JPH08156801A - Combined vehicle and travel control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To halve the going and returning travel frequency of vehicles and realize man-saving by controlling the forward and rearward movement of two- combined articulated vehicles by one operator. CONSTITUTION: Two vehicles 12 and 13 are combined at their rear ends via a linking device 14. A TV monitor 16 is installed in the cab 12c of a manned side vehicle 12 where an operator 11 is on board, and also a TV camera 17 is installed on the front of an unmanned side vehicle 13 where the operator 11 is not on board. At the time of forward movement, the vehicles are operated by a conventionally operational method, and at the time of rearward movement, they are operated while watching a rearward view field, obtained through the TV camera 17, on the TV monitor 16. The steering wheels 12a and 13a and steering control mechanisms 12b and 13b of the front and rear vehicles 12 and 13 are connected to a control part 15 constituted of a CPU etc. One side of the steering control mechanisms 12b and 13b are directly controlled by a steering wheel 12a, and the other side of them is operated to be controlled by the control part 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a feature in a one-man operation system applied to a case where two articulated vehicles such as a compaction soil compactor and a wheel loader are connected to each other in the front-rear direction to move forward and backward. And a travel control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in fill dam construction and road construction, compactors have been used for compacting work on embankments and soft ground. This compactor is one in which four drum-shaped wheels are mounted on a vehicle of a refraction type structural frame in which a front frame is bendable with respect to a main body frame, and a compactor chip is projected on the drum peripheral surface in a multi-row gear shape. is there. One compactor such as this is carried by one operator.

[0003]

Generally, in order to exert a rolling compaction effect, an operator repeatedly travels back and forth 10 to 20 times forward and backward in a section of 150 to 200 m at a speed of about 5 km / hour. However, the efficiency is low and the labor saving is desired nowadays due to the lack of operators, especially in the field of civil engineering where the working environment is severe.

An object of the present invention is to enable one operator to travel back and forth between two connected vehicles, to halve the number of times of reciprocal travel, and as a result to enable labor-saving work. Is.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a connected vehicle in which two vehicles are connected and run, a manned vehicle operated by an operator and an unmanned vehicle without an operator are provided. , The steering control system of the manned vehicle and the steering control system of the unmanned vehicle are connected so that they can be linked at the rear end of those vehicles by a coupling device, and a television monitor is provided in the cab of the manned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle is a connected vehicle in which a television camera that captures a rear view is installed.

The invention described in claim 2 includes, as the coupling device in the coupled vehicle according to claim 1, a hydraulic cylinder located in the center between the two vehicles and absorbing vertical vibrations and impacts between the vehicles. This configuration includes a link mechanism and a pair of hydraulic cylinders located on both the left and right sides of the link mechanism to absorb horizontal vibrations and shocks between vehicles.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a traveling control method for a connected vehicle in which two vehicles are connected to each other for traveling. The unmanned vehicle connected to the rear ends of the vehicle via the coupling device is controlled by the in-vehicle computer to follow up, and when the vehicle is moving backward, the unmanned vehicle is installed on the unmanned vehicle by the TV monitor provided in the cab of the manned vehicle. While viewing the rear view of the unmanned vehicle captured by the TV camera, the operator operates the steering wheel of the unmanned vehicle to directly control the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle and the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle. Is a traveling control method for a connected vehicle, in which the on-vehicle computer controls the following.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the articulation frame frame is provided with a front frame that is bendable about the pin connecting portion with respect to the main body frame, and a pair of steering control cylinders is provided between the two frames. In a connected vehicle in which two curated vehicles are connected and run, a manned vehicle operated by an operator and an unmanned vehicle without an operator are connected by a connecting device at the rear ends of those vehicles, and The steering control system of the vehicle and the unmanned vehicle includes a steering control mechanism that can be selectively driven by a steering wheel provided on the manned vehicle. Frees the cylinder pressure for steering control of the following vehicle between the main frame and the front frame. Steering pressure elevation control means for lowering to refraction can pressure respectively included, a television monitor is provided in the manned side vehicle cab, a combination vehicle configurations television camera is installed to capture the rear view unattended side vehicle.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connecting device for a connecting vehicle according to the fourth aspect, wherein a vertical movement, a horizontal movement and a twisting movement between the rear ends of two vehicles are connected by a pin. The link mechanism is made possible by the clearance provided in the.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the articulation frame frame is provided with a front frame that is bendable around the pin connecting portion as a fulcrum with respect to the main body frame, and a pair of steering control cylinders is provided between the two frames. In a traveling control method for a connected vehicle in which two curated vehicles are connected to each other, when maneuvering, a manned vehicle is operated by an operator at the time of forward movement, and an unmanned vehicle connected to the manned vehicle at a rear end thereof via a coupling device. The operating pressure of the steering control cylinder of the side vehicle is lowered to a pressure at which the main body frame and the front frame can be bent freely, and at the time of reverse travel, by the television monitor provided in the cab of the manned side vehicle,
The operator controls the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle by operating the steering wheel of the unmanned vehicle while looking at the rear view of the unmanned vehicle captured by the TV camera installed in the unmanned vehicle. Is a traveling control method for a connected vehicle having a configuration in which the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder is lowered to a pressure at which the body frame and the front frame can be flexibly bent.

