JP4325850B2 - Transport vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport vehicle used for transporting luggage.

Conventionally, as a transport vehicle for transporting a load, for example, a front wheel provided at a front portion of a vehicle body, a drive source that drives the front wheel, a power transmission mechanism that transmits driving force from the drive source to the front wheels, a drive source, Some cover bodies that protect the power transmission mechanism are integrally turned by a steering operation to be steered. In addition, as described in the following document, there is a type in which the front wheel, the drive source, and the power transmission mechanism are integrally turned by a handle operation without turning the cover body.
JP-A-6-144239 JP-A-6-144244

  When all the devices in the cover body including the front wheels are turned, there is a problem that the operation force for turning these devices by operating the steering wheel is large and the driver is easily fatigued. Further, when the handle is operated, the handle is easily taken due to the inertia of the device in the cover body, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform a delicate operation or an agile operation. If the cover body is not turned, the handle operation can be lightened by the weight of the cover body. However, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the weight of a motor or a power transmission mechanism as a drive source is used. If the objects are arranged so as to be deviated from the turning shaft, the problem that the steering operation is difficult due to the inertia of these devices during turning remains unimproved.

  The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle that is excellent in operability of a steering wheel and can be steered with a light operating force.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises an equipment storage chamber provided at the front of a vehicle body and a front wheel provided below the equipment storage chamber, and is provided above the equipment storage chamber. In a transport vehicle that steers by turning the front steering wheel to turn the front wheel, a prime mover that drives the front wheel as a drive wheel in the equipment storage chamber, and a front wheel that is rotatably supported. A driving force transmission device that transmits the driving force to the front wheel, the driving force transmission device is provided so as to be able to turn with respect to the vehicle body, the prime mover is fixed to an upper portion of the driving force transmission device, and the prime mover The steering wheel is fixed to the upper part of the vehicle, and the front wheel, the driving force transmission device, the prime mover, and the steering wheel can be integrally turned with respect to the vehicle body.

  As a result, when the driver turns the steering handle, the prime mover, the driving force transmission device, and the front wheels turn, and steering can be performed with a lighter operating force than the configuration in which the entire device storage chamber including the front wheels is turned. It can be carried out. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect that the burden on the driver related to the steering is reduced and the steering wheel is easily operated. Further, since the steering handle can be turned only by being fixed to the prime mover, it is not necessary to support the steering handle with a bearing or the like, and the mounting structure of the steering handle can be simplified.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the arrangement of the steering handle, the prime mover, and the driving force transmission device can be set as appropriate, but the prime mover is arranged so that the turning axis of the driving force transmission device and the center of gravity of the prime mover are substantially on the same axis. It is preferable that the steering handle is fixed to the prime mover so that the center of gravity of the prime mover and the center axis of the steering handle are substantially on the same axis.

  In this way, the inertia of the prime mover at the time of turning hardly affects the operation of the steering handle, so that the operation can be performed lightly and the steering handle is not carried by the inertia of the prime mover. Further, even if the prime mover turns by turning the driving force transmission device, there is almost no movement of the center of gravity in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, so there is no possibility that the weight balance of the transport vehicle as a whole is impaired. Further, since the turning axis of the driving force transmission device and the central axis of the steering handle are arranged on substantially the same axis, the driver turns the driving force transmission device from turning the steering handle, and eventually turns the front wheel. Can be intuitively sensed, and the operability of the steering wheel is further improved. Here, the central axis of the steering handle is not limited to the shaft body that supports the central portion of the steering handle, but is an axis that represents the center of turning when the steering handle is turned.

By the way, in the present invention , as the prime mover, an internal combustion engine using gasoline or natural gas as a fuel, an electric motor (motor), or the like may be used. However, when the electric motor is used, the center of gravity is easily estimated. It is suitable for the case where the turning axis of the driving force transmission device and the center of gravity of the prime mover are substantially on the same axis, or the center of gravity of the prime mover and the center axis of the steering handle are substantially on the same axis. It is. That is, since the electric motor has a substantially symmetrical structure with respect to the rotating shaft of the rotor, that is, the output shaft of the electric motor, the center of gravity of the electric motor is located on the substantially same axis as the output shaft. Therefore, by placing the motor vertically so that the output shaft is in the vertical direction and arranging the output shaft and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device on the same axis, the position of the center of gravity of the motor can transmit the driving force. It can be made to be on substantially the same axis as the pivot axis of the apparatus. Similarly, by placing the motor in a vertical position so that the output shaft of the motor and the center axis of the steering handle are on the same axis, the center of gravity position of the motor is substantially on the same axis as the center axis of the steering handle. Can be.

