JP2025167033A - Cranes and crane usage - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a crane that can reduce the monitoring burden on workers in a storage area. [Solution] The crane 1 is a crane that handles containers 10 stored in a storage area 100, and is equipped with a detection means 30 that detects abnormalities in piles A to F of containers 10 stored in the storage area 100 that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a crane and a method for using a crane.

Facilities such as container terminals that handle containers between a chassis, which is a land-based transportation means, and a container ship, which is a sea-based transportation means, are equipped with a storage area where containers transported by one transportation means are stored until the other transportation means comes to receive them.
In a storage area, containers are sometimes arranged in multiple layers so that as many containers as possible can be stored without interfering with cargo handling efficiency. A collection of containers arranged in multiple layers in the vertical direction is also called a "piled pile."
The location and number of tiers where containers are stored in a storage area vary depending on the transport means that will transport the containers and the type of cargo they carry, so the height of each pile varies. For this reason, some cranes used for cargo handling, such as rearranging containers in a storage area and transferring them to transport means, are equipped with a mechanism for detecting the height of the pile (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-327388

The more layers a stack has, the higher the center of gravity becomes. Therefore, if a horizontal force is applied, such as when a crane comes into contact with the stack during loading and unloading, some of the containers that make up the stack may tilt or tip over, causing abnormalities such as the containers tipping over.
However, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, although it is possible to detect the height of the pile, the detection result does not indicate whether an abnormality has occurred in the pile. Therefore, workers such as drivers must visually monitor the pile for abnormalities, which poses a problem of a heavy monitoring burden on the workers. In particular, in automated container terminals, the cranes and chassis involved in loading and unloading in the storage area are automatically operated, so the number of workers is very small, and having workers monitor the pile for abnormalities poses a problem of a very heavy monitoring burden.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a crane and a method of using a crane that can reduce the monitoring burden on workers in storage areas.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the crane of the present invention is a crane that handles loading and unloading of containers stored in a storage area, and is characterized by having a detection means that detects abnormalities in a stack of containers stored in the storage area that does not include the container that the crane is attempting to load and unload.
Furthermore, the method of using a crane of the present invention is characterized in that it uses a detection means for detecting abnormalities in a stack of containers stored in a storage area where the containers are stored, the detection means being provided on a crane that handles the containers, and carries out a process of detecting abnormalities in the stack that does not include the containers that the crane is handling.

In the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the stack of containers, the detection means provided on the crane detects the occurrence of the abnormality.
This reduces the monitoring burden on workers in the storage area.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a crane according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crane of FIG. 1 and one of the containers. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the spreader comes into contact with the container in FIG. 1, as an example showing a state in which the container is tilted. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a procedure for determining the inclination of a container. FIG. 10 is a perspective view for explaining the procedure for determining the inclination of a container, showing an image captured by a camera.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
First, the configuration of a crane according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Here, a gantry crane that transfers containers stored in a storage area of a container terminal to and from a chassis is shown as an example of the crane.

As shown in Figure 1, the crane 1 is installed astride a storage area 100 for containers 10 in a container terminal 200, and a travel lane M, which is a travel path for chassis 21 installed adjacent to and running parallel to the extension direction of the storage area 100. The storage area 100 is an area where containers 10 are stored in multiple layers, and here, 20-foot or 40-foot containers 10 are arranged in six rows A to F along the X direction, with their length oriented in the Y direction. In the following explanation, the collections of containers 10 stacked in rows A to F will be referred to as piles A to F.

