JP4813409B2 - Trailer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a trailer, and more particularly to a trailer that is towed by a towing vehicle and transports a transported object such as an assembly part.

  For example, in an assembly factory for products, a transport system using an automatic guided vehicle is employed in order to transport a transported product such as a part between each site. In this system, a guide line is provided on the traveling floor along the transport route, and the automatic traveling vehicle is controlled so that the traveling direction is controlled so as to travel along the guide line while detecting the guide line. It has become.

  By the way, there is a limit to the load capacity of transported goods only with automatic guided vehicles. Therefore, it is generally performed to secure a large load by using this automatic guided vehicle as a towing vehicle and towing one or a plurality of trailers. In addition, when towing multiple trailers, if each trailer is associated with each site, it is possible to load and unload a transported object on a trailer specified in advance, and parts from other sites can be loaded. It is suppressed that it is lowered by mistake, that is, it is transported to the wrong place.

JP 2003-011813 A

  However, while it has become possible to load a large amount of transported goods with the trailer, at each site, it takes a lot of time and labor to load and unload the transported material on the trailer. The stoppage time of the transport vehicle was longer. For this reason, it has become difficult to quickly and smoothly transport the transported material between the respective sites, and there has been a concern about a decrease in productivity. In addition, when there is a large amount of loaded goods, it will be loaded and unpacked several times. At this time, the stacking order of the conveyed goods changes, and different types of conveyed goods are mixed together. There was also a fear. Furthermore, since the loading surface of the conveyed item in the trailer is higher than the traveling floor surface, the loaded item must be lifted up once when loading the conveyed item. At the same time, the mental burden of workers on the collapse of cargo was increasing.

  Therefore, in view of the above situation, the present invention is a trailer that can quickly load and unload a transported object even when a large number of transported objects are loaded, and can greatly reduce the burden on an operator. Offering is an issue.

The trailer according to the present invention includes a trailer body having wheels and connectable to a towing vehicle,
A mounting table provided on the trailer body and capable of mounting a general-purpose carriage;
A support means for supporting the mounting table so as to be displaceable between a boarding / alighting position suitable for getting on and off the general-purpose carriage and a holding position for holding at least one of a front wheel or a rear wheel of the general-purpose carriage;
The support means is in a state in which at least the boarding / unloading side end of the mounting table is in contact with or close to the traveling floor surface at the boarding / leaving position, and at the holding position, the boarding / unloading side end is moved from the traveling floor surface. Let it rise ,
The mounting table is supported so as to be swingable between a substantially horizontal state that is the holding position and a downwardly inclined state that is the position where the passenger can get on and off, with the shaft as the center, and the general-purpose carriage is not mounted. In the empty state, the gravity center position of the mounting table with respect to the axis is set so as to be in the down-tilt state by its own weight, and the general-purpose carriage is carried onto the mounting table through the getting-on / off end. In this case, the weighted position of the general-purpose carriage with respect to the axial center is set so that the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state by the weight of the general-purpose carriage.
A lock mechanism for maintaining the mounting table in the substantially horizontal state when the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state;
The locking mechanism further includes a release operation piece that releases a locked state when pressed,
The release operation piece is arranged so as to project on the carry-out track of the general-purpose cart in the mounting table, and is configured to be pressed by the wheels of the general-purpose cart .

  Here, as the “traction vehicle”, an automatic guided vehicle having power can be exemplified, but there may be a case where there is no power. For example, when a plurality of trailers are connected in series, the trailer connected to the front side functions as a towing vehicle.

  Further, the number and form of the “wheels in the trailer body” are not particularly limited. For example, the wheel can be constituted by one front wheel that can turn and two rear wheels that do not turn.

  Further, the “general-purpose cart” is a general cart that is commercially available, and a mounting plate on which a conveyed product can be mounted, and a front wheel and a rear wheel that are rotatably supported on the lower surface of the mounting plate. And a simple cart provided with the frame for hand pushing installed upright from the one end side of a mounting board can be illustrated.

  Further, the “mounting table” may be the one on which the entire general-purpose cart is mounted, but may be configured so that only a part of the general-purpose cart (specifically, only the front wheel side) is mounted. Good. In other words, since the general-purpose cart has a rear wheel, if the front wheel side is held on the mounting table, the general-purpose cart is not dragged even when the rear wheel is in contact with the traveling floor surface. It becomes possible to make it.

In addition, the “possible boarding / exiting position” indicates a position at which the general-purpose carriage can be smoothly carried into the mounting table. That is, when the boarding / exiting position is reached, the mounting table is inclined downward or the entire mounting table is lowered to the traveling floor surface, and the step between the getting-on / off-side end and the traveling floor surface becomes extremely small.

