Vehicle conveyor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607984-B2
Application number	US-202217590152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2022
Priority date	Mar 23, 2021
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle conveyor includes a slide member that is provided on each of opposite side faces of a carriage portion, and slides along a longitudinal direction of the carriage portion, independently of the carriage portion. A first arm set and first arm actuators are joined to the slide members, and are configured to slide along the longitudinal direction of the carriage portion, integrally with the slide members, independently of the carriage portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle conveyor for conveying a vehicle with four wheels having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, comprising:
a carriage portion inserted under the vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
an arm set coupled to the carriage portion, the arm set including a first arm set operable to support a pair of first wheels as one of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, and a second arm set operable to support a pair of second wheels as the other of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels;
a first arm actuator connected to the first arm set, and operable to switch the first arm set between a support state in which the first arm set is in contact with the first wheels, and a release state in which the first arm set is not in contact with the first wheels;
a second arm actuator connected to the second arm set, and operable to switch the second arm set between a support state in which the second arm set is in contact with the second wheels, and a release state in which the second arm set is not in contact with the second wheels; and
a slide member that is provided on each of opposite side faces of the carriage portion, and is configured to slide in a longitudinal direction of the carriage portion, independently of the carriage portion,
wherein the first arm set and the first arm actuator are joined to the slide member, and are configured to slide in the longitudinal direction integrally with the slide member, independently of the carriage portion, and
wherein the vehicle is conveyed when moved in a condition where the vehicle is supported with the first arm set and the second arm set in contact with the first wheels and the second wheels, respectively, and the carriage portion is raised to lift the vehicle.

2. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the slide member is configured to slide while being engaged with a rail portion provided on each of the opposite side faces of the carriage portion.

3. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a main body portion provided at one end of the carriage portion in the longitudinal direction, on one side where the first arm set is provided, the main body portion providing a traveling function of the vehicle conveyor and a function of raising and lowering the carriage portion; and
a slide actuator provided between the main body portion and the slide member, and configured to slide the slide member,
wherein the slide actuator includes a rod-like movable portion joined to the slide member and configured to move in the longitudinal direction to slide the slide member,
wherein the first arm set includes a fixed arm adapted to be in contact with one of the first wheels, on one side where the main body portion is provided, the fixed arm having an end portion that is joined to the slide member with a screw, in a condition where the fixed arm extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and
wherein a joined portion of the slide member and the movable portion is located on an inner side of a joined portion of the slide member and the fixed arm, as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

4. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 3 , wherein:
the slide member has a plurality of ribs; and
the joined portion of the slide member and the fixed arm is sandwiched between the ribs.

5. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising a top panel joined to the first arm set and the slide member, the top panel being configured to slide in the longitudinal direction, integrally with the slide member, independently of the carriage portion.

6. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 5 , wherein:
the slide member has a plurality of ribs; and
the top panel and the slide member are joined at the ribs.

7. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising a harness protection member configured to protect a wire harness that supplies power to each of the first arm actuator and the second arm actuator,
wherein the harness protection member is joined to the slide member, and is configured to slide along the longitudinal direction, integrally with the slide member, independently of the carriage portion.

8. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the first arm set and the first arm actuator are joined to the slide member, and are configured to slide in the longitudinal direction integrally with the slide member, independently of the carriage portion without changing a position in a longitudinal direction of the carriage portion.

9. The vehicle conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein a main body portion provided at one end of the carriage portion in the longitudinal direction, on one side where the first arm set is provided, the main body portion configured to permit the vehicle conveyer to travel and configured to raise and lower the carriage portion,
wherein the first arm set and the first arm actuator are positioned closer to the main body portion that the second arm set and the second arm actuator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kajita Naoya
• Nakano Kenji
• Sannomiya Takafumi
• Shimizu Yasutada

Classifications

• B66F9/12

  Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members · CPC title

• B60P3/07

  for carrying road vehicles · CPC title

• B66F9/06 Primary

  movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks (vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06) · CPC title

• B60S13/00

  Vehicle-manoeuvring devices separate from the vehicle (vehicle lifting {, e.g. liftable turntables} or pushing devices B66F; {workshop equipment B25H}) · CPC title

• B66F9/20

  Means for actuating or controlling masts, platforms, or forks (power take-off from vehicle transmissions, combined with vehicle propulsion systems B60K) · CPC title