EP2847064A2

EP2847064A2 - Manually operated transport trolley including assisted starting means

Info

Publication number: EP2847064A2
Application number: EP13724543.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Charles Coutier
Original assignee: Coutier Industrie SARL
Current assignee: Coutier Industrie SARL
Priority date: 2012-05-11
Filing date: 2013-05-07
Publication date: 2015-03-18
Also published as: WO2013167600A3; FR2990398A1; FR2990398B1; WO2013167600A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing assistance in the manual operation of a transport trolley (1) equipped with a drive device (3a) for driving at least one trolley rolling member (3) and an on-board power source for powering the drive device (3a). The method is characterised in that it allows the drive device (3a) to be controlled for as long as it is established (8, 9) that a force exerted manually on the trolley (1) is greater than or equal to a given threshold. The invention also relates to a trolley used to carry out said method.

Description

Workshop trolley with manual operation and assisted starting

The present invention relates carts ma- nutention as such is employed in the industrial complex assembly plants for transporting compo ^¬ nents between two places (storage, clearance, post ^¬ tra vail, post delivery. ..) where they are loaded on the cart or unloaded from the cart. It also relates to any means of transport of sick, injured, or person ^¬ born disabled ... in care facilities, or between them and specialized vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

These trolleys can be associated in a train of trolleys, dragged by a motor vehicle from the place of destocking to a workstation. They can equal ^¬ be independent (cases of hospital beds for exam ple ^¬) without the possibility of association. In the first case, they require a manual maneuver to train the train or to dissociate it. In the second case, their movement is to ^¬ sprawl manual. This manipulation is a factor of difficulty of the task of the operator that is necessary to reduce to the maximum to meet the increasingly demanding provisions governing the working conditions.

It is known that the difficulty is the effort that the operator must develop to move the carriage when loaded. It is necessary to overcome the inertia of the load as well as the resistance offered by the ground to the rolling of the truck (irregularities of the ground, particles, orientation of the rotating wheels different from the direction of the start-up ...).

It has already been proposed aid de ^¬ startup devices of this type trucks to remedy this ^¬ little ergonomic work mande.

These are first and foremost at least one axle of the carriage. These devices have the main disadvantage of having to use an on-board power source, including a storage battery of electrical energy. This battery is associated with a motor engaged with the axle and engine control means available to the operator. It includes a cart so equipped is a heavy material, especially, must be part of a process of many a ^¬ nance often prohibitive compared to the function of the product in terms of investment and cost func ^¬ tioning.

There are also start-up assistance devices which comprise components for storing energy derived from that expended by the motor vehicle during the movement of the carriage train in the case where the carriages are connectable by train and travel through important distances in convoy. As an example, document FR 2 899 550 may be cited.

Trolleys are also known which are equipped with an additional motorized wheel, added to the cha ^¬ riot already provided with its rolling members that the operator ^¬ tor controlled by a switch of the engine power supply by the associated battery generally to a controller that optimizes the operation of this motorized wheel.

There are also assist devices to de ^¬ startup that use muscle power developed by the operator but in ergonomic conditions and econo my ^¬. In this regard, document FR 2 613 996 describes a coupling between the manual handling shaft of a pallet truck and its front axle, whereby any pivoting of the drawbar results in a rotation drive of this axle (transmission by chain and toothed wheel or by a set of bevel gears). In DE 1,254,496, the pivot axis of the maneuvering bar and the axis of the wheel are confused and tilting of the drawbar is transmitted to the wheel by a detachable ratchet mechanism.

Finally, there is one last kind of start-up assistance mechanism that operates in the manner of a second-class master. This lever, connected to the frame of the carriage, supported by one of its ends on the floor of rou ^¬ LEMENT the carriage. This end then becomes a fixed point lower pivot, the lever being actuated my ^¬ tinuously around the pivot point with its other end and in the direction of travel to print the cha ^¬ riot. Thus the zone of connection of the lever to the carriage (thus the carriage) is moved under a greater force but on a smaller amplitude than the displacement resulting from the effort developed by the operator operating the upper end of the lever. They include, as illus ^¬ tration of such devices, FR 2919253.

The invention relates to a method and means for assisting the start of a carriage provides the ope rator ^¬ a maneuver of the carriage facility (or more generations LEMENT a rolling base) while maintaining a number constraints relating to the general safety of the use of this type of material.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the subject of the invention is a method of assisting the manual operation of a workshop trolley equipped with a device for driving at least one rolling member of this trolley and for a power source emb ^¬ cated for the power supply of the drive device, ca ^¬ characterized in that it consists in allowing the control of the drive device as long as is observed the presence of a force of advancement exerted manually on the carriage of an intensity greater than or equal to a given threshold.