As shown in Figure 2, in the storage area 100, the containers 10 are also arranged along the Y direction. Here, the adjacent stacks of stacks A to F arranged in the positive Y direction are referred to as stacks A1 to F1. Additionally, the adjacent stacks of stacks A to F arranged in the negative Y direction are referred to as stacks A2 to F2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the crane 1 includes legs 3 a to 3 d, girders 5 a and 5 b, a traveling device 7 , a trolley 9 , and a spreader 11 .
Legs 3a to 3d are columnar structures that support girders 5a, 5b, trolley 9, and spreader 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower ends of adjacent legs 3a and 3b in the Y direction, and legs 3c and 3d are connected by sill beams 6a and 6b, respectively. Sill beams 6a and 6b are arranged to sandwich storage area 100 in the X direction, and their extension direction faces the Y direction. Therefore, legs 3a, 3b and legs 3c, 3d are also arranged to sandwich storage area 100 in the X direction. Legs 3a and 3c face each other in the X direction, and legs 3b and 3d face each other in the X direction.

Girder sections 5a and 5b are girder-shaped structures straddling legs 3a-3d in the X direction (lateral direction). Specifically, girder section 5a straddles legs 3a and 3c, connecting their upper ends, while girder section 5b straddles legs 3b and 3d, connecting their upper ends. The traveling device 7 is a device that allows the crane 1 to travel in the traveling direction (Y direction), which is the extension direction of the storage area 100, and is installed on the underside of the sill beams 6a and 6b in this case. The trolley 9 is a carriage that moves the spreader 11 laterally in the X direction; here, it is installed astride girders 5a and 5b, and moves back and forth in the X direction on girders 5a and 5b. The spreader 11 is a hoisting device that lifts the container 10, and is held by wires 8 on the trolley 9, allowing it to move up and down (Z direction).

The crane 1 in FIG. 1 is an automatic operation type, and automatically handles the loading and unloading of containers 10 in accordance with instructions from a control unit 33 in a management building 31 provided in the container terminal 200 .
Specifically, the crane 1 drives the traveling device 7, trolley 9, and spreader 11 to lift the container 10 stored at a predetermined position in the storage area 100 and deliver the container 10 to the chassis 21 waiting in the travel lane M. Alternatively, the crane 1 receives the container 10 from the chassis 21 waiting in the travel lane M and stores it at a predetermined position in the storage area 100. Furthermore, the crane 1 can also rearrange the container 10 within the storage area 100. The control unit 33 may be provided in the crane 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the crane 1 is provided with a detection means 30 .
The detection means 30 is a means for detecting abnormalities in the piles A to F of containers 10 stored in the storage area 100 that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling.

"A pile that does not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" means a pile that does not include the container 10 that is the landing target of the spreader 11, and a pile that does not include the container 10 that the spreader 11 is trying to lift.
For example, in Figure 1, when the spreader 11 is holding a container 10 and the container 10 is being loaded onto the top container 10 of stack C, the "stacks that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is loading" are stacks A, B, D, E, and F.
Alternatively, in Figure 4, the spreader 11 is descending to grab the container 10a on pile D, but in Figure 4, the "piles that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" are piles A to C, E, and F, which are piles other than pile D.
This is because the position and posture of the pile including the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling are detected by a distance sensor, camera, etc. (not shown) for operations such as aligning with the spreader 11, and abnormalities have conventionally been detected from the detection results. However, if it is desired to further improve the accuracy of abnormality detection or to increase the number of detection targets as much as possible, the pile including the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling may also be included in the targets for which the detection means 30 detects abnormalities.

Furthermore, if any of piles A to F is a "pile containing a container 10 that crane 1 is handling," then piles at different Y-direction positions in storage area 100 are also "pile not containing a container 10 that crane 1 is handling." Therefore, if any of piles A to F is a "pile containing a container 10 that crane 1 is handling," then piles A1 to F1 and A2 to F2 shown in Figure 2 are also "pile not containing a container 10 that crane 1 is handling."