[0011]

According to the invention described in claim 1, two vehicles are connected at their rear ends and are moved forward and backward by one man. When driving forward, a normal driving operation is performed, but when moving backward, the operator in the manned vehicle confirms the image taken by the television camera of the unmanned vehicle on a television monitor and safely travels.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the vertical vibrations and shocks generated between the two vehicles are absorbed by the hydraulic cylinders in the link mechanism, and the horizontal vibrations and shocks generated between the two vehicles are left and right. Absorb by the hydraulic cylinder of the part.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the operator of the manned vehicle operates the steering wheel to directly operate either one of the steering control mechanism of the manned vehicle and the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle. The other is arithmetically controlled by an in-vehicle computer.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the steering control mechanism of the manned vehicle is driven by the steering wheel of the manned vehicle, the steering pressure raising / lowering control is provided in the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle that follows. By means of the means, the steering control cylinder pressure of the unmanned vehicle is lowered to make the steering free, and the following performance by the articulated structure of the unmanned vehicle is exhibited.
Further, when the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle is driven by the steering wheel of the manned vehicle, the steering pressure raising / lowering control means provided in the steering control mechanism of the manned vehicle that follows is used to control the steering control cylinder pressure of the manned vehicle. To lower the steering to make the steering free, and demonstrate the following performance of the articulated structure of the manned vehicle.

In the invention described in claim 5, the movement between the rear ends of the two vehicles is absorbed by the clearance provided in the pin connecting portion of the link mechanism.

According to the invention described in claim 6, when the vehicle is moving forward,
The unmanned vehicle is operated by the operator operating the manned vehicle and lowering the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder of the unmanned vehicle so that the body frame and the front frame of the unmanned vehicle can be flexed freely. Is towed by a manned vehicle and follows. When moving backwards, the operator monitors the steering wheel of the manned vehicle while watching the rear view of the unmanned vehicle captured by the TV camera installed in the unmanned vehicle using the TV monitor installed in the cab of the manned vehicle. The steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle is controlled by operating it, and the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder of the manned vehicle is lowered so that the body frame and the front frame of the manned vehicle can be freely bent. As a result, the manned vehicle is towed by the unmanned vehicle and follows the trail.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to one embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and another embodiment shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a manned side rolling compactor vehicle operated by an operator 11 (hereinafter referred to as a manned side vehicle 12) and an unmanned unrolled rolling compactor vehicle without an operator (hereinafter The unmanned vehicle 13 is connected to the unmanned vehicle 13 by a connecting device 14 at the rear ends of those vehicles.