According to the trailer of the present invention, the trailer body is provided with wheels (front wheels and rear wheels). When the trailer is connected to a towing vehicle, the trailer can be pulled to travel. The trailer body is provided with a mounting table for mounting a general-purpose carriage, and the mounting table is supported by a support means so as to be displaceable. More specifically, the mounting table is displaced between a boarding / alighting position suitable for getting on / off the general-purpose carriage and a holding position for holding the front wheel or rear wheel of the general-purpose carriage. The side end is brought into contact with or close to the traveling floor surface. As a result, the general-purpose trailer can be smoothly and easily carried on the mounting table through the getting-on / off end. In other words, it is possible to carry the transported goods together with the general-purpose cart onto the trailer mounting table, instead of reloading the transported material loaded on the general-purpose cart from the general-purpose cart onto the trailer. Further, when the general-purpose carriage is carried onto the mounting table, the mounting table becomes a holding position, and at this position, the boarding / alighting end of the mounting table is raised from the traveling floor. Therefore, the trailer can be driven without dragging the boarding / alighting end.

  As described above, in the present invention, since the transported object is transported by the trailer while being placed on the general-purpose carriage, the work of loading and unloading the transported object on the trailer becomes extremely easy, and the work time can be greatly shortened. . Therefore, it is possible to quickly and smoothly transport a large number of transported items between the respective sites, thereby improving productivity. In addition, since the general-purpose cart can be easily carried on the mounting table, it is possible to reduce the labor and mental burden of the operator.

  According to the trailer of the present invention, the mounting table is supported by the support means so as to be able to swing, and is in a substantially horizontal state at the holding position, and at the boarding / alighting position, the boarding / alighting side end portion is lowered and is in a downward inclined state. In other words, when loading and unloading the general-purpose carriage, it is possible to carry in smoothly by using the mounting table as a slope, and after loading, the general-purpose carriage moves toward the boarding / exiting end by placing the mounting table in a substantially horizontal state. To prevent it from moving (reversely moving) and avoiding dragging the end of the boarding / alighting side. In particular, in this configuration, when the general-purpose carriage is loaded onto the mounting table through the end of the boarding / exiting side, the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state by the weight of the general-purpose carriage. In other words, by moving on the mounting table supported in a seesaw shape, the load position of the general-purpose carriage (including the transported object) with respect to the mounting table changes beyond the axial position (that is, the fulcrum) of the mounting table. Thus, the mounting table can be displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state. As described above, since the position of the mounting table naturally changes from the boarding / leaving position to the holding position in accordance with the loading operation of the general-purpose carriage, it becomes possible to switch the state of the mounting table at an appropriate timing, which improves usability. . In addition, since it can be realized without providing a driving means or an operating means, it can be constructed at a relatively low cost without requiring a complicated mechanism.

  According to the trailer of the present invention, in the state where the mounting table is empty, that is, the state where the general-purpose cart is not mounted, the position of the center of gravity is set so that the mounting table is in a downward inclined state by its own weight. It is possible to raise and lower the mounting table without using a source. In other words, when loading the general-purpose cart, it is possible to lower the end of the boarding / unloading side by the weight of the mounting table, and after loading the general-purpose cart, it is possible to raise the end of the loading / unloading side by the weight of the general-purpose cart. .

  In addition, a lock mechanism is provided, and when the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state, the mounting table is held in a substantially horizontal state. That is, even when the mounting table is empty, the mounting table can be held in a substantially horizontal state unless the lock mechanism is released, and the end of the boarding / exiting side abuts against the floor surface during traveling, that is, dragging. Can be prevented. Note that when the lock mechanism is released, the mounting table is inclined downward due to its own weight.

Further, according to the trailer of the present invention, when the general-purpose cart placed on the mounting table is carried out, when the general-purpose cart is moved toward the loading / unloading side end portion , the trailer is disposed so as to protrude on the carry-out track. The release operation piece is pressed downward by the wheels of the general-purpose carriage. Then, the lock state of the lock mechanism is released, the mounting table is in a downward inclined state, and the general-purpose cart can be smoothly carried out using the slope. That is, it becomes possible to automatically change from the substantially horizontal state to the downward inclined state by releasing the lock mechanism in accordance with the carry-out operation of the general-purpose carriage. For this reason, the workability | operativity at the time of carrying out a general purpose trolley | bogie can be remarkably improved, and a worker's burden can further be reduced.

In the trailer of the present invention, “the trailer body is
A front side connecting part connectable to the rear side connecting part of the trailer preceding as the towing vehicle, and a front side connecting part formed extending forward from the trailer body;
Rotation support means for pivotally supporting each other around a vertical axis in a state where the rear end side of the rear connection portion of the preceding trailer and the front end side of the front connection portion are overlapped in the vertical direction; Further comprising
The wheels of the trailer body are
One front wheel attached to the front side of the trailer body and supported so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis;
It is attached to the rear side of the trailer body, is supported in a fixed state with respect to the vertical shaft so as not to turn, and comprises a pair of rear wheels that can roll independently of each other,
When the traveling trajectory of the preceding trailer changes from a straight line to a predetermined direction, the posture of the trailer body is opposite to the predetermined direction through the rear connecting portion and the front connecting portion connected to each other. You may comprise so that it may be displaced.