"Abnormal stacking of containers 10" refers to a stacking state in which containers 10 are stored shifted from the location where they should be stored.
Specifically, there is a case where the container is tilted in the XZ plane, as in the container 10b in Figure 4. This case will be described in more detail.
In Figure 4, the spreader 11, which is not gripping a container 10, is descending to grip a container 10a in pile D. However, piles C and E, which are adjacent to pile D in the X direction, are higher than pile D. Therefore, if the spreader 11 swings in the X direction while descending or is moved in the X direction for positioning, the spreader 11 may come into contact with the side of the container 10 in piles C and E, or in Figure 4, the container 10b in pile C. In this case, the container 10b tilts within the X-Z plane. If this condition continues, there is a risk that the container 10b will tip over and fall into pile B, as indicated by arrow R, or will tip over. If loading and unloading continues in this state, particularly in the case of automatic operation, the control unit 33 may lose track of the position of the container 10b, potentially making it impossible to load and unload the container 10b. Furthermore, there is a risk that a container 10 will be stacked on top of the container 10b while it is still lying on its side.

Therefore, if a container 10b constituting pile C, which does not include the container 10 being handled by the crane 1, is tilted in the X-Z plane, this is detected as an abnormality in pile C. This allows the crane 1 to take action to prevent container 10b from tipping over, such as by moving spreader 11 away from container 10b.

In addition, the crane 1 uses the detection means 30 to detect any abnormalities in the stack of containers 10. Therefore, there is no need to station a separate operator around the storage area 100 to detect abnormalities, or to have an operator monitor footage from surveillance cameras installed around the storage area 100 to detect abnormalities. This reduces the operator's burden of monitoring for abnormalities in the stack. In particular, if the crane 1 is autonomous, operations to resolve an abnormality can be performed automatically when an abnormality is detected. For example, if the container 10 tilts due to the spreader 11 coming into contact with the container 10, an operation to resolve the tilt can be automatically performed by moving the spreader 11 away from the container 10.

However, the detection means 30 does not necessarily always need to detect all abnormalities in the "piles that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" in the storage area 100. This is because the detection means 30 is provided on the crane 1, and therefore the range in which it can detect abnormalities is limited, although this depends on the detection method.
Of the "piles that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling," it is preferable to detect abnormalities in the piles that are located at the same position in the Y direction as the "piles that include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling." Taking Figure 4 as an example, if the "piles that include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" is pile D, it is preferable to detect abnormalities in piles A to F rather than piles A1 to F1 and A2 to F2. This is because the container 10 is a cube with its longitudinal direction in the Y direction as shown in Figure 3, and is more likely to tilt in the X direction than in the Y direction when it comes into contact with the spreader 11.

Of the "piles that do not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling," it is particularly preferable to detect abnormalities in the piles of containers 10 adjacent to the "piles that include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling." This is because piles adjacent to the "piles that include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" tend to be close to the spreader 11 during handling, making it easy for abnormalities such as contact with the spreader 11 and tipping over to occur. For example, in FIG. 2, if the "piles that include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling" is pile D, it is preferable to detect abnormalities in piles C and E. Note that piles D1 and D2 are adjacent to pile D in the Y direction, and therefore, if possible, abnormalities in piles D1 and D2 may also be detected.
In the following explanation, an example will be given in which an abnormality is detected in a pile that is located at the same position in the Y direction as the "pile including the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling."

In Figures 3 and 4, an example of an "abnormal stack of containers 10" is shown where the container 10 is tilted in the X-Z plane. However, if the container 10 is stored away from where it should be stored, "abnormal stack of containers 10" also includes a case where it is tilted in the Y-Z plane or in the X-Y plane. Alternatively, "abnormal stack of containers 10" also includes a case where the container 10 is simply stored away from where it should be stored in any of the X, Y, or Z directions, rather than being tilted.

Various configurations of the detection means 30 can be applied as long as they can detect "abnormalities in the stacking of containers 10." Examples of the detection means 30 given here include a laser rangefinder, a camera, and an acoustic sensor.