Further, in the present invention , the equipment storage chamber can be constituted by a plurality of pillars erected on the front part of the vehicle body and a cylindrical body attached so as to cover these pillars. Can be disposed so as to surround the prime mover and the driving force transmission device, and the driving force transmission device can be pivotably supported on the column. For example, when three columns are erected, a column is arranged at each apex position of a triangle surrounding the prime mover and the driving force transmission device in plan view, and when four columns are erected, the plan view It is only necessary to place a support column at each vertex position of a quadrangle that surrounds the prime mover and the driving force transmission device, and a drive means for guiding the rotation of a bearing or the like is interposed between the support column and the driving force transmission device. The force transmission device may be provided so that it can rotate, that is, turn.

  In this way, since the struts are arranged so as to surround, the effect that the prime mover and the driving force transmission device can be protected by the struts is obtained, and the cylindrical body is attached so as to cover each strut. Therefore, an effect that the prime mover and the driving force transmission device can be protected also by this cylindrical body is obtained.

If the driving force transmission device is supported by a plurality of struts, the weight can be shared by each strut, and the rigidity of the structure that supports the driving force transmission device can be increased. The transmission device can be supported. Moreover, since the height dimension of the column can be set as appropriate, an appropriate portion of the driving force transmission device can be supported, and thereby the driving force transmission device can be smoothly turned .

Now, in the present invention, when a driving force transmission device that transmits a driving force through a cord or belt or the like is used as the driving force transmission device, it is necessary to adjust the tension or check the tension. When used, the noise during operation is large and it is necessary to replenish the chain with lubricant. Therefore, if a driving force transmission device that transmits the driving force by a gear is adopted, the adjustment work and the inspection work can be saved, and the maintenance work can be simplified, and noise during operation can be suppressed.

Further, in the present invention , when the equipment storage chamber is composed of a plurality of support columns standing on the front of the vehicle body and a cylinder body that is attached so as to cover these support columns, the cylinder body is only a predetermined distance from the prime mover. By forming so as to be separated from each other, a space can be secured between the prime mover and the cylinder in the equipment storage chamber, and for example, a control device for controlling the prime mover can be disposed in this space. Of course, equipment other than the control device can be arranged in this space, and when the prime mover is an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank for storing fuel used in the internal combustion engine and exhaust from the internal combustion engine are housed in the equipment. An exhaust muffler or the like that leads to the outside can be arranged. When the prime mover is an electric motor and a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor is mounted on the vehicle body, a charging device for connecting the battery to an external power source for charging can be arranged in this space.

  In this way, the space in the equipment storage room can be used effectively, and the transport vehicle can be made compact as a whole. When devices are arranged in the device storage chamber as described above, these devices are fixed to a vehicle body, or a column that cannot be moved with respect to the vehicle body, such as a column and a cylinder constituting the device storage chamber. In this way, it is possible to avoid the inertia of these devices from affecting the operation of the steering wheel.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the operating force required for steering is reduced, and the driver can easily operate the steering wheel. In addition, a fine operation of the steering wheel can be easily performed, and the operability is greatly improved.

First, the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment includes a device storage chamber 2 at the front portion of a body frame 1, and a cargo bed 3 at the rear of the vehicle body frame 1. A driver's cab 4 on which the driver gets on is formed on the vehicle body frame 1 between them. The loading platform 3 and the cab 4 are divided forward and backward by a guard 5 erected on the vehicle body frame 1, and a bumper 6 having a circular arc shape in plan view is provided at the front end of the vehicle body frame 1 so as to cover the lower part of the equipment storage chamber 2. Is provided. In addition, a front wheel 7 serving as a drive wheel and a steering wheel is disposed below the equipment storage chamber 2, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 8 is disposed below the loading platform 3. The vehicle body 1 is supported by the three wheels with the wheels 8 and travels.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the equipment storage chamber 2 is mainly composed of three support columns 21 erected perpendicularly to the body frame 1 and a cylindrical body attached so as to cover these support columns 21 from the outside. 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the pillars 21 are arranged so as to draw contrasting triangles in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 1 in plan view, and are arranged at respective vertex positions of the triangles. At this position, a bracket 23 as a support member is provided horizontally toward the inside of the triangle. And in the apparatus storage chamber 2 comprised in this way, the electric motor 9, the driving force transmission device 10, and the support tool 11 which are mentioned later are arrange | positioned so that it may be surrounded by the support | pillar 21. Each support column 21 and the cylindrical body 22 are fixed to the body frame 1 and cannot be moved with respect to the body frame 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a steering handle 12 is disposed above the equipment storage chamber 2, and a driver who has boarded the driver's cab 4 turns the steering wheel 12 to turn the front wheels 7 to steer. It has been made possible. Similarly, an accelerator handle 13 that is operated to adjust the traveling speed when traveling with the front wheel 7 actuated as a driving wheel is located above the equipment storage chamber 2, and the traveling direction is switched between forward and reverse. A switching lever 14 is provided for operation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the steering handle 12 includes a wheel 120 formed in an annular shape having a somewhat larger diameter than the cylindrical body 22 of the device storage chamber 2 and a circular shape in plan view formed in a smaller diameter than the cylindrical body 22. The steering wheel 12 is fixed to the electric motor 9 by the panel 121 and the spokes 122 connecting the wheel 120 and the panel 121, and the panel 121 is fixed to the cover 90 of the electric motor 9 with bolts.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the accelerator handle 13 is concentric with the steering handle 12 and has a smaller diameter than the wheel 120 of the steering handle 12. The accelerator handle 13 is provided so as to be able to tilt in a direction approaching the wheel 120 of the steering handle 12, and a sensor (not shown) for detecting the tilt angle is provided. When the output of this sensor is input to the control device 16 described later, the control device 16 controls the output of the electric motor 9 according to the output of the sensor. That is, the driver can obtain the desired output of the electric motor 9 and adjust the traveling speed by adjusting the angle at which the accelerator handle 13 is tilted.