  According to the trailer of the present invention, the preceding front trailer and the subsequent trailer are connected via the rear connection part and the front connection part. The rear side connecting portion and the front side connecting portion are connected in a state where the end side sides (that is, the rear end side of the rear side connecting portion and the front end side of the front side connecting portion) are overlapped, and the connecting portion is a vertical axis. As a result, the front and rear trailers connected in series can be made different in direction (posture). In particular, the wheel provided on the trailer body is composed of one front wheel that can turn and a pair of rear wheels that cannot turn and are not linked to each other. When a force that changes the posture, that is, a force that pulls in a curving direction, the trailer body displaces around one of the rear wheels, and the front wheel turns according to the direction of the trailer body. It will be. That is, it becomes possible to run according to the direction of the trailer body.

  More specifically, at this time, the trailer body is displaced in the direction centered on one rear wheel, as in a so-called large eight car, so that the front connecting portion and the rear wheel located in front of the rear wheel. Also, the rear connecting portion positioned rearward is displaced in the opposite direction. For example, when a force that curves the front side connecting portion to the right side is applied to the traveling direction on a straight line, the front side connecting portion and the front wheel are displaced to the right side, and the rear side connecting portion is displaced to the left side. In other words, in the case where a plurality of trailers are connected in series, when the leading tow truck (for example, automatic guided vehicle) curves to the right side, the front side connecting part of the first trailer connected to the towing car is to the left side. The front connecting portion of the second trailer that is displaced is displaced to the right according to the movement of the rear connecting portion of the first trailer, and the front connecting portion of the subsequent third trailer is 2 The posture of the trailer body is alternately directed in the opposite direction, such as being displaced to the left side according to the movement of the rear side connecting portion of the second trailer.

  Moreover, although the posture of the first trailer once changes to the side opposite to the towing vehicle, if the first trailer is pulled to the right by the towing vehicle after that, the first trailer moves to the right according to the towing vehicle. That is, it is possible to curve the vehicle in an overshooted state and thus travel on the same track as the towing vehicle. Similarly, the second and subsequent trailers can travel on the same track as the preceding trailer. Therefore, even if a large number of trailers are connected and become long, it is possible to prevent the following trailer from turning around inside the curve when making a curve. In other words, even when the space of the corner portion in the transport path cannot be ensured sufficiently, it is possible to smoothly travel without contacting an obstacle such as equipment.

Furthermore, in the trailer of the present invention, “the mounting table is set such that the length in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction of the general-purpose carriage,
A shallow groove-like depression for holding the front wheel of the general-purpose carriage in a state where the front wheel is dropped may be formed on the front end side of the mounting table.

  According to the trailer of the present invention, since the length of the mounting table in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the general-purpose cart in the front-rear direction, only the front wheels of the general-purpose cart are mounted on the mounting table. A rear wheel will be located behind the boarding / alighting side edge part of a mounting base. That is, the general-purpose cart is transported while rolling the rear wheels of the general-purpose cart on the traveling floor. Thus, by shortening the length of the mounting table and mounting only the front wheels of the general-purpose carriage, the trailer can be reduced in size and the load applied to the mounting table can be reduced. Therefore, the trailer can be easily managed and handled, and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. Furthermore, even when a plurality of trailers are connected, it can be prevented that the belt becomes long.

  In addition, the front wheel of the general-purpose carriage is held in a state where it is dropped into a shallow groove-like depression formed on the front end side of the mounting table, so that the general-purpose carriage moves while the trailer is running. It can prevent only being left behind. In addition, when the general-purpose carriage is carried on the mounting table, the front wheel is naturally held by the shallow groove-like depression, so that it can be reliably held without providing a special mechanism for braking the front wheel. .

  As described above, according to the trailer of the present invention, since the transported object is transported by the trailer while being placed on the general-purpose carriage, the work of loading and unloading the transported object on the trailer becomes extremely easy, and many transported objects can be quickly and It can be transported smoothly. In addition, the labor and mental burden of the worker can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a transport system including a trailer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the transport system, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trailer seen from obliquely above, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the trailer seen obliquely from below, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the case where the mounting table is set to the holding position, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the case where the mounting table of the trailer is set to the boarding / leaving position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 1 of this example includes an automatic guided vehicle 2 that also functions as a towing vehicle, and a plurality of trailers 3 connected to the rear side of the automatic guided vehicle 2. The transported object H such as a part can be sequentially transported to a plurality of sites while being placed. In particular, the trailer 3 of the present example has a structure for placing the general-purpose cart 4, and can load and unload the transported goods H while being placed on the general-purpose cart 4. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail.

  The automatic guided vehicle 2 includes a gantry 10, front wheels 11 and rear wheels 12 attached to the bottom surface of the gantry 10, driving means (not shown) for operating the front wheels 11 or the rear wheels 12 as driving wheels, An operation button 18 for instructing start and stop of driving, steering means (not shown) for steering the front wheels 11, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of a guide wire provided on the traveling floor surface, The driving means is controlled based on the operation button 18 and the like, and the steering means is controlled based on the output of the sensor, and travel control means (not shown) for causing the gantry 10 to travel along the guide line is provided. Has been. A charger 13 is disposed on the gantry 10, and operating power is supplied from the charger 13 to the driving means and the travel control means. In addition, a placement frame 19 is provided above the charger 13 so that a transported object H or the like can be placed thereon.