By this method, it is detected that a forward force of the carriage is exerted by the operator and this detection is taken into account for the control of the drive means. This is an impor ^¬ aunt characteristic of the process of the invention that prevents most misuses of the carriage, that is to say the uses tent Met endanger operator safety. Indeed, thanks to this step of the method, the carriage is constantly under the control of the operator since the training drive ^¬ tance stops as soon as the operator exerts more effort suf ^¬ izing on the carriage. This may be particularly the case when the carriage has been set in motion with the assistance and that the maintenance of this movement requires only a minimal effort, below the threshold mentioned above, which is compatible with the ergonomic requirements. resulting for example no fa ^¬ tigue excessive operator. This is also the case where the operator stops for any reason pushing or pulling the carriage which is then prevented from continuing to move alone. The driving device is thus controlled in all or nothing, which makes power management means unnecessary, ensuring a proportionality between the power developed by the engine at a time t and the effort provided by the operator. at the same time.

According to another characteristic of the method of in ^¬ vention, the control of the drive device is allowed only in the presence of a load detected on the truck. This arrangement helps to ensure optimal utili ^¬ tion of the drive device in terms of energy consumption. It is possible to provide a load threshold below which the control of the driving device is not permitted.

The means to achieve these functions are known in themselves and are easy to implement with also known as drive devices for exam ^¬ ple of motorized wheels.

In a more refined version of the invention, the detection of the charge may include a determination step. nation of the latter. Depending on the value of the load, it is possible to act on the control circuits of the drive motor means for example to adjust the value of the assist torque to be applied to the wheel to the value of the load transported. These circuits com ^¬ mande are known in themselves and generally include a power controller electric power assist motor on the inputs (instructions) which it is possible to act.

The method of the invention also comprises a step of delaying the operation of the drive device. The advantage of this delay lies in the fact that it is a safety runaway speed of the carriage. Indeed, a long presence of a manual force on the upper carriage than the threshold, aug mented ^¬ the driving force assistance, can lead to excessive and dangerous speed of the truck must be prevented.

Finally, advantageously, the method 1 'in- vention comprises a step of determining the direction of the manual force exerted on the carriage so as to détermi ^¬ ner the direction of the force generated by the device in ^¬ dragging.

The invention also relates to a trolley for implementing the above method, comprising a platform frame to which is fixed a motorized wheel, and which is equipped with a manual operating member articulated to the platform frame and provided with a cleat cooperating with at least one force sensor emitting a signal towards a controller of the motorized wheel so as to be ex ^¬ ploited by this controller according to its programming.

The truck is also equipped at its platform with a detector of the presence or absence of a load cooperating with a force sensor connected to the controller of the motorized wheel. It also has a time-limiting timer during which the assistance is in use.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial diagrammatic representation, from the side, of a carriage for carrying out the method of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic detail view of an alternative embodiment of the carriage of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the front part of a carriage whose rolling platform or base 1 is equipped with rolling bodies 2 and 3. The body 3 is rou ^¬ LEMENT here a known motorized wheel including its mo ^¬ tor 3a, electric batteries not shown and a controller 4 of the motor 3a. This wheel is here fixed by a conventional screed platform 1. There are wheels on the market that are articulated to the chaps ^¬ sis that carries them between a position off, away from the ground and a position in service, in contact with the ground. The invention also applies to it.

The frame of this platform is equipped with a gold ^¬ maneuver manual maneuver of the carriage in the form of a ^¬ vier or a handrail 5, articulated in 6 to the frame of the platform 1. The lower end of this lever 5 is extended by a rod 7, slidably guided in at least one slide 7a and provided with a catch 7b which im ^¬ mobilizes relative to the platform with two stops 8 and 9 which surround it. These abutments are equipped with known force sensors, for example strain gauges or strain gauges, which, one or the other, transmit a signal significant effort they collect from the cleat 7b. This signal is led to the controller 4 of the motorized wheel 3 so as to be operated by this controller according to its programming.

The platform is also equipped with a detector

10 of the presence or not of a load, which is here a pla ^¬ tine extended by a vertical rod which rests on a stop 11 also equipped with a force sensor connected to the controller 4.