  The switching lever 14 is provided so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction, and a sensor (not shown) for detecting in which direction it is tilted is attached. When the output of this sensor is input to the control device 16 described later, the control device 16 determines the rotation direction of the electric motor 9, that is, the rotation direction of the output shaft 91, according to the output of the sensor. That is, when the switching lever 14 is tilted forward, the rotation direction of the electric motor 9 is set to the direction in which the transport vehicle advances, and when the switching lever 14 is tilted rearward, the rotation direction of the electric motor 9 is set to the transport vehicle. Is the direction to go backwards. That is, the driver can move the traveling direction of the transport vehicle forward or backward by performing an operation of changing the direction in which the switching lever 14 is tilted.

  By the way, the transport vehicle according to this embodiment is an electric transport vehicle that travels by driving the electric motor 9 using a battery as a drive energy source, and the battery is located below the cargo bed 3 at a position slightly ahead of the rear wheel 8. It is mounted on the frame 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a charging device 15 for charging the battery by connecting it to an external power source, and an electric motor 9 according to the operation of the accelerator handle 13 and the switching lever 14 are installed in the device storage chamber 2. A control device 16 that controls driving is provided. The charging device 15 is arranged in a space between the electric motor 9 and the cylindrical body 22 so as to be sandwiched between the front column 21 and the left rear column 21 among the three columns 21. 16 is arranged in a space between the electric motor 9 and the cylindrical body 22 so as to be sandwiched between the front column 21 and the right rear column 21. Further, as described above, in the equipment storage chamber 2, the electric motor 9 that drives the front wheels 7, the driving force transmission device 10 that transmits the driving force from the electric motor 9 to the front wheels 7, and the driving force transmission device 10 are installed in the body frame. 1, a support 11 that is pivotably supported with respect to 1 is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the electric motor 9 is substantially entirely covered with a bottomed cylindrical cover 90, and one end of an output shaft 91 (rotary shaft of the rotor) projects out of the cover 90 from the bottom of the cover 90. It is set as the structure, and it installs vertically in the center in the apparatus storage chamber 2 so that the direction of the output shaft 91 may become a perpendicular direction. An upper end surface of the cover 90 is formed to be a substantially flat surface so that the panel 121 of the steering handle 12 can be attached. The panel 121 is bolted in a state where the panel 121 is placed on the upper end surface of the cover 90. 9 is fixed. At this time, although the central axis of the wheel 120 of the steering handle 12 and the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 are arranged on the same axis, the electric motor 9 is configured substantially symmetrically around the output shaft 91. The center of gravity of the electric motor 9 is located substantially on the axis of the output shaft 91. Therefore, by fixing the panel 121 to the cover 90, the center axis of the steering handle 12 and the center of gravity of the electric motor 9 are arranged on substantially the same axis. Further, a flange portion for fixing the cover 90 to a driving force transmission device 10 to be described later is formed at the lower portion of the cover 90, and this flange portion is bolted to the housing portion of the driving force transmission device 10. Thus, the electric motor 9 is fixed to the driving force transmission device 10.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the driving force transmission device 10 is configured to support the front wheel 7 in a cantilevered manner, and mainly includes a front wheel support portion including an axle 100 that rotatably supports the front wheel 7, and the like. It consists of a transmission part that interlocks the input shaft 101 connected to the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 and the axle 100 of the front wheel support part by a gear transmission mechanism, and a housing part that covers the front wheel support part and the transmission part.