  On the other hand, the trailer 3 is connected to the rear side of the automatic guided vehicle 2 or the other trailer 3 and pulled, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a trailer body 40 mainly having wheels, A mounting table 41 provided on the trailer main body 40 on which the general-purpose carriage 4 can be mounted, a support means 42 that supports the mounting table 41 so as to be swingable about an axis (that is, in a seesaw shape), and a mounting table 41. And a lock mechanism 43 that holds the lens in a substantially horizontal state.

  The trailer main body 40 includes a main body frame 45 formed by forming an angle member having an L-shaped cross section in a U shape in plan view, and both ends joined to the bottom surface of the main body frame 45 in the left-right direction (in the traveling direction). A front horizontal member 46 that is bridged in a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the main frame 45, and a rear horizontal member 47 that is bridged so as to be parallel to the front horizontal member 46 at a portion from the rear of the main body frame 45. It has. That is, the main body frame 45 is arranged with the rear end side opened, and the strength is maintained by the front side horizontal member 46 and the rear side horizontal member 47 that connect the left and right sides thereof. The front horizontal member 46 is formed of an angle member having an L-shaped cross section, and is attached in a state where one piece is in contact with the bottom surface of the main body frame 45. Further, as will be described in detail later, the front side horizontal member 46 also functions as a component of the support means 42. On the other hand, the rear horizontal member 47 has a wider width in the front-rear direction than the front horizontal member 46, and a vertical wall 47a that bends upward and a flange 47b that bends outward from its upper end are formed at both ends. The flange 47b is joined to the bottom surface of the main body frame 45. That is, portions other than both ends of the rear horizontal member 47 are located below the bottom surface of the main body frame 45, and a predetermined amount is provided between the rear support member 47 and the mounting table 41 so as not to contact when the mounting table 41 is displaced. A gap is formed. In addition, flanges 47c are bent at the front edge and the rear edge of the rear horizontal member 47, and the rear horizontal member 47 is reinforced so as not to bend in the left-right direction. The front edge flange 47c is bent downward, while the rear edge flange 47c is bent upward. Further, as will be described in detail later, the rear side horizontal member 47 also functions as a component of the lock mechanism 43.

  Further, a front-view portal-shaped front wheel support member 48 is provided on the front end side of the trailer body 40 so as to protrude from the trailer body 40 to the front side, and a front wheel 49 is supported therein. The front wheel 49 is pivotally supported with a horizontal axis as an axis so as to roll in the traveling direction, and is pivotally supported at a position above the front wheel 49 with a vertical axis as an axis. A pair of attachment members 52 that are joined to the front edge portion of the main body frame 45 and the front horizontal member 46 and that protrude forward from the main body frame 45 are opposed to the bottom surface on the front end side of the trailer main body 40. In this state, the lower end flange 48a of the front wheel support member 48 is in contact with the protruding portion. The base plate 53 is assembled so as to cover the pair of attachment members 52 and the space between them. Further, the support fitting 49a of the front wheel 49 is provided with a movable fitting 54a that protrudes forward from the center of the front wheel 49, changes its direction according to the traveling direction of the front wheel 49, and is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. A thin plate-like front connecting portion 54 extends from the movable metal fitting 54a.

  Further, a rear-view portal-shaped rear wheel support member 50 is provided on the left and right rear end sides of the trailer body 40 so as to protrude from the main body frame 45 to the left and right sides, and the rear wheel 51 is supported therein. The rear wheel 51 is pivotally supported with the horizontal axis as the axis so as to roll in the traveling direction, but is mounted in a fixed state without turning like the front wheel 49.

  On the other hand, the mounting table 41 enables the general-purpose cart 4 to be mounted, is formed of a plate-shaped steel material, and is disposed inside the main body frame 45. The mounting table 41 is arranged over the rear end side to the rear horizontal member 47 and allows the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 to roll, and the front end side of the rolling surface 59. And a shallow groove-like recess 60 that is disposed on both the left and right sides of the base plate 53 and holds the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 in a state where it is dropped. As shown in FIG. 4, the front and rear side surfaces of the hollow portion 60 are gentle slopes, and the rotation of the front wheel 31 is gently braked when carrying in, and a relatively weak force (pulling operation to the rear) when carrying out. ) Allows the front wheel 31 to escape.

  The mounting table 41 is supported by the support means 42 so as to be displaceable between a boarding / alighting position (see FIG. 5) and a holding position (see FIG. 4). Here, the getting-on / off position is a position suitable for getting on and off the general-purpose carriage 4, and when displaced to this position, the getting-on / off-side end 62, which is the rear end of the mounting table 41, comes into contact with the traveling floor surface Y. Or it will be in the downward inclination state made to adjoin. That is, when the boarding / exiting position is reached, the rolling surface 59 becomes a slope, and the general-purpose cart 4 can be smoothly and easily carried from the boarding / unloading side end portion 62 toward the hollow portion 60.