The manned vehicle 12 has a steering wheel 12
It has a steering control system including a and a steering control mechanism 12b. Similarly, the unmanned vehicle 13 also has a steering wheel 13a and a steering control mechanism 13b.
It has a steering control system consisting of A control unit 15 including an in-vehicle computer is provided between them. The on-vehicle computer is used for arithmetic processing when a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as CPU) performs steering control between connected vehicles, engine control, gear ratio control, and the like, which will be described later.

For example, the control section 15 connects the steering wheel 12a of the manned vehicle 12 and the steering control mechanism 12b during forward movement to directly control the steering control mechanism 12b, and the unmanned vehicle 13 not operated by the operator. The steering control mechanism 13b controls the in-vehicle computer to follow up. When the vehicle is moving backward, the steering wheel 12a of the manned vehicle 12 and the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 are connected to each other and the steering control mechanism 13b is connected.
The steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 controls the in-vehicle computer to follow the steering.

The steering control mechanisms 12b and 13b are
The conventional hydraulic pilot operated steering system is switched to an electric / hydraulic operating system using a solenoid operated digital valve, etc., to support computer control.

Furthermore, a television monitor 16 is provided in the cab 12c of the manned vehicle 12 on which the operator 11 is mounted, and the front portion of the unmanned vehicle 13 on which the operator is not mounted is
A television camera 17 for picking up a rear field of view (hereinafter referred to as rear field of view) from the operator 11 and sending the image to the television monitor 16 is installed. The TV monitor
16 may be a cathode ray tube type or a liquid crystal type.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the connected manned vehicle 12 and unmanned vehicle 13 are viewed from above. The outline of a compaction soil compactor will be described with reference to this drawing. This type of compactor is a cab. A refraction type structural frame in which a front frame 23 is provided so as to be able to bend with respect to a main body frame 21 having 12c and a pin connecting portion 22 as a fulcrum, and a pair of steering control cylinders 24 are provided between the frames 21 and 23 is adopted.

Body frame 21 and front frame 23
A drum-shaped wheel 25 driven by four wheels is mounted on each of the wheels, and a compactor chip 25a is provided on the drum peripheral surface of each wheel 25 in a multi-row gear shape. A blade 26 for pressing and backfilling is attached to the front end of the front frame 23. The direction, flow rate, pressure and the like of the hydraulic oil supplied to the steering control cylinder 24 are controlled by the steering control mechanisms 12b, 13b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting device
The link mechanism 14 includes a link mechanism 27 that connects the two refracting vehicles 12 and 13 together at their rear portions, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders 28 provided on both left and right sides of the link mechanism 27.

The linking device 14 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. In the link mechanism 27, one mechanism main body 33 is rotatable by a bearing 32 on a rear chassis 31 of one vehicle 12 which is reinforced and modified. One end of the upper link 34 and the lower link 35 is rotatably connected to the one mechanism body 33 by a horizontal pin (not shown), and the other end of the upper link 34 and the lower link 35 is attached to The upper and lower parts on the back side of the U-shaped link 36 are rotatably connected to each other by a horizontal pin (not shown).
38 is rotatably connected, and the other mechanism main body 38 and the other rear reinforcement chassis 39 of the vehicle 13 are connected by a universal joint (not shown).

Then, one mechanism body 33, the upper link
A parallel crank mechanism is configured by the lower link 34, the lower link 35, and the U-shaped link 36, and a hydraulic cylinder 41 corresponding to vertical movement is provided on a diagonal line of the parallel crank mechanism.

Two hydraulic cylinders 28, which are horizontally provided on the left and right sides of the link mechanism 27, are connected to the head end and the vehicle.
The rear chassis 31 of 12 and the rear chassis 39 of the vehicle 13 are connected to each other by universal joints 42 and 39, respectively.

A distance sensor (not shown) is built in the horizontal hydraulic cylinder 28, and the relative positional relationship between the connected vehicles 12 and 13 can be detected by detecting the operation amount of the piston rod in the cylinder by this sensor. To do so.