  The front wheel support portion includes an axle 100 and a bearing that rotatably supports the axle 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the axle 100 is arranged in a horizontal state so as to rotate around its central axis. A disc portion 100a to which the front wheel 7 is fixed is formed on one end side of the axle 100, and a gear 100b connected to the transmission portion is fixed to the other end side. And this gear 100b is rotated by the gear 106 of the transmission part mentioned later, the gear 100b, the axle 100, the disk part 100a, and the front wheel 7 rotate integrally, and the said conveyance vehicle drive | works.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the transmission portion includes an input shaft 101 coupled to the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 by coupling, a gear 102 fixed to the lower end portion of the input shaft 101, a gear 103 meshing with the gear 102, A gear 104 that is connected to the gear 103 and the shaft and rotates together with the gear 103, a gear 105 that meshes with the gear 104, a gear 106 that is connected to the gear 105 and connected to the shaft and rotates together with the gear 105, the input shaft 101, and each The gears and the shafts are rotatably supported by bearings. The gear 106 is arranged so as to mesh with the gear 100b of the axle 100. When the input shaft 101 is rotated by the rotation of the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9, the rotation is transmitted via the gears 102 to 106 of the transmission unit. Is transmitted to the axle 100, whereby the front wheel 7 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the housing part is formed so as to cover the front wheel support part and the transmission part as a whole except for the disk part 100 a of the axle 100 to which the front wheel 7 is fixed and the upper part of the input shaft 101. The upper housing 107 covers the upper part of the transmission part, the lower housing 108 covers the transmission part from the front wheel support part at a position below the upper housing 107, and the flange 109 fixed to the upper part of the upper housing 107. The flange 109 is bolted to the upper housing 107 in a state of being placed on the upper end surface of the upper housing 107, and the motor 9 is placed on the flange 109, and the flange portion formed on the cover 90 is bolted to the flange 109. The At this time, the flange 109 is arranged so that the central axis thereof is on the same axis as the input shaft 101 of the transmission section, and the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 is on the same axis as the central axis of the flange 109. Thus, the output shaft 91 and the input shaft 101 of the electric motor 9 are arranged on the same axis.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the support 11 includes a housing support 110 that is fixed to the bracket 23 of the column 21 with bolts, and is interposed between the housing portion of the driving force transmission device 10 and the housing support 110. In other words, the bearing 111 is fitted between the outer side of the upper housing 107 and the inner side of the housing support 110. The housing support 110 includes a cylindrical portion 110a and a flange portion 110b. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper housing 107 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 110a and the bearing 111 is fitted therein, and the flange portion 110b is bracketed by a bolt. 23. Here, since the column 21 and the bracket 23 are fixed to the vehicle body frame 1, the housing portion of the driving force transmission device 10 extends from the column 21 and the bracket 23 by fixing the housing support 110 to the bracket 23. Is supported by the vehicle body frame 1 so as to be able to turn. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, since the turning axis of the housing portion is in the vertical direction, the housing portion can be turned horizontally. Further, since the turning shaft of the housing portion, that is, the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 is on the same axis as the input shaft 101, the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 and the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 are different from each other. It will be distribute | arranged on the same axis | shaft and the turning axis of the driving force transmission apparatus 10 and the gravity center position of the electric motor 9 will be on the substantially same axis | shaft.

  Thus, since the housing part of the driving force transmission device 10 is provided so as to be able to turn horizontally with respect to the vehicle body frame 1 by the support 11, the driving force transmission device 10 can turn horizontally with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, Here, as described above, the electric motor 9 is fixed to the housing portion of the driving force transmission device 10, the steering handle 12 is fixed to the cover 90 of the electric motor 9, and the front wheel 7 is fixed to the front wheel support portion of the driving force transmission device 10. Therefore, the steering handle 12, the electric motor 9, the driving force transmission device 10, and the front wheel 7 are integrated and can turn horizontally with respect to the vehicle body frame 1. The central axis of the steering handle 12, the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9, and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis, and the steering handle 12, the electric motor 9, the driving force transmission device 10, and the like are arranged around this axis. The front wheel 7 turns horizontally.

  According to the first embodiment, the center axis of the steering handle 12 and the center of gravity of the electric motor 9 are arranged on substantially the same axis. On the other hand, since there is no influence as much as it can be said, the steering handle 12 can be operated lightly, the driver's fatigue is reduced, and the operability of the steering handle 12 is improved. Even if the steering wheel is suddenly turned off, there is no risk that the operating handle 12 will be moved in the operating direction due to the inertia of the electric motor 9, and the driver can perform steering without difficulty. Further, even if the steering handle 12 is turned, the center of gravity of the electric motor 9 that is a heavy object hardly moves, so that the weight balance of the entire transport vehicle is not lost due to the steering, and traveling stability is improved. Secured. Moreover, since the center axis of the steering handle 12 and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis, and the steering handle 12, the driving force transmission device 10, and the front wheel 7 turn together, the driver can In addition, it is possible to intuitively sense the situation of the turning of the driving force transmission device 10 and the turning of the front wheel 7 from the turning of the steering handle 12 that is operated by itself. Of course, since the device storage chamber 2, the charging device 15, and the control device 16 are immovable with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, they have no influence on the turning of the steering handle 12, and the corresponding amount. As a result, the operating force of the steering handle 12 can be reduced, and the operability of the steering handle 12 can be improved.