It will be noted that other types of sensors may be used, for example displacement or end-of-travel sensors of the movable member (lever 5 or plate 10) associated with resilient return members that can be tapped. ensure the one-to-one correspondence between races traveled and efforts to achieve this.

The carriage thus equipped allows the implementation of the method according to the invention. Indeed, when the operator seizes the handrail 5 to, for example, push the carriage in the direction of the arrow A, the stopper 7b abuts against the stop 8 which cash the thrust force transmitted to the platform. The sensor associated with the stop 8 shows the presence of a thrust force. Depending on the means utili ^¬ SES, either the sensor transmits a signal to the controller 4 that the latter compares a predetermined threshold (a programmed set value) or the sensor transmits a signal to the controller if the force is higher than threshold. This threshold is fixed by construction to the value of the effort above which it is considered that there is a risk of adverse influence from an ergonomic point of view for the operator. As long as the effort is below this threshold, the motorized wheel is not operational, either because it is disengaged (freewheel) or because it is not in contact with the ground (luffing wheel). If the effort is equal to or greater than this threshold, the controller makes the motorized wheel operational, which means transmitting a torque drive to this wheel (before contacting the ground, if any) to relieve the thrust force. The controller program ensures optimized wheel operation to account for the variability of the thrust force after start-up assistance is put into operation.

In case of traction of the carriage (direction of the arrow B), the operation of the assistance is identical, the controller having recognized the direction of the maneuver by the identification of the sensor 8 or 9 requested.

It may be noted that in the absence of load, the manual maneuvering force of the truck is below the threshold dictated by the ergonomics. But nothing can prevent, for example, a maneuver of the operator who could trigger assistance when it is not useful (cha ^¬ riot empty blocked against an obstacle, brutal maneuver, ...). To prevent this trigger which leads to a consumed ^¬ unnecessary energy, it is indicated to the controller 4 ^¬ pre sence or absence of a load on the platform by the sensor 10, 11. The no-load setting inhibits any service of the motorized wheel.

Alternatively, one can detect the value of the load and act accordingly on the control circuits of the drive motor means for, for example, adjust the value of the assist torque to be applied to the wheel. These control circuits are known in themselves and generally include an NENT ^¬ a power controller electric power assist motor on the program ^¬ what you can do such change set their va- recorded.

Note in Figure 1 the presence of a tempori ^¬ sateur 12. This limits the time during which the ^¬ assistance is on to prevent the packs ^¬ carriage under the combined effects of significant maneuvering effort above the threshold and assistance which adds to the effort for a long time after the ^¬ where the carriage may have acquired a prohibited and dangerous speed for both the staff and the equipment. Other means are possible, such as a rotation speed sensor of one of the wheels of the carriage, to ^re¬¬ alise the stop assistance. At the time of this stop, the operator will perceive a jerk that will either awaken its vigi ^¬ lance, or even put into service an emergency brake or an equivalent function.

Note that in this particularly simple version of the invention, the power of the motor is independent of the value of the effort exerted by the operator. This results in a great simplicity of the motor controller.

Other functions can be implemented in the controller 4 of the motorized wheel of assistance Demar ^¬ rage. For example, it can be provided a progressivity of the commissioning of this wheel to avoid a call for too much energy at the start or an adjustment ^¬ ment of the value of the assistance torque depending on the size manual effort ... It should be noted that in the case of the invention, the starting aid is conditioned on the detection of a manual effort of maneuver and the continued existence of this effort, this contrary to the most electrically assisted vehicles that detect a movement generated by the operator. In the case of a cha ^¬ workshop riot, expect the existence of a movement impli ^¬ that the risk of imposing an ergonomically prohibited effort from the operator to get this moving.

The diagram of FIG. 2 illustrates the case of a truck which comprises a drawbar 13 hinged to the front of the platform in bearings 13a, 13b. This drawbar com ^¬ door at its coupling means 13c (ring, hook, housing, sphere ...) handles 14a, 14b of manœu ^¬ vre manual carriage. When the drawbar 13 is raised, a cleat 15 which it has laterally engages between two abutments 8a and 9a which retract laterally at the step ^¬ wise cleat because carried by a bracket 16 which is articulated at the bottom of the carriage and can debate between the position shown in which it is recalled by a not shown elastic member and a remote position ob ^¬ held at the passage of the cleat when raising the drawbar by the play of cam surfaces carried by the cleat 15 and po ^¬ tence 16 which cause the deletion of stops in ^1'¬ against the organ aforesaid elastic in the direction of arrow C. to fold the drawbar in the lower position (fifth position in a train of carriages), the operator must my ^¬ nuously exclude the stem according to the arrow C for ex ^¬ milking cleat 15 of the stops 8a, 9a.