Because of the structure of the connecting device 14 as described above,
Regarding the degrees of freedom that can be moved between the two vehicles 12 and 13, only the movement in the axial direction (front-back direction) of the X axis out of the three axes of the Cartesian coordinates shown in FIG. It is possible to move in the twisting direction, in the other Y-axis axial directions (horizontal direction) and around the axis (Y-axis twisting direction), and in the Z-axis axial direction (up and down). Direction) and rotation around the axis (Z-axis twisting direction) are also possible.

The hydraulic cylinder 41 in the link mechanism 27 absorbs vertical movement, vibration and shock between the two vehicles 12, 13. In addition, the left and right hydraulic cylinders 28
Absorbs horizontal movements, vibrations and shocks between the two vehicles 12, 13. Further, since the operation amount of the left and right hydraulic cylinders 28 can be detected by a built-in sensor and fed back to the control unit, by controlling the left and right hydraulic cylinders 28, the trailing side with respect to the leading side of the connected vehicles 12 and 13 can be controlled. It is possible to correct and control the traction error (trajectory following error).

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit of the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12. Since the control circuit of the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is the same, it is omitted.

In this control circuit, 51 is a steering metering unit, which measures the pressure oil discharged from the pump 52 by an amount corresponding to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel 12a and supplies it to the steering control cylinder 24. It is a thing.

That is, the control unit 15 which electrically detects the turning amount of the steering wheel 12a outputs a drive signal corresponding to the turning amount to the electric motor 53, and the electric motor 53 causes the rotating shaft 54 to move in the rightward or leftward direction. Is rotated to
The clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the rotary shaft 54 is transmitted through the rotary transmission mechanism 55 to the spool operating portion 57 of the metering valve 56.
Is transmitted to

The metering valve 56 is a throttle switching valve that continuously changes the flow rate according to the operating position of the spool. For example, when the rotating shaft 54 is rotating to the right, the spool of the metering valve 56 is located to the right. Switch to
Metering valve 56 when rotating shaft 54 rotates counterclockwise
The spool changes to the left position.

The pressure oil discharged from the pump 52 is the metering valve 56 and the metering pump motor 58.
While rotating the pump / motor 58 in one direction or the other direction, the head side of the steering control cylinder 24 on one side of the one or the other conduit 59 and the rod side of the steering control cylinder 24 on the other side are passed through. It is supplied and operates in a direction in which the one-side cylinder 24 extends and in the other-side cylinder 24 contracts. The waste oil extruded from these cylinders 24 is returned to the tank via the conduit 59 and the metering valve 56 on the opposite side.

At this time, the metering pump / motor 58
Measures the amount of passing oil supplied to the cylinder 24 while rotating, returns the spool of the metering valve 56 via the rotation transmission mechanism 55 according to the amount of passing oil, and measures the amount of oil set by the rotating shaft 54. Metering valve at the time
The spool of 56 is returned to the neutral position, and the supply of hydraulic oil to the steering control cylinder 24 is stopped.

In this way, the steering wheel 12
The steering control cylinder 24 on one side extends by the amount corresponding to the turning amount of a, and the steering control cylinder on the other side extends.
24 shrinks, front frame 23 against main frame 21
The refraction angle of is determined.

Next, a steering control method for this connected vehicle will be described. By operating the steering wheel 12a by the operator 11 of the manned vehicle 12, either one of the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 and the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is directly controlled, and the other is controlled by the control unit. Operation is controlled by 15 CPUs. The CPU also controls the power weight ratio, the gear ratio, and the like between the connected vehicles as described later.

At the time of forward movement, the same operation method as in the conventional one compacting soil compactor is performed, and the operator steers the steering wheel 12a to directly control the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 and the connecting device. 14
The CPU of the control unit 15 is caused to follow the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 connected at the rear ends of the vehicle via the.