  In addition, according to the first embodiment, since the electric motor 9, the driving force transmission device 10, and the support 11 are arranged so as to be surrounded by the column 21 of the device storage chamber 2, these are protected by the column 21. Further, since the cylindrical body 22 is attached so as to cover the support column 21 from the outside, the cylindrical body 22 can also be protected. In addition, since the driving force transmission device 10 is supported by the three columns 21, the weight can be shared by each column 21 and the structure of supporting the driving force transmission device 10 can be achieved. Since the rigidity can be increased, the driving force transmission device 10 can be stably supported and the driving force transmission device 10 can smoothly turn.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, since the steering handle 12 can be turned by simply fixing it to the cover 90 of the electric motor 9, it is not necessary to support the steering handle 12 with a bearing or the like. The structure can be simplified. In addition, since the driving force transmission device 10 that transmits the driving force by a gear is adopted, the adjustment of the tension required and the trouble of inspection when a device that transmits the driving force by a chain or a belt is employed. This eliminates the need for maintenance work and reduces noise during operation. In addition, since a space is secured between the electric motor 9 in the device storage chamber 2 and the cylindrical body 22 and the charging device 15 and the control device 16 are disposed in this space, the space in the device storage chamber 2 is reduced. It can be used effectively, and the transport vehicle can be made compact as a whole.

Next, the transport vehicle according to the second embodiment will be described. In addition, since the main structure on the external appearance of this conveyance vehicle is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment, it demonstrates with reference also to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport vehicle according to the second embodiment includes a device storage chamber 2 at the front portion of a body frame 1, a cargo bed 3 at the rear of the vehicle body frame 1, a device storage chamber 2, a cargo platform 3, A driver's cab 4 on which the driver gets on is formed on the vehicle body frame 1 between them. A front wheel 7 serving as a driving wheel and a steering wheel is disposed below the equipment storage chamber 2, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 8 are disposed below the loading platform 3. The front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 8 The vehicle body frame 1 is supported by three wheels. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 denotes a guard that divides the cargo bed 3 and the cab 4 in the front-rear direction, and 6 denotes a bumper.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the device storage chamber 2 is mainly composed of three columns 21 that are erected vertically to the body frame 1 and a cylindrical body that is attached so as to cover these columns 21 from the outside. 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the support columns 21 are arranged so as to draw contrasting triangles in the left-right direction of the body frame 1 in a plan view, and are arranged at respective vertex positions of the triangles. A bracket 23 as a support member is provided horizontally at the predetermined height position of each column 21 toward the inner side of the triangle, and a bracket 24 as a support plate is horizontally extended over the upper end of each column 21. Is provided. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a boss 24a is formed on the bracket 24, and a gear 170 of a steering force transmission device 17 described later is rotatably supported by the boss 24a. A cylindrical shaft 25 protrudes upward from the central portion of the bracket 24, and a steering handle 12 described later is attached to the shaft 25. And the driving force which transmits a driving force to the front wheel 7 from the electric motor 9 as a motor mentioned later so that it may be surrounded by the support | pillar 21 in the downward position rather than the bracket 24 in the apparatus storage chamber 2 comprised in this way. A transmission device 10 and a support 11 that supports the driving force transmission device 10 so as to be turnable with respect to the vehicle body frame 1 are disposed. Each support column 21 and the cylindrical body 22 are fixed to the body frame 1 and cannot be moved with respect to the body frame 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a steering handle 12 is disposed above the equipment storage chamber 2, and a driver who has boarded the driver's cab 4 turns the steering wheel 12 to turn the front wheel 7 to steer. It has been made possible. Similarly, an accelerator handle 13 that is operated to adjust the traveling speed when traveling with the front wheel 7 actuated as a driving wheel is located above the equipment storage chamber 2, and the traveling direction is switched between forward and reverse. A switching lever 14 is provided for operation.

  The steering handle 12 is mainly formed in a ring 120 having a slightly larger diameter than the cylindrical body 22 of the device storage chamber 2, and a plane formed in a smaller diameter than the wheel 120 and concentrically with the wheel 120. It comprises a circular view panel 121, spokes 122 that connect the wheel 120 and the panel 121, and a cylindrical shaft 123 that projects downward from the central portion of the panel 121. As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 123 is inserted into the shaft 25 and further attached to the shaft 25 by a bearing interposed between the shaft 123 and the shaft 25. The bracket 24 is provided so as to be rotatable. Here, the central axis of the shaft 123, that is, the central axis of the steering handle 12 is set in the vertical direction, and is arranged on the same axis as the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9, which will be described later. The steering handle 12 is operated by the driver. In response, it is designed to turn horizontally. A gear 124 is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the shaft 123, and a steering force is transmitted from the steering handle 12 through the gear 124 by a steering force transmission device 17 described later.

