DE29606645U1 - Driver's seat for industrial trucks - Google Patents

Description

DR.-ING. H. NEGENDANK (-1973)
HAUCK, GRAALFS, WEHNERT, DÖRING, SIEMONS

HAMBURG - MUNICH - DÜSSELDORF
K-39 464-19

PATENT AND LAWYER ■ NEUER WALL 41 · 20354 HAMBURG

Jungheinrich AG Friedrich-Ebert-Dairan 129

22047 Hamburg

EDO GRAALFS, Dipl.-Ing. NORBERT SIEMONS, Dr.-Ing. HEIDI REICHERT, Attorney-at-Law Neuer Wall 41, 20354 Hamburg P.O. Box 30 24 30, 20308 Hamburg Telephone (040) 36 67 55, Fax (040) 36 40 Telex 2 11 769 inpat d

HANS HAUCK, Dipl.-Ing. WERNER WEHNERT, Dipl.-Ing. Mozartstraße 23, 80336 Munich Telephone (089) 53 92 36, Fax (089) 53 12

WOLFGANG DÖRING, Dr.-Ing. Mörikestraße 18, 40474 Düsseldorf Telephone (0211) 45 07 85, Fax (0211) 454 32 Telex 8 584 044 dopa d

DELIVERY ADDRESS/PLEASE REPLY TO:

HAMBURG,

10 April 1996

Driver's seat for industrial trucks

The invention relates to a driver's seat for industrial trucks according to the preamble of claim 1.

So-called driver's seat forklifts and similar industrial trucks are equipped with an individual, vehicle-specific operating compartment. It includes all components relating to the interface with the operator. This also includes the structures surrounding and protecting the driver, such as the driver's protective roof. It also contains components and operating, control and display elements that satisfy the operator's comfort needs.

Patent Attorneys ■ European Patent Attorneys ;5JngelEpjene Vejtreteijgfim European Patent Office

ReGhtsantoätzugelaubfcribeSin Hammftger Geßchten

Deutsche Bank AG Hamburg, No! 55*28497 (SLz M) 70t)"00)**Postbanl* Haniburg, No. 28 42 206 (BLZ 200 100 20)
Dresdner Bank AG Hamburg, No. 933 60 35 (bank code 200 800 00)

In known industrial trucks, the control compartment is an integral part of the vehicle. It differs not only from one industrial truck series to another, but also within a series with different vehicle sizes. For example, the control compartment of a counterbalance forklift truck is different from that of a reach truck. The control compartment is adapted to the geometric requirements of the vehicle. For example, it is necessary that different driver protection roofs are provided for electric counterbalance forklift trucks with different battery sizes. This also applies to parts of the vehicle frame that belong to the control compartment. With reach trucks of different sizes (load capacity classes), different dashboards, driver protection roofs, seats, etc. arise.

From EP-A-O 545 877 it has become known that a driver's cabin as a whole can be pivoted around a horizontal axis. The bearing axis is located on the rear wall of the operator's cabin and allows a more or less pronounced tilting, in order to allow the operator a comfortable view upwards. It is used in reach trucks where the movable mast is arranged transversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle or the driver's line of sight.

From the company brochure "Electric forklifts E20 to E30" from Linde from September 1994, it is known that the upper part of a counterbalance forklift, including the seat and steering wheel, can be tilted backwards around a horizontal axis in order to be able to change the battery. The pedals and the handles for operating the load-carrying device are not part of the pivoting protective frame or the pivoting cabin.

The invention is based on the object of creating a driver's position for industrial trucks which can be designed uniformly for the various vehicle types.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

The driver's seat according to the invention contains a separate driver's seat module that can be detachably connected to the rest of the vehicle. Its geometric design, including the driver's protective roof, is uniform and has the same dimensions regardless of the vehicle type or the size of a series. All handles, pedals and switches that can be operated from the driver's seat are components of the driver's seat module and therefore remain

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in the driver's seat module when this is pivoted according to an embodiment of the invention, for example about a fixed horizontal axis, as is known per se.

All actuating means or actuators that exert force on the vehicle's units (actuators), for example on the traction motor, the steering motor, the hydraulics for the load-carrying device, the brake, etc. are components of the vehicle outside the driver's seat module. Likewise, essential parts of the controls can be arranged outside the driver's seat module. Only the individual signal transmitters for controlling the actuating elements or control devices or actuators are components of the driver's seat module. For example, steering is carried out in such a way that the steering handle, for example a steering wheel, is assigned an electric or hydraulic steering angle sensor, which is connected to the steering control device in the rest of the vehicle via an electric or hydraulic line that can be led out of the driver's seat module. The same applies, for example, to the handle for manipulating the load-carrying device. For the hydraulic control of the hydraulic power device, for example the lifting cylinder, a proportional or semi-proportional valve is used that can be controlled electrically.

namely, according to the invention, via an electrical signal transmitter that is coupled to the handle in the driver's seat module. According to one embodiment of the invention, the accelerator pedal can also be coupled to a signal transmitter, preferably an analog signal transmitter that is coupled via an electrical line to the control device for the traction motor in the rest of the vehicle.