  On the other hand, the holding position is a position at which the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 can be held. When the holding position is displaced to this position, a substantially horizontal state in which the getting-on / off-side end portion 62 is raised from the traveling floor surface Y is obtained. . For this reason, the front wheel 31 of the mounting table 41 can be held by the hollow portion 60 and can travel without dragging the boarding / exiting side end portion 62. In the holding position, the front end portion of the recessed portion 60 abuts on the front edge portion of the main body frame 45, and the rear end portion of the recessed portion 60 abuts on the upper surface of the front horizontal member 46. That is, the recessed portion 60 of the mounting table 41 that receives the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 is supported in a state of being spanned between the main body frame 45 and the front side horizontal member 46. For this reason, it becomes possible to convey the support means 42 without applying a load.

  The support means 42 is composed of a plurality of (for example, four) hinges 61 (hinges) arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the front horizontal member 46, and one piece of each hinge 61 is a front horizontal member. The other piece is fixed to the bottom surface of the mounting table 41. That is, each hinge 61 supports the mounting table 41 so as to be swingable between a substantially horizontal state as a holding position and a downward inclined state as a boarding / alighting position, with the shaft center as a center.

  By the way, the hollow portion 60 that receives the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 is disposed on the front side of the support means 42. In other words, when the general-purpose cart 4 is carried into the hollow portion 60 through the getting-on / off-side end portion 62, the mounting table 41 is substantially removed from the descending inclined state due to its own weight (including the weight of the transported object H). The load position of the general-purpose carriage 4 with respect to the axis of the hinge 61 is set so as to be displaced horizontally. That is, by moving on the mounting table 41 supported in a seesaw shape, the weighted position of the general-purpose carriage 4 with respect to the mounting table 41 changes beyond the axial center position of the mounting table 41. It becomes possible to displace from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state.

  Note that the length of the mounting table 41 in the front-rear direction is set to be shorter than the length of the general-purpose cart 4 in the front-rear direction. For this reason, when the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose cart 4 is placed on the recess 60, the rear wheel 32 of the general-purpose cart 4 is located behind the boarding / alighting side end 62 of the placing table 41 (FIG. 4). reference). That is, since the general-purpose cart 4 is transported while rolling the rear wheel 32 of the general-purpose cart 4 on the traveling floor surface Y, the load on the general-purpose cart 4 applied to the mounting table 41 can be reduced. . Moreover, the trailer 3 can be reduced in size and it can suppress becoming a long snake, even when a some trailer is connected. Further, during transportation of the general-purpose carriage 4, a load is applied only to the recessed portion 60 of the mounting table 41, so that the mounting table 41 can be reliably displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state. .

  In addition, the mounting table 41 has a larger area at the rear portion from the support means 42 than at the front portion from the support means 42. That is, the center of gravity position of the mounting table 41 with respect to the fulcrum is set so that in the empty state where the general-purpose cart 4 is not mounted, the vehicle is inclined downward due to its own weight. For this reason, it is possible to raise and lower the mounting table 41 without using a power source. That is, when the general-purpose cart 4 is carried in, the boarding / lowering end portion 62 is lowered by the weight of the mounting table 41, and on the other hand, after the general-purpose cart 4 is loaded, the loading / unloading-side end portion 62 is lifted by the weight of the general-purpose cart 4. It becomes possible to make it.

  Furthermore, the trailer 3 of this example is provided with a lock mechanism 43, which makes it possible to hold the mounting table 41 in a substantially horizontal state when the mounting table 41 is displaced from a downward inclined state to a substantially horizontal state. Yes. Specifically, as shown in the enlarged views of FIGS. 4 and 5, a W-shaped locking member 64 is attached via a hinge fitting 65 below the rolling surface 59 of the mounting table 41. The center of the hinge fitting 65 can be displaced between a lock position (see an enlarged view in FIG. 4) and a lock release position (see an enlarged view in FIG. 5). The locking member 64 includes an upper locking piece 67 that comes into contact with the lower surface of the mounting table 41 when in the locked position, and a lower locking piece 68 that comes into contact with the upper surface of the rear lateral member 47 when in the locked position, A connecting piece 69 that connects the upper locking piece 67 and the lower locking piece 68, and these are arranged between the mounting table 41 and the rear horizontal member 47, so that the mounting table 41 is lowered. Is preventing. A weight 71 is attached to the front end side of the lower locking piece 68, and when the distance between the mounting table 41 and the rear horizontal member 47 exceeds a predetermined length, the weight 71 is at the lowermost end. The locking member 64 is returned to the original posture so as to be positioned, and the upper locking piece 67 and the lower locking piece 68 enter between the mounting table 41 and the rear lateral member 47. For this reason, once the mounting table 41 is in a substantially horizontal state or the boarding / exiting side end 62 is lifted to a higher height, the mounting member 41 can be locked in the substantially horizontal state by the locking member 64. .

