JP3709390B2 - Articulated vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connection type vehicle that can travel by connecting a plurality of vehicles, and more particularly to a connection type vehicle suitable for connecting a tracked vehicle and a wheeled vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An example of a conventional coupled tracked vehicle is described in Patent Document 1. In this document, in order to use a fire extinguishing robot for multiple purposes, the fire extinguishing robot is composed of a towing vehicle and a trailer. The trailer is equipped with a high-pressure water cannon and can be controlled remotely. Another example of the coupled tracked vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 2. In this publication, a crawler-type tow vehicle pulls a transport vehicle. Moreover, as an example of a vehicle in which two tracked vehicles are connected, there is a BV206 vehicle of HAAGLUNDS VEHICLE. In this vehicle, the vehicle located on the front side in the traveling direction has an engine, and the power generated by the engine is transmitted to the vehicle connected via the propeller shaft.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-197263 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-9-254806
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The articulated vehicles described in the above two publications move a vehicle towed by a tracked vehicle to a place where the tracked vehicle is used, thereby enabling fire extinguishing and transporting fruit trees. However, this articulated vehicle does not consider moving the towed vehicle to the vicinity of the place of use and then running the towed vehicle independently. Therefore, the towed vehicle does not have autonomous traveling means.
[0004]
On the other hand, in the BV206 vehicle, which is a well-known connected vehicle, when the connection between the towed vehicle and the towed vehicle is released, the towed vehicle does not have a steering device, and the towed vehicle has a power unit and a steering device. It is not possible to operate each vehicle independently. Further, if the connected tracked vehicle is driven at a high speed, the vehicle body may become unstable during turning because it does not include a travel control device.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to enable a connected vehicle in which a tracked vehicle and a wheeled vehicle are connected to be stably operated even at high speeds. Another object of the present invention is to release the connection of a connected vehicle in which a tracked vehicle and a wheeled vehicle are connected, and to make each vehicle travel independently in a muddy area, a snowy area, a wilderness, or the like.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, constitutes a linked vehicle by connecting with connecting means and a steerable Sowasha and So軌車each independently, a instrumentation-wheel vehicle in front A tracked vehicle is arranged on the rear side, and the wheeled vehicle has a prime mover that drives the wheeled vehicle and a generator attached to the rotation shaft of the prime mover, and the generated power is supplied to the tracked vehicle by the generator. A battery for storing electricity and a second prime mover driven by this battery are mounted .
[0007]
In this feature, the prime mover is an internal combustion engine, and it is preferable to provide a connector for supplying electric power generated by the generator to the wheeled and tracked vehicle to the battery. The wheeled vehicle steers the wheeled vehicle. It is preferable that the tracked vehicle has a second steering means for forcibly giving a speed difference to the crawler track. Further, the connecting means is movable in the vertical direction and the left-right direction, and it is preferable that one of the wheeled vehicle and the tracked vehicle does not hinder the other when the connected vehicle travels on rough terrain.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of the coupled vehicle 1. The front vehicle 2 located on the front side in the traveling direction is connected to the rear vehicle 3 located on the rear side in the traveling direction by the connecting means 4 and a connector (not shown). The front vehicle 2 is a wheeled vehicle, and forms two pairs of traveling means (tires) 8 provided on the left and right sides and arranged in front and rear, a vehicle body 22a and a part of the vehicle body 22a, and instructs steering and steering. It has a driving unit 26a, a work unit 26b on which equipment required for the work is mounted so that construction / repair work and the like can be performed using the front vehicle 2, and a connecting means 4a for connecting the rear vehicle to be pulled. .
[0009]
The rear vehicle 3 includes a connecting means 4b for connecting to the front vehicle 2, a pair of starter wheels 23 provided in the vicinity of the front ends of the left and right sides constituting the tracked portion, a plurality of pairs of wheels 24, A pair of guide wheels 25 provided in the vicinity of the rear end, these starting wheels 23, rolling wheels 24, crawlers 9 mounted endlessly on the guide wheels 25, and a carriage portion to which a track portion is attached 22b. A work machine 27 for work using the rear vehicle 3 is mounted on the upper surface of the carriage unit 22b. As described above, since materials and work machines can be mounted on the front vehicle 2 and the rear vehicle 3, various operations can be performed only by the coupled vehicle 1.
[0010]
In FIG. 1, the driving method of the rear tracked vehicle 3 is a front wheel drive. When the front wheel drive system is adopted, there is an advantage that the length of the cable connecting the drive sources of the front vehicle 2 and the rear vehicle 3 can be saved. When a large space is required to mount the work machine 27, it is preferable to use a rear wheel drive system. Further, in order to increase the traction force of the forward vehicle 2, a four-wheel drive system may be used.
[0011]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the coupled vehicle, and shows a state where the coupled vehicle 1 is released and the vehicles 2 and 3 are caused to travel independently. From the state of FIG. 1 in which the wheeled vehicle 2 and the tracked vehicle 3 are connected to enable high-speed traveling, in order to perform work such as construction work on muddy ground and rough terrain, in muddy ground and rough terrain. For this work, the tracked vehicle 3 is separated by the connecting means 4a, 4b and travels alone. The work machine 27 is formed to be rotatable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by a hinge 27b at the rear end of the carriage portion 22b.