  By the way, similarly to said 1st Embodiment, the transport vehicle which concerns on this embodiment is also an electric transport vehicle which drives and drives the electric motor 9 by using a battery as a drive energy source. It is mounted on the body frame 1 at a position ahead of the rear wheel 8. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, in the device storage chamber 2, a charging device 15 for charging the battery by connecting it to an external power source, and an electric motor 9 according to the operation of the accelerator handle 13 and the switching lever 14 are installed. A control device 16 that controls driving is provided. The charging device 15 is arranged in a space between the electric motor 9 and the cylindrical body 22 so as to be sandwiched between the front column 21 and the left rear column 21 among the three columns 21. 16 is arranged in a space between the electric motor 9 and the cylindrical body 22 so as to be sandwiched between the front column 21 and the right rear column 21. Further, a shaft 172 of a steering force transmission device 17 to be described later is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the left rear column 21 and the right rear column 21.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the electric motor 9 is substantially entirely covered with a bottomed cylindrical cover 90, and one end of an output shaft 91 (a central axis of rotation) projects out of the cover 90 from the bottom of the cover 90. It is configured as follows. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the electric motor 9 is installed vertically in the center of the device storage chamber 2 so that the direction of the output shaft 91 is in the vertical direction. A flange portion for fixing the cover 90 to a housing support 110 described later is formed in the lower portion of the cover 90, and the motor 9 is attached to the housing support 110 by bolting the flange portion to the housing support 110. Fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the driving force transmission device 10 is configured to support the front wheel 7 in a cantilevered manner, and mainly includes a front wheel support unit including an axle 100 that rotatably supports the front wheel 7, and the like. It consists of a transmission part that interlocks the input shaft 101 connected to the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 and the axle 100 of the front wheel support part by a gear transmission mechanism, and a housing part that covers the front wheel support part and the transmission part.

  The front wheel support portion includes an axle 100 and a bearing that rotatably supports the axle 100, and as shown in FIG. 7, the axle 100 is disposed in a horizontal state so as to rotate around its central axis. A disc portion 100a to which the front wheel 7 is fixed is formed on one end side of the axle 100, and a gear 100b connected to the transmission portion is fixed to the other end side. And this gear 100b is rotated by the gear 106 of the transmission part mentioned later, the gear 100b, the axle 100, the disk part 100a, and the front wheel 7 rotate integrally, and the said conveyance vehicle drive | works.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the transmission unit includes an input shaft 101 coupled to the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 by coupling, a gear 102 fixed to the lower end portion of the input shaft 101, a gear 103 that meshes with the gear 102, A gear 104 that is connected to the gear 103 and the shaft and rotates together with the gear 103, a gear 105 that meshes with the gear 104, a gear 106 that is connected to the gear 105 and connected to the shaft and rotates together with the gear 105, the input shaft 101, and each The gear and each shaft are rotatably supported by bearings. When the electric motor 9 is driven and a driving force is output as the rotation of the output shaft 91, the input shaft 101 rotates along with the rotation of the output shaft 91, and this rotation is transmitted through the gears 102 to 106 to the gears of the axle 100. 100b and then transmitted to the front wheel 7. The input shaft 101 is arranged on the same axis as the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 and is connected by coupling.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the housing part is configured to cover the front wheel support part and the transmission part as a whole except for the disk part 100a of the axle 100 and the upper part of the input shaft 101, and covers the upper part of the transmission part. The housing 107 and the lower housing 108 covering the transmission portion and the front wheel support portion at a position below the upper housing 107. A gear 109 is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the upper housing 107, and a steering force is transmitted to the gear 109 as a rotation from the steering handle 12 by a steering force transmission device 17 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the support 11 includes a housing support 110 fixed to the bracket 23 of the support column 21 with a bolt, and a space between the housing portion of the driving force transmission device 10 and the housing support 110. In other words, a bearing 111 fitted between the outer side of the upper housing 107 and the inner side of the housing support 110 is provided, and the driving force transmission device 10 can be rotated with respect to the housing support 110 by the bearing 111. . Here, since the column 21 and the bracket 23 are fixed to the vehicle body frame 1, the housing support 110 is made immovable with respect to the vehicle body frame 1 by fixing the housing support 110 to the bracket 23, so that the driving force is transmitted. The apparatus 10 is supported so as to be able to turn with respect to the column 21 and the bracket 23, and thus the vehicle body frame 1.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the housing support 110 includes a cylindrical portion 110a in which a through-hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed, and a flange portion 110b protruding outward from the cylindrical portion 110a. The upper portion of the upper housing 107 is inserted into the through hole and the bearing 111 is fitted therein, and the flange portion 110b is fixed to the bracket 23 by bolting. The electric motor 9 is fixed to the housing support 110 by fixing a flange portion formed at the lower end of the cover 90 to the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 110 a by, for example, bolting, and thus cannot be moved with respect to the vehicle body frame 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the turning shaft of the housing part, that is, the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 and the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 are arranged on the same axis. That is, the turning axis of the driving force transmission device 10 is set in the vertical direction, and the driving force transmission device 10 can turn horizontally. Here, as described above, since the central axis of the steering handle 12 and the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 are arranged on the same axis, the central axis of the steering handle 12 and the output of the electric motor 9 as shown in FIG. The shaft 91 and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis. Further, since the output shaft 91 of the electric motor 9 and the input shaft 101 of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis, both the input shaft 101 and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis. A boss 110c is formed on the flange 110b of the housing support 110, and a gear 171 of a steering force transmission device 17 described later is rotatably supported by the boss 110c.