If a brake pedal is provided, there is the option of either accommodating the master brake cylinder in the driver's seat module and connecting it to the brake cylinder(s) via flexible hydraulic lines or alternatively arranging the master brake cylinder outside the driver's seat module so that it can be actuated - mechanically decoupled - by the brake pedal in the driver's seat module.

It is also understood that control and display elements for reversing the direction of travel, enabling travel, emergency stop, creep travel, lighting, steering wheel adjustment, horn, limit switch system, etc. are arranged in the driver's seat module and are connected via electrical signal lines to associated control parts and/or units and/or operable components in the rest of the vehicle.

The invention involves a complete separation of the

service part on the one hand (driver's seat module) and the machine part of the industrial truck on the other hand.

based on the idea that the control area of an industrial truck, described as the driver's seat module, can be viewed as the human-machine interface. The operator's needs and dimensions are to be viewed as constant within relatively narrow limits, while the "machine" differs greatly within and across vehicle series. The advantage of the inventive concept is that it makes significant savings in the manufacture of industrial trucks. Experience has shown that a large amount of the total tool investment for a new vehicle _! relates to the control area. This expenditure must be incurred again for each new vehicle to be developed. With the inventive solution, the driver's seat can be produced in larger quantities, for the total number of industrial trucks produced, regardless of the individual types and variants within the vehicle types.

A tiltable driver's seat module is particularly advantageous, especially for reach trucks, as the battery trolley can be dispensed with. The battery can be removed when the driver's seat module is tilted.

The ability to tilt the driver's seat module depending on the lifting height, for example, also has the advantage that the operator can better follow the load-handling device with his eyes.

Since there is no fixed connection between the vehicle and the driver's seat module, the driver's seat module can be easily mechanically decoupled from the vehicle using spring/damper systems. Weather and climate protection can be implemented using simple means, which increases comfort and convenience for the operator. The driver's seat module can, for example, be designed similarly to a truck driver's cab.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a driver's cabin without an associated industrial truck, which is designed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows very schematically an industrial truck according to the invention with a pivotable driver's cabin in two different positions.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a reach truck with a driver's cab according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows schematically a reach truck with a modified cabin according to the invention.

In Fig. 1, a frame 10 of a cabin or driver's seat module is shown, whereby the gaps in the frame 10 can be left free or filled with flat material made of transparent or non-transparent material. The frame contains a driver's protective roof 1 and - optionally - a door 8 on the side. A seat 2 is arranged on the left-hand side of the rear of the frame, whereby a lower area 12 is provided in front of the seat for the driver's legs and feet. In the lower area, an accelerator pedal 6 and a brake pedal 7 are arranged.

To the right of the driver's seat 2, there is a raised area 14 that serves as a forearm rest. In front of the forearm rest there is a handle 3 for manipulating the load-carrying device (not shown). The handle 3 can be designed in such a way that other functions can be operated from the handle, for example the direction of travel setting and the signal horn. Such handles

have already become known. In front of the seat 2 there are display elements, additional switches or buttons in an instrument arrangement 4. To the left of the instrument arrangement 4 there is a steering wheel 5.

Sensors or signal generators are assigned to the accelerator pedal 6, the handle 3 and in particular the steering wheel 5, whereby the signals generated when these parts are adjusted are routed either digitally or analogously via electrical or hydraulic signal lines to the outside of the cabin 10. The signal generator(s) of the handle 3 are, for example, connected to one or more proportional valves in the rest of the vehicle to control the hydraulics for the load-carrying device. A simple switch or button is sufficient to reverse the direction of travel, the digital signals of which are routed via another signal line to the motor control outside the cabin 10. A steering sensor is assigned to the steering wheel 5, which converts the deflection of the wheel into a proportional signal that is routed via an electrical or hydraulic line to the steering outside the cabin 10. The steering can be electrical or hydraulic. The accelerator pedal 6 is, for example, coupled to an analog signal generator, whereby a signal is sent to the drive control outside the cabin 10 depending on the deflection of the pedal 6. The

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Brake pedal 7 can mechanically actuate the master brake cylinder outside the cabin 10 without these parts having to be connected to one another. Alternatively, the master brake cylinder can also be arranged inside the cabin 10 and actuated by the brake pedal 7. Flexible brake lines are then arranged between the brake cylinders and the master brake cylinder. The electrical lines for the parts of the instrumentation arrangement 4 are also connected via electrical lines to the units, components and other parts outside the cabin 10.