First, a configuration using a laser range finder will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, taking as an example a configuration for detecting an abnormality when a container 10 is tilted within the XZ plane.
1 and 3, a laser rangefinder 30a is provided as detection means 30 on the underside of the girders 5a, 5b of the crane 1. The laser rangefinder 30a is positioned so that it can irradiate a laser toward the storage area 100. The laser rangefinder 30a is a scanning type rangefinder that can irradiate a laser while changing the direction of laser irradiation, for example, by including an actuator (not shown) that adjusts the direction of the optical axis in the X and Y directions.

In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 3 , one laser rangefinder 30a first scans the top surface of the container 10 at the top of the pile, which is the detection target, in the X direction with the Y coordinate fixed, to detect the X and Z coordinates of at least two points on the top surface. Here, the two long edge edges 41 and 43 are shown as an example of the two points on the top surface. However, depending on the type of laser rangefinder 30a and the measurement conditions, the spacing between the measurement points may be too wide, making it difficult to detect the edges 41 and 43. In this case, the X and Z coordinates of two or more points on the top surface other than the edges may be detected. In this case, the laser rangefinder 30a does not need to be a scanning type.
When detecting two or more points on the top surface other than the edge, it is preferable that these points have the same Y coordinate but different X coordinates. Also, if the top surface of the container 10 has an uneven shape such as corrugation, detecting both the concave and convex portions will make it difficult to accurately determine the inclination of the top surface, so it is necessary to detect two or more points only on the concave portions or only on the convex portions.
Furthermore, the laser range finder 30a may detect landmarks such as markers.

Next, a tilted line TL is drawn connecting the coordinates of the detected edges 41, 43, and the angle θ between the line with zero tilt in the X-Z plane and the baseline BL, which is a line parallel to the X direction, is calculated as the tilt in the X-Z plane. If this tilt exceeds a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that an abnormality has occurred in the pile. Note that the entity that determines whether the tilt exceeds the predetermined threshold may be the laser rangefinder 30a itself or the control unit 33. If the control unit 33 makes the determination, the control unit 33 is included in the configuration of the detection means 30.
When three or more coordinates are detected, the slope line TL may be a straight line obtained by linearly approximating the detected coordinates.

The predetermined threshold is the upper limit of the inclination of the container 10 during normal loading and unloading. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the container contact surface in the storage area 100 has a slope called a water gradient for drainage. Therefore, even during normal loading and unloading operations where no abnormalities occur in the stack, the container 10 is inclined by an angle corresponding to the water gradient. Therefore, by setting the water gradient θ2 of the storage area 100 as a predetermined threshold, abnormality detection can be performed without the influence of the water gradient. In this case, if the angle θ between the inclined line TL and the baseline BL exceeds the water gradient θ2, the detection means 30 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the stack. Specifically, the water gradient θ2 of the storage area 100 is approximately 1% (0.57°). Note that the water gradient θ2 may vary slightly from the design value due to aging and deterioration of the storage area 100 after construction. Therefore, the predetermined threshold may be an angle obtained by multiplying the design value of the water gradient θ2 by a predetermined safety factor, for example, a value approximately two times the design value.
In this way, by determining whether an abnormality has occurred based on a predetermined threshold angle, the influence of the inclination of the container installation surface in the storage area 100, such as the water gradient θ2, can be eliminated, improving the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in the pile.

The predetermined threshold value may be a relative value rather than a predetermined value (absolute value) such as the water gradient θ2. For example, the inclination of the topmost container 10 of multiple piles may be detected, and the detected inclinations may be compared to detect a pile in which an abnormality has occurred. Specifically, first, the angle θ between the inclination line TL of the topmost container 10 of the multiple piles and the baseline BL is calculated for each of the multiple piles. Next, the average or median of the angles of the containers 10 in all the measured piles is set as a predetermined threshold value, and the detection means 30 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the pile when the angle θ of a container 10 in one pile exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
In this way, by setting the specified threshold as a relative value, it is possible to eliminate the influence of not only the inclination of the container installation surface of the storage area itself, such as the water gradient, but also the inclination of the crane itself, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in the pile.