[0012]
FIG. 3 shows a side view of the connected vehicle 1 with the work machines 26b and 27 removed (FIG. 3 (a)) and a top sectional view (FIG. 3 (b)), and FIG. . The coupled vehicle 1 has an engine 5 as an engine. The power generated in the engine 5 is guided to a generator 6 attached to the output shaft of the engine, and mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. A part of the converted electrical energy is charged to the storage battery 7 on the rear tracked vehicle side via the cables 29 and 30 and the connector 31. The remaining electric power is guided to an electric motor 33a that drives the front vehicle 2 via a control device 32a that controls the front wheeled vehicle 2. The power generated by the electric motor 33a is transmitted to the drive unit 8 of the preceding vehicle through the transmission 34a. Similarly, the electric power stored in the storage battery 7 of the rear vehicle 3 is guided to the electric motor 33b that drives the rear vehicle 3 through the control device 32b to generate power, and passes through the transmission 34b to drive the rear vehicle drive unit 9. Is transmitted to.
[0013]
Since the rear vehicle 3 is a tracked vehicle, it has a large number of wheels 24, starter wheels 23, and guide wheels 25, so that an electric motor 34b is attached to each wheel or appropriately to ensure driving force. May be. In the coupled vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, the front wheeled vehicle 2 and the rear tracked vehicle 3 are combined, so that a series type hybrid electric drive vehicle is obtained. The engine 5 can maintain the most efficient rotational speed and can reduce exhaust gas.
[0014]
As shown by the arrows in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the connecting means 4, 4 a, and 4 b can rotate in the vehicle pitching direction 10 and the rolling direction 11, so that the uneven terrain where the unevenness is continuous is provided. Even when traveling, the drive units 8 and 9 can always be grounded. Thereby, the mobility performance in the rough terrain of the connection type vehicle 1 can be improved.
[0015]
In this embodiment configured as described above, the coupled vehicle 1 is turned as follows. A steering angle is given to the wheel 8 which is a drive part of the front wheeled vehicle 2, and a speed difference is forcibly given to the crawler belts 9 provided on the left and right sides which are the drive part of the rear tracked vehicle 3. Thus, since a speed difference can be given to the crawler belt 9 of the rear tracked vehicle 3, it is possible to turn at a high speed that is difficult with a general tracked vehicle. In this embodiment, since the connected vehicle 1 is hybrid electric drive, the rotational speed of the axle of the drive unit 8 of the front vehicle 2 and the rotational speed of the axle of the drive unit 9 of the rear vehicle 3 can be easily controlled. Furthermore, if the degree of freedom in the yawing direction 12 of the vehicle indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4 is limited, posture control during turning becomes easier.
[0016]
FIG. 5 shows a side view of the front wheeled vehicle 2 (FIG. 5 (a)) and a top sectional view (FIG. 5 (b)). The mode that the connection of the connection means 4a and the connector 31a was cancelled | released is shown. In the front wheeled vehicle 2, the generator 5 is driven by operating the engine 5 mounted on the front vehicle 2. Since the generator 6 generates electrical energy necessary for traveling, the front vehicle 2 can be operated alone.
[0017]
FIG. 6 shows a side view (the same figure (a)) and a top sectional view (the same figure (b)) of the rear tracked vehicle 3. The state where the connection between the connecting means 4b and the connector 31b is released and the rear vehicle 3 is operated independently by the electric energy charged in the storage battery 7 is shown. The rear vehicle 3 can be stably operated even when operating on rough terrain because the suspension system is a track type. Therefore, the rear vehicle 3 is used for independent work outside the road.
[0018]
The rear vehicle 3 may be operated by manned driving means (not shown), or other vehicles may be operated wirelessly or by wire as command vehicles. Here, in the case of work in a situation where the worker is in danger, the work can be performed safely by unattended remote command. The connection and release of the connecting means 4a of the front vehicle 2 and the connecting means 4b of the rear vehicle 3 can be performed automatically or semi-automatically, and can be easily separated and connected.
[0019]
FIG. 7 shows a specific example of connecting and releasing the connection type vehicle 1 semi-automatically or automatically. The connecting means 4a of the forward vehicle 2 has an axis extending in the left-right direction in the vicinity of the end. On the other hand, the connecting means 4b of the rear vehicle 3 has a shaft 42 that cuts both sides of a cylindrical shaft into a tapered shape and extends to the left and right. The width of the shaft 42 is narrower toward the tip. A hole at one end of a pair of plates 35 in which holes are formed in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction is inserted into the shaft 41 of the forward vehicle 2. The plate 35 is positioned obliquely until the other end side of the plate 35 is in contact with the shaft end portion of the rear vehicle 3. While bringing the rear vehicle 3 closer to the front vehicle, the plate 35 is moved in the left-right direction 36 (FIG. 1A), and the shaft 42 is inserted into another hole formed in the plate 35 (FIG. 2B). Thereby, the front and rear vehicles are fixed.