  Now, the turning of the steering handle 12 and the turning of the driving force transmission device 10 are linked through the steering force transmission device 17. The steering force transmission device 17 is disposed on the left rear side of the electric motor 9 and, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a gear 170 rotatably supported by the boss 24 a of the bracket 24 and a boss 110 c of the housing support 110. And a shaft 172 having one end connected to the gear 170 and the other end connected to the gear 171. Since the gear 170 is disposed so as to mesh with the gear 124 of the steering handle 12, and the gear 171 is disposed so as to mesh with the gear 109 of the housing portion, an operation force when the steering handle 12 is turned, that is, steering. The force is transmitted to the gear 109 of the driving force transmission device 10 as rotation through the steering force transmission device 17. Here, as described above, since the driving force transmission device 10 is provided so as to be able to turn with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, when the gear 109 is rotated, the driving force transmission device 10 is also rotated, that is, turned. In this way, the driving force transmission device 10 is turned in conjunction with the turning of the steering handle 12.

  The gear 124 of the steering handle 12 and the gear 109 of the driving force transmission device 10 have the same number of teeth, and the gear 170 and the gear 171 have the same number of teeth. Therefore, each gear is formed so that the gear ratio obtained by dividing the number of teeth of the gear 124 by the number of teeth of the gear 170 and the gear number ratio obtained by dividing the number of teeth of the gear 171 by the number of teeth of the gear 109 are inverse. Has been. Furthermore, the upper and lower universal joints 172a and 172b are interposed in the shaft 172, and the gear 170, the gear 171 and the shaft 172 rotate integrally and smoothly. As a result, the turning amount of the gear 124 and the turning amount of the gear 109 are the same. Therefore, the driving force transmission device 10 and the front wheel 7 are turned by the amount of turning of the steering handle 12, and steering is performed.

  According to the second embodiment as described above, since the electric motor 9 is fixed to the support column 21 and then to the vehicle body frame 1 via the bracket 23, the inertia performance ratio of the electric motor 9 with respect to the turning operation of the steering handle 12. Is completely unrelated, the steering handle 12 can be operated very lightly, and the operability of the steering handle 12 is greatly enhanced. Even if the steering wheel is suddenly turned off, there is no possibility that the operating handle 12 is moved in the operating direction due to the inertia of the electric motor 9, and the driver can steer without difficulty. Further, even if the steering handle 12 is turned, the center of gravity of the electric motor 9 that is a heavy object is not moved at all, so that the weight balance of the entire transport vehicle is not lost due to the steering, and traveling stability is ensured. Is done. In addition, since the center axis of the steering handle 12 and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 are arranged on the same axis, and the driving force transmission device 10 and the front wheel 7 turn by the same amount as the turning amount of the steering handle 12, the driver Can easily sense the situation of turning of the driving force transmission device 10 and turning of the front wheel 7 from turning of the steering handle 12 operated by itself, and steering can be performed appropriately. Of course, since the device storage chamber 2, the charging device 15, and the control device 16 are immovable with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, they do not affect the turning of the steering handle 12 at all. As a result, the operating force of the steering handle 12 can be reduced, and the operability of the steering handle 12 is improved. The steering force transmission device 17 rotates in response to the turning operation of the steering handle 12 but does not move in the equipment storage chamber 2 so as to turn together with the driving force transmission device 10. Therefore, the operation handle 12 does not become difficult to operate due to the inertia of the steering force transmission device 17.