  Further, a release operation piece 70 is bent at the tip of the upper locking piece 68, and this release operation piece 70 is arranged through a long hole-like slit 66 provided in the mounting table 41. Yes. In particular, the release operation piece 70 is disposed so as to project on the track of the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose cart 4 and is configured to be pressed by the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose cart 4 when the general-purpose cart 4 is carried out. When the release operation piece 70 is pressed, the locking state between the lower locking piece 68 and the rear lateral member 47 is released by the rotation of the locking member 64. In this state, the mounting table 41 is not locked, and the mounting table 41 can be in a downward inclined state.

  In addition, on the rear end side of the mounting table 41, a rear connecting portion 63 provided to extend rearward from the central portion thereof is provided, so that a subsequent trailer can be connected. That is, it is possible to travel with a plurality of trailers 3 connected in series. Further, the rear connecting portion 63 extends rearward from the getting-on / off-side end portion 62 of the mounting table 41, and swings around the axis of the support means 42 together with the mounting table 41. For this reason, when the mounting table 41 becomes the boarding / alighting-possible position and the boarding / exiting end 62 comes into contact with or is close to the traveling floor surface Y, the rear connecting part 63 is also in the same state as the boarding / exiting end 62. . At this time, since the rear side connecting portion 63 is made of a thin plate-like and rigid member (for example, a plate spring-like member), when the mounting table 41 is in the position where it can get on and off, the rear connection portion 63 is laid on the traveling floor surface Y, It becomes possible to arrange | position without protruding from the surface Y largely (refer FIG. 5). Therefore, when getting on and off the general-purpose carriage 4, it is possible to pass over the rear side connecting portion 63, and from between the plurality of trailers 3 to be connected (from the side) above the rear side connecting portion 63. The general-purpose cart 4 can be taken in and out.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear side connecting portion 63 of the preceding trailer 3 and the front side connecting portion 54 in the succeeding trailer 3 are vertically aligned with their end portions overlapped in the vertical direction. It is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis. More specifically, a through hole 63a is formed on the rear end side of the rear connecting portion 63, and a through hole 54a is formed on the front end side of the front connecting portion 54. It is matched. The front connection portion 54 and the rear connection portion 63 are sandwiched between the lower support member 75 and the upper support member 76, and a shaft portion 75 a protruding upward from the center of the lower support member 75 includes a through hole 63 a, It is rotatably supported by being inserted into 54a. A female screw portion 75b is formed inside the shaft portion 75a, and the upper support member 76 and the lower support member 75 are fixed at a constant interval by a screw 77 screwed from above. ing. Here, a combination of the lower support member 75, the upper support member 76, and the screw 77 corresponds to the rotation support means of the present invention.

  Next, a method for using the trailer 3 in the transport system 1 will be described. When the general-purpose cart 4 is carried into the trailer 3, the automatic guided vehicle 2 is first stopped and the trailer 3 is brought into a stationary state. Thereafter, the release operation piece 70 of the locking member 64 is stepped on with a foot and pressed downward. Then, the locking state of the lower locking piece 68 and the rear side horizontal member 47 in the locking member 64 is released, and the mounting table 41 is in a downward inclined state by its own weight. That is, the getting-on / off-side end portion 62 comes into contact with the traveling floor surface Y, and the hollow portion 60 is lifted. For this reason, the general-purpose cart 4 can be easily carried on the mounting table 41 through the getting-on / off-side end 62.

  Then, when the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 reaches the recess 60, the mounting table 41 is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state by the own weight of the general-purpose carriage 4. As a result, the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 is held by the recess 60, and the boarding / exiting end 62 is lifted from the traveling floor surface Y and can travel without being dragged. The rear wheel 32 of the general-purpose carriage 4 remains in contact with the traveling floor surface Y. However, since the rear wheel 32 is rotatably supported, it can be transported without generating friction. Further, when the mounting table 41 is in a substantially horizontal state, the lower locking piece 68 of the locking member 64 is returned to the original position by the weight 71 and is locked to the rear horizontal member 47.

  On the other hand, when the general-purpose cart 4 is unloaded from the trailer 3, the general-purpose cart 4 is pulled out by holding the hand push frame 33 of the general-purpose cart 4 while the trailer 3 is stationary. According to this, it becomes possible to make the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose cart 4 escape from the recessed portion 60 and move it on the rolling surface 59 toward the getting-on / off-side end portion 62. At this time, since the release operation piece 70 protrudes on the carry-out track of the front wheel 31, the release operation piece 70 is pressed downward by the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4. Then, the locked state between the lower locking piece 68 and the rear lateral member 47 in the locking member 64 is released again, and the mounting table 41 is in the downward inclined state. For this reason, the general-purpose cart 4 can be smoothly carried out from the boarding / alighting side end portion 62 onto the traveling floor surface Y.