When the one-man operator switches the forward operation to the reverse operation, the combination of the steering control in the control unit 15 is also switched in conjunction with the back switch for the vehicle reverse movement, and the steering control mechanism directly controlled by the steering wheel 12a is operated. Manned vehicle 12 to unmanned vehicle
The system of the television monitor 16 and the television camera 17 is automatically activated when the system is switched to 13. For example, when moving forward, the screen of the TV monitor is turned off, but the screen of the TV monitor 16 is automatically switched on in conjunction with the back switch to automatically secure the rear view.

Therefore, when moving backward, the cab of the manned vehicle 12
The unattended vehicle is displayed by the TV monitor 16 provided in the 12c.
While confirming the rear view of the unmanned vehicle 13 taken by the TV camera 17 of 13, the steering wheel 12a is operated.
The steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is directly operated by the steering wheel 12a, and the steering control mechanism 12b not operated by the operator 11 is arithmetically controlled by the CPU of the control unit 15.
That is, the manned vehicle 12 is controlled to follow when traveling in reverse.

Similar to the steering control as described above, the power weight ratio of the engine between the coupled vehicles 12 and 13 is distributed and controlled by the CPU to place the power weight on the leading vehicle. That is, when moving forward, the manned vehicle 12
In addition, the engine of each vehicle is automatically controlled by the CPU so that a large power weight is placed on the unmanned vehicle 13 during reverse travel. In consideration of this power weight, the combined vehicle 12,
The engine speed of 13 is also properly controlled by the CPU.

Similarly, regarding the gear ratios of the coupled vehicles 12 and 13, the proper gear ratio calculated by the CPU in relation to the forward and backward movement is instructed to the transmissions of the leading vehicle and the succeeding vehicle via a wire code or wireless. Shift control.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are also referred to as common drawings.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a manned vehicle 12 operated by an operator 11 and an unmanned vehicle 13 without an operator are connected by a connecting device 14 at their rear ends, The configuration in which the television monitor 16 is provided in the cab 12c of the side vehicle 12 and the television camera 17 for catching the rear view in the unmanned side vehicle 13 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each vehicle 12,
13 is a pin connecting portion 22 with respect to the main body frame 21 having a cab.
It is also the same as the above embodiment that the articulated vehicle employs a refraction type structural frame in which the front frame 23 is provided so as to be capable of bending around the fulcrum, and a pair of steering control cylinders 24 is provided between the frames 21 and 23. .

However, in the embodiment described below,
The control unit 15 in FIG. 1 includes a steering control mechanism 12b for the manned vehicle 12 and a steering control mechanism 13 for the unmanned vehicle 13.
Instead of linking with b, the steering wheel 12a provided in the manned vehicle 12 selectively allows only one of the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 and the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13. It is driven.

When the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 is driven by the steering wheel 12a, the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is not driven and the steering is free as will be described later. Similarly, when the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is driven by the steering wheel 12a, the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 becomes steering-free.

FIG. 5 shows a means for realizing the steering-free operation. The steering control mechanism 12 of the manned vehicle 12 is shown in FIG.
In the control circuit b, a steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 as steering pressure raising / lowering control means is interposed in a pipe line 59 between the steering metering unit 51 and the steering control cylinder 24. The steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 is also provided in the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13, but it is not shown.

The steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 is for reducing the pressure of the steering control cylinder 24 of the following vehicle to a pressure at which the body frame 21 and the front frame 23 can be freely bent. At the spring return position (a), the pressure oil supply side pipeline and the oil discharge side pipeline are kept separated, but the steering free position (b) is switched by the drive signal output from the control unit 15 to the solenoid. In other words, the pressure oil supply side conduit and the oil discharge side conduit are communicated with each other, and the pair of steering control cylinders 24 are both communicated with the tank line to reduce the pressure. At this time, the steering control cylinder 24 can freely expand and contract by an external force.