When manufacturing an industrial truck, the cabin can itself be completely prefabricated and placed on the finished vehicle. The electrical cables can already be connected to the cabin 10 or the handles and elements in it. It is only necessary to connect them at the other end to the corresponding parts in the rest of the vehicle. It is also conceivable to make the cables separable and to establish the connection using appropriate plug-in couplings.

In Fig. 2, an industrial truck 100 is indicated, in which the load-carrying device is not shown. A cabin 90, which can be similar to the cabin 10 according to Fig. 1, is pivotable about an axis 11 on the upper rear side of the

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Vehicle 10. The cabin 90 can therefore, as indicated in the upper illustration in Fig. 2, be tilted backwards to facilitate maintenance of the vehicle and/or to allow the battery to be removed. The lines leading to the cabin 90 described in connection with Fig. 1 are preferably routed in the area of the axle 11 to the vehicle.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a reach truck 101 with a driver's cabin 40, which is hinged to the vehicle about an axis 11. The driver's seat or viewing direction is transverse to the vehicle 101, i.e. into or out of the plane of the drawing. Otherwise, the cabin can be designed, configured and equipped as indicated in connection with Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4, a reach truck 104 is shown schematically with a cabin 44, whereby the cabin 44 is again designed and equipped in a similar way to that according to Fig. 1. It can be built as a frame construction, whereby a lower section in the right-hand area at 46 is circularly arc-shaped. It is located in the area of an attachment 48 with a circularly arc-shaped guide 50 for supporting the section 46, for example with the aid of

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Balls or the like. The cabin 44 can be slidably pivoted by means not shown and, for example, assume the position shown in the right-hand illustration in Fig. 4 (stacking position). The pivoting can take place depending on the height of the load-handling device (not shown) in order to make it easier for the operator to see the load-handling device or the load.

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Claims (12)

- 13 claims : 1. Driver's seat for industrial trucks with a steering handle that is coupled to the steering motor via a steering angle sensor and a steering control device, at least one handle for manipulating the load-carrying device, that is coupled to a control device for driving the load-carrying device, a handle for specifying the direction of travel, that is coupled to a control device for the drive motor, an accelerator pedal that is also coupled to the drive control device, a brake pedal that is coupled to at least one brake cylinder via a main brake valve, and display elements or the like, characterized in that a driver's seat module (10, 90, 40, 44) that is separate from the rest of the vehicle is provided, which can be detachably attached to the vehicle (100, 101, 104), the handles and pedals arranged in the driver's seat module are at least partially coupled to signal transmitters arranged in the driver's seat module, while the associated control devices, which are connected to the signal transmitters via flexible electrical or hydraulic lines, are housed outside the driver's seat module in the vehicle. .../14 · «11« * - 14 - 2. Driver position module according to claim 1, characterized in that an electrical steering angle sensor is provided which is connected to the steering control device via an electrical line. 3. Driver's seat module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an electrical signal transmitter for the handle for manipulating the load-carrying device is provided in the driver's seat module, which is coupled to a proportional valve or a semi-proportional valve for the hydraulic drive of the load-carrying device in the vehicle. 4. Driver's seat module according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the accelerator pedal is coupled to a control device for the drive motor via an analog signal transmitter in the driver's seat module (10). 5. Driver's seat module according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the master brake cylinder is arranged outside the driver's seat module. 6. Driver position module according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the master brake cylinder in the .../15 - 15 Driver's seat module and connected to the brake cylinders via flexible brake lines. 7. Driver position module according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is mounted on the vehicle (100, 101, 104) so as to be tiltable about a horizontal axis. 8. Driver position module according to claim 7, characterized in that it is hinged to the vehicle (100, 101) about a horizontal axis (11). 9. Driver's seat module according to claim 7, characterized in that it has a circular arc-shaped bearing segment (46) on the rear side, which interacts with a complementary bearing segment (50) on the vehicle (104) in such a way that it can be pivoted about an axis of rotation located in front of the driver's seat module and at the same time can be displaced in the direction of view. 10. Driver's seat module according to claim 8, characterized in that the lines leading out of the driver's seat module (90, 40) are guided over the tilting axis (11). 11. Driver position module according to one of claims 1 to 6, .../16 - 16 - characterized in that it is supported on the vehicle via springs and/or damping means. 12. Driver's seat module according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it also includes a driver's protective roof (1) and optionally a side door (8).