As long as the tilt of the topmost container 10 in the stacks A to F in the storage area 100 can be detected, the position and number of the laser range finders 30a can be set appropriately.
However, when a laser is irradiated onto a pile of piles that is lower in number of levels than adjacent piles C and E, such as pile D in Figure 1, depending on the position of the laser rangefinder 30a, the irradiated laser may hit the containers 10 of piles C and E before hitting pile D. In this case, a blind spot occurs in the scanning range, making it difficult to determine the inclination of the top container 10 of pile D. Therefore, a configuration is preferred in which multiple laser rangefinders 30a are arranged in the X direction to mutually cover blind spots in the operation range due to differences in the number of pile levels. Ideally, it is preferable to arrange the laser rangefinders 30a directly above all piles A to F, but it is also possible to cover blind spots by arranging them every other row or every two rows. In Figure 1, the laser rangefinders 30a are arranged directly above piles B and E, which are the second and fifth rows of piles.
When multiple laser range finders 30a are provided, the piles to be detected may be assigned in advance according to the detectable range of each, or the piles to be detected may be changed by instructions from the control unit 33 or the like.
When only one laser distance meter 30a is provided in the X direction, it is preferably located at the center of the beams 5a and 5b in the X direction.

As long as it can detect abnormalities in piles A to F, the laser rangefinder 30a may be installed on a component constituting the crane 1 other than the girders 5a and 5b. Specifically, the laser rangefinder 30a may be installed on legs 3a to 3d as long as it is located higher than the topmost container 10 of piles A to F.

The laser distance meter 30a does not have to be fixed in position, but may be movable. For example, the laser distance meter 30a may be mounted on the trolley 9 or spreader 11. In this case, the inclination of the topmost container 10 of stacks A to F can be determined using a single laser distance meter 30a, but measurements and calculations may be required to eliminate the effects of inclination or vibration of the trolley 9 or spreader 11.

The number of laser rangefinders 30a installed in the Y direction may be one, or multiple may be installed. For example, in Figure 3, laser rangefinders 30a are installed at the same X coordinate position on beams 5a and 5b, so multiple laser rangefinders 30a are installed along the Y direction. By installing multiple laser rangefinders 30a along the Y direction in this way, the angle θ can be determined at different positions in the Y direction, eliminating the influence of abnormal points due to noise, etc.

The detection targets of the laser rangefinder 30a include not only the tilt in the X-Z plane, but also the tilt in the Y-Z plane, the tilt in the X-Y plane, or simply positional deviations in the X, Y, and Z directions. The tilt in the Y-Z plane is determined by the angle between the inclined line in the Y direction between the edges of the opposing short sides of the top surface of the container 10 and the baseline, which is a line parallel to the Y direction.
The tilt of the XY plane and the positional deviation in the X, Y, and Z directions can be determined from the distance and angle between the outer periphery of the position where the container 10 is to be stored and the long or short side of the top surface of the container 10, which are obtained from markers installed on the ground in the storage area 100 or from the TOS 32 shown in Figure 1. Note that TOS is an abbreviation for Terminal Operating System.
Furthermore, if it is possible to detect tilt or positional deviation, a Doppler radar or the like may be used as a range finder.
The above is a description of the configuration using the laser range finder 30a.

Next, a configuration using an imaging means will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in Figure 1, a camera 13 serving as an imaging means is provided at the right end in the X direction of the trolley 9 of the crane 1. The optical axis of the camera 13 is held in a direction looking down at the spreader 11 from the trolley 9. Therefore, in the image captured by the camera 13 in the state shown in Figure 1, the positional relationship between piles C, D, the spreader 11, and the wire 8 is schematically shown as image 14 in Figure 6.