FIG. 6 shows another connecting device 61 different from the connecting device 14 shown in FIG. 3, and as shown in FIG. 6A, is connected to the rear chassis 31 of one vehicle 12 by a pin 62. A plate 63 is attached to the rear chassis 39 of the other vehicle 13 and two upper and lower connecting plates 65 are attached to the rear chassis 39 by a pin 64, and the connecting plate 63 is inserted between the connecting plates 65. A pin 66 is inserted into the overlapping portion of the connecting plates 63 and 65 to form a link mechanism.

The rear chassis 31, 39 of both vehicles 12, 13 are provided with a recess 67 in the center, and cushioning materials 68 such as rubber are attached to the left and right sides thereof. On the other hand, on both connecting plates 63, 65, a convex portion 71 that fits into the concave portion 67 on the vehicle side is provided.
And engaging portions 72 that contact the cushioning members 68 on both the left and right sides, respectively.

Then, the convex portions 71 of the connecting plates 63 and 65 are fitted into the concave portion 67 on the vehicle side, and the cushioning material 73 is inserted into both upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 71. The pins 62 and 64 are respectively inserted so as to penetrate through, and the connecting plates 63 and 65 are respectively attached to the rear chassis 31 and 39 of the vehicles 12 and 13.
Install.

A sufficient clearance 74 is provided between the pins 62, 64, 66 and the pin insertion holes of the connecting plates 63, 65 as shown in FIG. 6 (B). Also, both connecting plates
A sufficient clearance 75 is also provided between the plate surfaces of 63 and 65,
A cushioning material 76 such as rubber is provided in the clearance 75. The pins 62, 64, 66 are retained by split pins 77 as shown in FIG. 6 (B).

In this connecting device 61, the pins 62, 64,
Clearances 74, 75 and cushioning materials 68, 73, 76 at 66
Thus, free movement in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the torsional direction between the rear ends of the two vehicles 12, 13 is possible within a certain range. That is, the degree of freedom that can be moved between the two vehicles 12 and 13 is X among the three axes of the Cartesian coordinates shown in FIG.
Only the movement of the shaft in the axial direction (front-back direction) is constrained, and movement around the X-axis (twisting direction in the X-axis) is possible, and other movements around the Y-axis (horizontal direction) and around the axis. Movement in the (Y-axis twisting direction) is also possible, and movement in the Z-axis axial direction (vertical direction) and around the axis (Z-axis twisting direction) is also possible.

Next, the operation of another embodiment centered on FIGS. 5 and 6 will be described.

When the vehicle is moving forward, the manned vehicle 12 is operated by the operator.
And the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder 24 of the unmanned vehicle 13 connected to the manned vehicle 12 via the coupling device 14 at the rear ends of the vehicle, the steering free position (b) shown in FIG. ) Is switched by the steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 so that the main body frame 21 and the front frame 23 of the unmanned vehicle 13 can be freely bent, so that the unmanned vehicle 13 can move to the manned vehicle 12
Followed by being towed by.

When the steering control mechanism 12b of the manned vehicle 12 is driven by the steering wheel 12a of the manned vehicle 12 as in this forward movement, the unmanned vehicle that follows
The steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 provided in the steering control mechanism 13b of 13 reduces the pressure of the steering control cylinder 24 of the unmanned vehicle 13 to make the steering free, and exhibits the following performance by the articulated structure of the unmanned vehicle 13. Let

When moving backward, while watching the rear view of the unmanned vehicle 13 captured by the TV camera 17 installed in the unmanned vehicle 13 by the TV monitor 16 provided in the cab 12c of the manned vehicle 12, The operator operates the steering wheel 12a of the manned vehicle 12 to control the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13, and the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder 24 of the manned vehicle 12 is set to the steering wheel shown in FIG. The steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60, which has been switched to the free position (b), lowers the steering pressure, and the manned vehicle 12
By setting the main body frame 21 and the front frame 23 in a freely bendable state, the manned vehicle 12 is pulled by the unmanned vehicle 13 and follows the trail.