[0020]
Another embodiment of the coupled vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 2B is a top sectional view thereof. The present embodiment differs from the above embodiment in that the power generated in the engine 5a is directly used as the driving force of the front vehicle, and the generator is used as an auxiliary power for the engine by using a motor generator. The front vehicle 2 a and the rear vehicle 3 are connected via a connecting portion 4. An engine 5a that is an engine is mounted on the front vehicle 2a, and the power generated by the engine 5a is guided to the power distributor 41. A part of the power is guided to the generator motor 6a and converted into electrical energy to generate electric power. This electric power is stored in the storage battery 7 of the rear vehicle 3 via the cables 29 and 30 and the connector 31. The remainder of the power generated in the engine 5a is directly transmitted to the drive unit 8 via the transmission 42.
[0021]
According to this embodiment configured as described above, the power generated by the engine 5a of the forward vehicle 2a directly drives the forward vehicle 2a during normal operation, and the forward vehicle 2a pulls the backward vehicle 3. When the load is high, the electric energy stored in the storage battery 7 is supplied to the generator motor 6a and used as an auxiliary driving force for the engine 5a. Thus, the connected vehicle 1a forms a parallel hybrid electric drive vehicle in which the front vehicle 2a and the rear vehicle 3 are combined. In this parallel type hybrid electric drive vehicle, although the degree of design freedom of each component is inferior to that of the series type hybrid electric drive vehicle shown in the above embodiment, the production cost can be reduced. In addition, the connection type vehicle 1a can be operated individually by releasing the connection as in the above-described embodiment.
[0022]
Still another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a side view of the coupled vehicle according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the above embodiments in that the front vehicle is a tracked vehicle and the rear vehicle is a wheeled vehicle. Accordingly, the connecting means 4c and 4d are located at the rear end portion in the tracked vehicle 3d, and are located at the front end portion in the wheeled vehicle 2d. Other configurations are the same as those in the above embodiments. According to the present embodiment, the front wheeled vehicle and the rear tracked vehicle can be operated independently, and the front wheeled vehicle is connected to the rear portion of the rear tracked vehicle, so that heavy earthwork is performed. The front wheeled vehicle can be used as a weight to increase the traction force.
[0023]
In each of the above embodiments, stable high-speed traveling performance can be exhibited by giving a steering angle to the tire of a wheeled vehicle and giving a steering ratio to the sprocket rotation speed of the tracked vehicle. In addition, since driving force can be applied to both the wheeled vehicle and the tracked vehicle in a connected state on rough terrain, high maneuverability can be obtained. In addition, each vehicle can be operated independently even if the connection is released, so that different types of work can be allocated and connected organically, such as wheeled vehicles for transportation and command and control, and tracked vehicles for off-road activities. Type vehicles can be operated. Furthermore, if the hybrid electric drive system is adopted, it is possible to make the engine load constant, thereby reducing exhaust gas and improving fuel efficiency.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, in a coupled vehicle that travels by connecting a wheeled vehicle and a tracked vehicle, each vehicle can be steered independently. The tracked vehicle can be driven alone.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a connection type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention when connected.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the coupled vehicle shown in FIG. 1 when separated.
3 is a side view and a top view of the coupled vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is a view as seen from an arrow A in FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5A and 5B are a side view and a top view of a wheeled vehicle included in the coupled vehicle shown in FIG.
6 is a side view and a top view of a tracked vehicle provided in the coupled vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
7 is a view for explaining the operation of the connecting means provided in the connected vehicle shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are a side view and a top view of another embodiment of a coupled vehicle according to the present invention. FIGS.
FIG. 9 is a side view of still another embodiment of the coupled vehicle according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connection type vehicle, 2, 2a ... Front vehicle (wheeled vehicle), 2a ... Wheeled vehicle, 3 ... Rear vehicle (tracked vehicle), 4, 4a-4d ... Connection means, 5 ... Engine, 6 ... Power generation 7 ... battery, 29, 30 ... transmission line, 31 ... connector, 32 ... electric motor.

Claims (4)

A wheeled vehicle that can be steered independently and a tracked vehicle are connected using connecting means, and the wheeled vehicle is disposed forward and the tracked vehicle is disposed rearward, respectively. And a generator mounted on the rotating shaft of the prime mover, and a battery for storing electric power generated by the generator and a second prime mover driven by the battery are mounted on the tracked vehicle. A connected vehicle characterized by the above. 2. The connected vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the prime mover is an internal combustion engine, and the wheeled vehicle and the tracked vehicle are provided with connectors for supplying electric power generated by the generator to a battery. The Sowasha has a steering means for steering the Sowasha, the instrumentation軌車is according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second steering means for providing a forced speed difference track Linked vehicle. Said coupling means is movable in vertical and horizontal directions, linked claim 1 the vehicle is possible to prevent the other to inhibit one of the travel of Sowasha and So軌車when riding uneven terrain The connected vehicle as described in 1.

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