When detecting an abnormality in pile C from this video 14, first, an image showing the top surface 49a of pile C is extracted from video 14. Next, information indicating the range 51 in which the top surface 49a of pile C should be located, such as information indicating the coordinates and shape of the outer periphery of range 51, is obtained from the TOS 32 or the like. Next, the position and angle of the image showing top surface 49a are compared with range 51 to measure the position and angle deviation. The angular deviation measured may be in the Y-Z plane, X-Z plane, or X-Y plane. If this position or angle deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in pile C. The extraction of the image, measurement of the position and angle deviation, and determination of the occurrence of an abnormality may be performed primarily by the camera 13 itself or by the control unit 33. If the control unit 33 makes the determination, the control unit 33 is included in the configuration of the detection means 30.

In this way, the camera 13 may be used to detect abnormalities.
In this configuration, it is possible to use cameras already installed on the crane 1, such as surveillance cameras or cameras that capture images to be displayed on a remote control display device, thereby reducing the installation costs of the detection means 30.

A variety of imaging methods can be used as long as the crane 1 can capture images of containers 10 that are not being handled. Furthermore, if a structure such as a stereo camera can also obtain depth information from the image 14, the accuracy of tilt detection can be improved. When using a stereo camera, the tilt can be determined by extracting the coordinates of the edges 41, 43 of the container 10 and determining the angle between the tilt line TL and the baseline BL, similar to the laser rangefinder 30a.

The number and position of the imaging means are preferably such that no blind spots are created when imaging piles A to F that do not include the container 10 that is the object of loading and unloading by the crane 1. The specific arrangement is the same as that of the laser rangefinder 30a.
The above is a description of the configuration using the imaging means.

Next, a configuration using an acoustic sensor will be described.
As shown in Figure 4, one cause of abnormalities in the pile is when the spreader 11 collides with the container 10. In this case, a collision sound is generated at the time of the collision. Furthermore, when the container 10 tips over, a collision sound is also generated when the side of the container 10 collides with the ground. The acoustic sensor detects the sound waves of this collision sound and determines that an abnormality has occurred in the pile.

With this configuration, it is difficult to determine the tilt angle or positional deviation of the container 10, but pile abnormalities can be detected simply by detecting the collision sound. The sound waves of the collision sound have a longer wavelength than light waves and are easily diffracted in the air, so detection accuracy is less affected by the orientation of the acoustic sensor or obstacles between the acoustic sensor and the container 10. Therefore, compared to the laser rangefinder 30a and the camera 13, the acoustic sensor has the advantage of having fewer restrictions on installation position and orientation. Another advantage is that sound waves propagate in all directions through the air, so the acoustic sensor can detect pile abnormalities in all directions.
Furthermore, when the container 10 has tipped over and fallen on its side, the inclination angle of the top surface is close to 0 degrees, so a configuration that determines the inclination angle using the laser rangefinder 30a may have difficulty detecting the fallen container 10. On the other hand, a configuration that uses an acoustic sensor can detect that the container 10 has tipped over by the sound of a collision, so it is possible to detect an abnormality regardless of the inclination angle after the container 10 has tipped over.
In addition, since the configuration using an acoustic sensor makes it possible to grasp to some extent the location where the collision sound occurred, workers and work vehicles can be quickly arranged to right the overturned container 10 and return it to its original posture and position.

One criterion for determining that an abnormality has occurred from the collision sound is if the collision sound exceeds a predetermined sound pressure level (dB). This is because when a container 10 collides or tips over, collision sounds of a sound pressure level that is not produced during normal loading and unloading are often produced.

On the other hand, when detecting the occurrence of an abnormality based on the sound pressure level (dB), it may be difficult to distinguish between a collision sound that occurs during normal cargo handling, such as the sound of the spreader 11 landing on the floor, and a collision sound that occurs when the container 10 tips over. Alternatively, there is a risk that environmental noise, such as noise from construction work within the container terminal 200 or noise from other cranes 1 handling cargo, may be erroneously detected as a collision sound.
Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which the collision sound when the container 10 tips over is listened to in advance and the constituent sounds of the collision sound are extracted by acoustic analysis, thereby making it possible to detect only the collision sound when the container 10 tips over. The entity that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred from the collision sound may be the acoustic sensor itself or the control unit 33. When the control unit 33 makes the determination, the control unit 33 is included in the configuration of the detection means 30.

