links 22A and 22B,
A long contact arm 25 in the y-axis direction is fixed so as to face one surface of the fin plate 5, and a holding arm 26 on the z-axis is located on the opposite side of the contact arm 25 across the fin plate 5. It is mounted to be rotatable about parallel axes. On the surface of the contact arm 25 facing the fin plate 5 side, ball units 27a and 27b for guiding low friction by rolling of the ball are attached, and on the surface of the holding arm 26 facing the fin plate 5 side, a ball is provided. A unit 27c is attached. Here, a sandwiching member is constituted by the contact arm 25, the holding arm 26, and the ball units 26a, 26b, 26c. Further, the sandwiching member, the flat plate member and
The fin plate 5 forms a sliding member.
It is.

Further, a spring 29 is provided between the hook member 26a fixed to the surface of the holding arm 26 opposite to the fin plate 5 side and the vicinity of the end of the link 22A far from the holding arm 26. Has been passed over. Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. That is, when the towing vehicle travels, the towing force of the towing vehicle is transmitted to the trailer 1 via the bracket 3, the towing pin 4, and the connecting arm 2, so that the trailer 1 travels with the towing vehicle.

Since the connecting arm 2 is rotatable around the towing pin 4, the trailer 1 can rotate relative to the towing vehicle. Therefore, smooth running is possible even on a curved road or the like. On the other hand, when a relative angular displacement around the z-axis occurs between the towing vehicle and the trailer 1, the contact arm 25 and the holding arm 26 rotate integrally with the fin plate 5 according to the angular displacement.
Since the contact arm 25 and the holding arm 26 sandwich the fin plate 5 by the urging force of the spring 29, even if the holding arm 26 can swing, the contact arm 25 and the holding arm 26 are It rotates with it.

The contact arm 25 and the holding arm 2
6 are transmitted to the links 22A, 22B and I
The power is transmitted to the boss 10 via the mold links 20 and 21 and the boss 1
Since the pulley 11 rotates together with 0, the rotation is transmitted to the rotating shaft 12a of the potentiometer 12 via the endless belt 14 and the pulley 13. Since the rotating shaft 12a rotates by an amount corresponding to the angular displacement between the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 and the tooth ratio of the pulleys 11 and 13, the detected value of the potentiometer 12 is corrected by the tooth ratio. A relative angular displacement between the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 around the z-axis will be detected.

Since there is play between the connecting arm 2 and the bracket 3 connected via the traction pin 4, the fin plate 5 fixed to the connecting arm 2 also has
The play between the connecting arm 2 and the bracket 3 is transmitted.
However, the play in the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction is caused by the contact arm 2
5 and the holding arm 26 are absorbed by sliding with respect to the fin plate 5 along the y and z planes, and the backlash in the x-axis direction causes the I-type links 20 and 21 to swing in the x-axis direction. Is absorbed by The angular displacement between the connecting arm 2 and the bracket 3 around the x-axis and around the y-axis is
It is absorbed by the sliding between the contact arm 25, the holding arm 26 and the fin plate 5 and the swing of the I-links 20, 21. In this embodiment, the ball unit 27 is used.
a, 27b and 27c, the contact arm 2
5. The sliding between the holding arm 26 and the fin plate 5 is smoothly guided, and wear and the like are prevented.

After all, only the displacement about the z-axis between the connecting arm 2 and the bracket 3 is transmitted to the boss 10, so that the detection value of the potentiometer 12
Only the component of the angular displacement about the z-axis between the towing vehicle and the bracket 3 is included, and based on the detection value of the potentiometer 12, the angular displacement about the z-axis between the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 is calculated. It can be detected accurately.

Therefore, if the configuration of the present embodiment is applied to, for example, an unmanned towing system, the behavior of the trailer can be accurately grasped, and the back running or the like can be performed with high accuracy. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the spring 29 that applies the pinching force to the holding arm 26 urges the holding arm 26 toward the fin plate 5 in the range A at the dead point as shown in FIG. Holding arm 26
In the direction away from the fin plate 5.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
If the claw 26b is fixed to the inner surface of the fin 6 so that the end of the fin plate 5 comes into contact when the connecting arm 2 is moved toward the bracket 3, it is troublesome to connect the trailer 1 to the towing vehicle. Simplification is achieved. That is, the holding arm 2
6 is opened outside the dead point, and the towing vehicle is backed or the trailer 1 is moved so that the tip of the connecting arm 2 is located between the plates 3A and 3B of the bracket 3 with the towing pin 4 pulled out from the bracket 3. When the fin plate 5 is advanced, the holding arm 26 swings inward by the fin plate 5 pressing the claw 26b, and after reaching the range A beyond the dead point, the holding arm 26 is biased by the spring 29. It is completely set, and then the traction pin 4 may be inserted as appropriate.

When the towing vehicle and the trailer 1 are cut off, the fin plate 5 can be removed by pulling out the towing pin 4.
Since the ball unit 27a, 27b, and 27c smoothly guide the space between the contact arm 25 and the holding arm 26, the trailer 1 may be moved backward as it is. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, even if the wire 30 is stretched between the contact arm 25 and the holding arm 26, the holding arm 26 is moved by the movement of the fin plate 5.
Automatically set, the labor involved in connecting the trailer 1 to the towing vehicle is simplified.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since only the relative angular displacement around the connection axis between the towing vehicle and the trailer is transmitted to the rotating member, the rotation member is detected based on the detected value of the rotation angle detecting means for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating member. This has the effect that the relative angular displacement between the towing vehicle and the trailer around the connecting axis can be accurately grasped.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an operation of a spring.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration in which a claw is provided on an inner surface of a holding arm.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration when a wire is stretched on the inner surface side of the holding arm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Trailer 3 Bracket 4 Traction pin (connection shaft) 5 Fin plate 10 Boss (rotating member) 12 Potentiometer (rotation angle detecting means) 20, 21 I-type link 22A, 22B link 25 Contact arm 26 Holding arm 27a-27c Ball unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said connecting shaft extends in a vertical direction of the vehicle.
A device for detecting a relative angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer rotatably connected around a connection shaft, and a rotation member disposed rotatably coaxially with the connection shaft, One of the towing vehicle and the trailer is connected to the rotating member.
Connecting member and the other of the towing vehicle and the trailer
Rotation angle detection for detecting the rotation angle of the rotation member based on
And the connecting member extends in the vehicle front-rear direction, and both ends thereof are
Multiple swing arms that can swing around an axis parallel to the connection axis
Parallel link, a shaft extending in the vehicle vertical direction, and the vehicle
Place a flat plate member parallel to both the longitudinally extending axes
Sliding member that is slidably sandwiched by sandwiching members
And a trailer angle detecting device, which are connected in series .