When the steering control mechanism 13b of the unmanned vehicle 13 is driven by the steering wheel 12a of the manned vehicle 12 as in the reverse drive, the manned vehicle to follow
The steering pressure raising / lowering switching valve 60 provided in the 12 steering control mechanism 12b lowers the pressure of the steering control cylinder 24 of the manned vehicle 12 to make it steering free, and exhibits the following performance by the articulated structure of the manned vehicle 12. Let

The connecting device 61 is provided with the vertical, horizontal and torsional motions, vibrations and shocks generated between the rear ends of both vehicles 12 and 13 during the forward movement and the reverse movement. The clearances 74, 75 of the connecting portions formed by the pins 62, 64, 66 and the cushioning materials 68, 73, 76 absorb the vibrations and reduce the vibrations transmitted from one vehicle to the other vehicle.

At this time, the cushioning material 68 is mainly a connecting plate.
When 63 and 65 rotate around pins 62 and 64, their engaging parts
Upon receiving 72, it absorbs vibrations in the horizontal direction, and the cushioning materials 73, 76 mainly absorb vibrations in the vertical direction and the twisting direction of the connecting plates 63, 65.

The illustrated embodiment has been described by exemplifying a compaction soil compactor, but the present invention is not limited to the compaction soil compactor, and may be applied to other articulated vehicles such as wheel loaders. It is applicable.

[0065]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the manned vehicle and the unmanned vehicle are connected at the rear end of the vehicle by the connecting device, and the steering control systems of the respective vehicles are connected so as to be interlocked. Since a TV monitor was installed in the cab of the side vehicle and a TV camera was installed in the unmanned side vehicle, one operator in the manned side vehicle could safely move the two connected vehicles forward and backward. It is possible to reduce the number of times the vehicle travels back and forth in half, and to shorten the construction period and personnel.

According to the second aspect of the invention, vertical and horizontal vibrations and impacts generated between the two vehicles can be absorbed by the hydraulic cylinders in the link mechanism and the hydraulic cylinders in the left and right portions, and the two connected vehicles are connected. One vehicle can be operated smoothly.

According to the invention described in claim 3, a rear monitor system comprising a television camera and a television monitor,
By the steering interlocking control by the computer, the operator can control forward and backward movements of the connected manned vehicle and unmanned vehicle without difficulty, so that the operator can perform efficient work with less feeling of fatigue.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the excellent follow-up performance of the articulated vehicle is exhibited by the steering pressure raising / lowering control means for steering-free the steering control mechanism of the vehicle on the following side. Therefore, one operator can move the two connected vehicles forward and backward on the same trajectory to perform efficient rolling work.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, one vehicle is provided with a simple link mechanism having a structure capable of absorbing vertical, horizontal and torsional movements between vehicles due to the clearance of the pin connecting portion. The vibration transmitted from the vehicle to the other vehicle can be reduced.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the steering control cylinder pressure of the vehicle on the following side is lowered to a pressure at which the body frame and the front frame of the vehicle can be flexibly bent, whereby the articulate is reduced. The excellent follow-up performance of the structured vehicle can be exhibited, and one operator can move the two connected vehicles forward and backward on the same trajectory to perform an efficient rolling operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a traveling control method for a combined vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a connected vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a coupling device in the above coupled vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a steering control circuit in the above connected vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example in which steering pressure raising / lowering control means is added to the above steering control circuit.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing another example of the coupling device in the same coupled vehicle, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Operator 12 Manned vehicle 12a, 13a Steering wheel 12b, 13b Steering control mechanism 12c Cab 13 Unmanned vehicle 14 Coupling device 16 TV monitor 17 TV camera 21 Main frame 22 Pin connection 23 Front frame 24 Steering control cylinder 27 Link mechanism 28, 41 Hydraulic cylinder 60 Switching valve as steering pressure raising / lowering control means 61 Coupling device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Sadakatsu Sugano No. 2 Tsukudo-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd. Tokyo Head Office (72) Inventor Itoji Shimomura No. 2 Tsukudo-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Stocks Company Kumagai Gumi Tokyo Head Office (72) Inventor Satoshi Ando 1-1-5 Nishihioki, Nakagawa-ku, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya City Kumagai Gumi Nagoya Branch