  In addition, the trailer 3 after carrying out the general purpose trolley 4, that is, the trailer 3 in which the mounting table 41 is in an empty state, presses the recessed portion 60 of the mounting table 41 downward, thereby substantially omitting the mounting table 41. The state can be returned to the horizontal state, and once this state is reached, the lock mechanism 43 holds the horizontal state. That is, it becomes possible to drive in an empty state.

  By the way, in the conveyance system 1 of this example, even when a plurality of trailers 3 are connected in series to the automatic guided vehicle 2, it is possible to travel while passing through the same traveling locus. This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the connecting portion between the rear connecting portion 63 and the front connecting portion 54 is rotatable with respect to the vertical axis, and the wheel provided on the trailer body 40 is a single turnable wheel. Since the front wheel 49 and the pair of rear wheels 51 that cannot turn and are not linked to each other, a force that changes the posture of the trailer body 40 with respect to the traveling direction on a straight line, that is, in a curve direction When a pulling force is applied, the trailer body 40 is displaced in the posture of the trailer body 40 around the inner rear wheel 51, and the front wheel 49 is turned in accordance with the direction of the trailer body 40.

  At this time, since the direction of the trailer body 40 is displaced around the inner rear wheel 51, the front side connecting portion 54 positioned forward of the rear wheel 51 and the rear side connecting portion positioned rearward of the rear wheel 51. 63 will be displaced in opposite directions. For example, when a force that displaces the front connecting portion 54 to the left is applied to the traveling direction on a straight line, the front connecting portion 54 and the front wheel 49 are displaced to the left, and the rear connecting portion 63 is displaced to the right. It will be. In other words, when the automatic guided vehicle 2 curves to the left side, the front side connecting portion 54 of the first trailer 3 connected to the automatic guided vehicle 2 is displaced to the right side, and the front side connecting portion of the second trailer 3 that follows the first side connecting portion. 54 is displaced to the left in accordance with the movement of the rear side connecting part 63 of the first trailer 3, and the front side connecting part 54 of the third trailer 3 subsequent thereto is the rear side connecting part 63 of the second trailer 3. The posture of the trailer body 40 is alternately directed in the opposite direction, such as being displaced to the right according to the movement of That is, the plurality of trailers 3 are curved in a predetermined direction while being zigzag-shaped.

  In particular, the first trailer 3 once changes its posture to the side opposite to the automatic guided vehicle 2, but when it is pulled to the left by the automatic guided vehicle 2, the first trailer 3 moves to the left according to the automatic guided vehicle 2. . That is, it becomes possible to curve on the left side while overshooting and to travel on the same track K as the automatic guided vehicle 2. Similarly, the second and subsequent trailers 3 can also travel on the same track K as the preceding trailer 3. Therefore, even if the trailer 3 to be connected is long, it is possible to prevent the following trailer 3 from turning around inside the curve when making a curve. In other words, even when the space at the corner portion in the transport path T cannot be secured sufficiently, it is possible to smoothly travel without contacting an obstacle such as equipment.

  As described above, according to the trailer 3 of the present example, it is possible to carry the conveyed product H together with the general-purpose cart 4 onto the mounting table 41 of the trailer 3. In addition, when the general-purpose cart 4 is carried onto the mounting table 41, the mounting table 41 becomes a holding position, and can travel without dragging the getting-on / off-side end 62. Therefore, the loading / unloading operation of the conveyed product H with respect to the trailer 3 becomes extremely easy, and the working time can be greatly shortened. For this reason, it is possible to quickly and smoothly transport a large number of transported objects H between the respective sites, thereby improving productivity. Moreover, since the general-purpose cart 4 can be easily carried onto the mounting table 41, the labor and mental burden of the operator can be reduced.

  In particular, when the general-purpose carriage 4 is carried into the recessed portion 60 of the mounting table 41 through the boarding / exiting end portion 62, the position of the mounting table 41 is changed from the boarding / alighting-possible position to the holding position in accordance with the loading operation of the general-purpose carriage 4. Since it changes naturally, it becomes possible to switch the state of the mounting table 41 at an appropriate timing, which improves usability.

  Moreover, according to the trailer 3 of the present example, it is possible to run with a plurality of trailers 3 connected in series. Further, the rear side connecting portion 63 is made of a thin and rigid member and swings together with the mounting table 41. Therefore, when the mounting table 41 is in a position where it can get on and off, the rear connection unit 63 is laid on the traveling floor surface Y, and The general-purpose cart 4 can be made to enter and exit through. That is, the general-purpose cart 4 can be taken in and out from the rear of each trailer 3 without releasing the connected state of each trailer 3.