  In addition, according to the second embodiment, since the support column 21 is disposed so as to surround the electric motor 9, the driving force transmission device 10, and the support tool 11, there is an effect that these can be protected by the support column 21. Further, since the cylindrical body 22 is attached so as to cover each column 21, the effect that the cylindrical body 22 can also be protected is obtained. In addition, since the steering handle 12 and the electric motor 9 are supported by the three columns 21, the weights can be shared and supported by the columns 21. In addition, since the upper portions of the respective columns 21 are connected via brackets 24 as support plates, the steering frame 12 including the body frame 1, the columns 21, the brackets 23, and the brackets 24, and the electric motor 9 are supported. The rigidity can be increased, and the steering handle 12 and the electric motor 9 can be stably supported. In particular, since the steering handle 12 is stably supported, the steering handle 12 does not wobble or bend during operation, so that the operation feeling is improved, and the electric motor 9 is stably supported. As a result, a stable output can be obtained from the electric motor 9. Similarly, since the driving force transmission device 10 is pivotally supported by the three support columns 21 connected via the bracket 24, the rigidity of the structure that supports the driving force transmission device 10 is increased. Thus, the driving force transmission device 10 can be stably supported, and the driving force transmission device 10 can smoothly turn.

  Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, since the driving force transmission device 10 transmits the driving force with a gear, the tension required when a device that transmits the driving force with a chain or a belt is employed. This eliminates the need for adjustment and inspection, simplifies maintenance work, and reduces noise during operation. Similarly, since the steering force transmission device 17 that transmits the steering force by the gear is adopted, the maintenance work is simplified and noise during operation can be suppressed. In the steering force transmission device 17, gears having the same number of teeth are adopted as the gear 170 and the gear 171, and gears having the same number of teeth are adopted as the gear 124 of the steering handle 12 and the gear 109 of the driving force transmission device 10. The cost can be reduced by sharing the parts.

  In addition, according to the second embodiment, a space is secured between the electric motor 9 and the cylindrical body 22 in the device storage chamber 2, and the charging device 15, the control device 16, and the steering force transmission device are provided in this space. Since 17 is arranged, the space in the equipment storage chamber 2 can be used effectively, and the transport vehicle can be made compact as a whole. In addition, since both the electric motor 9 and the control device 16 are immovable with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, the wiring connecting the electric motor 9 and the control device 16 can be easily performed, and the workability related to the wiring is improved. In addition to the improvement, the degree of freedom in wiring arrangement increases, and the wiring can be arranged at a more appropriate position. Of course, since the charging device 15 is also provided so as not to move with respect to the vehicle body frame 1, the wiring connecting the charging device 15 and the battery mounted on the vehicle body frame 1 can be easily routed.

  FIG. 8 shows another example of the second embodiment, in which the support 23 is inclined by providing the bracket 23 to be inclined with respect to the support column 21, thereby transmitting the driving force as shown in FIG. 8. The turning axis of the apparatus 10 is provided to be inclined from the vertical direction to the rear by a predetermined angle α.

  In this way, the front wheel 7 is directed in the same direction as the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10, that is, the force is applied to the front wheel 7 so that the front wheel 7 is in the straight forward direction. The direction of the front wheel 7 is changed, and it becomes easy to restore the straight traveling state from the state of turning, and it becomes easy to hold the steering handle 12 in the straight traveling state, thereby reducing the burden on the driver. Here, since the bracket 24 is provided horizontally and the central axis of the steering handle 12 is in the vertical direction, even if the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device 10 is inclined, the driver does not The steering handle 12 can be turned without a sense of incongruity.

1 is an external perspective view of a transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the principal part of 1st Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the principal part of 1st Embodiment. It is a vertical front view which shows the principal part of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the principal part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the principal part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a vertical front view which shows the principal part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows another example of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body frame 2 Equipment storage room 3 Loading platform 4 Driver's cab 7 Front wheel 9 Electric motor (motor)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Driving force transmission device 11 Support tool 12 Steering handle 15 Charging device 16 Control device 17 Steering force transmission device 21 Strut 22 Cylindrical body 24 Bracket (support plate)

Claims (2)

A device storage chamber provided at the front of the vehicle body and a front wheel disposed below the device storage chamber, and turning the front wheel by turning a steering handle disposed above the device storage chamber. In the transport vehicle that performs steering, the motor that drives the front wheel as a driving wheel in the equipment storage chamber, and the driving force transmission that rotatably supports the front wheel and transmits the driving force from the motor to the front wheel. The driving force transmission device is provided so as to be turnable with respect to the vehicle body, the prime mover is fixed to an upper portion of the driving force transmission device, and the steering handle is fixed to the upper portion of the prime mover, The front wheel, the driving force transmission device, the prime mover, and the steering handle can be turned integrally with respect to the vehicle body, and the turning shaft of the driving force transmission device and the center of gravity of the prime mover are substantially on the same axis. Yohara Transport vehicle the machine is fixed to the drive force transmission device, further characterized in that the steering wheel so that the central axis of the center of gravity position and the steering wheel of the prime mover is substantially on the same axis is fixed to the prime mover. The equipment storage chamber is composed of a plurality of pillars standing on the front of the vehicle body and a cylindrical body attached so as to cover the pillars, and the pillars are arranged so as to surround the prime mover and the driving force transmission device. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the driving force transmission device is turnably supported by the support column.

Images