As the acoustic sensor, various sensors can be appropriately selected as long as they can detect the collision sound. A sensor that detects sound waves propagating through the air, such as a microphone, is generally used, but an acoustic sensor that detects sound waves propagating within the spreader 11 when the container 10 and the spreader 11 collide may be provided in the spreader 11.
Furthermore, it is preferable to install the acoustic sensor at a position as close as possible to the container 10, which is the detection target, and where there are no obstacles between the sensor and the container 10, in order to improve the accuracy of detecting sound waves. The specific position is the same as that of the laser rangefinder 30a. Therefore, reference numeral 30b in Fig. 1 denotes the acoustic sensor.
The above is a description of the configuration using the acoustic sensor 30b.

Finally, a brief description will be given of the procedure for detecting an abnormality in the pile of containers 10 (method of using the crane 1) using the detection means 30. In the following description, an example of cargo handling will be taken, in which the spreader 11 is moved laterally to transfer the chassis 21 and the container 10 while the traveling device 7 of the crane 1 is stopped. However, the detection means 30 can also detect an abnormality in the pile while the traveling device 7 is being driven to travel the crane 1.
First, the detection means 30 acquires the cargo handling status of the crane 1 from the TOS 32 and the control unit 33, and selects a pile that does not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is currently handling.
Next, the detection means 30 detects an abnormality in the pile that does not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling.

When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the pile, the detection means 30 preferably notifies the occurrence of the abnormality to the workers of the container terminal 200 or the control unit 33. For example, in the management building 31, it is preferable to transmit information such as images or sounds notifying the workers of the abnormality occurring in the pile to a monitoring monitor or speaker in a room where the workers are present.
The above is a description of the procedure for using the crane 1.

According to this embodiment, the crane 1 is equipped with a detection means 30, and when an abnormality occurs in a pile that does not include the container 10 that the crane 1 is handling, the detection means 30 detects the occurrence of the abnormality.
This reduces the monitoring burden on workers in the storage area 100.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.
For example, in the above embodiment, a gantry crane is used as an example of application of the present invention, but any crane capable of handling containers 10, such as a quay crane or a jib crane, may also be used.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an automatically operated crane was used as an example of application of the present invention, but the present invention can also be applied to a crane that is not automatically operated but is remotely operated, or a crane in which a driver's seat is provided on the trolley 9.

1 Crane 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d Leg 5a, 5b Girder 6a, 6b Sill beam 7 Traveling device 8 Wire 9 Trolley 10, 10a, 10b Container 11 Spreader 13 Camera 14 Image 21 Chassis 30 Detection means 30a Laser range finder 30b Acoustic sensor 31 Management building 32 TOS
33 Control unit 41, 43 Edge 49a Top surface 51 Range 100 Storage area 200 Container terminal

Claims (6)

A crane that handles containers stored in a storage area,
A crane characterized by comprising a detection means for detecting abnormalities in a stack of containers stored in the storage area that does not include the container that the crane is handling. The detection means
2. The crane according to claim 1, wherein the means detects an abnormality in the pile based on the inclination of the pile that does not include the container that the crane is handling. The crane described in claim 2, wherein the detection means determines that an abnormality has occurred in the pile when the tilt exceeds a predetermined threshold. A crane as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the detection means detects the inclination of multiple piles that do not include the container being handled by the crane, and compares the detected inclinations to detect abnormalities in the piles. The detection means
The crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the means is for detecting abnormalities in the pile by capturing an image of the container and analyzing an image of the pile of containers that does not include the container that the crane is handling. A detection means for detecting an abnormality in a stack of containers stored in a storage area where the containers are stored is provided on a crane that handles the containers,
A method of using a crane, comprising the step of detecting an abnormality in the pile that does not include the container that the crane is handling.