  Further, according to the trailer 3 of the present example, when the mounting table 41 is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state, the mounting table 41 is held in the substantially horizontal state by the lock mechanism 43. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the getting-on / off-side end 62 from coming into contact with the running floor surface Y during running. In particular, since the change from the substantially horizontal state to the downward inclined state due to the release of the lock mechanism 43 is automatically performed according to the unloading operation of the general-purpose cart 4, the workability when the general-purpose cart 4 is unloaded can be remarkably improved. The burden on the operator can be further reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the trailer 3 of the present example, the front wheel 31 of the general-purpose carriage 4 is held in a state where it is dropped into a shallow groove-like recess 60 formed on the front end side of the mounting table 41. It is possible to prevent the general-purpose cart 4 from moving during the travel, that is, only the general-purpose cart 4 is left behind. Further, when the general-purpose carriage 4 is carried onto the mounting table 41, the front wheel 31 is naturally held by the recess 60, so that it can be reliably held without providing a special mechanism for braking the front wheel 31. it can.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as described below. Improvements and design changes are possible.

  That is, in the said embodiment, although the length of the mounting base 41 was made shorter than the length of the general purpose trolley 4, only the front wheel 31 of the general purpose trolley 4 was mounted on the mounting base 41, The length may be longer than that of the general-purpose cart 4, and the entire general-purpose cart 4 may be placed. However, if the mounting table 41 is formed short and the rear wheel 32 of the general-purpose cart 4 is transported while rolling on the traveling floor surface Y as in the above embodiment, the trailer 3 can be reduced in size, and The load applied to the mounting table 41 can be reduced. Further, the trailer 3 can be easily managed and handled, and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. Further, even when a plurality of trailers 3 are connected, it can be prevented that the trailer 3 becomes long.

  In the above-described embodiment, a plurality of trailers 3 are connected. However, only one trailer 3 may be connected to the automatic guided vehicle 2. According to this, the rear side connection part 63 becomes unnecessary, and carrying-in and carrying-out operations of the general-purpose cart 4 can be performed more easily.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, although the posture of the locking member 71 is returned to the locked state by the gravity of the weight 71, it may be biased to the locked position by the spring member.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although what mounted the general purpose trolley | bogie 4 by making the mounting base 41 into the downward inclination state was shown, it descend | falls to the traveling floor surface Y, maintaining the mounting base 41 whole in a horizontal state. You may comprise. In this case, power means such as an electric motor may be provided, and the mounting table 41 may be moved up and down by the power of the power means.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although what hold | maintained the general purpose trolley 4 by dropping the front wheel 31 of the general purpose trolley 4 in the hollow part 60 was shown, the mechanism for exclusive use which brakes the motion of the front wheel 31 completely, such as a lock function, is shown. You may make it provide.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the rolling surface 59 and the recessed portion 60 are formed as separate members and assembled. However, they may be integrally formed with a single plate material.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the conveyance system provided with the trailer of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which looked at the trailer from diagonally upward. It is a perspective view which shows the state which looked at the trailer from diagonally downward. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which made the mounting base of the trailer the holding position, and its partially expanded view. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which made the mounting base of the trailer the boarding / exiting position. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the driving | running locus | trajectory at the time of connecting a some trailer, and the expanded sectional view of a connection part.

Explanation of symbols

H Transported goods
Y Running floor
2 Automated guided vehicle (traction vehicle)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Trailer 4 General-purpose trolley 40 Trailer main body 41 Mounting base 42 Support means 43 Lock mechanism 49 Front wheel (wheel)
51 Rear wheel
54 Front side connection part 60 Indentation part 62 Boarding / alighting side edge part 63 Rear side connection part 67 Projection piece (release operation piece)
75 Lower support member (turning support means)
76 Upper support member (rotation support means)
77 Screw (turning support means)

Claims (1)

A trailer body having wheels and connectable to a towing vehicle;
A mounting table provided on the trailer body and capable of mounting a general-purpose carriage;
A support means for supporting the mounting table so as to be displaceable between a boarding / alighting position suitable for getting on and off the general-purpose carriage and a holding position for holding at least one of a front wheel or a rear wheel of the general-purpose carriage;
The support means is in a state in which at least the boarding / unloading side end of the mounting table is in contact with or close to the traveling floor surface at the boarding / leaving position, and at the holding position, the boarding / unloading side end is moved from the traveling floor surface. Let it rise ,
The mounting table is supported so as to be swingable between a substantially horizontal state that is the holding position and a downwardly inclined state that is the position where the passenger can get on and off, with the shaft as the center, and the general-purpose carriage is not mounted. In the empty state, the gravity center position of the mounting table with respect to the axis is set so as to be in the down-tilt state by its own weight, and the general-purpose carriage is carried onto the mounting table through the getting-on / off end. In this case, the weighted position of the general-purpose carriage with respect to the axial center is set so that the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state by the weight of the general-purpose carriage.
A lock mechanism for maintaining the mounting table in the substantially horizontal state when the mounting table is displaced from the downward inclined state to the substantially horizontal state;
The locking mechanism further includes a release operation piece that releases a locked state when pressed,
The trailer according to claim 1, wherein the release operation piece is disposed so as to project on a carry-out track of the general-purpose cart in the mounting table and is pressed by a wheel of the general-purpose cart .

Images