These stops, such as stops 8 and 9 of the pre- cedente view, are provided with sensors connected to the controller 4 of the motorized wheel 3 in order to transmit the same infor mation ^¬.

In this alternative embodiment can be detec ^¬ ter the presence or absence of the stop 15 between the stops 8a and 9a respectively to put out or in service a wheel generator of electric energy not shown and connected to the batteries. Indeed, the absence of the cleat between the stops indicates that the truck is in a train, in convoy, with a motor vehicle which allows the operation of the generator wheel to recharge the batteries. At the same time, it is possible to actuate a breaker inter ^¬ General if assistance device of absence of the stop such that the drive wheel is not activated when the carriage is towed.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the mo ^¬ implementation described but encompasses any variant within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

In particular, the wheel can be controlled to operate continuously or intermittently. Every interruption of the supply in the case of intermittent operation, it can be provided to check whether a force greater than the predetermined threshold is still exerted on the carriage and, if so, to supply the engine again.

It is possible to provide one or more tempo ^¬ rations on a single parameter with several thresholds or corresponding to several parameters. Thus, the method of the invention can implement a first delay time, starting after the activation of the driving wheel to a first energy level (torque and speed), at the end of which the mo ^¬ tor is controlled to provide a second energy level lower than the first energy level and a second delay time after which the motor is controlled to provide a third energy level, lower than the second energy level, and a third power duration; tempo ^¬ rization after which the motor power is interrupted. The duration and the number of timers may be modified for example in accordance with a state of charge of the battery or a function of the mass transpor ted ^¬ or transported volume (corresponding a sensor must be provided and connected to the controller). Alternatively, the second energy level and / or the third energy level may be greater than or equal to the previous one.

Similarly, in the embodiment described, the delay time controlling the stopping of the power supply of the motor may have a modifiable duration, for example as a function of a state of charge of the battery or as a function of the transported mass or volume trans ^¬ carried (a corresponding sensor must be provided and re ^¬ linked to the controller).

With the trucks whose wheel (s) are liftable, the controller controls the motor of the wheel in such a way that the wheel is in rotation when it touches the wheel. the floor in such a way that the wheel is also rotating when it leaves the ground. Although this provision ^¬ be extremely advantageous, it is possible to re ^¬ delay engine start.

When the carriage simply serves to support a container whose one edge is used as a member of my ^¬ nipulation of the carriage / container, it is possible to provide on the carriage a handle connected to the controller and provided with means for its fixing removable on the container. It is also possible to provide between the container and the carriage receiving a set of electrical contacts re ^¬ related to the controller such that when an operator applies a force in a given direction on the tale ^¬ ing, moves containing the slightly relative to the carriage because of the game and comes to apply contacts against each other so as to control the power of the mo ^¬ tor in the right direction. It is necessary to then provide means for returning the container to a neutral position in which the contacts are inactivated. This embodiment is more particularly conceivable when ^¬ the resistance to movement of the carriage relative to the ground is greater than the resistance to the displacement of the teller ^¬ neur with respect to the carriage.

The drawbar may be provided with a sensor for detecting a catch by cooperating with a hook or ball of another carriage or a towing vehicle and driving the motorized wheel accordingly. The detection of a potential hooking depending on the position of the drawbar can be ob ^¬ held by means of a flat or a relief formed on the axis of the drawbar to cooperate with a detector connected to the controller connected to the engine of the wheel.

The force may be a button with dif ^¬ ent representative driving levels of different levels of effort exerted on the carriage sensor. The controller can be arranged to control the motor according to these conditions. calves of effort.

The invention is of course also applicable to trolleys not provided with drawbar or provided with a drawbar with any type of attachment means.

It may be interesting that the support on the truck by the operator triggers a delay delaying the entry into action of the driving wheel. This makes it possible to avoid that a thrust on the carriage, which is involuntary and rapidly interrupted, causes the driving wheel to be actuated.

It may be interesting that the support force on the carriage by the operator triggers the entry into action of the driving wheel only if this effort is greater than a predetermined threshold. This prevents unintentional thrust on the carriage from causing the driving wheel to operate.