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A connected vehicle in which two vehicles are connected to each other for traveling, and a manned vehicle operated by an operator and an unmanned vehicle without an operator are connected at a rear end of those vehicles by a connecting device. The steering control system of the manned vehicle and the steering control system of the unmanned vehicle are connected in an interlockable manner, a TV monitor is installed in the cab of the manned vehicle, and a TV camera is installed in the unmanned vehicle to capture the rear view. A connected vehicle characterized by that. 2. The linking device includes a link mechanism that is located in the center between two vehicles and includes a hydraulic cylinder that absorbs vertical vibrations and impacts between the vehicles, and between the vehicles that are located on both left and right sides of the link mechanism. The combined vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of hydraulic cylinders that absorb horizontal vibrations and shocks. 3. A traveling control method for a connected vehicle, in which two vehicles are connected to each other for traveling, wherein the manned vehicle is operated by an operator during forward movement so that the manned vehicle is connected to the rear ends of the vehicles via a connecting device. The unmanned vehicle connected to the unmanned vehicle is controlled by the in-vehicle computer to follow up.When the vehicle is moving backward, the television monitor installed in the cab of the manned vehicle is used to monitor the unmanned vehicle. While looking at the rear view, the operator operates the steering wheel of the manned vehicle to directly control the steering control mechanism of the unmanned vehicle, and the steering control mechanism of the manned vehicle is controlled by the in-vehicle computer. And a traveling control method for a connected vehicle. 4. An articulated vehicle of a refraction type structural frame, in which a front frame is provided so as to be bendable with respect to a main body frame with a pin connecting portion as a fulcrum, and a pair of steering control cylinders is provided between the two frames to connect the articulated vehicles. In a connected vehicle to be driven, a manned vehicle operated by an operator and an unmanned vehicle without an operator are connected at the rear ends of those vehicles by a connecting device, and steering control of the manned vehicle and the unmanned vehicle is performed. The system includes a steering control mechanism that can be driven selectively by a steering wheel provided on the manned vehicle.The steering control mechanism of the manned vehicle and the unmanned vehicle includes the steering control of the following vehicle. Cylinder pressure for the main frame and front frame is lowered to the pressure that can be freely bent A connected vehicle characterized in that each of the steering pressure raising / lowering control means is included, a television monitor is provided in the cab of the manned vehicle, and a television camera for catching a rear view is installed in the unmanned vehicle. 5. The linking device comprises a link mechanism that allows vertical, horizontal, and torsional movements between the rear ends of two vehicles by means of a clearance provided in a connecting portion by a pin. The connected vehicle according to claim 4, which is characterized in that. 6. An articulated vehicle of a refraction type structural frame, in which a front frame is provided so as to be capable of bending around a pin connecting portion as a fulcrum with respect to the main body frame, and a pair of steering control cylinders is provided between the two frames, and two articulated vehicles are connected to each other. In the traveling control method for a coupled vehicle to be driven, when moving forward, the operator controls the manned vehicle, and the steering control cylinder of the unmanned vehicle coupled to the manned vehicle at the rear ends of the vehicle via a coupling device is used. The operating pressure was lowered to a pressure at which the main body frame and the front frame could be flexed freely, and when traveling backward, it was captured by the TV camera installed in the unmanned vehicle by the TV monitor installed in the cab of the manned vehicle. The operator operates the steering wheel of the unmanned vehicle while looking at the rear view of the unmanned vehicle. Controls the steering control mechanism, the travel control method for articulated vehicles, characterized in that lowering the operating pressure of the steering control cylinder manned side vehicle until pressure freely refract the body frame and the front frame.