An operator presence detector can be mounted on the truck. The presence detection may for example reside in two contact zones spaced apart from each other on which the operator is obliged to apply these hands to push the carriage. This prevents unintentional shock or thrust on the truck from activating the drive wheel.

The recharging of the batteries can in particular be achieved either by means of a generating wheel as indicated above or by connecting the batteries to a charger connected to the mains.

In the carriage of the invention, it can be provided that a force exerted on the handle of the carriage or a dedicated force sensor, in a direction opposite to the direction of travel causes a deactivation of the drive device.

The manual maneuvering member of the carriage may have the form of any means for exerting a force on the carriage (thrust, traction ...) and for example a handle, a lever, a handrail ...

The invention, in all its variants, applies to a carriage provided with a motorized wheel driven electrically or by any other energy source, including hydraulic.

The trolley according to the invention may have a struc ture ^¬ different from that described and for example have its wheels in diamond pattern, the drive wheel being mounted at the center of the diamond. Alternatively, two wheel drive ad ^¬ underlying can be mounted in the center of the diamond.

Claims

1. A method of assisting the manual operation of a workshop trolley (1), equipped with a driving device (3a) of at least one rolling member (3) of this cha ^¬ riot and an on-board energy source for nutriti ^¬ the drive device (3a), characterized in that it consists in allowing the control of the ^¬ dragging device (3a) as long as is noted (8, 9) the presence of a forward force exerted manually on the carriage (1) of an intensity greater than or equal to a given threshold.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control of the drive device (3a) is permitted only in the presence of a detected load (10, 11) on the carriage.

3. A method according to claims owners of previously ^¬ thy, characterized in that it also comprises a time-delay step (12) the operation of the en- dragging device.

4. A method according to claims owners of previously ^¬ thy, characterized in that it comprises a step of détermi ^¬ nation of the direction of the manual force exerted on the carriage (1) so as to determine the direction of rotation of rolling member of the driving device.

5. Trolley for implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a platform frame (1) which is fixed a motorized wheel (3,3a), characterized in that it is equipped with a body of manual operation (5, 13) articulated to the chassis of the flat ^¬ form (1) and provided with a lug (7b, 15) cooperating with at least one force sensor emitting a signal to a controller (4) of the motorized wheel (3, 3a) so as to be operated by this controller according to its programming.

6. Trolley according to claim 5, comprising a drawbar (13) hinged to the front of the platform (1) between a lowered active position and a position inac ^¬ tive and high power generating engaging wheel the ground, characterized in that the drawbar (13) comprises a catch (15) engaging between two abutments (8a, 9a) retractable equipped with the aforesaid force sensor, a detec ^¬ tor presence of the drawbar in this position being provided to inhibit the operation of the aforementioned generating wheel.

7. Trolley according to claim 5, characterized in that the platform (1) is also equipped with a detec ^¬ tor (10) the presence or absence of a load cooperating with a force sensor connected to the controller (4). ) of the motorized wheel (3, 3a).

8. Trolley according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a timer (12) for limiting the time during which the assistance is in use.

9. Trolley according to claim 8, wherein the controller is arranged to change the delay time ^¬ tion.

10. Trolley according to claim 9, wherein the delay time is changeable according to a state of charge of the battery.

11. Trolley according to claim 9, wherein the delay time is modifiable as a function of a mass transported.

12. Trolley according to claim 5, comprising a timer arranged to ensure at least a delay on at least one parameter with at least one predetermined threshold.

13. Trolley according to claim 12, wherein the timer is arranged to provide at least one timer relating to at least one parameter with several corresponding thresholds.

14. Trolley according to claim 13, wherein the timer implements a first duration of tempo ^¬ risation, starting after activation of the drive wheel at a first energy level, at the end of which the engine is controlled to provide a second energy level and a second time delay after which the motor is controlled to provide a third energy level and a third delay time after ^¬ which the motor power supply is interrupted.

15. Trolley according to claim 14, in ^¬ which the timer is arranged to allow a modification of a duration and a number of delay times based on a state of charge of the battery or a function of the mass transported or volume transported.

Trolley according to claim 5, wherein the motorized wheel is mounted on the carriage to be movable between a ground contact position and a grounded position, and the controller is arranged to drive the wheel motor. such that the wheel is rotated when it touches the ground and so that the wheel is also rotatably ^¬ when it leaves the ground.

17. Trolley according to claim 5, wherein the force sensor is a button with different representative driving levels of different levels of effort exerted on the carriage and the controller is arranged to pi ^¬ Loter the motor based on these levels of effort.